Summary and reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summary and reflection - Essay Example Even though the topic of the film was a contentious one, I found the movie to be insightful because I never considered some things to be racist. The most common one of these is when the white police officer manhandles a black woman on the pretext of possible drug use. There are many things in our daily lives that we do not recognize as being racist, even though many times they are. I most identified with Cameron, the husband of the black woman who was strip-searched, because he had to face a difficult dilemma. On the one hand, he could have prevented the police officer from assaulting his wife. The likely outcome would have been that he would be arrested. But, what he actually did was nothing at all. I would have done the same as him because police officers have the authority to do anything that they want because they are the law. I think that the director could have focused less on the divisions between white and black people because there are also many other cultures that can be racist. The characters in the movie were very stereotypical and I do not think that this helps ongoing racial

Developments in european & pacific rim trade Essay

Developments in european & pacific rim trade - Essay Example However we there can be several exceptions to this first rule - which is the first article of the General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) - such as for example giving developing countries special access to a market or raising barriers against products being produced unfairly in other countries. The second part is the National treatment: treating foreigners and locals equally meaning that locally-produced goods should be treated equally when compared to imported goods once the imported goods have entered the national market. The same thing has also to be applied for services, trademarks, copyrights and patents. The second principle of WTO favors the lowering of trade barriers meaning customs duties and tariffs and measures such as import bans or quotas that restrict quantities selectively. Since the creation of the GATT, there have been eight rounds of trade negotiations to progressively abolish these barriers, the undergoing ninth round being the Doha Development Agenda. The predictability of international trade will guarantee a continuous stability. Therefore WTO encourages its members not only to lower trade barriers but also not to raise new barriers. When a country opens its market for products or services, it is considered as binding its commitment. However a country can change its bindings but only after a round of negotiation. With this principle WTO insists on the point that the organization i... WTO allows tariffs and some form of protectionism. Its true aim is to establish an environment with the help of specific rules to favor fair trade. These rules are for example the rule of most favored nation, national treatment or rules on dumping and subsidies. Encouraging development and economic reform Finally, WTO's last principle encourages development through flexibility for developing countries to implement WTO rules and special assistance and trade concessions in favor of these developing countries. (World Trade Organization, Principles of the Trading System) However as much as we can consider these principles being the best ground for efficient and fair trade, the reality is otherwise as we can see through the example of the Multi Fibre Agreement On January 1st, 2005, the Multi Fibre Agreement (MFA) expired. The MFA was a measure taken regarding the world trade of textiles and garment from 1974 to 2004 which imposed quotas on the amount that developing countries could export to developed countries. The WTO admitted that the MFA was a special regime outside the GATT rules and that WTO members have committed to remove those quotas by 1st January 2005 When the quotas from a country like China was reached, importers turned to less competitive suppliers located in countries that had spare export quotas and whose only advantage was low wage. Today, the less competitive developing countries are not called as back up because countries willing to import textile can only be supplied by one and only exporter, the most competitive: China. The importance of China in the textile market has not its boundaries set within developing countries. Since the beginning of 2005,

Effect of Politics on Health Care Policies

Effect of Politics on Health Care Policies How Have Political Ideologies Helped to Shape Policy in the Healthcare Arena Introduction During the late 19th and early 20th Centuries welfare and the provision of healthcare was dominated largely by a laissez-faire approach. Many people in Britain lived in impoverished and unsanitary conditions. By the time of the Boer War (1899-1902) nearly a third of all troops suffered from malnutrition and they were judged unfit to serve. This information was used by social reformers as evidence that Government ought to provide health and welfare services that were an improvement on those which existed at the time (Moore, 2002). Since then policy making has been shaped by the ideology of the Government that is in power. Different ideologies are associated with different political parties, the ones referred to in this paper are associated with Liberal and Labour Governments, Tory Government and New Labour. The ideological underpinnings of these political parties are respectively, social democratic, new right thinking and the third way. This paper will attempt to show how such ideolog ies have helped to shape policy in healthcare, beginning with social democratic policies which produced the 1942 Beveridge Report and laid the foundations for the British welfare state (Walsh et al, 2000). Post-War Social Democracy Social democracy is made up of a number of different strands but its policies are most closely associated with Labour Governments but is often subscribed to by most Liberal Democrats and some Tories. The Post-War Labour Government saw the Welfare State as central to society and one of the things that promoted social cohesion. Thus the ideologies of post-war Labour Governments are the basis of the British Welfare State (Giddens, 2001). The post-war Labour Government believed in universal welfare provision, where a high standard of welfare is available to all those who need them. This system results in what is known as an institutional model of welfare. Central to this approach is an understanding of healthcare as of a high standard, comprehensive, and available to all. Giddens (2001) notes that this kind of provision was based on the ideas of the economist John Milton Keynes and meant that Government was involved at all levels of people’s lives. The post-war welfare state was formed on an understanding that there would be full employment. The 1942 Beveridge Report recommended the introduction of a system of National Assurance. Under this system everyone paid a part of what they earned to the Government and theoretically this would finance the welfare benefits they obtained. The National Health Service grew out of the publishing of by In 1946 Anuerin Bevan introduced a National Health Services Bill from which grew the National Health Service. Underlying this was the idea that healthcare and hospitalisation would be provided free at the point of access. The National Health Service, which was established in 1948, became the envy of the Western world as people received free primary care from their local GP, free medicine, free eye and dental care and free hospitalisation. By the 1950s however, it was becoming impossible to sustain a completely free service and the Government were forced to introduce some charges for prescription s, spectacles and dentistry. This was largely due to the fact that the demand for healthcare exceeded Government resources to pay for it. The NHS lurched from one financial crisis to the next because the demands on it were so great (Walsh et al, 2000). Moore (2002) maintains that until the late 1970s British social policy was dominated by this approach which opposed radical change and believed that the best way to achieve a more just an equal society was over a period of time. However, the post-war government had not envisioned rising unemployment and reduced tax revenues. The Social Democratic approach has been criticised as being paternalistic and elitist, telling people that the state knows what is best for them. This approach has also been accused of creating a dependency culture rather than allowing people to think for themselves. This was a central argument of the New Right. The New Right Approach The Tory Government that was voted into office in 1979 argued that under the previous Government state services had become oppressive and inefficient. New Right thinking lay behind the Government’s policies, which in turn influenced its critique of Social Democratic policies and the welfare state. New Right approaches emphasise the role of the private sector in service provision. The incoming Government was concerned with the spiralling costs of welfare, particularly the health service, and the fact that people relied to heavily on Government services. Universal provision had created a nanny state a welfare dependency. Thatcher argued that it was preferable to provide services through the market, through charity, or through family members. Personal responsibility and self-reliance were the core values promoted by the Tories. The New Right Approach concentrated on lifestyle and its physical and mental effects thereby placing responsibility for the state of an individual’ s health on their own shoulders (Giddens, 2001). The new Government introduced market principles into the health service. Instead of doctors and patients, the term healthcare providers and clients were introduced. In theory this was supposed to give people more choice over the type of care they received, in practice it was a roll back of services. Stiglitz (2002) maintains that rather than increasing user choice the system actually gave the Government more control over people’s lives and allowed them to monitor take up of services to cut costs. In order to control spending on health competing NHS Trusts were introduced. This meant the growth of a two tier system within the Health Service and the introduction of private care (Walsh et al, 2000). The Conservatives also began a process of deinstitutionalisation, closing geriatric wards and psychiatric hospitals, discharging people into the community. In 1990 the Community Care Act was introduced. Means and Smith (1994) have argued that this Act did anything but care, †¦the term community thus enables the continuous construction of an idyllic past of plenty and social harmony which acts as an immanent critique of contemporary social relations. Thus the call by politicians and policy makers to replace present systems of provision with community care feeds into this myth by implying that it is possible to recreate what many believe were the harmonious, caring and integrated communities of the past (Means and Smith, 1994:5). The New Right approach to policy making has been criticised at a number of levels and some research studies e.g. Howarth (1999) found that since 1991 the mortality rates in some local authority areas have risen by 40% and are thus significantly higher than the national average. When New Labour came to power they continued the critiques of welfare dependency and introduced further reforms. Their approach is not yet fully developed but is known as the Third Way. The Third Way Approach Dean (2003) maintains that when New Labour came to power in 1997 they did not break with New Right approaches. Blair maintained that they were offering a third way, that broke with the old left and agreed with some of the Conservative policies. New Labour ministers have argued that new policies are needed to cope with poverty and inequality and to improve education and health. Blair’s Government argue that the state cannot provide everything and people need to be ready to help themselves more. The Government will however, provide funding and opportunities for people to help themselves. New Labour have continued using market principles in healthcare and have introduced a system which accounts for the number of cases that a hospital trust deals with. Its healthcare policies also involve using the private health system to cope with the overflow work that comes from the NHS (Moore, 2002). New Labour still hold to the view that the introduction of market principles into the healthc are system will result in greater efficiency and better care. Critics have argued that the inequalities under the Conservatives have continued under New Labour and there is now a postcode lottery within healthcare i.e. where a person lives determines the amount and quality of healthcare that they receive. In response to this the Government set up Health Action Zones in 1998. By 1999 these were focussed on underprivileged areas where the health of the population was thought to be particularly poor. Health Action Zones are based on the principle of inter-agency working i.e. health is not simply a matter for the NHS, voluntary organisations, GPs and housing and social services all play a part in promoting health. The Government also introduced NHS Direct, a telephone help service that people can contact when they are not clear what to do about a health problem. In some areas there are walk in health centres staffed by nurses, they deal with minor health problems and take some of the load off of AE departments. (Moore, 2002). Some critics argue tha t Third Way policies benefit the better off at the expense of the poorer members of society.(Alcock, 1997)..It is also argued that Third Way polices are not sufficiently though through and therefore appear indistinct. Conclusion This paper has looked at the ways in which political ideology shapes policy making. It has focussed on policy making in health because this is still a hotly debated topic in both the media and in the public arena at large. Social democrats believe in universal welfare provision but the idea is based on full employment and that is no longer a viable concept. New Right thinking is against such total provision and believes that individuals need to be more self-reliant. Third Way policies use a combination of approaches but in practice much of the policy making is virtually indistinguishable from that of the New Right. Clearly these ideologies do have an effect on policy making, but more importantly they have an effect on the lives of British people. While there were many weaknesses in the Social Democratic approach it seems to be the general view that health services have deteriorated considerably with changing ideologies. 1600 words References Alcock, P. 1994 â€Å"Back to the Future: Victorian Values for the 21st Century† in Murray, C. 1994 Underclass: The Crisis Deepens London, IEA Dean, H. 2003 â€Å"The Third Way and social welfare: the myth of post-emotionalism† Social Policy and Administration Vol 7 Issue 7 p.695 Giddens, 2001. 4th ed. Sociology. Cambridge, Polity Press Howarth, C. 1999 Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion 1999 York, Joseph Rowntree Foundation Marsh, Keating and Eyre et al 2000 2nd ed. Sociology: Making Sense of Society Essex, Pearson Education Means, R. and Smith, R. 1994 Community Care, Policy and Practice London, Macmillan Moore, S. Scourfield, P. Sinclair, S. Burch, S. and Wendon, B. 3rd ed. 2002 Social Welfare Alive Cheltenham, Nelson Thornes. Stiglitz, J. 2002 Globalisation and Its Discontents New York and London: WW Norton Company Walsh, I ed. 2000 Sociology: Making Sense of Society. Edinburgh, Prentice Hall.

