Immigration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 5

Immigration - Essay Example Despite the fact that the force to search for better fortunes across the borders is too powerful to resist, it is not always gratifying since problems also exist in the US for the immigrants. To illustrate this, Nazario (12) reckons that Enrique decides to travel to the US since his mother’s expectations of changing their life are foiled with time, to an extent that she even stops calling home. Life in third world countries around the world, particularly those in South America, Central America and neighboring Mexico is difficult due to underdevelopment. The difficult conditions at home for the immigrants make the case for immigration powerful such that not even immigration laws can stand in the quest for a better life across the border. Lack of proper services in home countries of the immigrating population when or poor service delivery when compared to the US triggers survival interests for instance when involving food and medical services. As an illustration, child protection services are poor or inexistent such that children struggle to look for their parents who leave them behind. â€Å"What kind of desperation, I wondered, pushes children as young as seven year old to set out, alone through such a hostile landscape†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Nazario xiii) Other services such as safety and security as well as justice are not as advanced in the third world setting, which compel movement in search of delivery of such in the US (Brick and Rosenblun 5). Several immigrants seek to reunite with their family members such as children in search of their parents who leave them and immigrate to the US never to return home. Under the circumstances of family reunion reasons, blood ties form a very strong force propelling immigrants to cross over the borders despite strict legal regulations. The seriousness of some of the above risks to living a normal life as a

Statement of Purpose Personal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Of Purpose - Personal Statement Example While I took a course in Business Economy in college, I hold the strong opinion that if I combine this credential with accounting, then I would be able to put forth unrivalled competence in the job market. When it comes to my personal experience especially in the field of business and accounting, I feel privileged to report that I have vast experience at various capacities. Essentially, I have about four years of experience in various sectors and categories where I made significant contributions. I spent one year in an insurance company as a sales and service personnel where I oversaw tremendous sales of insurance policies to various clients. Additionally, I spent three years in a beauty salon as a customer service person. In this position, I interacted with various customers hence ensuring their utmost satisfactions throughout my time of stay at the company. As far as responsibilities carried are concerned, I evaluated the needs of the customers in addition to providing them with the best available products and services. Furthermore, I handled the daily book keeping duties of the store before reporting the results to the headquarters. I have to confess that these responsibilities were taxing despite their enormous benefits to my career path. Furthermore, I managed to learn the English language when my husband and I decided to move to the United States for purposes of work and study. In brief, I have had to overcome a myriad of challenges over the last seven years ranging from cultural adaptation to learning a foreign language. While in the United States, I managed to take several courses in accounting in community college and take all the necessary classes to satisfy the language classes in colleges and universities. I have also taken courses in bookkeeping and taxes advising in order to gain more insight into the world of accounting an d to enable me to become a competent consultant in future. Last but equally

The Division Of Our Digital World English Language Essay

The Division Of Our Digital World English Language Essay This is a paper regarding how the digital world is divided, why and how can (if possible) bring everything in one floor as globalization is also happening. Collectively our world is divided even by digital ways such as networking speed, technological reach etc. As we are moving forward we are stretching our limits more and more. We are only stretching the limits towards a developed future. A future that is well controlled by technologies and organized by us (human). It is possible only if the whole world get the same tough of technology, which is not happening out there. Just like how Racism killing peoples moral viewpoint exactly or almost exactly in the same manner technology is broaden around the world. Greats are becoming more technological where as poor users only getting the vive not the reality. My research was mainly done on the difference in technological fields in different countries. Just to make clear I am neither complaining about any system nor arguing on others statements. I am just presenting my viewpoint with examples. There are 195 countries in our world (Earth). Not all the countries are of same level. While talking on level, here levels are based on economical condition, educational based and technological reach. Third world countries are the ones, which always struggle to meet the basic need for a human being (Food, Water, Shelter, Clothing). Some also include Education as a fifth basic need. Those countries either have huge population (India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka etc) or fighting in between (African nations). The only reality for them is how they can survive human lives. Circumstances like this never gives out the opportunity to this countries. Where rarely surviving is possible thinking for technological reach is just like cracking a joke. Though in present time many third world countries are in the tough of technology but definitely not like the developed countries. So, the differences are on. So the dream for having a world controlled by technology seems to be quite far away. The term Global Networking is in real not a global chain yet. If we really can build a global networking we can move a lot more ahead than where we are standing today. At the brisk of 21st Century we are still waiting for the global connection through networking. Argument can be made on actually how good technological support the developed countries are providing. But, before that what we must talk about the difference in the countries. As I already mentioned earlier in many places about the lack of intension on the third world countries, so to take such an action become very difficult. Lets talk about the IP (Internet connection) firstly. Here (in USA) usually every order gets an individual IP address. Though the speed of the bandwidth connection may very but the individuality is there. But in countries like Bangladesh, India and many more using 1 IP Address to share clients. From the DP Port box they stretch wires to form 1 IP for several clients. Doing this destroys identity for users! Thus, in countries like Bangladesh, users can easily hack into a system and can sneak through. Also the reach of the technology sometimes is not that high to catch the hackers. Question can easily rise if the security system is that weak in the third world countries? Yes is the answer, not because lack of security but for not having exact system to prevent hacking. Hacking if properly done can be possible even in USA (example Google was attacked on march 2009). Getting into a system may surely be problematic but main setback is always time frame. How long a system remained hacked is the only concern. One can get in and then again got kicked back, and then because of lesser time frame barely any information can be misplaced. But, if you do not have proper technology you can not gain access back to your hand in quick time, cases like this hurt the most. Also lack of proper knowledge do the damage a lot. To not having a system are an issue, but having a system and not having the ability to use is even bigger of a problem. Talking about proper knowledge can only be gain if you are playing with a system. In the market of globalization, networking is a very important part. One should have proper knowledge about networking before putting a hand on there. If not so when need comes up barely will be able to work with any system possible. We have to find the main problems of why our digital world is divided. Our digital world is divided based on merits of each country. Here what I am trying to say regarding merits is very simple, the country can afford have higher technologies and the countries cannot afford do no have. This is as simple to understand as having a piece of cake. Thought it is simple in understanding wise still we have to find an alternative or few solutions how can we narrow down the borderline. We should find the way to minimize the differences, other then that global networking will not be happening ever after. Few solutions can be mark like talking to individuals, having exploring the global companies more often in different continents, talking bold steps by the governments and many more. Lets start talking about the solutions one by one. Starting with individual talking. What I meant by this statement is people should start communicate a lot more than current time. We should share what problems we are facing, what system we are working with, what can be change/ modify for betterment. More likely we have to deal things in as Open Source type. Having spreading this idea can question about the sharing information is or is not actually giving access for a system to many people. Maybe it is giving, but then we have narrow down with several methods, laws, ethics etc. Then also we have to take help from the global companies. Taking help from the global companies means companies like IBM, Google, Microsoft and many more that are spread around the world can complete a good role. These companies have access in many different places; they are associated with many different cultures. So, they can easily understand the flow of growing technological market in one area. If in one area it is not growing according to how it should have they can help. Giving again the example of the country Bangladesh, since mainly the country is maximum dependent on the shoulder of the capital city Dhaka. So, just to check out if in Dhaka the reach of the technology is good enough or not so that they can at least communicate with the rest of the world. If not, then plans can be organized to help them out. In this case the governments should take wise steps as well. If we all are on the right floor or not! The governments of each country should look wisely towards their growing technology. Soon the world is going to convert exact like a CPU. Every country will have to through a role to fulfill. One country failing to complete their part can cause a total loss. Just like if one part doesnt work it is difficult to function the remaining CPU. So, weather it is an understanding or agreement we all have to be on the same floor. Implementing all possible solutions is not a easy job to handle. Even everyone care to complete the task still there is no guarantee that all the countries will be on the same line. At least we can see that we have narrowed down the borderline. We have to be also preparing at the same time for the transformation of Technology. Technology does not stay always at the same place. Along with the time it is getting bigger and broader. So, we have to put our foot along with the speed or transformation of the technology. From now on we have collect information on how the Internet connection is working or acting in third world countries. We should also measure how it is functioning in the developed countries. Differences can be seen, and then we have to try to solve out the differences. If we can bring out the changes we will be able to help the world around. Before finishing my papers I would like to add few of the persons thoughts regarding this topic when I tool their interview. Tasfia Ahmed an employer or GM who works and lives on Sterling Heights, MI. She is using a fast Internet connection at home having 54 MB/sec Bandwidth. She is very happy, and saying the speed is too good. Getting this amount of speed back from the country I am from (Bangladesh) is impossible. Having talking to a Dr. MK Rashedul Haque a professor teaching in Dhaka University, Bangladesh said, The maximum we can provide in the computer labs is about 4 MB/sec. He also mentioned about how things are working on the other universities as well. Though this is the most powerful and rich university in the country. According to him Military or Intelligence get to use higher bandwidth connection. This can be use as another example that it is possible to provide high speed Internet in Bangladesh. This is a clear and very practical example of how things are working. While I had an opportunity to communicate with a student currently enrolled in CS in IIT, Bangalore in India (Shantosh Chadrabalan) I received very different information. In their Computer labs he get a speed of 6 MB/sec of Internet where as he is an IBM intern and thus in his office he gets around 48 MB/sec through wireless! It is shocking to know that the same person has to work with 512 KB/sec at his home. If IBM in India can have around 48 MB/sec then why cannot other Internet providers in India have such high speedy Internets? Government, Global companies and all of us have a real hard job ahead of us. The thing that concerns in those countries is the security issue. It is so hard there to track someone. Many times criminal gets away because it becomes hard to catch them, though they have Police. Now criminals if known as cyber criminals, the cyber traffic officers they do not have much. Also for one unique IP Address multiple clients make life a hell for them. Thats why they do not w ant to gear up. Also we shouldnt forget that the cost value is still missing. High speed means expensive Internet. How many people can afford such high speed Internet since Poverty is another big issue or concern in those third world countries. If we want, we can provide and control. We need a plan and a very good execution of that plan. In order to get the change we cannot pick a wrong way of approach. Addiction on Internet in recent time has been killing our young generation. Without them this prospers is not even thinking or plan worthy, so we cannot let them go in vain just for the addiction. But also we cannot oppose their passion towards it, otherwise we will not have them to do prosper. Since we are focusing on the differences on technology in different area, like digital divide we must talk about the meaning of it. Just giving an example the meaning of hacking at the beginning was a act of a hero but now it is crime that only criminals do. So, based on many time frames and all things changes all the time. Digital Divide now is working like discrimination, but there is a good hiding somewhere. The proper knowledge was thought in USA (just for an example) about how to use the Internet. Then Internet was released here, people started to use it and by using it they became to learn more about it. Same thing happened on Bangladesh too, but in Bangladesh it started way late than USA. And this is a huge reason why people in Bangladesh are one the other side of the division than the people of USA. Suddenly we cannot make it 54 MB/sec speed in Bangladesh from 512 KB/sec, because they wont know what to do with such high speed. Their workload will finish but the work time will not, they will have many free times all of a sudden. And free time can lead them into miss use the Internet. Everything has its own way of approach. So, nothing can be done suddenly. But it is also important that we take the steps now. If we start taking the steps now then and only then we can see a better future soon. As of so far we discussed about the topic, problems and solutions. I now want to express my own point of view. Though this is very clear in what is happening right now still there is always a question about if things are working in the right direction or not. Talking about if the technology has a boundary to reach into the third world countries, even if it can reach how fast. So far we have understood that reaching is not the only option we review, there are many more things connected with it. Just like as long as we do not know how much load a carrier can bear we cannot ask the carrier to bear, exactly in the same manner unless we know if someone can maintain such technology we cannot through something on him or her. So it can be said that difference is well shown in the features of each step, but it can be change to make a better world and faster communicating system. In order to do so we have to dig a lot dipper into the field, and once we have it all done we will see a better world! We are moving so fast, controlling the speed is the matter not reducing it down. So, to make a better world and a world with globalized network field what we have to do is to think and work for it. Though there are many difficulties but still I believe it is possible, do you? Citations: URL Citation: The number of countries in the world. . By Matt Rosenberg. March 2, 2011. Threat Level. . By Kim Zetter. January 14, 2010. 10 challenges/ problems in the Digital World. . Published by etale.org The Digital Divide The Advantages And Disadvantages Of The World Wide Web . . By Carl Doherty. May 28, 2008. are young people becoming addicted to the internet?. . By Newshour. August 19, 2009. Book Citation: Bolt, David. Digital Divide computers and our childrens future. A book talking about digital division around the world. January 1, 2000. Person Citation: Ahmed, Tasfia. GM Employer. Interviewed on March 21, 2011. Haque, Dr. MK Rashedul. Professor of Dhaka University. Interviewed on March 28, 2011. Chandrabalan, Shantosh. Student of IIT and IBM intern in India. Interviewed on April 5, 2011.

