Thursday, November 28, 2019

Conflict between Romantic and Victorian values in Wuthering Heights Essay Example

Conflict between Romantic and Victorian values in Wuthering Heights Essay Emily Bronte’s novel Wuthering Heights is a key text in the English literary canon. The first and last novel of the short-lived life and career of Emily Bronte, the novel lends itself to analysis through various disciplines such as psychoanalysis, race, gender and cultural studies. For example, it could be read under the feminist framework as much as one can make Marxist interpretations of it. In this vein, it displays characteristics of both the Romantic Movement in literature even as its characters and settings project Victorian values and virtues. This essay will pursue this angle in detail, laying out how the Romantic aspects of the novel counter pose the Victorian socio-cultural values in creating a work of high originality and enduring relevance. The Victorian period is loosely associated with the reign of Queen Victoria during the latter half of the 19th century. Some of the praiseworthy developments of this period is the concept of the orphanage, which was a symbol and product of social solidarity and support. In terms of values in the personal and interpersonal domains, qualities such as â€Å"thrift, cleanliness, hard work, self-reliance, self-respect, and national pride† were thought of as lofty. (Alexander) Concepts such as family honour, personal integrity and social status were given importance during this period. In contrast, the Romantic Movement in the arts in general and literature in particular, promoted laissez-faire approach to human interpersonal relations, which promoted a primacy for feelings and emotions as opposed to tradition, customs and social norms. But what is interesting is that these two opposing tendencies operated simultaneously toward the end of the Victorian epoch, leading to a vibrant cultural dialectic. Wuthering Heights is a classic example that captures all the contradictions, confusions and complexities of such a discourse. Literature scholar Beth Newman’s thinks of novels as â€Å"fictive engagement with a specific social world†. (Close) Hence, there is much more to Wuthering Heights than its outward mythic romance. In effect, the novel treats such issues as â€Å"slave trade, the evolving middle-class family, politics and class structures,† etc, through the microcosm of a household â€Å"torn between Romantic longing and the Victorian domestic ethos.† (Close) We will write a custom essay sample on Conflict between Romantic and Victorian values in Wuthering Heights specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Conflict between Romantic and Victorian values in Wuthering Heights specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Conflict between Romantic and Victorian values in Wuthering Heights specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer One of the cultural markers of the Victorian era is how gender roles were rigidly defined. In Wuthering Heights we see internal conflicts in various characters’ minds, as they try to abide by while also resisting the then accepted gender roles and social norms. This is especially true with respect to the thoughts and behaviour of Catherine and Heathcliff. To quote, â€Å"the elder Catherine resists until her death being an angel in the house; Heathcliff rails against the story he inhabits†. (Close) In this sense, the novel is â€Å"mediated through conventional Victorian narrators – and readers – who deal in the domestic realism aligned with Thrushcross Grange.† (Close) Emily Bronte shows In Wuthering Heights how even affairs of the heart are mediated by prevalent social values of the Victorian era. One example is Catherine’s choice of her husband. Though her bond with Heathcliff is very strong – she once mentions â€Å"Heathcliff is more myself than I am.† (Bronte, 100), it is to Edgar Linton that she ultimately offers her hand in marriage. What is at play is the Victorian emphasis on social class and status and all its attendant prestige. Catherine’s social aspirations make her accept Edgar’s proposal for marriage. She intuitively recognizes that Edgar is wealthy and thus she shall be â€Å"the greatest woman of the neighbourhood†. (Bronte, 97) She then goes on to make a list of high-flown romantic declarations that don’t weigh up to her professed strong bond with Heathcliff – â€Å"Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine, are the same; and Linton’s is as different as a moonb eam from lightning, or frost from fire†. (Bronte, 99) Further down the story, she says â€Å"If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger. . . . Nelly, I am Heathcliff.† (Bronte, 101) The imagery employed by Catherine can be interpreted thus: â€Å"A moonbeam suggests that which is delicate, ephemeral, and pale; frost connotes a surface coating easily melted by the heat of the sun. Lightning rends the sky, consumes its victims who are caught unaware; fire represents not only the heat of passion, but also the eternal suffering of those lovers consigned to the Inferno for their rejection of all social, moral, and religious constraints.† (Fragola) Catherine’s imagery thus captures the ongoing tussle between Romantic ideals and Victorian ethos in the novel in general and in her own thoughts in particular. There’s further evidence of this dialectic playing out in Catherine’s consciousness. Catherine’s statements down the narrative imply how â€Å"there is no transcendence, no intention of a spiritual afterlife. Her life is connected to Heathcliff rather than to a higher being†¦Whenever Catherine inexplicably shifts from passionate love to the longing for material wealth, she rails against Heathcliff and calls him a stable boy, thereby demonstrating her preference for a life of comfortable social conventions.† (Fragola) A key feature of Victorian social norms is the various rites of passage that members of the society are expected to go through. In a highly conservative and rigidly defined society of the Victorian period, these processes are ritualized and taken seriously. Victor Turner, the renowned British cultural anthropologist, has contributed to our understanding of Victorian value systems and how they functioned. One of his key theories is that of liminality (pertaining to crossing of thresholds), which is relevant to a discussion of Wuthering Heights. The Victorian period, which is often referred to retrospectively as the ‘Age of Transition’ occupied chronologic space between traditional agrarian societies and the more organized industrial societies of today. The Victorian period also represents the â€Å"liminal period par excellence†. (Hennelly) Turner emphasized that

