Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 12

Critique - Essay Example The paper is critique based on her book about online writing classes and whether the approach is beneficial to the learners (Kiefer, 2007). Kate Kiefer’s article discusses the various reasons on how it is challenging to teach writing online compared to face to face interaction between the learners and the teacher. She argues that teaching writing in small classes help to manage classes while at the same time provide learners with multiple opportunities and ready feedback targeting their effectiveness in writing. Basing on her experience in teaching languages especially writing, I believe that she has written a strong article with very supportive arguments. However, the article seems to be in support of teaching writing through face to face interactions rather than teaching writing online (Kiefer, 2007). The author argues that teachers who teach writing value shared classroom interactions for a number of reasons. She explains that students are more motivated when they recognize learning community and are more likely to chat and share with colleagues in classroom than when they are alone and learning online. The author asserts that writing cannot take place in a vacuum. She explains that classroom or face to face learning enables students to engage and interact with one another. In addition, students are able to help each other and learn from colleagues on how to improve as writers as well as readers. The depth of conversation about texts and writing further develops the potential of each writer. She argues that writing engagement encourages acquisition of writing skills that can be applied in all classrooms as well as other applications beyond academy (Kiefer, 2007). She states that the preconceptions of the students about their roles in online courses as well as technological chall enges have worked against important interactions in online classes. I agree with the author’s argument

Monday, October 28, 2019

Exploitation of Indigenous Peoples Essay Example for Free

Exploitation of Indigenous Peoples Essay The Native Americans were slaves from the north to the South of the Americas and right across the North American continent. The percentage of Native American slaves was larger than black slaves and they were enslaved far longer than Black slaves. Native Americans were slaves for about 500 years, from the 1400s to the 1900s. Native Americans slaves were for 200 years before African Americans made it to the new world. The slaves of Native American were shipped to several areas around the world, the Caribbean, Europe and the Middle East. [1] Native Americans were slaves even after slavery was removed because they were not citizens and the laws did not apply to them, the first Native American group was under Columbus, about 200,000 natives were harshly enslaved by him. Only 500 survived by the year 1550 and the group were extinct before 1650. [2] When Christopher Columbus discovered the New World in the late 1400s, his goal was to take all it natural resources and take it to Spain, he named it the new resource for Spain. Columbus figured an opportunity to convert the natives to Christianity, to provide another trade point with his mother country, and to learn about a vast extent of the agriculture and animals, as well as interesting cultures that the Old World had ever seen. However, one of the strongest causes of this difference in objectives was Hernando Cortes. Hernando Cortes’s purpose for the occupation of present-day Mexico was the conquest of the native peoples. Through harsh force and dishonesty, he destroyed the native tribes, making the Aztec Empire his own empire. In Bartolome de Las Casas writing about the indigenous peoples, witnessed a massive murder of the original people of Cuba, and became an opponent to the violent conversion of the Native Americans. He is considered the Father of Liberation Theology, arguing with Juan Gines de Sepulveda. De las Casas argued that Native Americans should be treated as other Spanish subjects of the king. He suggested that instead of making the Native Americans slaves, the Spanish should ship Africans to the New World for use as slave labor. [3] Alonso Zuazo said in his writings about the native Americans that the. Indians would serve as slaves for the Europeans in the sugar cane plantation in the coasts of Northern Africa. The main thing he was focused on was when the enslaving of the natives was failing in the sixteenth century; they wanted to replace them with slaves from western Africa. He found out that Africans were better slaves than the Native Americans because they came from agricultural societies and they know about agriculture more than the Native Americans. [4] Native Americans interacted with enslaved Africans in every way possible. Native Americans were enslaved along with Africans, They worked together, lived together in the same houses, produced recipes for food, shared herbal remedies, myths and legends, and in the end they breed together. Because both races were non-Christian, Europeans considered them under the Europeans. They worked to make enemies of the two groups. In some areas, Native Americans began to slowly engage with white culture. Africans were not affected with the conditions and diseases. It was because the Africans were already in contact with the Europeans when they had started trading with one another. Europeans felt they could handle the climate because of their skin color. Many Native Americans started to die because of the diseases. A lot of the Native Americans also started to escape and fight back, and many of them died. They also felt that Africans were cheaper. The Native Americans were less resistant to the diseases that the Europeans brought with them. In North America, the conquerors at first werent thinking of taking take Native Americans as slaves because they lived a harsh life that needed to be at peace with the Natives to continue. There were more Africans available and the Europeans found it more meaningful to buy Africans from Africans than to attempt to capture Indians. [5] Bibliography: Ivison, Duncan, Paul Patton, and Will Sanders. Political Theory and the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. 2nd ed. publication place: Cambridge University Press, publication year. http://books. google. com/books? hl=enlr=id=JkqahTHpUmUCoi=fndpg=PA36dq=exploitation+of+indigenous+peoplesots=DojNLSzhZdsig=oW_5zCg8jDjBuKeOQbRVDVO9x9Q#v=onepageq=exploitation%20of%20indigenous%20peoplesf=false (accessed November 23, 2012). Saco, J. A. â€Å"Alonso de Zuazo (1518). † http://www. digitalhistory. uh. edu. http://www. digitalhistory. uh. edu/active_learning/explorations/spain/spain_zuazo. cfm (accessed November 23, 2012). TAINO-L. â€Å"Bartolome de Las Casas and His Defence of the Indians. † http://www. hartford-hwp. com. http://www. hartford-hwp. com/archives/40/186. html (accessed November 26, 2012). Columbus, Christopher. â€Å"Letter to King Ferdinand of Spain, Describing the Results of the First Voyage. † www. xroads. virginia. edu. http://xroads.virginia. edu/ hyper/hns/garden/columbus. html (accessed November 26, 2012). [1] Duncan Ivison, Paul Patton, and Will Sanders, Political Theory and the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 2nd ed. (publication place: Cambridge University Press, publication year), 36-39, http://books. google. com/books? hl=enlr=id=JkqahTHpUmUCoi=fndpg=PA36dq=exploitation+of+indigenous+peoplesots=DojNLSzhZdsig=oW_5zCg8jDjBuKeOQbRVDVO9x9Q#v=onepageq=exploitation%20of%20indigenous%20peoplesf=false (accessed November 23, 2012). [2] TAINO-L, â€Å"Bartolome de Las Casas and His Defence of the Indians,† http://www. hartford-hwp. com, http://www. hartford-hwp. com/archives/40/186. html (accessed November 26, 2012). [3] J. A. Saco, â€Å"Alonso de Zuazo (1518),† http://www. digitalhistory. uh. edu, http://www. digitalhistory. uh. edu/active_learning/explorations/spain/spain_zuazo. cfm (accessed November 23, 2012). [4] Christopher Columbus, â€Å"Letter to King Ferdinand of Spain, Describing the Results of the First Voyage,† www. xroads. virginia. edu.

Friday, October 25, 2019

THE THREAT OF BIOLOGICAL WARFARE AND POSSIBLE PREVENTATIVE MEASURES :: essays research papers

The Threat of Biological Warfare and Possible Preventative Measures   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The events of September 11,2001, have made the threat of terrorism on our mainland very real. The twin towers were made into rubble that day, along with the lives of the many people touched by the overwhelming loss of life that occurred that day. Now, if that isn’t enough to cope with, in creeps the specter of bio-terrorism. Biological weapons are devices intended to deliberately disseminate disease producing organisms or toxins in food, water, by insect, or as an aerosol. Bacillus anthracis, the organism that causes anthrax, has been bandied about the media and the American public has been saturated by stories of possible cases and fatalities. One agent not often discussed but every bit as horrifying as anthrax is smallpox. Smallpox is an acute, highly contagious virus disease characterized by prolonged fever, vomiting, and pustular eruptions that often leave pitted scars, or pockmarks, when healed as defined by Webster’s New World College Dictionar y. Smallpox, commands respect and the concern of the American public along with that terrorism, of the biological variety, however improbable, is very possible.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Smallpox was once large in scope before vaccinations. At one point or another, everyone was going to contract it. A release of smallpox in aerosol form would scatter readily, and because of its stability in aerosol form would prove very formidable even in a small dose. Even mention of a group of smallpox cases can cause national panic and a possible public outcry for national emergency control measures to be taken. Several   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2 factors cause the concern: smallpox has historically been feared as one of the most serious of all pestilential diseases, it physically disfigures, it bears a thirty percent fatality rate, it can be spread person to person, primarily by droplet nuclei expelled from the oropharynx of the infected person or by aerosol . Items most often thought as harmless, such as clothing or bed linen, could also spread the virus. After an incubation of about ten to twelve days, the patient experiences high fever and pain. Then a rash begins which forms into scabs by the seventh of eighth day. Between twenty-five and thirty percent of all unvaccinated patients die of the disease (1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Smallpox, anthrax and plague head the list of agents that can be used for bio-warfare. None of these agents has so far effectively been deployed as a biological weapon, and thus no real world events exist to provide likely scenarios (1).