Identity in Sylvia Plaths The Bell Jar Essay -- Plath Bell Jar Essays

Identity in The Bell Jar      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A sense of individuality is essential for surviving the numerous emotional and physical obstacles encountered in daily life. A unique identity is perhaps one of the only true characteristics that defines an individual and is definitely a key principle for understanding and responding to one's atmosphere. In the "Bell Jar," Esther battles not only a deteriorating mental stability, but also a lack of a sense of individuality. Esther is a young, sensitive and intelligent woman who feels oppressed by the obvious social restrictions placed upon women, and the pressure she feels regarding her future. Undoubtedly these emotional burdens result not only in Esther's social and intellectual isolation, but also her impending mental breakdown. Clearly, Esther is deeply troubled by the hypocritical and often vicious world encompassing her, and feels overwhelmed and powerless to break free of her inner world of alienation. Instead of firmly establishing a genuine sense of self , Esther adopts and scrutinizes the images and personalities of the women in her life, which neither fit nor reflect her legitimate character.    Throughout the novel Esther is faced with numerous possibilities regarding her future aspirations. Although she is an extremely perceptive and bright woman, Esther has no sense of imminent direction, and instead imagines herself becoming and achieving an abundance of successes simultaneously. Upon meeting her boss, Jay Cee, Esther is immediately impressed with her flourishing balance of a career and marriage, and begins to imagine herself attaining similar achievements:    "I tried to imagine what it would be like if I were Cee...Cee, the famous editor, in an office full of p... ... The Feminine Identity. Twentieth Anniversary Edition. New York: Norton, 1983. Nizer, Louis. The Implosion Conspiracy. New York: Doubelday, 1973. Plath, Sylvia. The Bell Jar. 1963. London: Faber, 1966. ---. The Journals of Sylvia Plath. Ed. Ted Hughes and Frances McCullough. 1982. London: Anchor-Doubleday, 1998. Radosh, Ronald, and Joyce Milton, eds. The Rosenberg File: A Search for the Truth. 1983. New Haven: Yale UP, 1997. Rich, Adrienne. "Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence." Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society 5 (1980): 631-60. Rep. In Adrienne Rich's Poetry and Prose. Ed. Barbara Charlesworth Gelpi and Albert Gelpi. New York: Norton, 1993. 203-24. Stevenson, Anne. Bitter Fame: A Life of Sylvia Plath. London: Viking-Penguin, 1989. Wagner-Martin, Linda. Sylvia Plath: A Biography. New York: Simon, 1987.