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Australias Invelment with Communism Essay Example

Australias Invelment with Communism Essay Example Australias Invelment with Communism Essay Australias Invelment with Communism Essay The Nature of the Australian Governments Response to Communism and International Events in the Post WWII Era Australias governments response to Communism and international events in the post WWII era was one of fear, suspicion and paronoia. Communism was mainly feared due to propoganda and the Domino Effect. The Domino Effect was a policy that speculated that if one land in a region came under the influence of communism, all would follow, like toppling dominoes. This worried Australia as communism had spread through Asia and was getting closer to Australia. It was also believed that communism would ruin daily Australian life and put our culture and freedom at risk. The government of the time introduced many new foreign and domestic policies in the hope of preventing communism from spreading to Australia. It attempted to permanently get rid of all communism and communists in Australia by outlawing communism and opressing communists and those who had sympathetic view towards them. The world events of the time also greatly influenced how the government reacted and how so much fear and paranoia was created. The super powers were the leaders of the Cold War and competed against each other in every way possible. In response to the threat of communism two types of policies were formed by the government in hope to eliminate the communist threat. These were domestic policies and foreign policies. The domestic policies were policies put into place to keep control, watch and stop communist activity in Australia while foreign policies were policies usually created to keep communism from spreading to Australia by fighting or gaining alliances to fight in the countries the threat was coming from. The policies Robert Menzies introduced that came under the foreign category related to communism were the treaties he signed, the actions he took to ensure Australia a stronger bond with the USA, and the Forward Defence Policy. Australia became aware of its distance from its allies and as the threat moved closer, sought neighbouring alliances. Australia signed two treaties, SEATO and ANZUS, and created a plan to possibly gain more alliances called the Colombo Plan. SEATO, South-East Asia Treaty Organisation , was established in 1954 and was created for countries who were against the spread of communism. This benefited Australia both by giving them closer protection and converting many Asian countries before they could become communists. The government believed this would stop the domino effect in its tracks. Propoganda that shows how the public wouldve have been taught to see communists and communism spreading can be shown in the second image, The Anti-Communist propoganda poster circa 1950s. This poster shows an old man that could perhaps symbolises the Jewis leader of Communism with webs coming out of his fingers attached to spiders. The spiders could symbolise the communist countries and the web, the communism. It is showing how communism is spreading around the earth and was made to create fear among people and countries. Propoganda like this would have convinced the people that communism really was spreading and that they needed to back their government up in everything they wante d. The side of the world without the web also appears lighter this could suggest that the communist side is evil and the anti-communist side is good. ANZUS, Australia, New Zealand, The United States, was established in 1951 and served mainly to strengthen Australias alliance with the United States. The treaty implied that if one member of the treaty should be attacked, the others would defend and fight for them. However this was not binding. The Colombo Plan was created in order to offer assistance both socially and economically to less developed countries in South East Asia. Australia provided medical, educational and technological support in hope they would gain friendships with these countries and mold them into a country that would be less likely to fall into communism. Australias relationship with Britain had weakened at this time and Australia was left basically defenseless against the communism threat that was spreading closer and closer to them. An alliance with the USA became the best option for Australia as they were one of the Super Powers and had sufficient resources to protect Austalia. Robert Menzies steps towards achieving this bond were signing the treaty with them, joining the Korean war at their request, allowing them to use Australia as a base and a place to test their nuclear missiles and allowing them to build submarines here. Australias and the rest of the worlds reliance on America, willingly or not, can be in the first picture, Cartoon 1960s. This cartoon shows an army man leading a little boy across the road. Its meaning is that the tank resembeling movement, violence and communism, will spread to the little powerless boy, the UN.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Making Sense Of Organisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Making Sense Of Organisation - Essay Example The machine is comprised of interlocking components which work together in sync. Well-oiled, it functions flawlessly to take a physical input and convert it into an output that serves some utility. In the same way as machines are fabrications of men, organizations are themselves an invention, a fabrication that was necessitated by human need. Organizations are fictitious persons with legal rights and obligations that are exercised by the persons who are empowered to act in behalf of it (Champoux, 2011). The organisations, while made up of people and acting through them, are separate entities from the people who comprise them. Humans work together to fulfil common needs; organizations have been devised to provide the structure by which human efforts may be coordinated, in order to more effectively attain the goals they have set out to achieve (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2010). Organizations are more formally defined as ‘a system of two or more persons, engaged in cooperative action , trying to reach a purpose.’ As systems they are bounded, and feature a structure including authority relations, communications protocols, and formally established incentives by which peoples’ behaviour and social interaction are structured and regulated, even controlled (Champoux, 2011, p. 6). Also, ‘Organizations are (1) social entities that (2) are goal-directed, (3) are designed as deliberately structure and coordinated activity systems, and (4) are linked to the external environment’ (Daft, 2007, p. 10). A cursory observation is that elements common to machines and organisations are that they are both goal-oriented, they are both creations of humans, and they employ a system that takes inputs from the environment, converts them through a pre-determined process, and creates the desired output which they return to the environment. The following discussion will thresh out the machine-like elements in the organisation that pertain to the latter’s historical, rational-technical, and sociological (seen through the psychological, cultural, and symbolic) components. Historical elements of organisations The historical element of an organisation becomes apparent when one comes to realise that while organisations are made up of people, they are capable of exceeding the limitations of the people who comprise it at any one point in time. This means that while people can leave, retire or die, organisations live on through the next generation of individuals who succeed those who have left. In practical terms, it is possible for organisations to last longer than any natural person can, and even cross over to several generations into the future. There are many organisations that have lasted for hundreds of years. In London, the oldest merchant bank was Barings Bank; it was established in 1762, but collapsed in 1995 due to rogue trading. Today, a remnant of the bank survives as ING Barings after it was bought out in 1995 by ING Bank. That being said, it is remarkable that a British bank, a private organisation that existed separate from the government, was older than the Unites States itself. Scanning the internet, however, Barings was a young bank when compared with the Halifax Bank of Scotland (1695), the Berenberg Bank of