marxism Essay -- essays research papers

How convincing was the Marxist critique of the capitalist state? This next unit of theory is entitled "Ideology and Discourse." The theorists we're examining--Althusser, Bakhtin, and Foucault--are discussing how ideology works, and how ideologies construct subjects. All of these theorists are coming from a Marxist perspective, using ideas and terms developed in Marxist theory, though only Althusser actually claims to be a Marxist. So to start off, I want to talk a bit about some basic ideas of Marxist theory. Marxism is a set of theories, or a system of thought and analysis, developed by Karl Marx in the nineteenth century in response to the Western industrial revolution and the rise of industrial capitalism as the predominant economic mode. Like feminist theory, Marxist theory is directed at social change; Marxists want to analyze social relations in order to change them, in order to alter what they see are the gross injustices and inequalities created by capitalist economic relations. My capsule summary of the main ideas of Marxism, however, will focus on the theoretical aspects more than on how that theory has been and is applicable to projects for social change. As a theory, Marxism is pretty complicated. You can think of Marxism as being three types of theory in one: philosophy, history, and economics. First, Marxism is a philosophical movement; Marx's ideas about human nature, and about how we know and function in the world come from traditions articulated by Hegel, Feuerbach, Kant, and other German philosophers. All of these guys, including Marx, are interested in the relation between materialist and idealist philosophy. As a philosopher, Marx helps create and define a branch of philosophy called DIALECTICAL MATERIALISM. Materialism in general is the branch of Western philosophy from which science (Aristotelian or Newtonian) comes. Materialist philosophy is based on empiricism, on the direct observation of measurable or observable phenomena; materialist philosophy is interested in studying how the human mind, via the senses, perceives external reality, and particularly with the idea of how we know things "objectively," without the interference of emotions or preconceived ideas about things. Materialist philosophy often wants to ask how we know something is real, or, more specifically, how we know that what is real IS real, and... ...other forms of ideology (like religious ideology), and thus can provide insights into how ideologies are structured, and what their limits are. This view is also followed by Georg Lukacs, who argues that Marxist literary criticism should look at a work of literature in terms of the ideological structure(s) of which it is a part, but which it transforms in its art. For other Marxists, including Bertolt Brecht, Walter Benjamin, and Louis Althusser, literature works the way any ideology does, by signifying the imaginary ways in which people perceive the real world; literature uses language to signify what it feels like to live in particular conditions, rather than using language to give a rational analysis of those conditions. Thus literature helps to create experience, not just reflect it. As a kind of ideology, literature for these critics is relatively autonomous, both of other ideological forms and of the economic base. You can't trace one-to-one direct ties between literature and any particular ideology, or between literature and the economic base. (When you can, we call it bad literature; literature directly linked to an ideology we call "propaganda," for instance).

Most Children Are Sexually Assaulted By Strangers Essay

Societies are afflicted with the trauma of child abuse where the fear increases when the offender stands and laughs amongst the families of the child. It is said that children are not to be allowed to communicate with any strangers as these can be the abusers, this is just a myth. The following paper will attempt to prove that most of the children are abused by the people they already know. Introduction It is a well-known fact that child sexual abuse is a daily recurrence and the numbers and statistics that are presented are not the true depicters of reality of child abuse as there are many cases that go unreported (Bolen, 2001, p. 78). Many myths are associated with child abuse blurring the reality of child abuse. One of the most important myths that surround the issue of child abuse relates to strangers being held as frequent child abusers. Many authentic statistical figures prove otherwise. It has been generally highlighted that children should be watched for any communication and contacts with the strangers as most often the strangers are involved in abusing children sexually. Figures have highlighted that more than 85% of the children are sexually abused by the people they know and these usually include family members, fathers, family friends, and neighbors. These people being closer to the families and thus, the children, are more aware of the psychologies of the children that are exploited to approach the children in unethical ways (Cossins, 2000, p. 34). It is important to note that sex offenders look for a chance and an opportunity to abuse children. Strangers do not have the chance to explore the psychologies of the children as it is generally seen that children generally do not open up too well with the strangers as compared to the affections that they share with people they know. These affections make it much easier for the offenders to control the children before and after abuse (Richardson, and Bacon, 2003, p. 49). A study was carried out in three American states and it was found that more than 96% of children abused were under the age of 12 and were abused by the people they knew. The study has divided the children in two main categories, boys and girls. In case of boys under the age of 12, the study highlighted the percentages of offenders. Only 4% of the offenders were strangers, 20% of the offenders were fathers, 17% were family members and relatives while the rest of 50% offenders belonged to the category of friends. In the case of girls under the age of 12, 12% were abused by the family members, 33% were found to be abused by the strangers and 55% were offended by acquaintances (Itzin, 2000, p, 67). Another important fact that has been highlighted by the studies indicates the development of a relationship between the victim and abuser, and these relationships continue for an average of four years. Moreover, offenders and potential child abusers develop a relationship with the children and in some cases with the families of the children, in order to be acquaintances with the target children (Bolen, 2001, p. 40). Boston Globe published a report in 2000 that highlighted the findings of a group of psychologists treating sex offenders. It was mentioned that the case of child abuse by the strangers is very rare; still parents more often focus on strangers as the potential danger for their child while the threat comes from the families and even spouses. A report has been published by National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children in 2005 highlighting the dimensions and percentages of child abusers. The report indicated that 94% of abused children knew the abusers, 59% of the abusers were from the families, 35% of the abusers were acquaintances, only 3% were complete strangers, and on an average 22% of the children, boys and girls were abused by their fathers (Cossins, 2000, p. 89). Conclusion There is a need to realize that people from within the families are much more on a chance to be the offenders as compared to the strangers. Parents need to look inside their houses for offenders rather than looking on the roads and in parks for the potential dangers. References Bolen, M. R. (2001). Child sexual abuse: its scope and our failure. Springer. Cossins, A. (2000). Masculinities, sexualities, and child sexual abuse. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. Itzin, C. (2000). Home truths about child sexual abuse: a reader. Routledge. Richardson, S. , and Bacon, H. (2003). Creative Response to Child Sexual Abuse: Challenges and Dilemmas. Edition 2. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Thinkers In Ancient Greece And In The Enlightenment Education Essay