Bloodlines Chapter Six

TO BE FAIR, THE DAY STARTED OFF GREAT. Sunlight was streaming in through the windows when we woke up, and I could already feel the heat even though it was early morning. I chose my lightest ensemble from the uniform selection: a gray skirt, paired with a short-sleeved white blouse. â€Å"Simple jewelry† was allowed, so I kept the gold cross on. My hair was having one of its difficult days – which seemed to be more often than not in this new climate. I wished I could pull it in a ponytail, like Jill did with hers, but it had too many layers to do that neatly. Eyeing where they hit my shoulders at different lengths, I wondered if maybe it was time to grow it out. After a breakfast neither of us really ate, we rode the shuttle bus up to Central Campus, which was suddenly packed with people. Only about a third of the students were boarders. The rest were locals, and they had all turned out today. Jill barely spoke throughout the entire ride and seemed to be sick again. It was hard to say, but I thought she looked paler than usual. Her eyes were bloodshot once more, heavy with dark circles. I'd woken up once in the night and seen her fast asleep, so I wasn't entirely sure what the problem was. Those dark circles were actually the first flaw I'd ever seen in any Moroi's skin – it was always perfect, porcelain. No wonder she could usually sleep in late. She didn't have to bother with the powder and concealer I used. As the morning progressed, Jill kept biting her lip and looking worriedly around. Maybe she was just nervous about immersing herself in a world populated entirely with humans. She didn't seem at all concerned about the logistics of getting to the right rooms and completing work. That was the aspect that still scared me a little. Just get from one class to another, I told myself. That's all you have to do. My first class was ancient history. Eddie was in it too, and he practically ran me down when he saw me. â€Å"Is she okay? Have you seen her?† â€Å"Well, we share a room, so yeah.† We sat down at neighboring desks. I smiled at Eddie. â€Å"Relax. She's fine. She seemed nervous, but I can't really blame her.† He nodded but still looked uncertain. He gave his full attention to the front of the room when the teacher stepped up, but there was a restlessness about Eddie as he sat there, like he could just barely stop himself from springing up to go check on Jill. â€Å"Welcome, welcome.† Our instructor was a forty-something woman with white-streaked, wiry black hair and enough nervous energy to rival Eddie – and if her giant coffee cup was any indication, it wasn't hard to figure out why. I was also a little jealous and wished we were allowed to have beverages in class – particularly since the dorm cafeteria didn't serve coffee. I didn't know how I was going to survive the next few months with caffeine-free days. Her wardrobe favored argyle. â€Å"I am Ms. Terwilliger, your illustrious guide on the wondrous journey that is ancient history.† She spoke in a sweeping, grandiose voice that made a few of my classmates break into snickers. She gestured to a young man who'd been sitting behind her, near the large desk. He'd been watching the class with a bored expression, but when she turned to him, he perked up. â€Å"And this is my co-guide, Trey, whom I believe some of you may know. Trey is my student aide for this pe riod, so he'll mostly be skulking in corners and filing papers. But you should be nice to him since he may very well be the one entering your grades into my computer.† Trey gave a small wave and grinned at some of his friends. He had deeply tanned skin and black hair whose length flirted with the dress code's rules. The neatly pressed Amberwood uniform gave him the illusion of all business, but there was a mischievous glint in his dark eyes that made me think he didn't really take being an aide seriously. â€Å"Now,† continued Ms. Terwilliger. â€Å"History is important because it teaches us about the past. And by learning about the past, you come to understand the present, so that you may make educated decisions about the future.† She paused dramatically to let those words sink in. Once she was convinced we were awed, she moved over to a laptop that was wired up to a projector. She pushed a few keys, and an image of a white-pillared building appeared on the screen at the front of the room. â€Å"Now, then. Can anyone tell me what this is?† â€Å"A temple?† someone called out. â€Å"Very good, Mr. – ?† â€Å"Robinson,† the boy supplied. Ms. Terwilliger produced a clipboard and scanned a list. â€Å"Ah, there you are. Robinson. Stephanie.† â€Å"Stephan,† corrected the boy, flushing as some of his friends giggled. Ms. Terwilliger pushed her glasses up her nose and squinted. â€Å"So you are. Thank goodness. I was just thinking how difficult your life must be with such a name. My apologies. I broke my glasses in a freak croquet accident this weekend, forcing me to bring my old ones today. So, Stephan-not-Stephanie, you're correct. It's a temple. Can you be more specific?† Stephan shook his head. â€Å"Can anyone else offer any insight?† When only silence met Ms. Terwilliger, I took a deep breath and raised my hand. Time to see what it was like to be a real student. She nodded toward me. â€Å"It's the Parthenon, ma'am.† â€Å"Indeed it is,† she said. â€Å"And your name is?† â€Å"Sydney.† â€Å"Sydney†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She checked the clipboard and looked up in astonishment. â€Å"Sydney Melbourne? My goodness. You don't sound Australian.† â€Å"Er, it's Sydney Melrose, ma'am,† I corrected. Ms. Terwilliger scowled and handed the clipboard to Trey, who seemed to think my name was the funniest thing ever. â€Å"You take over, Mr. Juarez. Your youthful eyes are better than mine. If I keep at this, I'll keep turning boys into girls and perfectly nice young ladies into the descendants of criminals. So.† Ms. Terwilliger focused back on me. â€Å"The Parthenon. Do you know anything about it?† The others were watching me, mostly with friendly curiosity, but I still felt the pressure of being the center of attention. Focusing solely on Ms. Terwilliger, I said, â€Å"It's part of the Acropolis, ma'am. In Athens. It was built in the fifth century BC.† â€Å"No need to call me ‘ma'am,'† Ms. Terwilliger told me. â€Å"Though it is refreshing to get a bit of respect for a change. And brilliantly answered.† She glanced over the rest of the room. â€Å"Now, tell me this. Why on earth should we care about Athens or anything that took place over fifteen hundred years ago? How can that be relevant to us today?† More silence and shifting eyes. When the unbearable quiet dragged on for what felt like hours, I started to raise my hand again. Ms. Terwilliger didn't notice and glanced back at Trey, who was resting his feet on the teacher's desk. The boy instantly dropped his legs and straightened up. â€Å"Mr. Juarez,† declared Ms. Terwilliger. â€Å"Time to earn your keep. You took this class last year. Can you tell them why the events of ancient Athens are relevant to us today? If you don't, then I'm going to have to call on Miss Melbourne again. She looks like she knows the answer, and think how embarrassing that will be for you.† Trey's eyes flicked to me and then back to the teacher. â€Å"Her name is Melrose, not Melbourne. And democracy was founded in Athens in the sixth century. A lot of the procedures they set into place are still in effect with our government today.† Ms. Terwilliger clasped her hand over her heart dramatically. â€Å"You were paying attention last year! Well, almost. Your date is off.† Her gaze fell on me. â€Å"I bet you know the date democracy was started in Athens.† â€Å"The fifth century,† I answered immediately. That earned me a smile from the teacher and a glare from Trey. The rest of the class proceeded in much the same way. Ms. Terwilliger continued on with her flamboyant style and highlighted a number of important times and places that we were going to study in more detail. I found I could answer any question she asked. Some part of me said I should ration myself, but I couldn't help it. If no one knew the answer, I felt compelled to provide it. And each time I did, Ms. Terwilliger would say, â€Å"Trey, did you know that?† I winced. I really didn't want to make enemies on my first day. The other students watched me curiously when I spoke, which made me a little self-conscious. I also saw a few of them exchange knowing looks each time I answered, as though they were in on some secret I wasn't. That concerned me more than irritating Trey did. Did it sound like I was showing off? I was too unsure of the social politics here to understand what was normal and what wasn't. This was an academically competitive school. Surely it wasn't a bad thing to be educated? Ms. Terwilliger left us with an assignment to read the first two chapters of our textbook. The others groaned, but I was excited. I loved history, specifically the history of art and architecture. My homeschooling had been aggressive and well rounded, but that particular subject wasn't one my father had thought we needed to spend a lot of time on. I'd had to study it on my own time, and it was both startling and luxurious to think I now had a class whose sole purpose was to learn about this and that my knowledge would be valued – by the teacher, at least. I parted ways with Eddie after that and went off to AP Chemistry. While I was waiting for class to start, Trey slid into a desk beside me. â€Å"So, Miss Melbourne,† he said, imitating Ms. Terwilliger's voice. â€Å"When will you be starting up your own history class?† I was sorry Ms. Terwilliger had picked on him, but I didn't like his tone. â€Å"Are you actually taking this class? Or are you going to lounge around some more and pretend to be helping the teacher?† This brought a grin to his face. â€Å"Oh, I'm in this one, unfortunately. And I was Ms. T's best student last year. If you're as good at chemistry as you are in history, then I'm nabbing you for a lab partner. I'll be able to take the whole semester off.† Chemistry was a crucial part of the Alchemists' trade, and I doubted there was anything in this class I didn't already know. The Alchemists had arisen in the Middle Ages as â€Å"magical scientists† trying to turn lead into gold. From those early experiments, they'd gone on to discover the special properties of vampire blood and how it reacted with other substances, eventually branching out into the crusade to keep vampires and humans separate from one another. That earlier scientific background, and our current work with vampire blood, made chemistry one of the main subjects of my childhood education. I'd received my first chemistry set when I was six. When other kids were practicing the alphabet, my father was grilling me with acid and base flash cards. Unable to admit as much to Trey, I averted my eyes and casually brushed hair from my face. â€Å"I'm okay in it.† His gaze moved to my cheek, and a look of understanding came over him. â€Å"Ah. So that's it.† â€Å"What's it?† I asked. He pointed to my face. â€Å"Your tattoo. That's what it does, huh?† In moving my hair, I'd revealed the gold lily. â€Å"What do you mean?† I asked. â€Å"You don't have to play coy with me,† he said, rolling his dark eyes. â€Å"I get it. I mean, it seems like cheating to me, but I guess not everyone cares about honor. Pretty ballsy to have it on your face, though. They're against the dress code, you know – not that that stops anyone.† I shifted and let my hair fall back into place. â€Å"I know. I meant to put makeup on it and forgot. But what do you mean about cheating?† He simply shook his head in a way that clearly said I'd been dismissed. I sat there feeling helpless, wondering what I'd done wrong. Soon, my confusion was replaced by dismay as our instructor gave us an introduction to the class and its setup. I had a chemistry set back in my room that was more extensive than Amberwood's. Oh well. I supposed a little elementary review wouldn't hurt me. My other classes progressed in a similar way. I was on top of all my subjects and found myself answering every question. This got me in good with my teachers, but I couldn't gauge the rest of my classmates' reactions. I still saw a lot of rueful head shakes and intrigued expressions – but only Trey actually condemned. I didn't know if I should hold back or not. I ran into Kristin and Julia a couple of times, and they reminded me to join them for lunch. I did, finding them sitting in a corner table in East's cafeteria. They waved me over, and as I wove through the rows of tables, I did a quick scan, hoping to see Jill. I hadn't run into her all day, but that wasn't too shocking, considering our schedules. Presumably, she was eating over at the other cafeteria, maybe with Eddie or Micah. Kristin and Julia were friendly, chatting me up about how my first day had gone and imparting wisdom about certain teachers they'd had before. They were seniors like me, and we shared a couple classes. We spent most of lunch exchanging basic info, like where we were all from. It wasn't until lunch was winding down that I began to get answers to some of the questions that had been bugging me all day. Although it required wading through still more questions first. â€Å"So,† said Kristin, leaning across the table. â€Å"Does it just give you a super memory? Or does it like, I don't know, actually change your brain and make you smarter?† Julia rolled her eyes. â€Å"It can't make you smarter. It's gotta be memory. What I want to know is, how long does it last?† I glanced back and forth between them, more confused than ever. â€Å"Whatever you're talking about can't be making me smarter, because I'm so lost right now.† Kristin laughed at that. â€Å"Your tattoo. I heard you answering all the hardest questions in math. And a friend of mine is in your history class and said you were dominating there too. We're trying to figure out how the tattoo helps you.† â€Å"Helps me†¦ answer questions?† I asked. Their faces confirmed as much. â€Å"It doesn't. That stuff†¦ that's just, well, me. I just know the answers.† â€Å"No one's that smart,† argued Julia. â€Å"It's not that crazy. I'm no genius. I guess I've just learned a lot. I was homeschooled part of the time, and my dad was really†¦ strict,† I added, thinking that might help. â€Å"Oh,† said Kristin, toying with a long braid. I'd noticed she wore her dark hair in very practical ways while blond Julia's was always teased and tousled. â€Å"I guess that could be it†¦ but then, what does your tattoo do?† â€Å"It doesn't do anything,† I said. Yet even as I spoke the words, I felt a slight tingle in my flesh. The tattoo had a kind of magic in it that stopped me from speaking about anything Alchemist-related to those who weren't part of the inner circle. This was the tattoo stopping me from saying too much, not that there was any need. â€Å"I just thought it was cool.† â€Å"Oh,† said Julia. Both girls looked inexplicably disappointed. â€Å"Why on earth would you think the tattoo is making me smart?† I asked. The warning bell interrupted further conversation, reminding us all it was time to get to our next class. There was a pause as Kristin and Julia considered something. Kristin seemed to be the leader of the two because she was the one who gave a decisive nod. I had the distinct feeling I was being assessed. â€Å"Okay,† she said finally, giving me a big smile. â€Å"We'll fill you in more on everything later.† We set up a time to hang out and study later, then parted ways. My impression was that more socialization than studying would go on, which was fine with me, but I made a mental note to get my homework done first. The rest of the day went quickly, and I received a note in one class from Molly the advisor. As expected, I'd passed out of all of my language courses, and she wanted me to come by and discuss matters during the last period, when I technically had no class. This meant that my school day would officially wrap up with PE. I changed into my assigned gym clothes, shorts and an Amberwood T-shirt, and trekked outside into the hot sun with the others. I'd felt a little of the heat ducking between classes today, but it wasn't until I actually had to stand outside for any length of time that I really and truly appreciated the fact that we were out in the desert. Glancing around at my classmates, who were guys and girls of all grades, I saw that I wasn't the only one sweating. I rarely burned but reminded myself to pick up sunscreen to be safe. Jill would need it too. Jill! I peered around. I'd nearly forgotten that Jill was supposed to be in the same class. Except, where was she? There was no sign of her. When our instructor, Miss Carson, called attendance, she didn't even say Jill's name. I wondered if there'd been a last-minute schedule change. Miss Carson believed in jumping right into the action. We were divided into teams for volleyball, and I found myself standing beside Micah. His fair, freckled complexion was growing pink, and I almost wanted to suggest sunscreen to him as well. He gave me one of his friendly smiles. â€Å"Hey,† I said. â€Å"You haven't seen my sister today, have you? Jill?† â€Å"No,† he said. A slight frown crossed his forehead. â€Å"Eddie was looking for her at lunch. He figured she was eating with you over at your dorm.† I shook my head, a queasy feeling welling in my stomach. What was going on? Nightmare scenarios flashed through my mind. I'd thought Eddie was overreacting with his vigilance, but had something happened to Jill? Was it possible that, despite all our planning, one of Jill's enemies had slipped in and stolen her out from under us? Was I going to have to tell the Alchemists – and my father – that we'd lost Jill on the first day? Panic flashed through me. If I wasn't about to be sent to a re-education center before, I definitely was on my way to one now. â€Å"Are you okay?† Micah asked, studying me. â€Å"Is Jill okay?† â€Å"I don't know,† I said. â€Å"Excuse me.† I broke out of my team formation and jogged over to where Miss Carson was supervising. â€Å"Yes?† she asked me. â€Å"I'm sorry to bother you, ma'am, but I'm worried about my sister. Jill Melrose. I'm Sydney. She's supposed to be in here. Do you know if she changed classes?† â€Å"Ah, yes. Melrose. I got a note from the office, just before class, that she wouldn't be attending today.† â€Å"Did they say why?† Miss Carson shook her head apologetically and barked an order to some guy who was slacking off. I rejoined my team, mind spinning. Well, at least someone had seen Jill today, but why on earth would she not be attending? â€Å"Is she okay?† Micah asked me. â€Å"I†¦ I guess. Miss Carson seemed to know she wouldn't be in class but doesn't know why.† â€Å"Is there anything I can do?† he asked. â€Å"To help her? Er, you guys?† â€Å"No, thanks. That's nice of you to ask.† I wished there was a clock around. â€Å"I'll check on her as soon as class is over.† A thought suddenly occurred to me. â€Å"But Micah? Don't say anything to Eddie.† Micah gave me a curious look. â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"He's overprotective. He'll worry when it's probably nothing.† Also, he'll tear the school apart looking for her. When class ended, I quickly showered and changed clothes before heading to the administrative building. I was desperate to run back to the dorm first to see if Jill was there, but I couldn't be late for the appointment. As I walked down a hallway to Molly's office, I passed by the main one – and an idea came to me. I stopped in to talk to the attendance secretary before going to my appointment. â€Å"Jill Melrose,† the secretary said, nodding. â€Å"She was sent back to her dorm.† â€Å"Sent back?† I exclaimed. â€Å"What does that mean?† â€Å"I'm not at liberty to say.† Melodramatic much? Annoyed and more confused than ever, I went to Molly's office, taking comfort in the fact that even if Jill's absence was mysterious, at least it was sanctioned by the school. Molly told me I could either take another elective or engage in some kind of independent study in place of a language, if I got a teacher to sponsor me. An idea popped into my head. â€Å"Can I check in with you tomorrow?† I asked. â€Å"I need to talk to someone first.† â€Å"Sure,† said Molly. â€Å"Just decide soon. You can go back to your dorm now, but we can't have you wandering around every day during this time.† I assured her she'd have an answer soon and headed back. The shuttle bus didn't run very often during classes, so I just walked the mile back. It only took fifteen minutes but felt twice as long in the heat. When I finally reached the dorm room, relief flooded me. Hanging out in our room as if nothing strange had happened was Jill. â€Å"You're all right!† Jill was lying on the bed, reading her book again. She looked up morosely. â€Å"Yeah. Kind of.† I sat down on my own bed and kicked off my shoes. â€Å"What happened? I had a panic attack when you weren't in class. If Eddie knew – â€Å" Jill sat bolt upright. â€Å"No, don't tell Eddie. He'll freak out.† â€Å"Okay, okay. But tell me what happened. They said you got sent here?† â€Å"Yeah.† Jill made a face. â€Å"Because I was kicked out of my first class.† I was speechless. I couldn't imagine what sweet, shy Jill could have possibly done to warrant that. Oh, God. I hope she didn't bite someone. I was the one everyone expected to have trouble fitting into a school schedule. Jill should have been a pro. â€Å"What were you kicked out for?† Jill sighed. â€Å"For having a hangover.† More speechlessness. â€Å"What?† â€Å"I was sick. Ms. Chang – my teacher – took one look at me and said she could spot a hangover a mile away. She sent me to the office for breaking school rules. I told them I was just sick, but she kept saying she knew. The principal finally said there was no way to prove that's why I was sick, so I didn't get punished, but I wasn't allowed to go to the rest of my classes. I had to stay here for the rest of the school day.† â€Å"That's†¦ that's idiotic!† I shot to my feet and began pacing. Now that I'd recovered from my initial disbelief, I was simply outraged. â€Å"I was with you last night. You slept here. I should know. I woke up once, and you were out cold. How can Ms. Chang even make an accusation like that? She had no proof! The school didn't either. They had no right to send you out of class. I should go to the office right now! No, I'm going to talk to Keith and the Alchemists and have our ‘parents' file a complaint.† â€Å"No, wait, Sydney.† Jill jumped up and caught ahold of my arm, as though afraid I would march out then and there. â€Å"Please. Don't. Just let it go. I don't want to cause any more trouble. I didn't get any bad marks. I wasn't really punished.† â€Å"You're behind in your classes,† I said. â€Å"That's punishment enough.† Jill shook her head, eyes wide. She was afraid, I realized, but I had no idea why she wouldn't want me to tell. She was the victim here. â€Å"No, it's fine. I'll catch up. There are no long-term consequences. Please don't make a big deal out of this. The other teachers probably just thought I was sick. They probably don't even know about the accusations.† â€Å"It's not right, though,† I growled. â€Å"I can do something about it. It's what I'm here for, to help you.† â€Å"No,† said Jill adamantly. â€Å"Please. Let it go. If you really want to help†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She averted her eyes. â€Å"What?† I asked, still filled with righteous fury. â€Å"What do you need? Name it.† Jill looked back up. â€Å"I need you†¦ I need you to take me to Adrian.†