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Darwin's The Origin of Species (Essay Question) Essay

Darwin's The Origin of Species ( Question) - Essay Example In an individual’s life, the genomes interact with their immediate environments to bring changes in the traits. The environment of the genome consists of molecular components in the cell, cells, organisms, communities, and the abiotic environment. Individuals having a particular variant of the characteristic can survive and give rise to individuals than the other variants. The population will, therefore, evolve (Darwin 78-122). Factors affecting the reproductive success are crucial, an issue that Darwin came up with while thinking about sexual selection. Darwin, for example, noted natural selection tends to act on the external physical characteristics of an organism (also called phenotype). The genetic material responsible for the phenotype that gives the reproductive advantage surpasses other phenotypes in a given population. After several years, the process may result in communities that are specific for some ecological niches whose outcome is that a new species is formed. In conclusion, natural selection is a vital process by which evolution occurs within a given community. Natural selection is regulated by the environment that acts as a sieve only some variations can pass through (Darwin 11-122). Both forms of selection bring about changes or evolution in a population. Natural selection controls development where the environment selects the losers and winners. In artificial selection, human beings share what they want in other living things. Natural selection involves cases where only those organisms well suited to the environment can survive and  reproduce. The organisms transmit their genetic characteristics to the subsequent generations. Artificial selection occurs when man acts as an environmental pressure. When man chooses cats with certain characteristics and breeds them to get the desired traits is an example of domestic selection. In simple words, domestic selection gives rise to organisms very different

Monday, November 18, 2019

Safety management on a construction jobsite Research Paper

Safety management on a construction jobsite - Research Paper Example â€Å"Safety management system is a documented set of policies, procedures and work instructions that describe how a business manages and minimises the risk of injury to its workforce† (Gardener). This paper tends to explore the potential ways in which the construction jobsite safety can be managed. Essentials of safety management: Safety culture: Safety culture is defined as â€Å"the enduring value and priority placed on worker and public safety by everyone in every group at every level of an organization† (Wiegmann et al. cited in Wiegmann, Thaden, and Gibbons 3). â€Å"Norms and rules for dealing with risk, safety attitudes, and reflexivity on safety practice† are three components of a healthy safety culture (Pidgeon). Thus, by establishing a rich safety culture, management essentially involves each and every individual into the process of safety management, and the results thus derived are effective and long lasting. The safety culture can be best implemente d by preparing and strictly working upon a safety plan. The safety plan: The construction jobsite safety plan lays pattern to secure the health and safety of each and every individual on the site. The plan necessarily deals with the following areas: Assessment of health and safety threats originating both in the jobsite as well as in the areas surrounding it. Selection of appropriate methods, ways and means to reduce the risk and change it into opportunity Conduction of regular safety checks on the site Establishment of a well developed system to monitor and ensure that the safety plan is being complied with by every member in the hierarchical structure of the management as well as the workers. Factors that need to be included into a construction jobsite safety plan are as follows: Assessment of the abilities of organizational members and assignment of specific responsibilities related to safety management according to the individuals’ abilities. Evaluation of methods to iden tify hazard like task analysis Development of methods to investigate and report the accidents that may occur on the jobsite Establishment of procedures to be followed in cases of emergency caused by earthquake, fire breakout, and chemical spill etc Identification of strategies that would ensure quick and effective communication among individuals and the members concerned Assessment of the need and frequency of safety meetings Establishment of a comprehensive audit programme for the site safety Once the jobsite safety plan has been made, there are several factors that need to be taken care of throughout the four phases of project including project planning, designing, procurement and construction. Stage 1 & 2 – Project planning and designing: In these phases, parties that are fundamentally carrying out the work are that of client and the designers or/and architects. In these phases, it should be made sure that the health and safety is given due consideration in the design deve lopment and project planning. Design of a project plays a decisive role in determining what safety measures need to be taken. The measures may vary from project to project depending upon the nature of work. Vertical construction has its own safety requirements that differ from those of the horizontal construction. In the planning phase, pre-tender requirements of the health and safety are established which the applying contractors are expected to comply with during construction. Stage 3 – Procurement: Teams involved in the procurement stage are client and contractors. In this stage, the tender document is