AbstractionIn the centuries between Ancient Greece and the Enlightenment, revolutions irrevocably altered the position quo in many Fieldss. One of the largest beginnings of extremist alteration was found in the instruction system. Whether analysing the methods of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Jean Jacques Rousseau, John Locke, or Mary Wollstonecraft, the importance of the parts made by each mind is manifested non merely in their several period, but besides in the modern universe. The most of import differences in the instruction systems of the Enlightenment and Ancient Greece lie non in the lessons taught, but in their deductions on pupils and society. The displacements in progressive attitudes held by the minds of these periods, the focal point and importance of humanistic disciplines instruction, and the function of adult females in the schoolroom are the extreme representations of alteration between two of the most radical periods in history.Thinkers in Ancient Greece and in the Enl ightenmentAncient Greek minds Sappho, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle are arguably the most outstanding educational revolutionists of the period, and their replies sing inquiries of humanity, citizenship, truth and morality have held influence relevant beyond their old ages ( Murphy, 2006 ) . Murphy argues that Sappho ‘s educational political orientations revolved around cultivating the pupil as a whole while besides functioning as a wise man for immature adult females in order to better their abilities as married womans and Greeks, while Socrates questioned the function of the instructor in inquiring inquiries to develop their pupils ‘ abilities – known as the Socratic Method – and the importance of the morality in the schoolroom ( 2006 ) . Socrates besides argued that the ultimate donee in social instruction was society itself ( Harris, 2009 ) . Influenced by the methods and theories of Sappho and Socrates, Plato and Aristotle developed their ain doctrines ; Plato ‘s political orientations argued that the â€Å" intent of instruction is to assist the pupils to turn and develop their character, † ( Murphy, 2006 ) and that instruction is straight correlated and catered to those who will hold power in their state. Aristotle saw instruction as â€Å" enquiry into everything, plus airing of the end point cognition, † particularly when separating between â€Å" right † and â€Å" incorrect † ( Harris, 2009 ) . While the minds in Ancient Greece aimed to understand the human encephalon and how to outdo cultivate it, radical heads in the Enlightenment sought to understand the deductions of this cultivation. In a survey sing schools in the Enlightenment conducted by Owens ( 2011 ) , it was found that â€Å" early schools focused on instilling pupils with proper cognition to i ¬?rst be good members of the church, and secondly be good Christian members of their immediate community. † Outstanding minds of the Enlightenment, including Jean Jacques Rousseau, John Locke and Mary Wollstonecraft held positions that built upon the Ancient Greek foundation of instruction. Rousseau ‘s purposes, as argued by Jonathan Israel ( 2012 ) , were to guarantee that instruction and nature were in harmoniousness ; he advocated gender segregated instruction under the comprehension that males and females of course learned in different ways. Authority, Rousseau argued, could non be used as a instruction method ; if a kid was taught under a rigorous authorization, they would larn nil but the power of this force ( Zuckerman, 2012 ) . John Locke sought a liberated pupil. Through learning a â€Å" natural equality † ( Ruderman & A ; Godwin, 2000 ) , therefore leting him to use his rules in a general manner, Locke opposed political intercession and segregation in instruction while recommending for the modern thought of home-schooling. Mary Wollstonecraft has been hailed as the outstanding â€Å" feminist pedagogue † of the Enlightenment ( Murphy, 2006 ) . Her educational theories included speculations on Locke ‘s doctrine and the Socratic Method ; through recommending equality for adult females in the schoolroom and in society, Wollstonecraft was able to construct her theories around moral individualities of pupils and the deductions of gender on instruction ( Murphy, 2006 ) . The attitudes of minds in Ancient Greece revolved around groking the basic capablenesss of human cognition, while their Enlightenment-based opposite numbers sought the ability to construct upon and use these instructions in order to make an ideal pupil. Assorted theories, such as the Socratic Method or John Locke ‘s â€Å" clean slate † attack to instruction, have been introduced through these minds and their prevalence in the schoolroom is still noteworthy. The displacements between centuries manifest themselves in the sense of â€Å" higher † believing achieved by the philosophers of the Enlightenment ; without Ancient Greek contemplations on character development through instruction, there could be no doctrine sing how best to use and maximise the potency of the head.The Value of an Humanistic disciplines EducationIn a duologue between Ancient Greek philosophers Socrates and Glaucon, in which the virtues and hurts of an humanistic disciplines instruction are de bated, the value of groking poesy or engaging in art, Socrates argues, is good merely for personal growing – there can be small to no benefit for the province ( Of what value is humanistic disciplines instruction? , 2002 ) . Traditional instruction in Ancient Greece necessitated merely a basic comprehension of the humanistic disciplines for male pupils while females were taught chiefly through dance, vocal and poesy ( Murphy, 2006 ) . The end of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle was to accomplish a virtuous pupil through instruction ; merely Sappho aimed to accomplish this virtuousness entirely through demonstrating and learning the humanistic disciplines to her pupils – with the ultimate end of doing them nubile ( Murphy, 2006 ) . The position of the pupil as a animal necessitating to be tamed with cognition left no room for the docile chase of groking the humanistic disciplines. Ancient Greece, though the pinnacle of early progressive thought in the field of instruction, focused more entirely on the cultivation of people who could lend their able heads to society instead than lending their exactness for understanding the humanistic disciplines. Jean-Jacques Rousseau contributed assorted positions on the deductions of learning pupils the humanistic disciplines. He argued that if his co-workers taught scientific disciplines and the humanistic disciplines as a exclusive course of study, â€Å" they would be destroying the state ‘s kids by fixing them for leisure and enjoyment, alternatively of for labor, for luxury alternatively of asceticism, for refinement alternatively of simpleness † ( Israel, 2012 ) . Sing the deficiency of humanistic disciplines in Sparta, Rousseau viewed the early metropolis as oppressive to poets, and its abilities to throw out from its walls artists a point of virtuousness ; an inflexible sense of moral virtuousness and instruction could non be intertwined with disingenuous chases if successful teaching method were to be achieved ( 2012 ) . While the Enlightenment was a clip of higher acquisition and diverse thought, the purposes of instruction were to cultivate reasonability in pupils an d give them the tools to successfully oppugn their universe ( Murphy, 2006 ) . Friedrich Froebel advocated the usage of these tools in humanistic disciplines instruction, as he believed kids could heighten larning through hands-on comprehension and develop a autonomous sense of drama and creativeness ( Murphy, 2006 ) . Cultivating the â€Å" whole kid, † it could be argued, included guaranting all of their possible involvements were explored, irrespective of social benefits. The ends of minds in the Enlightenment in mention to instruction frequently overlap ; their methodological analysis of accomplishment, nevertheless, shows obvious contempt or intent for cultivating the disingenuous gustatory sensations of the pupil. The benefits associated with teaching pupils about humanistic disciplines, as argued by Socrates, could be merely personal, or, as argued by Rousseau, largely useless in society. Basically, the deductions of learning pupils about the humanistic disciplines are still considered in modern instruction. Between Ancient Greece and the Enlightenment, positions became more polarizing sing the humanistic disciplines, and the development of course of study in both periods reflects these alterations.The Education of WomenThe end of educating adult females in Ancient Greece was chiefly to develop them for a life of matrimony and family responsibilities. Women ‘s schools, such as that of Sappho, existed merely to heighten pupils ‘ abiliti es to execute undertakings in the place sphere ( Murphy, 2006 ) . Even within Sappho ‘s school, non all adult females were equal in their lowered position ; Sappho taught adult females about appropriate behaviors and appropriate frock, but held obvious disdain for adult females who did non partake in properness. Ingalls ( 1999 ) found that Sappho viewed behavior as the extreme representation of accomplishment, saying that â€Å" a adult female who has wealth without civilization will lend nil worthwhile, nil memorable to her community. † The virtues of a school chiefly covering with the instruction of adult females become overshadowed by the fact that these adult females were viewed merely every bit objects to go mistily civilized and married off to work forces, at which point their lives would go around around maintaining a place and raising kids in order to be ideal representations of society ( Murphy, 2006 ) . During the Enlightenment, the political orientations environing the deductions of gender became more outstanding ; instruction, it was argued, should be based on ability instead than gender ( Murphy, 2006 ) . Rousseau argued that boys entirely should larn practical, â€Å" manfully † accomplishments such as measuring and woodworking, while misss entirely would larn of spinning, run uping and cleaning. This segregation was in concurrency with Rousseau ‘s theory that instruction should fix kids for work ( Israel, 2012 ) . Differences in gender besides served to explicate sensed differences in head. Biology, it was argued, was the ground adult females had â€Å" presence of head, trenchancy, and elusive observations, † yet these accomplishments were non suited in practical facets of life, and should be utilized largely in developing feminine functions of female parents and married womans ( Sobe, 2012 ) . Mary Wollstonecraft, one of the first women's rightist pedagogu es, argued against the sensed restrictions of sex ; by actively disapproving of traditionally â€Å" female † chases such as usage of cosmetics and unreal idiosyncrasies, Wollstonecraft was able to run for the release of the female pupil in the schoolroom and in society ( Murphy, 2006 ) . The deductions of gender in the schoolroom in both Ancient Greece and the Enlightenment played of import functions in the construct of instruction and equality. Womans in society – as pupils, kids, female parents or married womans – faced segregation based on their sex and their sensed inability to execute the same undertakings as their male opposite numbers. In Ancient Greece, the construct of feminist intercession was to farther segregate adult females pupils in order to learn them properness through stringency and the humanistic disciplines. The Enlightenment, though immensely improved in the rights of worlds, played host to revolutionary ideas sing the instruction and capablenesss of females, in so far as that their abilities may fit those of work forces. The growing in instruction systems following each period is representative of the changes in social focal point and an obvious illustration of the difference between Ancient Greece and the Enlightenment.DecisionTho ugh centuries apart, both Ancient Greece the Enlightenment are vastly brooding of non merely each other, but modern society. The foundations for instruction discovered and built upon in Ancient Greek society served as the basis for gestating and overhauling instruction during the Enlightenment. The differences and similarities of attitudes held by radical minds of each clip period, the virtues and hurts of an arts instruction and the deductions of adult females in instruction service as representatives of some of the greatest displacements between the periods. Contributions of these clip periods hold unreplaceable value and obvious deductions on the instruction systems of today ; groking the huge differences of these two radical clip periods gives a great trade of penetration sing perceived values of instruction and the patterned advance of cognition within society.

