Thursday, October 31, 2019

Vietnam War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Vietnam War - Essay Example In U.S. eyes, the Vietnamese were a passive and uninformed people, totally unready for self government" (Herring, 13). A survey of New York Times articles published during the First Indochina War revealed that the U.S. foreign policy analysis, media and public overwhelmingly concentrated on the French perspective of the conflict. Little attention was given to the Vietminh perspective or to the perspective of the French backed government of South Vietnam. This viewpoint continued until 1949 when China's civil war ended and the Communist took control of China. Shortly after taking control Mao Zedong, the Communist leader acknowledged the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) and the Soviet Union quickly followed suit. After that, the U.S. media placed a greater emphasis on Cold War rhetoric when dealing with Vietnam. As noted, the Cold War mindset permeated much of American culture during this time period; "it was an age of ideological consensus, and this was true above all in foreign p olicy" (Hallin, 50). At the conclusion of the First Indochina War, the U.S. ... From 1957-1961 the U.S. attention shifted heavily on Vietnam's fate in relation to the turmoil in Laos and Cambodi as well as to the Soviet threat. This perception dominated the public opinion, media and U.S. foreign policy well into President John F. Kennedy's Administration. THE VIETNAM WAR (1955-1975): ANALYSIS OF EVENTS On August 5, 1964, Congress considered the Southeast Asia Resolution, commonly called the "Gulf of Tonkin Resolution" (Johnson, 118). After two days of debate it passed the Senate by a vote of 88-2 and the House by a resounding 416-0 (Johnson, 118). It was a resolution to deliberately allow the United States a broad hand in protecting peace and security in Southeast Asia. A second section asserted that "peace and security in southeast Asia" was vital to American national security and therefore the president, acting in accord with the Charter of the United Nations and as a member of the South East Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), would "take all necessary steps, including the use of armed force," to assist member states of SEATO "in defense of [their] freedom" (Young, 109). Finally, the resolution would expire when the president determined "peace and security had returned to the area" (Young, 109). It could also be terminated by a subsequent congressional resolution. On March 8, 1965, 3,500 Marines landed at Da Nang. In May the first United States Army units arrived (Westmoreland, 124). With air attacks against both North and South Vietnam being launched from bases in the South, airfields were a logical target for forces from the National Liberation Front, the Communist guerrillas fighting against the South Vietnamese, and no one placed much confidence in the protection from the forces of the Army of the Republic

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Applying a Lence of The Wire, Season 4 Research Paper

Applying a Lence of The Wire, Season 4 - Research Paper Example They carry the burdens of problems supposedly faced by their parents but because a father is in jail or a mother has nothing to do but get into her addictions, the children who are supposed to stay in school and think about nothing else but their lessons, instead, stay on the streets to sell drugs and earn. With such kinds of life, the students are exposed to hardships that pressure them to cheat in order to survive and consequently apply it in school. To the police, the students are just like their parents, drug dealers and cheaters who are threats to the peace and order of the community. They know they are selling drugs and they are watched like adults. Sometimes, they are also made as assets when the opportunity arises. They know they are tough so that even if they are young, they play rough with them. The kids’ parents look up to them to take responsibility in their families. For instance, Michael is expected to provide for the family’s needs and in the eighth episode of season 4, he even gives his mother money (34:37) instead of the mother giving him what he needs. The familial and environmental backgrounds of the children demand them to become tough as they are and lost interest in schoolwork. However, to the teachers, the children are still children and human beings. Although most of them are failing in their classes, the teachers like Prezbo, do their best to let the children learn. The sad thing is; there ar e also teachers who look at the situation differently. As one teacher said, it is not about the kids but it was about Prezbo surviving (37:25). The conversation came up when Mr. Rolan Pryzbylewski, also known as Prezbo, brought to the attention of the other teachers the very high percentage of failing students who were not yet able to do basic mathematical applications their age mates are performing. The reply was implied, that he should just let his students pass. One teacher suggested that he should not teach

Sunday, October 27, 2019

The Demise of Woolworths

The Demise of Woolworths Research Proposal Title: The Demise of Woolworths Abstract: This report focuses on the reasons for the downfall of nearly century old retail Woolworths. This report will deals with the financial aspects of this company which led to such a tragic end. The financial aspects of Woolworths will be evaluated with the help of Key Financial Indicators and Ratios which will be taken into consideration while arriving at a conclusion. The introduction to Key Financial Indicators and Ratios and their calculations respectively, will be demonstrated as the research progresses. Methodology and Analysis of this research will depend on these Key Financial Indicators and Ratios of Woolworths and then the conclusion of this report will be reached. Introduction: An introduction to Key Financial Indicators and Ratios. Below are a few Indicators and ratios on which any companys finances are evaluated to conclude how healthy a business or a company is. Balance Sheet: ‘ It is a financial statement that lists the assets, liabilities and equity of a company at a specific point in time and is used to calculate the net worth of a business. (Source: http://www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/term/82186.html) Profit Loss Statement: ‘The purpose of the Profit Loss Statement is to present the income and expense items for a business, grouped according to the nature of the transaction, in a manner that allows the user to easily review the income, expenditure and profitability of the business. (Source: http://www.sasb.wa.gov.au) Key financial indicators and ratio are determined through the information contained in both Balance sheet and Profit Loss account. The Key Financial Indicators are: †¢ Net Turnover: This is the Net turnover against investment. †¢ Net Operating Profit or Loss, as a percentage of net turnover †¢ Profit or Loss before Taxes as a percentage of net turnover †¢ Return on Equity †¢ Return on assets †¢ Equity to assets †¢ Return on Investment †¢ Return on Capital Equity †¢ Net Gearing Gearing Ratios (Source: http://www.rahoitustarkastus) Background: An Introduction to Woolworths: Frank Woolworths started a retail store in Britain 99 years ago i.e, in 1909 and called his store F.W Woolworths. He was an American retailer, who started his retailing career in 1879 in America. First retail outlet of Woolworths in Britain was on Church Street in Liverpool. The very concept of Woolworths was clear right from the beginning; it sold everything from merchandise to household from three pence onwards to six pence. The idea behind the Woolworths pricing was to introduce a low cost retail store, where people can buy almost everything under one roof for as low as six pence. Woolworths was already a strong competitor to the existing retail stores in Britain. The Evolution of Woolworths then took place and this retail store was an instant hit in Britain, after a decade there was a new store opening every 17 days. The other speciality of Woolworths was the concept of pick ‘ n mix which was a completely new concept to British high streets, this was also a result to Woolworths becoming an instant hit in Britain. It was the first retail chain in Britain , and so it did keep the pace with the rapidly growing consumer demand. It also constantly kept updating its fashion products, merchandise, and entertainment. From its first inception till the very recent times, it had undergone numerous ups and downs in its business. In Late 90s Woolworths started to slip from its position in the London Stock Exchange, and the share prices were decreasing constantly, giving a chance to its competitors in this new generation to build a strong position in the market of retail chain. After this Woolworths failed to meet the changing customer demands and hence its market was taken over by a number of new competitors in the market. Woolworths is still familiar and fondly remembered as a 99 year old retail chain but, as the customer demands changed which proved that Woolworths couldnt keep the pace with the changing customer needs and finally ended itself in an unrecoverable position. This impact was even more intense because of the credit crunch. Aims: †¢ To investigate if business operations of Woolworths led to its demise. †¢ To investigate if the financial condition of Woolworths, led to its demise Objectives: †¢ To indentify if there was an operational failure, that led to Woolworths demise †¢ To identify if the financial condition of Woolworths, led to its demise. Research Questions: †¢ To what extent business operations of Woolworths influence its demise? †¢ Was the demise of Woolworths predictable from the companys financial situation before its demise? Methodology: The data will be collected from different sources like newspapers, journals, reports of the financial status of the company before the downfall. Companys Balance sheets will be collected to identify if there were any short comings in the companys finances that led to its demise. Key Financial Indicators and Ratios will be explained in brief and the formulae for calculating the ratios will be explained as they are in the theories. Also the articles on the same will be collected. The data collected will be purely financial data or the data which indicate the financial status of the company. Reports, journals and articles will be collected to understand how Woolworths failed as a business after 99 years of its first inception. Different views of the authors, writers and public will be taken into consideration while evaluating the data. Data will be collected to focus on the operations of Woolworths and its effects on Woolworths demise. Data will collected to analyse how Woolworths operated before the demise and nearing its demise. The overall aspects of operations that will be focussed are marketing, sales, business strategy as a whole group in order to analyse the operations of Woolworths. Analysis: After the data has been collected from the above mentioned sources, it will be evaluated by comparing it with the concepts like Key Financial Indicators and Ratios in theories, textbooks and other journals, and then a conclusion will be reached. The analysis of the companys balance sheets of last three years will be put through this rigorous comparison against the ideal financial situation described in theories and textbooks and will be then evaluated to reach to a conclusion. The data from the reports and journals will be evaluated through different key business strategies and other aspects of business like Marketing etc to reach to a conclusion whether or not Woolworths could change itself to the changing needs to the consumers. The other reports from various authors will help us to investigate whether there were one or more reasons for its downfall. This will also help the argument in the case of Woolworths downfall by authors and writers in different sources. The operations of Woolworths will be gauged in terms of business planning, customer service, marketing, competition, various sales techniques and overall business strategy. Definitions and the theories of the above mentioned topics by authors and textbooks will be used as the reference to evaluate the efficiency levels in operations of Woolworths. Woolworths operations will be studied in detail from the data sources and will be compared to the business operations theories by authors to evaluate the efficiency in operations of Woolworths and then a conclusion will be reached. Conclusion: To be Obtained. Bibliography: †¢ Streetwise Financing the Small Business: Raise Money for Your Business at Any Stage of Growth, By Charles H. Green. Published by Adams Media, 2003. †¢ Results: How to Assess Performance, Learning, and Perceptions in Organizations, By Richard A. Swanson, Ed Holton, Elwood F. Holton. Published by Berrett-Koehler, 1999 †¢ Finance for Non-Financial Managers: A Briefcase Book, By Gene Siciliano. Published by McGraw-Hill Professional, 2003 †¢ The Basics of Finance: Financial Tools for Non-Financial Managers, By Bryan E. Milling. Published by iUniverse, 2003. †¢ The Essentials of Finance and Accounting for Nonfinancial Managers, By Edward Fields. Published by AMACOM Div Mgmt Assn, 2002. †¢ International Business: Environments and Operations, By John D. Daniels, Lee H. Radebaugh, Michael Payne. Published by Addison-Wesley, 1995. †¢ The Disaster Recovery Handbook: A Step-by-step Plan to Ensure Business Continuity and Protect Vital Operations, Facilities, and Assets, By Michael Wallace, Lawrence Webber. Published by AMACOM Div Mgmt Assn, 2004. †¢ Intro to Business: Finance, Marketing, Operations, Management, By Les Dlabay, James L. Burrow, Steven A. Eggland, Jim Burrow. Published by Thomson South-Western, 2005. †¢ Operations Management in Business, By Andrew Greasley. Published by Nelson Thornes, 1999. †¢ Hoovers Handbook of World Business 2004: Profiles of Major Global Enterprises, By Hoovers, Incorporated, Hoovers, Incorporated. Published by Hoovers, Incorporated, 2004. †¢ Business Review Weekly: BRW, Published by Business Review Weekly, 2006. †¢ The Revitalisation of Woolworths Case Study, By Dennis Turner, Australian Graduate School of Management Centre for Corporate Change, Centre for Corporate Change. Published by Centre for Corporate Change, 1992. †¢ Remembering Woolworths: A Nostalgic History of the Worlds Most Famous Five-and-Dime, By Karen Plunkett-Powell. Published by St. Martins Press, 2001. †¢ http://www.rahoitustarkastus.fi/NR/rdonlyres/FA79ECF5-B480-4109-92FA-DF81C51B9477/0/20313L4.pdf †¢ http://www.sasb.wa.gov.au/DataStore/files/Categories/Financial%20Reporting%20Requirements/Financial%20Reporting%20Policy_Explanatory%20Notes%20as%20of%2013.11.2006.pdf †¢ http://www.tec.govt.nz/templates/standard.aspx?id=1222 †¢ http://www.tec.govt.nz/templates/standard.aspx?id=1223 †¢ http://www.businessfinance.com/books/workbook/BusinessFundingWorkbook028.htm †¢ http://www.startribune.com/business/37143589.html?elr=KArks:DCiU1OiP:DiiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU †¢ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/recession/3528082/History-of-Woolworths.html †¢ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/3482687/Woolworths-a-brief-history-in-pictures.html †¢ http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/retailing/article5237402.ece †¢ http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/offline-shopping-misc/woolworths/1051087/ †¢ http://www.publishinggame.com/art_whysmallbusinessesfail.htm †¢ http://www.captureplanning.com/articles/69960.cfm? †¢ http://www.allbusiness.com/business-planning-structures/business-plans/1440-1.html

