Madame Butterfly

Ali Appelbaum WGST 199-01 Professor Uman March 16, 2008 Society puts a strong focus on individuals who experience the act of cross-dressing to create an identity for themselves. The act of cross-dressing helps a person to feel comfortable with themselves because they are able to gain a sense of independence, confidence, and individuality. In the play M. Butterfly, by David Henry Hwang, constructing an identity is made through the character Song. By looking at Song’s appearance in M. Butterfly, we can see that clothing and disguise constructs an identity. The play, M. Butterfly uses the character Song to show the audience how cross-dressing is common, and can make one’s personality. Song cross-dresses from an Asian male, to an Asian female. Throughout the play Song plays the role of a female but expresses herself in a more confident, and independent way as an Asian female. This is because Song has had a gender cross to a women, she is able to demonstrate these qualities in her new identity she has formed. M. Butterfly is about a French diplomat, Gallimard and his love attraction for Song. Gallimard feels as though he’s never been in love, and has a hard time relating to women, until Song comes along. Song, playing the romantic role of Gallimard’s lover takes charge without Gallimard realizing a male was really wooing him the whole time. Song possesses traits of a female, which gives her confidence to pursue her relationship with Gallimard until he’s fallen in love. In the end, Song reveals herself for the man she is, but continues to act with more confidence and independence as a woman than as a man. In the play, you can see that disguise constructs an identity through the character Song. During a scene, Gallimard comments on Song’s feminine appearance and the other women he see’s in China. Song responds to Gallimard, â€Å"Please. Hard as I try to be modern, to speak like a man, to hold a Western woman’s strong face up to my own†¦ in the end, I fail. A small, frightened heart beats too quickly and gives me away. Monsieur Gallimard, I’m a Chinese girl. I’ve never†¦ never invited a man up to my flat before. The forwardness of my actions makes my skin burn† (1. 11 Hwang). This quotes shows that Song posses traits as a female and is proud. Although Song is a male, he has built himself a female identity from disguise. Confidence is expressed in Song’s remarks by telling in conversation how she believes she is more knowledgeable than Gallimard. Song also makes sure notice is taken of her delicate and pretty appearance. Song remarks back to Gallimard, â€Å"Your history serves you poorly, Monsieur Gallimard. True, there were signs reading â€Å"No dogs and Chinamen. But a woman, especially a delicate Oriental woman—we always go where we please. Could you imagine it otherwise? Clubs in China filled with pasty, big-thighed white women, while thousands of slender lotus blossoms wait just outside the door? The clubs would be empty. We have always held a certain fascination for you Caucasian men, have we not? (2. 4 Hwang). Song has shown to her audience that she has a strong confidence about the female body and face. She explains to Gallimard that her new identity, a delicate Oriental woman, is always welcomed in society. Song also feels a sense of power because although she is a man working for the Chinese government, she feels comfortable in her feminine identity. A conversation between Song and her advisor Comrade Chin demonstrates how Song has created has created an identity for herself in disguise. When Song is in quarters where she can act like man, she still acts in a feminine order, rather than a masculine tone. Chin asks Song, â€Å"†¦Is that home come you dress like that? † (2. 4 Hwang). Song responds by saying, â€Å"Like what, Miss Chin? † (2. Hwang). Chin remarks with what he believes is reality by saying, â€Å"Like that dress! You’re wearing a dress. And every time I come here, you’re wearing a dress. Is that because you’re an actor? Or what? † (2. 4 Hwang). Song reveals her identity by saying, â€Å"It’s a†¦ disguise, Miss Chin† (2. 4 Hwang). This conversation between Comrade Chin and Song shows the audience that Song is aware of the fact that she is a male, but possesses more of an interest in the feminine personality and ways of life because she is more confident.

How does Homer make Essay

The scene with Charybdis and Scylla is one of the best depicted scenes in the whole Odyssey, aiming not to build tension into the readers but to scary or even terrify them. Actually, the whole story does not begin when Odysseus faces the danger but a bit earlier. When Circe tells him what to kind of monster he will meet, this anticipates us to get ready for real horror and builds up the tension as they are sailing. But when the Trojan heroes reach the place the horror is even bigger than what we are ready for. Only the first sentence contains more than enough to see the high seriousness of the situation. Odysseus’ men are â€Å"wailing in terror† i. e. all the braveness and manhood are gone and they look more like women or babies. But all this seems to be quite logical when we read the effective description of Charybdis that Homer uses. Adjectives such as â€Å"awesome†, â€Å"fearful† and â€Å"dreadful† gives the reader the impression that the ship is doomed to disappear forever. Moreover, Charybdis does not just throw away the water but it â€Å"vomits it† and it â€Å"rains down† – verbs showing how massive and powerful the whirlpool is. The simile with â€Å"a cauldron† is not long or detailed, but actually it gives the best possible image of what danger Odysseus and his men are. If they get even one inch closer probably all will be boiled. What completes the picture is the fearful sound Homer includes â€Å"the rocks re-echoed to her fearful roar† – Charybdis resembles a lion ready to swallow everything on his way. Once again the reaction of Odysseus’ men draws an exact image of the terror – â€Å"my men turned pale† – helpless fearing for their lifes, afraid to move or say a word. Thus frozen, now Odysseus’ men face even a bigger surprise and terror with Scylla having grabbed 6 of them. The unexpected change throws the reader in even greater tension, but what is worse is that Odysseus loses his â€Å"strongest men†. Now Homer draws us into one sense – helplessness. First the description of Scylla is skillfully made to show how doomed is the whole situation – she â€Å"snatched† and â€Å"whisked† Odysseus’ comrades while they are â€Å"dangling† in the air. The choice of words is not random, but aims to build up senses of power and violence on the one side and fear and death on the other. Once again Homer uses sounds but this time in a different way. The â€Å"dangling† men are calling Odysseus, who he can’t do anything but standing and looking at them. Just a silent witness. Homer uses a precise simile to draw the way in which Scylla swallows the men. She is like an â€Å"angler† and they are like fish -description that crates the feeling that the sailors are small and insignificant and this is the natural order: the angler must catch his dinner. The reader by now feels more than pity but Homer goes on showing us how the â€Å"little fishes† are suffering and â€Å"struggling† and â€Å"shrieking† in â€Å"desperate throes†, all of this action looking worthless but showing will for life, life that they will lose very soon. Odysseus is sad for his men and admits that he has never seen â€Å"a more pitiable sight†. That makes even bigger impression knowing about Odysseus meetings with the Cyclops, the Laestrygonians, the Sirens etc. He has endured much and seen even more but that is the only moment he feels so helpless, useless and wordless.

The role of the human resources Director in a multi-national company Essay

The role of the human resources Director in a multi-national company - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that organizations worldwide often strive for high performance through well-laid strategies. However, it is technology and wise decisions that often influence several factors which are essential in managing global virtual teams. Global virtual teams often operate through enhanced communication and enhanced technology. Team participation and conflict management equally form part of improving leadership in areas such as Asia and Europe. Demonstrating effective leadership as a Human Resources Director (HRD) when working for a multi-national company requires skill and competence in order to attain maximum success. It begins with a display of leadership steps that are suited for a corporate culture especially when operating in offices based Asia and Europe. Therefore, it is vital to understand the operation of global virtual teams in relation to the existing culture and different time zones in such markets. Second, mapping out ways of gaining a strategic advantage is critical because it enables the organization to use a combination of other factors that include the application of theories and principles of teamwork. Additionally, leveraging on international presence is essential because it increases the chances of attracting more customers. In other words, there is an increase of responsiveness toward transforming hyper-competitive markets that define the overall success.

In depth analysis about article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

In depth analysis about article - Essay Example The article contends that foreign trade does not necessarily increases the amount of value of commodity unless it is accompanied by increase in demand. This is important facet of economic principle that heavily relies on demand and supply of goods and services for optimal profit. The influx of capital and employability within the production process results in profits either due to new technology and methods that increase efficiency or there is decrease in wages that help to increase the percentage of profit. Thus, increase in revenue or decrease in consumption will result in accumulation of capital which can be gainfully employed for production of other commodities. They are indeed, vital inputs for trade and apply equally for domestic and foreign trade. Interestingly, the article also highlights that countries tend to favor import of those goods which have relatively higher cost of production. Ricardo gives example of corn which he says would be imported by England even if it has fe rtile land. Main reason is that it gains relatively higher profits on export of wine for which it has developed improved skill and technology which lower the cost of production.

