Essay writing Kenny Pau Hunting Snake Essay

The poem ‘hunting snake’ written by Judith Wright highlights the idea that nature and man are equal. Through the use of language and imagery the poet portrays the snake as a powerful and majestic creature. This emphasizes the persona’s response to the snakes. She implies that we humans have narrow stereotypical views of the snake. This poem portrays how humans don’t always learn how to respect other creatures and only think of ourselves. Throughout the poem the personas view of the snake is mingled with admiration and amazement and fear. This was shown by the words â€Å"sun glazed†, â€Å"curved† and â€Å"diamond scale†. These words portray the beauty of the snake and how the persona was fascinated by the snake’s appearance. On the fourth line of the second stanza the words â€Å"lost breath† shows how the persona was hypnotise by the snake’s beauty. Furthermore Judith Wright also uses oxymoron such as â€Å"cold , dark, and splendid† to show the majestic and fearful nature of the snake. The snake also shows a sense of determination as he pursues his prey displaying the beauty and power of the predators in nature. In stanza two he had his â€Å"head down† as he was perusing his prey. This highlights his sense of determination; this is further reinforced by the word â€Å"quested† describing the path it was taking to get to his prey. It was a mission for him although we as human saw it as a small and insignificant act. This makes us admire the snake in the way is dealing his problem, in order to survive. They are creatures that should be admire like any other animal and not treated differently. The poet also describes the snake as a dangerous creature that always focuses on surviving. The poem started off with a tranquil scene of an autumnal day. Through the adjective â€Å"sun-warmed† and â€Å"gentlest sky† an image of calmness is establish, also creating a peaceful tone. Sun warmed creates a sunny, calm perspective of the day. The tone c hanges in line three and four of the first stanza. Fear is shown in line three â€Å"We walked and froze half-through a pace.† The word â€Å"froze† has connotations of fear. The tone of the poem shifts to a tense and stressful one in comparison of the previous tranquil atmosphere. Throughout the poem Judith Wright uses descriptive words such as â€Å"great† and â€Å"black† to portray the power of the snake. The adjective â€Å"great† describes the snake size and  the word â€Å"black† symbolizes evil. The snake’s uses sinister movement such as â€Å"flickering† and â€Å"reeling†, its body shows his power as a predator but the snake didn’t even notice the humans. The snake was too busy dealing with his own needs and problems. In stanza three â€Å"what track he followed, what small food fled living from his fierce intent† shows he has power. It display how skilled he is at hunting and the other animals knows to stay out of his range. We need to appreciate the fact that he needs to survive, that’s why he needs to hunt. The poet implies that we should respect the snake and appreciate his characteristic rather than staying away from it as far as possible. Not only Judith and her companion are scared of the snake but even the animals are scared of the snake. The adjective â€Å"fierce† describes his intent but it was only for his survival. Judith Wright and her companion were curious but also fearful. The word â€Å"still† shows that they were petrified by fear â€Å"Our eyes went with him† describes that the poet was scared and was hypnotise by dear but still they were curious. The structure of the poem portrays the persona’s perspective of the hunting snake. It has the traditional four stanza layout which shows how the persona is stereotypical and narrow minded. The poem had a simple rhyme scheme ABAB. The continuous slow pace in the poem shows balance nature. Furthermore the rhyme scheme in the final stanza follows the mood of the persona. The rhyme pattern changed to ABBA. This could be because of the sudden shock the poet had realizing what a dangerous experience she has just gone through. The poem start to rhyme towards the end shows that the poet is already starting to get her thought back in order illu strating the impact the snake had in her life. The fact that she could maintain the rhyme to that point also demonstrate she was forcing herself to stay calm in the experience and it was only after the incident that she allowed herself to panic a little. The final stanza shows the feeling of the persona has changed. She shares a new perspective of nature. She respect and admire the snake yet she still fears it. Perhaps the persona and the companion never had this opportunity if being so close to the snake and to learn about it. Wright could be saying that we could be judging the snake wrongly. That it could not actually be a creature of evil. The persona powerfully changes from the experience she had just gone through. She portrays the snake as a powerful and dangerous but also majestic and admirable. The poem â€Å"hunting snake† shows us that nature  is equal to man. That snakes are like any other animal in the world. We need to admire them and not be prejudice and we shouldn’t stereotype it. Judith Wright has shown us that nature will only harm man if man harms nature. In the bible in the book of Genesis we are told that we are all equal. Therefore we human need to appreciate the snake rather than hate it and fear it as it is also a creature of God.

The Da Vinci Code PROLOGUE

Louvre Museum, Paris 10:46 P. M. Renowned curator Jacques Sauniere staggered through the vaulted archway of the museum's Grand Gallery. He lunged for the nearest painting he could see, a Caravaggio. Grabbing the gilded frame, the seventy-six-year-old man heaved the masterpiece toward himself until it tore from the wall and Sauniere collapsed backward in a heap beneath the canvas. As he had anticipated, a thundering iron gate fell nearby, barricading the entrance to the suite. The parquet floor shook. Far off, an alarm began to ring. The curator lay a moment, gasping for breath, taking stock. I am still alive.He crawled out from under the canvas and scanned the cavernous space for someplace to hide. A voice spoke, chillingly close. â€Å"Do not move.† On his hands and knees, the curator froze, turning his head slowly. Only fifteen feet away, outside the sealed gate, the mountainous silhouette of his attacker stared through the iron bars. He was broad and tall, with ghost-pale skin and thinning white hair. His irises were pink with dark red pupils. The albino drew a pistol from his coat and aimed the barrel through the bars, directly at the curator. â€Å"You should not have run.† His accent was not easy to place. â€Å"Now tell me where it is.† â€Å"I told you already,† the curator stammered, kneeling defenseless on the floor of the gallery. â€Å"I have no idea what you are talking about!† â€Å"You are lying.† The man stared at him, perfectly immobile except for the glint in his ghostly eyes. â€Å"You and your brethren possess something that is not yours.† The curator felt a surge of adrenaline. How could he possibly know this? â€Å"Tonight the rightful guardians will be restored. Tell me where it is hidden, and you will live.† The man leveled his gun at the curator's head. â€Å"Is it a secret you will die for?† Sauniere could not breathe. The man tilted his head, peering down the barrel of his gun. Sauniere held up his hands in defense. â€Å"Wait,† he said slowly. â€Å"I will tell you what you need to know.† The curator spoke his next words carefully. The lie he told was one he had rehearsed many times†¦ each time praying he would never have to use it. When the curator had finished speaking, his assailant smiled smugly. â€Å"Yes. This is exactly what the others told me.† Sauniere recoiled. The others? â€Å"I found them, too,† the huge man taunted. â€Å"All three of them. They confirmed what you have just said.† It cannot be! The curator's true identity, along with the identities of his three senechaux, was almost as sacred as the ancient secret they protected. Sauniere now realized his senechaux, following strict procedure, had told the same lie before their own deaths. It was part of the protocol. The attacker aimed his gun again. â€Å"When you are gone, I will be the only one who knows the truth.† The truth.In an instant, the curator grasped the true horror of the situation. If I die, the truth will be lost forever.Instinctively, he tried to scramble for cover. The gun roared, and the curator felt a searing heat as the bullet lodged in his stomach. He fell forward†¦ struggling against the pain. Slowly, Sauniere rolled over and stared back through the bars at his attacker. The man was now taking dead aim at Sauniere's head. Sauniere closed his eyes, his thoughts a swirling tempest of fear and regret. The click of an empty chamber echoed through the corridor. The curator's eyes flew open. The man glanced down at his weapon, looking almost amused. He reached for a second clip, but then seemed to reconsider, smirking calmly at Sauniere's gut. â€Å"My work here is done.† The curator looked down and saw the bullet hole in his white linen shirt. It was framed by a small circle of blood a few inches below his breastbone. My stomach.Almost cruelly, the bullet had missed his heart. As a veteran of la Guerre d'Algerie, the curator had witnessed this horribly drawn-out death before. For fifteen minutes, he would survive as his stomach acids seeped into his chest cavity, slowly poisoning him from within. â€Å"Pain is good, monsieur,† the man said. Then he was gone. Alone now, Jacques Sauniere turned his gaze again to the iron gate. He was trapped, and the doors could not be reopened for at least twenty minutes. By the time anyone got to him, he would be dead. Even so, the fear that now gripped him was a fear far greater than that of his own death. I must pass on the secret. Staggering to his feet, he pictured his three murdered brethren. He thought of the generations who had come before them†¦ of the mission with which they had all been entrusted. An unbroken chain of knowledge. Suddenly, now, despite all the precautions†¦ despite all the fail-safes†¦ Jacques Sauniere was the only remaining link, the sole guardian of one of the most powerful secrets ever kept. Shivering, he pulled himself to his feet. I must find some way†¦ . He was trapped inside the Grand Gallery, and there existed only one person on earth to whom he could pass the torch. Sauniere gazed up at the walls of his opulent prison. A collection of the world's most famous paintings seemed to smile down on him like old friends. Wincing in pain, he summoned all of his faculties and strength. The desperate task before him, he knew, would require every remaining second of his life.