Friday, October 25, 2019

Empirical Formula of Magnesium Oxide :: essays research papers

Empirical Formula of Magnesium Oxide Date: Aim: The aim of this experiment was to determine the empirical formula of magnesium oxide. Equipment:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Balance  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Crucible and lid  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bunsen burner  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Magnesium ribbon (0.2g)  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Steel wool  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Crucible tongs  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pipe clay triangle  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tripod Procedure: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Obtain a clean, dry crucible and lid, then heat them for approximately 5 minutes over a Bunsen burner 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Clean the surface of a 20 cm strip of magnesium ribbon using steel wool 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Coil the magnesium ribbon, so that it fits into the crucible 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Weigh crucible and lid on a balance, and record the mass 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Place magnesium ribbon into crucible, replace the lid and weigh once more 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Heat the crucible and its content with the lid off until the magnesium begins to glow 7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Replace the lid and heat the crucible strongly 8.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Continue to heat the crucible, occasionally lifting the lid with tongs to provide oxygen for the reaction 9.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When all magnesium has reacted, remove the lid and heat strongly for 5 minutes 10.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Replace crucible lid and allow to cool 11.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reweigh the crucible with its contents and lid Observations: Once the magnesium was in the crucible and was being heated by the Bunsen burner, it glowed for a brief time. It then caught fire before the lid was placed on top. When it came into contact with the oxygen, the magnesium started glowing extremely bright, and intensely white. The glow became orange after some time. The magnesium ribbon then turned white. Results: Mass of crucible and lid  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  29.9 g Mass of crucible, lid and magnesium  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  30.1 g Mass of magnesium  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.2 g Mass of crucible, lid and magnesium oxide  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  30.3 g Mass of magnesium oxide  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.4 g Mass of oxygen combined with magnesium   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.2 g Questions: 1. a) The mass of magnesium which reacted was 0.2 grams. b) The mass of oxygen that combined with the magnesium was 0.2 g. 2. What is the empirical formula of magnesium oxide? Mg0.2 g0.224.310.0080.0081=2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  O0.2 g0.2160.01250.0081.56 =3 Thus the empirical formula of Magnesium Oxide is Mg O . 3. Why are the crucible and lid heated at the beginning of the experiment before being weighed? The crucible and lid are heated at the beginning of the experiment before being weighed so that any moisture in the crucible is burned away. Moisture is heavy, and thus it can change the results of the experiment, as we only want the weight of magnesium and the magnesium oxide. 4. What are the possible sources of error in this experiment? Possible sources of error in this experiment include the inaccuracy of measurements, as correct measurements are vital for the experiment. The loss of magnesium oxide smoke can also be counted as a possible source of error: if you should lose some of the smoke, there would be a less amount of magnesium oxide than expected at the end of the experiment.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Interpretivists Approach to Suicide

Suicide is a phenomenon understudied in early 1960’s. One of the reasons was due to Durkheim’s ‘‘Le Suicide’’ (1897) had been widely ruled in sociology. Durkheim used a scientific approach to study the causalities of suicide. It was believed that there was little more to study on suicide. However, interpretivists such as Douglas criticised Durkheim’s study as not being reliable due to the fact he used quantitative data. Douglas believed that he failed to take into account society is constructed through people's interactions and all statistics are social construct.Interpretivists seek to find the reasons of suicide by find how society is socially constructed through the social interactions between people in society. Recently, there has been a new interpretive approach which has formed new explanation significantly diverse explanations to Durkheim's positivistic approach. Although interpretivists approaches have produced a more valid meani ng to suicide as some may say, it is still flawed. Douglas classification of suicide was trough social meaning through revenge,self-destruct,sympathetic,guilt etc.He believed that suicide was a way of responding by try to solve a problem. He looked at categorizing suicides according to their social meanings because the causes and responses to suicide vary from society to society. Douglas criticised Durkheim’s study of suicide rates based on it’s methodological grounds. He argued that suicide statistics hardly lacked any form of validity mainly because it could be misinterpreted by the coroner’s verdict.For example, Durkheim suggested that suicide rates were low in Catholic countries due to high social integration. Douglass criticised this he would say that as for Catholics suicide is a mortal sin families would put pressure on coroners to reach an alternative verdict and the suicide figures were low due to inaccuracies. Douglas sees suicide statistics as the res ult of negotiations between the different parties involved which can lead to distorted statistics.He thus says that Durkheim’s study of suicide isn’t useful in society because the statistics were based on coroner’s interpretations (therefore suicides are socially constructed) and so his study wasn’t reliable. He suggests it is more important to look at the meaning of suicide. He also suggested that we need to study them with qualitative methods and use case studies. However he denies that suicide could be explained by external factors. In this case, Douglas theory was considered invalid as he failed to show any kind of evidence to back his research.Atkinson (1978) believed that coroners had a common sense theory of suicide. They categorise suicide based on information from this theory; they consider four types of evidence relevant for reaching a verdict and if the evidence matches the incident then it is considered suicide. Their verdicts are based on sui cide notes, location and circumstances, life history and finally the mode of death. Atkinson also criticises Durkheim’s method of studying suicide, he identified that different cultures imply different interpretations for suicide.For example, he studied four English and Danish coroners and gave them the same case studies . He found that the Danish coroners are much more likely to come to a verdict on suicide based on probability of balance, whereas the English coroners looked for evidence to reach to a conclusion if a suicide was intent. Furthermore, Jean Baechler argued that Durkheim’s study of suicide isn’t useful because suicide can’t be explained wholly in terms of external factors. Not everyone whose business fails, or whose spouse dies, or who is a protestant in an urban area, kill themselves.Thus, to Baechler, suicide must always be at least partially explained through ‘personal factors’ that are particular to an individual and this is n’t possible with the use of official statistics – he thought that it would be more useful to study individual suicide cases and to categorise them – therefore suggesting that Durkheim’s study of suicide isn’t particularly useful in society because it was impossible to find the true meaning behind the suicides using only statistics.On the other hand, however, Steve Taylor criticises both Douglas and Baechler for failing to recognise the value of Durkheim’s work. He criticises Douglas for contradicting himself. At some points Douglas implies that suicide statistics can never be reliable since its always a matter of judgement whether a death is a suicide, but at other times he suggests that causes of suicide can be found; it’s difficult to see how this can be true if its impossible to be certain whether an act is a suicide.Commenting on Baechler, Taylor points out those individual cases often fit a number of categories, depending on the interpretation the researcher makes of the victim’s motives, and there is no reason to believe that these interpretations are any more reliable than suicide statistics. From this he suggested that suicides could be classified into four types such as thantation, submissive, sacrifice and appeal. Taylor approach is useful as it combined both qualitative and quantitative methods making his study both reliable and valid.However, Taylor has received a lot of criticism over the fact he used a lot of secondary data and is unaware of the inaccuracies it contained. It has also been shown that in reality you cannot simply classify suicide into four types. In conclusion, there are many criticisms against Durkheim’s study on suicide which suggest that it is not suitable to study the causalities of suicide and maybe the interpretivists. We should instead examine the interpretive theories of suicide.However, Hindess argues that such writers, whilst criticising the social constructi on of suicide statistics, simply ask us to believe that their interpretations of the â€Å"reality† of suicide are more valid than Durkheim's. He also states that interpretivists have no evidence to support their approach on suicide and simply want us to believe in their interpretations which are no more useful then Durkheim’s study on suicide. Nevertheless, Durkheim’s study was published in the 19th century so maybe it isn’t useful in modern industrial society as the results may not generalise to contemporary society.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