Journalism in all the President’s Men (Essay)

Journalism in all the President’s Men (Essay) Journalism in all the President’s Men For more than thirty-five years, All the Presidents Men (1976) has been a must-see movie for every reporter, whether upcoming or experienced. The movie blends the background of the Watergate scandal in the times of Nixon administration and the fundamental principles of journalism. The viewers see the ideal time of reporting when ambitious and dedicated journalists follow the money and try to bring out the criminals into open, notwithstanding how high-ranking they are. The style of investigative reporting in the movie is aggressive and unbiased. It is greatly romanticized as it shows search for the truth which eventually leads to stunning revelations and makes names for the duo of the Washington Posts journalists. All the Presidents Men is capable of inspiring a young person to choose the career of a reporter since the main characters are represented in the most favorable light. Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward demonstrate how to do the job in the proper way. They set an example of persistence, critical thinking, natural and concise searching examinations and getting answers to confirm their guesses. They behave in both passionate and impersonal way which reveals their in-depth knowledge of psychology. In addition, the movie shows that one of the most essential qualities of a journalist is the ability to trust the instincts. The movie All the Presidents Men serves not only as an entertaining or instructive means of spending spare time, but as a visual textbook on journalism. It reveals the major objective of the journalists job and the power of journalism as it is. Helping the society to be transparent, reporting on the most burning issues that matter to the public, fighting for the truth and justice are the functions of every committed journalist whose ambition is not to earn more, but to serve the country and the community.

buy custom Research Essay Formal Outline essay

buy custom Research Essay Formal Outline essay Thesis statement: in the next ten years, there is a high possibility that the United State will not be depending on oil as a fuel. Drilling location in the United states are likely to became unfavorable. Oil reserves in the United States have caused challenges to the government. Some drilling points have shown sign of reduction in the volumes of crude oil being mined. Recent accident in the oil industry has proved that oil drilling can be dangerous. An explosion in the BP drilling platforms killed workers and caused a lot of loss. The number of drilling places cannot fully support the need for oil for the whole of the United States. There are fewer drilling places that cannot support the oil demand for the United States population. New inventions in the automobile industry is likely to replace the use of oi. Research is underway to develop automobiles that do not rely on oil. Scientists are working on cars s that would need hydrogen rather than oil. Concerns have been raised on the role of the automobiles in air pollution and this is likely to cause the disuse of oil in American are increasingly being aware of the need to conserve their environment. The quality of air as a result of pollution is worrying many people who think that something must be done about it. The environmental impact caused by explosion in the BP drilling platform caused a huge public outcry. The price of oil is set to increase and this will reduce its importatio. The price of oil in the international market is volatile and keeps fluctuating from time to time Unrest in oil producing areas like Iraq and Libya are likely to drive the cost of oil per barrel to a level that it will be too expensive to use oil. Buy custom Research Essay Formal Outline essay

Andy Warhol Essay Example for Free

Andy Warhol Essay Choose cite format: APA MLA Harvard Chicago ASA IEEE AMA Andy Warhol is one of the significant famous personalities of the twentieth century. He is an artist, a film maker, a celebrity and even a businessman. Warhol advanced the Popular art movement in America. He made compelling and controversial art works that yielded praises and even criticisms. Warhol had once said, â€Å"I’d prefer to remain a mystery. I never like to give my background and, anyway, I make it all up different every time I’m asked. It’s not just that it’s part of my image not to tell everything, it’s just that I forget what I said the day before, and I have to make it all up over again† (Wrenn Andy Warhol: in his own words).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Andy Warhol was born in 1928 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as the son of Slovakian immigrants. His father was Andrej who was a construction worker who died when he was 13 and his mother was Julia. According to his mother, Warhol suffered three nervous breakdowns in his childhood (Andy Warhol). By 1945, he entered the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University) where he majored in pictorial design . After college, Warhol went to New York and started his career in illustration and advertising for several magazines including Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and The New Yorker (Cribbs Andy Warhol: Biography). It was film director Emile de Antonio who encouraged Warhol to start as an independent   artist because he considered commercial art as a real form of   real art. His fondness for art and commerce gained him several recognitions from established organizations (Andy Warhol).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During the 1960’s, many of Andy Warhol’s most famous and iconic images were generated. By adapting various images from popular culture, Warhol created many paintings that remained icons of 20th-century art, such as the Campbell’s Soup Cans, Disasters and Marilyns. In addition to painting, Warhol made several 16mm films which have become underground classics such as Chelsea Girls, Empire and Blow Job (Cribbs Andy Warhol: Biography). Most of Warhol’s films were deemed plotless,   complex and somewhat pornographic. Though there were scripts, most of the dialogues in his films were improvised by the actors who were usually transvestites, homosexuals and his acquaintances. According to Warhol, he never particularly wanted to make simply sex movies, but attempted to show how people can meet other people and what they can do and what they can say each other. Warhol’s gradual withdrawal from films production coincided with his near fatal shooting in 1968 by a female ‘factory’ reject connected with an anti-male hate group (Andy Warhol). More so, in this period, Warhol moved to the â€Å"Factory.† It was his place at Union Square in New York City where he and his team of hired workers massly produced screen prints of popular culture. This immediately became the hangout venue for   artist, musicians, and actors where they expressed their individuality. The Factory also served as a working place where he produced most his masterpieces in art and film (Andy Warhol Biography).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the 70’s amd 80’s, Warhol had expanded his empire beyond mere art making. He was in the center of a corporation that produced films, books, plays, and was involved with television (Andy Warhol). He founded inter/VIEW magazine. He also created two cable television shows, â€Å"Andy Warhol’s TV† and â€Å"Andy Warhol’s Fifteen Minutes† for MTV . More so, Warhol had several collaborations with younger artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Francesco Clemente and Keith Haring (Cribbs Andy Warhol: Biography). In his book The Philosophy of Andy Warhol he wrote: â€Å"Business art is the step that comes after Art. I started as a commercial artist, and I want to finish as a business artist. After I did the thing called ‘art’ or whatever it’s called, I went into business art. I wanted to be an Art Businessman or a Business Artist. Being good in business in the most fascinating kind of art† (Andy Warhol).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Andy Warhol died after a gall bladder surgery on February 22, 1987. His funeral was attended by his friends, colleagues and more than   2, 000 fans at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York (Cribbs Andy Warhol: Biography) .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Warhol made a huge contribution in art history. His eccentric personality brought him to beyond levels of stardom. He constantly shook the art industry with his controversial art works that were considered avant-garde during that era. Warhol’s personality have been subjected to several suspicions. His concepts and interpretations gave an impression that he was a homosexual. According to Wayne Koestenbaum’s psychoanalytical interpretation, everything was sexual for Warhol, who was †as gay as you can get† and he also said that â€Å"Warhol’s major artistic contribution was reinterpreting the worth of cultural waste products† (Andy Warhol). Many would think that Warhol is not a true blooded artist because mainly for the fact that he was driven by monetary ambition and even came to the point where he became obsessed in being rich and famous. But he proved that business can be mixed with art making. He utilized the best of both worlds, which are the corporate world and the art world. In a but shell, he merged art, wealth and fame producing the Pop Artist Andy Warhol (Andy Warhol Biography). â€Å" Andy Warhol Biography.† ArtQuotes.net. 28 February 2008   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   . â€Å"Andy Warhol.† 2000. Books and Writers. 28 February 2008   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   . Cribss, Martin. â€Å" Andy Warhol: Biography.† 2002. The Andy Warhol Foundation for the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Visual Arts.   28 February 2008 . Wrenn, Mike. Andy Warhol: In His Own Words. Omnibus Press, 1992. Andy Warhol. (2017, Mar 01).

Grave markers in colonial america Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Grave markers in colonial america - Essay Example Both the whites and the blacks has ever since observed some form of marking to the passing of a person with grave markings being among the most used forms of observing the passing on of a person. Colonialism, slavery as well as the ideology of being free had a critical part to play while observing this stage of life and hence the interest in carrying out this study. In understanding the evolution of humans through the stages of slavery, colonialism as well as the independence, this paper intends to focus on historical artifacts and records to establish the perceptions and attitudes of persons towards slavery, colonialism and their effect on tradition and the issue of grave markings with a special focus on America. This paper therefore intends to answer the question on how the larger society have swayed over years from the dictates of slavery and colonialism in such social concerns and whether this can be observed in the grave markers. The evolution of social perceptions and attitudes towards the death of a person and the subsequent burial of the remains can be seen through many archaeological features among which are grave marks. Early markers have evolved to shape what we have today in many societies with a definite evolution from then use of wood, slate, sand stone, marble/sandstone as well as granite for making grave markings (Erik, 2014). Besides, the reshaping of the society as influenced by religious believes would be seen to have had great influence on how people would perceive death. For instance, traditional African faiths had much respect of dead persons as were believed to only change in physical state but living in the spirit after death. In the 18th century (after great awakening), the religious wave in America changed the perceptions of the whites much through the faith that death was not to be feared but rather looked forward to. Christianity taught that death gave a person a time to reunite with

A comparison of the US investor visa and the Canadian investor visa Research Paper

A comparison of the US investor visa and the Canadian investor visa - Research Paper Example The intention of this study is immigration as the act of people belonging to various countries passing or coming into another country to stay there permanently. All around the world, most immigrants have to obtain a visa for their movement from one place to another. All countries of the world have their own demarcated boundaries. No outside person can enter a country without a legal document certifying the entry, i.e. a visa against that countries immigration act. Thus a visa is a legal seal or a documented permission to enter a country. Mostly it is a stamp in the passport of the applicant. The visa gives details about the background of the person, so as to avoid conflict, terrorism or any problems from any dangerous persons and also helps to keep a count on the number of people entering a country. In this paper we lay special focus on the differences in the two visas and their impact, with a special emphasis on Chinese immigration to the US and Canada. From the huge number of migra ting people every year to the US and Canada, a major number of them are Asians, mainly from China and India. The huge number of investor visas issued to Chinese immigrants has been increasing over the years and has been attributed to their wealth. From times immortal, many people from around the world have immigrated to the US for a better standard of living and the ‘American Dream’. However, as immigrants faced struggles in the new land to build their future, the natives complained of lost jobs and distorted cultures. Previously the policies for immigrants in the US were very liberal, but later on complex laws were devised to check the quality of the immigrants (Anderson, 2010, p. 1). Access to high skilled immigrants was of utmost importance for fostering competition within the US companies in the global market. New rules do not allow foreign talented individuals to stay in the US for a long time. This rule in particular encouraged companies to seek talent outside the country in the form of outsourcing. Many companies had also built setups in neighboring countries like Canada because of the high level of restrictions in the US (Anderson, 2010, p. 119). Investor visas were created to encourage foreign investors to put in money in a significant manner in the economy of the host country, in exchange for permanent residency, Green card in case of the US and Maple card in case of Canada, so that it may result in overall job creation in the host country. Both the USA and Canada have introduced investor or entrepreneur visas to encourage foreign entrepreneurs to settle in their countries and provide work to people there.

