Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Global Exploration and Global Empires 1500-1700 Essay
Global Exploration and Global Empires 1500-1700 - Essay Example During this time, the Portuguese and the Spanish begun to explore the European oversees (Annenberg Media, 2007). This exploration aimed at the Atlantic Ocean and Western Mediterranean instead of the East as it was common in the past exploration. The reasons presented in this essay motivated the exploration by the Portuguese and the Spanish during this time (Abernethy, 2007). Economic factors The first motive was that the financial system in Europe- towards the end of the 15th century- was growing and carrying out well. It is recorded that in case the financial system of a nation is flourishing, it aims at importing and exporting its goods. They needed new markets to market their commodities. Italian traders had dominated the market with the East, therefore Europeans, particularly the Portuguese started to abandon the Mediterranean and attempted to enter the Atlantic (McDowell, 1992). There was a shortage of silver in Europe and they had no possibility for a new supply. They discovere d that large quantities of gold were in Africa, though they were not amused with the current system whereby they purchased gold from Northern Africa (Abernethy, 2007). The gold went through numerous distributors before getting to the Arabs (Abernethy, 2007). ... trading positions in Africa and finally sailed from place to place in Africa and started trading positions in Southern Arabia and India (Abernethy, 2007). Geographical factors The first moved during the exploration involved their tactical geographic setting, which offered an effortless entrance to the south towards Africa or the west towards the Americans. Another, possibly important, influence for these explorers leading opinion in their exploration was the eras purchase and use of old Arabic information and knowledge in mathââ¬â¢s, geography and astronomy (Abernethy, 2007). This period of exploration introduced the communities of Europe to the presence of new philosophies across the globe (Abernethy, 2007). Before this era, the Europeans had enough details of the individuals and locations beyond the limitations of Europe, mainly Asia and Africa. Before the innovation and invention of the Americas, the Europeans were not aware of other existence. Europeans assumed that the world was small than it was in reality (Abernethy, 2007). This motivated the initial pioneers like Magellan and Columbus to believe that discovering new paths to the East was going to be easier than the way they discovered it (Overy, 2004). Philosophical misconceptions around natural features and the beliefs of local populaces would transform gradually through the initial centuries of these exploration (Abernethy, 2007). By the 16th century, European plans started to increase their representations and accounts to incorporate new physical discoveries (Abernethy, 2007). However, because of the powerful political conflicts taking place during the time, European nations protected their geographic findings and data from one another (Abernethy, 2007). Therefore, we can say that, though the need to
Monday, October 28, 2019
The murders in Mary Shelleys Essay Example for Free
The murders in Mary Shelleys Essay There were however, moments when his conscience surfaced often did my human nature turn with loathing from my occupation this obviously shows us that Frankenstein was not completely enthralled by his work and that he did have some of his morals intact. But eventually his true reasoning behind his experiments surfaces. Frankensteins whole intention was to play God and to create a creature different from humans. `A new species would bless me as its creator. This shows us that Frankenstein feels that by completing his experiments he could become almost God-like by holding the power of life and reviving the dead. This can also be seen through the title of the novel Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus, as Prometheus stole fire from the Gods, Frankenstein stole creation from the Gods for the betterment of humanity. The stronger theme is that of discrimination to outsiders. The character of Frankenstein is not represented as evil. He is self-centred and single minded in his pursuit to create perfection and learn, the secrets of heaven and hell. He doesnt consider the implications of his hazardous research or believe that anything could possibly go wrong, his intentions he believed were good. Shocked at his failure and unable to accept his loss of control over his creation Frankenstein runs away from the problem. He is too vain to confess that what he has done is wrong and will not reveal his secrets to even his most loyal friend Clerval. He almost lives in a dream world, believing that he can become an architect of life and respected by all. Frankensteins ultimate weakness is his failure to admit failure. In this way Frankenstein could be held partly responsible, inevitably it was the monster that had killed. His killings were premeditated and targeted in who he was to kill, he did not kill to defend himself but to cause pain to Frankenstein. When the creature is first brought to life, he is confused; he is quick to develop an understanding of the sense of pain, heat, hunger and cold. He marvels and delights like a child at the sights and sounds of nature. He is puzzled by the beating that he receives from the villagers and resolves to keep his distance and observe them, hoping that he will discover why they drove him away. We can clearly see that there is no anger or desire for revenge at this stage, the creature delights in their beauty and happiness and shares their sorrows, when they were unhappy, I felt depressed, when they rejoiced, I sympathised in their joys i He has no evil intentions towards anyone or anything at this stage, he is still very innocent. This could have been a deliberate portrayal by Shelley to make the creation like a child, impressionable by society. However, when the monster tries to help others, he is rewarded not by acceptation into society but by physical abuse. When he is shot after trying to save a small girl he vowed eternal hatred and vengeance to all mankind i The monster showed no hatred to mankind until he was repeatedly rejected by society and even the De Lacey family who he thought he was close to abandoned him, as had his creator. In this way we can see that throughout the novel society rejects someone who is different, which meant the monster could not live like others, but in stead live an existence where he sought human companionship even though they rejected him. The monster says that his reasoning for his murders was, ` the barbarity of man. so Shelley is trying to show us that monster murdered because he was rejected by man. The monster says ` I am malicious because I am miserable because he was outcast from the world forever. So society is partially responsible for the murders. In conclusion we can see that the question, Who is responsible for the murders in Frankenstein? cannot be answered by placing the blame wholly onto one character. In fact Frankenstein, his creation and society as a whole played a part in the deaths. Although it may have been the monster who strangled William and murdered both Elizabeth and Clerval it was Frankensteins inability to admit to his faults that led to the death of Justine. As Frankenstein could not be bold enough to let other people know that it was not Justine who killed William but his creation. If Frankenstein had divulged his secret then they would know it was the monster who perpetrated the murders. Furthermore, if Frankenstein had told Clerval of the monster then Clerval may not have died, but this can be said for all the murders that occur in the novel. So it was the monster that killed not to defend himself but to have his revenge on a society who judged him not by his morals but by the way he looked. As can be said for our society today which contains many people who discriminate others because of sex, age or race. I feel that Victor is mainly responsible, he started an experiment to which he had given no thought and when he was not happy with the result he ran away hoping that it would pass over but it didnt. Even though he had numerous chances to admit to his failure it was only when it was too late that he confessed.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Animal Testing is Wrong Essay -- Ethics Science Essays
Animal Testing and Why it is Wrong Imagine a cold dark room with cages lined against the walls. The living creatures echo throughout the building as if the entrapped animals are able to sense their fate. Lying on a table are several rabbits strapped down with tiny cups attached to their bellies. These rabbits go through an enormous amount of pain due to the fact that they are not given painkillers of any sort. Sadly, these animals are being used for scientific experimentation. It is a debate that has taken place for several years and it continues to be an ongoing battle. Do animals have rights and is animal testing wrong. In 1824 The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in England was formed and since then there have been debate after debate on animal rights. In the past, it was only an issue of the human treatment toward work animals and house hold pets. Now organizations, including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have formed in hopes to stop scientific experimentation on anima ls. According to be poll by the Associated Press in November 1995, two-thirds of all Americans believer that animals have just as much right to live without suffering as humans. What do you believe? Is animal research ethical, is it accurate, and are there other methods available to take the place of animal research? Animals are being mistreated and there in no need for it. There are too many other options available for research which is more accurate and humane. Animal testing still an option/Types of test being used Although animal research is not used as much, the number of animals being used remains substantial, with estimates ranging anywhere from 10 million to over 100 million per... ...uk/science/hottopics/animalexperiments/index.shtml Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing, John Hopkins University. (2003) Retrieved April 4, 2004 from http://caat.jhsph.edu/ National Anti-Vivisection Society. Animals in product testing. Animals in Education. Animals in Scientific Research. (2001). Retrieved April 4, 2004 from http://navs.org Macy, David. CQ Researcher. Fighting Over animal Rights. August 2, 1996. Retrived April 14, 2004 from http://www.morehead-st.edu:2125/cqresearcher/document Fox, Katrina. Nexus Magazine. The Human Cost of Animal Experiments. (2001) retrieved April 14, 2004 from http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/animaltesting.html Barnard, Neal and Kaufman, Stephen. Animal Research is Wasteful and Misleading. Retrieved April 12, 2004 from http://www.members.iinet.au/~rabbit/expmilg.html
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Retention Rate of First Generation College Students