Rewrite Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Rewrite Response - Essay Example It would be more logical that as women have a bigger say in the content of comic strips there would be an incline in positive representation of female characters. Because I do not read comic books frequently, I found Scott McClouds’ comic strip somewhat difficult to comprehend, more often getting lost in the design. However, his pursuit for modification of genres in comic book, to diverge from the conventional male superhero/damsel in distress story flow that encompasses various gender labels. I settle with McCloud on the control of comic books, and the effect they can have on the person who read, similarly as we are influenced by print and mass media. Hence, the significance of the need for comic books authors to streamline gender disparities in comics and use their control to change the gender labels. According to As Glascock and Preston-Schreck findings, despite noticeable progress has manifested in the inclusion of women and girls in print media comics in the recent 20 years, many predetermined labels in day to day comics in recent paper remain benchmarks in current papers(428). Underrepresentation women is not limited only to comic books but also the media as well, if this continues the thinking of people our society will remain conventional and will hamper drive towards gender equality. I disagree with the part McCloud’s comic when he wrote that in certain circumstances, the fight for gender balance and representation of minority seem at balances with genre issues. The preceding two reasons for representation of the world as it is through a body of work, yet the later seems bent toward our concern to diverge form it (124). My view of extending genres does not mean deterrence from reality; rather a paradigm of focus from male dominated storylines to more gender- balance plots, and holistic inclusion of women. My opinion is that the three goals are intertwined and with a more varied genres it is possible to instill

The Effectiveness of Advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Effectiveness of Advertising - Essay Example Every advertiser or company must do more than just make a product, give it an attractive price, and offer it to the consumer. They have to also communicate and promote it to their current and future customers; they have to advertise it. Advertisers appeal to the lusts, desires, and wants of the target market or potential customer. "Target market is the market segment to which a particular product is marketed. It is often defined by age, gender and/or socio-economic grouping," states Wikipedia encyclopedia (2006). As previously stated, an increasing number of advertisers, retailers, and wholesalers appeal to the target market's emotions, lusts, desires, wants, and needs. They want to pull at the heart strings in order to persuade, or get others to believe and create some action. Perhaps some of the best examples of these advertisements use sex to sell everything from beer to necessities such as toothpaste. The word lust is not often used in our society today so the meaning may be obscure to many Americans. (Advertisers Lure Customers with Worldly Lusts, n.d.) This may seem devastating but without advertising, many people would be out of jobs and many would lack product and service knowledge and opportunities to purchase what they want and need. For example, without advertising (whether it is on a billboard, on the Internet, or through a salesman), people would not be as informed and the opportunities for buying and sales would decrease. Advertising increases competition, competition encourages innovation which leads to more jobs. Burton (2005) reports, "The goal of the competition is to improve economic developmentand hopefully, will result in job opportunities. .." Although advertising can be found everywhere even to the point that we are used to it, advertising is truly misunderstood. It can even be found on toys, at the movies, and while you are waiting. Some shows and movies are entire advertisements for other products and services. Ference (2004) reports, "They even advertise when we're waiting. Ever sit through The 2wenty The 2wenty, so named for the advertainment it provides in the 20 minutes before your movie starts (quasi-phonetic numerical substitution is, of course, sic), replaces the slide-show ads of yesteryear with "programming" that hypes a movie, TV show, or musician - and interstitial "commercials" for Advertising 4 hilariously "local" products. (The pert Tel-Aviv car service receptionist and DJ school started by Jam Master Jay, being excellent instantiations here.) As quaint as this all seems, this type of captive cinema advertising is a $315.1 million business." Let us not forget to mention the usage of the Internet and technology for advertising. Some even say that is a necessary evil. Advertising is necessary when the new product is introduced on the market to create a demand for it, or when there are

Partnership Accounting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Partnership Accounting - Assignment Example The company was founded in the year 1994. The company has a global presence and caters to almost all the countries of the world. The company has employee strength of 109 thousand employees as in 2013. Since it is an e-retail company there is requirement for technical as well as staff for supply chain. The company has to depend on the competitive intelligence in form of the consumer data so that the company is being able to understand the needs of the consumers through their browsing history and can stock up their inventory levels as and when required. Thus it is important for the company to have a combination of a good retail supply chain workforce and as technical people who would be available with the company to support the technical aspects of the operations. However the turnover for Amazon is very high. Most of the employees do not stay in the organisation for more than one year. This report is an attempt to find out the reasons for such high rate of turnover. The basis for the s tudy is mainly primary as well as secondary research. The section of the literature review explores the studies that have been made by the authors about this issue of turnover in the business environment. Literature Review The topic of employee turnover has been studies and researched by a huge number of scholars over a very long period of time. In the Human resources framework, the rate of turnover of the employees is the rate at which an employer acquires his employees and loses the employees. The high rate of turnover is an indication of the fact that the employees in an organisation would work in the organisation for a shorter span of time. This is generally a rate that is determined after comparing in the other industries playing in the same market. The turnover metric is determined by dividing the total number of parting workers who have left within a year by the number of employees who were engaged in the company for that particular year (Cascio and Boudreau, 2011, p. 80). Th e same metric has been used by Price in his modelling of turnover (Price, 1977, pp. 10-25). For a particular labour market there are about the same number of employees that rotate around in the different markets. Most of the management practitioners have argued that there are several reasons that contribute to the turnover rate of the companies (Kevin, Joan and Adrian, 2004, pp. 161-166). The event of turnover is time consuming and the management of a company cannot officially stop an employee from leaving the organisation. In most cases the employees are lured away by other organisations operating in the same industry by offering a higher salary. However, it has been found out through intensive research that the employees cite this reason only to disguise some other major reason for which they leave the organisation. Review Findings There are several other reasons for which an employee decides to leave an organisation. Job related stress is one of the causes which contribute to the high rate of turnover among the employees. The level of satisfaction in a particular job is also another major reason for the high rate of turnover. Most of the employees remain dissatisfied with the work that they perform and they feel that it does not meet their self actualisation needs fully. Research has also shown that the level of compensation that the employees get from their present employer is not satisfactory or the perquisites are not up to the industry standards. This forces the employees to shift to a new organisation. On the other hand, in case of mostly the manufacturing organisations or the companies that involves jobs

Research research literature to determine the population, sampling Paper

Literature to determine the population, sampling strategy, HIPAA concerns, informed consent procedures, and setting - Research Paper Example The caregivers and patients included in the research were also supposed to have sixth grade education at the minimum and be in a position to read and comprehend English. They should also attain a score of at least seven in the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ) as well as at least 40 in the Palliative Performance Scale (PPS). Since the study concentrated on management of pain, constipation and dyspnea, the patients included in the research had to be experiencing two of them. A sample of 329 home care patients suffering from cancer and family caregivers were selected and randomly grouped into three categories. One control group comprised of 109 people received standard care, another group with the same number received standard care and friendly visits while the third group comprised of 111 people received standard care and COPE intervention. This method of sampling is known as cluster sampling in which case naturally occurring groups would be selected and be included in a sample. In this method, the population would be divided into groups or samples. In some cases, rather than collecting data from every group, a sub-sample would be used. Economical- expenditure is one of the major concerns in any sampling method. However, since the research will be carried out on clusters, the expenditure is tremendously reduced due to the fewer listing efforts incorporated (William, 2007). Feasibility- cluster sampling method is also more feasible when carrying out research on large populations (William, 2007). Given that the population in the large hospice is in excess of 300, carrying out comprehensive research may not be very feasible and therefore, clustering the samples would make it more feasible. In carrying out any form of research, the vulnerability of the variables used in the samples is taken into consideration (William, 2007). In essence, the patients and caregivers used in the research are quite vulnerable given the

Major Works Data Sheet Essay Example for Free

Major Works Data Sheet Essay Plot summary: Heart of Darkness begins on the Thames river and told by an unknown narrator. He and several other men are on the deck of a ship when Marlow, a captain, begins to speak. Marlow had always wanted to travel to Africa and up the snakelike Congo River. With the help of his aunt in Brussels, Marlow gets a job as a boat captain on the river with a Dutch trading company that deals in ivory. After getting his assignment at the office in Brussels, he travels to the mouth of the Congo River in a French steamer, which drops off soldiers and clerks at many stations along the African coast. The site of a French man-of-war firing at nothing puzzles Marlow. When Marlow arrives at the mouth of the Congo, a Swedish captain takes him to the company’s Inner Station on a smaller boat. Outside of the station he sees Africans chained and working hard at worthless projects, with others nearby dying slowly. Marlow is impressed with the competence and dress of the accountant who works at this station. It is here that he firsts learns of Kurtz, an exceptional trader who is destined for great things. Marlow then travels to the company’s Central Station, walking two hundred miles inland with a sick, overweight white man who had to be carried by Africans, until they tired of it and abandoned him. Once at the station, Marlow meets the General Manager, a hollow man who got his job not by virtue of his merit but simply by remaining alive. His only talent is making people feel uneasy. The boat Marlow was supposed to captain had been torn up in an accident just before he arrived, so Marlow spends months at the station making repairs and waiting for rivets. During this time, Marlow watches many of the white men do no work and walk aimlessly. One day a building caught fire and they decided to punish an African for it. Marlow then meets another  hollow man, the brick maker, who has no mater ials to build bricks. The brick maker questions Marlow about his connections in Europe, and Marlow learns more about Kurtz, who is besides being an excellent trader, an artist and in Africa for the purpose of bringing light to the natives. Marlow determines that the brick maker is a spy for the manager and that neither likes Kurtz. The mysterious Kurtz increasingly intrigues Marlow. He overhears the manager and the manager’s corrupt uncle express their hatred and jealousy towards Kurtz, who is rumored to be ill. With the repairs complete, Marlow captained the boat upriver, manager on board, towards Kurtz’s station. He employed the help of a group of cannibals, whore frained from eating anyone in his presence. Just before arriving at Kurtz’s station, a tribe of Africans attacked the ship, and his African helmsman was killed, having lost his self-control. At this point Marlow worries that he may never meet Kurtz, but they find Kurtz’s station upriver. Greeted by a young Russian, Marlow finds out that Kurtz is very ill. He also finds out that Kurtz convinced a tribe he was a deity to use them to get more ivory. Kurtz goes crazy and runs for the woods, devoid of all restraint. Marlow finds him and helps him back to his bed. Kurtz gives Marlow some papers to give to people in Europe. Kurtz eventually dies, saying â€Å"The horror, the horror.† Marlow returns to Europe, delivers the papers, and eventually talks to Kurtz’s fiancà ©. She is still very idealistic and he cannot tell her about Kurtz’s last words, saying instead Kurtz uttered her name before dying.