Reviewing for Les Miserables Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reviewing for Les Miserables - Movie Review Example e, listening to the basic songs of the main characters of the play is a profound understanding of the essence of the Parisian underworld, where dwellers are full of courage, dignity and bravery. The actions of these people from the underworld sound louder than words. This song reflects daily troubles of the poor. The singers are a foreman, workers, a girl and Fantine. They sing about their daily troubles and a secret of Fantine is revealed. She sends money to her illegally borne child and the workers are demanding her to be thrown away. The end of the day is a miserable time for poor and workers, because they think about coming death, overall hunger on the lands. They are thankful that they have an opportunity to work and to feed their children and a place to sleep. Fantine is afraid of revelation and her secret about her child becomes well-known to the rest of the workers. A girl is in a real despair and women start to fight until Valjean pacify them. Fantine tells to the women that she has a child, which lives with an innkeeper and his wife and she has to earn money and send it to her daughter. In this solo song a real despair of a woman can be heard. She wants to return back to happy times and she does not realize what happened wrong in her life and why life is so cruel with her. She dreams about another life, where men were kind and the world was an exciting song. Fantine dreams about everlasting love in a peaceful world. She dreams about returning her love though she understands that these dreams cannot come true. This song is a choral piece and the final song of Act 1. Every singer sings his own part before joining the chorus. Valjean follows the melody of "Who Am I?", Marius, Cosette and Éponine continue their song in the melody "I Dreamed a Dream". A key melody is slow and it can be heard that different characters of musical unite their voices to make the effect of the song even more tragic. We can hear different songs of the main characters and it is

Interaction Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Interaction Analysis - Essay Example Although it was short, a brief introduction of his cultural background was established. The actual meeting had begun with a brief prayer outside the house, which was interpreted as a religious ritual to welcome a special guest in the house. The Jordan region is mainly inhabited by Muslims with a distinct Arabic origin. A great percentage of the population upholds Islamic values and Mohammed is not an exception. As a Christian, I had to respect this religious and cultural situation and consent to the prayer although my religion does not agree with some aspects of Islam. This is an example of the behavioral code that is expected when interacting with people from different cultures. The meals session was a great experience and a great opportunity to understand the cultural values by observing the non-verbal codes. Particularly, this was an opportunity to understand the culture by observing the eating habits, type of food, and the overall family involvement during mealtime. Our meal was a reflection of the Arabian-Jordan dining culture. Halloumi, a pita-style bread sandwich was served with grilled meat marinate and fresh vegetables as the main course. This type of food is an identity of the Jordan community and a lot can be learned about the culture by just looking at the food. According to Mohammed, mealtimes are respected and, therefore, people should not talk during mealtime. However, the best time for verbal communication and interaction came immediately after the meals. We shared a debate and a discussion about different cultural values that Mohammed upholds. Certainly, he values religion and it seems that his culture is deeply entrenched into the Islam. This is one of the most important sessions since I got a chance to compare and contrast his cultural values and mine. For instance, I observed that religion has a great influence on his morals, since they are founded on Islam. However, this contrasted with my cultural background, whereby, my religion has nothi ng to do with my cultural background. Indeed, the two are very different. My cultural background does not stem from religion, but rather, encompasses religion as an important aspect of life. Nevertheless, we still uphold similar family values and beliefs. Although there are very big differences in the societal roles especially for women, the roles within the family remain relatively the same for both cultures. Mohammed does not let his wife go to the Mosque simply because the larger community does not encourage that. However, he feels that the cultural values are changing rapidly and that he may decide to embrace the changes and give her permission to attend prayers and Islamic gatherings. This was a memorable moment since I was able to differentiate the contrasts in which different cultures accept changes. Whereas, our culture is fast and swift to adapt to changes, some cultures are very conservative and, therefore, very slow and resistive to changes. It is evident from the verbal communication pattern that Mohammed can be classified in the high-context culture group. He comes from a culture that has strong values and most of the life aspects are strongly associated with the culture. For instance, he would conclude many sentences with the phrase â€Å"Inshallah.† I came to realize that this phrase simply means God willing. It is an expression of hope that a premeditated endeavor will be

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 14

Globalization - Essay Example s affected by it; in fact, it can be said that it undermines state sovereignty because decisions that are made have to consider their impact on international affairs (Shimko 192). An example of this is oil-exporting countries that heavily depend on the income from this product to fund their national budgets. If these countries were to act in a way which displeases the international community, then they would be forced to abandon such decisions through the placing of sanctions on their exports. Moreover, because of globalization, many countries have interests in other countries; therefore, to protect these interests, it has become necessary for the powerful to meddle in the political affairs of the weaker ones (Yang170). This has not only made the latter countries lose their sovereignty, but it has also encouraged their overdependence on more developed nations for economic aid. Cultural diversity loosely refers to the variety and differences in race, ethnicity, and class that are present in a society, state, or the world. Different races have diverse cultures or customs; for  example, in a  traditional  Mexican  wedding; there is a  distinct  ceremony  where  a rosary  or  white  rope  is wound around  the  bride  and  groom  to form a number eight.  Languages, cuisine and mode of dressing are also part of cultural diversity notwithstanding the conformity to everyday way of living by people of a certain society (Mueller 71). History profoundly determines these aspects, but they are mostly affected by the environment. This implies the people who develop the cultural resources and control access to the culture itself. While trying to achieve globalization, cultural diversity has developed since the core idea behind it is ‘speaking a common language’. This is because globalization includes transformation of a s patial organization, which in turn means wide-ranging institutional reform institutions formed with a large influence from culture. Many argue that

Reviewing for Les Miserables Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reviewing for Les Miserables - Movie Review Example e, listening to the basic songs of the main characters of the play is a profound understanding of the essence of the Parisian underworld, where dwellers are full of courage, dignity and bravery. The actions of these people from the underworld sound louder than words. This song reflects daily troubles of the poor. The singers are a foreman, workers, a girl and Fantine. They sing about their daily troubles and a secret of Fantine is revealed. She sends money to her illegally borne child and the workers are demanding her to be thrown away. The end of the day is a miserable time for poor and workers, because they think about coming death, overall hunger on the lands. They are thankful that they have an opportunity to work and to feed their children and a place to sleep. Fantine is afraid of revelation and her secret about her child becomes well-known to the rest of the workers. A girl is in a real despair and women start to fight until Valjean pacify them. Fantine tells to the women that she has a child, which lives with an innkeeper and his wife and she has to earn money and send it to her daughter. In this solo song a real despair of a woman can be heard. She wants to return back to happy times and she does not realize what happened wrong in her life and why life is so cruel with her. She dreams about another life, where men were kind and the world was an exciting song. Fantine dreams about everlasting love in a peaceful world. She dreams about returning her love though she understands that these dreams cannot come true. This song is a choral piece and the final song of Act 1. Every singer sings his own part before joining the chorus. Valjean follows the melody of "Who Am I?", Marius, Cosette and Éponine continue their song in the melody "I Dreamed a Dream". A key melody is slow and it can be heard that different characters of musical unite their voices to make the effect of the song even more tragic. We can hear different songs of the main characters and it is

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 14

Globalization - Essay Example s affected by it; in fact, it can be said that it undermines state sovereignty because decisions that are made have to consider their impact on international affairs (Shimko 192). An example of this is oil-exporting countries that heavily depend on the income from this product to fund their national budgets. If these countries were to act in a way which displeases the international community, then they would be forced to abandon such decisions through the placing of sanctions on their exports. Moreover, because of globalization, many countries have interests in other countries; therefore, to protect these interests, it has become necessary for the powerful to meddle in the political affairs of the weaker ones (Yang170). This has not only made the latter countries lose their sovereignty, but it has also encouraged their overdependence on more developed nations for economic aid. Cultural diversity loosely refers to the variety and differences in race, ethnicity, and class that are present in a society, state, or the world. Different races have diverse cultures or customs; for  example, in a  traditional  Mexican  wedding; there is a  distinct  ceremony  where  a rosary  or  white  rope  is wound around  the  bride  and  groom  to form a number eight.  Languages, cuisine and mode of dressing are also part of cultural diversity notwithstanding the conformity to everyday way of living by people of a certain society (Mueller 71). History profoundly determines these aspects, but they are mostly affected by the environment. This implies the people who develop the cultural resources and control access to the culture itself. While trying to achieve globalization, cultural diversity has developed since the core idea behind it is ‘speaking a common language’. This is because globalization includes transformation of a s patial organization, which in turn means wide-ranging institutional reform institutions formed with a large influence from culture. Many argue that