Brick & Click Essay

A brick means a retail store, and a click means an e-commerce website. The main choice when a new company is starting out is whether to have a brick or a click to get their company going. There are several advantages and disadvantages to choosing either a brick or a click. One advantage of having a brick store to begin with is that when a new company starts people may be wary about completing a transaction online with the company as they do not know if it is trustworthy or not when giving out card details and PayPal account details and similar things. Therefore, by beginning with a brick store people can deal with others face to face and complete the transaction straight away. There is less chance of losing money or having card details stolen if you are using them yourself, rather than relying on someone or something else. If you have a problem, it is very easy and simple to deal with it in a brick store where it may be difficult to get in contact with those on a click e-commerce website as you would need to either write a letter, use the telephone, send an e-mail or file a complaint online on the actual website and you may not get a response. In a brick store you can simply go into the shop and deal with it there and do it face to face with an employee of the company. Another advantage of a brick store is that if there is a problem with the product you can also simply return it to the store and get a change of item or your money back, online this may be a problem as it will cost for postage and packing, it will also take much longer as well. One of the main advantages of starting with a brick store is the possibility of hackers that could put off consumers from purchasing items online. This therefore means that some people prefer to do their shopping in person in a retail store where they can see what is happening. Another advantage is that you can put your hands on a product and test it, to  see if the customer likes the product. On a click store all you can do is look at an image with other details such as size and colour. You can for example try on clothes in store however you have to rely on a size being the same as similar clothing items that you own. However, there are also a variety of advantages to beginning with a click store. A main one is how much cheaper it is to simply open a website in comparison to a retails store. The company will not need to employ anywhere as near as the amount of people that would be employed in a retail store, as well as paying bills for the building and lighting and whatever else. All that is needed online is to make the website, maintain it and update it if necessary and then people working in a warehouse to send out the products to the customers. Another advantage is the convenience of a click store. This means that people can use it anytime of the day and the company don’t need anyone on the website to complete a transaction or anything like that. This means that products can be purchased and ordered at any time that you want to browse the internet. There is no opening and closing times to a click store. From an e-commerce store you can check to see if a product is in stock on one website and then if not just simply browse round all the other similar websites without leaving your home and find a website that has the product in stock and purchase it. You can go to other brick stores if the product you wanted was not in one store, but it would take much longer and there is also much more companies online than there will be in the same town or city. It is much easier to find a product online and you can simply use a search bar to enter keywords for what you are looking for and then browse all the results that it brings up. This will bring up hopefully what you were looking for as well as similar items which you may then prefer that you would not have known about if you had just walked into a shop and bought the product. You can also pay all bills and whatever is owed from your own home online which is much easier and simpler.

Stability between Islamic and Conventional Banking In Relation To Research Paper

Stability between Islamic and Conventional Banking In Relation To Customer Confidence - Research Paper Example A conventional bank is regarded as a financial intermediary, which receives money and deposits, and channels those deposits into lending activities, along with paying and collecting cheques for its customers. During business activities, conventional banks offer several other services and facilities to its customers. Thus, it can be asserted as a bank links together its customers that have capital deficits and capital surpluses. Conversely, an Islamic bank consists of the principle of developing Islamic economics through banking activities. During the last few decades, Islamic banking industry has experienced a sustainable growth rate of around 10-15% per annum. At the same time, it is also observed that this industry is steadily growing towards conventional financial systems (Sole, 2007). According to the observation, it is determined that the Islamic banking industry not only operates its functions in major Muslim populated countries, but also it has operated its banking activities in low crowded Muslim countries such as the United Kingdom, Malaysia and Japan among others. Consequently, the Islamic banking industry has granted its banking license for expanding its banking operations in several countries such as India and Syria among others. Besides, it has been acknowledged that Islamic banking industry has in excess of 300 branches among 51 countries around the world where Islamic banking system is followed (Sole, 2007). In terms of key products offered to the customers in both the banks they include mortgages (home loan), car loans, personal loans along with credit facility.

The Electronic Commerce In the US Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Electronic Commerce In the US - Case Study Example Since this is a new medium for commerce and as the global marketing of goods or services is growing enormously, there is a need for redrafting the legal environment suitably. The legitimate revenues to the governments were previously realized through taxes on sales, as applicable under the standard law. This new face of marketing which is termed electronic commerce has once again highlighted the need for creating new laws to safeguard the interests of the customers as well as the manufacturers and revamping the source for taxes to be levied. The changes, which result from electronic commerce and related technology offer significant benefits to business, consumers, and government. They increase convenience, efficiency, and productivity and reduce costs. It is important to look forward to the changes and how they will influence the current tax laws as they relate to maintaining consistent revenue flows and taxpayer equity. In the U.S., the emergence of electronic commerce has left a prominent impact on the telecommunication, information and computer sectors, advertising, publishing, and media industries. The issues brought forth by the electronic commerce, which relate to sales tax and use tax, have attracted the attention of the federal, state and local governments. Promoting the growth of internet commerce is inevitable because of its potential in generating revenues and jobs and increasing productivity. However, the state and local governments are dependent on a consistent inflow of revenues to maintain essential services. Sales and use tax account for 36.7 percent of overall tax revenues. There is a need for a cooperative and simplified sales and use the tax system to provide for efficient and equitable taxation of interstate commerce. The Internet Tax Freedom Act created the Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce and this commission recommended that while the internet should not be taxed more than other channels, it should not permit the avoidance of tax. The remote vendors argued that imposition of sales tax collection responsibilities in all of the thousands of the taxing jurisdictions in the U.S. would create an unacceptable burden (Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, September 22, 1999). The doctrine of sovereign immunity, in international law, permits a court to give up its jurisdictional rights in respect of foreign enterprises or countries. This doctrine has as its bases the traditional notions that a sovereign should not be subject to litigation in a foreign court. The result is that investors may be unable to obtain relief in their country's legal system. In some countries, this doctrine's application to commerce has been limited. While contracting with a private party if a foreign nation does not allow itself to be subject to the local laws, then recourse to U.S. courts in case of a breach is not possible.

Illegal Immigration in the US Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Illegal Immigration in the US - Essay Example For example, editorial of the Los Angeles Times hits the Republican presidential hopefuls’ illegal immigration solutions as simply nothing but rhetorical promises that do not resolve the problem but aim only to win Latino votes; whereas, editorial of the New York Times challenges Obama’s leadership in bringing about his promise to reform the immigration law and to protect the civil rights of immigrants, citing his presidential powers enough to legally question the deeply unjust Arizona law against illegal immigration. The main concern of both editorials is to see that the country’s problem of illegal immigration be resolved; both are also doubtful on the sincerity of both Republicans and Democrats to solve the problem, accusing both political parties of simply using the issue for political expediency – to win immigrant votes for the coming presidential elections. Although both news companies criticize and challenge both the Republican and Democratic partie s’ stance on illegal immigration, they however differ on their specific concern from which their bias on the issue is observable. For example, the LA Times did not bother to comment on the Republicans’ call tougher and stricter immigration law enforcement despite contending public opinion on the extremism of the Arizona Law – This law essentially criminalizes illegal immigration and makes all immigrants feel unsafe (Baker A12; Editorial, New York Times, A24). Instead, the LA Times showed more concern on the practicality of the solutions the Republican presidential hopefuls offer, citing existing immigration policies and practices that render their proposals useless – e.g. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s proposal to impose a national identification card combined with an electronic database for employers to verify their workers’ immigration status is criticized to simply force illegal immigrants to underground economy rather than self- deport; Newt Gingrich’s proposal to create a guest worker program is criticized for its failure to consider the 10-year ban against illegal immigrants; while Rick Santorum’s call for illegal immigrants to go back in line to immigrate legally is criticized to see that there is no such line for poor immigrants (Editorial, Los Angeles Times, par. 3-6). While the LA Times seemingly agrees with the Republicans for tougher and stricter border enforcement, it criticizes them for not heading-on the issue, cautioning them that such posturing will not win them the Latino votes. On the contrary, the NY Times concern centers more on challenging Obama – a democrat – to fulfill his promise to protect the rights and dignity of migrants, that he so strongly defends in his speech citing the cruelty of the Arizona Law, as he urges the US congress to reform the immigration law. The NY Times challenges Obama as he is confronted with Republican senators who have rejected bipa rtisanship and have dissented any practical and reasonable immigration reform (Editorial, New York Times, A24), and as Obama is similarly suspected of using the issue of illegal immigration for the coming presidential elections. Meaning Obama’s call for a bipartisan reform of the immigration law is meant to win Hispanic and middle-class votes and to put the blame on Republicans for the failure of

Management theories and methods in Construction Projects Essay

Management theories and methods in Construction Projects - Essay Example The leader has to lead the team and train them at the same time. A true leader is supposed to find out the root causes of issues and solve them in a way which is thoroughly acceptable to various individuals involved (Nicholas, 1990). In the current scenario, the sub-contractor team is not working properly because of the lack of motivation in them. It is the job of the leader to identify this issue and devise a strategy to motivate the team and boost their morale. Leaders must have high degree of emotional intelligence for identifying the hidden aspects of the issues and for finding out solutions to them. Understanding the mindset of employees and workers is very important because it aids the management in catering for the employees. the needs theory clearly explains how a leader can take control of a scenario and achieve the maximum output. In the current scenario, the mindset of the subcontractor team should be analyzed thoroughly for identifying the problem (Goleman, 1998). Maslows theory of motivation provides the leaders with an easier way of attending to the employees. Since the sub-contractor has gained other contracts with the organization as well, he might have achieved his personal targets already and that is why he is not interested in ensuring quality work. The style theory asserts that managers have different styles of leadership and their employees often respond to each theory differently. The leader in this case first identified the issue, after that there is a simple talk with the sub-contractor in order to help improve on efficiency. As the construction site manager, my responsibility is to convince the sub-contractor about the benefits of working efficiently (Linstead, Fulop & Lilley, 2004). A true leader should be able to convince the employees, workers and sub-ordinates that individual and personal targets can only be achieved if the project is successful. The delays and inefficiency of one team is detrimental for