The Blind Side and Pleasure

The film â€Å"The Blind Side†, is a very inspirational film. This film is a story of Michael Oher, a homeless African-American teenager from a broken home, taken in by the Tuohys', a wealthy white family who help him fulfill his potential. At the same time, Michael's presence in the Tuohy's lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own. Living in his new environment, Michael faces a completely different set of challenges to overcome. As a football player and student, Mike works hard and, with the help of his coach and adopted family, becomes an All-American offensive left tackle. The family received many things from accepting Mike. The Tuohy family received a pleasure out of adopting Michael, which could have been considered Hedonistic. The relationship between pleasure and goodness is also discussed. The Tuohy's decision to take in Mike shows a great deal of kindness. I think the kind of pleasure the Tuohy family got out of the adoption was love and happiness. Since when they welcomed Michael into their home, Michael brought the Tuohy family closer than they were before they had met Mike, which created more love within the family and between the Tuohy's and Michael. An example of when Mike brought the whole family closer was when it was Thanksgiving Day. The Tuohys' gathered around the television to watch football while eating Thanksgiving dinner but Michael went to the dinner table. When Leigh Anne realized that Michael sat down at the dinner table I think she felt this warmth inside herself, so she decided that the whole family should be eating dinner together at the dinner table. While the Tuohy family got closer they also allowed Mike feel the feeling of love they were feeling and eventually they adopted him. By the end of the film the pleasure the Tuohys' got out of the adoption was love and happiness because they saved a teenage boy's life, from whatever his future might have beheld for him if they hadn't met, whether it be from death or a terrifying lonely life. The term Hedonism refers to people whose sole pursuit in life is pleasure. John D. Rockfeller once said â€Å"I can think of nothing less pleasurable than a life devoted to pleasure. † I personally don't believe that one should spend their whole life pursuing pleasure because the satisfaction one receives from pleasure will be gone sooner or later, then they will find themselves running after pleasure again. But the Tuohys' pleasure to why they adopted Mike could be Hedonistic because the pleasure of love, being loved and giving love, can result in happiness and also the pleasure of happine ss; seeking happiness, could also result in happiness. And as long as they remember the life they changed, they would be forever satisfied. The Tuohys' had shown a great amount of pleasure and goodness. Goodness is the quality of being good and pleasure is a feeling of happy satisfaction and enjoyment. I think the relationship between pleasure and goodness in the film is that one could lead to the fulfilment of the other. An example of this from The Blind Side was when the Tuohys' saw Michael walking down the street in a t-shirt and shorts while it was pouring rain. After Michael talked to Leigh Anne about where he was going to stay for the night she decided that he'll stay over at their house for the night not thinking twice about her decision. If others were in this position they wouldn't think twice about letting him into their home, let alone even ask him where he was headed. Because Leigh Anne performed a quality of goodness that one night, it created the pleasure of love and happiness. One act of goodness lead to a pleasure being fulfilled. In conclusion, in The Blind Side, The Tuohy family received the pleasure of love and happiness as an outcome of adopting Michael. And also the act of goodness can lead to the fulfillment of a pleasure; goodness and pleasure are interconnected. Lastly, the pleasures that the Tuohys' seek can be considered as Hedonistic. â€Å"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around† (Leo Buscaglia) is a quote of pleasure I very much agree with.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Politics of Western Europe Essays - Michael Ignatieff, Free Essays

Politics of Western Europe Essays - Michael Ignatieff, Free Essays Politics of Western Europe November 17, 1994 Politics of Western Europe BLOOD AND BELONGING This is a critique of the book, Blood and Belonging, by Michael Ignatieff. This paper will explain the subject of the book and its relevance, discuss Michael Ignatieff's methods and conclusions on the subject and finally include a personal critique of the book by the author of this paper. The author of the book travels on what he terms "the six journeys." On these "journeys" he encounters different cultures, as he travels to six different coinciding areas of the world. He examines the unique expression of nationalism that each populace displays by interviewing various members of that particular society. The six areas that he travels to are specifically chosen for the clarity which nationalism is expressed in society. Nationalism is a factor contributing toward both present possible future instability in these areas. These areas are former Yugoslavia (specifically Croatia and Serbia), Germany, Ukraine, Quebec, Kurdistan and Northern Ireland. According to Ignatieff, in Croatia and Serbia there is a desire for a separate identity between the two nations. The fear of losing one's national identity has caused ethnic hatred. A terror so strong and historically persistent, it has driven people to a desperate state to do anything. This is a large contributor to the reasons for the extreme violence present there today. The author states, "A Croat, thus, is someone who is not a Serb. A Serb is someone who is not a Croat." This quotation profoundly expresses the short-sighted mentality present in their conflict. In his travels in Germany, the author points out an important question. Does the nation make the state, or the state the nation? This question by far does not stop here, especially when Germany is the subject. The essence of the German people is seen by some as aggressive and offensive, thus the existence of the German problem. If the nation makes the state then Germany will always be a threat. If the state makes the nation, then the aggressive nature of the German nation, which lead the world into two global wars, can be harnessed and redirected. The question has its roots and answers in the recent reunification of Germany. The Ukraine is concerned with not being Russian. It is here Ignatieff receives a complete vision of what nationalism is. He states, "I understand what nationalism really is: the dream that a whole nation could be like a congregation; singing the same hymns, listening to the same gospel, sharing the same emotions, linked not only to each other but to the dead buried beneath their feet." Quebec is a model that presents a possible future of the state system. Ignatieff uses the example of Quebec to illustrate the relationship between nationalism and federalism. He implies that "if federalism fails in Canada it can fail anywhere." If the balance between "ethnic and civil principles" is not maintained in Canada, who is not an impoverished country and has a large, successful economy; then perhaps the modern world has not transcended the grasps of nationalism. The Kurds represent a nation without a state, who find themselves surrounded by other nations who are more aggressive nationalists. The term Kurdistan is a definition of the areas used by Ignatieff to explain the area of major Kurdish populace concentration. There is no real borders, no flag, no government and Kurds must acknowledge the state in which they reside (i.e., - Syria, Turkey, Iran and Iraq), of which, is not Kurdistan. Finally, the sixth journey ends in Northern Ireland. He makes the observation that this is the ideal place to conclude his project. Northern Ireland contains a recurrence of the themes that seemed so prevalent in the other journeys. In Ireland ethnicity, religion and politics are all bound into one expression or identity. These are also evident in the five previous studies. Is Michael Ignatieff's work relevant? The answer to this question is, yes it is. The issue is important. Nationalism presents itself as a phenomenon. The questions of why people need to retain a cultural identity and the way they go about preserving it is still unanswerable. Evermore unfathomable is the violence permeated through nationalistic expressions, which are "necessary" by the parties involved. The very existence of the enigma

Monday, October 21, 2019

The Night is For Hunting essays

The Night is For Hunting essays "The Night is for Hunting" is the sixth book in a series of seven written by John Marsden. "The Night is for Hunting is about a group of five kids in their late teens that have to try to survive on their own in the harsh conditions while another foreign country is taking over Australia. The teenagers have to battle the difficulties and challenges that this problem brings, like trying to stay alive, finding food, finding a safe place to take cover and while doing all this they also have to hold their friendship together. This book is in point of view of Ellie, one the teenagers, which i think gives it very good effect and makes it more exciting. In this novel it was a year since the foreign country had attacked Australia and taken it over and some old teenagers that had escaped being caught or killed a number of times in this war found a bunch of younger childeren that were being captured by the opposing country and the teenagers risked their lives to save the children and took care of them through out the book. At first the children didn't like the teenagers but then their respect grew for them through out the book. I thought this was a very exciting book with an interesting plot and the characters all had an unique personality which I thought helped bring the book into a more real life perspective. One of the main themes of this novel is that friendship is one of the most important things to have. In the book the friendship between the teenagers is so strong each of them would risk their own lives to save their friends and having such good friends through the terrible war is one of the only things that keep them sane. This friendship shows in the part when Ellie decides to go roaring into a house full of enemies with a motorbike to save her friend Homer even though she had the chance to run and now has a very low chance of survival. This shows ...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Dental Receptionist English Dialogue