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Navy Chief Petty Officer Medal of Honor Recipients

The Chief Petty Officer is a rank in the U.S. Navy just above the rank of the Petty Officer First Class. They serve both as leaders and technical experts.   Promotion as a Chief Petty Officer requires superior evaluation and time in service. The Navy Medal of Honor is America’s oldest and still continuing award. The Medal of Honor is the supreme award in the United States of America for bravery in wars.   Any member of the Armed Services of the United States who performs exceptionally in his field of warfare during martial operations risking his life to protect the interests of the country is awarded the Medal of Honor. Since everyone in the Armed Services has values of bravery and selflessness, the recommendation for this award is made with the greatest care and consideration. When the Medal was initially awarded during the Civil Wars, it was the only medal for bravery in wars; but during the Spanish American War, it became the highest honor, with many other medals being given for valor in wars. Apart from the respect the Medal entails, the recipients have many other privileges like increased monetary benefits, wearing their uniforms wherever they choose to, and attending Presidential inaugurations. Even the children of the recipients of the Medal of Honor enjoy privileges. If they are qualified and desire to attend the U.S. military academies, they can do so without any restrictions of quotas. So far, more that 3400 Medal of Honor awards have been given. Getting the prestigious Medal would be the proudest moment of any serviceman, and John Finn had  the taste of it when it was placed around his neck in recognition for his valor in the Second World War. Born in Los Angeles, California, on July 23, 1909, he enlisted in the Navy in 1926 and served as a Chief Petty Officer. John Finn was awarded the prestigious Medal of Honor for his conspicuous heroism and gallantry while at the Naval Air Station Kahoehe Bay, Hawaii, during the air raid by Japan, which targeted the facility.   With a machine gun, Chief Finn effectively fired at the enemy planes. Though he received severe wounds, he put up a brave fight and created great havoc to the enemy planes. His action during the attack was indeed amazing. George Brady was yet another proud possessor of the Medal of Honor. He was born on September 7, 1867.   He was a Chief Gunner’s Mate in the U.S. Navy.   George Brady was awarded the Medal of Honor for his exceptional performance in the Spanish American War. George Brady proved a real asset to the U.S. forces. He was on board the torpedo boat Winslow when enemy forces targeted it. The boat was extensively exposed to bombs and suffered great damage. He repaired the steering gear and promptly maintained watertight integrity and thus saved the vessel.   His masterly skills and untiring loyalty to duty was greatly appreciated, and he was awarded the Medal of Honor. Though every serviceman fights for the country risking his life, such events, which depict individual courage and bravery, are the grounds on which a recommendation for the Medal of Honor is made.   The worth of the Medal of Honor is so  great that senior officers and even the President salutes the Medal, thereby the recipient wearing it. References September 30, 2005, Chief Petty Officer Medal of Honor Recipients [Electronic Version] Retrieved on September 11, 2007, from www.history.navy.mil

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

The Relationship Between Religion and Morality

Morality (sometimes called â€Å"true morality† or â€Å"high morality†) should be distinguished from those rules which are simply those which are considered necessary for the efficient running of a society. Such rules of a society are enshrined in law, custom and convention; and are supported and enforced by society through the legal system and public opinion. These rules are usually obeyed because of self-interest, a kind of â€Å"social contract† in which, for example, we agree not to steal from anyone else in the society if they agree not to steal from us. In very early societies these social rules were supported by religion, and presented as behaviour which the gods insisted humans obeyed. It is arguable that some (ie numbers 5-9) of the Ten Commandments (13th Century BCE) are just such social rules. However such a system of social rules may break down, particularly in a secular or pluralistic society. For example some people may consider that the society in which they live is unfair, and only benefits certain groups in it; or the legal system may be too inefficient to prevent other people stealing. In such situations individuals may think it is no longer beneficial for them to continue to agree to the social contract, and then there would be no compelling reason why they should continue to obey society's laws. What we consider to be true morality is different from social rules in two important respects: 1. It is based on real concern for others as human beings of equal value to ourselves 2. Our motivation for behaving morally is that such behaviour is â€Å"right† and we feel we â€Å"ought† to do it, even when it is inconvenient to ourselves. Is Morality dependent upon Religion? The evidence to support this view is: * All religions insist upon a moral code as a central part of the religious life. * Even non-religious people when discussing where ethical values came from will refer to religious sources, such as the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20. 2-17), or the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5. 3- 7.27). * When people (eg newspaper reporters) require an expert opinion on moral issues they will ask religious leaders. * People expect higher standards of moral behaviour from religious people (a story of an adulterous vicar is more likely to appear in the newspapers that a similar tale about a bank manager – unless, of course, the latter is a churchwarden!). * Even in our largely secular society, â€Å"high† morality is often referred to as â€Å"having Christian values†. * When people talk of someone being â€Å"a good Christian† they are usually referring to their moral behaviour (ie how they treat others) and not to their doctrinal orthodoxy (ie whether they hold the traditional Christian beliefs). * True morality sprung up within religion. Arguably the first clear and unequivocal expression of true morality was the insistence by the Israelite prophet Amos in the 8th Century BCE that Yahweh (God) required honesty, truth and justice among his people more than religious observances (sacrifices, etc): â€Å"Even though you offer me [Yahweh] your burnt offerings†¦I will not accept them;†¦but let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream† (Amos 5.22-4). * No society developed morality without having developed religion first, and all morality was originally proclaimed in the name of religion. It could be asserted, therefore, that morality is a product of religion, and true morality can only derive from religion. * Conscience can be interpreted as the voice of God telling us what is right and wrong. * It can be argued that even when societies lose their interest in practising a religion, they still maintain the moral values which that religion originally instilled into the society. Thus it can be claimed that in Britain today, where about 1 person in 30 is a practising Christian, the moral values which the society proclaims, believes in and tries to live by are Christian moral values (secularised). * It can be claimed that people will not chose to be moral unless encouraged to do so by religion. Is Morality independent from Religion? The evidence to support this view is: * Religions existed for many thousands of years before they developed a real morality. This suggests that morality is not an essential part of religion. * Atheists and agnostics, who do not believe in or follow any religion, can still live truly moral lives, with a selfless compassion for other humans. * Whole societies (eg China and the former Soviet States) can be officially atheistic, and there is no evidence that such countries or governments are necessarily more wicked than ones which claim to be religious states. * The origin of moral values can be explained in terms of Evolutionary Ethics (ie as societies develop and become more complex and sophisticated so social rules become more demanding, evolving into true morality). * Conscience can be explained in other ways (eg Sigmund Freud's concept of the internalisation of parental norms). * Agriculture, families, medicine and learning all developed within a religious context, as did morality. They have now all entered the secular domain, and are considered independent of religion, so the fact that morality developed in a religious context does not mean that it is necessarily dependent upon religion. * Plato posited the â€Å"Euthyphro Dilemma† which raised the question that good must be independent of God, or there would be no way of knowing if God's commands were actually good or not. Can we come to some kind of conclusion? How you evaluate the above evidence, and the conclusion you come to about where the balance of the evidence lies is something you have to do for yourself; but you must do it honestly, thoughtfully and intelligently. You may like to consider the following thoughts: * All people have some kind of beliefs concerning the nature of humanity, what is of real importance and value, and what one should do with ones life. * Religious people will refer to these beliefs as their religion, and associate with groups of like-minded people who share the same religion. Atheists and agnostics will tend to refer to their beliefs as their philosophy of life, and may consider them a more individual matter. * These beliefs (whatever we call them) affect our behaviour, and we legitimately judge a person's philosophy of life by how it affects their moral decisions and actions. * So ones beliefs determine ones morality.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Men On The Moon The Apollo Story Essays - Apollo Program, Apollo 10

Men On The Moon The Apollo Story Essays - Apollo Program, Apollo 10 Men On The Moon The Apollo Story For years, man has looked up at the stars and wondered, what power they possessed or from what great God were they born? The answer to this question has always been a dream to man, but the dream is getting closer to reality. Space travel in the 1960s was become a reality, but man went farther with his expectations. Man now wanted to land and walk on the the only one of Earths natural satellites know as the Moon. The splashdown May 26, 1969, of Apollo 10 cleared the way for the first formal attempt at a manned lunar landing.1 The 363-foot-tall Apollo 11 space vehicle was launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, at 9:37 a.m., July 16, 1969. It was the United States' first lunar landing mission. The launch vehicle, AS-506, was the sixth in the Apollo Saturn V series and was the fourth manned Saturn V vehicle. After a 2-hour check-out period, the spacecraft was injected into the translunar phase of the mission.2 July 1996 marks the twenty-seventh anniversary of the epochal lunar landing of Apollo 11 in the summer of 1969. Although President John F. Kennedy had made a public commitment on 25 May 1961 to land an American on the Moon by the end of the decade, up until this time Apollo had been all promise. Now the realization was about to begin. Even though Kennedy's political objectives were essentially achieved with the decision to go to the Moon, Project Apollo took on a life of its own over the years and left an important legacy to both the nation and the proponents of space exploration. Its success was enormously significant, coming at a time when American society was in crisis.3 A unique confluence of political necessity, personal commitment and activism, scientific and technological ability, economic prosperity, and public mood made possible the 1961 decision to carry out an aggressive lunar landing program. It then fell to NASA, other organizations of the federal government, and the aerospace community to accomplish the task set out in a few short paragraphs by the president. By the time that the goal was accomplished in 1969, only a few of the key figures associated with the decision were still in leadership positions in the government. Kennedy fell victim to an assassin's bullet in 1963, and science adviser Jerome B. Wiesner returned to MIT soon afterwards. Lyndon B. Johnson, of course, succeeded Kennedy as president but left office in January 1969 just a few months before the first landing. NASA Administrator James E. Webb resolutely guided NASA through most of the 1960s, but his image was tarnished by, among other things, a 1967 Apollo accident that killed three astronauts. He retired from office in October 1968. Several other early supporters of Apollo in Congress and elsewhere died during the 1960s and never saw the program successfully completed. The first Apollo mission of public significance was the flight of Apollo 8. On 21 December 1968 it took off atop a Saturn V booster from the Kennedy Space Center. Three astronauts were aboardFrank Borman, James A. Lovell, Jr., and William A. Anders- -for a historic mission to orbit the Moon. At first that mission had been planned as a flight to test Apollo hardware in the relatively safe confines of low Earth orbit, but senior engineer George M. Low of the Manned Spacecraft Center at Houston, Texas, and Samuel C. Phillips, Apollo Program Manager at NASA headquarters, obtained approval to make it a circumlunar flight. The advantages of this could be important, they believed, both in technical and scientific knowledge gained as well as in a public demonstration of what the U.S. could achieve. After Apollo 8 made one and a half Earth orbits its third stage began a burn to put the spacecraft on a lunar trajectory. It orbited the Moon on 24-25 December and then fired the boosters for a return flight; it splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on 27 December. The public reaction to the Apollo 8 circumlunar mission was enthusiastic. It rekindled the excitement felt in the early 1960s during the first Mercury flights, and set the stage for

Monday, October 21, 2019

Compare and contrast Cousin Kate and The Birthday by Christina Rosseti Essay Example