A first coevals college pupil is a pupil for whom both parents or defenders have a high school instruction or less and have ne'er begun a postsecondary grade ( Inkelas, Daver, Vogt, & A ; Leonard, 2007 ) . These pupils are at a disadvantage of obtaining at least a unmarried man ââ¬Ës grade because they are a bad population for dropping out of college. At four-year establishments, first-generation college pupils have a 23 % opportunity of dropping out of school before their 2nd twelvemonth compared to 10 % of pupils whose parents held a unmarried man ââ¬Ës grade ( Tym, McMillion, Barone, & A ; Webster, 2004 ) . Controling for factors associated with non returning, such as delayed registration after high school, working full-time, low fiscal assistance, gender, race, and ethnicity, first-generation position was still a important index of a pupil go forthing before their 2nd twelvemonth ( Choy, 2001 ) . This is a societal and economical job because a huge bulk of occupations today require some kind of postsecondary instruction, whether it be a unmarried man ââ¬Ës grade or higher. Several factors are thought to act upon keeping rates in college. Troubles in cultural, psychosocial, and cognitive transitioning are the major factors ( Hertel, 2002 ; Pascarella, Pierson, Wolniak, & A ; Terenzini, 2004 ; Pike & A ; Kuh, 2005 ; Terenzini, Springer, Yaeger, Pascarella, & A ; Nora, 1996 ) . This paper discusses the function of educational intercessions in the keeping of first-generation college pupils and the best clip to implement these plans. The advantage of implementing intercessions early is thought to be the betterment of keeping rates of first-generation college pupils.Transitioning TroublesTraditional pupils are at a higher rate of achieving a grade compared to their first-generation pupil equals. Research workers questioned why this may be and sought to happen indispensable factors that play a function in the deficiency of success in first-generation college pupils. A general premise is that parental instruction is a major influence on a pupil ââ¬Ës pick t o go to college and the pupil ââ¬Ës finding to make good. The hazard of going college within the first twelvemonth, irrespective of the ground, was cited to be 71 % higher for first-generation college pupils than pupils with college-educated parents ( Ishitani, 2003 ) . Although this determination supports a higher per centum of bead outs than those of Choy ( 2001 ) and Tym et Al. ( 2004 ) , the consequences from all three surveies are comparable ; they investigated how first-generation college pupils are at least twice every bit likely to drop out of school as their traditional pupil equals. Martinez, Sher, Krull, and Wood ( 2009 ) assessed the features and experiences of pupils that are most prognostic of abrasion, or non-enrollment. They examined how different factors interact with being a first coevals pupil. This survey, with 28.7 % of the participants being first-generation pupils, hypothesized that abrasion factors both moderate and intercede the consequence of parental instruction on a pupil ââ¬Ës abrasion from college. A moderator influences the strength of the relationship between first-generation pupils and their hazard of abrasion. In this survey, GPA was found to be the lone moderator or circumstance among all the factors that made a difference ( Martinez et al. , 2009 ) . Bing a first-generation college pupil is a bigger hazard if GPA is hapless. Mediators explain how the relationship between first-generation college pupil position and hazard of abrasion occurs. ACT scores, support, and GPA each acted as go-betweens ; each of these factors was related to parental instruction every bit good as abrasion ( Martinez et al. , 2009 ) . Since go-betweens are the most influential in explicating why low parental instruction leads to a greater hazard of abrasion for first coevals pupils, this survey preludes how parental instruction can impact a first-generation college pupil ââ¬Ës passage to college culturally, psychosocially, and cognitively. Making the passage from high school to college can be hard for anyone. It is particularly hard for those pupils who are both first-generation and place as a minority race or ethnicity. Passage can be hard due to a separation from close household and friends ( Garcia, 2010 ) . These pupils may besides happen problem appreciating what the college has to offer because they typically come from households with low income and work at least parttime to pay for their instruction. Martinez et Al. ( 2009 ) found that first-generation college pupils had more scholarships and loans, but a deficiency of support from nest eggs and familial parts. It is of import to observe here that their findings contrast what was antecedently found about parental instruction being an index of abrasion. Lack of scholarship was found to be a more precise index of abrasion than lower parental instruction ( Martinez et al. , 2009 ) . One manner to extinguish the arrangement of a fiscal position label upon a pupil is through successful cultural transitioning. First-generation females and minorities populating on campus tended to be more engaged in the establishment ( Pike & A ; Kuh, 2005 ) . This determination can be slightly deceptive since most first-generation pupils tend to populate off-campus and at place. A 2nd constituent of the cultural passage is the discrepancies in an apprehension of the basic cognition of postsecondary instruction. A clear line is drawn that establishes how first-generation college pupils view college as opposed to second-generation and other traditional pupils. First-generation college pupils saw the school ââ¬Ës environment as scholarly and less as an chance for occupational readying ( Terenzini et al. , 1996 ) . These pupils see their parents as life socioeconomically stable lives without a college grade and think that they can be merely like them. Hertel ( 2002 ) points out that for traditional college pupils, parents who went to college base on balls on cognition about the college civilization. This cognition has seemed to diminish abrasion rates in college. On the other manus, some first-generation college pupils have reported that they felt like two different people- 1 at place and one at college ( Bryan & A ; Simmons, 2009 ) . These pupils are divided between household and friends back place who are minimally educated and equals who portion in the wealth of cognition gained through college. The 2nd factor explicating why first-generation college pupils typically do non prevail in postsecondary instruction is trouble in a psychosocial passage. First-generation college pupils populating off campus and working happen it hard to acquire involved in extracurricular activities and meeting with other pupils and module ( Pascarella et al. , 2004 ) . These consequences support what was found in earlier research. Second-generation college pupils were cited to hold had higher societal accommodations due to back up, more cognition about college, and had a greater focal point on college activities ( Hertel, 2002 ) . These pupils typically live on campus and are concentrating on their academe, instead than working. Populating on campus allows traditional pupils to run into with module more readily. This can transfuse ideas of handiness and support from the module. Unfortunately for first-generation college pupils, they do non see module as being concerned for pupil development and instruction ( Terenzini et al. , 1996 ) . This is troublesome because pupils who feel welcomed and can interact freely with their professors are the 1s who hold a higher involvement in the establishment and their academic success. First-generation college pupils are at a disadvantage in transitioning psychosocially and face the hazard of institutional abrasion. Cognitive transitioning for first-generation college pupils is the 3rd factor in finding the attainment of a college grade. A successful cognitive passage requires academic readying and college aspirations ( Martinez et al. , 2009 ) . Pascarella et Al. ( 2004 ) found that a first-generation college pupil ââ¬Ës academic readying could be assessed by ACT tonss, a standardised step of reading and critical thought. Martinez et Al. ( 2009 ) found that first-generation college pupils had lower ACT tonss compared to their traditional-student equals. This is merely one manner of demoing how first-generation college pupils are less prepared academically for college. First-generation pupils seem to hold a more hard clip being academically successful and have less motive to prevail in gaining a grade. Degree programs and future aspirations of first-generation college pupils varied greatly from second-generation and traditional college pupils. First-generation pupils would prefer to take easier classs instead than 1s that may suggest a challenge. Compared to their traditional equals, first-generation college pupils were more likely to take pre-professional classs and less of the humanistic disciplines and societal scientific disciplines ( Terenzini et al. , 1996 ) . Pike and Kuh ( 2005 ) farther observed this phenomenon that pupils ââ¬Ë educational aspirations improved with positive perceptual experiences of the college environment. Both perceptual experiences of the college and the environment and integrating were straight related to additions in acquisition and rational development ( Pike & A ; Kuh, 2005 ) . Pascarella et Al. ( 2004 ) noted th at first-generation college pupils made smaller additions in the highest grade they planned to obtain. This may be due to the fact that second-generation pupils may be more cognizant of the function advanced grades play in the labor-market. All of these surveies examined how of import a successful cognitive and academic passage can be for the success and possible keeping of first-generation college pupils.Educational InterventionsFirst-generation college pupils can increase their opportunities of keeping and having a grade if they are exposed to academic resources provided by the college. The intent of these resources is to assist better fix first-generation college pupils for college preparedness. College preparedness involves understanding pupil features and accomplishments within the context of college ( Byrd & A ; MacDonald, 2005 ) . Resources can include anything from run intoing with college staff, specially designed institutional plans, or a gathering topographic point for pu pils. Effective intercessions are important for the first-generation college pupil ââ¬Ës mentality. Once they are enrolled in college, they carry non merely their ain single hopes, but the aspirations of their households and communities ( Jehangir, 2010 ) . Admission into college is a milepost for first-generation pupils. Therefore, it is of import to do certain that the type of intercession utilized would be able to supply first-generation college pupils with the tools they need to graduate. The most effectual intercessions should concentrate on the pupils ââ¬Ë strengths and bing accomplishments ( Martinez et al. , 2009 ) . The first intercession theoretical account that has been shown to be effectual is the Social Cognitive Career Theory. This theoretical account was introduced after the designation of five ways that first-generation college pupils differ from their peers- deficiency of parental experience with college applications, academic and personal readying for college, grounds for traveling to college, and personality and life differences. Social Cognitive Career Theory examines the patterned advance of academic involvements in pupils and how to take the following measure and do those involvements a calling option through self-efficacy and end scene. The effectivity of this theoretical account came from the fact that it focuses on socio-cognitive concepts to explicate calling development ( Gibbons & A ; Shoffner, 2004 ) . High school counsellors would be able to utilize this technique to assist possible first-generation college pupils prior to come ining college. This resource is able to supply cognition about college to possible first-generation college pupils that they can non happen elsewhere. The following educational intercession includes living-learning communities. These communities are residential communities where pupils live together in a specific abode hall with a shared academic or thematic focal point and hold entree to academic scheduling and services ( Inkelas & A ; Weisman, 2003 ; Inkelas et al. , 2007 ; Stassen, 2003 ) . The intent of living-learning communities is to ease the academic and societal passage to college for first-generation college pupils. This theoretical account seems to be the most popular and successful among all the intercessions. Surveies have shown that first-generation college pupils who participate in living-learning communities are more likely to comprehend an easier academic and societal passage to college than those in traditional abode halls ( Inkelas & A ; Weisman, 2003 ; Inkelas et al. , 2007 ; Stassen, 2003 ) . The ground for this is that these pupils are traveling through the same experiences of larning to populate on their ain and take more duty upon themselves. The success of this intercession is found in the construct of holding first-generation college pupils live within one country of the abode halls, have entree to multiple resources, and take part in activities that require teamwork and societal interactions. Stassen ( 2003 ) observed the results of living-learning communities when he studied 477 pupils in a living-learning community and 328 pupils non in a living-learning community at a big northeasterly university. Significant differences were found between the two groups in countries of academic integrating ; nevertheless, module integrating did non better ( Stassen, 2003 ) . This can be accounted for through the existent