Friday, November 15, 2019

Gender Socialisation through Religion and Family

Gender Socialisation through Religion and Family Introduction In this essay, I will be explaining the process of gender socialisation from a conflict perspective and will be discussing it in two socialisation agents. Which are Religion and Family. Gender socialisation is the process of learning the social desires and attitude related to ones sex. Through gender socialisation, sociologists clarify the behaviour of human males and female and how they act or conduct themselves in various ways and how they learn different roles. Conflict theory From a conflict theorists point of view of gender socialisation is a process of a young male to become a dominant gender to maintain power and privilege in society, however, females are a subordinate group which means men are higher than females. Conflict between parents and the children is very normal for a family. Many times, children have these feelings that their parents do not really understand them these days. In every generation, there are everyday struggle between parents and children, which is when parents tend to push their children too far and expecting too much from them, and the child is blamed for not trying hes/her best. So looking at this the parents are the dominant (men) and the kids are the subordinate (female) Two socialisation agents Religion One socialisations agent that is introduced is religion. Religion is a belief system, in which individual praise or worship a supernatural being. This has a major influence on a childs gender because it gives a pre-conceived set of rules of a person of a specific gender is supposed to act. according to Carl Marx he saw religion as a class divided societies (Gidden Sutton 2014), for instance, how Roman Catholics believed that they should hold on to the traditional ways by being in church praising and worship in God and that they were guaranteed a road to heaven, but some other religion disagrees to that like the Protestant beliefs system believes in encouraging members to embrace changes (Hendslin et al. 2013). But for most familys religion was not just holding the belief to faith in communities and religious activities. But also, meant putting religious beliefs into their everyday lives. It was recognised that parents have a huge part in shaping childrens beliefs in religion, like h aving their children pray every day, before and after their meals and mostly talking about religion itself to children at a young age, as parents they consider it as part of their parenting responsibilities to pass on the faith to their children as sometimes following rules as stated in the bible for example Leviticus chapter 20 verse 13 says: And if a man has sex relations with a man, the two of them have done a disgusting thing: let them be put to death; their blood will be on them(Leviticus 20 n.d.). Family Another socialisation agent is family. A family is a group that consist two parents and their children living together. This agent has a major impact on a childs gender socialisation because as new parent they will begin to create an environment for their boys and girls. Also, Parents will tend to treat their girls and boys differently by encouraging different gender stereotype activities. This include the toys that parents purchase for their children for example the boys are usually given toy vehicle, action figures and sports equipment for them to play with and for girls they were usually given a baby doll, dress-up toys and make up. not only do they purchase toys but they also dress up in gender-specific colours for instance how girls colour is usually pink and for the boys it blue (Berryman, Power Hollit n.d.). REFERENCES Gidden, A Sutton, WP 2014, Essential concept in sociology, Polity Press, United Kingdom. Hendslin, MJ, Possamai, MA, Possamai-Inesedy, LA, Majoribanks,T Elder, C 2013, Sociology: a down to earth approach, 2nd edn, Pearson Australia. Leviticus 20:13 n.d.,Viewed March 2017, http://www.biblestudytools.com/leviticus/20-13.html Berryman, K, Power, R Hollit n.d., viewed March 2017, http://ehlt.flinders.edu.au/education/DLiT/2002/family/gender.ht

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Violence In Rap Music Essay -- essays research papers

Boom, boom! Boom, boom! The kind of bass that drains batteries and the kind of lyrics that unload clips, these are the sounds that rap music produces. I chose this topic because I am extremely interested in rap music and I want to explore the violent aspect of the industry. I have never had a chance to look at the violent side of it and I plan to find answers to questions I have in my search. Tupac Shakur is one of my favorite artists and when he was shot and killed I really started to take notice of the violence. People were getting killed because of an image that was being set. What I really want to know, however, is why rappers feel compelled to graphically describe the violence. In my search I plan to find out reasons behind the deaths of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G. Was there some kind of connection between both of their deaths? I believe that rap music was never violent until "gangsta" rap came about. What sparked this change and who was behind it? I want to explore "gangsta" rap from the beginning until now. I want to research the major players in the rap game, who they are and what some of their lyrics are saying. Today our society is bursting at the seams with violence. There is fighting in other countries like Kosovo, shootings in schools, and violence on television. In my opinion, though, nothing has a greater effect on the youth of America than rap music. However, this isn’t a new issue, there has been violence in rap music for years. Such as, gang violence, references to drive-by shootings and homicides in songs. Since this is such a broad topic I will explore the violent side and history of the industry, the lyrics, as well as the artists. Page 2 In 1986 an unknown rap group came "Straight Outta Compton" and they called themselves N.W.A ( Niggaz With Attitudes). Eazy-E (Eric Wright) started this group along with four friends Dr. Dre (Andre Young), MC Ren (Geronimo Pratt), Ice Cube ( O’ Shea Jackson) and DJ Yella and they soon became the most controversial group ever to hit the industry. In 1989 they released the album, Straight Outta Compton, and a wave of fear was sent over the country, it was an instant classic. With disturbing song titles ranging from "F*ck Tha Police" to "Gangsta, gangsta" caused the FBI and the LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department) to invest... ...t’s most influential rappers, gangsta rap has essentially died with it. Today there is still violence in rap music, but things aren’t as bad as they were. There is still lots of references to killings and gang violence, but things have calmed down and things aren’t so tense around rap music anymore. In my search I have learned a lot about N.W.A, for instance I never knew that there was so much controversy surrounding them when they first came on the scene. I Page 7 learned a lot about artists lyrics, a lot are just due to rivalries that were formed. From the myths that I read concerning Tupac’s death I have a really strong feeling that he is still alive. In retrospect I fell that I am ahead of where I wanted to be at the end of this paper. I have such a good knowledge of gangsta rap’s roots until now and who the major players are. The one thing that surprised me was when I found out the F.B.I and LAPD investigated N.W.A. I think that was a little bit of overreacting . I felt that I made good progress on this paper, I found information that I needed and my interviewee was very cooperative. I really enjoyed doing my search, it was a topic I chose myself, so I had fun conducting it.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

