Monday, December 30, 2019

Fear Of The Blue Essay - 2396 Words

Fear of the Blue Alton Sterling, Nolan Ryan, and Philando Castile; average people who are now household names because of their murders by the hands of those meant to â€Å"protect and serve†. They are three among many that were unarmed and killed by law enforcement. Each lived in different states, each lived different lives, and each had different dreams, but their lives were cut short by the discretion of a Police Officer. The First Amendment allots people to have the freedom of speech. The Second Amendment allots people to bear arms. The Fourth Amendment protects people from unreasonable search and seizure. One would think with all the rights given, people should be allowed to express their opinions, carry a registered gun, and not have to fathom the fact they may not survive after an encounter with the law. Police brutality is on the rise because many officers use their power unjustly, are not adequately trained, and are not held accountable for their actions. If a resolution is not made s oon, social unrest will reach a tipping point. Deeming further from the riots that have already evolved among vexed citizens, or the mass ambushes that have transpired towards the men/women in the blue by those enraged from an inclined legal system. Police Officers are not adequately trained. There is no unified standard to becoming an Officer. Each precinct develops their own set of requirements and trainings based on the location, population, and need for their city. According toShow MoreRelatedFear Of The Blue Essay1007 Words   |  5 PagesBrooke Handley English 102 Mrs. W October 3, 2016 Fear of the Blue Although they may not be known personally, Alton Sterling, Nolan Ryan, and Philando Castile have become household names. They are three amongst many, that were unarmed and killed by the ones who are expected to â€Å"protect and serve.† Each lived in different states, each lived different lives, and each had different dreams, but their lives were cut short by the discretion of a Police Officer. The First Amendment allots people to haveRead MoreOvercoming Fear : Battling The Big Blue Monster Essay2128 Words   |  9 PagesOvercoming my Fear: Battling the â€Å"Big Blue Monster† Within Imagine a small boy, probably six or seven years old, who was relishing his life, playing with his friends, playing video games, playing with toys. You undoubtedly understand it by now, a lot of playing! But one morning was a lot different from all others, it was a gloomy, autumn morning, where the life of trees was draining away as their leaves fell onto the dead grass. That day, his dad excitedly said â€Å"Son, we will be going somewhereRead MoreComparison of Dulce Et Decorum Est, and Refuge Blues English Coursework933 Words   |  4 PagesCompare Dulce Et Decorum Est and Refugee Blues Both the poems are based at periods of War, but the difference being is that ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’ depicts the very physical suffering of the soldiers in the muddy, bloody trenches of the First World War, (The Great War), and is written for the purpose of educating those on the home front, who are naà ¯ve to the suffering experienced by the soldiers on the front line, people referred to as his friends, who must be informed about the old lie, ‘DulceRead MoreInside Out By Peter Doctor And Ronnie Del Carmen1425 Words   |  6 Pageschanges throughout her preteen years. Her emotions: Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), and Sadness (Phyllis Smith), help guide Riley through any given circumstances that won’t throw her life in haywire. Joy Joy is one of the main â€Å"emotion† characters that were introduced in the film. Her main color is yellow with glowing blue aura. Yellow is one of the assertive colors while blue is considered as a receding color. Joy’s name defined her personality;Read MoreKey Themes In Inside Out1075 Words   |  5 Pagesalso illuminates yellow around her body. Joy is shown as being coloured bright yellow and having blue coloured hair and eyes. Her blue hair represents water in my opinion. Sadness is also shown as completely blue, and within the movie, Joy is the only emotion out of the five which has several distinct colours in her body. This stimulates my belief that she may have a connection with sadness who is also blue which creates another major theme: Emotions are not single and different, but rather are the mixtureRead MoreThe Marketing Plan For Pepsi943 Words   |  4 PagesHalloween holiday season of 2013, characteristics of its design, and how that it was an effective print advertisement. The designers did a fantastic job of creating a Halloween theme to grab the attention of the target audience, and created a mood of fear through use of design, lighting, texture, and hidden scary objects. The only word printed on the ad are placed at the top centered like a title and says â€Å"We wish you scary Halloween†. The Halloween theme of the ad shows a Pepsi can wearing a redRead MoreBiblical and Religious Themes in Sonnys Blues Essay1269 Words   |  6 PagesJames Baldwin’s short story, â€Å"Sonny’s Blues,† is the authors most studied and critically analyzed piece of literature. The majority of these analyses focus on the obvious themes of the book such as jazz music, the unnamed narrator, or the rift that divides Sonny and his brother. Little critique has ever gone into the biblical and religious themes that run throughout the story of â€Å"Sonny’s Blues.† Furthermore, it is even more astonishing that there is little critique given Baldwin has such a strongRead MoreEssay About The World Disaster855 Words   |  4 PagesAn endless misty room with the glow of a bright bleeding red shining from the bottom of a tall table. On the top of it, a man in a vibrant blue suit. His hand was tightly handcuffed to the table. Slowly his eyes opened inside of the over-sized helmet, he tries to move his hands, without knowing they were handcuffed. BANG! The door violently slammed open, two guards rushed into the room with a red beam light projecting through the tip of their weapons. The outside light flooded into the chamber. TwoRead MoreRacial Injustice in A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry and Sonny’s Blues, by James Baldwin1494 Words   |  6 Pagesare inferior will go away, and they will be treated equally like a full human being. The theme of racial injustice is prevalent in both â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† by Lorraine Hansberry and â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† by James Baldwin stories. Both of the stories shows contrasting view on African American people living in fear of racial terrorism, physical harm, housing inequality, and dangerous life in segregated black neighborhood. However, they share similar views on racism in the form of economic oppression, andRead MoreDrug Abuse In Sonnys Blues803 Words   |  4 PagesRough Draft James Baldwin’s short story â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† is a timeless piece of literature. In this story, Baldwin captures the reality of drug abuse. He tackles the aspects that accompany it, including the consequences that follow and the impact it has on others. Alongside the underlying themes of this story are memorable characters and an impactive message. â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† leads a story that can easily take place in everyday life. â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† is about two brothers. One whom is an unnamed algebra

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Foreign Policy And The International Image Of The United...