Compare and contrast Cousin Kate and The Birthday by Christina Rosseti Essay Example Compare and contrast Cousin Kate and The Birthday by Christina Rosseti Paper Compare and contrast Cousin Kate and The Birthday by Christina Rosseti Paper Essay Topic: Christina Rossetti Poems Poetry Song of Solomon Christina Rosseti was an 19th century poet. She was born in London on the 5th December 1830 to Gabriele and Frances Rosseti. In 1848 she became engaged to James Collinson, one of the pre-Raphaelite brethren. The engagement fell through when he became Roman Catholic. From the early 1860s on she was in love with Charles Cayley but refused to marry him because he was not a Christian and Milk-and-water Anglicanism was not to her taste. She was proud of her expertise at the game of chess that she liked to win but felt guilt at taking pleasure in winning. So she gave up chess because she enjoyed it so much. She also pasted paper strips over the antireligous parts of Swinburnes Atalanta in Calydon; objected to nudity in paintings, especially if the artist was a women; and refused to go see Wagners Parsifal, because it celebrated a pagan mythology. My heart is like a singing bird Whose nest is in a watered shoot: My heart is like an apple-tree Whose boughs are bent with thickset fruit; My heart is like a rainbow shell That paddles in a halcyon sea; My heart is gladder than all these Because my love is come to me. The simile used in the first verse are all derived from beauty as it might be seen to be expressed in nature. The poem is all joyful and uplifting. In view of the poets evangelical christian convictions it seems likely that the love referred to is the agape love referred to in the New Testament rather than sexual or romantic love. And that this was the poets intention. However a powerful repressed erotic component can be easily attributed to this verse. For example, if the term heart is substituted, then comparisons to watered shoots, thickset fruit and rainbow shells have a powerful sexual element. In that fruit is only produced by a plant for reproduction. On the other hand, taken at face value the poem has a lyrical brightness. Possibly in an era when Victorian sexual prudery is widely believed to mask desperate sexual repression dark and lustful motives are found where none actually exist. Raise me a dais of silk and down; Hang it with vair and purple dyes; Carve it in doves and pomegrantes, And peacocks with a hundred eyes; Work it in gold and silver grapes In leaves and silver fleurs-de-lys; Because the birthday of my life Is come, my love is come to me. In the second verse the imagery becomes more religious, and perhaps more sinister. The dias described sound like the exotic trappings of royalty as described in the old testament, particularly when associated with the colour purple. Although the furniture described may seem to resemble a throne it could also resemble a Hindu funeral bier. The references to peacocks and pomegranets seems particularly and evocatively Eastern, althuough it is also probably influenced by her reading of the Book of Solomon. Also the reference to the peacocks with a hundred eyes could have a meaning as being a sign of fertility or other sexual reference because the peacocks tail is only their to attract a mate and falls out after the mating season. Although this could also show eastern richness. The association of beauty with fertility thickset fruit, and choice fruits (Solomon 4:13) is imagery typical of this portion of the Old Testament. There is some evidence from accounts the poet had been in love with both Collison and Cayley during her life. Although they were romantically inclined she seemed not to have returned these feelings. The way the poem The Birthday is laid out seemed to send out the message that she is in love with Brett or she enjoys being chased by him. Brett an artist friend of her brother had apparently declared within it the commentators have proposed that this poem that is inspired by her relationship his love notion that it is she not the lover who is in the dominant position here. It seems not unreasonable that her pleasure at being in the dominant position in a romantic series of encounters with a man who desired her should be expressed in poetry, but the true feelings disguised in a religious allegory. In either case she feels guilt for doing so. Because of this she has disguised her feeling in the poem by suggesting she is going to die or has died and that her love is the love of God. Cousin Kate I was a cottage maiden, Hardened by sun and air, Contented with my cottage mates, Not mindful I was fair. Why did a great lord find me out And praise my flaxen hair? Why did a great lord find me out To fill my heart with care? This is a narrative poem that tells of a girl who goes from being a poor maiden to a mother of a lords son. The first thing we learn about the narrator, in the first stanza is that she is a maiden so she is unmarried and young. The lines hardened by sun and air suggest she lives out in the country and her family works the land. He lured me to his palace home- Woes me for joy thereof- To lead a shameless, shameful life, His plaything and his love. He wore me like a silken knot, He changed me like a glove; So now I moan, an unclean thing, Who might have been a dove. The way the second stanza starts saying the narrator was lured to the lords palace shows she was tricked into coming close and she feels like his prey. Thus is because a lure is something used when hunting to get the prey close enough to catch. The two lines describing the lord wearing her like a silken knot and changed me like a glove show how the narrator has been dehumanized and used. The narrator sees herself as an unclean thing because she was the Lords lover outside of marriage and this was scorned upon when the poem was written (the Victorian era). The narrator goes on to say she might have been a dove meaning all good and pure. The dove was associated with all things good because according to the holy Bible when john baptized Jesus the Baptist a dove appeared in the sky above them and the voice of god was heard. This also reflects back to Christina Rossettis belief in Christianity. O Lady Kate, my cousin Kate, You grew more fair than I. He saw you at your fathers gate, Chose you and cast me by. He watched your steps along the lane, Your work among the rye: He lifted you from mean estate To sit with him on high. The narrator addresses her cousin as Lady Kate because she is now married to a Lord and has gained the tittle of Lady. The narrator tends to blame the lord for whats happened because she refers to him doing everything like He lured me and He wore me showing how he used her. However the narrator also blames herself for what happened because she went willingly. Because you were so good and pure He bound you with his ring: The neighbours call you good and pure, Call me an outcast thing. Even so I sit and howl in dust, You sit in gold and sing: Now which of us has tenderer heart? You had the stronger wing. Here the narrator compares herself to her cousin Kate. She says Kate is good and pure whereas she referees to herself as an outcast thing. The last sentence, you had the stronger wing shows that the narrator believes Kate had better means than she did to get to a higher social position. Kate goes from being a cottage maiden to a lady. The question Now which of us has tenderer heart? shows that the narrator believes her love was stronger than cousin Kates. The second line of the fifth stanza reinforces this; your love was writ in sand. If something is written in sand then its there for all to see but is soon washed away. So the narrator is partly blaming her cousin here. O cousin Kate, my love was true. Your love was writ in sand: If he had fooled not me but you, If you stood where I stand, Hed not have won me with his love, Nor bought me with his land: I would have spit into his face And not have taken his hand. Here the narrator seems to partly blame her cousin for whats happened and says that if she had been in Kates place she wouldnt have married the Lord She would have spit into his face, and what Kate did wasnt right. She also blames the lord for what happened saying how he fooled her. This seemed to say that the lord led her to believe he loved her and would marry her but was only using her. Yet Ive a gift you have not got, And seem not like to get: For all your cloths and wedding ring Ive little dought you fret. My fair haired son, my shame, my pride, Cling closer, closer yet: Your father would give lands for one To wear his coronet. This is where the story is brought to an end, although the narrator seems to have nothing left we now learn that she is a mother but Kate is not and may never be. For the Victorian times when Christina Rosette was writing people frowned greatly on nudity and sexual references (they even covered the legs of tables so the sight of a naked leg didnt shock women). So she must have suffered great criticism for most of her work including The Birthday and Cousin Kate. These poems are both about love but are hard to compare, as the Birthday is purely about emotion where as the Cousin Kate poem is narrative. Both poems talk about love. The Birthday talks about positive things and Cousin Kate is negative, from the narrators point of view she has lost everything because she loved the lord. Christina Rosetti was very inflexible so why would she write such strong poems with what would seem sexual references when she objected to nudity in paintings? Perhaps the birthday is like the Song of Solomon in that it describes what appear to be sexual things but is actually talking about beauty, the beauty of Gods kingdom.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

How to Pack for College Quickly and Not Forget Anything

How to Pack for College Quickly and Not Forget Anything It’s time to embark on a new adventure. You’ve already secured your room, counted down the days until move-in and figured out your class schedule. The only thing that’s left is packing up. Many students become a bit stressed looking at that long packing list and wondering how to pack for college. If you’ve already completed your back-to-school shopping you’re likely staring at a huge pile of sheets, curtains, pencils and more. Moving isn’t easy but with the right tips it doesn’t have to be a challenge either, and it doesn’t have to take days of your time to pack for college. Get Your Checklist Before you begin packing use a comprehensive packing list from online and amend it with your chosen items. There are plenty of blogs and lists on the internet telling you how to pack for college and these are great foundations, but shouldn’t be your end-all. Divide your list by: school supplies personal cleaning clothing decorative You also want to tailor this list to exactly what your college allows (some residence halls don’t like microwaves for example) and to what you need, so you’re not bringing a bunch of extra stuff with you. Keep Those Hangers One of the easiest ways to streamline your packing process is keep your clothes on their hangers. All that taking shirts off the hooks and rolling or folding them into boxes just doesn’t cut it. You’ll need to hang them up once you arrive anyway, so why not cut out a few steps. Make a list of the clothes that you’ll need and set them asidehangers included. To protect them, you can cover them with a large trash bag or garments bag so nothing spills on them or rips them during transports. And voila! You’ve got your clothes packed and ready. Protection and consolidation are keys when learning how to pack for college. Source: Instagram user manda_gee Bedding on Bedding It’s a given that you’ll have about two changes of bedding so you can swap out those sheets in between trips to the laundry room. If you’re thinking about keeping your bedding in those boxy packages from the store you probably don’t know how to pack for college. Jokes aside, here’s an awesome pro tip: use your pillowcase as a mode of transport. Take your fitted and flat sheet and any additional pillowcases and fold them inside of one pillowcase. This is especially easy if you’re bringing new sheets to college because they’re already super small from the factory packaging. This way, everything is right where you need it, the set is kept together and you can just grab and go. Pillows can be used as cushioning in the car or in certain boxes to protect more fragile items like a lamp. If there’s no need for extra padding in your current packing situation, then simply place them in a plastic bag and stuff them in those awkward spaces in the car. by Kelly Oribine Luggage is For Packing Sooo You’re most likely going to take a roll of luggage or two. Maybe a carry-on if you’ll be flying home or an entire suitcase. Use this to your advantage. Pack all of your school supplies in your backpack, that’s your notebooks, pens, mini stapler, sticky notes, etc. This way you can place your backpack on your shoulders and know that you have everything you need for school. When it comes to additional clothes or personal belongings, stuff them straight into your suitcase, that’s what it’s for after all. Using your suitcases as carriers is one of the first things you’ll be glad you learned about how to pack for college because it reduces the amount of boxes you have to find and keeps everything in once central place. Remember, it’s okay if some things are mixed up because you’ll be taking it all out once you arrive on campus. Things You Find in the Kitchen Saran wrap and sling wrap isn’t just for your kitchen. For those small items that are already neatly packed away in your home, wrap them up to keep everything in place! If you have a jewelry box or makeup case that’s already organized your precious things, wrapping them will keep it intact during the drive to your new university. DVDs already on your stand or in your favorite milkcrate? Books on a tiny shelf? No problem, simply wrap it together! Image credit: Pablo Enriquez Have a small cabinet for your school needs or alarm clock, etc? Head to the kitchen aisle, grab you plastic wrap and get to packing. You’ll never have to remove tiny items again, and you’ll have less meticulous things to put away when you arrive, which is one of the signs a student who knows how to pack for college. Ziploc bag small items like your toothpaste, deodorant, etc so you can easily pile it into your suitcase/tote bag/storage cube/container of choice without it spilling out or creating a huge muddled mess that wastes space. This is a great replacement for those nifty storage cubes that fancy people use to pack for fancy vacations (of course if you have one of those feel free to use it). Now that we’ve given you some helpful ideas on how to pack for college you’re ready for a new school year! Adopt these tips and you’ll find yourself packed up and ready to go in no time. You can reuse these techniques anytime you’re moving back and forth between school and home, including winter and summer breaks and even after your first year in college. Now that you know how to pack for college, what are you waiting for? Get up and starting packing!