If I Were a Bird Essay

If I were a bird, I would like to be one of the small species, cute and beautiful. I would love to be a tiny maina who is beautiful, tiny and above all, it is a bird that man can keep as a pet. I would love to stay with men, study their ways and enjoy their company. This I would be able to do with men as, God has given the maina a power of speech just like men. It talks like a human being, has a sweet voice and, above all also has a great capacity to learn whatever it is taught. If I were to be a bird, I would like my life to be a beautiful blend of freedom of flying in the high skies and the love and care given by man. I see advantages in both and find it difficult to make a choice. My ambition as a bird would be able to fly high as high can be, like any other bird. This would give me an insight into what all exists in the atmosphere. I would also be able to assess first hand, the life of birds as a community, the advantages and the disadvantages they live with. I would share my experiences with my kin and understand the difficult ways of life. I would attain knowledge of lives of birds big and small as I would move with them and conversing with them while flying high in the air, or sitting on trees with my other colleagues. Though I would love all this, at the same time I would love to become a pet in a nice family. This family would keep me closed in a cage lest I fly off. Here, in the family I would learn to be controlled and restricted. It would be no doubt a punishment of sorts to be tied down in a cage but I feel so happy imagining the love and care I would get from each member of the family that would adopt me. Here, at home, I would be served food in a platter, water in a dish in a right royal style. Aha! what a life that could be for me. Hunting for food and being frightened of bigger birds attacking me would not be a care for me. I would be a loved one of many – what a wonderful feeling it gives. While living with a family I would also be able to learn about the ways of men. How man lives, how he behaves, and what his attitude is towards birds I would be able to understand first hand, being so close to man. I would thus also get an insight into all this. Together with all these advantages, living with human beings, my art of talking like a human would get encouraged and I would get several chances to talk to the family. I understand man keeps mainas and parrots just for this art of these birds, of talking like men. My master, mistress and some small children of the family would teach me how to speak and what to speak. Once I would get the training to speak, I would be able to chat with each of the family members and guests. This would earn for me heaps of praises by all who heard me. This I say because I hear a maina has a very clear and sweet voice, and a capacity to talk like a human. If I were a bird, I would like to get the blessing of this combination to be set into my life. It would give me a healthy and relaxed sojourn in a family, together with free visits to the sky, trying out my skills of taking high flights. The two together would give me as if, the best of both the worlds, of birds and humans. Oh! God, please grant me this life, that is, if I am not asking for too much. Summer Vacation Short essay for kids on My Summer Vacation. Our school closed for holidays on May 14. We had been planning how to spend the vacation this time. There were many proposals. My parents wished to go to our home town, and be with my grandparents for about six weeks or so. My friends had a trekking expedition up their sleeves, while my classmates wanted to go to some hill station on an educational tour for which our class-teacher had also given consent. I wished to avail of all the three proposals. First, I made my mother and elder sister agree to my going on the tour, with my class and the teacher, as the railway concession was already allowed for such journeys. They requested my father to postpone the programme to visit the grandparents by a week or so. My father readily agreed and decided that if I wished to go for the educational tour, I could join him later. He and my mother agreed to go in the advance party to be joined by my sister and me after my tour. My friends agreed to go trekking, after my return from both journeys. The three journeys were planned in the following order: Educational tour in May, home town trip in June and trekking in July, when the monsoon reaches this part of the country. My class-teacher had arranged for the railway concession for thirty-five students and three teachers. We started on May 20, reaching Allahabad late in the evening. Earlier, we had tea and snack at the Kanpur railway platform, since the train stopped there for ten minutes, that being a big railway junction. We enjoyed our three-day stay in Allahabad very much. There we got our rooms booked in a lodge on Thomas Street. We did boating in the nearby river four times. We went to see different places. We also went to see Anand Bhawan, where Pt. Nehru was born. We returned on May 25, much refreshed and happy. My father had booked our seats by Indian Airlines for June 2. I, along with my sister, took this flight as already decided, and reached our home town in†¦ My First Day at New School After I came to the United States, I began to attend North Penn High School on Dec. 6, 2000. It was a day that I will never forget. My first day in a foreign school was a especially hard for me. During my first day in a new school, I felt nervous, lonely, and sad. First, I was very nervous because my school was huge. There were around three thousand students who were studying in the school; furthermore, there were around three hundred staff members in the school. My class schedule was hard for me to understand. Since I had never seen that kind of schedule before, I could not find my classes on time. Also, I was frightened of asking other students for directions because I did not know how to speak English. My first class was Biology, and I was already late for the class. Fortunately, I saw a security guard walking around in the hallway, who helped me to find my class. Many times I have asked teachers for directions too; I was late getting to all of my classes. Moreover, my teachers got mad at me and told me not to be late every time. Second, I felt lonely because there was not anyone with whom I could talk. There were too many students walking around the school, but they never smiled at me or said â€Å"Hi† or â€Å"Hello† to me. In addition, in my world culture class, students had to work in a group, and no one wanted to work with me. There were all American students in my class; they were talking in English and making fun of me because I did not know English very well. Moreover, during the lunch period, I had to sit alone in the cafeteria, when other students were enjoying their lunch period with their friends. Also, I felt sadness at that time, because I missed my friends and family very much. When I was in school back in India, my two best friends, Swati and Bijal, and I used to go to school together everyday; if one of us did not understand any concepts, we always helped each other out. Swati and Bijal always had told me that I was going to miss them and advised†¦