Critically discuss Essay Example for Free

Critically discuss Essay In order to critically discuss the quoted statement it is first necessary to determine what the power relations between adults and children are. How do adults demonstrate power over children, and what part does fear play in contributing to this power. Fear is another word which will need to be classified, what frightens children and how do adults exploit this fear to exercise power over children. Throughout history and in all cultures adults exercise power over children, in all aspects of their lives from parental power, teacher/school regulation through to the passing of laws at national level that affect the lives of all children within that society. S. A. Taylor (2000) cited in Doing Research with Children and Young People Edited by Fraser et al, pointed out that it is adults and not children themselves who write about, debate and decide what rights children should have. This can be seen as an indication of the power adults exercise over children which confines them to subordinate roles within society. Power means different thing to different people, however, it is generally thought of as the ability of individuals or groups to influence others and put forward their point of view despite the resistance or objections of others. Sometimes the direct use of force is used to exercise power, however idealogies are usually used to justify the application of this force (Giddens 1995) cited in Doing Research with Children and Young People Edited by Fraser et al pg81. Thus the old adage that knowledge is power can be said to be true. Children’s knowledge can be disregarded by adults and they can still be controlled by force, (no matter how well intentioned) by the adults who are responsible for them. In order to understand the role of power in research with children and young people, it is necessary to acknowledge the contribution of sociological thinking. Sociological thinking seeks to explain the role of power in people’s lives, how society as a whole works and how order is achieved (Doing Research with Children and Young People Edited by Fraser et al pg 81). In the past, such explanations emphasized the world of men with small consideration to the world of women and less still to the worlds of children. Feminists were critical of the ideas that portrayed the family as â€Å"natural† and unchanging. However, Feminists ideas also came into conflict with each other in particular black Feminists were critical of white Feminist fro ignoring the paradox of black experience in their arguments. Wright et al (1998) cited in Doing Research with Children and Young People Edited by Fraser et al pg83 Fraser et al pg83 Fraser et al pg83 Fraser et al pg83 Fraser et al pg83 acknowledged in his research the importance of Feminist researchers recognition of the reproduction of gender divisions within education. Research in this area has helped to address the educational performance of young women in school. Family life and public aspects of life are important in considering the concept of power in the lives of children and young people. Bill and Ribbens (1995) and Ribbens and Edwards (1998) cited in Doing Research with Children and Young People Edited by Fraser et al pg 83 suggest the concepts of public and private aspects of life and family are relevant for understanding the divisions within the of people in Western society in terms of the meanings men and women associate with the idea of public and private life. These aspects can contribute to the thinking about the position of children, who have limited power within family life. Research studies involving children and young people in their home environment, are often reliant on reports by their parents or carers. Modern researchers, however, increasingly conduct research with children and young people via direct communication with children in order to determine their views first hand. Power elations in research with children and young people are reinforced by more general and cultural ideas that exist between adults and children in society at large (Doing Research with Children and Young People Edited by Fraser et al pg 84.) Mayall maintained that adults have divided up the social order into two major groups that is adults and children, with specific conditions surrounding the lives of each group. One factor that helps to maintain unequal adult-child power relations is beliefs that adult possess a superior level of knowledge. However, it is difficult to believe that an adult would have a better knowledge of what it is like to be child than the child themselves. Mayall points out that she needs to acquire from a child their own unique knowledge of what it means to be a child, because although of course she has been a child herself, she may have forgotten much and childhoods vary and are likely to have changed in the time since she herself was a child. Researchers can try to minimise the power relation gulf between them as the adult to the child/children by trying to be â€Å"one of them† it is not easy to negate the central adult characteristic of having power over children. Christensen and Prout (2002) cited in Doing Research with Children and Young People Edited by Fraser et al pg 85, outlined four ways that children and childhood have been identified in research. The first of these is that of â€Å"the child as an object† this assumes that children and young people are dependent, incompetent and unable to deal appropriately with information. They are in need of care and protection by adults who undertake the role of â€Å"interpreters† of their lives. This orientation of research relies heavily on the adult perception of situations and the accounts of adults; it all but negates the views of children. The second view point is of â€Å"the child as subject† this puts children more to the fore in the research process and moving the research to a more child-centred perspective. Despite the suitability of involving children it is recognised that it can be countered by judgements about their social maturity and cognitive ability. Adult researchers exert power in determining who to include e.g. only children of a certain age or intelligence level. In the third viewpoint the child is seen as a â€Å"social actor†. That is they take part in, change and become changed by the world in which they live. Children are seen as entities in their own right, rather than just part of a family unit, or a member of a school, etc. The final viewpoint sees the child as a â€Å"participant or co-researcher†. This involves the children having an active role in the research. This perception considers that children should be informed, involved and consulted about all activities that have an affect on their lives; including research. In this situation the balance of power between adults and children can be volatile and changeable. The level of knowledge that the adult shares with the child, dictates the level at which the child is truly involved.