Professional Portfolio Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Professional Portfolio - Assignment Example Correspondingly, I would provide a structured portfolio of mine, where I will include a brief description of my educational platform, learning theory along with curriculum map and the use of tools that I have initiated throughout the course of my learning as an educator. Professional Portfolio Educational Platform and Learning Theory Education is one of the most vital aspects of growth for any individual. Understanding the value of learning as the cornerstone of a successful life, individuals from various age groups and demographics have started taking participation in the educational sector. In this regard, the role of an educator has become quite prominent over the years owing to their significance in forming the educational career of an individual. As an educator, I feel esteemed to be rewarded with the opportunity to assist learners in developing their skills and abilities with regard to their competent areas. Correspondingly, in my professional experience, I was able to learn th at an ideal educator is of extreme need to develop the skills and capabilities that might be in need to provide a proper learning experience to the students. In consideration to all these facets, I desire myself to be in a professional career associated with education. ... Additionally, with reference to my desire of becoming an educator will always intend towards maintaining an atmosphere, which will encourage maximum concentration amid the learners and facilitate effective learning in-turn. It would also be vital to mention that I am quite appreciative towards adopting proper learning theories that would allow me to have proper control over the learning capabilities of the students. As per my experience, adoption of effective learning theory is quite important to facilitate learners’ effective performance. Out of the various principles of learning, I prefer Readiness, which depicts that a learner can be able to learn more when he/she is physically, mentally, as well as emotionally deciphers the yearning to learn. Correspondingly, adoption of such theory requires me to create interest among the students by presenting the value of a particular topic or a subject matter. In my professional career, I also emphasize posing continuous mental as well as physical challenges, with the intention to keep the learners’ interests intact for a longer period of time. Curriculum Map and Assessment Strategy Based on my personal and professional experiences, I was able to understand that setting efficient curriculum is among the major needs in the field of education. Educational institutions all over the world have well identified the needs to develop an effective curriculum where learners would be able to perform better. Correspondingly, the role of an educator is also vital in such cases. I, as an educator, understand this particular facet in my role and ensure best possible contribution towards the same. I was mainly engaged with the Master of Education

Homework Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Homework - Research Paper Example The usability of a system also determines its effectiveness, satisfaction, and efficiency. The effectiveness of a system refers to the accuracy with which specific objectives can be achieved. The efficiency of a system refers to various resources and their accuracy for the system. The satisfaction of a system includes characteristics of users, tasks, and the overall organization. The context of use is also an important characteristic of the system. The context of the system determines the characteristics of the users, tasks, and physical environment (Sauro & Kindlund, 2005). The second important quality characteristic of ISO 9126 System is reliability. The reliability of a system determines the perceptions of users regarding the reliability. The reliability of a system is ensured through various measures (Sauro & Kindlund, 2005). Some of these measures include frequency of system failure, presence of bugs, faults, and other errors. When developing a system, it is important to ensure that it possesses fault tolerance. The specific level of performance is also developed for system’s reliability. The recoverability is the sub characteristic of reliability. This characteristic allows users to take corrective actions whenever an error occurs. The reliable system is one, which can quickly recover from a failure and resume working (Sauro & Kindlund, 2005). Reliability is viewed as an important quality attribute, which appears in all quality models. The users want a system that they can rely. The reliability can be defined as the capability of a system to maintain a specific performance level. The sub characteristics of reliability include maturity, fault tolerance, recoverability, and reliability conformance. Maturity of an ISO 9126 system can be comprehended as its capability to avoid failures. The fault tolerance of a system is the capability of a system to deliver specified performance (Phang, Kankanhalli &

James Berardinelli. “Twelve Monkeys” Essay Example for Free

James Berardinelli. â€Å"Twelve Monkeys† Essay 12 monkeys Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the movie ‘12 monkeys’ there was a virus which was deliberately released in 1996 and killed more than five billion people. The survivors went to seek refuge into the underground sending volunteers to bring insect specimen from the universe to test for the virus presence. One of the sent prisoners is James cole who goes is given a chance to go back to 1996 but he is taken to 1990 instead. He remembers things as if he was in a dream. Among the things is where he remembers witnessing a man being killed in the airport while he was a child. This is what is always seen to be the Centre stage in whole movie (Lynette, 3). Below is a discussion on how mental illness can be judged on this particular movie for part one, part two discusses the definition of mental illness in regard to the social norms and believes, with part three closing with the discussion of how Coles experience relate to Platos allegory of the cave.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this film, mental illness is featured in many instances for instance, when Jose mentions that the so called volunteers are said to go mad. This presents a clear show of mental illness in the movie. We also notice cole being locked up in the mental institution with other lunatics, showing that there were other many lunatics present. Goines is definitely crazy or schizoid because of his hallucinating and grandiosity nature. Dr. Railly, the psychiatrist alludes that may be the whole world may be insane. We really don’t understand if cole was really from the futureor was he ‘mentally divergent’. We notice cole questioning his mental capabilities, where he asks himself if it could not be great if he was crazy. Simultaneously the Dr. is convinced that he is from the furfure of which we know that this can not be right (Lynette, 8). If he was really sane and from the furfure, then how can one explain the voice that he hears, the one he calls bum calling him Bob, what of the changing guard faces what of the fact that he is never seen coming or leaving and his memory lapses? We really can’t know the physical divergence he claims to have because one can’t explain his fore knowledge about the boy in the well. The appearances in the world War onephotos and the bullets in his leg. In short, this movie seems to be implying that we may not be mentally ill or weird than the world we live.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Relative to the social believes and norms, mental illness or abnormality can be seen as not being an exact process as it tends to focus on different individuals with different lines of thinking. This relies on different situations, behaviors and context to which the measurement is applied (Weinberger ,2001)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In defining abnormality, people from different societies and countries have varied ideas. Each and every culture has its own concepts of what it considers to be normal or abnormal. This can make us conclude that what is considered as abnormal in one society is not the same in other societies. So, there is no society which is mere superior than the other in their perception of mental illness or one society has got many mental disorders than the other (American Psychiatric Association. 2000).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If we look at the deviation from the norms, something or somebody can be considered abnormal if does not conform to what could be considered statistically abnormal. Those who focus on this aspect, only consider specific aspects. For instance, the intelligence quotient (IQ), the personal traits and their distribution. Asserting that a person is is abnormal in this aspect typically means that they deviate from the numeric average of a specific trait and behavior patterns.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The other mostly applied aspect in examining the mental illness of people is the deviation from the social norms. Naturally, some behaviors are considered as being not accepted in the society, but they can still be expected to be applied in certain situations. The majority of the population knows how to adjust and come along with these changes (Weinberger ,2001). The ones that contradict this are taken as abnormal or mentally ill on the extremes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Also, a person is considered abnormal if he/she is not functioning correctly in that he or she may lack a full range of emotion and feelings and therefore his life is considered abnormal. These kinds of people can only be able to participate in only limited range of functioning lifestyle(American Psychiatric Association. 2000). Distress can also be used to gauge the mental illness capability of people as it could be an underlying mental problem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another aspect in the social norms definition of mental illness is the person’s association with others. If a person relation with others courses people to feel discomfort, it could be taken as these people are not mentally right. Along with this is the people’s unpredictable behavior which could much reflect on their mental health.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Cole’s experiences relate to the Plato’s’ allegatory of the cave’ as his allegations that the real world may not be what our senses reveal. In relation to the Cole’s experience, we see him moving from one world of the past to the furfure or the vice varsa. In real this could only be a dream or mere imaginations, this alludes that Cole’s experiences could be reflecting Plato’s thoughts or allegations. In his Dialogue with Glaucon, we are not sure of the cave which he was referring to, either it could be the underground that the people had escaped to after the virus struck the universe or the prison where Cole was imprisoned.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When he imagined that the prisoners could think that the sound that they heard were really coming from the shadows, it coincides with Cole seeing the changing face of the guard and that of omnipresence. His concepts on the shadows could reflect Cole’s switching from one world to another. Was what he saw from the 1990 world true or could it his experience from the 1996 and 2035? Which was the truer experience?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On the last part of their discussion with Glaucon, he tells him that they, meaning the government, can not show any gratitude for the culture which they have never received. This could be reflecting the 12 monkeys who had released the virus that almost eliminated the human race according to the film. He said that with education on how to tackle issues, one will be able to defeat these ill minded people, reflecting Cole’s endeavors. References Roger Ebert (1996-01-05). 12 Monkeys.Chicago Sun-TimesLynette Rice (August 26, 2013). 12 monkeys pilot†. Entertainment Weekly James Berardinelli. Twelve Monkeys.Reviews Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences Education, National Research Council. 2000. How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Weinberger, D., Torrey, E.F., and Berman, K. 2001. Schizophrenia PET scan. Retrieved July 13, 2008 American Psychiatric Association. 2000. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition The Allegory of the Cave http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/allegory.html Source document