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Make comments on the blogs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Make comments on the blogs - Essay Example As far as I understood, the exhibition you work at is quite a huge one, as you have a lot of art works and the beach where the SxS is located must be large. But I’m interested in how do your staff managed to control all those territories, like looking after the sculptures preservation from weather changes and visitors’ carelessness etc. You’ve mentioned that there were some problems with the project’s sponsors. Why was that? Was the project commercially unprofitable? I thought that the projects like this one should definitely attract tourists, as they are quite convenient and located in travelled places. The post was absolutely useful to me, as I think that such very practical internships like yours are just extremely interesting, because you never know what kind of information you will learn while installing another piece of art. I can imagine how scary it was when you came there for the first time and had to get involved into what was going on there within a short time! I bet it was crazy, especially when you worked with installations, as it is such a responsibility not to mix up anything accidentally. Thanks for the post. It’s been very interesting! As I understood, you worked with the Vernon system for the first time? Was it difficult to figure out how everything in this system worked? Because I don’t get whether the problem with saving your entries concerned shutdowns of the system or the computer that your gallery provided you with? If it is the system, then why wouldn’t they upgrade it somehow? Cataloguing seems like a very boring kind of work though. I hope you finally defeated the system and had your job with cataloguing done! I can’t even imagine how angry it made you to rewrite the entries over and over. As more I read about your internship the more it seems really exciting to me. This is just amazing that you’ve had an opportunity to become familiar with such great artists like Tony Mott and get to know their art works

Government funding for research benefit society.Do you agree Essay

Government funding for research benefit society.Do you agree - Essay Example Historically, R&D has been an indicator for innovation in any given country. For instance, the UK increased its spending on research and development between the years 1995 2011 to over  £27 billion (Muscio, Quaglione and Vallanti, 2013). However, there was a decline in research funding at the onset of economic crisis. Currently, UK government through RCUK (Research Councils UK) has initiated a new initiative known as Newton Fund to strengthen innovation and research (Hicks, 2012). By definition, research refers search for new concepts and knowledge while development is the process of bringing a new process or product from existing theory and knowledge (Chu, 2008). Therefore, this piece of work recommends that government funding for research benefits a society by ensuring that the country has a healthy society, productive economy and contributes to sustainability. The implication is that research and science are the heart of the nations economic growth, wider wellbeing, and prosperi ty. The conclusion as to why the government should fund research and development is always open to debate. Private sectors benefit from such initiatives, but they do not channel their benefits to societal well-being (Muscio, Quaglione, and Vallanti, 2013). However, it is the duty of the government to ensure that research and innovation is the core to economic growth. Central to this argument is that research and development has outstanding benefits to the society thus the government is obliged to channel funds to this sector. One underlying assumption for funding research is that countries use R&D to facilitate new commerce, and the aim is to improve the quality of life (Hicks, 2012). In fact, research should be part of a society’s infrastructure just like roads. As known to many, the government has the sole task of providing infrastructure, and it should take this as a responsibility. The

Friday, October 18, 2019

Designing and Preparing the Evaluation Assignment - 1

Designing and Preparing the Evaluation - Assignment Example In this step, one determines where the program presently is. The result of the Assessment step is an analysis of the SWOTs (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) as per the data analysis. Here, a five-year strategic plan should be developed and written. The strategic planning workforce analyses the SWOTs and uses the results to make out and prioritize policies that the program aims to implement a stated work frame agreement. I will then revise my plan logic model and line up my yearly work plan with the prioritized policies and the timeline to be implemented. The key product of this step is the documented strategic plan. Of the most important sections of the â€Å"create† step are the executive summary, SWOT analysis, stakeholder list, program strategies, data sources list, aligned yearly work plan, implementation process, communication process, and revised five-year strategy. The step involves sharing out data concerning the plan in a manner that make the plan easily understood and essential for stakeholders. The results of the â€Å"communicate† step include the communication notes and products that I distribute annually about the strategic plan, such as evaluation, creation, and implementation. The strategies in the plan are practiced as illustrated in the strategic plan execution timeline. This step produces completion of actions in yearly work plans, as mirrored in the accomplishment of SMART aims. The implementation is recorded in my strategic plan in progress documents, using the indicators of the marketing training programs. In the evaluation step, I will evaluate the implementation of the plan and my program activities. I can develop questions and gather data to notify the yearly work plan for the following year. Data used in the evaluation are utilized in monitoring the progress of the five-year strategic plan.

Product and Service Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Product and Service Strategies - Essay Example Style - look, fashion etc. Integrative force: Changing one or more of the above-discussed parameters could differentiate a Product. This will act as the competitive advantage or unique selling proposition of that particular product and to the company as a whole. Product Hierarchy: The hierarchy of a product starts from the basic need of the customer. A product is designed to fulfill the need. Then a product family emerges which includes major categories. i.e. for a life insurance both savings and income schemes will be included here or all insurance schemes will be grouped here. Then a product class emerges. i.e. considering only the income part of insurance. This is followed by product line where age groups come. Here the target market is known clearly. Then finally item comes where the focus will be on countries. i.e. Italian marble items are known world wide. Product Hierarchy Need Product family Product class Product line Product type Item Product Line Analysis This analysis will give clear details about the product Sales Profit Market profile Positioning Competition Identifying market segments Differentiation Finally, the management will be in a position to decide which product to focus more and which one to drop. Product Line Length The product line would be short if profits increase by adding items. The product line would be long if profits increase by dropping items. The General notion about the product length goes like this: A Company will have shorter product lines if its objective is short-term profitability or high profitability. A Company will have longer product lines if its objective is capturing more market share and market growth. The product line would lengthen for companies in due course of time. Commonly, companies...Product line pricing, a type of product mix strategy, sets price steps (also known as price points) between products in the line to appeal to different groups of consumers. Another product mix strategy called price bundling clusters two or more sports products into a single "packaged" price. Conversely, captive product pricing unbundled two or more sports products and sells each at a separate price. This type of product mix strategy is also referred to as two-part pricing. In economics and marketing, a service is the non-material equivalent of a good. Service provision has been defined as an economic activity that does not result in ownership, and this is what differentiates it from providing physical goods. It is claimed to be a process that creates benefits by facilitating either a change in customers, a change in their physical possessions, or a change in their intangible assets Intangibility - They cannot be seen, handled, smelled, etc. There is no need for storage. Because services are difficult to conceptualize, marketing them requires creative visualization to effectively evoke a concrete image in the customer's mind. From the customer's point of view, this attribute makes it difficult to evaluate or compare services prior to experiencing the service. Perishability - Unsold service time is "lost", that is, it can

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Write your own recommendation. What makes you different from other Essay

Write your own recommendation. What makes you different from other applicants - Essay Example Good communication skills are an indispensable asset (Buzzle). I possessed great verbal and written communication skills. Throughout my high school tenured I have excel in exercises or problems in which I had to demonstrate verbal skills. I have always been very good at oral presentations. I love to write and my technical writing skills are excellent. College prepares a person for the ultimate goal of becoming a part of the workforce. A trend that has influenced the behavior of people in the workforce is a shift from individualism to teamwork. â€Å"The concept of teamwork is very important to the success of any team† (Brianmac). I am a team player. My team skills will enable me to succeed in college. I am an outgoing person and I listen well to people. I like helping people and cooperating in order to get the job done. During my future college career I plan to use these skills to help out my fellow classmates in any way I can. Another attribute or skill that I possess that ma kes me an excellent candidate is my leadership skills. When I have worked in team projects I typically served the role of team leader. I am a hard worker and a dedicated student. Work Cited Page Brianmac.co.uk. 12 December 2010. â€Å"Understanding the Importance of Teamwork.†

Criminal Liability Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Criminal Liability - Assignment Example The fact that Neil died as a result of the scuffle with John, John may be held liable for manslaughter. Note that under the Homicide Act 1957, a person may be charged with voluntary manslaughter if death resulted from the act of another. Note that John came back and confronted Neil and he bodily pushed Neil to the ground then kicked him. Even if John did not intend to kill Neil, he is still guilty of maliciously inflicting bodily harm against Neil. When John came back to the scene to confront Neil, he already showed the elements of a guilty mind or mens rea as he had the chance to think things over when he turned away. The fact that Neil died in the hospital after he contracted MRSA does not excuse John from liability of his death.As stated by the court in the case of R v Blaue , where the subsequent events that lead to the death of the victim are foreseeable consequences of the incident and such foreseeable consequences would not have happened if not for the unlawful acts of the acc used, then there is no break in the causation and the accused may still be held liable for the death of the victim. In the case of John, he may be held liable for voluntary manslaughter under the Homicide Act 1957. However, John may use provocation as a mitigating circumstance to reduce his culpability. In order for John to make use of the defense of provocation, he should prove to the court that he is a reasonable man as defined by the court in the case of R v Ahluwalia   and he should prove to the court.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Write your own recommendation. What makes you different from other Essay

Write your own recommendation. What makes you different from other applicants - Essay Example Good communication skills are an indispensable asset (Buzzle). I possessed great verbal and written communication skills. Throughout my high school tenured I have excel in exercises or problems in which I had to demonstrate verbal skills. I have always been very good at oral presentations. I love to write and my technical writing skills are excellent. College prepares a person for the ultimate goal of becoming a part of the workforce. A trend that has influenced the behavior of people in the workforce is a shift from individualism to teamwork. â€Å"The concept of teamwork is very important to the success of any team† (Brianmac). I am a team player. My team skills will enable me to succeed in college. I am an outgoing person and I listen well to people. I like helping people and cooperating in order to get the job done. During my future college career I plan to use these skills to help out my fellow classmates in any way I can. Another attribute or skill that I possess that ma kes me an excellent candidate is my leadership skills. When I have worked in team projects I typically served the role of team leader. I am a hard worker and a dedicated student. Work Cited Page Brianmac.co.uk. 12 December 2010. â€Å"Understanding the Importance of Teamwork.†