The US State Department and the reigning President are primarily, the offices responsible for the foreign policy and the international image of the United States. US foreign policy is created and driven by the historic events in past and the ideologies and mindset of the US, by using these they are able to make educated policies regarding events that occur in the context of the time. The world of foreign policy is incredibly dynamic and ever changing, so it requires flexible thinking and use of the past to guide its judgement. As a superpower in the world, the grand strategies and policies of the US have wide reaching effects on the world and the interests of the US. The United States in this current century have made mistakes that have affected the outlook of the nation and as well weakened it, with the grimmest outlooks to be critically wounded economically. The fields in which the United States has been weakest on with their foreign policy in this current century include, their us e of the Liberal ideology and message in the Iraq War and economically with the Global Financial Crisis affecting the Capitalist system and ideology of the US. The Liberal ideals of the United States is possibly their biggest driver when it comes to crafting foreign policies and grand strategies, as it goes back to their founding, â€Å"the land of the free† is in their anthem after-all. The first idea of making Liberalism a global goal, was in the form of ‘Manifest Destiny,’ the term came from theShow MoreRelatedThe Civil Rights Movement : Mary Dudziak1322 Words   |  6 PagesDudziak, author of Cold Rights Civil War, showed how the civil rights movement effected American foreign affairs on an international level. She argued that the international ridicule helped the United States and the Civil Rights movements achieve what it did. She helps explain just how important the Cold War was to the Civil Rights movement and how the Civil Rights movement helped, America refreshes its image in the eyes for the world. However, not just lead and paly a major part in the Civil RightsRead MorePoem Essay1284 Words   |  6 Page sForeign Policy Debate The Current U.S foreign policy in the Middle East has a goal to advance peace, security, and prosperity in the Middle East. The Current foreign Policy is also supposed to defeat Al-Qa’ida and its extremist affiliates in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The United States Foreign policy protects the U.S citizens by governing international relations, but the current U.S. foreign policy undermines our national security in the Middle East, through drone strikes, the war in AfghanistanRead MoreCivil Rights : An Appearance1338 Words   |  6 PagesMadeleine Prestogeorge Professor Roe US History 1 October 2014 Civil Rights as an Appearance The United States prided itself on personal and collective freedoms during the Cold War, despite actively denying the same inalienable rights to the African American population during that time. Mary L. Dudziak’s book Cold War Civil Rights: Race and the Image of American Democracy and Jacquelyn Dowd Hall’s article â€Å"The Long Civil Rights Movement and the Political Uses of the Past† interpret civil rightsRead MoreThe Changes the Obama Adminsitation Has Made in Foriegn Policy959 Words   |  4 Pagesreceived criticisms due to its post-9/11 foreign policy. Its policy created shifts in alliances and became a polarizing issue both domestically and internationally. The US has had a significant shift since Barack Obama took office, moving away from the foreign policy that was in place under George W. Bush. †¢ Discuss the major changes the Obama administration made to US foreign policy. †¢ Analyze these changes in the context of the international system level, state level, and individual level. ItRead MoreNorth Korea International Relations: A Realistic Interpretation862 Words   |  4 Pagessystem of international relations, thus affecting the patterns of foreign policy of the DPRK. This issue has gained such a priority to lead to the establishment of the 6PT experiment, thus proving to stand at the core of the debate on the stability and safety debate in the Northeast Asia region. The theory of Realism provides reasons why North Korea has positioned the nuclear weapon debate at the centre of its policy. One of the fundamental assumptions of Realism is in fact that each state, embeddedRead MoreFall Of American Power1504 Words   |  7 PagesUnion and Japan’s economic deflation in the early 1990’s, the United States held important roles in international politics that went beyond its extensive military arsenal and nuclear capacities. The U.S., which was then considered an incomparable and unattainable power, sat on top of an influential global economy power capable of stimulating other nations to want to follow on its path or at least stay close to it as allies. However, this image of America’s power has been slightly taking a shift. It wasRead MoreThe International Community Witnessed Dramatic Changes During The Tunisian Revolution1655 Words   |  7 Pages The international community witnessed dramatic changes during the Tunisian Revoluti on which sparked the Arab Spring. The Middle East became an unstable region. Key world players, including Russia, the United States, and the United Nations (UN), saw windows of opportunity in the fragile region. The Syrian conflict started as another Arab uprising to topple the authoritarian leader. However, it has since evolved into a proxy war involving Russia, the US, and other state and non-state actors. In SeptemberRead MoreAnalysis Of Theodore Roosevelt s Acquisition Of The Panama Canal982 Words   |  4 Pagespresidential power over foreign matters has grown substantially, loosening its grip on the United States’ long standing policy of isolationism; officially abandoning it in the 1940s, when Frederick D. Roosevelt and the United States involved themselves in the infamous World War II. Today, the president of the United States works closely with the National Security Council (NSC), an agency of the Executive Office of the President, to council and advises him on all international, domestic and militaristicRead MoreAbnormal Factors Of Foreign Relations856 Words   |  4 PagesAbnormal Factors in Foreign Relations. Scholars usually mention about government or economics insteads of gender and race in their studies about foreign relations. Gender and race are stated as atypical factors in this field. Laura McEnaney and Michael Krenn seek the historical evidence to prove their thesis that gender and race are vital in forming foreign relation in the United States. Because gender, race and foreign relation seem not related to each other, choosing the example plays a vitalRead MoreThe Policies Of Eisenhower s Vietnam And John F. Policy1688 Words   |  7 Pagesclear policy but the counter argument is that Kennedy was decisive and assertive. In order to judge whether John F. Kennedy lacked a clear policy in Vietnam we have to compare the policies of Dwight Eisenhower’s in Vietnam and John F. Kennedys policies and how it contradicted with their ideologies. DWIGHT EISENHOWERS FOREIGN POLICY VS. JOHN F. KENNEDYS FOREIGN POLICY The view by some historians is that The Dwight Eisenhower foreign policy was popularly known as the â€Å"New Look†. This policy aimed

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Native American Culture †The Micmac Free Essays