Of Mice and Men Controlled Assessment Draft

Of Mice and Men is an American novel written by John Steinbeck about two itinerant workers who move from place to place. One itinerant worker named George is a small, smart, caring worker. While on the contrary the other itinerant worker name Lennie is a huge, clumsy, naive character. The story is set in a remote place a few miles south of Soledad. The south is usually the best place to live due to the climate of the area. Soledad is the Spanish word for loneliness and solitary.The two itinerant workers pursue their dream of getting their own farm. During their journey George and Lennie encounter many difficulties along the way. It was not uncommon for itinerant workers to suffer from loneliness, isolation and alienation. These three terms are the terms that will be explained in my essay. Dreams are another main factor in this book. George and Lennie have a dream that is the cornerstone of this book. Their dream is that they will â€Å"live of the fatta the lan’†. This quote is a reference to the American Dream.In this case, the fat is a good thing and fat has many properties and is usually the tastiest part of food, they also said that they will live of the fat. This means that the fat is in abundance. The American dream which says you get what you deserve if you work very hard. The American Dream is almost a capitalist dream. Loneliness is defined to be someone who is sad and/or be companionless. Characters such as George, Lennie, Candy and Curley’s wife all suffer from loneliness. George is lonely mainly because he is an itinerant worker which means he doesn’t stay anywhere for long.George even confesses his loneliness by saying â€Å"Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. † This is when George talks to Lennie beside the river. Lennie is another character that is caught in the trap of loneliness because of his disability and the fact that he always getting into trouble. Candy is lonely as h e only has his dog which eventually dies. Finally, Curley’s wife is lonely as her wife Curley does not give her the attention she wants. Isolation means to separate or to force apart. â€Å"†¦ he limb is worn smooth by men who have sat on it†. Already, in the first paragraph we can see the relationship between man and nature is not the best. Man seems to be destroying nature’s work. The characters that suffer from isolation are the likes of Crooks and Curley’s wife. Alienation is term that is described to a person who is being withdrawn from the world or withdraws them self from the outside world. People often feel alienated as they are being shown disaffection by others. The favourites of Crooks and Curley’s wife suffer from alienation.Crooks suffers from alienation as he is the only black person on the ranch, while Curley’s wife suffers from alienation as she is called names like â€Å"jailbait† (from George) as she is always l ooking for a man and is unfaithful to her husband – Curley. The very first bit of knowledge we know about George is explained in this quote â€Å"The first man was small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features. The first person/people in something are always the more dominant person as explained in this quote. â€Å"†¦ restless eyes†¦ tells us that he is also a very alert man. Later in the book George also confesses his loneliness to the other ranchers. The other ranchers generally don’t like confessing their own loneliness to others. Quotes like . George is a very father like figure to Lennie, to comfort Lennie he usually says (in this case about Curley) â€Å"you keep away from Curley†. George promised Lennie’s Aunt Carla that he will look after Lennie like a father after she dies. â€Å"One side of the river the golden foothill slopes curve up to the strong †¦ Gablian Mountains. This quote explains the q ualities of the two itinerant workers. The quote is saying that George is strong mentally and physically. â€Å"God, you’re a lot of trouble †¦ I could get along so easy and so nice if I didn’t have you on my tail. † George often loses his temper with Lennie. He knows that he is mentally stronger than Lennie meaning that he can do whatever he wants by himself but Lennie always restrains him. Crooks is a character in the book that gets quite a lot of stick from the other ranch workers. The type of loneliness he suffers from alienation.The two main reasons Crooks is alienated is because he is black and he is also disabled. The other ranchers use derogative terms like â€Å"nigger† and â€Å"stable buck† as a reference to Crooks. In those times they thought that it was alright to call black people any name that they desire. The book describes Crooks’ appearance as â€Å"his body was bent to the left by his crooked spine†. Since the Abrahamic religions started, the side to your left was considered ‘dirty’ so, Steinbeck can use this for a reason for the other ranchers to hate Crooks as they will probably consider him ‘dirty’.As Crooks spends a lot of time by himself, he has the privilege of keeping more prized possessions than the other ranchers as explained in the quote â€Å"he had books, too; a tattered dictionary and a mauled copy of the California civil code for 1905†. You could say that Crooks was quite lucky as he had many possessions unlike all the ranchers as all they owned was a small apple box. Crooks is always the one being picked on; for example one Christmas when all the other ranchers where trying to pick a fight with Crooks. Candy is another character in the book that is disabled.He is also one of the loneliest characters in the book. All Candy has is an old dog. Candy’s dog is described Steinbeck uses quite a few techniques in the book. Some of the techniq ues include allegories and foreshadowing. The best example of an allegory in this book is when Lennie kills the innocent mouse, Candy’s dog is killed and then right at the end of the book Lennie is killed. This also foreshadowed what was going to happen to Lennie as he used to follow George around ‘like a dog’. When Candy had no use of his dog; he decided to dispose of him. This just like what George did to Lennie.