Causes of the US National Debt

Causes of the US National Debt How big is the US National Debt and history? By definition, the amount of money owed by the federal government to creditors is referred to as the US National Debt. The National debt is categorized into two; public debts and government. Government debts are always on the rise due to the increase in government spending and expenditure, unpaid credits by debtors, decreased taxes among others (Zezza, 2014). The US National Debt has a historical increment due to the rise in debt as a share of the GDP during the recession periods and times of war. A combination of inflation and growth of GDP results in decreased national debt. The national debt of the US, for instance, increased after the World War II to 113 % in the year 1945 (Zezza, 2014). However, this figure later went down in the subsequent thirty-five years. In the past few decades, there have been concerns of how sustainable the fiscal policies of the US National government are based on the rise in costs of medication and the growing number of old people in the US population ( Zezza, 2014). According to Sakbani (2013), the public debt of the US was at $ 14.3 trillion of the overall GDP while the inter-governmental debts were $5.4 trillion. This totals to about 10.6% of the 2015 GDP. Sakbani (2013) further notes that more than 45 % of the US national debt in 2016 was by foreign investors with Japan and China in the lead. Precisely, an analysis of the US national debt reveals that the debt has had a constructive decline since the year 1789 apart from between 1835 and 1836 (Chorafas, 2014). The debt was at the highest level during the first term presidency of Harry Truman which was during and after the Second World War.   After the second world war, there was a notable fall in the national debt in the US. The US national debt was at its lowest point in 1974 under the leadership of Richard Nixon (Sakbani, 2013). However, after 1974, the national debt started appreciating and this has been the trend since then. But it stagnated during Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter’s presidency. In the 1980s there was a tremendous increase in national debt due to Ronald Reagans decision to lower taxes and increase military expenditures. However, in the 1990s the debt went down when a reverse of the 1980s was implemented; increased taxes, and lower military spending. Chorafas (2014) highlights that due to the fina ncial crisis between 2007 and 2008 the public debt went extremely high. There seems to be a surge in national debt during the GW Bush and Obama administrations. Why? There was a considerable rise in national debt between the presidency of George Bush and that of Barrack Obama. This was from $ 5.768 trillion when Bush left office to $ 14.071 trillion 735 days after Obama took office (Skidmore, 2011). This means that the recording of Bush’s national debt was wrong. This is because in his term as the president there was a rise of $ 607 billion yearly hence the overall figure could not be $ 5.768 trillion as indicated in the Treasury records. Skidmore (2011) further explains that during Obama’s era the national debt considerably went high by an average of $ 1.723 trillion yearly. This saw the figure go way up above the debt during Bush’s presidency. However, it is not possible to hold Obama responsible for this increase in debt. This is because the figures flow from the 2009’s budget which Obama never signed. This means that if the right account to Obamas accounts are to be analyzed this should trail down from the fiscal year 2010 and 2011 (Sakbani, 2013). In addition to a sum of $ 225 trillion that was included in the 2009 budget under his signature. A close comparison of Obama’s and Bush’s spending and deficit reveal that Bush was way far than Obama based on managing of the national debt. This argument can be supported by; Bush operated a total budget of 3.283 trillion in deficit spending for his eight fiscal years in office. On the other hand, Obama operated at a spending deficit of $ 2.826 trillion within his first two years in office. This means that while Bush operated at a deficit of $410 billion per annum, Obama operates at more than $1.4 trillion per annum, giving a difference of more than 1 trillion between the two reigns. This analysis explains the current surge between Obamas presidency and Bushs presidency regarding deficit spending. What are the consequences of a large national debt? Is it going to hamper the economic growth as some have claimed? Based on an economic perspective, large national debt affects the economic growth negatively. It is almost impossible for a government or country rather to sustaining a large and growing national debt. Some of the effects come from the side of investors who begin doubting the possibility of the federal government to continue servicing the economy and government spending (Boubekar et al., 2016). There are three major effects of large national debts on a country’s economic growth. First, large debt draws money away from national investments which would earn then government some revenues. This is due to lack of enough money for the government to service effective investments. This would mean that the government is heavily spending, but there are minimal or no revenues being generated hence lack of capital to be reinvested. There will be no growth in the country’s economy. Secondly, large debts negatively influence taxation and spending by the government. This is because when the country is suffering from high national debts, all the attention are focused on what the government can do to continue sustaining itself. This is where the government adjusts. As Boubaker et al. (2016) put it when taxation is high workers and investors are negatively affected by tax increment and can be left with little or no money to reinvest. Also, the tax increment leads to economic downturn from the side of the policymakers and investors. Policymakers find it challenging designing policies on tax spending in an environment where there is an extremely high national debt. The economic growth is normally hard in such a situation based on the fact that there are no sufficient funds to fund any new challenges that arise along the policy-making and policy implementation processes. Is it possible for the US to default on its debt in future? Explain The United States does not have any record of ever defaulting on national debt. If this ever happens the results can be unimaginable. However, there have been cases when the House Republicans have resisted raising the house ceilings urging the Congress house to cut on spending first (Johnson, 2000). It means that there are possibilities of the US failing to honor their national debt shortly. Precisely, the US can default their national debt in two main ways; failure of the Congress to raise the debt ceiling, and is the Government decides that the interests they are charged are way too high and resolve to not paying interests on bond, notes, and Treasury bills. In the first case scenario, failure by the Congress to raise the debt ceiling would mean high interests rate on Treasuries, hence high costs on the consumer loan, mortgages, and other such services (Johnson, 2000).This will then lead to decline in the value of a dollar and finally inability of the government to pay salaries and benefits to their civil servants and retirees. On the other hand, in the second scenario, there would be a disaster as the value of treasuries in all the government’s secondary markets would stagnate or go down hence Treasuries would be sold at discounted prices (Cline, 2013). The government would find it hard to auction their treasuries hence making it hard for them to borrow money and pay bills. The default of US national debt would be extremely disastrous owing to the confidence most investors have on the US markets. Why the Nobel winning economist Paul Krugman is not as alarmed as many others are concerning the high level of US National debt? It is important to note that the overall national debt is usually a combination of all loans acquired by the federal government from various creditors to finance a deficit budget. In taking and utilizing loans, the government usually has a focus on increasing their tax rates for them to finance their current government spending (Zezza, 2014). Paul Kraugman can be said to be less alarmed on the high level of the US national debt due to his argument that there is no need for investors or anybody else to worry about the level of the impeding national debt of the US. In his argument, Kraugman makes several assumptions. Unlike others, Krugman argues that in as much as debt matters there are other things that matter most and that the government needs to spend more to get the US citizens out of the current unemployment trap (Zezza, 2014). This shows that he had no idea what harm the current high national debt has caused the US and the impacts a further increase in government spending will cause the US. References Boubaker, S., Rouatbi, W., & Saffar, W. (2016). The Role of multiple large shareholders in the choice of debt source. Financial Management, 46(1), 241-387. Doi: 10. 1111/fima. 12148 Chorafas, D. N. (2014). Kingdoms of Debt Public Debt Dynamics of Europe and the US, 24-32. DOI: 10. 1016/b978-0-12-420021-0.00002-6 Cline, W. R. (2013). The multiplier, sovereign default Risk, and the US budget: An overview. Public Debt, Global Governance and Economics Dynamism, 276-29. Doi: 10.1007/978-88-470-5331-1-3 Johnson, K. (2000). National Missile Defense 2015: An Unintended Consequence. Doi. 10. 21236/ada432647 Sakbani, M. N. (2013). The Dual Debt Problem in the US and in Europe. International Debt. Doi: 10. 1057/9781137030573.0007 Skidmore, D. N. (2011). The Obama Presidency and the US Foreign Policy: Where is the Multilateralism? International Studies Perspectives, 13(1), 46-53. Doi: 10.1111/mj. 1528-3585.2011.00454.x Zezza, G. (2014). Fiscal and Debt Policies for Sustainable US Growth. Fiscal and Debt Policies for the Future. Doi: 10. 1057/9781137269539.0012

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Multimedia Elements Computer Science Essay

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Multimedia Elements Computer Science Essay Text is one of the multimedia elements used in the website. Normally we can found it from Internet. Human are using text to communicate with other people. From Internet we can use E-mail to send text message to other people, we also can use share status or share anything you want to share to give your friend or family know what is on your mind. We also can share or give information in forum. There are some examples of Text elements. Source: http://www.friendster.com (share status) Source: http://www.hotmail.com (E-mail) Source: http://forum.lowyat.net (Forum) Audio Audio is one of the multimedia elements. Audio is sound within the acoustic range available to humans. Commonly we can hear many audio from Internet, Radio, MP3, Computer and so more. Now, we can listen music or download music from website, some people were make song and upload to Internet share to everyone, we also can embed favorite music to blog or website. Some of users use voice call to communicate with friend or family. There are some examples of Audio elements. Source: http://www.deezer.com/en (listen and download music) Source: https://www.blogger.com (embed to blog) Source: http://www.skype.com (voice call website) Video Video is one of the multimedia elements. Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing and transmitting of images that show scenes in motion. We can find many video from Internet. Some people make a flash video and upload to website to share with others. We also can use video conference to communicate with friend or family. We can watch movie from online or download the movie. There are some examples of Video elements. Source: http://www.youtube.com (watch video) Source: http://www.moviesdatacenter.com (watch movie) Source: Windows Live Messenger (video conference) Graphic Graphic is one of the multimedia elements. Graphic is a visual representation such as a photo, illustration, 3D or diagram. In the computer, a graphic is a file such as JPEG or GIF, there is graphic formats. Graphic is a picture image in the computer. We can use computer graphic to design a picture, flash or game. We can make more effect in the picture, make a flash video or make a game by using graphic software. Inside the Facebook, we also can see the graphic elements when we play the games. There are some examples of Graphic elements. Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended (make effect in the picture) Macromedia Flash MX (make flash video) Example of game has 3D graphic elements. Animation Animation is one of the multimedia elements. Animation is a visual technique that provides the illusion of motion by displaying a collection of images in rapid sequence. Each image contains a small change. When the images are viewed rapidly, your eye fills in the details and the illusion of movement is complete. We can make images become Animation by using software. The purpose of Animation is make entertainment to everyone. There are some examples of Animation elements. Example of pictures has Animation elements. QUESTION 2 Advantage and Disadvantage of Text Text is silent communications. One of example in our real life is text messaging, it can send message to each other without other people being able to hear what is being said. It is privacy to exchange messages with each other without fear of other people knowing what you are talking about. The advantage of Text is text messaging is the ability to be able to send a message to someone to ask them to call you later regarding something important. At the same time, it doesnt interrupt them with a phone call. It allows them to respond back to you when it is most convenient to them. The disadvantage of Text is sometimes you dont receive all incoming messages from people. Often a personà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s text messaging box will get so full with incoming and sent text messages. If the inbox gets too full then the person canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t receive anymore messages unless he or she deletes some of them. Advantage and Disadvantage of Audio Audio is sound within the acoustic range available to human. One of example in our real life is Audio Conference. It can communicate with other people. We can use mobile phone or use Internet to use the audio conference. The advantage of Audio is can combine with other media for example video, computer, MP3. When we are using audio conference, it cans potential for large number of lines on call. The disadvantage is noise can distract participants as well as cut out speaker. Audio is only the sound, it also limited visual stimulation. Advantage and Disadvantage of Video Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion. One of example in our real life is Video Conference. You can see the people face by video conference. The advantage of Video is when using video conference, it can see anyone you want to see, no matter what time of day it may be for anyone involved. Time differences between states and countries can be overlooked without anyone traveling long distances for the conference. The disadvantages are technical difficulties resulting from one or more of the following: software, hardware and network failure. Although advance testing could often identify technical trouble, the unexpected, spontaneous problem sometimes still arose minutes before or even during a videoconference. Advantage and Disadvantage of Graphic Graphic is a visual representation such as a photo, illustration or diagram. A graphic may contain text, but text by itself is not considered a graphic unless it is done in a stylized fashion. One of example in our real life is Advertisement. Because when we want to do advertise, we need do more creative in the poster. It uses a lot of graphic. The advantage of Graphic is quick way for the audience to visualize what you are saying, some of people more interest in the graphic than talk. The disadvantage of Graphic is it takes a lot of time to make. The cost also expensive, depending on the medium used. Advantage and Disadvantage of Animation Animation is a visual technique that provides the illusion of motion by displaying a collection of images in rapid sequence. One of example in our real life is Flash Video. It uses a lot of animation to make a flash video. Mostly animation is use for entertain people. The advantage of Animation is it more creative and mostly used the images like cartoon; it can make people attract it. The disadvantage of Animation is when makes a flash video and upload to Internet or blogger, when other people want to see this flash video, it take a lot of time to load or buffer.