Earth Sociology Essay Example for Free

Earth Sociology Essay The author of the book entitled Down to Earth Sociology focused his writings on conceptual issues regarding the social interactions of the people in everyday life including the aspect of understanding the individual experiences in the society and the analysis of the different dominant social cultures. The selections of the said book also emphasizes the different significant themes of the modern sociology including sociological analysis of the concept of gender, power, politics, sports, religion, racial tensions, crimes, poverty, homelessness, and the global outlook of economic capitalism. In this book, the author Henslin presented his ideas and analysis in the same scientific manner and process that is being implemented by the contemporary sociologist of the modern age. Through this, the book has able to critically analyze and present every intricate detail that is involved in the sociological research as guided by the main concept of the hypothesis. The book presented its views in relation to the present hypothetical concepts and theories in trying to explain and interpret the different social phenomena in the modern civilization. Included in the book of Henslin are detailed discussions of the different sociological theories that are guiding the research and development pursuit of the said field. These sociological theories are defined to have been developed at multiple levels, ranging from large theory to highly definite and explicit small-scale ones. Rather than thinking of one theory being excellent to the other theories it is more beneficial as well as informative to view these different theories as correlation with each other. One of the sociological theories on how to explain different phenomena that has been elaborated is the Structural-Functionalism, which is defined as a sociological theory that pertains on how to explain several social institutions as a means to be able to satisfy or fulfill the individual’s biological means. Another theory that has been discussed in Henslin’s book is the Conflict theory that is explained as a sociological theory that points out that society is not about unity or universal agreement but rather this theory is all about competition. According to this theory, society consists of different individuals who are competing for the limited supply of resources. An example of this conflict is in the Legislative branch of the United States Government wherein men are still viewed as more powerful and superior over women when it comes to the politics. As an effect, women’s privileges to express their opinions and ideas are still significantly limited. In this situation, it is clearly stated that there is a clash or conflict between genders, which also illustrate the obvious concept of inequality between men and women. Aside from the ones previously mentioned, another theory that was discussed by Henslin is the Symbolic Interactionalism that is discussed as a sociological approach on how to understand the proximity or relationship between human and society. The basic idea of Symbolic Interactionalism is that human action and interaction are only by means of exchanging substantial communications and symbols. Based on this theory, humans and lower forms of animals are different from each other because lower form of animals can easily respond to the environment while the human being has the capability to interrupt this process. In addition, lower forms of animals do not have the capability in conceiving different alternative responses to gestures unlike human beings they can easily grasp different gestures. Another theory is the Role Theory; this pertains to the different roles represented by an individual in their everyday lives such as the father, secretary, or friend. For instance, most people their notion or representations of secretary include: answering phone calls, making and managing appointments, filling different paper works, and typing memorandums. These different roles of a secretary could not be expected of professional basketball player. Basically, every individual have different personalities and roles in the society. In addition, the book entitled Down to earth sociology by James M. Henslin focused on real life situation in which all the readers can surely relate. Henslin’s book is indeed user friendly, entertaining to read and indeed valuable because it talks about actual life situations and social phenomenon. The sociological perspectives that is generally employed in the book enables the people to look below the surface of social life and examine different factors that shape our behavior, attitudes, and culture as well as our beliefs in life. Bibliography Henslin, J. M. (2005). Down to Earth Sociology. The Free Press, New York, USA. 13th Edition, Pages 281-296. ISBN 0743267605. Von Der Haar, Christine M. (2005). Social Psychology: A Sociological Perspective. Prentice Hall, USA. ISBN: 0130809837.