plan construct. Its design focuses on originating equal interactions, non linking module and pupils. The popularity of living-learning plans has led to the development of different types of living-learning communities. These forte plans range from communities for awards pupils to talent promotion to curriculum-based theoretical accounts ( Inkelas & A ; Weisman, 2003 ; Stassen, 2003 ) . However, no affair which living-learning community a first-generation college pupil chooses, there has been a important positive consequence on first-semester GPA and annual keeping ( Stassen, 2003 ) . Therefore, interested pupils should make up one's mind for themselves which community seems the most fitting. It should be noted that the bulk of these consequences were observed after the first semester by cross-sectional surveies. One peculiar survey examined the effectivity of a Freshman Empowerment Program. After detecting 53 pupils placed in this plan and 53 pupils placed in a control group at the same university, Folger, Carter, and Chase ( 2004 ) found that the GPA of first-generation college pupils increased from first-semester to the second-semester and that each semester ââ¬Ës GPA every bit good as their cumulative GPA was higher than those pupils non in the plan. Inkelas et Al. ( 2007 ) point out that the impact of living-learning plans may non be well-understood until after pupils have had clip to reflect on their living-learning experiences. It would be interesting to see if first-generation college pupils ââ¬Ë keeping rate continued to be as they progressed through all four old ages of college. An effectual living-learning plan would transfuse a positive attitude on the pupils and give them the resources they need to win. A 3rd educational intercession involves an thought that gets to the bosom of the problem- low continuity among first-generation college pupils. Many research workers have approached this job in many ways ensuing in multiple solutions. Cabrera, Nora, and Castaneda ( 1993 ) wanted to cognize if unifying Tinto ââ¬Ës Student Integration Theory and Bean ââ¬Ës Student Attrition Model would break explicate first-generation college pupils ââ¬Ë continuity. The Student Integration Theory attributed abrasion to a deficiency of congruency between pupils and establishments, whereas the Student Attrition Model recognized that behavioural purposes are shaped by a procedure whereby beliefs form attitudes, and attitudes influence behavioural purposes ( Cabrera et al. , 1993 ) . The solution so becomes to hold establishments integrate encouragement and support from important others into the conceptual models analyzing pupil continuity. The foundation for research workers to analyze the function household has in the continuity of first-generation college pupils was established when Cabrera et Al. ( 1993 ) noted a positive consequence of encouragement from friends and household found on committednesss to the establishment. A smattering of ulterior surveies have systematically shown that parents, household members, and friends in the pupils ââ¬Ë old communities can supply encouragement and reenforce the pupils ââ¬Ë determination to go to and prevail throughout college ( Bryan & A ; Simmons, 2009 ; Elkins, Braxton, & A ; James, 2000 ; McCarron & A ; Inkelas, 2006 ) . McCarron and Inkelas ( 2006 ) used 3,758 pupils, half of which were first-generation college pupils, to propose that the chief forecaster of attainment for first-generation college pupils was non parental engagement ; instead, it was pupils ââ¬Ë perceptual experiences of the importance of good classs. Family members tend to act upon striplings Ã¢â ¬Ë decision-making sing educational and occupational chases. This may be the ground why first-generation college pupils feel an overmastering sense of force per unit area to win in school in order to delight their households and communities ( Bryan & A ; Simmons, 2009 ) . Some of these consequences can be deceptive, nevertheless. The development of an intercession theoretical account that provides programming for first-generation college pupils and their parents may assist better keeping and graduation rates. The last intercession theoretical account examines what can be done within the college establishment itself. Braxton and McClendon ( 2001 ) believed that the duty for pupil keeping is campus-wide. Everyone from equals to faculty to disposal play a function in the keeping of first-generation college pupils. They have come up with an array of recommendations shown to positively act upon societal integrating and keeping. The first suggests that academic advisers urge their pupils to take classs from module members who receive high mark evaluations on organisation, readying, accomplishment, and lucidity. Organization and skill positively influence societal integrating and continuity. Second, administrative policies and processs should be made clear and enforced reasonably to pupils to guarantee continuity. Third, the enrollment direction should fix recruitment activities accurately portraying the establishment. This is of import because a pupil ââ¬Ës determination to go to a peculiar college falls to a great extent on their outlooks for what college life will be like. The following recommendation involves the module. Workshops and seminars should be attended by module so that they can larn how to integrate concerted and collaborative acquisition into their schoolrooms. Last, pupil orientation plans for freshman pupils provide pupils with the chance to larn everything about the school. Successful orientation plans develop chances for first-generation pupils to socially interact with their equals ( Braxton & A ; McClendon, 2001 ) . Implementing any, if non all, of these recommendations would ensue in more well-balanced pupils and a higher keeping rate due to the fact that these pupils will desire to go on larning in an establishment that is both welcoming and helpful. A major restriction of all these intercession surveies is the research workers ââ¬Ë short-run observation. For more accurate findings on the effectivity of different intercessions, research workers should be working on detecting these first-generation college pupils in their senior twelvemonth and a few old ages after graduation. This would basically corroborate the success of these intercessions. Merely holding these different educational intercessions readily available will non assist first-generation college pupils. The following measure is seeking to calculate out the best clip to implement them. Aside from the Social Cognitive Career Theory, which is designed for college-bound high-school pupils, few research workers explored the timing of intercession for pupils at hazard of going. A proposed manner of look intoing pupil abrasion is utilizing event patterning techniques when pupils are more likely to go forth their establishments ( Ishitani, 2008 ) . Departure hazards of pupils vary over clip, and pupils are at a higher hazard of going at assorted points in clip depending on their features. Knowing when pupils are more likely to go forth helps institutional forces in planing systematic intercession programs to take down the institutional abrasion rate.DrumheadFirst-generation college pupils have many factors working against them, but they can be merely every bit successf ul as their traditional equals, so long as they have entree to different educational intercessions. First-generation college pupils have to set to cultural, psychosocial, and cognitive passages. A few of the many jobs these pupils encounter include: holding a parttime occupation, separation from friends and household, discrepancies in an apprehension of the basic cognition of postsecondary instruction, hapless academic readying, and hapless interactions with equals and module. Most of first-generation college pupils ââ¬Ë clip is consumed by either going to and from school or working. Those first-generation college pupils who are fortunate plenty to populate on campus face a different quandary. Their life style at place is really different than college civilization and they feel a demand to be two different people, one at place and one at school. It seems that the underlying problem stems from being unprepared for postsecondary instruction. Fortunately, first-generation college pu pils can raise their self-esteem and be better equipped for college if they utilize any and all resources available to them through the establishment. Programs such as Social Cognitive Career Theory, living-learning communities, Freshman Empowerment Groups, and alterations within the college establishment itself will let for better societal interactions with equals and peace of head cognizing that they made the right determination and are motivated to larn, alumnus, and have a successful calling.DecisionThe handiness of many educational intercessions leaves research workers to inquire which theoretical account would be most effectual. Living-learning communities are flexible, giving each postsecondary establishment an chance to suit their different pupil populations. Living-learning communities can be designed with any peculiar group in head. Besides, this plan is really popular and used throughout many of the state ââ¬Ës colleges and universities. First-generation college pupils do non necessitate to experience like they are being singled out in these plans as opposed to run intoing separately with a counsellor or adviser. Alternatively, they are with other pupils who are sing the same troubles as they are. Last, these plans have been found to be successful in infinite surveies, a few of which were mentioned throughout this paper. The way of research now should be a comparative survey concentrating on the effectivity of living-learning communities with regard to other intercessions.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Gattaca Film Study Essay
Gattaca is often portrayed as a quest film. A quest film is defined as ââ¬Å"a character that is on a journey or adventure with an ultimate goal in mind of completing a task or to obtain an object of significance.â⬠(Merriam-Webster, 2012) The quest often involves overcoming challenges and to do this the character learn something about him/her-self and this then aids them on their ââ¬Å"questâ⬠. Being a quest film, Gattaca shares many characteristics that are often found in other movies of a similar genre. Examples of these include ââ¬â Pirates of the Caribbean and In Time. Pirates of the Caribbean, is told with the protagonist as Captain Jack Sparrow on a quest to help him obtain immortality. The characters in both Pirates of the Caribbean and Gattaca share many similar traits; they are both after a strongly desired goal and will take the necessary risks to succeed. Gattaca, being produced in 1997, had many cutting edge ideas with such vision leading directors of the time. It was set in what was though the not so distant future of today would look like. It gives us an insight into a world based around the genetically superior, where genes are all that matter. The main character Vincent Freeman has dreamt of becoming an astronaut his whole life but, due to being conceived naturally and receiving a life expectancy of 30 years. He is cast aside in society, labelled a ââ¬Å"Degenerateâ⬠and ââ¬Å"Invalidâ⬠. Vincent soon learns he will never be able to move ahead in life; to fulfil his dream Vincent uses a ââ¬Å"Borrowed ladderâ⬠from a genius named Jerome Eugene Morrow, who is a paraplegic due to an accident overseas. The term a ââ¬Å"Borrowed Ladderâ⬠comes as the protagonist Vincent impersonates the life of Jerome thus using his identity. After months of special care, training and changes to his looks, Vincent enters the Aerospace Corporation known as ââ¬Å"Gattacaâ⬠. Impersonating Jerome, Freeman becomes the companyââ¬â¢s top navigator with a perfect record and clean slate by working hard and working hard to keep his real identity a secret; he is chosen to go on a manned spaceflight to Saturnââ¬â¢s moon Titus, but complications arise. One week before departure, when one of the managing directors is bludgeoned to death. An ââ¬Å"Invalidsâ⬠profile; Vincentââ¬â¢s old identity, is uncovered by investigators and this threatens to jeopardise his chances of going to Titan. After managing to avoid being caught by using precautions such as placing samples of DNA supplied by Jerome around Gattaca and even receiving help from a young lady, Irene; with whom Vincent develops feelings for. He ends up finally leaving Earth on due course