Legitimate Authority in the International System

Legitimate Authority in the International System Researchers and students of international relations are always faced with questions regarding if there is any legitimate authority in the international system. Other questions that these people are always faced with, is whether they can denote that the behavior of states is always motivated by factors such as power or even wealth. Furthermore, questions emerge on whether the interests of states are always the same, over a period of time and space. Mitchell (2012) denotes that this debate about the nature of authority in the international arena is always theoretical, focusing only on the contemporary international system. This paper critically examines the concept that there is no legitimate authority in the international system. In answering this question, the researcher will have to use a variety of theories, such as realism and liberalism. This paper takes the stand that the international system is anarchical in nature, and there is no legitimate authority. This concept of legitimate authority refers to the justification of people to have real power over other people, as well as the decisions they make. Mitchell (2012) further claims that legitimate authority is always exercised by the government, and the government derives justification in the use of such power because the power is given by the laws of the country. Krehoff (2008) agrees on the fact that there is no legitimate authority in the international system. This is because the international system is characterized by the interaction of states, and each state has its own interests and objectives in regard to the interaction (Bromley, Clarke, Hinchliffe and Taylor, 2009). One of the methods in which social scientists use to explain the relations and power in the international system is through the use of liberalism theory (Goldstein, 2912). Liberalism is a political concept that advocates for the freedom and rights of individuals. This theoretical framework recognizes the role of the state, as well as other actors in the international system in promoting democracy, freedom of expression, as well as other rights of individuals within the society (Baylis and Smith, 2001). Karp (2009) observes that this theoretical framework encourages participation in the international system, and for the purposes of promoting peace and stability. On this basis, the international system is characterized by inter-governmental organizations, multi-national companies, and non-governmental organizations. These institutions operating in the international system are responsible for shaping the various policies of states (Bromley, Clarke, Hinchliffe and Taylor, 2009). For instance institutions such as the United Nations, is responsible for discussing various issues that threaten the World Peace and coming up with a resolution that each and every member of the organization needs to follow. For instance in 2011, the UN Security Council passed a resolution that there was a need of intervening in the Libyan civil war, for purposes of preventing president Gaddafi from killing his own people Goldstein, (2012). Members of the Security Council, including the US, Britain, France, as well as other countries such as Canada, etc were able to provide equipments that could be used to enforce the decision by the UN Security council. Cornut (2010) denotes that this is an example of a legitimate authority, and this is because a legitimate authority is always justifiable by the rules guiding the operation of an institution. For example, the charter of the UN establishes the Security Council, with five permanent members who hold veto powers, and other non-permanent members. The charter denotes that the decision of this council are always legitimate, and supported by the laws of the charter in which all UN members are signatories. However, Baylis and Smith (2001) disagrees with the notion that the UN Security Council is a legitimate authority. Basu (2012) denotes that the UN Security council only serves the interests of the major powers holding the veto power. This is because the countries under consideration will always veto a policy developed that is against them. Basu (2012) further explains that the main reason as to why the Security Council attacked the government of Gaddafi was because he had a bad historical relation with western countries such as the United States, Britain, as well as France. On this basis, attacking Libya, and removing the government of Gaddafi would only serve the interests of countries such as the United States, Britain, and France. It is important to understand that these countries hold a veto powers in the UN Security Council. To prove his point, Basu (2012) identifies the structural adjustments policies brought forth by the World Bank, and IMF, during the 1980s, and the 1990s. Basu (2012) explains that these policies forced third world countries to liberalize their economies, even when they w ere not ready for such liberalization. Other demands initiated by World Bank, and IMF included the introduction of austerity measures. These measures forced the target governments to reduce spending on education, health, transport, security, and other important aspects of the economies of these countries. Cornut (2010) denotes that these austerity measures were responsible for the negative growth of these countries, as opposed to an increase in the growth of their economies. Goldstein, (2012) denotes that the World Bank, and the IMF are institutions of liberalism, and on this basis, they failed to promote equality of human rights, in regard to trade and economic stability. Instead, through their structural adjustment policies, IMF and World Bank are responsible for eroding the economies of these states. Furthermore, Goldstein, (2012) believes denotes that IMF and World Bank are controlled by its major donors, which include France, USA, Britain, as well as Japan. On this note, the policies developed by World Bank and IMF a re aimed at protecting the interests of their major financers. Dominese (2010) further denotes that the affairs of World Bank and IMF are always conducted in great secrecy, and there is no transparency while developing their policies. One of the characteristics of a legitimate authority is that it has transparency in the manner in which they develop policies. Calhoun (2002) believes that this transparency lacks in these global institutions. Dominese (2010) further asserts that a legitimate international institution will always seek to serve the interest of the international community, and not only a particular section of the international community. On this basis, institutions such as IMF and World Bank have failed to establish a legitimate international authority. Realism is a theoretical framework that supports the notion that a legitimate international authority does not exist (Goldstein, 2012). One of the principle arguments of realism is that the international system is anarchical in nature. This is because states are the major actors in the international system, and on this basis, there is no actor that has the capability of regulating the affairs of the states. Krehoff (2008) further explains that under realism, states will only relate with other states, in pursuance of their interests, and not the interest of the global good. Dominese (2010) defines international anarchy as a concept whereby the international system does not have a leader, i.e. a sovereign worldwide government does not exist. On this basis, Dominese (2010) denotes that the international system does not have a hierarchical authority which has the capability of enforcing laws, and resolving disputes, just like states in the domestic politics. This observation by Dominese (2010) is correct, and this is because legal international institutions such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) only depends on the goodwill of signatory states to arrest and handover people indicted by the court. On this basis, Goldstein, (2012) denotes that without cooperation from member states, ICC won’t be able to carry out its mandate. Tight (2005) denotes that this lack of an hierarchical structure at the international system, is one of the main reasons as to why institutions formed by the principles of liberalism will always serve the interests of rich states of the world. Basu (2012) further denotes that the accumulation of power and the need for survival are the major factors that influence the behavior of states in the international system. On this note, states will carry out any activity aimed at meeting their objectives. This creates suspicion at the international stage, amongst the various states, and because of these suspicions that exists between various states; it is difficult to create an international legitimate authority. For instance, the League of Nations failed to be a legitimate authority because of suspicions between the various states that formed the League of Nations. Based on these arguments of realism, Goldstein, (2012) explains that a legitimate international authority does not exist. In conclusion, realism is the major theory that recognizes the fact that a legitimate international authority does not exist. This is because the major arguments contained under realism, is that the international system is anarchic in nature, and the relations that occurs at the international system, are always aimed at protecting the self interests of the state under consideration. Due to this nature of states in the international arena, there is a lot of suspicion regarding the activities of states, and this makes the international system to be anarchic in nature. Because of this anarchic nature in the international system, it is very difficult for a legitimate authority to exist. To create a legitimate authority therefore, it is important to create a single interest that states should pursue in the international arena. This is a concept that is very difficult, and impossible to achieve. There are two conflicting perspective on this concept of a legitimate international authority. This is because the principles of liberalism supports this notion that there is a legitimate authority and this is in form of the various institutions formed by the states, and other international bodies. Bibliography: Basu, R. (2012). International politics concepts, theories and issues. New Delhi: SAGE  Publications. Baylis, J., Smith, S. (2001). The globalization of world politics: an introduction to  international relations (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Bromley, S., Clarke, J., Hinchliffe, S., Taylor, S. (2009). Exploring social lives. Milton  Keynes: Open University. Calhoun, L. (2002). Legitimate Authority and Just War in the Modern World. Peace Change,  27(1), 37-62.   Cornut, J. (2010). David A. BALDWIN (dir.), 2008, Theories of International Relations, coll.  The Library of Essays in International Relations, Farnham, Ashgate, 725 p.. Etudes  Internationales , 41(1), 98.   Dominese, G. (2010). Theories of International Relations: from an American Science Towards a  Pluralism of Thought. Transition Studies Review, 16(4), 813-828. Goldstein, J. S. (2012). International relations (10. ed.). Boston: Pearson/Longman. Karp, D. J. (2009). Transnational corporations in ‘bad states’: human rights duties, legitimate  authority and the rule of law in international political theory. International Theory, 1(01),  87. Krehoff, B. (2008). Legitimate Political Authority and Sovereignty: Why States Cannot be the  Whole Story. Res Publica, 14(4), 283-297. Mitchell, S. M. (2012). Guide to the scientific study of international processes. Hoboken, N.J.:  Wiley. Tight, M. (2005). International relations. Amsterdam: Elsevier JAI.

Characterization, Identities, and the Supernatural in Otranto Essay

"The Divided Self": Characterization, Identities, and the Supernatural A cursory first reading of Horace Walpole's Otranto might yield an impression that its characters are thoroughly superficial, shallow, and flat, almost to the point of being laughably so. A single character mold seems to have been applied to each character: Manfred is the incestuous tyrant, Hippolita is the helplessly devoted wife, Matilda is the picture of â€Å"tenderness and duty† (38), and Theodore is the chivalrous protector of delicate young ladies. As some critics have pointed out, each character is described heavy-handedly, and the author provides no keys into the inner minds of the characters, relying instead of outward displays of excess emotion (Sedgwick 131). Consequently, Otranto becomes â€Å"theatrical† (Napier 33) because of its emphasis on dramatic action and visual display. To the reader, each character and his/her displays of emotion combine in Otranto to make what amounts to a thoroughly ludicrous cast. There is some debate over the substitution of flat characters for even a single dynamic characters. Was this a deliberate choice on the part of the author? Some possibilities that may arise include the suggestion that Walpole was unskilled as an author and consequently, was unable to write â€Å"well.† Another suggestion is that Walpole's skill as an author is demonstrated in his intentional choice to write flat characters to achieve a higher purpose. Perhaps this purpose was to make his short novel a work of pure entertainment with mindless, fluffy characters? Or to maintain a quick-moving plot? Or perhaps Walpole decided to â€Å"systematically sacrific[e characters] to other, more highly valued aspects of narrative such as moral and plot† (Napier 34) wi... ...f boundaries between characterizations, identities, the psychological, and the supernatural, is not only ambiguous and incongruous, but unstable, contingent, baseless, mysterious, and haunting. Works Cited Freud, Sigmund. â€Å"Fragment of an Analysis of a Case of Hysteria (â€Å"Dora†).† The Freud Reader. Ed. Peter Gay. Trans. James Strachey. New York: Norton, 1995. 172-239. Moglen, Helene. The Trauma of Gender: A Feminist Theory of the English Novel. Los Angeles, CA: U of California P, 2001. Morris, David B. "Gothic Sublimity." New Literary History. 16.2 (Winter, 1985): 299-319. Napier, Elizabeth R. The Failure of Gothic: Problems of Disjunction in an Eighteenth-Century Literary Form. New York: OUP, 1987. Sedgwick, Eve K. Coherence of Gothic Conventions. New York and London: Methuen, 1986. Walpole, Horace. The Castle of Otranto. New York: OUP, 1998.

Motivation and Manipulation in Julius Caesar Essay -- William Shakespe

In Julius Caesar, Shakespeare illuminates the themes of human motivation and manipulation. He examines the relationship between actions and motivations, cause and effect, and word and deed, using the symbols of hands and hearts. Throughout the play, the characters Brutus and Marc Antony express their different understandings of this relationship rhetorically. In his 1953 film interpretation, Joseph L. Mankiewicz demonstrates these characters’ understanding through both the play’s original dialogue and his own interpolated action. It is interesting to see the different effects of spoken rhetoric, as we experience it in the play, and the visual rhetoric of the film. The play itself complicates matters of motivation and therefore does not answer the question of blame. When reading one character, the audience feels connected with their point of view, and when reading the other, they are made to feel unsure about their initial opinion. In the end, it is nearly impossible t o discover the characters’ inner motives, and it is therefore difficult to place blame on one or the other. However, Mankiewicz visually presents the complex relationship between these two symbols and in doing so, he creates a more sympathetic persona for Brutus than the one in the play. He focuses on the hands as a symbol of unity, love, and friendship, and where characters use hands for evil acts, he is quick to juxtapose the actions of hands from the motivations of the heart. While Shakespeare uses this juxtaposition to merely complicate the matter without solving it, Mankiewicz uses it to simplify the question. For Mankiewicz, Brutus’ involvement in the murder of Caesar, does not wholly reflect his character, and the audience is made to see a more human, vulne... ...wn in the play. In Brutus’ words, â€Å"Th’ abuse of greatness is when it disjoins remorse from power,† and in that instance, the film shows Antony’s abuse of authority (2.1.18-19). Because Antony believes that the hands’ actions and the heart’s motivations cannot be separated, his language demonstrates this belief, and he acts accordingly. While Brutus may act maliciously at times, he believes that hands and hearts are not always inextricably linked and therefore, that is especially true of his evil actions. Though Shakespeare may the leave the audience in doubt, Mankiewicz does not avoid blame and suggests that the exclusive joining of hands and hearts disjoins compassion from power and leads to true butchery. Works Cited Mankiewicz, Joseph L., dir. Julius Caesar. 1953. Film Shakespeare, William. Julius Caesar. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2007. Print.