Cultural Differences in Joint Ventures Essay -- essays research papers

ESSAY TOPIC (1) :A joint venture is affected by the cultural distance between two partners. In what ways are joint ventures and types of international collaboration affected by cultural differences? INDEX INTRODUCTION†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦2 What is culture?†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦2-3 The Cultural Orientation Model†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.4 The cultural Gap†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5-6 Understanding Cultural Differences†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.6 The Challenge of Cultural Success†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..7 Cross-cultural training as a solution†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦8 The effectiveness of the cross cultural training programs†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦8-9 Future Directions for Cross-Cultural Training and International Business Assignments†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..10. Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..10 BIBLIOGRAPHY†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..11 INTRODUCTION Since the end of World War II, international operations have become a reality for an increasing number of corporations. Many of these initial efforts began as simple export schemes to sell goods overseas to supplement domestic sales. Over time, however, international operations have become increasingly more complex: from joint-ventures to purchasing existing foreign firms to ‘green-field’ start-ups. While export operations usually require no more than extended business trips overseas, more complex international operations demand long-term assignments of key personnel outside their home-country. What would normally be considered routine business transactions in the home country can become very complicated when they are conducted between individuals and organizations from different cultures. In this essay we will examine how this cultural gap can affect international business and joint ventures. What is culture? The word 'culture' is often described in terms of concrete ideas or social artifacts. Gary R. Weaver describes some common conceptions such as "good taste," "art or music," or "something that people in exotic foreign lands had."1 However, culture in the context of international assignments relates to how people perceive the world and the influence this perception has on their actions. It is culture on the interpersonal level. Different cultures can perceive the same thing differently, which leads to miscommunication and misunderstanding when one crosses into another culture not their own. We... ...s: Software of the Mind, (New York, NY: McGraw-Hill 1998) 4. 5.Ibid., 4. 6.Ibid., 4. 7.Paul E. Rohrlich, "Why Do We Study Intercultural Communication?," in Culture, Communication and Conflict: Readings in Intercultural Relations, 2d ed., ed. Gary R. Weaver (Needham Heights, MA: Simon & Schuster Publishing, 1998), 84-87. 8.Ibid., 85. 9.Ibid., 85. 10. (Schneider & Barsoux 1997:1). 11. Satish P. Deshpande and Chockalingam Viswesvaran, "Is Cross-cultural Training of Expatriate Managers Effective: A Meta Analysis," International Journal of Intercultural Relations 16 (1992): 296. 12.Environments," in Culture, Communication and Conflict: Readings in Intercultural Relations, 2d ed., ed. Gary R. Weaver (Needham Heights, MA: Simon & Schuster Publishing, 1998), 185-186. 13. Stewart J. Black and Mark Mendenhall, "Cross-cultural Training Effectiveness: A Review and a Theoretical Framework for Future Research," Academy of Management Review, No. 1 (1990), 132. 14. Deshpande and Viswesvaran, 301. 15. Rosalie L. Tung, "Selection and Training of Personnel for Overseas Assignments," Columbia Journal of World Business, (Spring 1981), 68-78.

Postcolonial Theory and Late Capitalist Criticism Aplied to The Night of the Living Dead Trilogy :: Movie Film Essays

Postcolonial Theory and Late Capitalist Criticism Aplied to The Night of the Living Dead Trilogy "Turn and Turn about; in these shadows from whence a new dawn will break, it is you who are the zombies." * Jean-Paul Sartre, Preface to The Wretched of the Earth * It is fitting that Sartre uses the zombie as a metaphor for both the colonized and colonizer. He states in the preface to Frantz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth that European colonizers had relegated natives living in colonial states to the role of zombie. The colonizers’ power structure has rendered the natives as a mute subaltern, suitable for slave labor and exploitation. But he goes further to say the natives’ rebellion will render the colonizers as zombies – the native will no longer see their dominators as human beings, and they will assign the Europeans to the role of subordinate, dehumanizing and incommunicable. All of this is fitting because the colonizer, whatever his national origin, has adopted a stance toward natives that follows the Hatian tradition: The zombie is a human who has been killed and ressurected as slave labor, a much more docile and controllable beast of burden. It also makes sense that Hollywood adopted the metaphor. Throughout the 1930s and 40s films like White Zombie, Revolt of the Zombies, King of the Zombies, Revenge of the Zombies, Zombies on Broadway, and Voodoo Man reinforced the traditional view of zombies as ultimate Other. These zombies are without culture or free will, controlled by a mystical villain, often played by Bela Lugosi, who runs a sugar plantation or some other such exploitive business. These films are tales of the oppressor, bringing to light the hardships and uncertainty faced by colonizing forces. It is possible for the zombie slaves to revolt, but for the most part these films warn of the perils embedded in shoddy colonial governing. In 1968, George A. Romero set out to rework the zombie archetype. He created the flesh eating zombie, a monster born not out of religious or mystical effort, but created by the faults and flaws of the society. With his first film, Night of the Living Dead (1968), he began a trilogy that would deal with the ills of our contemporary American society. Influenced by the turbulent 1960s, events such as Vietnam, the civil rights movement, and rampant consumer culture, Night lays the groundwork for a series of cultural critiques.

Erik Peterson Essay

Major problems are: Lack of clear date driven project plan for product launch Relationship management with senior stakeholders Recommendations: A project plan for product launch and setting up a Project management office Engagement of senior management in critical decisions PROBLEM STATEMENT: This case is about Erik Peterson and his career at Biometra. It discusses his journey over as General Manager in Biometra (a subsidiary of SciMat) his educational background and problems faced during the work course at Biometra. Case gives details of the: HR issues within the organization and depicts the characteristic behavior of individuals during the panic situation. Case tells about clashes amongst the co-workers and superiors . Inability of Erik towards persuading the seniors about some of the decision and his failure in getting guidance for further steps. It figures out the inability of Eric towards handling team and subordinates so to convince them his way of working. Lack of Erik’s specific industry knowledge and lack of guidance to Erik Complex relationship with some of the key opinion leaders Case clearly summarizes that Erik worked as GM but actually wasn’t able to perform so far. ANALYSIS: It seems that there are lot of clashes among individuals who are at senior leadership positions. Leaders are not able to coordinate with each other. There seems lack of target dates given to each department. Erik can either replace key managers by hiring new managers who can bring fresh perspectives and don’t clash with each other or setup an independent PMO office which can work with each department, develop a project plan with critical milestones for product rollout and seasoned project manager implement the project plan. It also appears that Erik has no experience in this specific product line. At the same time he is not getting enough guidance from his senior management. Erik can either take the decisions, wait to see the results or somehow involve some knowledgeable leaders in SciMat early in implementation phase to get guidance and concurrence.