Dental Receptionist English Dialogue Dental receptionists take care of administrative tasks such as scheduling appointments and checking in patients. They answer telephone calls and do paperwork such as sending out reminders to patients of appointment dates. In this dialogue, you will practice the role of a patient who is returning for a yearly dental appointment. Checking-In With the Dental Receptionist Sam: Good morning. I have an appointment with Dr. Peterson at 10.30.Receptionist: Good morning, can I have your name, please? Sam: Yes, its Sam Waters.Receptionist: Yes, Mr. Waters. Is this the first time youve seen Dr. Peterson? Sam: No, I had my teeth cleaned and checked last year.Receptionist: OK, just a moment, Ill get your chart. Receptionist: Have you had any other dental work done during the past year?Sam: No, I havent.   Receptionist: Have you flossed regularly?  Sam: Of course! I floss twice a day and use a water-pick.   Receptionist: I see you have a few fillings. Have you had any trouble with them?Sam: No, I dont think so. Oh, I changed my insurance. Heres my new provider card.Receptionist: Thank you. Is there anything in particular youd like the dentist to check today? Sam: Well, yes. Ive been having some gum pain recently.Receptionist: Alright, Ill make a note of that. Sam: ... and Id like to have my teeth cleaned as well.Receptionist: Of course, Mr. Waters, thatll be part of todays dental hygiene. Sam: Oh, yes, of course. Will I have x-rays taken?Receptionist: Yes, the dentist likes to take x-rays every year. However, if youd prefer not to have x-rays, you can opt out. Sam: No, thats alright. Id like to make sure everything is OK.Receptionist: Great. Please have a seat and the Dr. Peterson will be with you momentarily. (After the appointment) Receptionist: Well need to schedule an appointment to come in for the fillings you need?Sam: OK. Do you have any openings next week? Receptionist: Lets see... How about next Thursday morning?Sam: Im afraid I have a meeting.   Receptionist: How about two weeks from today?Sam: Yes, that sounds good. What time? Receptionist: Can you come at 10 oclock in the morning?Sam: Yes. Lets do that.   Receptionist: Perfect, well see you on Tuesday, March 10th at 10 oclock.Sam: Thank you.   Key Vocabulary appointmentchartcheck-updental hygieneflossgum paingumsinsuranceprovider cardto clean teethto opt outto schedule an appointmentx-ray

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Memo and Flowchart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Memo and Flowchart - Essay Example Mchane and Travaglione explain that good communication enure individual know what i expected of them and it galvanie coordination within the organiation. The root of a large number of organiational problem i poor communication. Thi eay will give an indication of what tyle of communication were involved in my previou line of employment with Woolworth Limited. How everyday communication uch a word, voice, tone, geture phyical action and the like took place with fellow employee baed on the model preented by Gamble and Gamble. To be a effective a I could, verbal communication wa one of, if not, the mot important apect when communicating with employee. A a manager it wa imperative to overcome communication barrier before approaching an employee. Thee barrier may have been diadvantage of verbally communicating, uch a noie, hearay, choice of word, aumption and tereotyping, which could all contribute to miundertanding. I felt it to be my duty to recognie any of thee barrier and enure that they were not included in the communication proce. For example, if it required me to talk to an employee about hi/her performance, it wa imperative that they had my 100% attention and the chance of ditraction wa zero. In an environment where there maybe five employee at one tore, it wa crucial to be aware of what wa aid about employee around other employee or co-worker, which could have had repercuion at later tage. I learnt from early on, an employee will not hear what you have to ay, poitive or contructive, if they have heard that you have been talking to other about them. They would have already began to get defenive and think of what they need to ay to get their point acro while I wa trying to make mine. Another apect of verbal communication i written tatement. In my workplace, thi included memorandum, bulletin, flyer, report, letter, faxe and e-mail. Mchane and Travaglione decribe written, verbal, or electronic method a, at time, imperonal, but fat and effective. Written communication i very often the mot uitable and clearet mean of communication. A a manager at BW, written communication may be the mot uitable when trying to communicate organiational goal, objective, target, value and o on. In an indutry where the encouragement of policie, procedure and practice are central to improvement, written communication i often the bet way to demontrate thi. That i not to ay interperonal connection within BW wa are non-exitent, becaue that i by no mean the cae. Developing a trut relationhip between manager and employee make it eaier to reach the goal of ucceful communication. Effective communication i built and utained on the trut between manager and employee. 'Doing what i right' and having employee follow thi principle alo require initiating and utaining mutually truting relationhip . Gamble define litening a a deliberate proce through which we eek to undertand and retain aural timuli. It depend on a complex et of kill

Friday, October 18, 2019

The EU should have remained a civilian power. Discuss Essay

The EU should have remained a civilian power. Discuss - Essay Example According to Stavridis, civilian power can be defined as an entity that has influence on international systems using economic, financial and political means in absence of any military means (Stavridis, 2001, p.3). Many wonder which type of power the EU exercises, whether civilian, military, or normative power, as they try to identify the roles of the EU in the international politics. This paper presents a very thoughtful discussion, specifically arguing for why the EU should have remained a civilian power. The first part of this paper focuses on the meaning of civilian power; the second part presents arguments explaining why the EU should remain a civilian power, then it lays out a counterargument detailing why EU should not remain civilian and at the end, it draws a conclusion of the discussion. The main considerations focus on the normative dimension of the EU’s foreign and security policy, its mandate as a trading power, and the EU as a substantial donor of humanitarian and development aid. Furthermore, the view of civilian power has been used to evaluate EU’s foreign policy based on its promotion of human rights, democracy as well as the rule of law, and its contribution in peacekeeping and stability efforts aimed at keeping the international system peaceful and stable. ... 13). Civilian power and military power are very different this is because civilian power unlike military power does not involve the use of armed forces, but mainly involves the use of economic, diplomatic and cultural policy instruments. In addition, peacekeeping strategies are also associated with civilian foreign policy, but military power is characterized by the use of military forces. A civilian power not only entails the means used by an actor but also the end to pursue it; therefore, being civilian power involves combination of four elements, which are means, ends, use of persuasion, and civilian control over foreign policy making (Smith, 2005, p.2). Moreover, one of the most prominent scholars of the civilian power concept, Francois Duchene did not clearly define it, but used two elements, which are means and ends to explain who can be termed as a civilian power (Smith, 2005, p. 3). Unlike a military power, which entails military means, military ends, hard power, and lack of d emocratic control, civilian power is actually the opposite. Therefore, when defining a civilian power, it is indispensable to consider all the four elements that include civilian means, civilian end, soft power, and democratic control (Smith, 2005, p.6). However, the use of military means can be associated with civilian power especially when they are used to protect human rights and democracy (Stavridis, 2001, p. 17). According to Sjursen, lack of military instruments is what defines a civilian power (Sjursen, 2006, p. 236). Furthermore, Hans Maull presented a clear definition of civilian power stating that civilian power refers to the recognition of the inevitability of

Financing Government Operations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Financing Government Operations - Research Paper Example It is amongst the seven counties, and the nine cities which form part and parcel of the Hampton Roads metro area. Norfolk Virginia is bordered on the Northern side by the Chesapeake Bay and on the Western side by the Elizabeth River. On its Sothern side, Virginia Beach shares its borders with the cities of Chesapeake, and on its Eastern side, it borders the Virginia Beach. Norfolk Virginia is regarded as the cultural, financial, and urban center of the Hampton Roads (Rose, 2000). The city of Norfolk Virginia has a long historical background as an important strategic transportation and military point. It hosts the largest naval military base in the world, that is, the Naval Station Norfolk. It also hosts two important strategic command headquarters of NATO. It is also a transportation hub, and this is mainly because it has the headquarters of Norfolk Southern Railway. This is a company that operates one of the North’s America Class I railroads (Rose, 2000). This city is also the headquarters of Maersk Line Limited. This is a company that manages the largest fleet of the flag vessels of United States. As a city that is bordered by a variety of water bodies, Norfolk has a number of many miles of bayfront property, and riverfront. This situation makes it very attractive for tourism. Some of the world’s attractive tourism destinations are found in the regions that are surrounded by water bodies, and this includes countries such as Egypt, Venice, etc (Rose, 2000). Therefore, one of the public policies that the government of North Virginia can seek to develop and implement is on the methods of improving tourism in the country. This paper seeks to analyze the various sources of revenue for the government, and how it can fund tourism projects in the city of Norfolk Virginia (Rose, 2000). Furthermore, this paper seeks to describe the restrictions that are placed on those sources of revenue, and how public policy decisions normally affect the receipt of those

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Examination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Examination - Essay Example The issue to be settled is whether or not Joan, Jake, and Johnny are guilty of violating the Securities law prohibiting insider trading – Johnny in his capacity as officer of the firm, and Joan and Jake who acted on tips from Johnny. Sec 16 (b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 directly addresses insider trading, while Sec 10(b) indirectly does so. Insiders refer to the officers, corporate directors, or beneficial owners of more than 10% of a firm’s shares.1 The case law is SEC v Texas Gulf Sulphur Co. (1966) which ruled that anyone in possession of inside information must either disclose the information or refrain from trading. Dirks v SEC (1984) ruled that tippees (receivers of second-hand, non-public material information) are liable if the tipper was in breach of fiduciary duty, and he/she and the tippee personally benefitted from the disclosure. Illegal insider trading â€Å"involves the theft of valuable information about corporate plans that properly belongs to the corporation and its investors.† 2 Its vigorous prohibition is necessary to protect the intellectual property rights that rightfully belong to the corporation and its shareholders.3 Illegal trading is done when the purchase or sale of securities is conducted in breach of fiduciary relationship on the basis of non-public, material information, in such a way that the price of the security is affected. It is also illegal for the person enjoying such relationship of trust and confidence to tip such material, non-public information for them to trade on such basis. Aside from appropriating the information in violation of property rights, insider trading also reduces the incentives of legitimate market participants to make discoveries of information, by unjustly appropriating trading profits on undisclosed information. It robs investors of many benefits of