The No child Left Behind Statute

The â€Å"No child Left Behind† statute introduced by President Bush and passed by the congress has created a number of problems for the educational programs intended for adolescents in elementary and secondary schools. The financial situation of the elementary and secondary schools is extremely poor because the states governments have been eliminating vital elementary educational programs. The school administrations have been reluctant to provide extended courses to the students. Furthermore, the textbooks are not being printed consistently, making not only the students but also the teachers extremely vulnerable and helpless. The funding disparity has also created huge gaps between the education being provided to the children belonging to the rich families and those belonging to the poor ones. The shortcomings and the rhetoric behind â€Å"No child left behind† act needs to be exposed so that effective measures can be taken to curtail the damage (Susan, 2003). The consistent lack of attention being given to elementary and secondary education, particularly to adolescent literacy is posing a grave threat to the future of the American education system. The purpose of this thesis is to reveal the shortcomings of â€Å"No child left behind† law by first understanding the basic details of the act related to adolescent literacy programs and then persuasively assessing the loopholes in it. Lastly, the thesis gives carefully crafted recommendations aimed at not only the federal and state governments but also the school districts, parents and the educators. The aim is to create an understanding of the present and future needs for those educational programs that are aimed at adolescents and identifying the present gaps in the federal educational law. The American value of education emphasizes that all children, regardless of their gender, religion ethnicity should be able to acquire the basic skills of education and then carry those basic skills through to the elementary, secondary and high level education. Unfortunately, research has shown that the reality of the present education system is on the contrary. In a recent study, conducted by â€Å"National Assessment of Educational Progress† (NAEP, 2002), it has been noted that as much as 26% of the students are unable to read their textbooks fluently and almost half cannot comprehend the meaning of the text (Michael F. Hock and Donald D. Deshler, 2003). It is worth noting that the legislators and government officials realize the gravity of the situation but have been unable to cope with it. If nearly half of the students in the elementary schools are unable to effectively read their course books, then, these students will find higher education very difficult. The â€Å"No Child Left Behind† act has made things even more difficult because the focus has been on a long-term solution, whereas, it is imperative that the needs of the present generations are addressed immediately. This is because millions of students will be unable to cope with the demands of the future workplace needs if their basic educative skills are not enhanced at the right time (Michael F. Hock and Donald D. Deshler, 2003). The challenge for the present legislators, teachers, parents and school administrations is to counter the threat of adolescent illiteracy by introducing effective programs, backed by appropriate amount of government funds. The difficultly lies in the ineffectiveness of the present educational law to cater the needs of adolescents as the most problematical educational dilemma to deal with has been the deficiency in the reading, writing and speaking skills of adolescents. The present educational and political leadership need to create and implement productive adolescent educational programs, which are feasible in the present schooling environment (Michael F. Hock and Donald D. Deshler, 2003). Dough Mesecar, who is currently a senior policy adviser to the secretary of Education, while giving his comments on the present status of the NCLB act asserts in an interview, â€Å"The achievement scores are up, and we're very pleased to see both the achievement gap starting to close, kids are learning more, a very positive report in the sense that the Center for Education Policy report is a self-survey, so these are states and districts reporting on their own to the center that their scores are up, achievement gaps are closing. So we feel very positive that this is yet another report showing the trends are definitely heading in a positive direction. † Contrary to the above statement, many experts believe that the â€Å"No Child Left Behind† act presents a grave threat to the American values. But, before revealing the shortcomings of the â€Å"No Child Left Behind† law, it is imperative that the basic features of the law that are related to elementary education are clearly understood. It is important to note that at least four areas of the act have been considered to have severe repercussions on the adolescent literacy. These four features are as follows: The â€Å"No child left behind† (NCLB) act encourages superior standards. The law makes it imperative that those schools, which are being supported by the government through funds, align their endeavors with the standards set by the local state. Furthermore, the law makes it imperative for these schools to employ only skilled and qualified workforce and only work on evidence-founded programs that are time-oriented and result-oriented. It is believed that these measures will enhance the level of education because it will not only minimize the inadequacy of unqualified teachers but also enhance learning as only scientifically verified teaching initiatives will be offered to the adolescents (Jim Donlevy, 2002). The law asserts that the annual progress of all the schools will be noted in relation to the competence achieved by the students in subjects such as mathematics and science, and in skills such as reading, writing and speaking. Standardized procedures and methods will be drafted to evaluate the progress of each district, school, as well as every group within each school. It is important to note that these â€Å"assessments† have put a great deal of added stress on all elementary schools because they have to align their educational endeavors within the parameters of elementary education set by the state (Jim Donlevy, 2002). The NCLB act has set very high standards for elementary schools all over America. If a particular school fails to meet the standards of the state for 2 successive years then that particular school will have to craft counteractive programs. Should the school fail to meet the State†s requirements for the 3RD consecutive year, tougher measures will be introduced, which may include replacements in the school workforce, complete modification of the school syllabus and maybe even state takeover (Jim Donlevy, 2002). The law allows parents to send their children to a school located in another district should their present school fail to meet the standards set by the State. The cost for this transfer of school along with the daily cost of transportation will be met by the local government. Furthermore, if the students attending these low-performing schools need home-tutoring or any other measure to augment their children†s achievements, then the local government will provide funds for those measures as well. The primary objective of the NCLB law is to enhance the possibility of success in elementary education for all Americans. This is being done by placing specific standards and then taking effective measures to make sure that these requirements are being met (Jim Donlevy, 2002). The most severe negative outcome for the elementary schools will be that they will loose their freedom to experiment with the instructional methods. While scientifically proven methods offer a great deal of benefits to the students, the creativity and progress in discovering newer and more effective instructional methods will be lost. Furthermore, while numerous research studies about effective reading methods have been conducted, very little research exists on other educative areas, such as speaking, writing and learning. Therefore, elementary teachers and schools will be finding it very difficult to meet the standards of the State (Jim Donlevy, 2002). Another major loophole in the NCLB act is that the â€Å"counteractive measures† for schools will be extremely costly. It is important to note that the measures set forth for under-performing schools are unfeasible to implement. If the number of schools that fail to comply with the standards set by the State for 2 successive years increases substantially, then the funds required to bring the necessary changes in the workforce, syllabus and structures of the schools or a complete State takeover will be extremely difficult to manage as the funds for education are being slashed every year by the Bush Administration (Jim Donlevy, 2002). The condition laid out by the NCLP to only employ specialized, qualified and licensed teachers is posing severe problems for struggling schools. It is vital to note that those schools that have either failed to or are struggling to comply with the standards set by the local government consistently employ replacement-teachers from far-off areas and are bound to face shortages of licensed teachers. Furthermore, many experts believe that this tendency will increase in the coming years and the struggling schools will face tougher challenges to meet this condition, while those schools that have been meeting the State†s standards of initiatives have been consistently employing certified teachers. Therefore, the persistence of the NCLB act to employ only licensed and specialized teachers has made it unrealistic for low-performing schools to meet this condition (Jim Donlevy, 2002). Additional troubling features of the NCLB Act The funds allocated for the successful implementation of NCLB are not only limited but also very poorly directed. While the NCLP act lays clear emphasis and provides adequate funds for crafting accountability structures and carrying out transformations for schools that fail to comply with the Standards of the State, it fails to provide adequate funds for conducting research on equally important academic areas for adolescents† literacy, namely, educator training and constant learning, the needs and interests of adolescents and framework for educating and learning in subject areas. This misdirection of funds will further hamper the progress of low-performing schools (Mark W. Conley and Kathleen A. Hinchman, 2004). Furthermore, NCLB gives very little consideration to the framework of literacy strategies. The three areas cited in the NCLB act are alphabetic acquaintance, fluency, and comprehension strategies. While the adolescents have been able to develop the first two categories (alphabetic knowledge and fluency), they have found the last category (comprehension strategies) to be extremely difficult. This is mainly due to the fact that new frameworks for subject-contents are being developed, which create the need for the development of newer comprehension strategies. Nevertheless, several studies have asserted that NCLB mirrors very limited research on this issue and sets a very restricted standard on strategies related to the development of newer comprehension strategies (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2000; Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998; Alexander & Jetton, 2000). It is important to note that adolescents do not come prepared for the challenges they will face in their elementary and secondary education. One cannot wait for newer laws to be enacted or school reforms to be initiated. Immediate strategies have to be developed so that the present threats emerging from the NCLB act can be turned into an opportunity for all schools. The federal and local State governments should reflect on the following strategies for immediate and quick-fix actions: Firstly, recognizing those strategies that have been successfully implemented by high-performing schools and then enforcing the low-performing schools to adopt those strategies (Michael F. Hock and Donald D. Deshler, 2003). In order to present those successful strategies to low-performing schools and ensuring that they have comprehensively understood all the aspects of the strategies, the government ought to set up presentation-places to illustrate those plans and achievements (Michael F. Hock and Donald D. Deshler, 2003). Encourage programs that educate teachers on scientifically verified instructional methods. Despite the fact that confusion about the proper definition of adolescent literacy still prevails, modern research has been able to give some direction to the dilemma. These directions should be used as a framework to allocate funds for teacher training programs that have been clinically verified to be productive (Michael F. Hock and Donald D. Deshler, 2003). Increased consideration should be given to literacy instruction because no current teacher training programs inform the teachers about the difficulties they will face while dealing with the literacy instructions in their teaching careers (Michael F. Hock and Donald D. Deshler, 2003). These recommendations should be implemented with immediate affect because we are all aware that schools are very multifaceted and therefore manifold characteristics and strategies have got to be adopted (Darling-Hammond, 1997; Marzano, 2003). It is important for the government officials to note that neither the adolescents nor the teachers can be ignored because they both are the pillars for growth and development of any society (e. g. , Pressley, 2001; Strickland & Morrow, 2000; Stronge, 2002) (Margaret Taylor, 2004) The â€Å"No Child Left Behind† act can be considered to be more idealistic than realistic because while the aims are very noble, the funds required to achieve these noble aims are very limited and a number of vital issues have been ignored. The State governments have been busy in establishing high standards of achievements for all schools without making efforts to really understand the complexities of the present system and the repercussions of their policies on the schools, parents, teachers and the students. Therefore, a proper reaction to the present threats being posed by the NCLB act should be thorough, carefully directed, and all-inclusive if across-the-board transformations are desired. Lastly, endeavors to bridge the differences amid the objectives and the present capabilities have got to be the most important concern if the aim is for adolescents to productively challenge the needs of the business and the society.