An Episode of My Life- Life of a Grade 8 Student Essay

I woke up in the middle of the night after the weird noise coming from my brother Jake’s room. It was his alarm that made such noise. He has an important high school exam today. Apparently he thought that having a fire drill sound as his alarm tune would surely wake him up, it did but it woke all of us up. After finally being able to sleep again, I woke up around eight o’clock. I was thirty minute later from the time when I usually wake up. It is Wednesday, June 27th. The weather was extremely beautiful and warm, a typical June weather in L.A. After having breakfast and a nice cup of ice tea, I got ready for school. Today was the last day of school so I wanted to enjoy it. I put on an over- sized sweatshirt and paired it with ripped skinny jeans while grabbing a pair of sneakers. I was never allowed to wear such kind of cloths in school, apparently my school is private and only accepts proper dress code. My dad’s driver drove me to school today because I was going to be late. Usually I just walk to school since it only takes me ten minutes. Around nine thirty, I arrived at school. I entered through the front door and saw the crowd surrounding a seventh grader that was being bullied by a bully. This actually happened a lot after he arrived to our school. His name is Thomas Thomson and had been called names ever since last year. He was a show off and had a bad attitude. The bully was Joe Kinderson. He always bullies younger graders and was expelled twice in one year. The only reason he is still here is because of his dad, the president of Kinderson Company. His dad’s company founded our school and that is why our school’s name is Roy Kinderson Academy. Being in a private school had never been what I wanted. If I hadn’t fail grade five, I would still be in Rosemary public school that can give me at least freedom. That was not bad enough, because I got a D on two of my subjects for the past two semesters, I will have to be sent to a boarding school in England and live with my aunt Frowny after summer break. Aunt Frowny’s actual name is Juliana Frowren Williams. My brother and I gave her the nickname â€Å"Frowny† since she barely smiles to us. First period was supposed to be French but Ms. Lewis our homeroom teacher decided to change it into science so she can give us a review quiz on what we learned this year. Our French teacher Madam Garcia was one of the nicest teachers in grade eight due to the fact that she barely gave us any homework and that she always has a big bright smile on her face. Since today was the last day of school, we only had to stay in school until after lunch. We had recess after first period. My two best friends Trina and Elisa were with me along some other girls. They think that going to school in England will be a fairy tale but for me its definitely not. Lunch was pizza and fruit salad. We had to help clean out the classroom before lunch. Around one o’clock we were about to leave. I knew it would be the last time I ever see my friends and teachers so I left early. I didn’t want to get emotional since I was known as a girl who never cries. I will really miss my school but I can still contact people from my school using Facebook. I got home a quarter to two. Took a shower and watched TV until my mom went home. She made me to go shopping with her and buy new cloths for tomorrow. Tomorrow is our family â€Å"Frienbely† day. It was a unique holiday my parents thought about when I was five. They wanted to celebrate the coming of summer break by hanging out with Jake and I as friends for a whole day. We thought it was cool at that time but that was because we were young. As we were on our way to the mall, I had to tell my mom how my day went. I told her about the practice fire drill we had today and the whole morning of cleaning. She asked me if I took memorable pictures with any of my teachers and friends but I said I would still visit them in the summer. The afternoon turned to be a disaster to me. I accidently went off to the wrong escalator and ended up bumping into the set where they were shooting a music video. The camera caught me spilling coffee onto my pants by accident and broadcasted it on the big screen in the mall. The embarrassing thing wasn’t this but my mom. She shopped at my favorite store and bought the exact same cloth I was wearing. She though it would be fun and would be perfect for tomorrow’s â€Å"Frienbely† day. Because my mom withdrawn five of her credit cards last week without knowing, my brother Jake had to come over to pay for her bills. He laughed so hard at both of us and laughed even harder when he saw the big screen playing over my coffee spilling moment. Around seven thirty in the afternoon, my family went out for dinner after my dad returned from work. We had dinner at a famous Spanish restaurant since my mom is half Spanish. The restaurant wasn’t famous because of its extraordinary taste but by its reasonable price and its interesting arrangement of tables. Dad bought cloths for the â€Å"frienbely† day as well. He told his secretary to get the same outfit that matched with the cloths Jake bought last week. I was going to laugh at Jake to get back at him, but I thought I would save it for the next time he makes fun of me. After we got home just before eleven o’clock, I found Jake’s new girlfriend waiting for him by the back door of our house. Jake didn’t tell mom and dad about his new girlfriend because he just broke up with his ex- girlfriend last week and their relationship only lasted for two days. I didn’t tell mom and dad about Jake’s new girl friend because they promised me to buy me a new CD that mom banned me from listening to. They were going to sing at the karaoke club with a bunch of friends to have fun and relax after their two months of studying. I went to bed at two AM in the morning. The new video game I bought last week kept me from sleeping early. After five minute, I slept soundly with a dream that led me to the uncertainness of tomorrow.