It is not known when the Micmac first arrived in the Canadian Maritime provinces. Sea levels have risen such that early sites are now underwater. The earliest descriptions that we have are of people who already had contact with the west The Micmac, along with the Beothuk of Newfoundland, may well be the first of the first peoples to have had contact with Europeans. We will write a custom essay sample on Native American Culture – The Micmac or any similar topic only for you Order Now This could have occurred with the Vikings in the 11th century and / or with Basque and other European fishing fleets that fished on the Grand Banks, but did not publicly reveal the source of their large catches. All this was well before Columbus in 1492. In 1497 when John Cabot returned to England he took three members of the Micmac tribe back with him. The Basques fished off Canadian shores, and by 1519 would dry their catch and to carry out trade shore. By 1578 there were about 400 European boats coming in summer. Trade with the Micmac for furs, especially beaver, was profitable for both sides. The demand was greater than the Micmac could supply and quickly adopted the role of middlemen for tribes such as the Algonquian who lived far from shore. The metal weapons received in trade mean the Micmac had a tremendous advantage in battle over other Canadian tribes.[1] Rivalry over trade eventually led to the Tarrateen war of 1607 when the Micmac moved in as far as Massachusetts. However, they contracted a disease that eventually killed three quarters of the population. In 1613, the British, anxious to make claim to territories held by the French, destroyed Port Royal and the mission at Mont Desert. The Micmac were caught in the raid and were sold by the British as slaves. The original Micmac population number has been estimated to reach as high as 30,000 but was probably less. Contact with westerners lowered their numbers to around 1,800 in the 1820’s after contracting various diseases including a devastating epidemic of smallpox. They occupied the Canadian Maritimes including eastern New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, the Gaspà © Peninsula in Quebec, Prince Edward Island, and after about 1630, a Micmac band also lived in southwestern Newfoundland. There were now about 25,000 members of the tribe in Canada. The Jay treaty of 1794 between the newly formed United States and England allowed the Micmac to cross and re-cross the border freely. Nowadays there are groups in New York and Maine, where in 1991 they finally gained official federal recognition particularly in Boston where they make up the largest first peoples group in New England.[2] The original spelling of their name was Mi’kmaq, which means ‘allies’. Over time, Micmac became the commonly used spelling, although it has several variations. Various groups have also been known as Cape Sable Indians, Gaspesian, Matueswiskitchinuuk (Malecite â€Å"Porcupine Indians†) and Shonack (Beothuk â€Å"Bad Indians†), The French called them Souriquois and the British Tarrateen. Their language is a branch of Algonquian, although somewhat different from that used further south. There are links with other local languages such as that of the Cree and the Montagnais. Most Micmac still use it as their first language, with either English or French being the second. Regional dialects are so strong that for instance those in Quebec have difficulties communicating with those in Nova Scotia. Because their language is similar to that of the Cree it is possible that they moved into the Maritimes from the north. The people did very little farming since they lived too far north to be able to grow corn, though some was done in the warm summer months. Instead they were skilled in hunting, gathering and fishing, especially with regard to the catching of fish and sea mammals. This made them skilled in the making and use of birch bark canoes and those made of caribou skin. After 1600 they also used sails. Their larger distinctive light, humpbacked canoes could be used even on the open sea. However they quickly learnt that some European vessels were also useful and adopted them. The birch bark, poles and skins were also used to construct their homes – smaller conical ones in cold weather and long house types used in warmer times. They were semi-nomadic living near the shore during the summer fishing season and inland during the colder weather when it was easier to track moose and deer in the snow. Snowshoes, sledges and toboggans were used to make movement easier in the deep snow. Hunting camps would consist of only one family but in spring and summer, families would come together and form villages of several hundred people able to take advantage of plentiful food supplies. Before the arrival of metal kettles, water was heated by placing hot stones in wooden kettles.[3] Clans are patrilineal and the tribes are confederacies of these smaller groups. Each clan had and still has a symbol, used to mark possessions such as homes and canoes. Local chiefs and a group of elders governed the villages. The oldest male in the area became the district chief. His importance was linked to the size of his family hence polygamy was practiced.   The leaders would decide when and where to hunt and fish. For instance in December they would ice fish for cod, in January they would hunt seals, in February move inland to hunt moose, deer and bear as well as smaller game by the end of March they would move to the coast to begin fishing again, they would begin to catch eels in the estuaries in mid September and then move into the forests when the snow came. This pattern started when they were trading beaver with the Europeans, as the furs would be thicker in winter. Also they had to be on the coasts in summer in order to meet with trading vessels. Methods used to catch game were varied. Spears or bows and arrows would be used to catch larger game and snares and traps were used for smaller creatures. They made ingenious callers form birch bark to attract moose.[4] In order to catch fish they used tridents, hooks, nets and weirs. Seals would be harpooned. In historical times bone or stone tools were replaced by iron and steel ones gained in trade. The groups would occasionally come together and elect a high king – the Grand Saqamaw. This method of political authority meant that in times of war organization was made easier. As with other woodland tribes clothing for both sexes was fringed buckskin. This was used for leggings, breechclouts and sleeves. At some point during the 1700’s the women began to wear pointed headdresses. Clothing, bags etc were decorated with porcupine quills, though traded glass beads largely replaced these after the arrival of the Europeans. They would originally be sewn together using sinews and bone needles. In areas where porcupines were not present trade would either obtain their quills or other items would be used in imitation of them e.g. spruce roots.   By the 18th century woolen blankets were being used, and in the 19th century men began to wear great coats and the women were using woolen and cotton cloth and steel needles. The Micmac feasted at weddings, funerals and before the hunting season began. Unusually funerals were conducted before the person had actually died. If someone was incurably ill dogs were killed as a sign of grief, then after much singing, the person would be allowed to make a last speech and then they would be abandoned and no one would help them. Regarding religion, one supreme god was believed in, but also there were lesser gods including those in human form. Stories often centered on Glooscap, a hero whose stories explain how the world came into being and how it works. The ancient Micmac did not distinguish between the natural and the supernatural. A spirit might inhabit everything from the large sun to a small rock. They had shamans known as puion who provided both curses and cures and interpreted the natural world. The missionaries discredited them but some traditional beliefs persist. In the 19th century missionary Silas Rand made a collection of these stories and beliefs. Even today a Micmac web site, Traditional Micmac culture, states that Glooscap still lives in every Micmac.[5] After the arrival of the French, who brought very few women with them, intermarriage became common and so did conversion to Christianity. The Jesuits arrived in 1610 and the first Micmac family was baptized in the same year. However the Micmac branch of Catholicism includes many native ideas. When the French gave up the Maritimes to the British in 1713 the Micmac remained loyal to French links and most now have French family names. They are proud of the way their culture has contributed to life and language in North America whereby the hand drawn toboggan and snowshoes are still in use. The fact that they now often speak English, drive cars and wear similar clothes to everyone else does not make them any less Micmac. Bibliography Swanton J. The Indian Tribes of North America, U.S. Government Printing Office 1952 Micmac Indians of Canada retrieved 22nd October 2007 from http://www.canadiangenealogy.net/indians/micmac_indians.htm This site quotes from Swanton’s book mentioned above. Micmac Indians of Maine found at retrieved on 22nd October 2007 from http://www.micmac-nsn.gov/  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Pastore, R. Traditional Micmac Culture retrieved on 22nd October 2007 from   http://www.heritage.nf.ca/aboriginal/micmac_culture.html Sultzman, L. Micmac history, retrieved 22nd October 2007 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.dickshovel.com/mic.html [1] Swanton J. [2] http://www.canadiangenealogy.net [3] http://www.micmac-nsn.gov/ [4] http://www.heritage.nf.ca [5] http://www.dickshovel.com How to cite Native American Culture – The Micmac, Essay examples Native American Culture – The Micmac Free Essays It is not known when the Micmac first arrived in the Canadian Maritime provinces. Sea levels have risen such that early sites are now underwater. The earliest descriptions that we have are of people who already had contact with the west The Micmac, along with the Beothuk of Newfoundland, may well be the first of the first peoples to have had contact with Europeans. We will write a custom essay sample on Native American Culture – The Micmac or any similar topic only for you Order Now This could have occurred with the Vikings in the 11th century and / or with Basque and other European fishing fleets that fished on the Grand Banks, but did not publicly reveal the source of their large catches. All this was well before Columbus in 1492. In 1497 when John Cabot returned to England he took three members of the Micmac tribe back with him. The Basques fished off Canadian shores, and by 1519 would dry their catch and to carry out trade shore. By 1578 there were about 400 European boats coming in summer. Trade with the Micmac for furs, especially beaver, was profitable for both sides. The demand was greater than the Micmac could supply and quickly adopted the role of middlemen for tribes such as the Algonquian who lived far from shore. The metal weapons received in trade mean the Micmac had a tremendous advantage in battle over other Canadian tribes.[1] Rivalry over trade eventually led to the Tarrateen war of 1607 when the Micmac moved in as far as Massachusetts. However, they contracted a disease that eventually killed three quarters of the population. In 1613, the British, anxious to make claim to territories held by the French, destroyed Port Royal and the mission at Mont Desert. The Micmac were caught in the raid and were sold by the British as slaves. The original Micmac population number has been estimated to reach as high as 30,000 but was probably less. Contact with westerners lowered their numbers to around 1,800 in the 1820’s after contracting various diseases including a devastating epidemic of smallpox. They occupied the Canadian Maritimes including eastern New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, the Gaspà © Peninsula in Quebec, Prince Edward Island, and after about 1630, a Micmac band also lived in southwestern Newfoundland. There were now about 25,000 members of the tribe in Canada. The Jay treaty of 1794 between the newly formed United States and England allowed the Micmac to cross and re-cross the border freely. Nowadays there are groups in New York and Maine, where in 1991 they finally gained official federal recognition particularly in Boston where they make up the largest first peoples group in New England.[2] The original spelling of their name was Mi’kmaq, which means ‘allies’. Over time, Micmac became the commonly used spelling, although it has several variations. Various groups have also been known as Cape Sable Indians, Gaspesian, Matueswiskitchinuuk (Malecite â€Å"Porcupine Indians†) and Shonack (Beothuk â€Å"Bad Indians†), The French called them Souriquois and the British Tarrateen. Their language is a branch of Algonquian, although somewhat different from that used further south. There are links with other local languages such as that of the Cree and the Montagnais. Most Micmac still use it as their first language, with either English or French being the second. Regional dialects are so strong that for instance those in Quebec have difficulties communicating with those in Nova Scotia. Because their language is similar to that of the Cree it is possible that they moved into the Maritimes from the north. The people did very little farming since they lived too far north to be able to grow corn, though some was done in the warm summer months. Instead they were skilled in hunting, gathering and fishing, especially with regard to the catching of fish and sea mammals. This made them skilled in the making and use of birch bark canoes and those made of caribou skin. After 1600 they also used sails. Their larger distinctive light, humpbacked canoes could be used even on the open sea. However they quickly learnt that some European vessels were also useful and adopted them. The birch bark, poles and skins were also used to construct their homes – smaller conical ones in cold weather and long house types used in warmer times. They were semi-nomadic living near the shore during the summer fishing season and inland during the colder weather when it was easier to track moose and deer in the snow. Snowshoes, sledges and toboggans were used to make movement easier in the deep snow. Hunting camps would consist of only one family but in spring and summer, families would come together and form villages of several hundred people able to take advantage of plentiful food supplies. Before the arrival of metal kettles, water was heated by placing hot stones in wooden kettles.[3] Clans are patrilineal and the tribes are confederacies of these smaller groups. Each clan had and still has a symbol, used to mark possessions such as homes and canoes. Local chiefs and a group of elders governed the villages. The oldest male in the area became the district chief. His importance was linked to the size of his family hence polygamy was practiced.   The leaders would decide when and where to hunt and fish. For instance in December they would ice fish for cod, in January they would hunt seals, in February move inland to hunt moose, deer and bear as well as smaller game by the end of March they would move to the coast to begin fishing again, they would begin to catch eels in the estuaries in mid September and then move into the forests when the snow came. This pattern started when they were trading beaver with the Europeans, as the furs would be thicker in winter. Also they had to be on the coasts in summer in order to meet with trading vessels. Methods used to catch game were varied. Spears or bows and arrows would be used to catch larger game and snares and traps were used for smaller creatures. They made ingenious callers form birch bark to attract moose.[4] In order to catch fish they used tridents, hooks, nets and weirs. Seals would be harpooned. In historical times bone or stone tools were replaced by iron and steel ones gained in trade. The groups would occasionally come together and elect a high king – the Grand Saqamaw. This method of political authority meant that in times of war organization was made easier. As with other woodland tribes clothing for both sexes was fringed buckskin. This was used for leggings, breechclouts and sleeves. At some point during the 1700’s the women began to wear pointed headdresses. Clothing, bags etc were decorated with porcupine quills, though traded glass beads largely replaced these after the arrival of the Europeans. They would originally be sewn together using sinews and bone needles. In areas where porcupines were not present trade would either obtain their quills or other items would be used in imitation of them e.g. spruce roots.   By the 18th century woolen blankets were being used, and in the 19th century men began to wear great coats and the women were using woolen and cotton cloth and steel needles. The Micmac feasted at weddings, funerals and before the hunting season began. Unusually funerals were conducted before the person had actually died. If someone was incurably ill dogs were killed as a sign of grief, then after much singing, the person would be allowed to make a last speech and then they would be abandoned and no one would help them. Regarding religion, one supreme god was believed in, but also there were lesser gods including those in human form. Stories often centered on Glooscap, a hero whose stories explain how the world came into being and how it works. The ancient Micmac did not distinguish between the natural and the supernatural. A spirit might inhabit everything from the large sun to a small rock. They had shamans known as puion who provided both curses and cures and interpreted the natural world. The missionaries discredited them but some traditional beliefs persist. In the 19th century missionary Silas Rand made a collection of these stories and beliefs. Even today a Micmac web site, Traditional Micmac culture, states that Glooscap still lives in every Micmac.[5] After the arrival of the French, who brought very few women with them, intermarriage became common and so did conversion to Christianity. The Jesuits arrived in 1610 and the first Micmac family was baptized in the same year. However the Micmac branch of Catholicism includes many native ideas. When the French gave up the Maritimes to the British in 1713 the Micmac remained loyal to French links and most now have French family names. They are proud of the way their culture has contributed to life and language in North America whereby the hand drawn toboggan and snowshoes are still in use. The fact that they now often speak English, drive cars and wear similar clothes to everyone else does not make them any less Micmac. Bibliography Swanton J. The Indian Tribes of North America, U.S. Government Printing Office 1952 Micmac Indians of Canada retrieved 22nd October 2007 from http://www.canadiangenealogy.net/indians/micmac_indians.htm This site quotes from Swanton’s book mentioned above. Micmac Indians of Maine found at retrieved on 22nd October 2007 from http://www.micmac-nsn.gov/  Ã‚   Pastore, R. Traditional Micmac Culture retrieved on 22nd October 2007 from   http://www.heritage.nf.ca/aboriginal/micmac_culture.html Sultzman, L. Micmac history, retrieved 22nd October 2007 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.dickshovel.com/mic.html [1] Swanton J. [2] http://www.canadiangenealogy.net [3] http://www.micmac-nsn.gov/ [4] http://www.heritage.nf.ca [5] http://www.dickshovel.com How to cite Native American Culture – The Micmac, Essay examples