for Titan. Pirates of the Caribbean on Stranger Tides (2011) Pirates of the Caribbean on Stranger Tides (2011) The Pirates of the Caribbean series are another group of quest movies opened by introducing the goal of the main character, Captain Jack Sparrow. He is always on a quest in search for personal well fortune and benefits. He uses his friends throughout these many adventures, and alike Gattaca, the Protagonist is able to achieve his own desires. During Gattaca, Vincent is aided on several occasions, one being when Irene hides his true identity from the authorities to help him complete his goal/mission. Irene does this; I think because she can understand where he is coming from as she has personal experience suffering in a world where genes are everything. The movie ends with Vincent successfully making it onto the space craft headed to Titan; the ending adds a sense of success but subtly hints to deep sadness with two lines, ââ¬Å"They say every atom in our bodies was once part of a starâ⬠and ââ¬Å"Maybe Iââ¬â¢m not leaving, maybe Iââ¬â¢m going homeâ⬠. The movie reaches a climax when Vincent is almost discovered by his brother (the leading detective on the case), but manages to get past this by telling his brother that ââ¬Å"he always gave 110 percentâ⬠. The quest is completed, as shown in Pirates of the Caribbean, when Captain Jack Sparrow finally manages to overcome a final obstacle and regain ownership of his beloved ship, the Black Pearl. This is exactly the same in Gattaca with Vincent overcoming the final problem of his identity getting potentially exposed by a medical examiner giving him one last routine urine test. It is shown through a simple line that the examiner has known his real identity all along. He achieves his goal and boards the spacecraft without any further problems Vincent achieving this goal shows to us that no matter what ones, goal or dreams are, overcoming the problems you are faced with will ultimately help you in achieve it. Gattaca is a good example of a quest movie because it clearly explains what the goal of the protagonist is and once it has established this, it shows how he overcame his many problems to achieve an ultimate goal. There are many attractions for the audience with many special filming techniques and suspenseful moments utilizing a constant beat to add effect and drama. There is a specific scene in the movie where Vincent is meant to be at home sick but instead is unable to be there so he tells Jerome to impersonate him. There is a problem with this, as to open the door and greet the detective, Jerome must climb a stair case. Without the use of his legs Jerome finds this a challenge because he is a paraplegic. The suspense builds as Jerome struggles up the stairs, racing to get to the top before the detectives reach the door. As you would expect, one last moment effort from Jerome manages to keep the detectives from discovering who he really is. Irene plays a vital role in this scene by acting as if Jerome is Vincent, when she herself is only just finding out the truth. Overall, Gattaca is an excellent example of what a quest film should include. It has a strong story and the director utilizes many techniques with the music, lighting and even camera angles to top it off. The protagonist overcomes challenges; his genes as a place marker for him in society, almost becoming discovered as an ââ¬Å"Invalidâ⬠and a brother who is close to exposing his secret. I think that the quest, his personal dream of travelling into space is worthwhile as he learns about himself while doing it.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
The Arab Spring The contemporary Era
The Arab Spring The contemporary Era Introduction The Arab spring is a wave of revolutionary protests and demonstrations that have been taking place in the Arab world since December 18th 2010.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on The Arab Spring: The contemporary Era specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The revolution has claimed entire regimes in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, as well as major protests in Bahrain, Yemen, Algeria, Jordan, Iraq, Oman, Morocco and Syria. There have been minor protests that were quelled by the governments of Lebanon, Sudan, Mauritania, Kuwait, Western Sahara and Saudi Arabia, by yielding to some of the demands of protestors. The Arab spring also inspired clashes in May 2011 at the borders of Israel. The sustenance of the revolution has been credited to the sharing of civil resistance techniques by the protestors in the different Arab countries, where there were rallies, marches, demonstrations as well as strikes that were mainly or ganized and communicated through social media (Sakbani, 2011). The awareness of the people due to the flow of information was always repulsed by the respective governmentsââ¬â¢ internet censorship and even total disconnection as was the case in Syria from 2008 to 2011 February. Where this has failed there has often been violent repression of the protests by government security forces, often with a considerable amount of casualties as well as counter demonstrations by the respective government supporters. This paper seeks to explore the political situations, in regard to the internal policies established by the leaders of the Arab countries and specifically in Syria and Egypt that led to the Arab spring. The Arab Spring To understand the root cause and the process of the Arab spring, we have to first explore the conditions that triggered its inception. The Arab uprising was sparked by the self-immolation of a Tunisian by the name of Mohamed Bouaziz on December 18th 2010. He was pr otesting the unlawful arrest, corruption and ill treatment by the police amid the hard economic situation in the country. The protests that followed thereafter were greatly successful, with the ousting of the then president of Tunisia, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and this inspired similar protest in other Arab countries. The Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, resigned after there were 18 days of massive protests amid crackdowns by government security forces on the 11th of February 2011.Advertising Looking for term paper on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Other leaders, however, moved to quell the anger of the protestors by announcing that they would not context in the next elections, such as the Sudanese president Omar Al-Bashir and the Iraqi President Nouri Al-Maliki. King Abdullah of Jordan went ahead to sack two successive governments as the protests still continued. Ali Abdullah Saleh, the president of Ye men, announced that he would resign in 30 days back on 23rd of April in a bid to quell massive protests that had rocked the country, but he later changed his mind and retracted the statement which has led to continued protests. The Arab Spring in Egypt The revolution in Egypt was mainly inspired by its success in Tunisia and it started on the 25th of January. The then to be presidential candidate, Mohamed ElBaradei had already warned government officials that there was going to be a revolutionary wave of protests similar to those in Tunisia, if the pleas of the people were not addressed. It was, however, too late before the government of Egypt could take any action to salvage the situation as on 28th January at midnight, their attempts to stop the organization of the protests by blocking all internet access in the country did not work. Though the social media was successfully crippled, the organizers still found new ways to encourage people to join them and the internet blockade was one of the reasons they cited as a motivation to increase their protests. In a bid to salvage the situation, President Mubarak appointed a new cabinet as well as a vice-president, who was the first in almost three decades. Mubarak later gave the vice-president, Omar Suleiman the power to rule Egypt on 10th February, though this was followed by an official statement that he would still hold on to the presidency until the end of his presidential term. This move was not taken well by the protestors as the demonstrations still intensified. The vice president later announced that Mubarak had resigned on the next day and he went ahead to transfer power to the Egyptian armed forces. This inspired a wave of celebrations across the country with the biggest being at Tahrir square.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on The Arab Spring: The contemporary Era specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The military then noticed that they we re also facing resistance and went ahead to lift emergency laws that had been in place for thirty years. The army then dissolved parliament and suspended the constitution, then promised to organize free and fair elections in the next six months. The armed forces went ahead to appoint a civilian by the name of Essam Sharaf, as the Egyptian prime minister on 4th March. This was greatly approved by the protestor and the protests reduced, though there were other small protests that continued in July with the complaints that the Essam Sharaf administration together with the armed forces supreme council was slow in establishing reforms in the institutions of governance, than expected. The Arab Spring in Syria The Syrian uprising started with a case of self-immolation that sparked protests all over the capital city on the 26th of January. The protestors main grievances were political reforms and the observance of their civil rights by the government (Sakbani, 2011). They also complained th at the county had been in a state of emergency for the last 48 years since 1963. The attempts by the protestors to organize a major demonstration dubbed the day of fury was, however, not successful, but on the 6th of March, the arrest and torture of 15 children who were accused of having written some slogans that were against the regime, sparked even more protests. Thousands of protestors who were against the Baathist regime that had ruled Syria since 1963, gathered in the cities of Deir Ez-Zor, Hama, Daraa, Al-Hasakah, Aleppo, and Damascus, with Daraa being the first to protest on the 15th of March after the release of Suhair Atassi, a politician who became the unofficial spokesperson for the protestors in the revolution. This was followed by reports that the government had arrested over 3,000 Syrians and there had been a lot of casualties as the government security forces shot at protestors. The climax of the protest was on 18th April when almost 100,000 protestors sat at the Squa re of Horns to demand for the resignation of President Bashar Al Assad. The protests continued throughout the next three months with the government conducting harsh security crackdowns and military operations in the country, with the most violent incident occurring on the 31st of July when army tanks stormed cities and killed over 136 people. Political Conditions That Triggered the Arab Spring in Egypt and Syria The revolution was observed to have been motivated by two main issues: the economic hardships of the citizens of these countries; and the harsh laws that were in place that discouraged democracy. The triggering incident that occurred in Tunisia involved a man whose market stall had been confiscated and his complaints were that besides acquiring an education, selling vegetables was his only option to make a living.Advertising Looking for term paper on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Analysts have specifically pointed out that in Syria and Egypt, the prolonged economic stagnation, violation of human rights, as well as rampant corruption by government officials have led to the common citizensââ¬â¢ suffering, and hence the need for political change. There has been decades of under-development and even in some cases there is evidence of de-development as the established economic policies have failed, and institutions of governance broken or abused (Partridge, 2011). The overall economic growth in the Arab world has been negative since 1971 and specifically the per-capita income of citizens of gulf countries like Syria has been reducing by almost 2.8 percent every year (Gershoni, Jankowski, 2010). The rampant corruption in Syria and Egypt has meant that those who are already rich or are in positions of power enjoy better quality of life while the poor suffer even more. This has led to a wide economic gap between the rich and powerful in these countries, and the poor. However, what took the rest of the