Absorbance - Chemistry Glossary Definition

Absorbance - Chemistry Glossary Definition Absorbance is a measure of the quantity of light absorbed by a sample. It is also known as optical density, extinction, or decadic absorbance. The property is measured using spectroscopy, particularly for quantitative analysis. Typical units of absorbance are called absorbance units, which have the abbreviation AU and are dimensionless. Absorbance is calculated based on either the amount of light reflected or scattered by a sample or by the amount transmitted through a sample. If all light passes through a sample, none was absorbed, so the absorbance would be zero and the transmission would be 100%. On the other hand, if no light passes through a sample, the absorbance is infinite and the percent transmission is zero. The Beer-Lambert law is used to calculate absorbance: A ebc Where A is absorbance (no units, A log10  P0  / P)e  is the molar absorptivity with units of L mol-1  cm-1b  is the path length of the sample, usually the length of a cuvette in centimetersc  is the concentration of a solute in solution, expressed in mol/L Sources IUPAC (1997). Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the Gold Book).Zitzewitz, Paul W. (1999). Glencoe Physics. New York, N.Y.: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill. p. 395. ISBN 0-02-825473-2.

The Dobzhansky-Muller Model

The Dobzhansky-Muller Model The Dobzhansky-Muller Model is a scientific explanation of why natural selection influences speciation in such a way that when hybridization occurs between species, the resulting offspring is genetically incompatible with other members of its species of origin. This occurs because there are several ways that speciation occurs in the natural world, one of which is that a common ancestor can break off into many lineages due to reproductive isolations of certain populations or parts of populations of that species. In this scenario, the genetic makeup of those lineages changes over time through mutations and natural selection choosing the most favorable adaptations for survival. Once the species have diverged, many times they are no longer compatible and can no longer sexually reproduce with each other. The natural world has both prezygotic and postzygotic isolation mechanisms that keep species from interbreeding and producing hybrids, and the Dobzhansky-Muller Model helps to explain how this occurs through the exchange of unique, new alleles and chromosomal  mutations. A New Explanation for Alleles Theodosius Dobzhansky and Hermann Joseph Muller created a model to explain how new alleles arise and are passed down in the newly formed species. Theoretically, an individual that would have a mutation at the chromosomal level would not be able to reproduce with any other individual. The Dobzhansky-Muller Model attempts to theorize how a brand new lineage can arise if there is only one individual with that mutation; in their model, a new allele arises and becomes fixed at one point. In the other now diverged lineage, a different allele arises at a different point on the gene. The two diverged species are now incompatible with each other because they have two alleles that have never been together in the same population. This changes the proteins that are produced during transcription and translation, which could make the hybrid offspring sexually incompatible; however, each lineage can still hypothetically reproduce with the ancestral population, but if these new mutations in the lineages are advantageous, eventually they will become permanent alleles in each population- when this occurs, the ancestral population has successfully split into two new species. Further Explanation of Hybridization The Dobzhansky-Muller Model is also able to explain how this may happen at a large level with whole chromosomes. It is possible that over time during evolution, two smaller chromosomes may undergo centric fusion and become one large chromosome. If this happens, the new lineage with the larger chromosomes is no longer compatible with the other lineage and hybrids cannot happen. What this essentially means is that if two identical yet isolated populations start with a genotype of AABB, but the first group evolves to aaBB and the second to AAbb, meaning that if they crossbreed to form a hybrid, the combination of a and b or A and B occurs for the first time in the populations history, making this hybridized offspring unviable with its ancestors. The Dobzhansky-Muller Model states that incompatibility, then, is most likely caused by whats known as alternative fixation of two or more populations instead of just one and that the hybridization process yields a co-occurrence of alleles in the same individual that is genetically unique and incompatible with others of the same species.

Definitions and Examples of Word Formation

Definitions and Examples of Word Formation In linguistics (particularly morphology  and lexicology), word formation refers to the ways in which new words are made on the basis of other words or morphemes. Also called derivational morphology. Word-formation can denote either a state or a process, and it can be viewed either diachronically (through different periods in history)  or synchronically  (at one particular period in time). See examples and observations below. In  The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language,  David Crystal writes about word formations:   Most English vocabulary arises by making new lexemes out of old ones - either by adding an affix to previously existing forms, altering their word class, or combining them to produce compounds. These processes of construction are of interest to grammarians as well as lexicologists. ...  but the importance of word-formation to the development of the lexicon is second to none. ... After all, almost any lexeme, whether Anglo-Saxon or foreign, can be given an affix, change its word class, or help make a compound. Alongside the Anglo-Saxon ​root in ​kingly, for example, we have the French root in royally and the Latin root in regally. There is no elitism here. The processes of affixation, conversion, and compounding are all great levelers.(David Crystal, The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press, 2003) Processes of Word-Formation Apart from the processes that attach something to a base (affixation) and processes that do not alter the base (conversion), there are processes involving the deletion of material. ... English Christian names, for example, can be shortened by deleting parts of the base word (see 11) This type of word formation is called truncation, with the term clipping also being used. (11a) Ron (-Aaron)(11a) Liz (-Elizabeth)(11a) Mike (-Michael)(11a) Trish (-Patricia)(11b) condo (-condominium)(11b) demo (-demonstration)(11b) disco (-discotheque)(11b) lab (-laboratory) Sometimes truncation and affixation can occur together, as with formations expressing intimacy or smallness, so-called diminutives: (12) Mandy (-Amanda)(12) Andy (-Andrew)(12) Charlie (-Charles)(12) Patty (-Patricia)(12) Robbie (-Roberta) We also find so-called blends, which are amalgamations of parts of different words, such as smog (-smoke/fog) or modem (modulator/demodulator). Blends based on orthography are called acronyms, which are coined by combining the initial letters of compounds or phrases into a pronounceable new word (NATO, UNESCO, etc.). Simple abbreviations like UK or USA are also quite common.(Ingo Plag, Word-Formation in English. Cambridge University Press, 2003) Academic Studies of Word-Formation - Following years of complete or partial neglect of issues concerning word formation (by which we mean primarily derivation, compounding, and conversion), the year 1960 marked a revival- some might even say a resurrection- of this important field of linguistic study. While written in completely different theoretical frameworks (structuralist vs. transformationalist), both Marchands Categories and Types of Present-Day English Word-Formation in Europe and Lees Grammar of English Nominalizations instigated systematic research in the field. As a result, a large number of seminal works emerged over the next decades, making  the scope of word-formation research broader and deeper, thus contributing to better understanding of this exciting area of human language.(Pavol Ã…Â  tekauer and Rochelle Lieber, preface to Handbook of Word-Formation. Springer, 2005)- [R]ecent voices stressing the importance of investigating word formation in the light of cognitive processes can be interpreted f rom two general perspectives. First of all, they indicate that a structural approach to the architecture of words and a cognitive view are not incompatible. On the contrary, both perspectives try to work out regularities in language. What sets them apart is the basic vision of how language is encapsulated in the mind and the ensuing choice of terminology in the description of the processes. . . . [C]ognitive linguistics concedes closely to the self-organizing nature of humans and their language, whereas generative-structuralist perspectives represent external boundaries as given in the institutionalized order of human interaction.(Alexander Onysko and Sascha Michel, Introduction: Unravelling the Cognitive in Word Formation. Cognitive Perspectives on Word Formation. Walter de Gruyter, 2010) Birth and Death Rates of Words Statistical Laws Governing Fluctuations in Word Use from Word Birth to Word Death.   Just as a new species can be born into an environment, a word can emerge in a language. Evolutionary selection laws can apply pressure on the sustainability of new words since there are limited resources (topics, books, etc.) for the use of words. Along the same lines, old words can be driven to extinction when cultural and technological factors limit the use of a word, in analogy to the environmental factors that can change the survival capacity of a living species by altering its ability to survive and reproduce. Source Petersen, Alexander M. Statistical Laws Governing Fluctuations in Word Use from Word Birth to Word Death. Scientific Reports volume 2, Joel Tenenbaum, Shlomo Havlin, et al., Scientific Reports, Nature, March 15, 2012.