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

General Beauregard and his early life leading up to the Civil War Essay

General Beauregard and his early life leading up to the Civil War - Essay Example During the first four years, after moving to New York, he learnt English as a second language, starting at the age of 12 years. After leaving school, he joined the US military academy at West Point, where he learnt a lot to do with the military and war (Eicher and Eicher 37-42). One of his instructors at the military academy was Robert Anderson, who was later appointed as the commander for Fort Sumter, and left the position for Beauregard after the start of the Civil War. While at the military academy, Beauregard dropped his first name, and started using Beauregard as his first name, and Tounant as his middle name. After his term at the military academy, he graduated at second position from the 1838 class, earning distinction as a military engineer and an artilleryman. Beauregard’s early years in Army career covered his service as an engineer under the command of General Scott, where he was appointed as the brevet captain, for the battles of Churubusco and Contreras; he was al so appointed as a major during the Chapultepec. He was among the first soldiers to move into Mexico City, but returned in 1848 (Eicher and Eicher 37-42). After his return, he spent 12 years he engaged in the Mississippi and Lake Defenses, while working on the construction of new and in the repair of forts along the Florida Coast and Alabama. Beauregard’s impact during the Civil War Beauregard’s presence and participation in the civil war was massive. His engagement started after he moved from New York to New Orleans, where he started offering advice on military operations to the local authorities of the area. The advice he offered included that on the need to strengthen different forts, which would secure the area from Mississippi attacks (Eicher and Eicher 37-42). After the appointment of Braxton Bragg as the commander, he was offered the post of a colonel, but preferred working as a private for the Orleans Guards. Later, he was appointed to head Charleston’s d efenses, and due to his qualifications as a military engineer and a leader, he was appointed as the first general officer in charge of the Confederate states. He also worked as a brigadier general with the transitional army of the Confederate states in 1861, and was later ousted to the post of a full general. While working at the different roles at the different areas, Beauregard facilitated the operations of the confederate states and also commanded major military activities. After his arrival at Charleston in 1861, he caused one of the most memorable victories, after his men made the first hits that marked the culmination of the civil war, forcing Anderson to surrender Fort Sumter on April 14. Following the successful attack, he received a heroic treatment, and for that matter, was placed in charge of Alexandria's line, to guard against the federal offensive that was expected from Brig’s forces. During the first Bull Run battle, he was working together with McDowell, and af ter the success of the multi-force excursions, he was acclaimed for his input and was recommended for promotion to the post of a full general. After the success of the attacks, he played a key role, together with William Miles in the creation of the Confederate Battle flag, which made the flag the confederation’s most popular symbol (Eicher and Eicher 37-42). Beauregard played a critical role in the planning of the surprise attack staged against Grant’s Army, nearly ending in victory. However, his planning

Monday, October 14, 2019

My Best Vacation Essay Example for Free

My Best Vacation Essay Dear all, Today, I would like to tell you about my best vacation. A few summers ago, my sister, her  colleagues and me took a vacation to Nha Trang for  5 days. As you know, vacation was special days! We visitted many well-known places such as: Vinpeal Land, Hon Tam Island, Diamond Bay, Thap Ba Pagoda, and so on. On the way riding in the cable car  to go to Vinpeal Land,  we saw  several jelly fish in the very blue water. It  is the first time I have ever seen an  extremely  beautiful view like that,  so I  felt very  interested and relaxed. We stayed there all day to play games,  visit the aquarium, take photographs, We spent another day  diving into the sea to view the colorful coral. At the moment I  felt  anxious  because I couldnt swim, but when I saw the coral, its beauty made me fogot all thing. In the next day, I  took a boat for some where that I dont know to eat seafood such as: fish, cuttle fish,  shrimp, The food  was so fresh and delicious. At night, we rent bicycle to ride along the seacoast. It was so romantic journey. After we utterly exhausted, we droped in shift  shop where we ate lobster, grilled meat roll and drank sugar-cane juice The last day before came back home, we went to the market to buy  speacialities and souvenirs for our family and fiends. Although  I got sick after the vacation but I felt so happy from my heart. I love my vacation so much. Thank you for reading.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Its the Cake Essay -- Creative Creativity Essays

It's the Cake The title above comes from a comment made by author Jerry Hirschberg. "Creative activity [isn't] the icing on the cake. Human creativity is the cake." Getting a bite of this cake is what proves to be frustrating for some people. Simply put, there isn't one sure-fire method to achieve creative success. However, there are certainly underlying attitudes and patterns that one can perceive in creative people, (and in this most humble of papers), I will attempt to show to you through texts such as Hirschberg's The Creative Priority and my own forays with Madame Creatividad that experiencing creativity is simply a matter of opening yourself up to the world around you. It always seems to me that any measure of creativity starts through something that I have opted to call creative flux, both because I am nerdy and that it happens to fit the concept extremely well. In a nutshell, all creative flux means is that you has to be willing to be open to the surrounding environment, allowing ideas from all possible angles and points to flow into you. Hirschberg illustrates this rather well. A car designer by trade, he started his career at GM, "the supreme icon of power and success for America." He tells us that GM eventually reached a point of stagnation, from lack of competition and from shutting the doors tight on ideas coming from the outside world. GM car design reached a monotone complacency, and it is at this point, Hirschberg says, he began feeling a little bit useless, as his work environment had turned into, "a blinding illusion of security and imperviousness to failure." Hirschberg then makes a transition: he switches jobs to a place of unregulated creative flux. He attributes his later success t... ...hberg calls this process `stepping back from the canvas.' And a gloriously effective technique it turns out to be, "...ideas again started flowing, knotty problem areas unraveled, and the design began to lead the designers, a sure sign that a strong concept was emerging." Something similar to this happened to me in the process of writing this essay, as I acquired a major case of writer's block. Thankfully, I took Hirschberg's advice to heart: I `stood back from the canvas' and succeeded in opening the floodgates of creative flux anew. So is creative flux the path to taking a bite out of the all elusive cake of creativity? Although it is not the only way to approach creative problems, it is the phenomenal openness that creative flux provides that makes for such an exciting tool in one's quest for achieving creative goals. So go ahead, open up and take a bite.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Rethinking the American Dream in Coney Island of the Mind, Why Wallace?, and Goodbye, Columbus :: Coney Wallace Columbus

Rethinking the American Dream in Coney Island of the Mind, Why Wallace?, and Goodbye, Columbus      Ã‚  Ã‚   Webster defines a dream as "something notable for its beauty, excellence, or enjoyable quality." This seems, logically, something that everyone desires to obtain. However not everyone is the same therefore each dream is not the same. According to certain works of literature regarding the 1950's-60's though, it appears as if many people are quite disillusioned and believe their dream is the one and only dream suitable for everyone. This American Dream consists of a nice job, nice spouse, nice house, nice kids, nice car and all the money, money, money you can get your hands on. Anyone who desires differently is unacceptable.    But what happens when people finally start to realize, heaven forbid, that this one dream isn't a dream at all and is not the ultimate source of happiness? A rebellion against this materialistic society takes place. Lawrence Ferlinghetti, in his poem "A Coney Island of the Mind," illustrates this dissatisfaction with American society:    "...on a concrete continent spaced with bland billboards illustrating imbecile illusions of happiness The scene shows fewer tumbrils but more maimed citizens in painted cars and they have strange license plates and engines that devour America" (Ferlinghetti,131).    America is supposed to be the great capitalistic society, but Ferlinghetti sees otherwise. Billboards feature material assets in a style showing its necessity for human happiness. By calling this happiness the billboards represent an illusion, Ferlinghetti is speaking out against materialism. This materialism has apparently also horribly disfigured America and it's citizens. The citizens believe that the more material possessions one has the happier they will be. Ferlinghetti says these material possessions such as cars and fancy license plates devour them instead and are possibly dictating their life.    Addressing this issue of a materialistic society is a common theme among many of the writer's during the 1950's and 1960's. In their writings Phillip Roth and Michael Novak both depict a family of this society. The parents of these writings have an "ideal" lifestyle and a standard for their children, which gives the children every reason to want to rebel. They want to break away from the thoughts and standards of their parents and society. In Roth's novel, Goodbye, Columbus, the character Mrs. Patimkin is much like the Andy Restek of Novak's "Why