Literature review compilations Essay

1. Rao, V. (1993). The rising price of husbands: A hedonic analysis of dowry increases in rural India. Journal of Political Economy, 666-677. Motivation and objective : Attempts to investigate the reasons behind the increase in dowry . Methods : It adapts Rosen’s implicit market model to the Indian marriage market and tests predictions from the model with data from six villages in South Central India and from the Indian census Theories : Using utility function, U is assumed to be maximized, given that U is the utility function which represent the household preferences. The function will be U = U(X,W,H). Where X refers to consumption of goods, W refers to the desirable traits of the bride and her family and H is traits of the groom. Main Findings : It is found that a â€Å"marriage squeeze† caused by population growth, resulting in larger younger cohorts and hence a surplus of women in the marriage market, has played a significant role in the rise in dowries. ( Surplus o f women over man at marriageable ages) 2. Skogrand, L. M., Schramm, D. G., Marshall, J. P., & Lee, T. R. (2005). The effects of debt on newlyweds and implications for education. Journal of extension, 43(3), 1. Motivation and objective : Examines the relationship between newlywed debt, selected demographic variables, and newlywed levels of marital satisfaction and adjustment.. Methods: A 38-item survey was mailed to a random sample of 2,823 newlywed couples in a western state. The couples’ names were randomly chosen from the marriage licenses that were filed within the state during a six-month period. Husbands and wives were asked to complete their surveys separately.The response rate was 40%, with 1,010 couples responding. Theories and tools : Marital satisfaction was measured using the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale (KMSS) (Schumm et al., 1986), and marital adjustment was measured using the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS) (Busby, Crane, Christensen, & Larson, 1995). The KMSS and RDAS are established measures for assessing marital satisfaction and adjustment, both having correlation coefficients above .78. Main Findings: The findings from this study indicate that entering marriage with consumer debt has a negative impact on newlywed levels of marital quality. The large majority (70%) of newlyweds in this study brought debt into their marriage relationship. This amount of debt, along with other expenses associated with couples beginning their lives together, are likely to  distract couples from the developmental task of building a strong marriage relationship during the first few months and years of marriage Policy recommendation: .- Because many individuals marry with no more than a high sc hool education, educating individuals about debt and its potentially negative impact on marriage relationships should begin in high school. This may be one way to help couples achieve healthier marriages 3. S. Dalmia (2004). A hedonic analysis of marriage transactions in India: estimating determinants of dowries and demandfor groom characteristics in marriage. Research in Economics 58 (2004) 235–255. Motivation and objective : This paper uses data from a retrospective sample survey to develop and test a framework capable of explaining dowry exchange and groom selection in India. Methods: Using a sample of 1037 households between 1956 and 1994, this paper develops and tests a framework capable of explaining marriage transactions and groom selection in India. Theories and tools : It adapts Rosen’s (1974) implicit market model and takes the view that dowry is a simple economic transaction that functions to ‘equalize’ the value of marriage services exchanged by the households of the bride and groom. Main Findings: Consistent with ethnographic evidence, results indicate that dowries are higher in regions more to the north. Most importantly, contrary to popular belief, it is found that holding groom characteristics constant, real dowries have decreased over time. Finally, in estimating the parameters of the demand functions for a set of groom attributes, results show that the most important determinants of demand for various groom attributes are price of the attribute, bride’s traits, and the socio-economic status of the bride’s h ousehold 4. Siwan Anderson (2007). The Economics of Dowry and Brideprice. Journal of Economic Perspectives—Volume 21, Number 4—Fall 2007—Pages 151–174 Motivation and objective: This paper first establishes some basic facts about the prevalence and magnitude of marriage payments. It then discusses how such patterns vary across countries depending upon economic conditions, societal structures, institutions, and family characteristics. Theories and tools: The descriptions of marriage payments in this paper are synthesizedfrom a patchwork of studies across periods, places, and even epochs, and there are doubtless numerous cases which remain undocumented.  Discussion: Economists’ interest in marriage payments partly stems from their potential to affect the wealth distribution across generations and families. However, economic analysis has not directly investigated these welfare impacts of marriage payments. In this respect, marriage transfers which are destined for the couple, either in the form of dowry or dower, may function differently from those which are paid directly from one set of parents to the other, like bride price or groom price. The former payment is an intergenerational transfer. The latter forms a circulating fund, with receipt for marriages of one gender being used to pay for marriages of children of the other. 5. Sarwat Afzal & Imtiaz Subhani (2009). To Estimate An Equation Explaining The Determinants Of Dowry. Iqra University Motivation and objective : The focus of this study is to estimate an equation explaining the determinants of dowry. Methods: The data of 140 respondents is used to examine the variables to determine the dowry size, data set on bride-groom characteristics and dowry. The study has been focused on analysis that dowry paid is dependent on which variables Subject in the rural subcontinent. Since the objective of study is to estimate the equation explaining the determinant of dowry so all the variables given in the data are takes as independent and the dowry paid is taken as dependent variable. Theories and tools: This paper determine the determinants of dowry, using multiple regression analysis, the author used the ANOVA table, R2 value to tabulate the determinants of dowry price. Main Findings: This research suggested that dowry paid is based on the status and the affluence of husband’s family as well as the education of the husband’s father that are the important determina nts of the incidence of dowries. The influence of husband’s father education is accounted as a predictor for the system of dowry paid 6. Edlund, L. (2006). The price of marriage: Net vs. gross flows and the South Asian dowry debate. Journal of the European Economic Association, 4(2†3), 542-551. Motivation and objective : The rise in dowry payments in India has been taken as evidence that women increasingly are at a disadvantage on the marriage  market and must pay for marriage. Moreover, high dowries, it is argued, add to the plight of parents of daughters and have thus contributed to the scarcity of women (brides). However, the logic is curious, and, this paper argues, flawed. The term â€Å"dowry† can mean different things, and it may be useful to distinguish between the assets the bride brings at the time of marriage (gross dowry) and those netted against the groom payments (net dowry). The former is what is generally meant by dowry, while the latter is a concept used mainly by economists Methods: Data are from a retrospective survey of marriages conducted in 1983 by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi- Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). These data have been used in a number of studies of South Asian dowry inflation. ICRISAT conducted a stratified random sample of 40 households each from six villages in South-central India. The first household married in 1923 and the last in 1978. Main Findings: Empirically, the paper has shown that in a much-used data set on dowry inflation, net dowries did not increase in the period after 1950, belying claims of â€Å"recent† increases. Moreover, variables designed to capture marriage-squeeze or male relative to female heterogeneity failed to move dowries in the expected direction. 7. Balwick, J. (1975). The function of the dowry system in a rapidly modernizing society: The case of Cyprus. International Journal of Sociology of the Family, 158-167. Motivation and objective : The purpose of this paper is to examine the functional relationship between the dowry system and modernization for the country of Cyprus. Two inferences tried to be drawn in this paper are attempt to develop is two 1) the dowry system has served a latent function in encouraging a rapid rate of urban, Industrial, and technological development in Cyprus; and (2) that the rapid rate of technological development in Cyprus, along with new concepts of marital arrangement, are weakening the importance of the dowry system Methods: The analysis of this paper’s topic will begin by considering the function of the dowry system in Traditional Greek Cypriot society, move to a consideration of the function of the dowry system during rapid modernization, turn to a consideration of the effect of modernization upon the dowry system, and conclude by  speculating as to the possible effect which a decline in the dowry system will have upon marriage. Main Findings: modernization is a threat to the continued existence of the dowry system. The argument was made that, besides the major aspects of modernization themselves, the concept of romantic love, as a byproduct of a largely western stimulated modernization process, has been damaging to the dowry system. However, to so speculate about the future effects of modernization in Cyprus only points to the necessity for social scientists to utilize the situations created in developing countries to further examine the relationships between modernization and social structures. 8. Gaulin, S. J., & Boster, J. S. (1990). Dowry as female competition. American Anthropologist, 92(4), 994-1005. Motivation and objective : The purpose of this paper is to prove that dowry as a reproductive tactic used by prospective brides and their kin to attract the wealthiest bridegroom. The authors attempt to explain not only the rarity of dowry, but also why it occurs in the societies it does. Methods and theories: The analysis of this paper’s topic will begin by considering the female-competition model. The female-competition model assumes that, in Homo sapiens as in other animals, the behaviors associated with pair formation can be interpreted as (possibly unconscious) reproductive tactics. The authors interpret the bias in marriage transactions as reflecting a bias in competition for marriage partners. Dowry is their dependent variable; the independent variables in the female-competition model are social stratification and marital form. They grouped the existing categories to create dichotomous variable. Main Findings: The female-competition model is correct; the authors would e xpect the largest dowry payments to flow from the middle class to the elite, as women in the middle tier compete for husbands in the highest 9. Rao, V. (1993). Dowry ‘inflation’ in rural India: A statistical investigation. Population Studies, 47(2), 283-293. Motivation and objective : The author of this paper look more directly at the causes of the increase of dowry (investigate the reasons behind the rise in the real value of dowries in rural India)and use unique data collected from a small sample of households by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). Methods and theories: The data used in this paper are from a random sample of 40 households, 30 cultivating and 10 laboring, per village, from six villages in three districts of rural South-Central India. The surveys were conducted by ICRISAT, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics.15 The districts are Akola and Sholapur in Maharashtra state, and Mahbubnagar in Andhra Prades. A quadratic specification of dowry determinants is estimated. Correlations values between variables, OLS , and other statistical tools are being used. Main Findings: The empirical results support the hypothesis that the marriage squeeze has played a significant part in causing dowry ‘inflation’. The size of the dowry transfer also seems to be affected by hyper gamy, indicated by the difference in the amount of land owned by the parents of the respective spouses before the marriage. Due to the small size of the sample and the respondents’ lack of accuracy in reporting their ages at marriage, not much can be said about the impact of age or other potential determinants on the transfer. At the district level, however, the marriage squeeze does seem to matter in reducing differences in the ages at marriage of men and woman. 10. Teays, W. (1991). The burning bride: The dowry problem in India. Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion, 29-52. Motivation and objective : The author consider the issue of dowry, its roots in custom and religious tradition, as well the ways in which the dowry system has become a dowry problem with daily dowry deaths, usually of young and often pregnant women. Main Findings: Females being devalued in the Hindu world. The internalization of that devaluation is evidenced by the numbers of mothers-in-law and sisters-in-law who actively participate in dowry murder. Marriage has become a commercial transaction complete with bargaining. Traditionally dowries were limited by convention and caste-social realities, but now the demands are out of control. â€Å"The growing trend of dowry murders only reflects the socio-economic crisis in India. 11. Zhang, J., & Chan, W. (1999). Dowry and Wife’s Welfare: A Theotrical and Empirical Analysis. Journal of Political Economy, 107(4), 786-808. Motivation and objective : This paper offers an alternative analysis. Where dowry are claimed to be not only increases the wealth of the new conjugal household but also enhances the bargaining power of the bride in the allocation of output within that household, thereby safeguarding her welfare. 2 hypotheses: Dowry increases the resources available to the bride’s new family; Dowry increases the bride bargaining position in the family, as well as her welfare. Methods and theories: This study uses data from the 1989 Taiwan Women and Family Survey,an island wide probability survey of women aged 25–60 years of all marital statuses and from different geographical locations. The female respondents provide socioeconomic information on their parents, their husbands, and themselves. An important feature of the data is that these women report transfers on dowries and bride prices related to their marriages. All these variables are then measured using statistical tools. Main Findings: The result supported the theoretical prediction that a dowry improves the wife’s welfare through both income and bargaining effects. The result also shows that a dowry is indeed a property under the wife’s control. Bride-price reduces the transaction cost involved in recovering the appropriate shares of marital output by each party, a dowry enhances the bride’s position in the household and safeguards her welfare. 12. Bishai, D., Falb, K. L., Pariyo, G., & Hindin, M. J. (2009). Bride price and sexual risk taking in Uganda. African journal of reproductive health, 13(1). Motivation and objective : This study assessed the relationship of bride price to sexual risk taking based on a large, population based survey. Methods and theories: Data were collected on bride prices for 592 married women in 12 districts in Uganda in 2001. Controlling for covariates, we found that having had a bride price significantly lowered the wife’s odds of sexual intercourse with a partner other than the spouse (OR= 0.222; 95% CI= 0.067, 0.737). Controlling for covariates, bride price increased the husband’s odds of non-spousal sexual intercourse (OR=1.489; 95% CI= 0.746, 2.972). Main Findings: Bride price payment is statistically significantly associated with lower rates of non-spousal sexual contact in women, but is  not, statistically significantly associated with higher rates in men 13. Dalmia, S., & Lawrence, P. G. (2005). The institution of dowry in India: Why it continues to prevail. The Journal of Developing Areas, 38(2), 71-93. Motivation and objective : This article empirically examines dowries in India and provides an institutional and economic rationale for the existence and continued prevalence of the system. Main Findings: Using data on marriage transactions and on the personal and family traits of marital partners the article demonstrates that payments of dowry serve to equalize the measurable differences in individual characteristics of the bride’s and groom’s and their respective households. Thus, dowry qualifies as the â€Å"price† paid for a â€Å"good match† in the marriage market. Results also reveal that the form of inheritance system, the residence of the bride after marriage, and the gender ratio of marriageable women to men have no effect on the incidence and size of dowry 14. Diamond†Smith, N., Luke, N., & McGarvey, S. (2008). ‘Too many girls, too much dowry’: son preference and daughter aversion in rural Tamil Nadu, India. Culture, health & sexuality, 10(7), 697-708. Motivation and objective : The southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu has experienced a dramatic decline in fertility, accompanied by a trend of increased son preference. This paper reports on findings from qualitative interviews with women in rural villages about their fertility decision-making which is due to the dowry rate. Main Findings: Findings suggest that daughter aversion, fuelled primarily by the perceived economic burden of daughters due to the proliferation of dowry, is playing a larger role in fertility decision-making than son preference. 15. Rozario, S. (2002). Grameen Bank-style microcredit: Impact on dowry and women’s solidarity. Development Bulletin, 57, 67-70. Motivation and objective : This article focuses on two specific problems connected with Grameen Bank-style microcredit in Bangladesh: its negative impact on women’s solidarity, and its consequences for the practice of dowry payments. Main Findings: Findings suggest that Unmarried women are not  accepted in the microcredit samities and so cannot receive loans. The argument is that they will get married and go away to their husbands’ village, then who will repay their loan? This denies any opportunity to marginal groups, like unmarried women and, of course, widows and abandoned women. Such policies also mean that unmarried women are made completely dependent financially on the mercy of their families. 16. Kazi Abdur Rouf, (2012) â€Å"A feminist interpretation of Grameen Bank Sixteen Decisions campaign†, Humanomics, Vol. 28 Iss: 4, pp.285 – 296. Motivation and objective : The purpose of this paper is to look at Grameen Bank (GB) Sixteen Decisions campaigns and its implications to feminism; and to examine the degree to which women borrowers of the Grameen Bank are empowered to participate in familial decision-making around dowry and teenage marriage and to develop their public spaces in the community. Moreover, the paper critically looks at the GB women borrowers’ development through the Sixteen Decisions Design/methodology/approach – The study uses multiple research methods. It reviews and analyzes GB Sixteen Decision texts and feminist literature, uses survey method to collect data from Grameen Bank micro borrowers in 2011 and uses secondary data. Main Findings : This study still finds the gender equality issues exist in the Grameen Bank Sixteen Decisions texts and the Sixteen Decisions campaign strategies for women borrowers’ empowerment especially due to the issue of dowry. Policy Recommendation: This critical analysis is very important to empower Grameen Bank women borrowers because the campaign should be made more effective in addressing women’s issues like dowry-less marriage. Grameen Bank should revise the Sixteen Decisions texts and support borrowers in their anti-dowry and anti-teen age marriage campaign in Bangladesh. 17. Tenhunen, S. (2008). The gift of money: rearticulating tradition and market economy in rural West Bengal. Modern Asian Studies, 42(5), 1035-1055. Motivation and objective : This article examines the rise of dowry system injanta, a West Bengali village in the Bankura district, where the dowry payments are a relatively new phenomenon. The oldest generation in Janta had experienced times when no demands for money or other gifts had been made during marriage arrangements, but since the 1950S huge dowry payments have become the central financial transactions in the region. In addition to oral history interviews on dowry  practices, the author draws from his research on the changes in caste, gender and class relationships in the village. Findings : The gift of money does not merely represent class and economic identities, rather, its intr oduction is connected to a reconstruction of gender and caste identities as well. The article demonstrates how the giving of money has influenced other categories of gifts, while the market logic has drawn from cultural considerations. Yet, money is not the only agent in the process; gifts are essentially about constructing social and cultural identities: the interconnected domains of gender, kinship, caste and class. The introduction of the monetary gift has made it possible to make connections and set a price on different aspects of personhood facilitating and intensifying the connections between different discourses on personhood. 18. Shenk, M. K. (2007). Dowry and public policy in contemporary India. Human Nature, 18(3), 242-263. Motivation and objective :. This paper argues that a functionalist perspective on dowry could lead to improved dowry policy, and that an approach based in human behavioral ecology (HBE) is uniquely suited to this task. Design/methodology/approach – The author develop a behavioral ecology model of Indian dowry and test it with quantitative and qualitative data Main Findings : The author conclude that if dowry legislation is to achieve broad support or bring about effective social change, it must address and support the positive motivations for and effects of dowry and take a targeted approach to dowry violence, which is not uniformly distributed across regions, castes, or social 19. Rao, V. P., & Rao, V. N. (1980). The dowry system in Indian marriages: attitudes, expectations and practices. International Journal of Sociology of the Family, 99-113.. Motivation and objective :The study examined the students’ expectations of dowry for persons with different educational background, their attitudes and feelings about the dowry system, and the practices of dowry payments in immediate and kin families Design/methodology/approach – The questionnaire method was used to collect data from a sample of 585 college students from  India Main Findings The study revealed that the average dowry expectation were not consistent With the number of years of education but were in line with the prestige of education. Non-Hindus, metropolitan residents, high socioeconomic status students, and medical students expected higher dowry than their counterparts. The majority of the respondents considered dowry unimportant in settling a marriage and felt that the present dowry system should be discontinued. However, most of the respondents’ brothers received dowry while their families gave dowry to their sisters. The kin families also practiced dowry payment at the time of marriage. The students seemed equalitarian in terms of control over the dowry as most believed that both husband and wife should decide how to spend it. Inconsistency in the attitudes are also observed as three-fourths of the sample considered dowry unimportant in the settlement of a marriage but nearly one-third of the males and 40 per cent of their parents expected to receive dowry when the respondents got married. 20. Freed, R. S., & Freed, S. A. (1989). Beliefs and practices resulting in female deaths and fewer females than males in India. Population and Environment, 10(3), 144-161. Motivation and objective:. A preference for sons and the low status of females are implicated in the preponderance of males over females as reported in each census of India from the first one taken in the 19th century. A number of cultural practices, some of which are quite ancient, are involved in this such as sexual imbalance and dowry murder. This discussion is sees the determinants of female deaths in India. Design/methodology/approach – This discussion is based both on 19th and 20th century sources and on fieldwork conducted in the North Indian village of Shanti Nagar in 1958–59 and 1977–78. Findings : It is found that dowry act as one of the determinants that resulted in female deaths which is more commonly known as Dowry Murder Policy Recommendation: The modern Government of India has s ought to abolish dowry which would, presumably, put an end to dowry murder.