world by surprise is the flow of information on the economic conditions of these countries, as previously their dictatorial governments had ensured that they filtered any information on these countries and had declined to participate in any surveys (Tejel, 2009). The inequality and the corruption in these countries is influenced by the fact that most of the economic centers are owned and managed by government institutions, hence, discouraging private entrepreneurship. In Egypt for instance, the government has ceded most of the economic control of the country to the military. This has ensured that the military owns most corporations where they employ retired military leaders and/or their immediate family and friends. It is also observed that state companies consume almost all the financial credit available in Egypt, hence, forcing other family owned small and medium businesses to have to rely on un-informal means of funding which are often exp ensive and exploitative. This has diminished the business community and those who are in business have to sell their products at high prices which have contributed to high cost of living amid reducing incomes (Odugbemi Lee, 2011). The failure of economic policies in Syria and Egypt has contributed to high rates of unemployment as well as under-employment, which are more common for the young who have been the back bone of the uprisings. The rampant corruption, regional conflict and dictatorial leadership has contributed greatly to companiesââ¬â¢ thinking of only the short-term, as there is too much uncertainty in the region (Partridge, 2011). The same uncertainty has discouraged domestic investments and the revenues generated due to the rising commodity prices end up being transferred abroad. It has been identified that in Syria, local banks have had low capacities to the point of collapse. The Arab spring was created in such a way that it suggests a new awakening among the citiz ens of Syria and Egypt, which would bring with it a new political and socio-economic order. This has suggested that the Arab world will never be the same again, and the autocratic and dictatorial governments that are still existent in the region, may only have a few years if not months before they come to an end if they donââ¬â¢t establish political, educational and socio-economic reforms. Perhaps the most outstanding difference between the Arab spring and other uprisings, is the fact that the people are fueled by their need for dignified lives rather than the need for political superiority, as has been the case in sub-Saharan Africa and the Balkan states in the past (Ben-Meir, 2011). The passion of these people will probably not let any politically radical group to take power without receiving resistance from them. Previously, there was a belief that the people in Syria and Egypt could not organize themselves and speak with one voice, as the regimes had discouraged any form of o rganization. However, this was not to be as the Syrians and Egyptians organized amid speculation with their governments believing that the voice of the people was too fractured, too radical, too politically immature and insignificant to make any impact or even to be taken seriously. There was also the belief among the political class that the Arab authoritarian rule was going to continue for many decades to come as there was succession of governments among powerful families in most Arab countries, where the sons of the rulers inherited power from their fathers upon them leaving office, as was the case in Syria (Partridge, 2011). The greatest weakness of these assumptions, as is evidenced in Syria, is that they did not put into consideration the greatly educated, informed and politically assertive youth of the country. They still thought that the loyalty of the old generation to these regimes was to be transferred to the younger generation, and they always tried to promote this throu gh their authoritarian rule that has been able to squash resistance fro the citizens for along time. This younger generation is greatly aware of their rights, and has a high appeal for democracy which was earlier profiled as an evil western propaganda that is against their Muslim religion (Press-Barnathan, 2009). As far as the politics of Syria is concerned, the administration of President Assad has squashed the opposition since he came to power as it was the policy before during his fatherââ¬â¢s rule. This has seen anyone who exhibited political ideas that contradicted his partyââ¬â¢s banned from travelling outside the country, arrested and even tortured to death by the police. There have been reports of secret police units that have been used to quell any opposition through inhumane ways. The human rights watch groups in the Middle East have ranked Syria as number one in violations of human rights and this is said to be the greatest down fall of Assadââ¬â¢s legislation wh ich has fueled the revolution in Syria. Political Effects of the Arab Spring The revolution has transformed the geo-politics of the region as it has been observed that the traditional understanding of the political environment of the region has been thrown out of balance. It was previously believed that the politics of the region was defined by the difference in ideologies between those who were pro-western and those who were anti-western, or those who are Sunnis and those who were Shiââ¬â¢a, as well as the belief that it was based on the differences between the Arabs and the Jews, in the case of Israel and its neighbors. It was, however, observed that the great inequalities or disparities in the qualities of life, between the authoritarian regimes and the citizens they ruled were the greatest motivations of the revolution (Gershoni, Jankowski, 2010). The ultimate political result of the revolution has been the great spotlight cast on authoritarian or dictatorial regimes, as the y feel the pressure to restructure their legislative policies or face resistance from their citizens. Some like the Kuwaiti administration have, however, been able to quell the anger of their citizens by introducing subsidies and cash handouts. Others, as is the case in Syria, have had to give fake promises of economic and political reforms (Lunnon, 2011). The young people, who were mostly idealists, utilized the loopholes that had been left by the governmentsââ¬â¢ belief that they could not organize and therefore were at ease. Their skillful utilization of social media was particularly impressive as it surprised many with its success. There was also the use of nonviolent means to organize protests that took the governments by surprise as they did not know what to do with them since they had always figured out that due to their foolproof control of their territories and strong security agencies, any threat would probably have to be excessively violent. Lastly, the quick and effec tive success of the revolution in Tunisia and Egypt worked to fuel the revolution even further as other countries realized that it is easy and possible to remove even the harshest dictators from power. This has been the short-term change that has brought hope to the people of the Arab countries that there can be an end to authoritarian rule and they can enjoy both economic growth and their freedom. It has also served to warn other dictators like Bashar al-Assad of Syria, or would be dictators in other countries, that their end was near (Ben-Meir, 2011). It has now dawned on many that, autocracies and monarchies in the Arab countries have an uncertain future as the young Arabs have disapproved any cultural obligations to these autocracies. These young people are proponents of regional sovereignty that takes a pan-Arab approach that may not be viable for any western nation that sees this as an opportunity to assert their influence on the regime that comes after. The west has to basica lly take a back seat and watch as the Egyptian and the Syrians try to establish their own forms of government that they think suits their political ideologies as well as their religious and cultural background. In as much as the army may be the final political arbiter in Egypt as has been the case since 1952, there is now a chance for liberals, Islamists, repackaged elements of the previous regime and leftists of various backgrounds, to gain control of, and even influence, the countryââ¬â¢s parliament and the government, which was not the case under the ousted Mubarak government. The success of the emerging institutions such as the Egyptian Federation of Independent Trade Unions may be evidence of this phenomenon, as they may set limitations to the young neo-liberal economic reform project (Odugbemi Lee, 2011). The other group, besides the army that is probably going to lose much of the influence it enjoys in these nations, is the US government as their regional political clout diminishes with the ouster of the authoritarian governments that they were previously able to influence. The US campaign on the Palestinian-Israel conflict will now enjoy less support or even resistance from the new governments that want nothing to do with the fetishes of the previous regimes, and will probably stay neutral (Shemesh, 2008). This is evidenced by the fact that the US is currently feeling the treat of a growing Iranian regional influence, as the foreign policies of Egypt are now reflecting previously unseen popular sentiments. Economic Effects of the Arab Spring In the long-term, the Arab world hangs in uncertainty as everyone is skeptical of the stability of the new systems of governance that will be put up to replace the fallen ones. This is behind the further uncertainty of whether the desired democratic system of governance will even be established in the near future as it has been previously evidenced in other countries like Somalia, that the ouster of a governmen t by the people may not necessarily be advantageous, as there might be an eruption of violence as different groups seek to assume leadership of the country. This spring may sadly take too long to yield any fruits in some of these countries as traditional liberals, Islamic extremists, high ranking military personnel that still want to cling to power, ethnic groups, business elites and other religiously affiliated groups, compete against each other on the basis of their different ideologies that they all want to be adopted (Lunnon, 2011). The revival of the respective economies may take a while, and itââ¬â¢s dependent on the success of the transitional period and the success of the next administration amid all the international scrutiny especially by the west. The economic consequences of the Arab revolution have affected the entire world and have been especially brutal, to struggling economies of South East Asia and Africa as the prices of oil have shot up. This has brought with i t an unprecedented increase in the prices of basic commodities especially food stuffs. There is, however, hope that with the successes of most of the protests, the oil market in the world will stabilize soon. This is not to say that there is no future threat to the oil market in the horizon since there is still an uncertainty as to how the new regimes will react in relation to the policies and the policy making process of OPEC, which is a body that most of them belong to. Reference Ben-Meir, A. (2011). Above The Fray: Arab Spring, Revival Of The Islamic state. The Jerusalem Post. Web. Gershoni, I., and Jankowski,J., P. (2010). Confronting fascism in Egypt: dictatorship versus democracy in the 1930s. London: Stanford University Press. Lunnon, H. Et Al. (2011). Arab Spring - Chief Consequence? The Definition. Web. Odugbemi, S., and Lee, T. (2011). Accountability through Public Opinion: From Inertia to Public Action. New York: World Bank Publications. Partridge, M. (2011). How the eco nomic policies of corrupt elite caused the Arab Spring. New statesman. Web. Press-Barnathan, G. (2009). The political economy of transitions to peace: a comparative perspective. New York: University of Pittsburgh Press. Sakbani, M. (2011). The revolutions of the Arab Spring: are democracy, development and modernity at the gates? Contemporary Arab Affairs. 4(2). Web. Shemesh, M. (2008). Arab politics, Palestinian nationalism and the Six Day War: the crystallization of Arab strategy and Nasirs descent to war, 1957-1967. London: Sussex Academic Press. Tejel, J. (2009). Syrias Kurds: history, politics and society. Volume 16 of Routledge advances in Middle East and Islamic studies. New York: Taylor Francis.