Explanation of liability, strict liability, accountability and moral Essay

Explanation of liability, strict liability, accountability and moral accountability in relation to obligations and duties as individuals and as parts of business organizations - Essay Example If he or she fails, such student is accountable for it and no one else. We can again cite as an example of the student. While the student is accountable for his or performance in class, he or she has also moral accountability to his or her parents to do his or her best because of their hopes for the student to be better prepared for the future. This is also a recompense for the sacrifices made by the parents for the student to send him or her to school. These terms relate to our obligations and duties as individuals - or as part of an organization in a way that they serve as the building block of ethics and integrity. Liability compels us to do good realizing that we are answerable for the consequence of our action. Our sense of accountability makes us responsible as a person and as a professional for we make sure that the trust and responsibility entrusted to our care are kept or done properly. Moral responsibility on the other hand enables us to perform duties and responsibilities even without the expectation of reward or repercussion but rather the internal drive to do good and be better. In the context of an organization, these terms make us ethical employees and/or managers. It makes us watch out for our actions because we can be held responsible for their consequences. On a positive note, these terms can help us become successful because it makes us responsible for any duties and tasks assigned to us. We also become trustworthy of a responsibility because we will not do anything that will have negative consequence both to us and the

Working with and leading people Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Working with and leading people - Assignment Example Without which, an organization may not be operated in a successful way in the market. This is because, in order to manage the human resource of an organization, a leader or a manager plays a very vital role. He motivates the employees towards the roles and responsibilities of the organization for amplification of its product portfolio in market. Task 3 A P10-Overview Leadership is described as the procedure with the help of which an individual might influence other members within a group. It is done, to attain the goals and objectives of an organization or a specific group. However, the leader tries to make intimate relationship by making interpersonal communication with the other members so as to evaluate their inner ideas and views. This might help the leader to act accordingly so that, both the needs and desires of the employees as well as the organization might get fulfilled. By applying the leadership skills and knowledge, the leader tries to motivate the employees towards their duties and responsibilities. Only then, it might prove effective for the leader for the organization to achieve its goals and objectives in long run. Discussion Leader is a very respectful position within a group. One, who may manage and organize all the functions of a group, is depicted as a leader of that association. Once, while working in the organization of Colgate-Palmolive, I attained the opportunity to lead a group of members. Such a decision is taken by the management of the organization of Colgate-Palmolive to make a presentation on the importance of leadership and the essential skills and talents required by a leader. After hearing the decision, it was in a dilemma, whether I might be able to motivate the members of the group to attain the target or not. However, very soon, I sort out my dilemma by thinking about my interpersonal relationship with all other members. It was my most important strength to maintain a group or motivate the group members. With the help of my i nterpersonal communication skill, I easily motivated all other members towards the objective of making the presentation successful among other teams. Other than this, I also influenced the members by presenting the idea of â€Å"Reward or incentives†, on attainment of targets (of making an effective presentation). This idea, proved extremely effective for the team mates and they became quite confident and dedicated towards their duties and responsibilities of the organization of Colgate-Palmolive. This helped them to attain their goals resulting in fulfillment of my objective as well. Side by side, it also helped me in reducing the rate of conflicts among my team mates thereby amplifying their interpersonal relationships. As a result, the desire to help one another might also get enhanced that proved extremely effective for both employees and Colgate-Palmolive as well. Moreover, at that time, I also helped my team mates with varied types of ideas and details so as to make the presentation effective and informative. So, such an activity would remain always fresh in my minds. P11- Effectiveness of the team in attaining the goals A team comprises of a group of individual, who work in a coordinated way for the achievement of a common objective or goal. In order to fulfill an objective, it is extremely essential for the members to perform the duties in a harmonized and careful way. However, in order to make the objective successful, it needs to be designed in a SMART manner. This means that the objectives are specific, measurable, achievable, and relevant and time specific. So that, all the

How Sexuality is Simultaneously a Personal, Social, Structural, Essay

How Sexuality is Simultaneously a Personal, Social, Structural, Historical and Culturally Specific - Essay Example â€Å"Children sent the wrong message about sex† by Ann Whittaker, dated 6 June 2006, published in Western Morning News (Plymouth), this paper seeks to examine how sexuality is simultaneously a personal social, structural, historical and culturally specific. The paper will discuss how society views these young people and attitudes towards their sexuality. The language used when discussing the context of their sexuality along with the role of sex education and the role of family and society will be discussed. Hormonal changes and social attitudes are key drivers of sexuality. For many young people, sex is something that excites them and an area they wish to explore. The sexual behavior of adults to influences children. Today’s teenagers and children are aware that many adults have sex outside marriage and are often not committed to a single partner. They take a cue from such behavior and believe that it is alright to lead a promiscuous life. (BBC) Driven by advertising images, social communication and other inputs on sexual behavior, young minds are keen to experiment with sex. All the articles accept that social values are fast changing. In the contemporary society, it is generally accepted that young people are likely to indulge in sexual activity before marriage and in sex without commitment. However, the writers of these articles seem to view children and teenagers as vulnerable and immature. While they understand that sexual behavior is an issue of personal choice, as a society they express their concern for these young people and the urgent need to take adequate steps to prevent them from indulging in immature and irresponsible sexual behavior that could leave them scarred for life.

Healing Literature and Society Views Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Healing Literature and Society Views - Essay Example Here too prejudices and hatred held sway. The literature that tried to answer and guide people during the century, had to be either Utopian or dystopian, showing them the ideal ways of living and ideal solutions. or, hold a mirror to their mistakes by showing a world where everything is wrong. (The dystopia Novel). The solution should be somewhere in between and include all perspectives and points of view.NATURE WRITING movement started by Henry David Thoreau pointed to ways of living fundamentally divergent from the ones laid down by dominant dictates and attitudes of society. (David L.Barnhill).Other authors have followed in the footsteps giving their poetic solutions in their Fictions and Essays. Iron John , is a Work of the Vietnam war trying earnestly to heal the wounds and bring together the alienated members of the society. The book talks about the industrial civilization which cut asunder the father and son who once worked shoulder to shoulder , teaching and learning , bonded by that common experience. The father figure is no longer a reality in the war- ravaged America. He is at best a frustrated, battered man who returns from the pressures and stress of the workplace, too irritable to empathize, and at worst, a drunk, and more often, a deserter of the family. The youth are angry with the older men for pushing them into a war, butchering them without mercy while they themselves are safe .Old men fend for themselves and have not time to spend in understanding the grievance of the younger generation. Men just grow up angry at the loss of their childhood, disappointed with the barrenness of their manhood and tired of having to play roles imposed on them by society;they become...But that is wrong; for, he must have the instinctive answer to the challenge of violence. Men must not be playing roles according to societal demands. The boys, in order to achieve this instinctive wisdom, must be early on removed from their mothers and even fathers, to learn in a commune as in all ancient cultures and civilizations.( BLY) Bly's conviction is that Man must mature and discover his maleness , by not losing touch with the earth ,and the historic and anthropologic roots of Masculinity. This world demands that Man must be successful. He obeys and achieves it, but at a cost. His vitality is lost. Instead, Bly asks them to turn to the inner consciousness "from where all poetry and mythology springs."(BLY) It is his prescription to cure the crippled inner life. Bly touched a cord in all the American minds that had also been smarting under the pain. But he also invited the criticism that he was propagating a male chauvinist society. For, he seemed to address only the White and did not seem to take the Homosexuals into his reckoning. Starhawk who wrote during the same period, and against the same Vietnam war backdrop, had an utopian solution to offer. She creates an oasis of verdant ,fruitful , and happy people of multi generation and multi culture living in harmony with nature and in amity among themselves.

Fiscal Deficit and Economic Growth in an Economy Term Paper

Fiscal Deficit and Economic Growth in an Economy - Term Paper Example Fiscal Deficit and Economic Growth in an Economy India is a member nation of BRICS and the country is identified to be a developing economy. The country holds a global standing with respect to ‘gross national product’ (GDP) and ‘purchasing power parity’ (PPP). Multiple ups and down are identified within the economic structure of the country. However, despite of all the tediousness within its economic structure, the nation has projected remarkable survival instincts and has eventually displayed an appreciable response against its economic and fiscal issues. Such situations often results in deteriorating the rate of economic development as a result of the financial incapability of the government in context to spending more on the economic developmental procedures. Irrespective of all these economic achievements, multiple economists in the present scenario have still questioned regarding the fiscal stability of this nation, which in the practical scenario can be considered to be on the verge of collapsing (Ku mar, 2014). The increased provision of government subsidies within public distribution services and sectors can be considered as the prime factors that has crippled the revenue generating capabilities of India. Understanding the gravity of the destabilizing economic and fiscal situation, the present government has shown its active participation towards the implementation of appropriate fiscal modifications within the New Year’s budget.

Managing Resourcing Strategy assignment-2 Case Study

Managing Resourcing Strategy assignment-2 - Case Study Example ource management increases a company’s competitive advantages within the global markets as compared with other similar businesses that failed to establish a reliable HR department. Considering the importance of human resources, this study will discuss strategies related to HR planning, flexibility, and recruitment. As part of going through the main discussion, cases of UK and international companies will be used as an example on how HR strategies are applied when controlling organizational behavior in times of economic recession. Considering that the significant role human resources in a business organization, the importance of HR planning increases especially in times of economic recession. In line with this, HR managers should carefully plan on how to build organizational behavior and culture that is open to change. By doing so, HR manager can easily control the possibility of internal conflicts caused by resistance-to-change (Sweringa and Wierdsma 1992, p. 9). In line with this, offering work flexibility during economic recession is a good HR strategy since the use of competitive HR approach can save the company a large sum of unnecessary operational expenses. By choosing the best work flexibility options, HR managers can maximize the work performance of its full-time and part-time employees. Recruiting a wrong person to do a particular task within a business organization can be very costly. For this reason, a careful HR planning should also be applied when the HR manager needs to recruit additional manpower. One of the prerequisite of having a group of highly competitive employees is to analyze a particular job description such as the skills and personal traits the needs to be fulfilled by the applicants (Nelson 1997, p, 40). Likewise, HR manager should carefully assess the applicant’s skills and past experiences in performing the demands of the available job position. The importance of equal opportunity in UK is highly recognized by employees. In

Fiscal Deficit and Economic Growth in an Economy Term Paper

Fiscal Deficit and Economic Growth in an Economy - Term Paper Example Fiscal Deficit and Economic Growth in an Economy India is a member nation of BRICS and the country is identified to be a developing economy. The country holds a global standing with respect to ‘gross national product’ (GDP) and ‘purchasing power parity’ (PPP). Multiple ups and down are identified within the economic structure of the country. However, despite of all the tediousness within its economic structure, the nation has projected remarkable survival instincts and has eventually displayed an appreciable response against its economic and fiscal issues. Such situations often results in deteriorating the rate of economic development as a result of the financial incapability of the government in context to spending more on the economic developmental procedures. Irrespective of all these economic achievements, multiple economists in the present scenario have still questioned regarding the fiscal stability of this nation, which in the practical scenario can be considered to be on the verge of collapsing (Ku mar, 2014). The increased provision of government subsidies within public distribution services and sectors can be considered as the prime factors that has crippled the revenue generating capabilities of India. Understanding the gravity of the destabilizing economic and fiscal situation, the present government has shown its active participation towards the implementation of appropriate fiscal modifications within the New Year’s budget.