Religious and Ethnic Groups Paper Essay

There is a lot of diversity when it comes to religion and race, mostly because of the lack of understanding each of them. If we take the time to learn a little bit about them I think that it will open our eyes and let us be more accepting of whom they are. Although there is a lot of discrimination in the world today we are still a lot more understanding than our ancestors where. The religious group that I have chosen is Jehovah’s Witnesses because they are more shunned against than any other religion I know. As for the ethnic group I chose is Black (African descent) because it seems to me that they are more discriminated against than any other race. Jehovah’s Witnesses beliefs are somewhat similar to the Christian beliefs, for example, they rely on the authority of the Bible, worship only one God and trust in Jesus’ death and resurrection for salvation. Some of the differences from the other religions are that they reject the doctrine of the Trinity and the existence of Hell, believes that Gods name is Jehovah, and they also believe the Holy Spirit to be Gods active force. They also believe that only 144,000 people will go to Heaven to rule with God and those that are left on earth that are deemed worthy will live in a restored Garden of Eden. Witnesses also believe that the purpose of Jesus incarnation of earth was threefold, which are as follows, To teach the truth about God, To provide a model of perfect life for people to follow, and To sacrifice his life to set humans free from sin and death. It is their belief that Jesus was not nailed to a cross but rather a single upright stake and that God raised Jesus fro m the dead, as a spirit creature, and he returned to Heaven, but that he was not made King until 1914. Witnesses try to push their religion onto other people without even taking that they already have a religion into consideration. They go door-to-door and try to get others to believe the way they do and also try to convert people with other religion. This causes people to become very upset and sometimes they  become very aggressive and violent towards the Witnesses. There tends to be a lot of very heated discussions on whether their beliefs are what is right and others beliefs are wrong no matter if they worship the same God or not. There are several ways that Witnesses have contributed to the American culture over the years, for example, they have administered functions called â€Å"The Society† and the â€Å"Watch Tower Society†, which they have used to put out their version of the word of God. They have won several court cases in which it has let people have their own religious freedoms to worship as they please. Witnesses have also made it to where you can have an operation and not have to accept a blood transfusion since because of their religion they do not believe in getting. There are several different procedures now that can be done without a transfusion when one was needed the way they done the surgery before. In their religion they are extremely discriminated against because of how they worship and what they believe. The sources of this prejudice is from the people but also mainly from the government because of their concern that it is wrong for them to spread the word the way they do, so to speak. For example, the French government branded them a â€Å"Dangerous Sect.†, and 71 Kingdom Halls where vandalized, burned and shot at and also fire bombed because of how they worshipped. French officials also publically called them criminals and taxed 60 percent on their religion and conveniently forgetting to tax other religions. Also Moscow even went as far as to outlaw their religion and said that they cannot even have a house of worship nor could they practice their faith in the privacy of their own home. There are several other ways that this religion has been discriminated against because of what they believe and how they choose to worship even though when it comes right down to it in the end we all really believe in the same outcome. I have learned a lot about this religion from the research that I have done and I do believe it has helped me understand them more because in the beginning I had no clue exactly what they believed in or how they even practiced their faith. Although I don’t agree with some of the things that they do and some of the ways that they perceive what they Bible says I am more accepting of who they are. The racial/ethnic group that I have chosen for this assignment is African decent because I think that they are more discriminated against than most  race’s that I know. They differ from other ethnic groups because for one their culture is different than most others, such as ancestry is different, culture and sometimes language can be different. This race has experienced different things with different cultures, for example, sometimes people that are Caucasian tend to treat them like they aren’t good enough for them to even talk to and that can cause a lot of controversy between the two ethnic groups. I think that in this day and age that everyone is more accepting of what color, gender, race or anything that is considered different than they were before. This race has contributed so much to the American culture and has made everyone look at some things in a better light so that they have a better understanding of what they went through in their history. They have paved the way for different races in a way that will help for hundreds of years to come. For example, they have made a huge impact with our music, religion, cuisine, clothing and hair styles, and several more. I believe that if they didn’t bring all these things to the American culture than it would be an extremely boring place to live. They seem to make things come alive, for example, they are more active when a church service is going on, they sing, dance and generally have a great time listening to the teachings of the Lord, which in itself is something that one needs to experience. There is also quite a bit of discrimination towards them to the point where it leads to a lot of violence. A woman named Rosa Parks was arrested on December 1st, 1955 because she refused to give up her seat on the bus because the white section was already full. Another example was slavery where white Americans bought, sold and traded African Americans so that they could use them to do the work that they didn’t want to do. They were treated as if they weren’t even humans at all, they were beaten, hanged, starved and degraded so bad because of the color of their skin. The main sources of this discrimination are of the white decent. I have learned quite a bit about this race to the point where I do understand them a lot more than I did. I’m not the kind of person that looks at the color of someone’s skin before I get to know them and because of that I am one of many who tries to accept everyone for who they are. The two groups that I have chosen are somewhat similar when it concerns what they have gone through in history to get to where they are now because of  the narrow minded people out there. They are extremely different in just about every way there is but there are some African descent who are Jehovah’s Witnesses and they have to struggle twice as hard to be accepted for who they are. My conclusions about the discrimination between the two are that no matter what religion you are or what race you are there is always going to be problems because of the lack of acceptance and understanding from other race’s and other religions. References: http://www.religionfacts.com/jehovahs_witnesses/beliefs.htm http://jw-media.org/beliefs/index.htm http://www.watchtower.org/library/rq/index.htm?article=article_02.htm http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=44484 http://www.apologeticsindex.org/j02ab.html http://www.cesnur.org/testi/geova_USAtoday.htm http://www.nbcnews.com/id/12466831/ns/health-health_care/t/bloodless-surgery-avoids-risks-transfusion/ http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art1856.asp http://fatwestcoast.blogspot.com/2010/04/african-american-culture.html