Friday, December 6, 2019

Discuss how Shakespeare orchestrates the outcome of this scene Essay Example For Students

Discuss how Shakespeare orchestrates the outcome of this scene Essay The play Romeo and Juliet starts off with a prologue. The prologue tells us the basic outline of events that will happen in the play. It is used to involve the audience instantly. The contemporary audience (Elizabethan) already knew the story, they only went to see how the events happened and played out, which was entertainment to them. The prologue contains no events that dont actually happen in the play. Each event in the prologue relates to an event in the play. There are a few events in the play that arent in the prologue. For example Mercutios death (Act3 scene1), which is unexpected. The prologue is 14 lines long, like poems in the Renaissance period. Poetry then was formulaic- it followed rules (conventions). Beginning Romeo and Juliet with a prologue directly echoes the structure of Greek theatre, where the concept of tragedy originates. The play is a tragedy, which also follows conventions. These conventions were set down by the Greek playwright Aristotle. The conventions of a tragedy are that there is a hero with a fatal flaw (Romeo and he loves too much). The tragedy always ends with his death. The dominant character in the beginning of Act 3 scene 1 is Mercutio. Mercutio starts off as the instigator of the fight, deliberately trying to annoy Tybalt. Consort? What dost thou make us minstrels? And thou make minstrels of us, look to hear nothing but discords. Heres my fiddlestick, heres that shall make you dance. Zounds consort! Act 3 scene 1 lines 40-43. He was annoying Tybalt by intentionally misunderstanding him and by making him look stupid. Mercutio also will not listen to reason. By my heel I care not. Act 3 scene 1 line 31. Benvolio is the voice of reason. He does want any fighting between the two families. We talk here in the public haunt of men: either withdraw unto some private place, or reason coldly of your grievances. Act 3 scene 1 lines 44-46. Romeo starts off like Benvolio, as he doesnt want to fight Tybalt. Tybalt the reason I have to love thee doth much excuse the appertaining rage to such a greeting. Villain I am none: therefore farewell. Act 3 scene 1 lines 55-58. Romeo then wants to fight and kill Tybalt because he killed Mercutio. The two characters that dominate the dialogue are Mercutio and Tybalt. The language Shakespeare uses was the vernacular of the time. He uses it to create comic relief, word play for example Heres my fiddlestick, Act 3 scene 1 lines 41-42, Mercutio says this which could mean sword and irony for instance when Romeo says This but begins the woe others must end. Act 3 scene 1 line 111, which is ironic because Rome and Juliet end the war between the families by committing suicide. When Mercutio refers to himself as A grave man, Act 3 scene 1 line 90, he is using ambiguity, as grave has more than one meaning. The title A plague oboth your houses is repeated 3 times by Mercutio after he is injured. The repetition of the quote enhances tension. The first time he says it, they may think he is only joking, but the third and final time he says it, we know he means it. Irony is used in the scene. Romeo says this because he thought that not fighting would be better than fighting but it only gets Mercutio killed. Romeo also finds out that is happening is already decided. I am fortunes fool, Act 3 scene 1 line 127. The short abrupt pieces of dialogue later are a contrast to the long pieces at the beginning of the scene. They enhance the tension and ensure the audiences awareness of the impending climax that is Romeo banishment. The short pieces of dialogue also show a loss of control. At the end of the scene, Prince Escalus speaks in rhyming couplets. Bear hence this body, and attend our will: mercy but murders, pardoning those who kill. Act 3 scene 1 lines 187-188. By doing this he put emphasis on how important he is. When he banishes Romeo, he unknowingly begins the chain of events that ends in Romeo and Juliets deaths, but he t hinks he is saving Romeo, which is ironic. .u503160e52d7ece24592bf4ee98769d27 , .u503160e52d7ece24592bf4ee98769d27 .postImageUrl , .u503160e52d7ece24592bf4ee98769d27 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u503160e52d7ece24592bf4ee98769d27 , .u503160e52d7ece24592bf4ee98769d27:hover , .u503160e52d7ece24592bf4ee98769d27:visited , .u503160e52d7ece24592bf4ee98769d27:active { border:0!important; } .u503160e52d7ece24592bf4ee98769d27 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u503160e52d7ece24592bf4ee98769d27 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u503160e52d7ece24592bf4ee98769d27:active , .u503160e52d7ece24592bf4ee98769d27:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u503160e52d7ece24592bf4ee98769d27 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u503160e52d7ece24592bf4ee98769d27 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u503160e52d7ece24592bf4ee98769d27 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u503160e52d7ece24592bf4ee98769d27 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u503160e52d7ece24592bf4ee98769d27:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u503160e52d7ece24592bf4ee98769d27 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u503160e52d7ece24592bf4ee98769d27 .u503160e52d7ece24592bf4ee98769d27-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u503160e52d7ece24592bf4ee98769d27:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Century Drama Assignment EssayDuring Act 3 scene 1 there is a lot of action, as there are fights between Mercutio and Tybalt, and then later between Romeo and Tybalt. First the scene starts off slow, with only Benvolio and Mercutio. The action starts later when Tybalt enters and Mercutio starts to taunt him. When they start to fight, they could circle around each other, like in fencing. That would be a visual spectacle for the audience to see. Mercutio could entertain the audience by falling about every so often, when they wasnt so much tension, like in modern day pantomime. When Mercutio is injured and staggered off the stage, and then Benvolio returns to tell Romeo that he is dead, the atmosphere changes. There is visually no more comedy. During the fighting scenes, there is a lot of movement around the stage. The movement alternates between the different combinations of character on centre stage. The tension in the scene is still there, although the audience gets different points of view. This gives the impression that there is no more control, that the events are snowballing out of control. When Romeo refuses to fight, no one other than the audience knows why. Tybalt the reason I have to love thee doth much excuse the appertaining rage to such a greeting. Villain I am none: therefore farewell. Act 3 scene 1 lines 55-58. Even though his intentions were good, everything still goes wrong. Shakespeare had to get rid of Mercutio the play wouldnt be a tragedy if Mercutio was still telling jokes after Juliet and Romeo die. With Mercutio gone, the audience could focus on Romeo and Juliet. Mercutios death put the feud into context and shows the full extent of the fighting. Mercutio was neither a Montague nor a Capulet- he was an outsider, which is ironic as he was happy to start it (the fight) as though it was a sport. With his death, the plays tone changes to be more melancholy. The audience can now concentrate on how Romeo and Juliets deaths occur.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Contemporary Political Culture