Friday, October 11, 2019

Cruise Shipping

This industry can be traced back to around the 1400s when the first transatlantic voyage took place (Destination Yacht Charters). The speed of these cruise ships was very low during these years, but this was changed when the steam engine was invented in 1712 by a scientist named Thomas Newcomen (Briggs, 2009). The evolution of the steam engine led to the formation of the first shipping firm, the Black Ball Line, in 1818, which offered scheduled services to its passengers (Lytyson, 2009).With the steam engine, the cruise shipping continued to flourish in the 1800s and the early 1900s as the number of passengers traveling for business or leisure grew. However, with the arrival of passenger airplane from the Boeing Company in 1960s, the industry started to decline and this was attributed to the speed of these airplanes (Cruise lines, 2009). With the airplanes people could travel to more destinations within a short time in comparison to the cruise ships. This made the shipping companies to change their goals and to focus on tourism instead of passenger services.Furthermore, with the stiff competition from the airplanes, the industry still managed to flourish since they concentrated on improving the voyage itself. These companies concentrated on making their ships more comfortable and even provided extensive entertainment inside the cruise ships for the passengers. In addition, with †The Love Boat† television show in 1977 to 1986, the image of cruise shipping was improved and made better (Boyd, 2008 ). Recently, with the luxurious and superior entertainment provided on-board, the voyage has become the center of attraction and not the geographic destinations (Cruise working, 2009).This has made the cruise shipping industry to become one of the fastest growing industries in the transportation sector. Factors contributing to Cruise industry growth The economy in many countries is stable and growing and this has led to increased wealth amongst the people in those countries. With increased wealth many people can afford to travel for leisure. To a large extent, this is contributing to the continued growth in number of passengers experienced by the industry. For instance, between 1980 and 2003, the North American market grew at a rate of about 8. 4% per annum (Dowling, 2006).Globalisation is stimulating the market of container transport. The increase in the market of container transport is contributing to cruise shipping growth. In the Trans Pacific the number of containers transported in 2004, increased by about 15. 3% to more than 622,000 standard containers (Hapag-Lioyd, 2005). With the increase in the market, more ships are being built with even large capacity in order to tap the profits incurred in this transport industry. The peaceful environment experienced in most parts of the world is contributing to cruise shipping industry growth.For instance, in Iraq when peace was restored, tonnage at Aqaba port increased by about 28% to abou t 6. 5 million tons, in the first four months of 2003 (Stensgaard, 2007). The war in Iraq led to many ports being closed and people could not visit the country. However, when the war ended, materials for reconstructing the country entered the country through port Aqaba and this has led to its growth. With peace in many nations cruise ships can move freely in the waters as the number of safe ports increase leading to more destinations where people can visit.The tourism sector is growing at a fast pace and this can be attributed to many countries especially African countries investing more money in marketing their country's heritage. In many African countries the tourism industry is one of the major sources of income. In a country like Kenya, in 2006, revenue from tourism reached $800 million, thereby making it the largest foreign currency earner followed by horticulture and tea (Wallis, 2007). The fast growth in the tourism industry is facilitating the growth in the cruise industry a s both industries depend on each other mutually.The advancement in technology has enabled cruise ships to communicate with the loading and the off-loading ports and even with other ships. With modern communication, the ships can easily request for assistance when facing problems in the waters such as engine failure, explosions, among others, from other ships or nearby harbours. Furthermore, with the technological advancements, faster ships are being built thereby reducing the time spent in waters. The passengers can therefore reach their destinations in shorter time periods.In 2007, the world fuel price was more than $100 per barrel (Mati, 2008) but in 2009, prices have reduced to about $59 per barrel (Associated Press, 2009). The reduction in the fuel prices is a boost to the cruise shipping industry as it helps in reducing the package prices thereby enticing more passengers to cruising. Some people might find cruising expensive but with the reduction in package prices cruising wil l be made more affordable to them. To some extent, this is contributing to the increase in the number of cruise passengers. Strengths Cruise itinerariesThey provide the cruise passengers with a wide variety of services to choose from. There is a wide variety of cruise ships which offer different services. For instance, there is the Disney Cruise which offers exquisite activities for children and adult flair, the Royal Caribbean which offers magnificent sporting activities, the Costa cruises, which has put more emphasis in providing dining and entertainment in accordance with the Italian heritage, and many others (Lovetoknowcruises, 2007) Capacity The magnitude in size allows the cruise ships to carry a very large number of passengers at a go.The largest cruise ship can carry more than 6000 passengers (Wise, 2007 ), while the largest plane can carry more than 850 passengers at a go (Lewin, 2009). In terms of space, the cruise ships are more comfortable than the airplane and vehicles. Because of the large space in cruise ships, movement is not restricted and people can move around freely while in airplanes, vehicles and trains there is limited space and movement is restricted. Privacy and value In cruise ships privacy is ensured and respected. Because of its large capacity, it is designed like a hotel with rooms for the passengers.In cruise ships, the voyage is package priced and this usually includes food, room, and entertainment, among others. In most cases the passengers would spend more money on a vacation of same quality on land than on voyage (Hillman, 2009). This therefore shows that cruising is cost efficient than land vacation. More relaxation Land tourism is tiring than cruise shipping. In land tourism, the vehicle may encounter problems like engine problems, tire puncture, and many more, but in cruise shipping the problems are almost negligible.Furthermore, the hotel personnel pamper their visitors at a lower level in comparison with the cruise shippi ng personnel (Hillman, 2009). In cruise ships the passengers are treated with much respect and their requests are usually met in time. In addition, food is provided and the passengers do not have to carry their own food, while in land vacation you either carry your own food or look for restaurants that provide quality food and these restaurants are usually hard to come by.The problem of packing and unpacking your belongings is not experienced in cruise shipping (Hillman, 2009). The passengers will only unpack once throughout their cruising as they move from one place to another and will only pack once when they are back to their homes. Weaknesses Diseases infections The passengers in cruise ship are exposed to a high risk of disease infections such norovirus, maladies, among others. In 2004, about 300 passengers of the Carnival cruise line ship were infected with stomach malady while they were on-board (Water quality and health council, 2009).Consequently, in 2007, about 7 crew memb ers of the Majestic America Line cruise ship and 26 passengers were infected with norovirus while on-board (Baldwin, 2007). The norovirus has no cure but is controlled by antibiotics. The closed environment in the cruise ship provides suitable conditions for disease infections to spread swiftly since there is much human contact and food contact. Some of the reasons leading to disease infections include neglecting to disinfect restrooms and kitchens, washing hands among others (Paddock, 2009).The rate of disease infections in the cruise ships is reported to be on the rise and this could affect this industry adversely. Maintaining sanitation in cruise ships is becoming a problem for many shipping companies since it requires more funds and some companies are reluctant. Environmental pollution The cruise ships produce significant amounts of wastes which are mainly disposed with minimum regulation since they are not subjected to the same environmental policies as the industries on land ( Commoy et al, 2005).Researches done have shown that cruise ships produce carbon dioxide three times more than airplanes (Environmental Leader, 2008 ). Furthermore, in cases of accidents as was observed at the coastline of the Antarctic island, the Norwegian ship spilled fuel as it ran aground (Reuters, 2007). Spilling fuel in the waters is harmful to aquatic life as it deprives them oxygen (Smith, 2009). In addition, in many cruise ships there is no energy conservation mechanism, a lot of energy is used in moving, in the restaurants, for laundry and in the movie theaters.There is significant wastage of energy in the cruise ships. Terrorism Historically, terrorist mainly target the transport industry since the security in the maritime borders is lower in comparison to land borders (Loy, 2001) . For instance, in 1985, Palestinian terrorists attacked the Italian cruise ship killing at least one American (Ensor, 2003). The perception by people of a terrorist threat can restrict the crui se industry growth. Some people may not prefer cruise shipping because of increased terrorist activities thereby reducing its market as people fear for their lives.Terrorist activities may instill fear in some people thereby restricting them from traveling as they prefer staying in one place or going for land vacation which is much safer. Speed and price When compared to airplanes the cruise ship are expensive and consume a lot of fuel. In terms of fuel efficiency, studies carried out have shown that cruise ships are the worst in fuel efficiency when compared to airplane (Davison, 2009). Furthermore, in terms of speed cruise ships are very slow.For instance, the world’s fastest ship, Olympic voyager took seven days to visit three continents while an airplane can take only several hours at most (Hammond, 2000). The aviation sector is providing stiff competition as they try to improve the speed, the comfort and even the services provided to its customers. In addition, the aviat ion sector building big planes with larger capacity to cater for the increasing number of passengers. Limited port facilities The modern technology is enabling ports to become more efficient and effective in the services they provide to the shipping industry.However, the rate at which new technology is being adopted by ports is very slow and this can be attributed to high cost as upgrading requires much capital. Majority of the ports have not upgraded into using the modern technology and this has become a hindrance since few cruise ships can dock at that port in a day. It takes a lot of time to clear a cruise ship to dock. In addition, there are ports which have upgraded their facilities into using modern technology, but have limited loading capacity and therefore cannot accommodate large ships.This is negatively affecting the cruise shipping industry as it continues to build larger ships. Availability of the cruise itineraries Cruise itineraries are not available throughout the yea r they are restricted by seasons, some itineraries are available during the summer while others during the winter. This therefore restricts passengers from traveling to some destinations during a particular season. For instance, the Alaska cruise operates during summer only while during winter it is off-season, this restricts people who want to travel amongst the Alaskan glaciers (lovetoknowcruises, 2007).Furthermore, there are some itineraries which are not available in many ports such as the Caribbean and Mediterranean voyages which are usually available throughout the year but are limited by the number of cruise ships that provide them (MacCalla, 1994). Limited exploration time and destinations In cruise shipping there is limited time spent on land, a lot of time is spent on-board. This gives the cruise passengers little time to absorb the cultures of local communities when visiting a place. In addition, the voyage is restricted to the coastal areas, only the airplanes, trains am ong others can go inland.This therefore makes people who want to visit inland places to prefer using airplanes over cruise ships. Future of cruise shipping industry The number of passengers has been increasing annually and this is a big boost to this shipping industry. However, with economic downturn in the world, the cruise shipping industry will be affected adversely. In 2009, the number of passengers in cruise ships is expected to grow by about 3% which is a significant reduction from the growth observed from 2006 to 2007 of about 11% (Berman, 2008).With this significant reduction in passenger growth, the cruise shipping industry is still better placed than most sectors. The passenger number especially that of British cruise passengers is anticipated to grow by 2010 as new cruise ships providing better services will be in the market. From the trend observed in1995 to 2005, whereby the number of European passengers tripled from about 1 million to about 3. 3 million, this growth ra te is anticipated to reach 4 million annually by 2010 and to about 5 million by 2015 ( Seatrade Cruise connection, 2007).The new ships are expected to provide better itineraries thereby attracting more passengers to cruising. Even though, the cruise shipping industry is facing some serious challenges, the future looks bright. Furthermore, with the advancement in technology, the efficiency and effectiveness in ship building will be greatly improved and ships will be build much faster thereby meeting the increasing passenger demands. From the current trends observed, in 10 to 15 years the cruise shipping industry will expand greatly and become one of the largest industries contributing to the world economy. Word Count: 2347.Reference List Associated Press, (2009). Prices at the pump also rise — national average is $2. 311 for a gallon of gas Retrieved May 19 from http://www. msnbc. msn. com/id/12400801/ Baldwin M. (2007). Is â€Å"New† Norovirus to Blame for Cruise Ship Outbreaks? Retrieved May 19 from http://www. cruisecritic. com/news/news. cfm? ID=2028 Berman C. (2008). Cruise growth will slow in 2009, says Passenger shipping association. Retrieved May 19 from http://www. travelweekly. co. uk/Articles/2008/10/07/29073/cruise-growth-will-slow-in-2009-says-passenger-shipping. html Boyd L. (2008). Brief History of the Passenger Ship Industry.Retrieved May 19 from http://library. duke. edu/digitalcollections/adaccess/ship-history. html Briggs J. (2009). How Cruise Ships Work. Retrieved May 19 from http://adventure. howstuffworks. com/cruise-ship1. htm Commoy J. , C. Polytika, R. Nadel and J. Bulkley 2005. The environmental impact of cruise ships. Retrieved May 18 from Cruise lines, (2009). A brief history of the cruise line industry. Retrieved May 19 from Cruise working, (2009). The History Of The Cruise Line Industry. Retrieved May 18 from Davison D. (2009). Comparing the fuel efficiency of planes, trains, automobiles – and cheeseburgers? Retrieved May 19 from Destination Yacht Charters. Cruise ship history. Retrieved May 19 from Dowling R. K. (2006). Cruise ship tourism. Edition: illustrated. CABI: N. Y. p. 363 Ensor D. (2003). U. S.captures mastermind of Achille Lauro hijacking. Retrieved May 19 from Environmental Leader, (2008). cruise ships worse for the environment than planes. Retrieved May 19 from Hammond J. (2000). Cruise Ship Gig Anyone? The World's Fastest Cruise Ship, not necessarily the Smoothest! Retrieved May 19 from Hapag-Lioyd, (2005). Another record performance. Retrieved May 19 from Hillman H. (2009). Cruise pros and cons. Retrieved May 19 from Lewin H. (2009). The world's largest airplane: the airbus A380. Retrieved May 19 from Lovetoknowcruises, (2007). Planning a cruise itinerary. Retrieved May 19 from Loy J. M.. (2001).Seaports, cruise ships vulnerability to terrorism. Retrieved May 19 from Lytyson L. (2009). The History of Cruise Ships. Retrieved May 19 from Mati A. (2008). Managing surging oil prices in the developing world. Retrieved May 19 from McCalla R. J. (1994). Water transportation in Canada. Edition: illustrated. Formac Publishing Company: Halifax. p183 Paddock C. (2009). Norovirus Infects 200 Passengers On Norwegian Cruise Ship.Retrieved May 18 from Reuters, (2007). Antarctic cruise ship spills fuel. Retrieved May 19 from Seatrade Cruise connection, (2007). cruise industry outlook remains positive. Retrieved May 18 from Smith S. E. (2009). How do oil spill affect marine life. Retrieved May 18 from Stensgaard A. (2007). Shipping industry growth to continue for a decade says Oman authorityRetrieved May 19 from Wallis D. (2007). FEATURE-Kenya tourism rides crest of booming demand. Retrieved May 19 from Water quality and health council, (2009). Sea Sick — Infection Outbreaks Challenge the Cruise Ship Experience. Retrieved May 19 from Wise J. (2007). World largest cruise ship pulls 360s with joystick. Retrieved May 19 from