Experimental economics summary paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Experimental economics summary paper - Essay Example Each market involved a series of trading periods in which market participants were free to buy and sell. The institutions being examined are a series of price ceilings and price controls. The study would focus on the following three aspects of market behavior: price levels and market volumes, market responses to institutional modifications, and efficiency. The experiment led to two major results and a conjecture. First market behavior under price controls is more closely approximated by the competitive model than by the focal point model. Secondly market under price controls exhibit behavioral regularities that are not included in standard analysis. Four of those regularizes are: a) controls at the competitive equilibrium cause market to diverge from the competitive equilibrium; b) removal of nonbinding control induces changes in market prices; c) inefficiencies induced by are greater than those predicted by standard application; d) adjustment of prices when biding controls are remov ed appeared to be involved an initial discontinuity or jump rather than a continuous movement. The results of the article can be summarized in that the familiar partial equilibrium model works remarkably well to describe laboratory auction market behavior in the presence of price controls and when price controls are binding.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

CMT3321 Coursework 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

CMT3321 Coursework 1 - Essay Example The game was designed and tested with an interactive technology and a prototype mobile. Finally, the paper confirms the hypothesis dealing with technology rich modeling because the children’s feedback dealt with the realized interaction, and aspects of social and play interactions were put in real context. Methodological studies in children and interaction fields have concentrated on how children are involved in the processes of design and ways that children can offer input on interaction designs. Prominent illustrations include the participatory mechanisms to design, early design methodologies, Mission from Mars, or mechanisms that involve children during evaluation of interactive products. Previous research studies have put less attention to the tools and methods of prototyping. This paper also considers the position in the children’s game design that supports interactions that are embodied, mostly those played by children outdoors together. The papers also summarize methodological techniques in the wider Human Computer Interaction field, explain the literature of game designs approaches the topic and specifies some challenges of the present design approaches when the game is designed. A crucial theme in Human Computer Interaction methodology is concerned with prototype fidelity. The term prototype is ambiguous at its best; ranging from paper prototype, functioning, sketches, and interactive products. Prototype is used in many phases in the process of design and in various roles; for designers to look into the design space as one of the communication instrument to convey information to other stakeholders and as an analysis tool in testing the concept with users. Paper prototyping is one way to explore the space of designs without incurring design costs and to come up with early user feedback on certain aspects of action design (Lewis & Bedson, 2009). Those who support paper prototyping have argued that the software

Experimental economics summary paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Experimental economics summary paper - Essay Example Each market involved a series of trading periods in which market participants were free to buy and sell. The institutions being examined are a series of price ceilings and price controls. The study would focus on the following three aspects of market behavior: price levels and market volumes, market responses to institutional modifications, and efficiency. The experiment led to two major results and a conjecture. First market behavior under price controls is more closely approximated by the competitive model than by the focal point model. Secondly market under price controls exhibit behavioral regularities that are not included in standard analysis. Four of those regularizes are: a) controls at the competitive equilibrium cause market to diverge from the competitive equilibrium; b) removal of nonbinding control induces changes in market prices; c) inefficiencies induced by are greater than those predicted by standard application; d) adjustment of prices when biding controls are remov ed appeared to be involved an initial discontinuity or jump rather than a continuous movement. The results of the article can be summarized in that the familiar partial equilibrium model works remarkably well to describe laboratory auction market behavior in the presence of price controls and when price controls are binding.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

How a person would act if they had super powers Essay Example for Free

How a person would act if they had super powers Essay Some people my age dream of having superpowers. Some people read comic books,watch movies, watch television, and wish they could have super powers like flying or becoming invisible. I on the other hand am gifted with both of these powers and use them every day Invisibility and the ability to fly arent just useful in everyday life they are just plain fun. I recieved my powers out of nowhere.One day I was sitting on the couch watching Television, and I fell asleep. I had a weird dream that I had the aability to fly and could become invisible. Well strangely enough when I woke up I was floating in mid air! It took some struggling to get back on my feet because I did not exactly know how to, but when I finally did I went to the bathroom to look in the mirror and see if I could become invisible. In my dream if I concentrated hard enough I could become invisible, well sure enough I became invisible.This was a long time ago and I have just about got both of my powers under my control now. Being able to fly is, needless to say, is very useful. Such as after school when everybody is waiting in the thirty minute line to go home I just fly off home laughing at everyone wasting their gas. It definitely saves me money on gas, and I know I will not wreck because their is no one else who can fly. Also since I am gifted with powers I enjoy helping people out when they are in trouble. It is also a whole lot of fun doing tricks in the sky. Being invisible has a lot of advantages. It first of all helps me out when I am flying so nobody can see me. Also instead of wearing a dumb outfit so nobody knows who I am when I am helping people. The best part of being invisible though would probably not be helping people it would be messing with people and pulling pranks on them because they have no clue who it is. It also helps if you do not like to study so you can sneek into the teachers classroom and get the answers to the quiz or test. Super powers are alot of fun, but also a big responsibility. They help out in life and make everyday things like traveling fun and exciting. Its also really rewarding to help people out when they are in trouble. I do not know how I got my powers, I do not know how long I will have them. I do know one thing though I will be enjoying them.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Sociological Theories of Leisure: Marx and Weber