Foreign Language Learning and Inclusion Essay

In her article, Foreign Language Learning and Inclusion: Who? Why? What? And How? , Hilary McColl presents some interesting arguments about both the usefulness and the practicality of enacting a full foreign language program for students with disabilities. The article is interesting in many respects, but mainly because of the fact that it addresses so many pertinent issues. It takes the time to not only study the basics on foreign language learning in these young people, but it also digs deeply into the reasons why such learning should take place in all schools. The article’s main purpose is to provide a thought provoking laundry list of reasons why foreign language learning is so important to the development of a well-educated society, despite some of the concerns that might convince people otherwise. As the title of the article suggest, McColl takes the time to answer some of the important basic questions about foreign language learning and the inclusion of certain students. The question of who is important in this essay because it is a basic tenet of inclusion. She is very clear that the group of children she is worried about are those who have been deemed â€Å"special† by the system. They are the kids with learning disabilities. They are important to this debate because there is rampant speculation that these children do not have the capacity to learn a foreign language and even if they did, it would not be nearly as important to them as learning some of the other skills out that they might be presented with. She argues against the notion that these students would be better off without having to learn a foreign language and presents compelling evidence to the contrary. She wastes no time in identifying these students as the ones that she is primarily concerned with for the purposes of this study, though. The article also deals with the issue of why. It is not enough to simply say that a certain group of students must be included in the foreign language teaching. She goes the next step to showing why they must be included in this learning. The purpose of her study was to show that having these children learn a foreign language was not only beneficial to them in their development, but it was also beneficial to society as a whole. As a general rule, the more that students learn about another country and its languages or cultures, the more likely they will be to make good multi-cultural decisions. Since a society full of people who understand and respect other cultures is absolutely essential to economic and global prosperity, it is in the country’s best interests to include all of its students in any sort of foreign language program. She is adamant about this fact as it is the one basic tenet of her entire argument. It is also very important to note that she provides a detailed case analysis showing the fact that these students actually have the capacity to learn these types of things. This is incredibly important to the overall body of her work. While her ideas and thoughts are important enough on their own, they can be taken even more seriously when one considers them alongside some solid evidence. This is why her article has gained such recognition, because she has done the research to back up her claims that children with disabilities still have the capacity to gain and grow from the experience of learning a foreign language. With the important question of why out of the way, the study itself takes a distinct turn to being much more pragmatic. The first part of this article deals with the ideals behind why all students should be included in this type of learning program. The second part is much more about implementation and what must be done. Her discussion of curriculum development is particular intriguing, as she breaks down not only some of the solutions for this learning gap, but she also details what a few of the potential roadblocks could be. Since McColl has extensive experience working with these children and she knows well what their strengths and weaknesses are, she can provide a detailed analysis of what needs to be done in order to make this happen. This is yet another example where her research has helped to make her arguments more compelling. The how in her article is simply an extension of the implementation plan. She is detailed in how she provides a step-by-step look at home such a program could be constructed. From the staff construction to the perfect implementation of a targeted curriculum, her entire article is based upon a problem and a very definite solution. She brings up some interesting strategies and ideas that ultimately must be considered because of their validity and the level of research done in her work. All in all, the article itself is an in-depth analysis of what the author feels is a growing social problem with the education system in the United States. Not only are students not getting the growth that they need when they are excluded from foreign language programs, but the nation as a whole suffers as a result. It is well worded, but above that, it is a well supported argument that has excellent ideology to go along with some excellent research.

Microeconomics Homework

Patent is defined as the bundle of rights of an investor or his assignee to have â€Å"exclusive rights† granted by the state for a fixed given time in trade for a discovery of an invention (Freeadvice.com 2008: 1). Based from this definition of patent, it is already clear that an individual can have the freedom to solely produce a certain good given that he/she invented it. This sole production of an individual or a firm triggers for the existence of monopoly in the market. Monopoly requires only a single producer and many buyers. Therefore, with the aid of patent, an individual can easily engaged into monopoly since the government would provide that said person legal protection and privilege to be the sole producer of a certain good after a specific period of time. This legal protection of a certain invention serves as the barrier for other people to reproduce it other than the inventor or his assignee. As for the case, due to the discovery of sucralose as a substitute for sugar the state awarded Tate & Lyle its property rights over sucralose leaving them the sole producer of the said products. Since the company is the sole producer in the market of sucralose, it turned out that the company already created monopoly in the market. Other market players can only start to produce sucralose only by 2020, which means, no other market entities will be able to supply the market with the said product other than Tate & Lyle for the next 12 years. Using examples from the data, explain why firms take out patents. It was identified and stated on the given case that the production of artificial sweeteners in the market is very profitable to a point wherein almost 20 percent of the total profit of Tate & Lyle comes from their production of sucralose. Tate & Lyle is already on the process of putting more manufacturing plants to further increase their production capacity to supply the high demand of artificial sweeteners in the market which eventually to the acquisition of more profit out of their production. This high profitability in the monopoly of Tate & Lyle of sucralose made other firms in the market to eagerly find ways to enable them to also produce artificial sweeteners in the market legally. Even if the patent becomes expired by 2020, the demand of artificial sweeteners will be high enough to accommodate the entry of other producers of artificial sweeteners in the market. In addition to this, since Tate & Lyle charges high prices on their artificial sweeteners, industries that use artificial sweeteners as one of their inputs wanted to take out the patent rights of Tate & Lyle to lower down the price of artificial sweeteners in the market as competition step into the market. Although artificial sweeteners are already cheaper as compared to conventional sugar in the market, industries would still want to further lower down its prices by infusing market competition through getting rid of Tate & Lyle’s patent rights over the production of artificial sweeteners in the market. Discuss whether patents in the artificial sweeteners market lead to market efficiency or market failure. Read also  Homework Solutions – Chapter 3 Although not implied directly on the given case, but certainly, the existence of patent rights to Tate & Lyle causes failure in the market. Price of artificial sweeteners would not be that high if there is competition existing in the market. Consumer welfare will surely improved if price level of artificial sweeteners in the market would go down. There will also be enough room for those companies that uses artificial sweeteners to minimize their production costs, thereby leading to cutting of the prices of their products. In this regard, it is clear that it is not only the consumers that will be benefited by the removal of patent rights to Tate & Lyle but also other firms that use artificial sweeteners as a factor of production as substitute to the conventional sugar in the market. Yes, it is true that the discovery of artificial sweeteners provided benefits to the market as a replacement to sugar, but that benefits can still be further improved if its prices will be controlled by market competition and not by simply monopolizing agent who’s goal is to on how to increase their profit through utilizing the bundle of rights that was given by the government. But on the other side of the coin, of the government would remove property rights to those who will discover something new in the market, there is a big possibility that they will be de-motivated to have an initiative to conduct researches and make inventions since it will be easily copied by other firms in the market thereby defeating the initial purpose of conducting research – provide ways to improved the market position of the company. Well, this scenario is inevitable since the government would still have to protect the interest of the consumers as well as the inventors. As an alternative to solve this problem of improving the quality of welfare of both parties, the government could provide patent rights to a certain company but with a condition of setting floor price or price ceiling in order to protect the interest of the consumers as well as the company itself. Works Cited Freeadvice.com (2008). What is Patent [online]? Available: http://law.freeadvice.com/resources/gov_material/patent_trademark_office_patent_defined.htm [Accessed 1 March 2008].   