The Islamic Concept Of Charity And Security Religion Essay

The Islamic Concept Of Charity And Security Religion Essay The contemporary debate of the charity has been long in the literature Melvin 2009, Ferrari and Khan 2010, Shirazi 1996, Scott 1987 and Waldron 1986. Specifically, the religious zeal and zest revolves around the notion of charity (Iwobi 2009). Islamic concept of charity is not exception for that debate of social welfare and the security (Scott 1987). It emphasizes on the moral values and the contribution to the neglected segment o f the society. However, Islamic concept of charity and social security has never been debated in the light of the moral economy. This paper is intended to give a comparative view about the different notions of the Islamic charity (zakat, sadqah and donation). The concept of charity, in general, is not new because every religion of the world preached that charity. However, the focus of this paper is to highlight the forms of charity in Islam, their differences and their impact on the multiculturalism and the formation of the moral economy. The definition of charity in Islamic tradition differs and it is context specific. However, its aim and goals remain the same. The Quran states: And be steadfast in your prayer and pay charity; whatever good you send forth for your future, you shall find it with Allah, for Allah is well aware of what you do (Al-Quran: Al-Baqara 2:110). Similarly, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: No wealth (of a servant of Allah) is decreased because of charity (Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 2247). Charity is the fifth pillar of Islam and its reward will be given in the after world. The charity is not reciprocity for this world, but the world after. The Quran declare the five basic concept of the zakat. These concepts included: infaq (spending benevolently), ihsan (kindness), zakah (purification), sadqah (charitable deed) and khayrat (good deeds). However, Islam does not force anyone to give charity. It is obligatory in the form of zakat and voluntary in the shape of sadqah (charity) and donation. 2. Basic concepts of charity in Islam Islamic charity has three basic concepts: zakat, sadaqah and donation. 2.1 Zakat (alms giving) The zakat (Ø ²Ãƒâ„¢Ã†â€™ÃƒËœÃƒËœÃ‚ ©Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ½) is extracted from the word zaka to be pure that denotes purification. The Quran highlights to the purification of wealth and states: Of their wealth take alms to purify and sanctify them (Al-Quran, Al-Tawbah 9:103). The zakat is obligation on a Muslim. It is moral duty of a Muslim to pay zakat at the rate of 2.5% per year. A Muslim cannot deny the zakat. The Quran lists recipients of Zakat: Zakat is for the poor and the needy and those who are employed to administer and collect it, and for those whose hearts are to be won over, and for the freeing of human beings from bondage, and for those who are overburdened with debts and for every struggle in Gods cause, and for the wayfarers: this is a duty ordained by God, and God is the All-Knowing, the Wise. (Al-Quran 9:60). The zakat is given individually to the relatives, neighbors and vulnerable communities. It is also administered collectively: Muslim charity organization, some of the Muslim states regulates the departments which are responsible of the charity (for instance Ministry of Religious Affairs, Zakat and Ushr in Pakistan) and Muslim associations. Nevertheless, zakat is mandatory to every Muslim (who can pay), but it is willful to pay individually or collectively. 2.2 Sadaqah (charity) The word sadaqah (Ø µÃƒËœÃ‚ ¯Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ÃƒËœÃ‚ ©Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ½) is derived from the Arabic root sadaqah which means to be truthful and hence sadaqah implies engaging in any virtuous and moral act in order to earn happiness of God. The sadaqah has certain principals which a Muslim must follow. One, sadaqah is given in the name of God. Second, the money or the donation should be from the legal sources. Islam discourages the illegitimate (stolen or unethically gained) money or resources. Third, surplus money (beyond the need of a person) is the money of God and Muslims are custodian of it. Therefore, they should spend and return the money to the needy, poor and spend on the ways of God  [4]  . The Quran outlines the charity: Those who (in charity) spend of their goods by night and by day, in secret and in public, have their reward with their Lord: on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. (Al-Quran, Al-Baqarah 2:274). The Quran further highlights: And spend something (in charity) out of the substance which We have bestowed on you, before Death should come to any of you and he should say, O my Lord! Why didst Thou not give me respite for a little while? I should then have given (largely) in charity, and I should have been one of the doers of good. But to no soul will Allah grant respite when the time appointed (for it) has come; and Allah is well acquainted with (all) that ye do. (Al-Quran, Al-Munafiqun 63: 10-11). Further, the Quran states: And they feed, for the love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan, and the captive. We feed you for the sake of Allah alone: no reward do we desire from you, nor thanks. (Al-Quran, Al Insà ¢n 76:8-9). In another statement, the Quran states: For those who give in Charity, men and women, and loan to Allah a Beautiful Loan, it shall be increased manifold (to their credit), and they shall have (besides) a liberal reward (Al-Quran, Al Hadà ®d 57:18). Sadaqah is important for a number of purposes. It reduces the sins and increases the virtue of a Muslim. It compensates for shortcoming in any negligence in the payment of zakat. For instance, if a person forgets to pay zakat in the past or was guilty to pay the zakat, the sadaqah reduces the burden of the past. Sadaqah give a sense of protection not only the giver but also to the receiver of falling victim of disaster. God pleasure is received through the sadaqah. It is pleasure of the giver of the charity. The person feels happiness and fulfills his/ her obligation to the betterment of the humanity. Model of Islamic Charity Sadqah and donation: Volunteer charity No specification of rate or time Depends upon the capacity of an individual capacity Zakat: Obligatory charity Wealth: (income, earnings and savings) at the rate of 2.5% per anum Agriculture product: Crops (around 10%). Islamic Tresury (Fund): Bait-ul-Mal Spending: Needy, poor (orphans, widows), employees to administer and collect zakat, for those whose hearts are to be won over, captive (prisoners), in debts and scholars, and for the wayfarers. Social Security: Marginalized persons, communities Moral Economy: Good faith, fairness, justice, equality Fig 1.1 Fig 1.1 indicates that Islamic notion of charity is mainly based on the zakat, sadaqah and donation. These donations are collected at the Islamic funds. The fund is used to look after the marginalized community. This welfare is a form of social security. Everything related to the Islamic charity is based on the moral economy. The notion of moral economy is main crux of the charity. 2.3 Donation Third term which is often used is the donation. The donation refers to give money, gift or compensate the person, organization who is in need. A donation is typical a charity and it serves the purpose of humanity. Different words are used for the donation: khairat (Ø ®Ãƒâ€ºÃ…’Ø ± Ø Ø ª) or attya (Ø ¹ÃƒËœÃ‚ ·Ãƒâ€ºÃ…’Û ). These words denote the charity collectively and individually. Islam appreciates the donation to the cause of the humanity. It is normally given at the time of disaster, emergency, people in need, to save a human being, construct an educational institution and to feed the hungry people. 3. Difference between zakat, sadaqah and donation Zakat, sadaqah and donations are different kinds of charities in Islamic ideology. Zakat is the obligatory annual alms-giving which is determined on the basis of the value of ones own wealth. It is calculated 2.5% as per Islamic traditions in an year. The zakat is calculated at the beginning of the Islamic month Ramadan. According to the Islamic scholars, the zakat must be collected from the Muslims. This principal does not apply to the non- Muslims living in a Muslim state. It is mandatory and has strict verdict to pay the zakat, however, without any penalty for it. Zakat is responsibility of the only person who owns wealth. It is liable on the individual and the family. However, the sadaqah is a charity that is given beside the zakat contribution over the surplus wealth. It is volunteer act and without any percentage. Sadaqah is not specified as only monetary terms (feeding the poor and the needy), but also given support to the orphans, widows in the form of advising or counseling. It also includes the volunteer activities for the befit of the community at larger: teaching to the poor, giving sense of good faith and advising them to excel on the right path, the path of God. Similarly, some of the Islamic scholars believe that to form charity organization, construct educational institutions (mosque, school, college, universities) and construction of well (to clean water supply to the community) are the different forms of sadaqah. It can be given on the name of any relative (parents or children), if a person wishes to do so. Nevertheless, the sadaqah is volunteer act of the person and depend upon the capacity and surplus wealth of the person. On the other hand, the donation is neither time specific nor it is mandatory or obligatory. It is volunteer activity of a person. It significantly differs from the zakat, but close to the sadaqah. Nevertheless, these three types of the charity contribute to the welfare of the humanity altogether. 4. Comparative view of charity: Development of moral economy Islamic notion of charity (in its different forms) generates a moral economy. This is the economy which is based on the good faith and welfare of the humanity. In line with Bollig (1998) and Thompsons (1971, 1993) notion of moral economy. Islamic charity gives the following notion of charity. 4.1 Islamic charity: Moral injection Benthall (1999) highlights the Quranic injection of charity. According to Benthall the Islamic system of almsgiving (zakat) is more organized than other societies. For him, the zakat is closely associated with the prayers and the worship of God, therefore, the Muslim are morally obliged to pay the zakat to the poor, to the needy as per Islamic conception. He argued that Zakat can be distributed in poor, needy, orphans, widows, divorcees, prisoners and their families, unemployed and homeless people, students, those who cannot afford to marry. It is also for the disasters victims and those in need of free medicine or dignified funerals of a person who need it (Benthall 1999:31). Therefore, the Islamic charity is a moral injection to work for the betterment of the humanity. 4.2 Zakat: Powerful instrument to poverty eradication Zakat denotes growth, extension and purification and it is a donation on wealth and agriculture product. The zakat is collected as per nature of the wealth. It is collected to fulfill the tire needs of the marginalized segment of the society. The zakat is fundamental creed of Islam: It obligatory act of worship (Mohammad 1991). According to Mohammad (1996), the zakat is a system that has potential to eradicate poverty and inequalities (1991:1119). The zakat system is well organized system for the development of a country but it can be more organized for poverty eradication and for the maintenance of a society like Pakistan (Mohammad 1991). Similarly, a survey was conducted in 1990/91 of the household Integrated Economic Survey in Pakistan and findings revealed that the zakat and usher were the significant to contribute the lives of the people (Shirazi 1996). According to the survey, 39000 zakat committees were working with 250 thousand volunteers (Shirazi 1996:166). The zakat contribution on 1981/1982 from 845.85 million Pakistani rupees to 4655.9 million in 1993/94 (Shirazi 1996:170). The money was spending to substance allowance for poor (708.622 million), rehabilitation (245.669 million Pakistani rupees) and 1738234 people benefited from the zakat contribution (Shirazi 1996:185). However, the latest figures on the issue are not available. The development of the Islamic charity and its faire distribution could lead to alleviate and then eradicate poverty in the Muslim countries. However, the institution either do not exist or unable to deliver the services effectively. At some places, this institution was suppressed due to the fear of the dominance and power politics. Nevertheless, the Islamic charity has potential to contribute to the welfare of the humanity. 4.3 Charity: Road towards the social justice According to Bremer (2004:1) the development of any society local resources are necessary. Islamic societies developed over a range of charity organizations to in order to address the needs of the needy and poor. These organizations are zakat boards, wakf (endowment) and diverse local structures reflecting the richness of Islamic culture from Dakar to Davao (Ibid). For her, a strong civil society is now widely recognized as an important pillar supporting democratic institutions in the West (Bremer 2004:2). The strength of the civil society leads towards the development of the democratic institutions. According to her, foreign aid and a government is not enough for development in Muslim societies. Bremer outlines that in recent years USAID has funded the creation of an NGO service center that provides technical assistance and training to civil society organizations, and has granted financial support directly to NGOs ranging from business associations to community development groups (B remer 2004:3). For her, this development contribution can be significantly increased with the assistance of Islamic charity in Muslim societies. Ultimately, this charity leads towards the establishment of the social justice system (Bremer 2004). The whole notion of charity revolves around the notion of social justice in the Muslim world. The charity is the strong instrument to bring in the social justice. It helps the marginalized population within the society and tries to bridge the gap between the poor and the rich. 4.4 Charity: Funding for free education According to Blanchard (2007) religious school work as a charity organization in Muslim countries. They are source of providing education to the vulnerable groups, especially to the madrasas (religious schools). Madrasas offer a free education, room, and board to their students, and thus they appeal to impoverished families and individuals. On the whole these religious schools are supported by private donations from Muslim believers through a process of alms-giving known in Arabic as zakat. The practice of zakatone of the five pillars of the Islamic faithprescribed that a fixed proportion of ones income be given to specified charitable causes, and traditionally a portion of zakat has endowed religious education (2007:4). Blanchard (2007) provides information that in Pakistan Madrasas are being observed by the government regarding their finance sources after 9/11 attack in the United States. He reveals that the madrasas are contributing to provide the education to the poorest. He found that madrasas are registered in Pakistan and their financial assistance is observed by the Government of Pakistan since August 2006 (Blanchard 2007:5). Nonetheless, the charity could fill the gap of the education. 4.5 Charity: Belief and health seeking behaviour A study highlights the importance of the sadaqah in health seeking behaviour in Pakistan (see Midway, Tabasco, Hani, and Khan 2010). This study revealed those patients who strongly belief and practice sadaqah (charity) feel better and believe that they can recover their health after giving charity to the poor. According to this research, almost 85% of the respondent thought and gave charity. The study reveals that the sadaqah is usually giving in the form of money (85.2%) clothes (49.2%) and sacrificing an animal (65.5%). Almost 92% of the respondents relate the belief and practice of sadaqah giving in the hope of recovery from illness. Nevertheless, charity gives internal strength to the patients and they believe that they can have better health recovery after giving the charity. 4.6 Islamic charity is universal or specific notion of welfare: There are two views about the Islamic charity. One, it is localized notion of welfare and limited to the only Muslims and the Muslim societies. The Muslims are contributors as well as consumer of the charity. This perspective is under criticism among a large segment of the Muslim scholars (see Benthall 1999). However, the second point of view is that Islamic charity is universal and every human being without border, creed and dogma can benefit from the charity. However, the charity contribution is applied only on Muslims. The Muslim contributes to the charity and gives equal importance to the whole human being in order to disburse the charity (Benthall 1999). However, they do not impose on the non- Muslims. Nevertheless, only Muslims are contributor of the Islamic charity. However, it is equally important to give the charity to the non-Muslims. There is no specification of creed or dogma in the Islamic charity (except zakat). The zakat is limited to the Muslim societies. The donation are without any religious affiliation or association. 5. Discussion There is wide spread opportunity to get resources in order to feed the marginalized segment of the society, as per the notion of Islamic charity, then why the Muslim countries are dependent upon foreign aid is a question which is often raised. In fact, there are two major reasons of the dependency of the Muslim societies on the foreign aid and remain in the vicious cycle of poverty and under development. 5.1 Collapse of the charity institution: Change in the charity institutions Muslim countries depend upon the foreign aid because they were unable to maintain their institutions. Such institutions were collapsed during the colonization or soon after (Bremer 2004). In the eyes of the colonial masters, the Muslim charity institutions were the symbol of Muslim legacy and they were a source of the rise of the Muslim power. Therefore, it was necessary to abolish such institution from the Muslims societies (Bremer 2004). Especially, the zakat institution was under strong scrutiny during the colonial era because it was believed that this institution supports the freedom struggle. The colonial powers developed the institution of welfare instead of the zakat institution. However, this welfare institution, developed by the colonial powers, was perceived as not ones own. It was considered as a symbol to get money, but without any legacy (Bremer 2004). It was just perceived as the symbol of the colony and soon after become the source to collect the money by hook or by crook. People wanted to get benefited from the social welfare but not were ready to pay it back. Therefore, it was not much institutionalized as the zakat was spread during the Muslim era in the Middle East and in the Muslim countries before the 19th century. However, the Islamic charity institutions are believed as part of the worship of the God. Therefore, there were rare cases of the unfairness or corruption. They have strong check and balance to maintain the charity among the Muslim charity organizations. Nonetheless, the change in the charity institution brought mistrust and unfairness in the charity. Many of the Muslims societies became the prey of it and remain in the vicious cycle of poverty and under development. 5.2 Collapse of morality: Change to develop a new morality based on materialism Islam appreciates the giving hands (charity giver) and discourages the charity recipient. According to Islam, giving hand is better than the receiving hand. However, current scenario does not reflect the basic ideology of the charity of Islam. Despite of the fact that the zakat remain as an institution among the Muslim societies at individual level. However, it was not developed at the state level after the colonial era. It was perceived that state is in the hands of someone else (colonial masters or their local representatives) and there was not any institutionalized method of the zakat collection and its distribution. This mistrust or non-confidence led to collapse the real notion of the moral economy among the Muslims. In Islamic morality, there are two sets of rights and obligation for a Muslim: the rights to worship God and the right to serve the humanity. In Islam, the right of God may be put aside by the God, if He wants to do so. However, the right to serve the humanity cannot be neglected until unless the fellow human beings do not forgive it. It is exclusive related with the people and their rights. They (people, especially poor and the needy) have to forgive their rights to the fellow Muslims. So the Islamic moral values exclusive emphasize on the welfare and social security of the humanity and the marginalized group of the society. However, the collapse of the Islamic morality of charity is dominated phenomenon in the current era. It does contradict on the basic philosophy of the Islam that spends everything to the humanity which is surplus. However, the materialism and greed for wealth is dominant in the current culture of the Muslim societies. It is depicted in the life style and in the emerging value system. Consequently, it is affecting the basic notion of the Islamic charity and changing the moral economy of the Muslim in the contemporary era. 7. Conclusion Islamic concept of charity is much associated with the Muslim societies. It forms a moral economy and moral value systems (give charity and worship to the God). It also strengthens the notion of close social networking of the Muslims. However, it does not neglect the humanity at large. It gives a due share to provide the help to the people of the world. The charity is given to the needy, poor, scholars, charity organizations and welfare of the society at large. However, criticism to retain the Muslim charity among Muslim is not exclusive from the discussion of the charity. Dominant point of view, however, is in favour of the humanity rather than the welfare of the any specific community. Islamic charity begins from the individual level. It creates the space for the state. However, it does not exclusive involve the state to regulate the charity. The charity in Islam is equally important to the worship of God. Islam emphasize the worship of God (right to obey the God) and the service for the humanity (the rights of the poor and the needy). The charity is the right of the fellow human beings who are in need and it cannot be neglected as per Islamic moral economy. The Islamic charity is grounded in the concept of the moral economy.