Sociological Theories of Leisure: Marx and Weber Leisure is an area of sociological study that has, according to many sociologists including Chris Rojek[1] been neglected. The literature, certainly in the countries of Britain and Australia, has been dominated by views and theories that fit into a Marxist framework. ‘Leisure’ is juxtaposed against what is deemed its opposite, ‘work.’ In this essay I shall attempt to elucidate some of that Marxist framework and then criticise what can be viewed as its limitations thus, hopefully, highlighted and understanding some of the implications necessary for a further and deeper understanding of the sociology of leisure. Marx’s most basic premise, that man in capitalist society is alienated from his own labour, is also, unsurprisingly, the theoretical underpinning for Marxist notions of leisure. The change from older forms of economic markets to capitalist industrialisation forced a schism in the work/leisure relationship. â€Å"The identification of leisure as the sphere in which needs are satisfied and pleasure found simultaneously makes work less susceptible to criticism as unsatisfactory and more salient as that which has to be tolerated to ‘earn’ the freedom of leisure. Instrumentalism about work is built into this enforced separation: ‘leisure’ is the prize to be won.†[2] This demarcation is seen as the principle victory, in a stream of relatively uncontested battles, of capitalism in regards to leisure. The alienation of labour is made more tolerable by leisure activities and pursuits. The idea that one worked to live at the weekend, or outside of work, became prevalent. Work became a means to an end. The sphere of leisure, once created, offered the ruling classes the opportunity to restrict and control workers lives further, in insidious ways, permeating what was supposed to be ‘free’ time. â€Å"If the working class wants alcohol and music, it shall have them but only to be consumed under certain conditions.†[3] Under the guise of caring for workers rights and needs, and by setting up institutions of leisure, the dominant ruling classes could ensure that time away from work was spent in activities deemed appropriate. The point of this control was, of course, to ensure the productivity of workers and thus perpetuate the capitalist market. A hung over worker was of little use. â€Å"The establishment of leisure as consumption†¦has also been of considerable significance.†[4] This was capitalism’s second great victory in regards to leisure. The capitalist process, at its most fundamental, is all about consumption. By turning leisure into a commodity, to be bought and sold as well as used, revenue could be exploited. The irony and hypocrisy of the sphere of leisure, supposedly free of capitalist ideology, feeding that ideology with new avenues of revenue, production and reproduction, is shown by Clarke and Critcher. The freedom of leisure is a fallacy. â€Å"The much vaunted democracy of the market-place rests on the rather less democratic foundations of the profoundly unequal distribution of wealth and income.†[5] Instead of resistance to the fact that choice is limited, nay controlled, by the market, we, the consumer, value what choices we do have all the more. Choice in leisure is curtailed by social division and unequal distribution.â€Å"Those with relatively more control over work tend to have more control over their leisure; class does not end at the factory gate†¦gender even less so.†[6] Clarke and Critcher indicate a direct link between the alienation of work, to an alienation of leisure, precisely because they conceptualise leisure as being a by product of what we term as work. Leisure is defined by work, caused by work and needed because of work in a capitalist industrial society. Resistance to leisure models are, according to Clarke and Critcher, ultimately futile. The market can not completely control how leisure products are used, the young especially tend to use them in ways never envisioned. This would be seen as a site of resistance except, â€Å"Such strategies may modify but cannot challenge the market/consumer model. Before we can modify the meaning and use of any commodity, we must first enter the market as consumers to acquire it.†[7] â€Å"In a manner sometimes reminiscent of the early Marx, Simmel argues that modern production is not the site of creativity, of individuality, of pleasure.†[8] Marx stated that workers were alienated from their species being, their creativity, individuality and ultimately their pleasure. Simmel here echoes those sentiments. He also concurs that leisure is an escape from such alienation. â€Å"In this context then, the history of forms of leisure is the history of labour The exhaustion of our mental and physical energies in work lead us to require only one thing of our leisure; ‘we must be made comfortable’; ‘we only wish to be amused.’†[9] These notions are very similar to those of Marxist and neo-Marxist theorists such as Clarke and Critcher. Leisure is a reward for time spent working and the real purpose of leisure is to repair and relax the worker ready to once more be a useful member of the industrial complex. â€Å"The sphere of non-work, ostensibly that of leisure, can also be filled out by consumption and by circulation in search of what is new. Where a mass of consumers has been created, commodities can be sold for their price rather than their quality.†[10] It is to be noted that in sociology of the Marxist tradition, and here in Simmel’s own words, what constitutes leisure in a capitalist society for the workers is judged morally bankrupt and alienating. Quantity over quality, mere amusement over the satisfaction of any deeper needs. Many theorists question this view. Wrestling would certainly be treated as such mere amusement in a Marxist or Simmel tradition, yet for Barthes[11], such ‘low’ culture reproduces the ‘species being’ that they see as lacking from capitalist leisure. The Marxist tradition makes those judgements with very little empirical evidence. As Rojek states, â€Å"So far leisure and other studies have provided little sense of what people actually do or feel in pubs, gardens, kitchens, on pitches or package tours.†[12] The assumption of what people experience during leisure is dangerous. [13] In Freudian psychology, â€Å"An irresistible verbal transition†¦effortlessly replaces the†¦term ‘leisure,’ with a substitute, ‘pleasure.’†[14] In essence our existence, at the polymorphous perversity stage, begins as fun. The processes of society, the rules of the ego, attempt to cage that fun. â€Å"The world of fun is repressed.†[15] Freud noted the classic bourgeois ego, perhaps best represented by Veblen’s â€Å"Leisure class.†[16] For Freud, it was, â€Å" Just this ‘objectivity’ which justified the utilitarian tradition in psychology, and, viewing the individual as a consumer rather than a producer, regarded pleasure as the consequence of possessing valued objects.†[17] Freud depicted the Bourgeois ego as deriving its pleasure from owning commodities. This pleasure was leisure and inexorably, in both implicit and explicit ways, the subordinate classes were compelled to adopt this view because, as Rojek points out, â€Å"the ideas of the bourgeois class are the ruling ideas in society.†[18] Interestingly, Freudian psychology breaks with Marxist tradition. The pleasure of fun is not to be found in commodities. Commodities are the only form of leisure since, under capitalist ideology all leisure is a commodity. So, reacting to the psychological need to escape from the alienation of work, people seek excitement from their commodities instead. â€Å"Consumption has become exciting†¦Possession, of course, remains its prerequisite, but necessity is held in abeyance.†[19] The act of shopping in itself has become the excitement, the commodity itself holds less importance. Evidence of this comes from, â€Å"The comparative longevity of modern goods (Which are) overwhelmed by the wish for continual newness.†[20] Freud, rather pessimistically, saw no real way out of this ideological trap, hence his claim, â€Å"For psychoanalysis the modest therapeutic aim of ‘transforming neurotic misery into common unhappiness.’†[21] â€Å"Kelly argues that, ‘If something has to be done then it isn’t leisure’ and that ‘leisure is generally understood as chosen activity that is not work.’†[22] Sociology is replete with such ethereal and vague definitions of just what exactly leisure is. Clarke and Critcher state that their work, â€Å"Does not attempt to lay to rest all those complex definitional questions about what is or is not leisure. We do not believe that these questions can be solved by ever more elaborate analytical juggling.†[23] H F Moorhouse[24] takes issue with this. He raises the very salient point that one could consider it blithely ignorant to conduct a whole study without first defining what it is one is researching. Clarke and Critcher rely on a ‘self evident’ truth of what leisure is. ‘Self evident’ truths are, quite often, less than self evident. They rely on common sense notions, but sense in this case is not necessarily c ommon. â€Å"It operates with the simplistic and stereotyped view of what most ‘work’ is like, seeing it as impoverished, routinised, deskilled etc†¦..What is a very complicated issue is oversimplified.†[25] For Moorhouse, their treatment of work is crude and their definition of leisure spurious. They refuse â€Å"To allow that paid labour can be, for most, a source of satisfaction, purpose, creativity, qualitative experience, and so on.†[26] This can only be seen as a weakness. Classical assumptions of the nature of work and leisure may no longer be sufficient. Clarke and Critcher state that they are writing during a time (1985) of transition to ‘post-industrial’ society. If one take this claim seriously then it has important implications. â€Å"The introduction of flexi-time and the development of human relations techniques in management have made the workplace less oppressive and monotonous for many workers†¦Moreover, technical progress enables paid employment to be conducted from the home.†[27] Technology, in particular that most wide of world webs, has magnified the possibilities of working from home and blurred the lines of what constitutes work and leisure still further. The dualistic and simplistic account, as found in Clarke and Critcher and other works in the Marxist tradition, may no longer be completely adequate to explain the sociology of leisure. Their account seems isolated in a very specific moment, a moment of change . Older accounts, Veblen’s, Marx’s, Simmel’s, may have been entirely accurate at the time they were published, but that time has long since past. Other considerations may need to be taken into account. â€Å"My submission is that the distinctions between work and leisure, public and private life, duty and excitement, have blurred.†[28] If one takes the work of Rojek seriously, what implications for the tired and simplistic definitions of what constitutes work and leisure? Freud defines leisure as pleasure as fun. If the boundaries of what constitutes leisure and work are indeed eroding could it mean that leisure, pleasure and fun can be found in work? Or work in fun? A cogent example would be of a party that one feels obliged to attend. You do not like the food, you hate the music, you’re surrounded by people you despise and you would give anything to be anywhere else. Yet this is your leisure time? The sociology of leisure needs to address these concerns. â€Å"Relationships and structures of leisure help mitigate human problems, foster cohesion in communities, alleviate personal suffering, maintain economic stability, and encourage political activity.†[29] Some sociologists see leisure as being a site for developing essential social networks, places that maintain and improve cohesion and interaction. If one considers Simmel’s conception that sociability is the, â€Å"Pure form of interacting independence of individuals,’†[30] then one might conclude that the development of leisure networks are a ‘morally’ good occurrence that let actors enjoy true or ‘pure’ leisure, pleasure and fun. Perhaps for the good of the sociology of leisure, â€Å"There is a need to shift attention away from the characteristics of individuals or groups as the unit of analysis, and focus on the characteristics of social relationships between people.†[31] â€Å"Social structure may also be manipulated by the intentional activities of actors.†[32] The Marxist based argument is one sided. The bourgeois are the active oppressors, the working class the submissive victims and there is no room for any real dialogue between worker’s desire and capitalist ideology. [33] Also it assumes that capitalist ideology is uniform and coherent. The ideological structure is rarely that simple. Feminist theorists such as Wearing[34] raise the issues of the problem of women’s experiences of leisure. Though raised in Clarke and Crichter’s work, their account does not, perhaps, delve deeply enough into the feminist sociological perspective. The structural and pervasive economic ideology of Marxism is, in many ways, present in feminist accounts, however particular attention should be paid to the fact that this ideology is exclusively the preserve of men, and is not exclusively economic. Theorists such as Butler[35] indicate the problem of explaining women’s position in society while being forced to use the only language available, the language of masculinity. Still further Collins critiques feminism as the preserve of white women only.[36] â€Å"If one ‘is’ a woman then that is surely not all that one is†¦gender intersects with racial, class, ethnic, sexual and regional discursively constituted identities.†[37] In conclusion and as stated above in the introduction to this essay, leisure is very often regarded as having been neglected in the arena of sociological study. Perhaps one of the reasons for this indifference has been the genuine problem of even defining exactly what leisure is. The Marxist tradition has held dominance in the field much since the time of Marx himself. Even those who I have used to criticise some of the Marxist perspectives themselves share many similar views[38]. This is because it is incredibly difficult to understand leisure without its ‘opposite.’ This study is really as much of a study of work as it is of leisure and this author actually can not find fault in that approach. What I do find fault with is the quite often simplistic dualism that is depicted between the two. As Rojek concludes, the edges between work and leisure are blurred and this is something that is important to the future study of leisure. Marxist ideas are frequently accused of being economicly deterministic. Whilst I personally find that accusation a tad harsh, many of the theories outlined above could be accused of considering the economic, the capitalist, a little too much in their theorisations. â€Å"Leisure†¦Ã¢â‚¬ËœIs action in structure†¦produced by action in the real world of roles and responsibilities as well as the division of race, class, age and gender.†[39] All of these particular characteristics must be considered in any study of leisure. Moorhouse suggests a methodology. â€Å"Weber used the concepts of status group and lifestyle to refer to specific patterns of consumption and culturally based attachments. †[40] What is certain is that by using such concepts, and still further, the sociology of leisure can only broaden its knowledge. Bibliography Roland Barthes Mythologies pub by J. Cape 1972 Roland Barthes Image, music, text pub by Fontana Press 1977 Leisure for leisure edited by Chris Rojek. Published by Macmillan press 1989 The devil makes work: Leisure in capitalist Britain by J Clarke and C Critcher. Published by Macmillan 1985 Leisure in society, A network structural perspective by Patricia A Stokoswki. Published by Mansell 1994 Ways of Escape by Chris Rojek. Published by Macmillan Press 1993 Leisure and Feminist Theory by B Wearing. Published by Sage 1998 Gender trouble by Judith Butler. Published by Routledge 1999 Black feminist thought by P H Collins. Published by Routledge 1990 The theory of the leisure class by Thorstein Veblen. Published by The new American library 1959 Footnotes [1] Leisure for leisure edited by Chris Rojek. Published by Macmillan press 1989 Ways of Escape by Chris Rojek. Published by Macmillan Press 1993 [2] The devil makes work: Leisure in capitalist Britain by J Clarke and C Critcher. Published by Macmillan 1985 p94-95 [3] Ibid p95 [4] Ibid p95 [5] Ibid p96 [6] Ibid [7] Ibid p201 [8] Leisure for leisure edited by Chris Rojek. Published by Macmillan press 1989 p78 [9] Ibid p83 [10] Ibid p78 [11] Roland Barthes Mythologies pub by J. Cape 1972 Roland Barthes Image, music, text pub by Fontana Press 1977 [12] Leisure for leisure edited by Chris Rojek. Published by Macmillan press 1989 p31 [13] Though Rojek himself reaches many of the same himself conclusions regarding the banality of modern leisure, in particular package tours, travel and tourism. Ways of Escape by Chris Rojek. Published by Macmillan Press 1993 [14] Leisure for leisure edited by Chris Rojek. Published by Macmillan press 1989 p53 [15] Ibid p64 [16] The theory of the leisure class by Thorstein Veblen. Published by The new American library 1959 The ruling Bourgeois idea of leisure, for Veblen, was conspicuous consumption, the ostentatious display of wealth through the purchase of commodities. [17] Leisure for leisure edited by Chris Rojek. Published by Macmillan press 1989 p69 [18] Ibid p101 [19] Ibid p70 [20] Ibid p70 [21] Ibid p57 [22] Ibid p17 [23] The devil makes work: Leisure in capitalist Britain by J Clarke and C Critcher. Published by Macmillan 1985 pxiii [24] Leisure for leisure edited by Chris Rojek. Published by Macmillan press 1989 [25] Ibid p22 [26] Ibid p25 [27] Ibid p108 [28] Ibid p108 [29] Leisure in society, A network structural perspective by Patricia A Stokoswki. Published by Mansell 1994 p112 [30] Leisure for leisure edited by Chris Rojek. Published by Macmillan press 1989 p87 [31] Leisure in society, A network structural perspective by Patricia A Stokoswki. Published by Mansell 1994 p38 [32] Ibid p112 [33] At least not in any meaningful way as we have seen in the above example, from Clarke and Critcher, that the very entry into the market process taints any action with is ideological stigma. [34] Leisure and Feminist Theory by B Wearing. Published by Sage 1998 [35] Gender trouble by Judith Butler. Published by Routledge 1999 [36] Black feminist thought by P H Collins. Published by Routledge 1990 [37] Gender trouble by Judith Butler. Published by Routledge 1999 p6 [38] Ways of Escape by Chris Rojek. Published by Macmillan Press 1993 [39] Leisure in society, A network structural perspective by Patricia A Stokoswki. Published by Mansell 1994 p37 [40] Leisure for leisure edited by Chris Rojek. Published by Macmillan press 1989 p31