Data observation Essay Example for Free

Data observation Essay Complete a data table that includes a prediction of reaction type (single replacement, double replacement, synthesis, decomposition, or combustion), observations, and identification of reaction type for each reaction in the lab. (10 points) Reactants Prediction of Reaction Type Observations Reaction Type Iron (III) and copper (II) sulfate solution single replacement Solids stay concentrated at the bottom Single replacement Lead (II) nitrate and potassium iodide solutions Double replacement Yellow colored powder collected at the bottom Double replacement Magnesium metal and hydrochloric acid solution Single replacement The solution began to fizz. Proves to be flammable. single replacement Electrolysis of water decomposition The water bubbles In the tubes filled with H2 and O2 decomposition Burning magnesium combustion As the magnesium comes in contact with the CO2 it creates a bright burning light synthesis Conclusion: Write a balanced equation for each reaction observed in this lab. (10 points) 2Fe + 3CuSO4 = 3Cu + Fe2(SO4)3 Pb(NO3)2 + 2KI = PbI2 + 2K(NO3) Mg + 2HCl = MgCl2 + H2 2H2O = 2H2 + O2 2Mg + O2 = 2MgO If you were to measure the mass of magnesium and hydrochloric acid before combining them in the test tube, how would that mass compare to the mass of reactants left in the test tube after the reaction? Explain your answer and how it corresponds to the law of conservation of mass. (5 points) -The mass would be the same as it started. This is because the law of conservation of mass states that energy cannot be created nor destroyed only changed. One of the reactions you conducted can actually be categorized as TWO different types of reactions. Which reaction is this, and what are the two types of reactions? (5 points) It would be the Magnesium metal and hydrochloric acid solution because it bubbled but it still stayed in its form and didn’t change. It is single replacement or combustion.

Marketing Plan and Analysis of Shaving Cream

Marketing Plan and Analysis of Shaving Cream The shaving cream Introduction :- Shaving cream is a substance that is applied to the face or wherever else hair grows, to provide lubrication and avoid razor burn during shaving. Shaving cream is often bought in a spray can, but can also be purchased in tubs or tubes. Shaving cream in a can is commonly dispensed as a foam or a gel. Creams that are in tubes or tubs are commonly used with a shaving brush to produce a rich lather The cream itself commonly consists of a mixture of oil, soaps, surfactants, and water or alcohol, manufactured under carefully controlled conditions to ensure proper pH and consistency. Introduction to topic:- In this term paper my topic is shaving cream. In this I prepare the IMC plan for the shaving cream and analysis various competitors and develop various strategies to promote this brand. Various steps taken by me to promote by product are shown below:- Situational analysis. Determine opportunity. Determining communication objectives. Decide about budget. Develop IMC strategies to promote my product. Vision of the company The companys vision is to build total brand value by innovating to deliver consumer value and customer relationship faster, better and more effectively than its competitors. This vision statement has led to the development and introduction of various newer products especially in male division and adoption of a more customer oriented approach. Provide better quality products with affordable prices. Basic strategies of AYRULITTE:- Innovate. Heavy promotions and advertising. Brand extensions. Launching innovative and superior products. Events Sponsorship (cricket, soccer, tennis) IMC plan:- (Integrated Marketing Communication) IMC has become a very popular trend at present time. It is a management concept that brings together all the tools of marketing communication to send consistent message to target audience. Consumers wants and needs should be the main focus of the program. Steps comes under IMC planning Situational Analysis:- Before launching our product we have need to collect some information about the current market situation means what trend is going on in the market and what is preference of the customers at present their taste etc. Situational analysis provides a history of the IMC functions and an assessment of the environment. Several factors must be considered in the situational analysis. The company or organization for which the IMC plan is being created must be analyzed. The environment in which this organization operates must be understood and detailed. A market and consumer behavior analysis must be completed. Further, you must understand the competitors. External Environment analysis:- In which we analysis about the polices of Government for launching this product. In which analysis that The Governments continued focus on liberalization; trade friendly policies and improvement in infrastructure have resulted in a steady inflow of global investments into the Indian market which has again resulted in higher income levels due to increased employment opportunities and sustained economic boom. Thus, it can be said that due to higher income elasticity of demand, demand for personal grooming products are expected to grow at a rate higher than the rise in income levels of people. However, since the market is still driven largely by price and not quality (typically in rural markets and smaller towns), consumers might not value the potential benefit of paying higher prices for better and safer products. Competitors Analysis:- As i am introducing new brand of shaving cream so it is very necessary for me to collect the information about my competitors and about their products and their competitive strategies .so major competitors in this sector are shown below. Competitors analysis COLGATE PALMOLIVE : Colgate-Palmolive has three products in the shaving cream/gel/foam segment. Palmolive shaving creams are enriched with revitalizing sea minerals, this rich formula refreshes skin and protects against razor irritation. They are formulated with soothing Aloe-Vera, this rich foam is mild on skin and helps guard against irritation. One variant is a creamy formula featuring palm extract to hydrate and moisturize skin. This cream in a long thin tube is very easy to use. As you just put onto your face and use your shaver and it will get all your stubbles of your face leaving it nice and smooth The Price of each of these products is mentioned with size of the pack in the table below GODREJ:- Godrej is the domestic brand of shaving cream for Indian market. Recently Godrej has invested heavily for the expansion in this market. They have bought a shaving cream manufacturing and marketing company in South Africa and are looking forward to some other alliances for the presence in global market. The shaving cream from Godrej is among the lowest priced shaving cream in the market. It is targeting the price sensitive customer in the Indian market. But the quality of the product is satisfactory in spite of its near about half the price than its competitors. Although, variants are few in terms of size, fragrance and packaging, it is still in the shopping list of many consumers. Godrej is a domestic brand of shaving cream and now it is looking to expand in the global. Audience situation Before launching any product we have analysis who are our customers and other factors like their income criteria as my product is my product is shaving cream. we are focusing on every class people, so, we will be providing services on the basis of their status. Each class people have their own way of living according to their income . so we will provide services according their income, taste, preference. Product situation:- Involves what is the quality of our product and product benefits to the customers, why peoples buy this product. Following steps comes under it. Quality of the product is very important factor for customer it over comes the problem why they buy this shaving cream so we maintain the quality of the shaving cream according to the set standards of the government and we are provide superior quality product at affordable prices. Packaging another point for tapping the customer is to design the out look(packing) of the product in this way customer attract towards it. This is clear from the AYRULITTE after shave packing SWOT ANALYSIS:- Strength Better quality Special formulation Affordable price Effective promotion strategy weakness New in market. Poor distribution challenge. Mainly focused on youth. Opportunity:- Large market High growth Constant demand Can be produce various related product aftershave Threats Tough competition from market leaders Bargaining power of suppliers New entrance Large number of substitute products available Determine a problem or opportunity: After situational analysis next step is to identify the problem or opportunities concerning communications To understand the buying intention of shaving cream and foam users and analyze the effect of non-attribute factors. To understand the brand loyalty of customers towards shaving cream/foam/gel Identify the parameters that play the most important role in a consumers choice of buying shaving cream/gel. Main objective for determine opportunity:- What is the inter-brand recall of shaving cream/gel/foam brands and their existing image in the consumers mind? What is the effect of non-attribute factors on the purchasing decision of shaving gel/foam? How strong is the brand loyalty of customers towards shaving cream/gel/foam? What are the factors that play the most important role in a consumers choice of buying shaving cream/gel/foam? Determine the communication objectives Communication objectives flow from marketing objectives. As we are new entrant in the market there for my main communication objectives are shown below. To aware peoples about over the new brand giving better quality products with reasonable prices. Creating image in the mind of the customers by using proper media. (Advertising, news paper) Sales promotion. Budget analysis:- The very important step for a company is to prepare a budget to estimate about their expenses and how much cost we are incur in which involves all the expenses on advertisement to promote the product. I have plan to invest Rs. 20cr. And its detail showed below. Promotion IMC strategies:- After deciding about Budget we have to plan how our message is convey to the target audience for that we have to follow certain things like Target audience: means to whom this product is target for that firstly we have to analysis about Market segmentation, Targeting, Positioning (STP) Segmentation:- Market segmentation is the process of dividing a total market into market groups consisting of people who have relative similar product needs, there are clusters of needs. The method of identifying a group of consumers, within abrader market, that has similar characteristics and needs. Segments can be identified by examining demographic Psychographic, and behavioral differences. In the shaving cream market there exist different categories of customers who have different needs and are willing to pay different amount for the product that meets their demand. Introduction of shaving cream would help AYRULITTE identify the needs of the customers and take advantage of the segment which has not yet been targeted by the company. Price sensitivity, importance of attributes, point of purchase decision makers and customers influenced by additional features are the factors on which we will segment the shaving cream market. Market segmentation according to geographical areas. The population of the country is segmented into three parts which are urban, sub urban and rural area consumers. The company further differentiate the geographical segments according to Socio Economic Cluster (SEC) i.e. education and Income. Targeting:- Targeting means to which segment we are targeting means in segmentation we are divide market into different categories out of these to segment this shaving cream focus. The target market has been identified as the customers who are concerned about the attributes of the shaving cream but are not willing to shift from the current price band to a higher price band As we know urban and sub urban middle class and rural poor people are the largest part of Indian population. Acc. To a research in India reveals that urban rich people are more likely to buy imported and expensive products. Moreover rural poor people tend to buy cheap products even without evaluating its quality. However urban and sub urban upper middle and middle class people tend to buy affordable and quality products. AYRULITTE shaving cream is not a highly expensive but an affordable product. That is why the company targets urban and sub urban upper middle and middle class people who are the second highest population of segment of the country. Positioning:- Positioning refers to how customers think about proposed and/or present brands in a market. In which we analysis how customers thinks about offerings in the market. As we are new entrant in this sector there is intense competition provide by competitors so For creating good position in the buyers mind through better product attributes, price and quality, offering the product in a different way than the competitors do. The company offers improved quality of products in the industry at an affordable price with high branding, which ultimately helps to position the product in the buyers mind as the best quality shaving creams. A great positioning strategy adapted by AYRULITTE shaving cream reference to its packaging, fragrances and product designing. For men having AYRULITTE image. Mainly focus on youth. In saloons hairdressers So we can say that positioning means creating image in the mind of the customer. Thats why at first we analysis the market and after that apply positioning strategy. As shown below firstly we have to prepare Marketing plan and set marketing objective and strategies. The IMC model consists with marketing Mix elements communication mix elements. MARKETING MIX:- As shown above in IMC model integrated marketing consists with the 4 marketing mix elements which are also known as 4ps of marketing these are shown below. Product Price Place Promotion PRODUCT :- Involve various products in which company deals AYRULITTE has a range of shaving products for different types of skins and user requirements. AYRULITTE is manufactured by imported raw materials like sodium soap, glycerol and different extracts according to flavors. Taking into account the convenience of its customers, the company manufactures all flavors of shaving cream in three different sizes, 40gm, 80gm and 120gm. PRODUCT RANGE:- Shaving cream Shave gel Foam After shave cooling gel After-shave balm splash Price :- Price is main thing which we have to decide to for tapping our customer we have affordable pricing strategy at which every segment of the population by it. Prices of the products are set according to the competitors. AYRULITTE has 6 product variants of shaving gel/foam for the Indian market. PLACE: Place refers to the distribution network from where customers buy these products. The distribution network of AYRULITTE is very robust. The distribution network is a combination of own network and that of a franchisee from the customers buy the products. The distribution network follows a hub .The hubs are the 20 cities. These cities are managed by the exclusive distributors in those cities. Every city has only one franchisee distributor. Each franchisee distributor has his own set of employees working for him. The distributor also manages his own fleet costs to supply to the retailers. Distribution Distribution Network:- PROMOTION:- As we know promotion is the main part for the success of any company so I am mainly focus on this part AYRULITTE has extensive promotion campaign for the Indian market. Promotion may be defined as the co-ordination of all seller initiated efforts to set up channels of information and persuasion to facilitate the scale of a good or service. Promotion is most often intended to be a supporting component in a marketing mix. Promotion decision must be integrated and co-ordinate with the rest of the marketing mix, particularly product/brand decisions, so that it may Effectively support an entire marketing mix strategy. The promotion mix consists of four basic elements. They are:- Advertising Personal Selling Sales Promotion, and Publicity Advertising is the paid form of promotion Advertisement is a mass communicating of information Newspapers and magazines. On radio and television broadcasts Direct mail Web site. By sponsorship. ADVERTISEMENT ON TV:- The advertisement that I have chosen is AYRULITTE shaving cream It urges its customers to look thought the practical, easy and confident usage of product. The copy itself says the very imp moments .i.e. Marriage play imp role and anybody would want it to happen without any hassle. The usage of product which is hassle free and very convenient conveyed thought this commercial very effectively with the help of little humor in to it. Any common man can identify connect himself with message and the way its been presented to him. Other strategies Push Approach: We would offer pack 5 razors with AYRULITTE Shaving Cream (Priced at Rs 50) weight 80gm. This strategy helps to take intention of the customer towards the products. And with help of this we will create brand image in the mind of the customers. Pull Approach: Our advertisement has to entice the target consumer the aspiring consumer who comes from the middle and lower middle class and gives importance to attributes but is also price sensitive. Our target consumer is widespread throughout the country- rural, urban. From over advertisement we show this will helps us to enhance awareness of over product through out the country.