Friday, November 8, 2019

How Slavery And Colonialism Have Shaped Modern Societies The WritePass Journal

How Slavery And Colonialism Have Shaped Modern Societies Introduction How Slavery And Colonialism Have Shaped Modern Societies IntroductionThe modern capitalist economic systemThe industrial revolution and economic growthGlobalization and migrations Racial inferiority, dependency and distorted economiesConclusionReferences Related Introduction Slavery is a system involving the treatment of people as commodities or property, traded often for the purpose of forced labour. This practice precedes written record having existed in numerous cultures. Most notable in its scale was the slave trade in the pre-industrial societies with the most significant being the trans-Atlantic slave trade (Eltis and Engerman, 2000). Slaves mainly from the western and central Africa were sold by African slave merchants and tribal elders to European slave traders to be exploited in an inexpensive labour force. They were then transported to colonies in North and South America and forced to work on plantations of coffee, tobacco, cocoa, cotton and sugar; in the rice fields; in the construction industry; in silver and gold mines; and/or served in houses working as servants (Eltis and Engerman, 2000). Colonialism refers to the establishment, acquisition, maintenance, expansion, and exploitation of a territory by people of other territories or their agents. A colony refers to the territory controlled by another state or its agents. Colonialism describes a set of unequal relationships between colonial power and the colonists on one hand, bearing upon the colony and indigenous population on the other. The period from the 14th to the 19th centuries was an era characterized by European colonialism in which several European powers particularly Portugal, Spain, France, Britain, and the Netherlands established colonies in Asia, Africa and the Americas (Cooper, 2005). Both of these pursuits were designed to strengthen the home country through agriculture and economic exploits through the participation in international trade and exploitation of new lands, among other resources for capital profit in competition with rivals primarily under inter-capitalist rivalry for capital accumulation. They were particularly important in the economic development of capitalism (Ferguson, 2003; Getz and Heather, 2010). This paper seeks to establish if slavery and/or colonialism shaped modern societies and if so, in what ways. In consideration of the contribution and influences of slavery and colonialism in shaping modern societies, industrial capitalism, which consequently undid the dependence on slave trade, the gradual economic change, and the cumulative effect of consequent economic and political developments have significantly shaped modern societies in the global arena (Getz and Heather, 2010). It obtains therefore that in the long term slave trade and colonialism contributed to the development of capitalism which has resulted in the continued dominance of international trade and politics, given their strong economies and political maturity. Consequent impacts of slavery and colonialism ventures on modern societies include: unequal social relations and racial inferiority; neo-colonial dependency; distorted economies as well as massive poverty, particularly of the colonies, especially in Africa. In positive light, the pursuits of slavery and colonialism created effective conduits for commerce both at sea and on land with improved infrastructure and technological progress, as well as in the spread of languages, literature and cultures which has contributed to modern day globalization (Henry and Sangeeta, 2004; Ferguson, 2003). The modern capitalist economic system Capitalism is basically an economic system in which investment of capital (or money) is used to produce profits. Factors of production such as land, communications, factories and transport systems are privately owned by either individuals or corporations trading in a ‘free market’ whose main feature is competition (Hobsbawm, 1999). Historians debate the contribution of slave trade and colonialism to modern economic development with some having the view that the capital required came from within through industrial development. However, others argue that these predominantly commercial pursuits, driven by rivalry in the quest for capital accumulation and imperialism (international dominance), were the essential components in the development of the globally dominant capitalist economy (Cooper, 2005; Henry and Sangeeta, 2004). The industrial revolution and economic growth The processing of raw materials and profits from plantations sourced from colonial territories and produced predominantly through slave labour gave rise to industrial development and the creation of employment, increasing general prosperity and significantly enhancing the economies of the Western nations (Eltis and Engerman, 2000; Ferguson, 2003). The industrial revolution was backed significantly by the easing of credit facilities of new industrialists suffering from the lengthy turnover time with credit offerings which are a vital factor. This was enabled by offerings from the success and profits from ventures and principally, financial bills backed by plantation products like sugar and tobacco which became a form of money and went into circulation, filling the