Introduction Poverty comes as a result of oppression of individuals in society. Oppression on the other hand cannot perpetrate its self without the constructive or deductive participation by the oppressed. The social setups in society have segregated and branded individuals as poor for lack of common societal indicators of not being poor.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Contemporary Political Culture specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This inadequacy is not in the simplest sense relevant when it comes to intelligence and brilliance. In fact the most intelligent and brilliant persons hail from poor setups. Therefore, I dare say that poverty is not a condition but rather an attitude. I propose that poverty is a brand name that is contracted by social stratification and class. A social class is a societal group of people who perceive themselves as being of similar ideology thinking and condition of life. In effect, po verty is an attitude of a class of people. You may be poor but smart. The level of poverty is in no way a measure of one’s intelligence. I shall interrogate the connection between attitude intelligence and poverty. Argument The philosophical question of the century has been whether the state should wage a war against poverty or to formulate programs to end poverty. Both arguments have similar objectives of facing pout the menace of poverty. The liberalists have taken the literal meaning of waging war against poverty and gone ahead to wage war against the poor. These attempts have had opposite results in the form of riots and protests that have been accompanied by looting and damage to property. It begins with the dramatic and gradual economic shifts in the local and world fora, which culminates in unemployment and high costs of living. Concentration of wealth among the middle and upper classes makes it hard for the lower poor class to access security in jobs housing and food. Gradually the persons find it hard to escape the poverty. Despite the willingness of the poor to move away and work their way out of it, the prevailing political and social environment makes the war against the poor inevitable (Lynch and William, pp. 502-503). For instance if education becomes stratified and yet it is the main system that the poor use to access the path away from poverty then the poor have little choice. Back in the 19th century, the mass education program placed a level beam on which people from all walks of life would balance their way through to the other end against poverty. This has since changed since the basis of financing these schools has been purely the local taxes collected from the individuals. Therefore, it is obvious that the more affluent towns pay more taxes and therefore attract better learning facilities slowly and gradually locking out the poor and less financially able students from accessing these institutions.Advertising Looking for essay on political culture? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Ivy League universities are slowly replaced by classy universities such as Harvard where a child needs up to $150000 with a few receiving scholarships .even worse, the changing economic conditions have slowly and gradually driven the state colleges to increase their fees. This was the safety net for the children of less wealthy parents (Babb Pp 233-312)Â  . It is not hard to imply that the child from a wealthy family has a better chance at graduation than one from the less wealthy family. Moving up the ladder, the child from the wealthy family has a better chance at getting a good job as well as good prospects. The point here is that the difference between the rich and poor is not only based on wealth and income, it is a representation of inequality in opportunities. This inequality moves in on to the social realm with people of certain educational qualifications tending to mi ngle and/ or marry from those with similar or higher educational qualifications. The age at which the educated bear children is also different with majority having their first child at 30 years. The bottom end of the story has a different twist. Due to the limited opportunities or lack of access to them, the women at the bottom of the heap tend to marry or bear children earlier. It is not surprising that most of these children are born out of wedlock. The road to upward mobility is one, education, and yet it grows narrower by the day. The days of utilitarian ideology have been trounced by the whims of capitalism and the harmony and concept of socialism left to the churches and charitable institutions. Income is at the heart of the debate between poverty and wealth. The level of balance in income was fairly balanced right after the war. This was not to survive long since within only a quarter of a century there has been a dramatic shift in the balance in favor of the well of minority . Their incomes doubled and their proportion of the national income rose to a third of the annual total income. This state of affairs continues to worsen with the few wealthy persons accumulating wealth at the expense of the poor. This could be attributed to the change in obligation and roles across the century. At the beginning, the minority wealthy persons worked lesser hours as compared to those at the bottom of the heap. Today the tide has turned and the top few work more hours than the lower majority. This tends to justify their massive wealth and control. This line of thought leads to the rod of attitude. The majority of individuals in America for instance believe that it is possible to start out poor and move upwards . This however depends on how balanced the opportunities available are.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Contemporary Political Culture specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, in a balance d society with equal access to opportunities, then poverty is an attitude. This is to suggest that there is a difference between living in poverty and being poor. This difference lies in the will, personality and attitude in the individual(Banerjee Duflo, pp 319- 475). The mobility of persons between the classes borrows heavily from the level of equality in the society. The established class system has brought forward several defenses for the continued quest to increase the gap. The first is the separation of poverty from moral failure. As it is the moral corruption and pollution is common among peoples of all classes. The level in the upper class however is more skimmed and covered and does not receive allot of criticism and publicity. It is allowed that he boss can drink and sleep on his desk but not the poor worker who only has a gutter to himself. The middle class on the other hand slip through unnoticed and remain untouched until they incur or cause great damage. The state of undeservingness results from poverty. The lack of fit between individuals in society is not a willed eventuality but rather a consequence of poverty. Stratification of class related to poverty in both value and sense. Unmarried middle class mothers fail to marry the fathers of their children due to the obvious consequences of financial and social undeservingness. A more conservative stand emphasizes the responsibilities of the poor leaving aside the responsibilities of the rich. The poor o their end find no obligation to be responsible to society until society treats them responsibly. Class stereotyping forms a class under the undeserving poor whose everyday labeling turns into a form of discrimination and self-fulfilling prophesies. It is common among children from single parents who suffer the lack of parenthood and end up confronting everyday life from a partisan stand. They suffer the discrimination for their lack of mentoring, one which they had no choice but to bear with. Conc lusion Blaming the poor for their sate does nothing to deter poverty related neither character nor poverty in its self. Waging a war against the poor only agitates them to look for alternative escape route to survival. It explains why most of the news on poverty is influenced by crime. The true objective of the reporting of the poverty situation loses its momentum and becomes a blame game. The general population now feels threatened by the poor all because of the relationship that has been established between them and crime.Advertising Looking for essay on political culture? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is common ground among social scientists philosophers and societal enthusiasts that the circle of poverty is motivated by inequality in opportunities. The more imbalanced the access to opportunity is the greater the magnitude of poverty. On the other hand, in a society of equal opportunity, the focus of poverty migrates to individual attitude alongside class stratification. References Babb, Sarah. Behind the Development Banks: Washington Politics, World Poverty, and the Wealth of Nations. University of Chicago Press. (2009): Pp 233-312 Banerjee, Abhijit Esther, Duflo . Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty .New York: Public Affairs, (2011): pp 319- 475 Lynch, Kennedy and William, Kennedy .Writing in the Disciplines New York London: Pearson Prentice Hall. (2008): pp. 502-503 This essay on Contemporary Political Culture was written and submitted by user Giovani Holloway to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Monday, November 25, 2019

The Populist Vision by Charles Postel

The Populist Vision by Charles Postel Introduction Charles Postel’s book, The Populist Vision, has provided an exhaustive explanation of the American populism during the late nineteenth century. The Populist Vision still stands out as the most convincing and gripping examination of the populist movement of all the time. After reading the book, one wonders how a writer could have the power to alter the restraints that governed a key historiographical contest.Advertising We will write a custom book review sample on â€Å"The Populist Vision† by Charles Postel specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More By referring to previous works of Richard Hofstadter and Lawrence Goodwyn, the author develops a new account of populism where proponents of agrarianism reacted to politics surrounding the growth of international trade in a reasonable and comprehensible way. Postel (7) disputes the thought that populists were upright democratic intellects. He views them as individuals mold ed by their own generation with the aim of providing contemporary solutions to economic challenges whilst promoting classical ideas of the social ladder. The Populist Vision The narration provided by Charles Postel in The Populist Vision draws support from a vast volume of research comprised of newspapers, leaflets, and reports. The author begins his narration by explaining the origins of the Populist Movements, which according to his research, was stirred by the Farmers’ Alliance in the Midwest and southern region during the 1870s and 1880s. After going through the speeches made by influential populists such as Charles W. Macune, Postel (13) notes that the desire of most supporters and leaders of the Farmer’s Alliance in the late nineteenth century was to promote technological development and a business organizational structure that would increase agricultural yields. He appreciates the effort of farmers to device means of resolving the modern economic issues. For exa mple, he observes that in the South and West, farmers recommended that the state should subsidize products to increase the agricultural sales in the global market (Postel 45). Postel (276) explains why farmers were steadfast in preaching the need for education as well as vocational training during the agrarian age by arguing that it would lead to a more contemporary and industrious life. As per his observation, the farmers were aware of the importance of transforming their independent Farmer’s Alliance to a Populist Party that could speak to a greater population on the need for a just as well as lucrative agricultural competition by introducing brilliant federal policies to govern the economy. Moreover, Postel (83) asserts that the populist thinkers discreetly preached the need for state reforms on certain issues such as currency and railroad development through Christian messages, whilst their corporate political character was still evident.Advertising Looking for bo ok review on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The greater half of the book analyses the Populist politics. The author asserts that the movement aspired to create a platform where politics would be used to establish reasonable, unbiased, and businesslike leadership (Postel 169). Corruption had become the norm for most political parties and parties had failed to usher in the American people into the modern age, which established poverty. In line with the aforementioned arguments, attempts to introduce sub-treasury plans and government-licensed paper painted Populists as the pacesetters in their generation (Postel 45). Reading through the chapters narrating issues pertaining to gender and race coupled with how they affected the Populist Movement is interesting. Postel (53) admits that women often disagreed with the Populist Movement’s position with regard to women rights. For example, women opposed th e Populist Movement’s approach on suffrage, but always supported the perception that women had the right to join and participate proactively in movements. Since populists supported most of the male farmers’ issues in relation to the economy, they got high-profile positions in the movement. A special observation by Postel (185) is that although the movement was gender biased, it was evident that they were racially biased. As one approaches the last chapters of the book, it is apparent how Postel (227) continues with his ambitious explanation of the numerous urbanites, workers, and other groups who united with the Populist Movement to help achieve their goals. The Populist Party played a huge role in representing the interests of labor and urban activists through speaking to a broader population particularly those barred from the influential business positions (Postel 109). His last chapter creates a platform to discuss the advocates of Populist Movement, which could be enlarged even to a book. However, it is worth noting how Postel escapes the rural stereotypes and urban discrimination that prompted some interpreters to develop outrageous perceptions and inference. Nonetheless, certain issues emerge as one reads on, which raises some questions. For instance, one fails to understand how the locals received the Populists’ ambitions and how they responded to their contemporary ideas.Advertising We will write a custom book review sample on â€Å"The Populist Vision† by Charles Postel specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Secondly, there is no detailed explanation of how political life of the Populist evolved as they tried to transform their ambitions into electoral veracity. Though the author has supported his writings with a huge volume of research, some of the materials are not mentioned in the bibliography. Furthermore, the author focuses his historiography on the populists, but gives littl e attention to contemporary works. Conclusion The little shortcomings of the book cannot negate its brilliant work. After reading this book, it emerges as the most essential writing on Populism in the contemporary times. Armed with adequate research collected from secondary and primary sources, Postel writes a book that ranks him among the best American political historians. He provides a new, legible, and insightful study of the broad history of Populism in the nineteenth century. Postel, Charles. The Populist Vision, New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. Print.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Competitive Advantages Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Competitive Advantages - Research Paper Example Therefore, Riordan will have to produce highly standardized products so that it can compete with other producers of plastic products. It will have to adopt a global or a multi-domestic outlook, where it will either compete globally or compete at different national markets in a manner differentiated from that at other national markets. In the case of Riordan, it will have to adopt a global strategy at the target global markets, and a multi-local strategy at markets that are principally multi-domestic. The market drivers of its strategy will include customer needs uniformity, developing global networks of distribution, and ensuring that its marketing is transferable. The cost drivers to guide Riordan include those of transport, economies of scale, economies of scope, and product development. The government drivers to guide the business strategy include segmenting markets on the basis of the favorability of trade policies, the compatibility of technical standards, universal marketing control, as well as privatization. The global business strategy will be focused around increasing sales levels to existing customers, expanding sales to emerging markets and new customer groups, and the development of value-added services, which can compete globally. The company can maintain its cost-plus pricing strategy while at the same time increase segmentation on the basis of customer regions and locations. Riordan is a plastic manufacturer operating at different countries around the globe. The global market will affect the business strategy of Riordan in a number of ways. These ways include expanding economies of scale and scope, adopting a global and a multi-domestic market outlook, developing global distribution networks, and cultivating strategy drivers like product