Monday, October 21, 2019
Free Essays on Our Life Today
Look at our life today; look how it has changed. Just one hundred years ago we could see Oââ¬â¢Henryââ¬â¢s little secretaries typing for ten hours a day. Weak and deprived of rights, they could be easily dismissed, experience sexual harassment or encounter health problems. They had nobody to be protected by, nobody to turn to. Dark rooms, bad air, and sitting for whole day. It was cruel, but innocent world. Hours, after work, spent in front of windows of an underwear store, cheap food and little dark rooms with gas lighting in the evenings. When she stepped outside her office, she forgot where she worked, she stayed alone with herself, she was on her own planet, she was in her own world. Today we can see the same girl in front of the same underwear store with a mobile phone in her hand giving orders to bank or suppliers. Life has changed. Rhythm has changed. Conditions have changed. For good or bad? Our little hero canââ¬â¢t be dismissed anymore, just because bossââ¬â¢s wife doesnââ¬â¢t like her. She canââ¬â¢t be forced to make things she doesnââ¬â¢t want to do. There are days when she works for 16 hours, twice more than she should, but she is paid for these hours. Her office is cozy, bright, and comfortable. She can be promoted. She can be sent to learn. She is protected and independent. But no matter where she goes with her mobile phone on her - itââ¬â¢s on. Always. We find ourselves today, at the beginning of the Twenty-first century, in bright well air-conditioned offices, protected by contracts in our pockets and by armies of different employees associations. We have become more productive with the help of personal computers, electronic mail, scanners, facsimile machines, and voice message systems. Our mobile phone can take us out of bed to solve urgent problems. ââ¬Å"Superâ⬠clients can keep us at work on the birthday of our little daughter. Where is our privacy? Where is our real life? ââ¬Å"Buyingâ⬠rules have changed and so have ââ¬Å"sellingï ¿ ½... Free Essays on Our Life Today Free Essays on Our Life Today Look at our life today; look how it has changed. Just one hundred years ago we could see Oââ¬â¢Henryââ¬â¢s little secretaries typing for ten hours a day. Weak and deprived of rights, they could be easily dismissed, experience sexual harassment or encounter health problems. They had nobody to be protected by, nobody to turn to. Dark rooms, bad air, and sitting for whole day. It was cruel, but innocent world. Hours, after work, spent in front of windows of an underwear store, cheap food and little dark rooms with gas lighting in the evenings. When she stepped outside her office, she forgot where she worked, she stayed alone with herself, she was on her own planet, she was in her own world. Today we can see the same girl in front of the same underwear store with a mobile phone in her hand giving orders to bank or suppliers. Life has changed. Rhythm has changed. Conditions have changed. For good or bad? Our little hero canââ¬â¢t be dismissed anymore, just because bossââ¬â¢s wife doesnââ¬â¢t like her. She canââ¬â¢t be forced to make things she doesnââ¬â¢t want to do. There are days when she works for 16 hours, twice more than she should, but she is paid for these hours. Her office is cozy, bright, and comfortable. She can be promoted. She can be sent to learn. She is protected and independent. But no matter where she goes with her mobile phone on her - itââ¬â¢s on. Always. We find ourselves today, at the beginning of the Twenty-first century, in bright well air-conditioned offices, protected by contracts in our pockets and by armies of different employees associations. We have become more productive with the help of personal computers, electronic mail, scanners, facsimile machines, and voice message systems. Our mobile phone can take us out of bed to solve urgent problems. ââ¬Å"Superâ⬠clients can keep us at work on the birthday of our little daughter. Where is our privacy? Where is our real life? ââ¬Å"Buyingâ⬠rules have changed and so have ââ¬Å"sellingï ¿ ½...
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Thesis Statement
Thesis Statement Almost all of us even if we dont do it consciously look early in an essay for a one- or two-sentence condensation of the argument or analysis that is to follow. We refer to that condensation as a thesis statement. What Is a Thesis Statement Aà thesisà is a specific statement that is usually placed in the introductory part of an essay,à research paper, dissertation etc., and which is explained in subsequent body paragraphs. A thesis of an article, report or other scientific work is a set of certain statements that are logically connected to each other. Therefore, the main task of the thesis statement is to discover and summarize the content of a larger work. There are several different types of papers students are required to write in higher education. Some essays and papers are meant to provide an overview of a topic (like a research paper), while others make an argument ââ¬â aà persuasive essay ââ¬â to demonstrate to their professors or academic instructors, they have a solid comprehension of a subject, textbook, etc., and that they can thoroughly analyze its content and are developing both their writing and critical-thinking skills. All persuasive essays of this sort ââ¬â that is, those that argue a point ââ¬â must contain a thesis statement. They are first declared in a persuasive essayââ¬â¢s introduction paragraph when the students directly state their point of view on a subject. In just one sentence, the thesis statement is the studentââ¬â¢s pithy summary of the argument they are going to make in the rest of the paper; in many ways, itââ¬â¢s the main thought, theme, or angle of the essay. HOW TO WRITE A THESIS STATEMENT As a side note, whenever a student is to write a persuasive essay, which should include a thesis statement, they should be cognizant that they must defend their argument ââ¬â therefore, their paperââ¬â¢s thesis statement ââ¬â with evidence in the subsequent paragraphs. Also, even though thesis statements are declared early in the essay, in the introductory paragraph, one does not result from a studentââ¬â¢s initial response to a subject or reading assignment; instead they a result of taking an attitude toward a specific, narrowed subject, then finding evidence ââ¬â articles, both journalistic and academic, previously published essays, encyclopedias and online sources ââ¬â to support this argument. In essence, the thesis statement identifies the topic of a text along, or an issue, subject, along with the claim the student is making about it. Thesis Statement Examples To better convey the power and purpose of the thesis statement, it may serve the student best to apply the following scenario to an academic setting.à If students wanted to convince their parents it would be best if their parents bought them a new computer or cell phone to use at college, that students would want to put up a pretty solid argument for doing so, correct? The student with this motivation would first make their claim (in essence a thesis statement, which they would articulate early on in their argument), and then provide reasons why this argument is valid and should be accepted and followed ââ¬â because they really want that cell phone or computer. If the student were writing an essay to persuade their parents of this claim, their thesis statement may be: It is important for me to have a computer/cell phone to use at college. Essentially, this is a thesis statement; however, it is NOT an academic argument (unless a professor allows the student to demonstrate their knowledge of how to write a basic persuasive essay by choosing a general, non-academic topic). For example, an appropriate academic thesis statement might be: ââ¬Å"Edgar Allen Poeââ¬â¢s ââ¬ËThe Tell-Tale Heartââ¬â¢ is told by an unreliable narrator, which then forces the reader to make their own conclusion about the storyââ¬â¢s narrative rather than believing the character telling the story ââ¬â which is usually the case in fictionâ⬠. Once again, the thesis statement asserts the main point of the paper and clarifies the scope of the topic that it will address. A thesis statement is most effective when expressed or declared in the introductory paragraph in a confident, assertive tone and stance; one should leave out qualifiers like ââ¬Å"I thinkâ⬠or ââ¬Å"mightâ⬠which will certainly dilute its effectiveness, thereby weakening the entire paper, offering a weaker argument ââ¬â all while probably earning the student a lower score or grade on the assignment. The student will most likely be assigned a persuasive essay ââ¬â not usually having the option of writing a different kind of essay ââ¬â and will be forced to follow the standard format accepted in higher education. And, more often than not, the student will be assigned a certain text, series of texts, or type of text to analyze and write about. It could be a novel, play, chapter in a text, in a literature class, a speech by a famous politician in a history or government class, or a piece of art in an anthropology class. If you need assistance with thesis statement writing, feel free to contact our friendly support team or place an order and we will gladly help you.
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Business Ethics; Constitutional Law; Antitrust and Monopoly Essay
Business Ethics; Constitutional Law; Antitrust and Monopoly - Essay Example It dictates the kinds of businesses that investors indulge in, the legal specifications and tax requirements. Upcoming business enterprises must comply with these rules and regulations (Steven, 2008 p.78). Antitrust in the business world explains how it seeks to make sure that business enterprises compete fairly in the market. This in the past, has had an effect on the economy of many countries in the world. With beliefs that free, commercial trade is advantageous to consumers, businesses and economy, this law restricts monopolization and restraints of trade activities. Four main areas emanate from this: pursuit of monopoly power, agreements between competitors, contract arrangements between buyers and sellers and business mergers (Keith, 2007 p.120). A monopoly is a market whereby there is only one supplier or manufacturer or producer of a product. This means that a producer provides a good or service without any competition. The goods have no close substitutes (Jens, 2008 p.89). A legal doctrine describes a set of rules and regulations established through a process of precedence in the common law. This helps in making judgments in legal cases. Laws in legal doctrines stipulate that judges make a judgment about cases in reference to cases that in the past had judgment passed. Judges have the power to refer to other cases if the one he is handling is similar. This helps bring down time spent on cases and helps reach judgment faster. The law allows for use of this technique. Situations in legal doctrines are for instance; a company accused of counterfeiting goods that belong to an original company. If a person is before a court of law under the accusation of stealing the design of another person, he is to face the same judgment that the company undergoes. This shows that the two cases are common and that the same judgment applies to both the cases. An idea to the addition of the
Advantages of Tourism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Advantages of Tourism - Assignment Example the economy as a whole. The three main sectors that are used to define the tourism industry are transport,accommodation and food and beverages. This part of the paper will discuss some articles that provide the different advantages of tourism and the outlooks of the authors regarding the subject.According to Brida,Pereyra and Such,one of the biggest advantages of tourism is economic growth for the country. When referring to economic growth, the article discusses different facets of the economy that are helped by tourism, but the main contributor is the growth of the Gross Domestic Product as a result of the tourism industry. From the two main classes of contribution of tourism to GDP, it can be seen that the first factor of tourism and GDP is the total spending done by both internal and external residents in the tourism sector. As can be seen, there are usually two types of tourists, the internal or domestic ones and the foreign tourists. The money that these two classes of tourists spend in the sector helps in growing the economy. The second factor of tourism and GDP development is the spending done by the government and investors in the sector. This is seen in the form of investments done for capital growth in the sector, cultural investment and recreational investment. This indicates that tourism is one of the biggest growers of the GDP in any country. The travel and tourism spending that is done for the sector also provides an important way of increasing the advantages of the sector. Another breakdown of the financial advantage of the tourism sector is the contribution to the foreign exchange earnings of a country (Brida, Pereyra and Such, 2007). As already stated, one of the biggest contributor to tourism is the international travel environment, where individuals from outside the country visit the country for business or pleasure. This means that one of the biggest advantages of tourism is the earning of foreign currency, which helps the country in the dev elopment of infrastructure. When this advantage is broken down it can be seen the local residents benefit from the influx of foreign currency into the country, since they will not have to convert their own currency. This means that the country will be able to acquire foreign goods and services at a cheaper price, a factor that contributes to the economy. The provision of foreign exchange also helps the government to pay different bills like foreign debt and acquire foreign goods and services at a cheaper price. The other advantage of tourism is the provision of employment for the residents in the country (VISA, 2009). This advantage can be broken down into many different areas, since tourism ensures that a lot of people are employed in the country. Tourism provides employment for different people in different ways; for example, starting from the transportation attendants who help the tourism sector. As already stated, the tourism sector mainly impacts three main sector of the econom y, the transportation, accommodation and food and beverages sectors. This means that the employment provided by the tourism sector in the country is massive and holds up a major part of the economy. Other tourism commodities that increase the employment figures include travel agencies and recreational areas that tourists mainly frequent.