Inspiration: Disability and Final Lap

Disability and Final Lap BY cancans Inspiration: Life Is Like photography. You need the negatives to develop. Do you always think of what people say about you? Does It affect your dally basis and break down your motivation and inspiration? Always try to avoid negative people, they feed on your reaction and if they see you being affected by what they say or do, they'll keep doing it. If paralysis had their minds posted to the bad comments people give, they would've never reached success.The reason why I chose the Paralytics instead of the Olympics as inspiration, is the fact that paralysis are disabled and they need o work so much harder to gain a certain goal. Their disability can easily break their will to keep on working towards these goals as well as their mindset and motivation. Being disabled keeps you humble because you know what it feels like to have nothing, to lose something very important like their legs etc. Or to work twice as hard as people with no disability.It's like a little voice that whispers to them â€Å"maybe† when it seems like the whole world is shouting â€Å"no†. Paralysis never know how strong they are, until being strong is the only choice they have. That is why they are an inspiration to so many people. They teach you that discipline Is the distance between reality and your dreams and you need to appreciate the little things In life because one day you're going to look back and realize that it was the big things.People tend to be more inspired by disabled people because even though they have lost something they still work hard to gain something to replace what they've lost. They know, when you truly want success, you'll never give up on it. No matter how bad the situation may get. Of course what they do are challenging but challenges are what make life Interesting and overcoming them Is what makes life meaningful. They would also tell you that they never underestimate their strength and never overestimate their weakness es and that's why most of them are humble.At the Olympics in London in the year 2012, there was four deferent swimmers: One with both arms and Just one leg, one with both arms and no legs, one with half an arm and the most important one, one with no arms. To start the swimming competition you have to jump in the water and hold on to the blocks. The man with no arms couldn't so they tied a ball on a piece of string and attached the string to the block and he put the ball In his mouth. He swam the fastest fifty meters anyone could've ever seen.In the first lap he was in the lead and everyone was standing for two reasons: one, he is winning and two, how is he going to turn? He slowed down, bumped his head turned. The second lap was breast stroke, not his strongest and at the end of the second lap he dropped down to third place. He turned for the third lap. This time it's the butterfly . He gets to the end of the third lap and dropped down to fourth place. He turns for the final lap. Th is time it's freestyle, his fastest stroke. He was quicker in the freestyle than any other stroke.In the final lap, this man went from fourth place to third, from third to second and with a meter to go, the crowd on their feet as his head Is in front of the man next to him. But he didn't win because the man next to order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure and that's why he was happy with second place. His motivation was so powerful that he kept humble and gained his goal of succeeding in what he does. If you love what you do it will be the only way to great work. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle for something less than your goals you set for yourself.

Behavior of Gases Essay Example for Free

Behavior of Gases Essay Introduction: In this experiment, the problem trying to be solved is what gas laws are being used when the pressure, temperature, and volume are being measured. The three gas laws are Boyle’s Law, Charle’s Law, and Gay-Lussac’s Law. The Boyle’s Law is when volume and pressure are being compared. Pressure and volume are inversely proportional, because when pressure goes up, volume goes down. The Charle’s Law is when volume and temperature are compared. Volume and temperature are also inversely proportional as well. Lastly, Gay-Lussac’s Law is when pressure and temperature are compared. Pressure and temperature are directly proportional; therefore when pressure goes up, temperature also goes up. The formulas are as follows: Boyle’s Law: P2 P1 = P2 V2 Charle’s Law: V1/T1 = V2/T2 Gay-Lussac’s Law: P1/T1 = P2/T2 Hypothesis: If volume, temperature, and pressure are measured, they will follow the laws and fit under Boyle’s, Charle’s, or Gay-Lussac’s law. Expected Results: It should be expected that when volume and pressure are measured, pressure will go up and volume will go down. When volume and temperature are compared, volume will go up and temperature will go down. Lastly, when pressure andtemperature are measured, pressure will go up as temperature goes up. Experimental Procedure: Part I Connect a 20mL syringe to a LabQuest Select: File New Then, Mode: Change to Events with Entry Next, Enter Name as Volume Enter Units as mL Select OK Start at 10mL on the syringe and wait for the reading to Select Keep Keep at least 6 data points (any of your choice) Only pull the syringe out (making the mL readings higher each time) Stop the Data Collection and view the graph and points Record Part II Place an Erlenmeyer flask in a beaker big enough to fit the flask Connect a temperature apparatus to the Lab Quest and place probe in beaker Then connect the pressure tube to the Lab Quest in channel 2 and connect the other end of the tube with the rubber stopper to the Erlenmeyer flask Select: File New Then Mode: Change to Selected Events Exit In sensors menu, change units to Kelvin Tap graph X-axis: chose temperature Place faucet, room temperature water in the beaker Select Keep Place ice in the beaker Select Keep Place room temperature water in the beaker again and place on a hot plate Wait for the water to boil Place temperature probe and Erlenmeyer flask back in beaker Select Keep Record result from graph and chart Results: VOLUME (mL) PRESSURE 10 103. 27 12 87. 6 14 76. 14 16 67. 5 18 60. 96 20 55. 15 This data and chart is comparing volume and pressure. The graph represents the Boyle’s Law because as the pressure is going up the volume is going down. TYPE OF WATER TEMPERATURE (K) PRESSURE Normal 102. 8 295 Ice 98. 29 275. 4 Boiling 122. 31 357. 4 This data and chart is comparing temperature and pressure. The graph represents Gay-Lussac’s Law because as temperature goes up, pressure goes up as well. Discussion: This experiment went extremely smooth. The data was easy to collect as long as you kept the Lab Quest and tools stable to ensure for accurate readings for temperature, pressure, and volume. The graphs and data easily coincided correctly with the theories of the gas laws, as was shown accessibly once the graphs were made. Although the data coincided with the theories correctly, the temperature readings for freezing and boiling may have not been completely accurate because the temperatures of the water was not measured accurately for correct boiling and freezing temperatures, but recorded solely for the theories and to prove them. Overall, the experiment held up well and the hypothesis and theories were proven to be correct. Behavior of Gases. (2018, Oct 25).

Distribution ManagementDesign A Facility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Distribution ManagementDesign A Facility - Essay Example The four major factors of production are capital, land, entrepreneurship and men. Land includes the building and premises within which the men operate and the capital is spread out apart from the fact that this is where entrepreneurship is put to its true test. Therefore, it is important that the distribution of resources within this space should be designed in such a way that the efforts of the other factors of production are put to optimum use. With a tagline of "Made for Ideas", LaCie has come to demonstrate a range of innovative ideas that are the key to its success. LaCie's success is that we run a very competitive organization. In the coordination of our various departments, we have come up with a structure that is an epitome of results and wide ranging customer satisfaction. Our financial team and IT department keep our information accurate and updated. Our procurement team can move products much faster than anyone else. This "finance IS logistics" organizational method gives us a chance to sell hot products at the lowest cost without compromising on quality or service. Thus, our base is strong and unique in its functioning. We have showed adherence to various short term and long term commitments in our planning process whether it has to do with our facilities or profit margins. Moving to a new facility is a long-term commitment and it had just one chance to get it right. LaCie new warehouse area is 17,046 sq. ft. The warehouse layout is mainly following the one-story warehouse model for design. Apart from this feature, the basic parts of warehouse are: Dock Area, Receiving Area, Reserve Area, Replacement Area, Assembly and packaging area, Delivery Zone and Office. Besides of the layout design of the warehouse, the warehouse is adopted the selective pallet storage rack system. It consists of uprights frames and pairs of load beams for each shelf elevation. Selective pallet storage system is the most common of all storage systems for palletized goods. Also, it is the simplest system in term of equipment and lowest in cost. Another important feature is the order picking process. It is the removal of mater ial from storage to fulfill customer orders. It is a critical customer service tool, which, if well done, will enhance the company's customer service level and, if badly executed, will have the opposite effect. The accuracy and efficiency of the order picking is a warehouse responsibility, which requires careful planning and control. Also, the other consideration is the choice of the material handling system. It is mainly depending on storage volume and usage pattern. On the LaCie warehouse, the product throughput is low, so it seems difficult to justify the cost of automation. Finally, today warehouse would operate much less efficiently. Information technology EDI and radio frequency systems have created advantages in warehousing, including improved customer service, lower costs, and improved operations. These advantages come

Extended Definition of a Genre of Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Extended Definition of a Genre of Film - Essay Example So he decided to stalk Felicity. He had found out that she had been discharged from the police force a few years ago and lived alone with her mother. Too bad she had asked for police protection after he had made the first threatening call telling her not to interfere or she’d be dead meat, just like all the others†¦' I know who you are and I know where you live' did not, however, have the desired effect of repelling her from the case. He would have to resort to sterner measures. Graham West heaved a heavy sigh as he realized that killing Felicity would be the best thing to do under the circumstances. Maybe he should kill both mother and daughter to make a statement. Busybodies, and damn the police protection- he would have to find a way to sneak into her place without causing suspicion. Wait a minute†¦ he could cut their wires and then pose as a TV repairman or something. But it would not work if she had not called for a serviceman. Thank God they had no picture of h im at Police Headquarters. Graham took his chances late evening one weekend when he was certain the police would be gainfully occupied elsewhere. Felicity did not suspect a thing when she let him in- she must have thought her mother had called for the repairman, so that was that. But what he did not expect was Fred Hurst turning up for tea unexpectedly. He sized up Hurst and decided to take a chance anyway. But they were ready for him and both Felicity and Hurst took Graham down while the mother screamed blue murder.... Dammit, that Cindy Croft at work was too juicy to resist, and such a flirt too. Half the time she was flirting with the young male staff anyway. Such a gold digger- never one for a steady relationship. Too bad he did not mix work and play, or she’d have been one of his victims too. He simply could not risk the chance of being suspected or found out or else it would all be over. It was so thrilling to have a secret life and not be found out yet†¦ the revelation would likely shock all who knew him. With Victim 14’s neck secure on a meat hook in his garage, West turned to other matters requiring his attention. He firmly suspected that the pesky detective Felicity had her eyes on him, all due to some blood of a victim’s type being found in his car. He had fooled them into believing it was his former wife’s blood- they had been divorced just six months ago. But they were not really satisfied. So he decided to stalk Felicity. He had found out that she had b een discharged from the police force a few years ago and lived alone with her mother. Too bad she had asked for police protection after he had made the first threatening call telling her not to interfere or she’d be dead meat, just like all the others†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ I know who you are and I know where you live’ did not however have the desired effect of repelling her from the case. He would have to resort to sterner measures. Graham West heaved a heavy sigh as he realized that killing Felicity would be the best thing to do under the circumstances (Wilson, 45). Maybe he should kill both mother and daughter to make a statement. Busybodies, and damn the police protection- he would have to find a

Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. Face off in Court Article - 1

Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. Face off in Court - Article Example Apple asserted that Samsung made their devices so identical that customers could perceive those products, produced by Samsung, as made by Apple. A Research carried to this effect, based on witnesses’ testimonies indicated to the court that a substantial number of consumers has confused Samsung tablet computers and smartphones as Apple products. In response to the accusations, Samsung Electronics Co. Countered the claims, arguing that the technology applied on their Galaxy phones and Tablet computers require two fingers in scrolling as opposed to one finger technology applied by Apple Inc. In addition, Samsung claimed that their products do not bounce at the end, to signal users that it has reached the edged. This case presents allegations of a higher gravity, owing to the nature of the products involved, the investments and technologies applied and the large firms. It is a case that could impact greatly on either company once a determination is given. However, the case is still being pursued and Samsung is yet to present its witnesses and testimonies to refute the allegations made by Apple Inc. It is understood that registering products for patent or for intellectual property rights, is a part of the many strategies in business leveraging and in ensuring that their innovations and privacy will not be breached by other companies engaged in similar businesses. In the light of this, Apple its products with an aim of presenting distinction and excellence, and to realize what it is known for, dictating what the customer needs. If details of the invention and innovation are permitted to be copied, the company which originally made the product will lose their profit margin. This could adversely impact on its internal financial management, marketing strategies and operational budgets. This illustrates how the breach of patents could impact the marketing and production of their products. Business is competitive leveraging to satisfy consumer’s wants and achieve company’s target. It is about earning the return on investment. It is an intellectual right. It is justified therefore to bring to court those who pirate products.

Special Topics in International Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Special Topics in International Relations - Essay Example the purpose of development would cause an increase in the planet’s temperature, increases in sea level, changes in precipitation patterns, depletion of ozone layer, loss of natural habitat of millions of species of plants and animals, loss of water resources, loss of bio diversity, increase in incidents of extreme weather such as heat waves, soil erosion and increased pollution (Watson et al, 2003). The development is changing the earth’s environment at all levels. At the local level the environment is at risk due to air, soil and water pollution. At regional level there is a threat of acid rain and land degradation. Finally at global level there is a massive climate change and a loss of biodiversity. All these changes have been attributed at a large level to the various development projects that are meant to provide better life and alleviate poverty. Unfortunately these projects are having a negative effect on the ecosystem, water resources, human health, agriculture, forestry and fisheries. It is estimated that the development projects will have further negative consequences in the future (Watson et al., 2003). Environmental issues are very important for the third world countries. A clean and healthy environment reflects a clean and healthy nation. Natural environment is a source of natural income for the people of the poor countries. Many people are dependent on natural resources for their income. If these resources are taken away it will definitely be a big blow for the poor people. At the same time environment protection is very important for economic growth of any country. If people continue to use and pollute natural resources the country would suffer economically and will move away from development. Therefore it becomes very important to protect the environment (The World Bank Report, n.d.). Here it would be pertinent to discuss the case of Bangladesh. Bangladesh is a poor country and a large section of its population is dependent on fisheries for

Egypt and Mesopotamia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Egypt and Mesopotamia - Research Paper Example Not only this but the rulers of both societies− pharos, kings were considered as gods because of their power and wealth. Instead of being very similar in different religious points Egyptians and Mesopotamians however shared a different and pretty distinct culture in numerous ways. Language and development of alphabet was very different. Mesopotamian’s language was way too complex as compared to Egyptians also their studies and researches in the field of astronomy and other subjects were advance from the latter ones. Political comparison is actually very interesting. Politics and government formation in Egypt was very stable comparatively to Mesopotamia where shifting of power and states was very frequent. This was majorly because of the difference in geography, invasions and exposure to the outside world. The great tombs and pyramids which are now considered as the wonders are actually not because of the Egyptians religious beliefs in fact its geography has also played a significant role in those earthly wonders. According to geographers Egyptians were blessed with a good supply of great stones which they use very brilliantly in pyramids formation. Not only this, both civilizations were heavily dependent on rivers for the agriculture and irrigation purposes. Egyptians on River Nile and Mesopotamian’s on Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Comparatively speaking, agricultural production of Egyptians was greater than Mesopotamians due to their effective planning and also political stability which resulted in increase in their population bringing prosperity. Due to broad exposure Mesopotamians technological improvements were wide spread comparatively to Egyptians. They were accustomed to give more importance to trade, business and their merchant class which resulted in their economic stability. Also in everyday life Egyptians showed great deal of respect and affection towards their families particular their females (Bulliet 25). As for

Research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Research Paper Example Whatever a child learns in his/her tender age leaves an indelible expression on his mind for the entire life. Socializing agents thus play an important role in establishing one’s persona and making him/her a better citizen. Parents, Media, Peers and School are the major socializing agents. The mass media are impersonal communication aimed at a wider audience. Television, Radio, Internet, Cinemas are various examples of mass media. Mass media, in general influences every man of every age. It spreads information at wider scale therefore it strongly influences one’s opinions, views and thus changing and affecting our attitudes about many things. Television is a main source of entertainment and a major agent of socialization. Mass media influences our political views, views on women, people of color, our taste in popular culture, what to buy and various other beliefs and practices. Through the portrayal of imaginary characters in different programs and advertisements media helps in projecting gender, political, religious, perceptions. Some programs effect people’s orientation towards life and society as well. It also serves as a platform to present their ideas to the world when required. Writer 2 After his parents and caregivers, within the comforts of his home, a child gets the exposure to mass media in the form of radio, listening to the nursery rhymes and then watching them on television in the form of various adaptations and characters. Some studies indicate that the children learn to work together, do group activities, value each other’s presence by means of character description or story adaptations. Some programs for kids like Noggin promote healthy eating and exercise. Wiggles promote education on nutrition and activity. Sesame Street teaches healthy life style and new numbers and alphabets in a playful way. There are meaningful and informative programs for school going children and adults. Thus right programs serve as educating and learning tools. No doubt, Television and media in general serves as educational and informational tool but it has negative influences on children. Studies indicate it shortens attention span, distorts body image and in conjunction with other factors leads to obesity. â€Å".. the mass media socialize children, adolescents, and even adults; a key question is the extent to which media violence causes violence in our society† (Surette, 2011). Some programs showing excessive violence and anti social activities influence children behavior thus spreading violence in the society. Certain advertisements target kids and affect their thinking. Models, famous movie stars and popular sports man who are the role models are shown smoking which appears as an acceptable norm to the children. Another example is presentation of women image on television as sexual object or as a passive home maker leaves a negative impression on kids mind. Models and movie stars endorse beauty products and cosmetic uplift which encourages young girls to experiment with it. Anorexia, bulimia, depression and low self esteem are the outcome of these influences. Another controversy that surrounds mass media is the Writer 3 behavior troubles among youth. By the time the kids reach their adolescence, these influences become prominent on their thought processes. Drugs, violence, petty crimes to satisfy their urges and requirement as they have been watching on the television or in cinemas become acceptable norm for them. Some programs sho

Operation Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

Operation Management - Research Paper Example Introduction Fairmont hotel is a leading traditional five star pit stop for many international tourists visiting Singapore. Due to high market penetration by various leading hotel chains Fairmont is anticipating a major shift in bringing operational efficiency by focusing on increased staff training to rise up the bar in terms of customer satisfaction. Secondly traditional procedures enrooted across the management in each department lacks competitive throughput as compared to other systematically superior newer hotels. Another reason why Fairmont failed to sustain its lustre is due to its lack of emphasis towards replacement of its traditional equipment, fixture and fittings in order to keep abreast with the changing trends. Singapore city had remained economically vibrant over the past few years and thus had attracted both business travellers and tourists alike from across the borders at an increased pace. Demand had remained stable throughout hospitality sector and hotel segment, b ut the hotel’s management had felt an alarming situation whilst its occupancy rate dropped immediately in times when the pressure from either group faded. In instances like business holiday season the occupancy rate dropped more abruptly compared to other industry players or far more than the industry rate. Likewise as soon as the peak season for tourists diminished the rate drop for Fairmont surpassed that of its peers. Management is concerned regarding hotel’s obnoxious performance and fears that if no prompt action is taken to bring in higher efficiency that would match performance of its peers, it might have to face consequences like complete closure. Methodology Business Risk Management is concerned regarding the prevalent obnoxious performance and fears that if no prompt action to bring in higher efficiency that would match that of its peers, it might have to face consequences like complete closure. So in order to implement and transform a strategy shift through change management the solution is to be devised based on the current factors that relate to the business. Fairmont is making handsome profits as far as its financial statements records states. But the gap between its profitability and operating cash flows is widening day by day. The GM who had been with the hotel till his retirement last year, had hands on experience and expertise over business marketing and management, his intervention to uplift and upgrade the hotel’s outlook had remained quite low. Performance measurement standards had been predominantly relied over simpler profitability ratios under his regime. It is truly a managers’ job to bring about the relevant change within each process and critically evaluate management with acute yardstick that would enable an enterprise to foster efficient practices and remove inefficiencies. Traditional models have their certain life after which new advance theories builds upon already defined principals as with time impr ovements are crafted naturally. For such reasons product cycle and stage within this cycle is important to be defined that would translate the