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Personal Statement for master's degree at Cambridge university Essay

Personal Statement for master's degree at Cambridge university - Essay Example The memory of my childhood in Kazakhstan is full of questions related to economics. Why is there nothing on the shelves in the shops? Why do my parents need to queue all morning for basics such as flour and sugar? At the time, I did not understand the intricacies of a transition economy or how the policy of Shock Therapy for the Kazakh economy in the 1990’s lead to the poverty, hyperinflation and unemployment that I witnessed all around me. Once I understood that these social realities could be explained and possibly prevented by studying and applying economic knowledge, I made the firm decision to study Economics at university. For me, a decision to study economics is much more personal than simply selecting a future profession. I want to study economics to solve the problems that surrounded me growing up in Kazakhstan. This decision has lent great focus to my academic endeavours. I am a great candidate for studying at Cambridge because I have a strong history of academic ach ievements. I was proud to be awarded The President’s Bolshak scholarship and was a recognized Gold Medal scholar, meaning I graduated with distinction in all of my courses. I also excel at mathematics courses and have a natural ability for working with numbers. My first step towards my future degree in Economics was a foundation course at UCL, which I completed last year. The Economics module introduced me to the theory as well as the practical side of Economics. Currently, I am earning a BSc in Economics at the University of York. My undergraduate courses are expanding my knowledge, though most of it is focusing on theory at this point. I am currently learning about micro and macro economics as a part of my undergraduate studies. In addition to these standard economics courses, I have added modules that highlight my math ability. These courses started with Dynamic Modeling for Economists in my second year and continuing with Industrial Economics in my third year. The former is by far my favourite field of Economics: I am fascinated to learn the techniques available for modeling economic processes which evolve through time and for solving dynamic economic problems. I have also elected to add a concentration of advanced mathematics that I believe will help me with my graduate studies at Cambridge. In addition to these formal studies, I am getting real world experience through internships. I have worked at The Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Competition Protection. This agency is in charge of monitoring and ending monopolistic practices. While there, I helped investigate the telecommunications sector in Kazakhstan, helping to identify monopolistic practices. Last summer I was able to work for PricewaterhouseCooper back home in Astana. I assisted in data analysis for the â€Å"Samruk-Kazyna† project. I also serve as vice-president of The York Kazakh Society, handling all financial arrangements for the club. My most exciting experience so fa r has been travelling to New York City on a scholarship to participate in a three week seminar on finance. In addition to my academic pursuits, I have two great passions in my life. I love to compete in debate and go ballroom dancing. These activities help my studies by giving me a way to relax and sharpen presentation skills. Continuing my study of Economics at Cambridge is very important for my future. Cambridge is universally recognised as a top tier school for Economics. My goal is to study in the graduate school at Cambridge so I will be equipped with the best

Monday, November 18, 2019

Testing on Animals. Some people are FOR and some people are against Essay

Testing on Animals. Some people are FOR and some people are against - Essay Example Animal testing or animal research involves using animals other than humans for doing research. While such studies may involve mere observation of the animals or their behaviors, in most cases, tin many cases, they involve subjecting the animals to unnatural situations such as in the case of drug testing. Some of the animals that are commonly used in research include mice, guinea pigs, frogs, birds, zebra fish, and primates, to mention but a few (Humane Society International, 2014). Different organizations offer different statistics relating to the number of animals that are used for research across the world and in the U.S. annually. According to Speaking of Research (2014), between 13.6 and 25 million animals are used for research in the United States annually. According to ProCon (2014), roughly 26 million animals are subjected to research tests for commercial or scientific purposes in the United States of America alone annually. In New Zealand and Australia, in excess of six milli on animals are used for teaching and testing annually according to Animals Australia (2014). The statistics, as varied as they are for the few countries mentioned, are nothing short of appalling. The reality is that millions of animals are used for experimentation throughout the world, and more so in developed countries. Do Something (2014) notes that more than 100 million animals suffer burns, abuse, or are poisoned in labs in the United States annually. Many of the animals used for testing die accidentally during the tests or are intentionally killed by researchers. One wonders whether or not it is right for animals to be subjected to pain and suffering by humans as they try to look for solutions that face the world. Different people have different views concerning animal testing. While some experts note that animal testing is useful because it goes a long way in saving humans from preventable deaths and provides good testing grounds for new products, others note that the

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Study On The Proctor And Gamble Company Management Essay