Friday, October 18, 2019
What does gender or race have to do with it Freedom Writers and the Essay
What does gender or race have to do with it Freedom Writers and the American Education System - Essay Example More often not, these films feature an inspiring teacher, which may or may not be relevant to reality depending on which school you attended. Films that illustrate education also often combat issues of race and gender, which come into play in many schoolyards across the world, with problems of language and communication at the forefront of this fight. The film Freedom Writers, released in 2007, illustrates the American school system by being based on a true story, whilst employing a number of stereotypes and Hollywood norms to make the film appeal to the intended audience. Freedom Writers is a tale of a young teacher who comes to work at a school which has just recently brought in a integration plan on the back of the Los Angeles Riots in 1992. This teacher, Erin Gruwell, struggles initially to cope with the racial segregation at the school, as well as the violence between the groups. One day, Gruwell finds a racist drawing by one of the students and uses this to illustrate the probl ems of the Holocaust, which opens the eyes of the students and allows them to see that racism and other discrimination can lead to destructive acts. Gruwell continues on in this path, by inviting Holocaust survivors to the class, as well as encouraging her class to raise the funds to bring the woman that sheltered Anne Frank in the war to their school. Gruwell encourages the class to write their own diaries, like Anne Frank, and complies them into book form, eventually having the success that she desired by preparing a number of her students for attending college. Although some of the information here may be fictional or using Hollywood hyperbole, some interesting points about the American education system were raised. The purpose of this essay is to explore the stereotyping and struggles of the racial groups portrayed in Freedom Writers, and how the film highlights racial discrimination issues and how these affect schools across the United States. The American education system is p ortrayed as place that should inspire students in their learning, encouraging them to make the right decisions and go to college, despite the initial fears and anxieties of the classroom. The inspiration may not be accurate for many, but the difficulties are, which are what makes Freedom Writers such a useful learning tool for exploring both discrimination and American educational philosophies. Intended Audience It is difficult to identify a specific intended audience for this film, although it is useful for any analysis to do so. Using mainstream actors such as Hilary Swank and Patrick Dempsey, as well as the large Hollywood budget, show that the film was intended for mainstream audiences who may have been unfamiliar with Erin Gruwell and her work as a teacher. The idea came from a documentary about Gruwell (The Freedom Writers & Gruwell, 2006), which did not hit mainstream audiences and therefore the film aimed to illustrate her story but with a number of Hollywood-style attribute s to further bolster the decision to release the story to mainstream audiences as a release. Freedom Writers promotional poster (LaGravenese, 2007) As with any education-based transformation Bildungsroman film, part of the intended audience includes young adults from the demographic of the film. This is particularly evident in Freedom Writers, as there are a number of slang terms used throughout the film that are used for comedic effect in one particularly memorable scene. Swank apologises for her ââ¬Å"badnessâ⬠(LaGravenese, 2007), which the students find hilarious because it has a completely different meaning in their language. Obviously, this scene (and other
USA World Bank Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
USA World Bank - Case Study Example USA World Bank has been a very successful firm, both for consumers and small businesses domestically and internationally. Like all companies, it needs to come up with new and exciting products for its customers so that they remain committed to the company. The Board of Directors wants the company to launch just one product each year. This one product can focus on the consumer side or the small business owner side. However this can result in conflicting ideas internally and as well as with conflicting customers. It is the decision of the president and vice president to come up with the new product and launch it in the current time frame.Each year Managers at USA World Bank are required to launch a new product for their bank. This has become the tradition that the president and vice president of New Product Development brainstorm and then create an idea for the product and then present it to the Board of Directors for approval. In recent years the all the new products launched have bee n marginally successful therefore there is increased pressure on the president and vice president this year to deliver the goods. Without concurrent launching of new products, USA World Bank feels that it would lose its market share and its huge customer base to other new and agile banks. [3]Like any company UWB, wants to maximize its profitability while satisfying its customer needs. It takes into consideration the customer requirements and prioritizes the needs to identify which customers its product will be targeted towards. The Company faces a dilemma in this scenario whether to launch a Consumer Product or a Small business Owner product. Catering to one or the other will create a bad reputation from the other side. The second stakeholders are the general consumers. They have the right to purchase the product from UWB and to be or not to be a part of the company. They want to maximize the utility they get on purchasing the products from the company. Their interests clash with the interest of the Small Business Owner Card holders and they are given higher priority. The third stakeholders are Small Business Owners for whom a different kind of card is being sought to be produced. They have the right to purchase the product from UWB and to be or not to be a part of the company. They want to maximize the utility they get on purchasing the products from the company. Their interests clash with the interest of the general consumers because they are given lesser priority. [1] Problem Statement USA World Bank will cater to all customers to increase market share and market value by building close customer relationships. End-State Vision USA World Bank will add value to its customer base by offering affordable products and incentives to increase its market share. Alternative Solutions Alternative solutions are generated from the problem at hand. Mary Monroe wants to go ahead with the Consumer product while Jim and executives emphasize for the Small Business Owner product. Brian is confused whether to go for both products or simply do more research to find out which one is more feasible. Here is the list of alternate solutions Launch General Consumer Product Launch Small Business Owner Product Launch Both Products These alternatives are included in the secondary alternatives as the company wants to launch the product this year without any delays. Delay launching product until further research studies are not completed Don't launch any product this year Analysis of Alternative Solutions There are 4 different goals that have been identified for USA World Bank from this scenario. The cost is not considered that important like Brian Allen said therefore it is assigned a rating of 2. A
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Community Initiatives of Pfizer Company Term Paper
Community Initiatives of Pfizer Company - Term Paper Example Pfizer is among the leaders of the global pharmaceutical markets. It owes its success to the continuous investments in learning and innovation and to the development of sophisticated medical products that meet the changing needs of consumers. Thousands of researchers and professionals in various fields dream of being employed by Pfizer ââ¬â the company that has proved to be an example of excellent employment opportunities and career prospects. However, Pfizer is not simply a prospective employer but is the company that cares a lot about communities, for which it works. Community programs are among the basic aspects of the companyââ¬â¢s corporate performance. Pfizer invests significant resources in the development and implementation of various community program solutions. Although community programs are an essential element of the companyââ¬â¢s corporate social responsibility, Pfizer should be more careful with its community program expenses, not to sacrifice other, no less important employment and corporate programs. Pfizer, Inc. is well-known as one of the most prominent leaders of the global pharmaceutical market. Founded in 1849, Pfizer currently resides in Brooklyn, New York and holds its headquarters in New York City. Today, Pfizer employs more than 100,000 people, of which more than 10,000 are medical researchers.1 The company comprises around 70 manufacturing and 50 distribution centers around the world, but the main Pfizer facilities are located in the United States.2 The company operates in almost 200 countries and its net income in 2005 exceeded $8 billion.3 Today, Pfizer is a publicly traded company, and its stakeholders include medical researchers, medical professionals, and individuals. Pfizer operates through the Board of Directors, which comprises 14 members, with 11 of them being independent.4
Indoctrination of children to child soldiers Essay
Indoctrination of children to child soldiers - Essay Example The use of children as soldiers has become a global problem today that requires urgent solution. Post notes that the use of children as militia has rapidly increased since the end of the cold war in 1990sThe increase is mainly attributed to the intra-state conflicts witnessed in various countries around the world particularly in developing countries.Estimates show that more than 300,000 children used as soldiers in 36 conflicts across the globe (Singer 6). At the same time, reports indicate that National Military and rebels groups are both recruiting children as soldiers in armed conflicts. The most recent involvement of children in armed conflict has been witnessed in countries such as Afghanistan, Burundi, Uganda, Congo DRC, Angola, Liberia, Sri Lanka, Colombia, Rwanda, Somalia, Guinea-Bissau, Sudan and Sierra Leon just to name but a few (O'Neill par.2). Findings indicate that some of the children participating in these armed conflicts were forced to participate while others volunt arily joined the fray as an escape means from social problems such as poverty and abuse, or as revenge against their families. However, the daunting statistics show that most of these children become victims of the war itself. This paper seeks to explore how children are indoctrinated to become child soldiers. The use of children as soldiers in armed conflicts has rapidly increased over the last ten years. Most of these children have been subjected to all sorts of dehumanizing atrocities. Tiefenbrun notes that these children are often abducted from their homes by armed militias, tortured and indoctrinated with intimidation and coaxed to take mind-altering drugs, threaten with dire consequences such as death or dismemberment (423). Others are forced to return to their villages to witness or participate in the killing of their friends and family members who fail to comply with the commanderââ¬â¢s directives. The abducted children are also forced to watch how children who attempt es cape or disobey commanderââ¬â¢s directives are punished. Tiefenbrun claims that child soldiers are normally brainwashed meticulously and brutally until their morals and ethics becomes completely distorted to the extent that they are made to believe that doing evil is luxurious (423). For Example, a twenty-year old Colombian who happened to have been indoctrinated to become a soldier stated that, once a child is introduced into the paramilitary, his or her first duty is to kill. According to the child, commanders tell the children being recruited that they are to engage in killing (Chancellor Par.8). As a result, they are trained how to kill. This implies being given someone to kill by either chopping off hands or head or jabbing with a knife. This directive must be followed even if it means killing a friend or a family member. Tiefenbrun noted that brainwashing is normally accompanied by desensitization of children to the sight and commission of murder and other forms of atrociti es (424). Children who dare escape are boiled a live according to a report. The boiled body of the murdered child soldier is used as a meal for the other child soldiers, who are forced to eat the human flesh as part of their training, according to Tiefenbrun (424). Child soldiers who have managed to escape reveals that they were being forced to beat dead bodies of a captured escapee. Additionally, they are forced to smear themselves with the blood of the murdered escapee. According to Beah, rebels ensure that child soldiers remain obedient through frequent beatings, death threats, and threats against retaliation against the family members of the children on training as child soldiers (22). Despite boys being the main targets of rebels for recruitment as a child soldier, girl child are also victims. Tiefenbrun observed that 40% of child soldiers worldwide are girls who are abducted and indoctrinated to child soldiers (424). Report indicates that young girls make up a third of child