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Racial Culture: A Critique, by Richard T. Ford Essay

Over the last thirty years, critical race and gender theorists have questioned whether and if law can protect difference in a meaningful way, especially in the workplace. Richard T. Ford, a law professor at Stanford University, provides an interesting critique of the resulting â€Å"multicultural assumptions of difference† in his book RACIAL CULTURE. While he recognizes most refutations of these approaches come from conservatives with a political agenda of legal colorblindness, Ford explicitly asserts he shares the political and social goals of the progressive left. More specifically, he refutes colorblindness as a means of equality. Ford argues that racial identity politics have the liability of undermining their stated objective of eliminating racism in the workplace. The author is clear; his opposition to discrimination based on status does not mean that one is not ambivalent about the development of a new legal category of discrimination based on culture. His overarching concern is that â€Å"race,† which is socially and economically constructed, is given additional legitimacy by the assumption that every race manifests cultural similarities and that these cultural artifacts should be protected in the same manner as racism. [A]nti-discrimination law should be refined so as to recognize only those differences attributable to the production of formal status hierarchy, for the purpose of eliminating or reducing the ill-effects of such hierarchies. Difference discourse, by metastasizing status into a thick social identity, distracts from and confuses the vital task of correcting status hierarchy. Legal decision [*217] makers need to be aware of status differences and castelike social practices in order to correct the injustices that they do. But we should resist the temptation to write a speculative sociology of group difference into law or to enlist the state into a psychotherapeutic quest to validated â€Å"repressed† identities. Finally, Ford is concerned that in privileging racial culture we foster an environment of conflict and competition, without a thoughtful analysis of which cultures are most worthy of protecting. His assumption is that racial integration should be a dominant goal of society, with members of racial groups selecting for themselves which aspects of their culture are most worthy of preserving. Many readers may agree with aspects of his legal argument, without completely accepting his rejection of identity politics as â€Å"provincialism. † Ford offers instead a vision of â€Å"cosmopolitanism† in which â€Å"minority cultural practices will survive without legal protection, albeit often in an altered, fragmented and recombined form, and that such survival in an admittedly Hobbesian social competition is preferable to the distorted and blinkered version of group difference we should expect cultural rights to produce† . While Ford’s analysis is wide-ranging, well-written, and fascinating, there are several limitations to his argument. His own assumptions regarding employment discrimination law are disturbing. His reliance on current employment discrimination law as the best means for redressing racism ignores several factors that the â€Å"difference† discourse has revealed. One factor is the gap for women of color within the protections of Title VII. To demonstrate racial discrimination, women of color must show that others of their race were treated similarly, but if those similarly-situated are men, the discrimination may not be evident. To demonstrate gender discrimination, women of color must show that others of their gender were treated similarly, but if white women are those who are similarly-situated, such discrimination may not be apparent. Contemporary Title VII jurisprudence frequently does not allow for interactions between race and gender that are unique to women of color. The formal equality required by Title VII is limited in how well it can protect against explicit racism, let alone against the â€Å"proxies of race† illustrated by cultural practice. Another area that requires further development is Ford’s extension of cultural analysis to less comparable areas of employment discrimination law—in particular, sexual preference and gender. His premise that sexual preference should be protected as status, rather than as behavior or culture, ignores the lesser protection granted sexual preference under the law compared to racial discrimination. Ford does not address the unanswered question within the law of whether sexual preference is behavior or immutable characteristic. The current judicial acceptance of lower levels of scrutiny to protect sexual preference in the workplace means that a simple reliance on current employment discrimination law will not render the results he professes are necessary. Finally, his equivalence of gender discrimination to race is disappointing, especially in the area of pregnancy. While the right to difference literature [*218] builds on a century of analysis by feminist scholars, there are clear differences between the two. However, Ford perceives pregnancy as a form of gender culture, as braids or language can be for race. But this analogy does not work. Discrimination against pregnancy is not justified by employers solely on the basis of predicted workplace impacts of the actual pregnancy, but also because women have the potential to become pregnant. Since pregnancy is a biological reality, how can it be simply another cultural manifestation or behavior choice? A second difference is that, unlike forms of racial or ethnic culture, Congress revised Title VII to incorporate pregnancy into the definition of gender discrimination. 4 Part 2- How racial Identity affects an individual in society Individual youth who experience discrimination carry higher stress burden People’s beliefs that they are being treated badly because racial or gender bias increases their stress levels, and may lead to increased emotional and behavioral problems, according to a study of black and white youth. Understanding how race and gender affect youths’ well-being â€Å"is necessary not only for promoting optimal individual development, but also for meeting the nation’s social and economic needs,† says lead study author David L. DuBois, Ph. D., of the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago. DuBois conducted the research while at the University of Missouri, Columbia. Previous studies have focused on older study participants, but little is known about how younger age groups are affected by discrimination or prejudice, according to the study, which is published in the September/October issue of Child Development. DuBois and his colleagues administered a series of questionnaires to 350 students in grades 5-8. This group of students included comparable numbers of blacks and whites, females and males. One survey, which included questions like â€Å"Were you called names or insulted at school about your race/ethnicity† and â€Å"Were you treated unfairly at school because you are a girl/boy,† was designed to measure discriminatory experiences and how study participants were affected by them, while others measured major life stressors, racial and gender identity, self-esteem and behavior. The researchers found significant differences among the student groups. Black study participants, both males and females, reported more experiences with discrimination and prejudice. The study setting, a Midwestern school district in which blacks were a minority in both student body and staff, may have contributed to these higher perceived levels, according to the study. â€Å"In this context many black youth may not have felt adequately supported in their efforts to deal with situations involving perceived victimization or unfair treatment on the basis of race,† DuBois says. The black students who reported higher levels of discrimination were more likely to have emotional problems, the researchers found. Such problems may stem from internalized anger, according to findings from other studies. The researchers also found that the black participants in their early teens reported feeling a stronger sense of racial identity than same-age whites. The new study and previous studies have found that at this age, blacks tend to have higher self-esteem than whites. DuBois and his colleagues found that a strong racial identity is important in helping to enhance the self-esteem of black youth. 5 How Racial Identity Affects School Performance of an Individual We investigated the sources of differences in school performance between students of different races by focusing on identity issues. We find that having a higher percentage of same-race friends has a positive effect of white teenagers’ test score while having a negative effect on blacks’ test scores. However, the higher the education level of a black teenager’s parent, the lower this negative effect, while for whites, it is the reverse. It is thus the combination of the choice of friends (which is a measure of own identity) and the parent’s education that are responsible for the difference in education attainment between students of different races but also between students of the same race. One interesting aspects of this paper is to provide a theoretical model that grounds the instrumental variable approach used in the empirical analysis to deal with endogeneity issues. 6 Our Racial Identity affects who we see in society The authors asked biracial participants (one Black and one White parent) to think about their Black parent’s ethnicity. After, they could spot the presence or lack of a Black face in a crowd of White faces with the same speed and accuracy as a monoracial Black person. The same held true when asked to think of their White parent. Although all detected Black faces faster than white faces, biracial students were affected by thinking about one half of their racial identity and then behaved as if they were monoracial. Black, white, and biracial participants performed the visual search task by looking at Black and White faces on a computer screen. To prep the biracial individuals, the participants were asked to write about their mother or father’s ethnicity. Black-primed and White-primed biracial individuals differed significantly in the searches, displaying the effects of the manipulation. â€Å"These findings demonstrate that visual perception is malleable to top-down influences, such as orientation provided by one’s racial group membership,† the authors conclude. References: 1. AAPA Statement on Biological Aspects of Race America Association of Physical Anthropologists (AAPA) 2. http://genomebiology. com/2002/3/7/comment/2007 3. Alicia Fedelina Chavez, Florence Guido-DiBrito Racial and Ethnic Identity and Development NEW DIRECTIONS FOR ADULT AND CONTINUING EDUCATION, no.84, Winter 1999  © Jossey-Bass Publishers 39 4. Richard T. Ford. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2004. Vol. 15 No. 3 (March 2005), pp. 215-218 5. Pamela Ippoliti, www. hbns. org 6. Eleonora Patacchini (eleonora. patacchini@uniroma1. it) (University of Rome â€Å"La Sapienza†)Yves Zenou (yvesz@iui. se) (IUI, GAINS, CEPR and IZA Bonn) 7. Joan Y. Chiao, Hannah E. Heck, and Ken Nakayama are at Harvard University. Nalini Ambady is at Tufts University. Blackwell Publishing Ltd. , May 10, 2006.