absence of sufficient credit and lending institutions required for industrial development (Eltis and Engerman, 2000). Through this set of events, it is clear that slavery and colonialism led to the development of the modern capitalist economy. The industrial revolution and profits obtaining from the exploits of this era were substantial with the recipients becoming very rich and gaining power in the political and social spheres, thereby challenging the dominance of monarchies at the time (Rud ´e, 1972). Growth in capitalism led to the emergence of economic institutions which provided security to property rights and to the broader society enhancing investments. These institutions were also the result of the development of political institutions which served to constrain the power of the monarchies and allied groups (Rogowski, 1989; Hobsbawm, 1999). Through this, Britain and France, which were farther ahead in economic development ushered in industrial development and parliamentary democracy with attendant liberties, structures and processes which exist and serve the modern society globally to this day (Ferguson, 2003). Globalization and migrations Other benefits and significant impacts that this trade and commerce has had on societies today include improved infrastructure, technological progress, and the opening up of territories around the globe which have been fostered by capitalist democracies; as well as the spread of languages, literation and culture internationally (Hobsbawm, 1999). These have been significant in fostering globalization. Most manufacturing towns and cities, trade routes and sea ports that were developed during this era are still in service in international trade. Also noteworthy is the fact that travel and migrations have resulted in changes in ethnic compositions of countries, particularly those of colonisers and colonies such as the Americas (Getz and Heather, 2010). Racial inferiority, dependency and distorted economies There are however significant negative impacts that these developments have had which are evident in modern societies including unequal social relations which result in racial inferiority; neo-colonial dependency; massive poverty; and distorted economies among others (Getz and Heather, 2010; Henry and Sangeeta, 2004). The dominance of Western nations in the global economy as established through these exploits and organized under capitalism has resulted in inequalities among nations and peoples across the globe. This is enhanced by imperialistic tendencies and neo-colonial dependency characteristic in the relationships of colony states with their colonizers, as well as neo-colonialism (Gallaher et al, 2008). This has resulted in unequal social relations globally and racial inferiority, which in part are consequences of massive poverty and distorted economies in most former colonies. This is illustrated in the neo-colonial dependency of colony states to former colonizers which still exists in modern societies and the distorted economies. When one society finds itself forced to relinquish power to another society, it finds itself in a form of underdevelopment, a subordination that continues to be felt in modern societies (Gallaher et al, 2008). This can in part explain the fate of African and Caribbean states which are characterised by massive poverty and socio-psychological disorientation. Underdevelopment has led to social stratification and geographic disparities due to the belief and perceptions of peoples, such as those of the developing world as being racially inferior to the better-endowed peoples of the Western world. Generations of descendants from slavery continue to be affected by prejudice and bigotry and limited opportunities (Getz and Heather, 2010). Conclusion The view that slavery and colonialism has shaped modern societies has been elucidated and the ways in which this influence has occurred has been discussed. It is considered that the capitalist economic system of the modern world arose from exploits associated or resulting from slave trade and colonialism which has led to the economic divide between the Western world states with those of the colonised, especially the African states. This has led to neo-colonial dependency, social stratification and geographic disparities which have resulted in perceptions of racial inferiority characterized by prejudice, bigotry and limited opportunities. References Cooper, F., 2005. Colonialism in Question: Theory, Knowledge, History. Eltis, D., and S., Engerman, 2000. â€Å"The Importance of Slavery and the Slave Trade to Industrializing Britain.† In: Journal of Economic History, 60, 123-144. Ferguson, N., 2003. Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World. London: Allen Lane. Gallaher, C. et al., 2008. Imperialism/Colonialism: Key Concepts in Political Geography, Sage Publications Ltd. p. 5 (GIC). Getz, R., and Heather S., (eds.), 2010. Modern Imperialism and Colonialism: A Global Perspective. Henry S., and R., Sangeeta, 2004. A Companion to Postcolonial Studies. John Wiley Sons. p. 271. Hobsbawm, E., 1999. Industry and Empire: From 1750 to the Present Day, New York: The New Press. Rogowski, R., 1989. Commerce and Coalitions: How Trade affects Domestic Political Alignments, Princeton; Princeton University Press. Rud ´e, G., 1972. Europe in the Eighteenth Century: Aristocracy and the Bourgeois Challenge, Cambridge MA; Harvard University