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Community Initiatives of Pfizer Company Term Paper
Community Initiatives of Pfizer Company - Term Paper Example Pfizer is among the leaders of the global pharmaceutical markets. It owes its success to the continuous investments in learning and innovation and to the development of sophisticated medical products that meet the changing needs of consumers. Thousands of researchers and professionals in various fields dream of being employed by Pfizer ââ¬â the company that has proved to be an example of excellent employment opportunities and career prospects. However, Pfizer is not simply a prospective employer but is the company that cares a lot about communities, for which it works. Community programs are among the basic aspects of the companyââ¬â¢s corporate performance. Pfizer invests significant resources in the development and implementation of various community program solutions. Although community programs are an essential element of the companyââ¬â¢s corporate social responsibility, Pfizer should be more careful with its community program expenses, not to sacrifice other, no less important employment and corporate programs. Pfizer, Inc. is well-known as one of the most prominent leaders of the global pharmaceutical market. Founded in 1849, Pfizer currently resides in Brooklyn, New York and holds its headquarters in New York City. Today, Pfizer employs more than 100,000 people, of which more than 10,000 are medical researchers.1 The company comprises around 70 manufacturing and 50 distribution centers around the world, but the main Pfizer facilities are located in the United States.2 The company operates in almost 200 countries and its net income in 2005 exceeded $8 billion.3 Today, Pfizer is a publicly traded company, and its stakeholders include medical researchers, medical professionals, and individuals. Pfizer operates through the Board of Directors, which comprises 14 members, with 11 of them being independent.4
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Mendelian Law and Inheritance of Anthocyanin Term Paper - 1
Mendelian Law and Inheritance of Anthocyanin - Term Paper Example distance was measured to be 14.5 inches between the LED light and the bottom where the watering trays were placed; the light was 3 inches above the growing plants. On the 14th day of the experiment, observations on the newly grown plants with purple roots were noted. On the 21st day, grown flowers were made to cross-pollinate with an approximately 19 cm thin soft brush by holding the flower gently with the tips of two fingers, and lightly transfer pollen from one plant to another. The light was still available for the growing plants, but it stopped getting water. The plants kept on growing over the 28th day and 35th day. On the 42nd day, some leaves started changing color to yellow and more seedpods were growing. Keeping in mind plants stopped being watered. Day 49, the flowers started to drop off and the leaves changed to yellow and the plants were still not watered to ensure the pods got dry. Then started the harvesting and germination process of the seeds by breaking the seedpods after pulling them out of the plants, then collecting the seeds, and then counting them, which came to a total of 1481 seed for the entire class. Afterward, F2 seeds were spread in a 51cmÃâ"24.5cm plastic tray with soaked tissue ready to germinate. There were no holes in the tray, and it was covered with a clear plastic lid. A week after spreading the F2 seed in the moist plastic tray, purple and green plants have grown. Seeds were separated into two categories; green plants and purple plants. After separating the green from the purple plants, they were counted individually. The total number of purple plants was 780 while the green once were 323. Since there are two categories being tested, the purple and green plants, this means the degree of freedom is equivalent to (df) = 1. In the Observed (1) row, the results show 780 for the purple plants and 323 for the green plants. The Expected results (2), were 780 for purple and 267 for green. The Deviation (3) row was calculated by
Monday, October 14, 2019
The Intervention On the Acropolis In the Modern Era Essay Example for Free
The Intervention On the Acropolis In the Modern Era Essay The Acropolis has stood as witness to the making of history in the West, from the flourishing of Athenian culture in the times of Socrates, to the contemporary metropolis that hosted the recent Olympics games. It is a great monument because it is a symbol of Greek culture that belongs not only to the Greeks, but to all who share in a common world history in the West.à The Acropolis is at the same time a universal cultural symbol, and a national symbol of Greek national identity. As such, the Acropolis bears the marks of centuries of history ââ¬â political interventions, economic and social forces, that have shaped it throughout history and time. Hellenism is not what it used to be back in classical times.à For one, it is not as well respected.à Like the Acropolis, Hellenic culture seems to lie in ruins, and is most in need of preservation.à The transformation of Hellenic culture from the most dominant cultural force felt throughout the world (since perhaps the American entertainment industry) to a historically past, however well spent, is the result of the influence of foreign countries exercised upon the Greek psyche. The Acropolis is considered to be the embodiment of a Greek heritage and identity; this is why the Greeks consider the integrity of the Acropolis so crucial and urge the restitution of the antiquities.à But the Acropolis is present only as a ghost of itââ¬â¢s former glory, and in pieces with much of its original physique now gone missing.à Whatever it is to be Greek today, if the Acropolis is the symbol we take it to be, it cannot be to be complete and whole, but to be lost (at least in some part) to the memory of a lost past. The attempt to make a claim on the past, to take back the idea of Hellenism for the future is a constant struggle of repatriation, and leads to the following paradox: on the one hand Hellenism is praised for its global/ecumenical character, transcending national borders, while on the other its (local) contenders claim it back, trying to draw borders and to retrench their territory. (The Acropolis, 85) Hellas is universal and global, and it belongs to all of us in the West, but because of this is it lost 9at least a little bit) to the Greeks themselves.à To take it back for themselves would also be to destroy its prominence on the stage of world history.à So the Greeks, in an attempt to gather an identity into and for themselves must go out into the world that is not so foreign to them and claim all of it as Greek.à We in the west, we are all Greeks in some way, and the Greeks are the epitome of Western culture. The continuation of the Greek political and cultural line is important to the modern Greek people. An example of this can be found in The Acropolis, where modern Greeks are questioned about whether they are the descendants of the ancient Greeks. (The Acropolis, 37) In one sense, calling themselves inheritors of the ancient Greeks is degrading in that it reduces them to the past, and levels down their future.à In another sense, it is powerful claim to make.à Some Greeks express their desire for changing their national name from Greece and Greeks to their ancient Greek names Hellas and Hellenes. They emphasize the importance that names play in systems in kinship: Hellas is conceived as surname while Greece is conceived as nickname. (The Acropolis, 93)à The name change would represent their connection to Hellenism, as Hellas represents the classic global character of Hellenism, whereas Greece is seen as contemporary name that looses much of this universal import. Thus, in order to restore the classical Hellenism, some Greeks argue that the more Ancient Hellas is now appropriate. Another example in this same vein, some Greeks have argued that the sculpture named ââ¬ËElginââ¬â¢ displayed in the British Museum should be re-named ââ¬ËParthenon marblesââ¬â¢ (The Acropolis, 99), as the marbles are considered as sacred rocks and the heritage of Greece which strongly represent the Greek identity. It seems like the Greeks are always making a point of remarking when Britain has taken their antiquities, identifying Lord Elgin as the staueââ¬â¢s ââ¬Ëthiefââ¬â¢. It is in this sense that naming the marbles ââ¬ËElginââ¬â¢ is the same as stealing and degrading Hellenism, and alonmg with this aslo Greek dignity. No doubt, these antiquities are considered to be national treasures, and are irreplaceable and inalienable; even making use of the logo of the antiquities for advertisements is disfavored. For example, Coca-Cola had to replace the shape of the Doric columns of the Parthenon on its soda bottles and advertisements, in order to undo harm it had done to the Greek image in using this image for commercial purposes. By using the image in this way, Coca-Cola denigrated the Acropolis as a national symbol to be used by the Greeks, and this act was perceived as disrespectful to the Greeks and their nationhood. This advertisement is but one example of how widely Americanization and globalization has gone in spreading Hellenism ââ¬â as well as the worth and value of the Parthenon as a symbol for the perfect marriage of grace and power. But it also illustrates the contradiction at the heart of the contemporary Greeks culture ââ¬â on the one hand, happy about the power and universality of the Parthenon to convey its symbol (used by such a well-established company for advertisement because of its powerful attraction); but on the other hand, the fact that its use as such degrades the meanings and cultural values that the Acropolis represents for the Greek peoples in particular. In brief, the message is that culture is not derived from the spirit of Hellenism, but from its commodification, now as a symbol for American global culture, and to new power of America on todayââ¬â¢s world stage. Another example is that of the American fashion designer Calvin Klein who proposed to present its new jeans series at the Herodeion. Because the Herodeion is a scared place suitable for ââ¬Ëclassicââ¬â¢ arts such as opera, drama, and since the fashion show is considered lower as a ââ¬Ëcommercialââ¬â¢ venture, some deamed it improper for the site. In the end, the critique of both Coca-Cola and Calin Klein can be seen to be shortsighted because those who make it tend to see the use of Greek cultural symbols for commercial interest and economic profit as only degrading, instead of realizing that these companies are also publicizing the spirit of Hellenism through their products (albeit unintentianally). à à à à à à à à à à To sum up, the necessity of bringing back the Acropolis and the other antiquities are important for the Greeks, but how they do it becomes problematic ââ¬â a careful balancing act beteween bringing back a grand national identity to Greece, while also reviving the spirit of Hellenism for future generations. The past of the Acropolis lay behind us, but the future of what this symbol will become still lays ahead. Bibliography Yalouri, E. (2001), The Acropolis: Global Fame, Local Claim, Oxford: Berg, 37-99.
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