Modern Versus Traditional Views in Chaim Potok’s The Chosen :: Potok Chosen Essays

Modern Versus Traditional Views in Chaim Potok’s The Chosen Chaim Potok’s The Chosen shows how people with traditional ideas view the world differently than those with modern ideas. For example, David Malter has modern views of his faith, whereas Reb Saunders cannot let go of traditional practices. Also, Reb Saunders and David Malter have different methods of raising their children. Finally, David Malter believes in Zionism, whereas Reb Saunders wants to wait for the coming of the Messiah to preserve his religion. Such differences can cause similar faiths to seem very different. David Malter’s modern ideas conflict with Reb Saunders's traditional practices. For example, David Malter wants his son, Reuven, to learn English subjects and become a mathematician. However, a Jewish school established by Reb Saunders teaches the minimum required English subjects. Reb wishes for Danny to become a rabbi and carry a tradition in which the oldest son becomes a rabbi and the leader of the sect. These opposing views are carried out in all other aspects of the religious sects in which these men lead. The way in which Reb Saunders and David Malter raise their children reflect the conflict between tradition and modernity in this story. David Malter raises Reuven with a modern approach. He encourages Reuven to learn about the modern world as well as hold on to his religion. Reb Saunders to shelter Danny from modern ideas. With the exception of teaching Danny about the Talmud, he raises Danny in silence. He has his own reasons for raising Danny this way. â€Å"I did not want to drive him away from God, but I did not want him to grow up a mind without a soul† (Page 266). Reb Saunders raises his son through a tradition that has been in his family for a long time. However, he accomplishes his goal. His method of raising his son is dramatically different from David Malter’s modern practice. The results are also different. Danny has gone through much more pain and suffering than Reuven, and he chooses to carry on this practice if he must. Modernity and trad ition present in the different ideas of these men influences the lives and ideas of their children as well.

HOW ARE TENSION AND SUSPENSE BUILT UP AND MAINTAINED IN AT LEAST TWO :: English Literature

HOW ARE TENSION AND SUSPENSE BUILT UP AND MAINTAINED IN AT LEAST TWO GOTHIC HORROR STORIES? The original use of the term `Gothic Horror' was applied to a group of novels, including Mary Shelley's `Frankenstein', written before 1914. These novels usually included some or all of the following characteristics, which seem demonstrative of the original use of the term `Gothic': An emphasis on portraying the terrifying, a common insistence on archaic settings, a prominent use of the supernatural, the presence of highly stereotyped characters, barbarism as opposed to elegance, and the attempt to set up and perfect techniques of literary suspense. Bram Stoker's `Dracula' would be another example as the novel includes most of the characteristics above. The setting would generally have a sense of eeriness and darkness and there is usually a lack of an escape route. This can make a character experience a dramatic loss of self-control and overwhelming emotions. A sense of helplessness or vulnerability heightens the dramatic climaxes of these stories. As well as vulnerable characters appearing in these stories there would also be a rational, scientifically thinking character. He, or she, would represent the newly literate middle class and would have lent credibility to the tale. ‘The Monkey’s Paw’ is an example of a pre 1914 Gothic Horror story. It is about a man who receives a paw which can allow people to make a wish but can also cause evil things to happen. Mr White wished for two hundred pounds, which he was given, but as compensation for the coincidental death of his son. Mrs White came up with the idea to wish for their son to come back. Mr White, knowing that his son would be mutilated after being buried for nine days, wished for everything to be back to normal after they received a strange knock on their door in the early hours of the morning. ‘The Red Room’ is about a protagonist who visits ‘Lorraine Castle’, in a deserted place, to see whether the stories of a haunted room were true. After a long walk through the castle he gets to the room. On his way there he encounters ordinary objects which look menacing due to the contrast of the moonlight. Once in the red room strange things started happening. What made the room feel haunted was fear. In the Victorian era, pre 1914, people were very rational. People in the 19th Century had just come out of the Industrial Revolution, they were more educated than before and by then they had became less superstitious ‘of the myths about earls, countesses or the timid wife’, mockingly alluded to in 'The Red Room'.

Whole Foods Strategy

The company I will be presenting is Whole Foods, case number seven. Whole Foods is a supermarket chain based in Austin, Texas which emphasizes natural and organic products. As of September 2009[update], the company operates 302 stores: 291 stores in 38 U. S. states and the District of Columbia; six stores in Canada; and five stores in the United Kingdom. External assessment: There are over one hundred thousand grocery stores in the United States, with a wide variety of types. Stores range from very small neighborhood stores, to huge two hundred thousand square foot stores. Currently, the only major competitor to Whole Foods is Trader Joe's. As of 2008, they had roughly 300 stores in twenty five states are still growing. Most of their stores are located in California and the upper east coast, and some single stores spread out across the United States. Trader Joes usually has lower prices than Whole Foods, but their stores are generally smaller in size and in selection. Another supermarket that is new to the industry, but growing at a rapid pace is a Wegmans. With over 70 stores in the New York area, this store had 4. billion dollars in sales in 2008. Wegmans is consistently rated near the top of Fortunes annual list of the 100 best companies to work for. With the organic foods market growing at such a fast pace, new stores, small and large are always popping up. A couple examples include the Fresh Market chain which has 86 stores in 17 states, and the Central Markets which have 8 stores in Texas. In addition to the unique, organic centered grocery stores, companies such as Walmart, with over 100 billion dollars in sales, compete for the same customers that Whole Foods does. Kroger and Safeway round out the list of the highest grossing grocery stores in the country. Due to the economic downturn, Whole Foods has tried to lower some of its pricing to compete with all of the other growing stores in the market. SWOT: Strengths: Despite the economic downturn, Whole foods has a strong financial performance. Revenues have grown by a rate of 17 percent over last year and this increase was driven by 14 percent square footage growth, excluding the recently acquired Wild Oats locations. Whole Foods recorded sales per gross square foot of $923,an increase of approximately 7 percent over last ear. The Strong revenue growth has helped the company to pursue its expansion plans and improve its bargaining power in the market. The company has also grown through mergers and acquisitions, with approximately 32 percent of its existing square footage coming from take-over’s. In August 2007, Whole Foods merged with Wild Oats markets. Since the organic foods retailing industry is mostly comprised of small local chains, mergers have provided the company access to locations and they have retained experienced team members. The company offers a broad product selection in all its stores and its larger stores, also have catering services where customers can purchase made-to-order foods. Whole Foods emphasis on fresh food gives the company an edge over its competitors who usually just offer packaged foods; this large product portfolio allows the company to address multiple customer segments. Weaknesses: The company has a weak international operation with just three stores in Canada, and six in the UK. The company’s operations in the UK and Canada are not yet large enough in purchasing and distribution, resulting in relatively high product prices. Also, Whole Foods relies heavily on word-of-mouth publicity, which is a disadvantage in comparison to its competitors who use print, television and online media. The company spends small amounts on advertising and marketing compared to its competitors. In 2007, the company spent 0. 5% of its total revenues on advertising. Opportunities: Natural and organic food products are one of the fastest growing categories in food retailing. There is growth in the demand for organic foods because of the increasing preferences among consumers for healthy food. The US organic food market grew by 12. 3% last year to reach a value of $15. 9 billion and is expected to hit 24 billion this year. Although organic products represent just about 2% of the total food and beverage sales in the US, the market is growing approximately 20% annually. More consumers are preferring natural, fat-free and healthy food products. Food items containing trans-fat are losing market share to low calorie, low fat, natural and organic products. Increasing customer preference for organic foods is likely to impact the company’s sales, given its leading market position in the organic grocery segment. Threats: Whole Foods’ competitors include natural foods supermarkets, specialty supermarkets, warehouse membership stores, small specialty stores and restaurants. In addition, some traditional and specialty supermarkets are also expanding more aggressively in marketing a range of organic foods, thereby competing directly with Whole Foods for products, customers and locations. For example, Wal-Mart announced that it will focus on the organic segment. They aim to become the low-price leader in organics, not just in food but clothing, electronics and other household products. Wal-Mart has already doubled its organic range in fresh produce, dairy and dry food items during 2006. Some of these competitors have greater financial or marketing resources than Whole Foods, and may be able to provide greater resources to promoting and selling their products. Increased competition may have an adverse effect on profitability as the result of lower sales, lower gross profits and/or greater operating costs such as marketing. Discussion of Strategic Alternatives: Faced with unprecedented economic challenges and numerous competitors, Whole Foods needs to take an aggressive approach to offset any challenges. By anticipating continued interest in healthy eating, Whole Foods should target children as their new customer base with the development of an organic line of products designed for children. With increased competition and economic conditions in the state they are, Whole Foods needs to expand their marketing strategy towards a more broader, interactive one. The use of Facebook and Twitter could be useful tools on the local, and global level to communicate with current and future customers. Whole Foods needs to also continue its commitment to the environment. Expanding on already in place programs, such as eliminating disposable plastic bags, charitable donations and green power use, Whole Foods should take part in programs that promote animal welfare on farms and ranches. Value perception is one of the most important strategies that needs to be focused on if Whole Foods is going to overcome competing with low cost competition . Providing coupons, budget conscious recipes, and money saving tips are what customers value. A in store value guide can help customers locate the best deals in the store. Along with a friendly and educated staff, these strategic alternatives can provide Whole Foods with the tools necessary to overcome the challenges it currently faces.