Study On The Proctor And Gamble Company Management Essay The Proctor and Gamble Company was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1837 by an English immigrant William Procter, and James Gamble, an immigrant from Ireland. Both men had arrived in Cincinnati separately and were forced to stop there to recuperate from illnesses while on their way to the West. Each independently decided to settle to found a business and Procter became a candle maker while Gamble became a soap maker. This was not coincidental as the raw material for both candles and soap was animal fat. Cincinnati, also popularly nicknamed Porkopolis was the countrys largest meatpacking center allowing for inexpensive access to animal fat. On a personal front, the two gentlemen married sisters and subsequently formed a partnership in 1837. Due to the abundant supply of raw material, many competitors entered the market and Proctor and Gamble (PG) had to differentiate itself by embarking on an aggressive investment strategy building a large factory in the 1850s despite rumours of the imp ending civil war. Response to the Civil War and effects of their response During the Civil War, PG focused on operating day and night to supply the Union armies, and by the wars end sales had more than quintupled to over USD 1 million. When soldiers returned home carrying high quality products, distinguished by their unique characteristic moon- and- stars packaging, PG quickly developed a national reputation. As a result, their rapid growth and a series of innovations in their internal processes such as human resource management, RD, distribution, marketing, and organizational design soon followed. Growth through the Years using different organizational structures From inception, PG focused on product innovation, branded goods, research and development, direct distribution and sales and as the growth increased, diverging organizational structures and reward systems were introduced. In 1948, PG established its first international sales division to manage its rapidly growing foreign businesses. Over the next forty years, PG would steadily build its foreign presence, while carefully managing its United States (U.S.) operations. The two types of organizations, that is, the United States one and the European one, led to two distinctly different modes of organizational architectures. The United States, with a large homogenous market, lent itself to nationwide brand and product division management. Western Europe, on the other hand, which represented the larger share of PGs overseas division, was a heterogeneous market with different languages, cultures and laws and therefore adopted a decentralized hub and spoke model. In the United States, in 1954, PG created individual operating divisions to better manage growing product lines of products, supported by its own line and staff organizations. As a result, growth developed along two key dimensions: functions and brands. In 1987, the matrix reporting structure entered the scene, whereby functional leaders reported directly to their business leadership and also had a dotted line reporting relationship to their functional leadership. In Western Europe, geographic management was the original structure which developed along the three dimensions of country, function and brand. In this model country managers were responsible for profitability and market strategy, not brand managers. This and other effects led to silos and slow growth. By 1980s, PG attempted to shift focus from country management to product category management to promote cross- border cooperation across functions. Eventually, PG moved into the global market due to attractive expansion opportunities in Japan and developing markets and as a result, it reassessed its globalization model and opted to focus on the global matrix structure of categories and functions. This structure had several pitfalls and externally, competitors were catching up quickly challenging PGs first mover strategy and related advantages. PG had grown to be a USD 38 billion multinational consumer -products company, with over 50 categories, ranging from toilet paper to pharmaceuticals, with more than 300 brands. Competitors were steadily eating away market share. As a result in September 1998, PG announced a six year restructuring plan called Organization 2005. This new structure had adverse effects on PG sustainability and the scene in the case is set around the negative results of Organization 2005 resulting in the CEO Durk Jager, 17 months into his role as CEO, resigning and A.G Lafley taking over in June 2000 faced with the significant decision of whether to make a strong commitment to the Organization 2005 or dismantle. He also had to decide whether he created more value by splitting the company into sets of stand- alone businesses. Why did US organizational structure shift from Product grouping in the 1950s to a Matrix in 1980s? The United States had a large homogenous market which lent itself to nationwide brand and product division management. In 1954, PG created individual operating divisions to better manage growing lines of products, each with its own line and staff organizations. Specialization by product as described by Cole G.A is when grouping is arranged around specified products, with each group having its own specialist functions provided at the operational level. The advantages of product grouping are that it enables the companys major product groups to concentrate on their own priorities, within the total business plan. It also provides a mechanism for supplying the major groupings in the company with their own specialist resources and to develop their own preferred culture. In addition, it encourages the senior specialists at director level to focus on corporate issues, leaving production matters within product groups much more in the hands of senior managers involved. The main disadvantage of this kind of structure is that individual divisions may seek to promote their own objectives so forcefully as to endanger wider, corporate strategies. Thus the senior directors need to be capable of exercising sufficient control over corporate intentions, but without robbing the line manager of their motivation to obtain the optimum results for their divisions. According to Mullins, L.J. in Management and Organizational Behavior, the Line and staff organization structure is concerned with concerned with different functions which are to be undertaken. It provides a means of maximizing on the utility of specialists while maintaining the concept of line authority. Line organization relates to those functions concerned with specific responsibility for achieving the objectives of the organization and to those people in the direct chain of command. Staff organization relates to the provision of specialist and support functions for the line organization and creates an advisory relationship. Within this model, PG US developed along two key dimensions: functions and brands. Brand managers bore responsibility for profitability and could focus on matching company strategy with product category dynamics. Brand managers competed in the same marketplace but also shared access to strong divisional functions which in turn transferred best practices and talent across many brands, fostering leading edge competences in RD, manufacturing and market research in a rapidly developing consumer products industry. For instance, the invention of fluoride toothpaste in 1955 was a key result of this structure. In 1987, the United States PG made a historic shift away from the 56 year old competitive brand management system, to a matrix system whereby brand would now be managed as components of category portfolios by category general managers. The reason for this shift in structure was because product categories were beginning to require more differentiated functional activities but at the same time, PG US needed to retain functional strengths. As a result, a matrix reporting structure was set up whereby functional leaders reported directly to their business leadership and also had a dotted line reporting relationship to their functional leadership. Thus 39 US category business units were created, with each category business unit having its own sales, product development, manufacturing and finance functions. Mullins, L.J. describes a matrix organization as a combination of functional departments which provide a stable base for specialized activities and a permanent location for staff members and units that integrate various activities of different functional departments on any of the following bases: project, product, geographical or systems basis. He goes on to add that matrix structures offer the advantages of flexibility, greater security and control of project or product information and opportunities for staff development if management implement the structure effectively. The potential problem areas, as seen later in the PG case, include the fact that a matrix structure can result in a more complex structure. By using two methods of grouping it sacrifices unity of command and may cause problems of co-ordination. There may also be a problem of defining the extent of the product (project) managers authority over staff from other departments and of gaining support of other functional managers. Why did the European organizational structure shift from Geographic grouping in 1950s to Category management in 1980s? In Europe, the PG organization developed along three dimensions: country, function and brand. This model was established to tailor products and processes to local tastes and norms. This resulted in a portfolio of self sufficient subsidiaries led by country general managers (GMs) who adapted PG technology and marketing expertise to local markets. These were called mini-U.Ss in each country as new product technologies were sourced from U.S. RD labs in Cincinnati, qualified, tested and adapted by local research and development (RD) and manufacturing organizations in each country. In 1963, a European Technical Centre (ETC) was created and housed in Brussels and it developed products and manufacturing processed that country managers could choose to adapt to and launch in their countries. Country managers, not brand managers, had responsibility for profitability and market strategy, while the Brussels regional headquarters was very hands-off, serving mostly legal, tax accounting and public relations entity. Geographically based structures, according to Cole, have key advantages of widely spread markets can be catered for, local knowledge of customers, labor market and distribution can be utilized as seen in PG Europe. However, the key disadvantages as with any attempts at decentralization are associated with the inevitable tension that develops between Head office and the regions concerning priorities for action and priorities for scarce company resources. In addition, geographical based cultures and focus may veer away from the overall company strategy, culture and increase costs. The main reason why geographic grouping did not work positively for PG in Europe was that it resulted in innovations and brands taking unnecessarily long to globalize. For instance, Pampers, was launched in US in 1961, Germany in 1973 and France not until 1978. In addition, functional organizations became embedded in company silos and worse still, European corporate functions were also completely disconnected from the US operation. To cap it all, focus on product categories and brands was fragmented by country, virtually precluding region- wide category or branding strategies. This led to unstandardized and subscale manufacturing operations in each country which were expensive and unreliable. Products were tweaked unnecessarily, creating pack size and formulation variations that added no value to maintain and reinvented the wheel with each new product initiative. Thus in early 1980s, Europe attempted to promote cross border co-operation across functions and to shift focus from country management to product category management. Why were the 2 structures integrated into a global cube in the 1990s? The two main PG structures: U.S matrix structure and Western European category management structure were integrated in the 1990s into a global cube due to the several reasons. Attractive expansion opportunities in Japan and the developing markets led PG to question its globalization model, particularly in anticipation of the new challenge of appealing to more diverse consumer tastes, cultures, preferences and income levels. This was demonstrated by the fact that in Europe, increased focus on cross border category management had proven successful. However, corporate function in Brussels still lacked direct control of country functional activities. PG was also seeking positive results in the area of innovation such that the creation of global technical centers in different regions could have core competencies in a specific product category. PG also sought tremendous top-line and bottom-line improvements such as creation of powerful and independent global functions promoted to the pooling of knowledge, transfer of best practices, elimination of intra-regional redundancies and standardization of activities. It was also seeking integration of manufacturing, purchasing, distribution and engineering into one global product supply function which managed the supply chain from beginning to end. PG achieved this specific integration in 1987. In the new global cube, PG was also seeking massive savings which could b e achieved by regionally managed product- supply groups consolidating country manufacturing plants and distribution centers into higher scale regional facilities. PG also sought a stronger global sales organization with regional leadership so as to develop closer global relationship. One key result of this specific objective was the Customer Business Development (CBD) function which developed closer relationship with bug customers such as the one unprecedented step of co-locating with Wal-Mart in Bentonville, Arkansas to pursue joint strategic planning. Coupled with early supply chain initiatives, this undertaking allowed PG to be a first mover in electronic integration with customers, leading to disproportionate share growth with mass discounters. Finally, significant initial standardization in Information Technology (IT) systems was made possible by a globally managed IT organization. By 1997, financial and accounting information storage had been consolidated at three global data storage centers. PG was also seeking global category management whereby it aimed at developing close relationships. This occurred with strong global Research Development (RD) product category organizations, helping to standardize and accelerate global product launches. As a result, PG started migrating to a global matrix structure of categories and functions. The global cube entailed Europes country functions being consolidated into continental functions characterized by dotted-line reporting through functional leadership with direct reporting through the regional business managers. Global functional senior vice presidencies were created to manage functions across all regions. Then in 1989, to better co-ordinate category and branding strategies worldwide, PG created global category presidencies reporting directly to the CEO. All country category GMs had dotted- line reporting to their global country president, however, career progression and promotion remained in the hands of regional line management. Some additional key results included a much reduced duration to globalize a new initiative. For instance, by the early 1990s, it took only four years, on average to globalize a new initiative. This advance allowed PG to quickly inject new technologies into recently acquired beauty care products like Pantene, Olay and Old Spice. For example, two-in-one shampoo and conditioner technology was developed at the Sharon Woods beauty-care global technical center in Cincinnati in mid-1980s. The hair care global category president then achieved its roll out globally under the Pantene brand name with consistent worldwide marketing message and identity. In just over a decade, increased global focus on product categories helped PGs beauty care division to grow from USD 600 million to a highly strategic USD 7 billion business. What are the key distinguishing features of Organization 2005? Organization 2005 was a six -year restructuring plan announced by PG in September 1998. The companys objectives were to achieve a USD 900 million in annual after- tax cost savings by 2004 after spending USD 1.9 billion over the five years. This was to be achieved by specific features and actions of the Organization 2005. The first part called for voluntary separations of 15,000 employees by 2001, of which almost 10,500 (70%) were overseas staff. Forty five percent of all job separations would result from global product- supply consolidations and a quarter from exploitation of scale benefits arising from more standardized business processes. The plan sought to eliminate six management layers, from 13 to 7. The second part called for dismantling the matrix organizational structure and replacing it with an amalgam of interdependent organizations which were: Global Business Units (GBUs) with primary responsibility for the product and whose teams were compensated on profitability. Market Development Organizations (MDOs) with primary responsibility for markets and whose teams were compensated based on sales growth. Global Business Services (GBSs) which was a unit responsible for managing internal business processes and whose teams were compensated on cost management. This radical new design was aimed at improving the speed with which PG innovated and globalized its innovations. In detail the GBUs were responsible for product development, brand design, business strategy and new business development. Each operated autonomously focusing on different product categories. In total, there were seven GBUs with complete profit responsibility and benchmarked against focused product category competitors. Each GBU was led by a president, who reported directly to the CEO and was a member of the global leadership council that determined overall company strategy. At GBU level, Vice Presidents of Marketing, RD, Product supply, New Business Development and support functions such as IT implementation reported to the GBU president. To ensure that RD division of different GBUs would share technological innovations, a technology council composed of all GBU RD VPS would be formed to share and cross pollinate ideas. The intention of this structure was to increase agility and reduce costs through accelerated global standardization of manufacturing processes and better co-ordination of marketing activities. Global standardization of processes which were on different platforms would eliminate the lengthy process of obtaining launch approval from regional managers and result in systematically faster global rollouts of innovations and new brands. MDOs were designed to take responsibility for tailoring PG programs to local markets and using their knowledge of local consumers and retailers to help PG develop market strategies to guide the entire business. Customer Business Development functions previously dispersed among various business units would be consolidated regionally and converted into line functions in each MDO. There were seven MDOs with each being led by a president who reported directly to the CEO and, like the GBU president, sat on the global leadership council. GBS was the third leg of the Organization 2005 with the responsibility to standardize, consolidate, streamline and strengthen business processes and IT platforms across GBUs and MDOs globally. The aim was to centralize responsibility for managing these processes which could lead to economies of scale while allowing the other two GBUs and MDOs to focus on core competencies. This structure was focused on specialization.GBS was organized as a cost center with the head of GBS reporting directly to the CEO but was not a member of the global leadership council. Routine and HR policies were also to be impacted in Organization 2005. Many decisions were to be made by individuals rather than committees so that routine business tasks that had taken months would now be accomplished in days. Budgeting was streamlined, integrating separate marketing, payroll, and initiative budgets into a single business planning process. It was also to overhaul its incentive system while maintaining the promote- from- within policy PG increased its performance based portion of compensation and extended its stock option compensation formerly limited to 9,000 employees to 100,000 employees. Why did PG adopt this structure? PG adopted the structure of Organization 2005 due to key challenges and problem occurring in the Global Matrix during 1995-1998. Firstly, the matrix structure had never been symmetrical as the function retained a high degree of de-facto control because it determined career paths and promotion for its employees. Unfortunately, each function had determined its own power base and strategic agenda rather than co-operating with other functions and business units to win in the market place. The initial tension caused by functional conflict had served as an effective system of checks and balances but eventually led to poor strategic alignment throughout PG causing its position to begin to weaken in the global market as managers were focused on their particular countries rather than these global functional conflicts. This was because their focus was based on aiming for their own maximization of particular parameters rather than an optimal tradeoff. Secondly, the matrix structure had also not fully resolved the tension between regional and product category management. Regional managers still had sole responsibility for financial results and thus it was they who ultimately chose whether or not to launch initiatives made available by global category managers. RD divisions struggled hard to globalize new technological and brand innovations quickly but had to obtain agreement from regional managers, sometimes country managers and these managers would sometimes hesitate even if it made sense for PG strategically because it could weaken their upcoming profit and loss statement. As a result, the companys track record of being a global leader in innovation and brands stagnated and was slipping behind some of its more focused rivals. For instance, Cover Girl, a U.S. cosmetics brand that PG had acquired in 1989 had still not been globalized in 1997 compared to Maybelline, acquired by LOreal in 1996, was globalized in just a few years and well on its way to becoming a global billion-dollar brand. Thirdly, competitors were catching up quickly. PG had always been a first mover in supply chain consolidations and integration with customers, but by the latter half of the decade, over 200 vendors had opened embassies to Wal-Mart in Bentonville. Share price consequently dropped by 3.3% since 1993 and the sales growth slowed down to 2.6% in 1997 and 1998 by contrast to 8.5% on average in the 1980s. Lastly, the defining question was whether the global matrix cube was internally coherent or scalable over the long term. Full accountability for results could not really by assigned to regional profit centers because they couldnt fully manage functional strategy and resource allocation. This resulted in a culture of risk aversion and avoidance of failure. With over 100 profit centers, it seemed like there were too many cooks in the kitchen meaning too many managers making decisions that were moving the company away from its intended objectives. Should Lafley make a strong commitment to keeping Organization 2005 or should he plan to dismantle the structure? A.G. Lafley should consider dismantling the structure after a careful analysis of the previous structures of Proctor and Gamble and a thorough assessment of the negative adverse effects of Organization 2005 so as to develop a more effective global structure. The main objective that the previous CEO, Durk Jager had was to use Organization 2005 to change PGs risk averse regionally managed structure so that it could launch new blockbuster brands based on new technologies rather than incremental improvements of existing products. He also frequently scrutinized PGs RD portfolio and personally stewarded new technologies through the pipeline that he thought were promising. Initially, in October 1999, fiscal first quarter results were promising indicating an immediate acceleration in business performance, with sales up by 5% over the previous year which was a marked improvement over the 2.6 % annual revenue growth over the last two years. Core net earnings fell short of long term goals but made a respectable increase of 10 %. This resulted in PGs stock price appreciating significantly. When the next quarterly report came out on 30 January 2000, the stock price reached an all-time high of USD 118.38 and sales had grown by an impressive 7% and core net earnings increased by 13%. Tables turned on 7 March 2000, when PG gave a profit warning due to external factors such as increased raw material costs, delays in FDA approvals and intense competition. With 50 new products in the pipeline, the situation was expected to reverse. However, on 25 April 2000, when results were announced, core net earnings had dropped 18 % while sales increased 6 % despite a 2% hit from fluctuations in exchange rate. The stock price lost 10 % of its value. The last straw was on 8 June 2000, when fourth quarter profits were flat compared to the expectations of 15 17 % increase. PG lowered its future quarterly sales growth estimates to 2 3 %, casting doubt on whether Organization 2005 was even lifting the top line. Market research companies confirmed PGs poor competitive position citing loss of U.S. market share in 16 out of 30 categories since the preceding year. PG stock finally fell to USD 57 after the announcement and was the worst performing component of the Dow over the previous six months. Conclusion In conclusion, Lafley, bearing in mind the past performance and stiff competitive arena, should dismantle Organization 2005 for the above reasons as well as for the sagging employee morale due to the substantial job reductions.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Hittite’s Self-Image Characterized by Grandeur :: Hittite Culture Cultural History Essays