Stalin Vs. Hitler Essay -- essays research papers

Run to the Top Josef Stalin, a politician from the earliest beginnings of his life, strove to achieve a national sense of power during his reign over the citizens of Russia. Adolf Hitler, however, a born high school dropout somewhat longed for a place in life. He rather fell into his role as a politician, after his brief shortcomings in arts and sciences. These two individuals developed varying ideas to put their controlling minds to work to lead their political parties in the direction of total domination of the state. In the beginning Josef Stalin was a worshiper of his beloved Vladimir Lenin. He followed his every move and did as he said to help establish and lead the Bolshevik party. Much of the early part of his political career was lost due to his exile to Siberia for most of World War I. It wasn’t until 1928, when he assumed complete control of the country were he made most of his success. After Lenin’s death in January 1924, Stalin promoted his own cult followings along with the cult followings of the deceased leader. He took over the majority of the Socialists now, and immediately began to change agriculture and industry. He believed that the Soviet Union was one hundred years behind the West and had to catch up as quickly as possible. First though he had to seal up complete alliance to himself and his cause. Stalin saw a need to sure up the allegiance to him by all who were under him. Therefore, he needed to fight out against those who opposed him. So for the rest of 1924, the Politburo continued to argue about the future of the Soviet economy. The fiercest argument was between Stalin and Trotsky over Trotsky's theory of permanent Revolution. Trotsky thought that Communism could not survive in the USSR alone. He argued that the capitalist countries of the West feared Communism and would try to destroy it. For this reason, he said, it was necessary to spread Communism to the countries of Western Europe and to their overseas colonies. This would be done by giving help to revolutionary groups and parties in Western Europe. Stalin put forward an opposite theory - the theory of Socialism in One Country. He argued that the USSR must always come first in the government's plans. The rest of the world must take second place. The Communists should concentrate on building up the economy of the USSR, not waste money on helping revolutionary groups abroad.... ...t still got over four million. This is the deviant plan which helped Hitler reach is ultimate goal of a complete governing power by himself with no one to question his authority. These two men were very demanding in obtaining what they thought should be the rule of a nation by their own personal control. Stalin and Hitler were very close in the same way that they had an aggressive vigor to force a type of commanding dictatorship into their respective countries. Each had a special army that they put in high regard politically to where they were considered special police agents. These armies were under different orders, but their main objectives were to stop anyone who opposed, or were thought to be in opposition to the head of state. Also, both Stalin and Hitler had ideas to improve the education levels and economic prosperity of their own countries, each trying to put their own at the top of the world in industry and commerce. Although Hitler and Stalin were opposed to each other’s own strategies and political stance on being a world dominator, they were very similar in the way to which they fought for political power. From the Hitler/Stalin book about 1200 page book comparison

Southern Folk Music and Race Relations :: Racism American Culture Research

Southern Folk Music and Race Relations Abstract In this paper, I propose that the history and development of southern folk music may serve as an important vehicle for examining and elaborating the dynamics of southern race relations. I am not suggesting a causal relationship; merely an interactional one. Both southern race relations and southern music are reflections of the social structure of the rural south. In the structurally segregated south, black and white musical traditions display the same divergences and convergences which have historically characterized black/white relations. This is not a lyrical analysis; rather, it is a socio-historical analysis of regional popular culture which focuses upon the interaction between two important features of that culture: race and music. Intoduction The development of the American folk music reservoir is a process which parallels the historical and cultural development of American society. In the formation of this reservoir, two major streams, British and African, and several lesser tributaries, e.g., French, German, Mexican, Cajun, etc., flowed together over a two century period (Malone, 1979:4). Alan Lomax, one of folk music's leading historians, has observed that the convergence of these diverse elements has resulted in a cultural product which is "more British than anything one can find in Britain" (1960:155). Southern music is an important part of the folk tradition; in many ways it is synonymous with American folk music. And, its history is well documented (Malone, 1979, 1985; Carr, 1979; Wolfe, 1977). What has been neglected until recently is the sociological examination of the relationship between this form of popular culture and important social, cultural and historical issues and conditions which gave rise to it and are expressed by it (Fine, 1977:381-384; cf. also Albrecht, 1954).1 Country music is a reflection of the southern region's culture, history and social structure at the macro level and of the hopes, fears, beliefs and attitudes of its people at the micro level (Gritzner, 1978). In this paper, I propose that the history and development of southern folk music may serve as an important vehicle for examining and elaborating the dynamics of southern race relations. I am not suggesting a causal relationship; merely an interactional one. Both southern race relations and southern music are reflections of the social structure of the rural south. In the structurally segregated south, black and white musical traditions display the same divergences and convergences which have historically characterized black/white relations. This is not a lyrical analysis; rather, it is a socio-historical analysis of regional popular culture which focuses upon the interaction between two important features of that culture: race and music.