Contrasting Differences in Family Life in USA and Mexico Essay

The family is the basic unit of any particular society or community. It is therefore imperative that for the society to exist the family has to be there to produce members into the community. The community or national character any particular country is basically determined by the nature of the family values. An individual is shaped in the early ages by the family. In the contemporary society there are increased diversity changes in the family a characteristic of the many changes in culture, political, economic, social, and psychological and even the environment. The content definition of has not been agreed upon because of the great changes that are so accommodating. In the previous many years the family was considered as the people who are related by blood. This definition based on the kinship ties has been revoked due to the influence of many forms of families which has stripped off the family its actual definition. For instance there can husband and wife who do not have any kinship ties and they go ahead to adopt children. Another case that has changed such a definition of the family based on kinship ties is the increasing number of intermarriage within the context of race or ethnicity. This brings out a mixture of offspring and therefore it is difficult to trace the family bonds based on kinship ties. The issue of who is next to kin is no longer important in the current families. The most common aspect in the current families is the bonding based on mutual understanding. The many changes of husband and wife have been changed by the introduction of lesbianism and gay. These try to go against the grain of opposite gender type of marriage. The concept of marriage has changed from opposite gender type of marriage to a mixture of gay, lesbianism and opposite gender marriages. These are some of the dynamisms that are facing the contemporary families. This paper shall give an indebt analysis of the family, the changes in roles and functions of the families and the general effects of such changes to the contemporary families. A close reference and examples shall be drawn from the US and Mexico, the countries that border each other geographically. The contrasting differences I n family issues shall be pointed out clearly. Family life in the United States The family relationship in the United States has undergone several transformations due to the effect of globalization. Race and ethnicity are the most significant factors in shaping the variety of values, attitudes and behaviour amongst the families in the United States. There are a number of changes in families in the United States. These changes range from political, social, economic, and psychological to spiritual. The social dislocations have given rise to new ideas and values especially there is increased individualism among the members of the community. In the US there increased diversity in the organizational structures. There are many cases of divorce and separation in the United Stated which has grabbed the family the unity and love that is supposed to be enjoyed. Most the single families that are common in the US are as a result of divorce and remarriage due to greater democratization. (Hines & Morrison, 2005) Cultural diversity in the US is accounting for the many different types of families that have emerged in the recent past. The United States constitutes almost all races and ethnic groups in the world. For this reason there are diverse cultural values as a resulting of this contact. The factor that there are free intermarriages between these diverse races and ethnic groups has made the US to have diverse cultural values which transcend the native culture. The immigrants who move to the United State try to maintain their native language despite the fact that they are forced to learn the official language of the United States, which is English. The immigrants from Spanish speaking countries (Hispanic) when they move to the United States they try to maintain their languages. The culture of the people is usually transmitted through language and due to the numerous languages in the United States there exists different cultures. This means that there are very many family clusters formed through the sharing of the languages. For instance most of the Hispanic immigrants have formed family clusters in the sides of Florida. The black American speaks a variety of English as they identify themselves as belonging or originating from one family. These disparities have affected the notion of the family because these people are allowed to mix freely with people from different cultures. The concept of the family in the United States is changing even the more during the advent of the green card where people from different pasts acquire citizenship. Many people from different races and ethnic groups have found their way to the US and as such most of them are allowed to move with their families. The nuclear family still remains an ideal source of the society in the United States. The United States families are characterized by the great social stratification. In the United the families are organized according to different classes. Among these classes there are great disparities in terms of economic value. The choice of families has not taken shift from mutual understanding to materials and resources. This has affected relationships from a sociological point of view. This issue of the class is a dominant phenomenon among the families in the United States as those who are rich wants to maintain the status quo. This is done through the inheritance that is passed within the nuclear families. The nuclear families in the United States are created and broken up and then reconstituted. This has led to the decline of family values which consequently affects the family patterns. This diversity in family pattern has been identified as the cause of problems such as violence, crime and drug use in the united state. The parents are usually very busy with their duties (United States, Congress, 1992). The increasing cases of divorce and separation in the United States have a negative effect on maintaining the ideal norms of the nuclear family value. The families that are exposed to values outside the parental domain are likely to deviate from norms. The human rights in the United States are considered fundamental. There is protection of the universal human right which is a recipe to the process of democratization. This the reason why the US government invest huge amount of money in education health and other basic sectors so as to enhance the promotion of the human rights among the citizens. The Family Life in Mexico Most people have preferred to live in Mexico for a variety of reasons such as social, political, economic and even good climatic reasons. Living in Mexico requires one to learn the Spanish language so as to increase effective communication. This is because the families are socialized in the Spanish language. The Mexican people are extremely warm and friendly as they are organized in smaller communities that come from the mutually intelligible families. This means that the socialization process is high since there tow much contact between the families. The family bonds are tightly held together and for this reason there is cultural uniformity. The society per se is integrated under common cultural values through the common language shared. Piped water is relatively inexpensive, but not always potable (drinkable). Decades of under-investment, combined with an attitude of impertinence towards paying water bills, has left Mexico’s mains water system in poor condition. As a result, most people purchase bottled water, often in 20L containers. Bottled water is very expensive. Rents in Mexico can be higher than in equivalent-sized US towns or cities if the place is popular or fashionable, particularly places within easy reach of the US border. Mexico has a centralized economy: that is, most of the country’s economic activity revolves around. The Mexican pace of life is relatively slower than in the US Especially when the life in major cities is given consideration. The families in Mexico are closely tied as most of the families have time to attend to their families. There is a high degree of parental responsibility among the families. This transcends to greater heights of good values that the society enjoys. Mexico’s culture has a rich history in a consolidated family religion, people and tradition. The Mexican people are proud of their culture that they keep on passing from one generation to another. This is because there is little infusion of the foreign cultures. The family is the basic unit in Mexico and a cornerstone to the maintenance of the culture. The rate of socialization and interaction among these people is too high. It is a usual phenomenon to meet two or more families meeting for a common interest or for a special event. This part of the family function in Mexico, people in Mexico have free time to visit resort centers for the purpose of relaxation which is not a common phenomenon in the United States, where people are too busy. (Heymann, 2006) The Mexican People are too religious which is a big contrast with the United States where people feel that they are in control; of their own life. A large number of people are Christian and they are usually committed to going to church. When you walk in the Mexican homes it is easy for you to see the religious images. In America people stay a non-religious life thus an effect of religious intermingling that has made it difficult for the people to which religious practice to adopt. Thus they resign from subscribing to any of the religious practice. The social stratification is not prevalent in the Mexican family as it is in the United States; people are seeking for money the Mexican people strive for titles. The professionals in Mexico prefer to be addressed with the titles that they deserve. This is as a result of the traditional emphasis given to the tittles within the family domain. The economic living standards in Mexico are slightly lower than in the United State. There are many poor people in Mexico than in the United States. The impact of these high levels of poverty in Mexico has necessitated the immigration of most Mexican families to the United States in search of better jobs and pay of most illegal immigrants from Mexico have gotten their way into the United States through the Mexican borders. These immigrants have settled in cities such as Florida. Working in the United States gives them better pay. This aspect of brain drain is lowering the general development of the families in Mexico as most of the people move leaving behind other family members Basically the cost of living in Mexico is lower than that of the US particularly for agricultural produce. Other sectors such as transport and communication are also lower in Mexico than I n the United States. Other utilities as electricity are more expensive compared to the United State. Working families in the United States, observing how parents struggled to find a balance between caring for children and earning a decent income. When parents split and one of the parents went from Mexico to the United States and was no longer available to give the necessary care, families suffer. What significantly exacerbates the problem is when the borders are so tight that they prevent families from reuniting. This has been a common phenomenon when the immigrants are not given the opportunity by the America to even visit their families in back home in Mexico. (Poole M. et al, 1993) Globalization of the economy created increased pressure for workers to accept lower labor standards, accept lower wages, longer hours, fewer benefits, and less paid leave. Both Nations likewise feel pressure from economic globalization not to implement family-friendly policies, such as paid leave for illness or when a child is sick, or paid parental leave. And that leaves working families struggling to balance work and their care-giving duties. The globalization process has affected families in both Mexico and United States economy was transforming the relationship between work and care-giving in similar ways everywhere. Globalization has forcing both countries to at a very high pace as far as labor standards and social policies are concerned hence leaving working parents with less and less time to raise their children. Parents’ work has shifted markedly around the world and that goes for every region. The child rearing process has been left in the hands of maids who offer supportive care while the parents are away working till late hours of the day. Men in particular have been moving away from one place to another in search of better jobs especially in various industries. Globalization has made men and women to work day and night and this has made them move away from their homes to go work in various places. A good example is that of outsourcing where people work in shifts where some work during the day and others at night. Women, likewise, have moved into the paid labor force and away from the home. From the period between 1960 and 2000 the number of women in the labor force went from 26 to 38 percent in America. The percentage of women in the workplace has increased both in the United States and Mexico. This has adversely affected the family care services that were provided by the women while their men were working in various sectors. This is a result of civilization which been brought about by the factors such as education, religion, work, urbanization among others. These factors have changed the various roles that were supposed to be executed by the family so as to prepare an individual to be a responsible member of the society. (Cecil, 1992) What has happened is that the world has seen women get better job opportunities which has assisted then them raise income to cater for their families. The increased number of single parent families has made it possible for the women to struggle to get money for rearing their families. While this is was going on there is also massive urbanization occurring all across the world. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as people who move from very poor rural areas to urban areas often get better jobs, and become less dependent on, for instance, a good rain to feed their families. (Rowntree, Lewis, Price & Wyckoff, 2006). References Hines D. A. , Morrison K. (2005) Family Violence in the United States: Defining, Understanding, and Combating. Sage Publisher. Heymann J. (2006) Forgotten Families: Ending the Growing Crisis Confronting Children and Working Parents in the Global Economy. Oxford University Press Poole M. et al (1993) Family: Changing Families, Changing Times. Allen & Unwin publisher. Robinson, Cecil. (1992). No short journeys: The interplay of cultures in the history and Literature of the borderlands. Tucson: University of Arizona Press. Rowntree L. , Lewis M. , Price M. and Wyckoff W. (2006). Diversity amid Globalization: World Regions, Environment, Development. United States, Congress. House America’s (1992) Families: Conditions, Trends, Hopes, and Fears: Family policy. United States, Congress, House publisher.