Hittite’s Self-Image Characterized by Grandeur The Hittite empire, like many others of the Bronze Age, arose at a time when new tactics and implements for fighting were being developed in abundance. Like many other empires of that time, the Hittites recognized the importance of protecting their lands and acquiring new ones. As the size and influence of the Hittite empire grew, it sometimes formed peaceful agreements with foreign lands. These agreements, however, primarily served their own interests. Evidence of the behavior of the Hittites found in primary documents reveals that they treated civilizations other than their own as their inferiors. Religion was central to the Hittite’s culture and they considered their devotion to it to be one of their primary strengths. The upkeep of Hittite religious institutions and their functionaries was a primary obligation of the commander of the Hittite border guards. A document containing instructions for that commander explains these responsibilities: â€Å"In the town through which the commander [passes]†¦ he shall attend to the necessary provisions for town-elders, priests, ‘anointed’ (and) mothers-of-god.† (par. 1) It was important to the Hittite king (also called the Sun) that all cities in the empire contain adequate sites for worship of the Hittite gods. This suggests that they believed paying tribute to the gods ensured them some sort of security or protection. In that same document it was stated, â€Å"The commander of the border guards shall make an inventory of the god’s utensils and send it before the Sun.† (par. 3) ‘Utensils’ probably refers to the possessions of the gods, perhaps including their temples, servants, and any commodities held in their name. A list of them was most likely held by the king so that what the Hittites had given to their gods was on record. The magnitude of religion in this civilization and the closeness of it to the military reveal that the favor of and protection from its gods gave its people a perceived power and authority that other civilizations lacked. Religion was also directly connected to imperial Hittite rule through the king. In a treaty between Mursilis, Sun of the Hittites, and Duppi-Tessub, king of Amurru, the preamble mentions that Mursilis was the â€Å"favorite of the Storm-god.