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Does Sexual Abuse in Adolescents Lead to Homosexuality? Essay -- Physi

This study is about whether there is a correlation between physical and sexual abuse in adolescents becoming homosexual. Throughout past research there has been no direct correlation in stating is does cause adolescents to become homosexual. The event of someone changing their sexual identity is when they gone through some traumatic situation in their life. The tests we ran for this study are The Life Experience Questionnaire, The Lesbian Internalized Homophobic Scale, and The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire. This study is done to prove there is a correlation between physical and sexual abuse equaling homosexuality. Introduction Homosexuality is increasing in number in today’s society due to a number of situations that people have gone through. There is even the existence of people saying they were born this way, as in the song by Lady Gaga. One may also have some people going, as far as to claim they knew there was something different about them all along. Is there the possibility of a link between traumatizing situations in someone’s life to the point where they â€Å"become† homosexual? Could the possibility of a traumatic experience from past adolescence, affect them this greatly? Throughout research, there is an understanding of the possibility of there being a relationship connection between past traumatic events of adolescents to changing their life style from heterosexual to homosexual. What is considered an adolescent for this study are adolescents between the ages of 13-17 because once you are the age 18 you are considered a legal adult in the United States. The study will take place looking at the age bracket of adolescents, which live in the United States. In this, the research will be looking at th... ...erts. "Avoiding Experiences: Sexual Dysfunction In Women With A History Of Sexual Abuse In Childhood And Adolescence." Archives Of Sexual Behavior 41.2 (2012): 341-350. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 Dec. 2013. Sullivan, Tami P., et al. "Differential Relationships Of Childhood Abuse And Neglect Subtypes To PTSD Symptom Clusters Among Adolescent Inpatients." Journal Of Traumatic Stress 19.2 (2006): 229-239. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 Dec. 2013. Walker, Monique D., Ana M. Hernandez, and Maureen Davey. "Childhood Sexual Abuse And Adult Sexual Identity Formation: Intersection Of Gender, Race, And Sexual Orientation." American Journal Of Family Therapy 40.5 (2012): 385-398. Academic Search Premier. Web. 28 Oct. 2013. "What Is Homosexuality?" Exodus Global Alliance. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2013. .

Saturday, October 12, 2019

The New, Old Entertainment Essay -- Computers Technology Essays

The New, Old Entertainment Imagine a world where no one goes outside for a neighborhood soccer game, computer games are the closest thing to activity and the only social interaction comes in the form of online gaming. Now, think to your self is this actually a far fetched idea? The sad reality is that to thousands of what researchers from the Center for Disease Control call â€Å"tweens†, this is their daily life: go to school, do homework and jump on the computer or various other gaming systems. In modern America children seldom go outside to simply enjoy the pleasures of physical activities. The Center for Disease Control noticed this very problem and brought it to Congress in order to help get funding to prevent obesity which is becoming an epidemic. It is from this that the â€Å"Verb† campaign began in June of 2002. The Verb advertising campaign draws children in by appealing to their senses of Ethos, Logos, and Pathos; moreover, the advertisement successfully demonstrates to their audience that physical are worthwhile Furthermore, since this advertisement campaign was brought about through Congress, it contains valid evidence and support for its arguments. The Center for Disease Control used many tests to see what youth are actually interested in. Knowing these children better than nearly any other researchers allowed them to pull on the heart strings of America’s youth, and encourage a change in activity levels. The audiences within these advertisements are youth somewhere in between the years of nine and thirteen. Yet, they are not the sole targets, so are there mothers encouraging them to motivate their youth. The purpose as written within this article is to encourage youth to â€Å"Just get out there. Anytime. Anywhere†. Another... ...he emotional appeals making the intended audience desire to participate in any sort of activity. The credibility of this ad makes us know that the activities can not harm us. The logic reminds us how important it is to workout and be involved with the sports of any caliber. The pathos makes us feel the desire to participate to be out there and to be one of the thousands who are having fun. So now all everyone must do is to keep in mind that video games are fun but there is a great big world out there and it wouldn’t hurt anything to go and enjoy it. The commercials with children all playing inside should not be a reality, rather it should be the fantasy. Hopefully, the children of tomorrow will once again be seen playing soccer until their Mother’s flash the front porch for them to come in, and the video games of today will be pushed to the backs of their closets.

Friday, October 11, 2019

The Impacts of Cyber Bullying

Kids all over the world have easy access to phones, computers, and other electronic devices, making it easier for kids to become vulnerable to online bullying. As a 2003-04 survey by Org indicates, 42% of kids have been bullied while online and 58% have not told their parents or an adult about something mean or hurtful that happened to them online. Kids are increasingly becoming victims of cyber bullying, causing lowered self esteem, mental health Issues, and In severe cases can trigger suicidal tendencies.Anyone is susceptible to cyber bullying and with social networking sites, like Faceable, on the rise; the need to fit in can take a toll on us mentally. According to Claudia Schwartz, a marriage and family therapist, â€Å"teens who spend a lot of time on the social networking website – and who already have low- self esteem- are vulnerable to Faceable Depression. † Reading negative comments and constantly make comparisons with others on Faceable can cause a downward s piral fast. Schwartz says, â€Å"Parents need to help teens understand that Faceable Depression Is a serious problem. She urges parents to manage their kids' time online, so it doesn't affect other things such as school or homework. Depression can come in all types of forms; recognizing the signs in others and one's self can greatly make an impact on the society as a whole. Apart from mental health Issues, cyber bullying has been known to cause suicidal tendencies. One notable Incident was that of Phoebe Prince, a 15 year old girl who hung herself due to months of torment by students at South Hadley High School. Kids would torment Prince through text message and through the social networking site, Faceable.Like Prince, many teens around the world have thought or resorted to suicide, because they felt there was no other outlet; they felt that's what their bullies wanted them to do. One of the seaways to stop cyber bullying Is to talk about It. Talk to friends, parents, and teachers, someone you feel you can trust. Kids who are being bullied don't have to just take it. Technology should be used to help you ace an English essay, to interact with friends and family, or even to play the latest video game. Put a stop to cyber bullying by not becoming one. Sanely 7 February 2012 Works Citied â€Å"cyber sullying: statistics and Tips.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Meaning of life †Soul Essay

Personhood Chart This chart contains a grid for different philosophical anthropologies that answer the question of personhood. Complete the following chart in the context of defining what it means to be human according to Christianity, Materialism, and your own Personal View. Refer to the assigned reading for explanation of characteristics listed on the left. Christianity Materialism Personal View Relational God created human beings to live in community. When people lose that sense of love and belonging, they lose their meaning and purpose in life. God created family and the neighbor to be provide the human with the relationship needed for hope and healing. In order to carry out production and exchange, people have to enter into very definite social relations, most fundamentally production relations. Relationships with others should be based off of the materials in which they can provide you with the benefit a person the most. I believe everyone steps into our lives for one reason or another- either good or bad and we need to be the ones to differentiate between the two. Each relationship provides us with a sense of love and understanding on the purpose of our life. Multidimensional There is a vibrant sense of the person in relationship to God and the world through the bodily senses and functions. The body, soul, mind, spirit and even the various body parts are expressions of the wholeness that is the human self. Humans are material objects. They are not immaterial things, or objects, or substances; neither do they contain as parts immaterial selves or souls or entelechies. Their parts are material: flesh and bones and blood, molecules, atoms, electrons. A human is more than a corpse. We are multidimensional and each dimension is important in who we are and how we act in society. Â © 2015. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved. Sexual Jesus showed us that we are sexual beings. Sexuality encompasses the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of our being. Man and women are supposed to stay faithful to each other and not commit adultery. It is believed to be a physical act between two individuals that creates energy and may result in the creation of a child through scientific means. Sexual behavior affects not only a person’s physical health but also self- image, interpersonal relationships and relationship with God and others. Moral We should choose to act based on good thinking, Scripture and prayer, and the Holy Spirit helps us discern the right alternatives. God knows our intentions are to please him and desire the best moral outcomes for all. The brain and body are a dynamic system interacting with the environment. There is no non- physical entity which could take credit or blame for the outcome of our actions. We learn our morals through trial and error as well as through the relationships we have with others. If we surround ourselves with ethically individuals we too with be ethical. Mortal We are mortals, but God has given us eternal life in Jesus Christ. We die, and yet we live. Poor stewardship of the life God has given us may well exacerbate the death and decay that surround us In order for human beings to survive and continue existence from generation to generation, it is necessary for them to produce and reproduce the material requirements of life Mortality is unavoidable yet difficult. Once someone dies their soul will either go to Heaven or to Hell. Destined for Eternal Life Destined for eternal life: Eternal life is the life one lives after death. By death the soul is separated from the body, but in the resurrection God will give incorruptible life to our body, transformed by reunion with our soul There is no such thing as eternal life. Life begins when the heart starts beating and ends with the heart stops beating. I believe that those who believe will live an eternal life and that those who do not will not. 2 References Plantinga, Alvin. (2010) Materialism and Christian Belief. Retrieved from http://www. andrewmbailey. com/ap/Materialism_Christian_Belief. pdf Shelly, J. , & Miller, A. (2006). Called to care: A Christian worldview for nursing (2nd ed. ). Downers Grove, Ill. : IVP Academic/Intervarsity Press.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

The Legacy of the Canadian Residential School System

We all have an identity in this world. When we were born as human beings, we were all given an identity based on our gender, ethnicity, and the society we were born in. This identity is further strengthened by our experience throughout the journey to adulthood, creating a bond and belongingness to one’s own culture. When a language is eventually learned during childhood, it becomes one of the major factors in determining our identity. Cultural customs are also integrated into our minds as we grow up.As we approach adulthood, our basic cultural identity is shaped; we maintain our cultural identity as we enter the local society, as it is the label that sticks with us for the rest of our lives. Along the way, we have the freedom to choose which of the religions to believe in, but our choices will most likely be affected by our identities as well. The First Nations people in Canada are suffering from a loss of language, religion, and identity due to the horrible past they had suff ered in the past century.In the 1880s, the residential school system was established by the government of Canada (Miller 2011). From then on, First Nations children were forced to attend these Catholic schools instituted based on European standards and regulations. Injustice went on for almost another century, in which many First Nation cultures were diminished and obliterated. Steven Harper may have apologized to the First Nations for the rest of the Canadians, but the damage is already done (Dorrell 2009). The Residential School System extinguished the hopes of Canadian First Nations in maintaining their own cultures.In this article we will use St. Mary’s, a residential school located in Mission, BC, as a case study to investigate the severity of the impact the RSS had on First Nations cultures. Language is the mean of communication of a society and a significant factor in cultural and social development. It is also the distinct identifier of a specific culture. By analyzin g the complex systems of the languages of different cultures, sociolinguists can relate the languages’ properties to aspects of the culture.Language is also tightly intertwined with the culture of a civilization: the Chinese and Japanese consider calligraphy—the act of writing in an unique but artistic way with ink brushes—a major art along with music, painting, and the chess game of Go; the Medieval Romans were inefficient and limited in their mathematics due to their numeral system until the Arabic system was introduced. In short, languages can be considered as the backbone of a culture. It is also the backbone that the First Nations began to lose as soon as the Residential School System was initiated.In residential schools, any languages other than English were forbidden; the violators of this rule were severely punished. In Terry Glavin’s Amongst God’s Own, one of his interviewee Meredith Hourie (2002: 61) commented that the nuns at St. Maryâ⠂¬â„¢s referred to the native tongues as â€Å"devil’s language†; in their eyes, speaking another language in a Catholic residential school is blasphemous. Benjamin Paul Millar (Glavin 2002: 66) felt that he was beginning to improve in his native language until he was discouraged by slaps in the face and on the backside for breaking the rules; now he could only recall a few words of his native tongue.Genevieve Douglas (Glavin 2002: 62) admitted that she cannot understand her own native language due to the policies at St. Mary’s; students were not allowed to answer to questions unless they can fully interpret what was asked and know how to respond in English, hence the students had to focus their limit in language acquisition on English. Children who were new to the residential schools (such as St. Mary’s) were not familiar with these rules. They felt alienated and were desperate to fit in.As a result, these new First Nations students had to resocializeâ⠂¬â€or â€Å"Westernize†Ã¢â‚¬â€themselves in order to survive. While these cases might seem trivial at first glance, consider this: there were 80 residential schools scattered across Canada at its peak, with over 11000 students being taught (Kirmayer, Simpson, and Cargo 2003). The magnitude is immense, and numerous dialects of the native tongues were lost. It is also worth noting that the majority of students who enrolled in St. Mary’s had Western first names and last names instead of native ones.Under these circumstances, a child would feel even more out of place when comparing one’s own name to the elders’ more native names. They might believe that they were not welcomed in their society and opt to blend into the Western society instead. For instance, a Scotland-born Chinese child would likely to grow up to be more attached to the Scottish culture if his last name was chosen by his parents to be McGregor instead of Lee. Traditions are also identifiers for the cultures they belong to. Each culture has their unique customs, beliefs, and mythologies.For example, the Gods with the most power in terms of mythologies are mostly male due to the fact that almost all cultures are male-dominant. In ancient Greek mythology, Zeus was regarded as the ruler of Mount Olympus and said to be the â€Å"Father of Gods and Men† by Hesiod, reflecting the differences in the status of genders in ancient Greece. In Chinese mythology the Gods were told and categorized as emperors, royal families, and government officials, ultimately referring to the hereditary monarchy political system that the dynasties of China followed for millennia.While First Nations traditions may not be as well known as the bigger cultures in other parts of the world, they have their unique and intriguing perspective in the world they live in. Their view on how all things ranging from animals to inanimate objects have spirit and soul is echoed by Plato’s world-soul idea. However, their inspirations cannot be further explored in the future since these First Nations beliefs are facing extinction. These traditional practices such as Shamanisms were discouraged, as they were viewed as witchcraft in the eyes of Catholicism.Due to the nature of residential schools, children could hardly see their family during their time as a student. Wayne Florence (Glavin 2002: 68) was severely injured by one of the nuns at St. Mary’s, and even then he could not gain the privilege to meet with his family, or even talk to them through the phone for that matter. This separation leads to the inability to learn of and be familiar to their customs. Not only were the children prohibited from learning of their own cultural religion and heritage, they were led and forced to believe that there is only one â€Å"correct† religion—Roman Catholicism.According to Catholic rules, all other religions are false and are blasphemous. First Nations students lear ned that they were not born with freedom, but with sins to be cleansed of; this idea induced fear in them and contempt in their traditions. Aside from a loss of culture, it was estimated by scholars that as many as half of the children died during their involvement in the residential schools, either from abuse or committing suicide (Robertson 2003). We are living in the generation of globalization. In Canada, it is not uncommon for one to have multiple cultural backgrounds.We can notice numerous people of Chinese descent who do not know a single word of Mandarin nor Cantonese; Scandinavians who do not feel the urge to assimilate into another culture’s customs, and even Indian-Canadian comedians who became successful amongst the public by showing observational humor with regards to racial dissimilarities. These people of the general public—whose voices can be heard through the media—are of a majority; whether they are currently living in their affiliated society they were born in or have their homes on the other side of the globe, they feel that they are a member of their culture.No matter which part of the world it is, dates with cultural significance like Christmas, the Lunar New Year, and the Ramadan are celebrated and practiced annually. The same cannot apply to the First Nations in Canada after the residential school system tragedies. Imagine that no one can understand your first language and cultural customs—while communication with others will still be possible through other means like secondary and body language, you can hardly feel the familiarity and ease in comparison to talking freely in your own first language. If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?If you know a language but no one else can comprehend it, does it still exist? If no one in the world other than you knew the family gathering tradition on Thanksgiving, would this day still mean anything at all? While these question s may seem hypothetical to us, the First Nations in Canada are facing these issues today. Writings and symbolic arts in dying tribes may never see their original meaning comprehendible ever again. Canada may consider First Nation reserves and universities as national treasures, but the fact is that cultural maintenance in these smaller tribes is not encouraged and our treasure is continuously decreasing in depth.All cultures in the world are established by the contributions of their people over time; they are the condensation of knowledge, customs, heritage, and language. Each culture is unique in its own way, and should be preserved with the most effort. However, not only did settlers and colonizers took over the First Nations’ lands by force, they also nearly wiped out their culture with a weapon in the form of the Residential School System. These residential schools, such as St.Mary’s, denied the students of their chance to inherit their respective culture, and even took away some of their lives as a byproduct in resocialization. As a result, First Nations languages and traditions were lost; some First Nation survivor might even be the last remaining member of his or her tribe. These are losses that we simply cannot put ourselves into their perspective. I sincerely hope that the government of Canada will not only compensate, but also try their best to maintain the enduring First Nations cultures someday; an apology is simply not enough.

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Implications of Social Media in Organizations Essay

Implications of Social Media in Organizations - Essay Example As the research findings all these factors contribute a lot towards defining the success of any organization. This is because, for any organization to succeed in the competitive world markets, it is necessary for such an organization to meet these diversities in cultures, beliefs, as well as races relevant to their interests on products alongside meeting their changes in attitudes and tastes. It is important to note that social media is available in several forms for the companies as well as organizations to chose from. The major host is the internet. There are a number of websites including Facebook, Twitter, and My Space amongst others, which greatly influence the organizational communication. As the paper discusses majority of the organizations nowadays employ the use of social media predominantly for communicating to their customers and to the general public for a number of reasons. These may involve the fact that social media hosts a large number of people, ranging to millions. The millions of users of such social media is a good representative indicator of success of any business organization since they always determine the customer base of such organizations. It is of critical significance to acknowledge the fact that social media is one of the increasing phenomena in the current society. Social media has a lot of influence in the organizations progress relevant to communication.