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

The Perks of Being a Wallflower Compare and Contrast Essays

The Perks of Being a Wallflower Compare and Contrast Essays The Perks of Being a Wallflower Compare and Contrast Paper The Perks of Being a Wallflower Compare and Contrast Paper Essay Topic: The Perks Of Being a Wallflower The book and the movie for The Perks of Being a Wallflower are extremely different, and I believe that the movie is much better than the book. The book is written much differently than the movie. There are lots of scenes that are in the book but not in the movie and that are in the movie not the book. The movie focuses less on the bigger, depressing topics than the book does. The characters in the movie are also much different than they are in the book. Their personalities are very different in the movie than the author described them as in the book.The movie, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, is directed very differently than how the book is written. The book is written in letters that Charlie writes to a friend. In the book, it’s harder to â€Å"get to know† the characters. Charlie describes them very well but it is harder to actually feel like you â€Å"know† the characters. Charlie sometimes narrates the movie, but it is also in 3rd per son. Because the movie is also in 3rd person, you can â€Å"get to know† the characters better. In the movie Charlie also has flashbacks. When he has them he describes himself as â€Å"getting bad again†.Because the book was written in 2nd person, Charlie never had flashbacks. In addition to the book being written differently than the movie, there are many things that were left out of the movie that were in the book. One thing that was in the book but not the movie was when Charlie caught his sister Candace and her boyfriend, Ponytail Derek sleeping together. In the movie they also leave the part out when Charlie drives Candace to get an abortion. Charlie, Sam and Patrick also smoke cigarettes in the book, but they don’t in the movie. One big thing that Charlie did a lot of in the book, but almost none of in the movie was cry.In the book, Charlie cries after he and Sean get in a fight, when Sam kisses him, when he breaks up the fight between Patrick and Brad, an d after the dare where Patrick told Charlie to kiss the prettiest girl in the room, while he is dating Mary Elizabeth, and he kisses Sam. In the movie, the only time you see Charlie crying is at the end, when he blacks out and attempts to commit suicide. There are many scenes and details that were in the book, but were left out of the movie, one thing that differentiates the movie from the book, is the change in character’s personalities and the relationships between the characters.In the book, Candace and Charlie seem like they don’t get along extremely well. Like any brother and sister, they fight quite a lot and they get in many arguments. But Candace seems like she is much meaner to him in the book than she is to him in the movie. In the movie Candace is much nicer to Charlie, and just nicer in general. Patrick is quite similar in the movie to how he was in the book, except for his personality. In the book, Patrick seems less carefree and funny. It seems like he is a jokester, but he can also be very serious at times. While in the movie he can’t be taken seriously and he always is trying to lighten the mood.Even when he and Brad were going through a rough spot in their relationship, he was still messing around and cracking jokes. Charlie was the character that is the most different in the book and in the movie. In the book, Charlie is portrayed as weak, nerdy and extremely awkward. But in the movie he is a tougher character and he seems a lot less quiet and shy. One way the movie shows that Charlie is not very weak is how he only cries once at the end. While in the book he cries all the time. The Perks of Being A Wallflower is a good book but a very good movie.If the movie had all of the scenes that the book had in it, the movie would be extremely depressing. The movie was written differently than the book, it was written in 3rd and 2nd person while the book was only written in 2nd. There are very many things that the book had, but the movie did not. Including some of the very heavy events and flashbacks that Charlie had. Some of the characters in the book were shown very differently than they were in the movie. After watching the movie and reading the book for The Perks of Being A Wallflower, I believe that the movie is better than the book.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Leadership Style of Ivan Seidenberg Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Leadership Style of Ivan Seidenberg - Essay Example Mr Seidenberg is regarded as one of the key element responsible for several successful mergers and acquisitions including NYNEX Corporation, Bell Corporation, MCI Inc and GTE Corporation in the years 1997, 2000 and 2006 respectively. He has also served as a director BlackRock International and Honeywell International Inc since 2011 (Forbes, 2013). Although Mr Seidenberg has given his resignation from his CEO post from Verizon communication Inc (Verizon), he will remain chairman of the board (Wall Street Journal, 2013). It is observed that Mr. Seidenberg had exhibited transformational leadership style at multiple stages and various situations. Transformational leadership skills include dealing with the complexity of the management problems effectively and with ease. Transformational theory was defined by theorist James McGregnor in the year 1978 (Sadler, 2003). Transformational leadership skills lead to excellent performance of the employees which are usually beyond the expectation of the organizations. Mr Seidenberg has always been promoting a congenial work environment which helped in achievement of targets and improved the organizational culture. The leadership style exhibited by Mr Seidenberg helped in promoting active participation in decision making, moral and social support, cooperation, etc. (Noguchi, 2005). Organizational Structure & Verizon Communications Under the control of Mr Seidenberg, Verizon Communications had developed a mechanistic and bureaucratic structure which is appropriate for the mass production and makes the employees task oriented. The structure of the organization determines the culture and the performance of the employees. It is believed that organizations are rational entities and the employees are considered as economic components (Martnez-Leon and Martnez-Garca, 2011). The attributes which are found in bureaucratic and mechanistic organizational structure are as follows: Different hierarchy levels where the authority emanates fro m the top level managers to the middle level managers and lower level managers (Martnez-Leon and Martnez-Garca, 2011). Intense work division which helps in generating work specialization A high degree of horizontal differentiation where certain employees are given specialized roles and responsibilities. High formalization which is derived from strict compliance to the formal rules and regulations (Martnez-Leon and Martnez-Garca, 2011). High relational complexity and centralization deriving from the managers need to coordinate the organizational activities which would help in developing effective control over employees and problem resolution. The organizational structure at Verizon had a strong hierarchical control, and the top level managers, especially the CEO, were responsible for decision making. The CEO was responsible for the creation of formalized groups, rules, protocols and procedures. The decision and information disseminated from the top level to the low level managers. Th e job duties, responsibilities and procedure are clearly defined. Although high centralization helps in improving the existing process, it can reduce the innovation procedure (Dastmalchian and Blyton, 1992).

Friday, November 1, 2019

International Trade and Finance Speech or Presentation

International Trade and Finance - Speech or Presentation Example A trade deficit (excess import over exports) has a direct and stern upshot on the value of the U.S. dollar. A massive trade deficit means that the U.S. is spending more funds overseas than in its own homeland (Colander, 2010). The country’s manufacturing profit is lower than its consumption profit. Trade deficit, combined with the government’s large budget deficit, speeds up the decline of the dollar’s value. The trade deficit, talking in relation to buying power of the dollar, is the third rail of the market (Colander, 2010). The United States formerly used to manufacture goods and sell them, not just here at home, but all through the globe. The country led the way, but not any longer. The shift away from control, in the manufacture of things individuals need, has allowed other nations such as, India and China to pass the country (Colander, 2010). Now the United States has become a buyer rather than a seller (Colander, 2010). Take a product like oil for instance . America imports a lot of oil from the Arab nations. The importers, due to this, take advantage of the United States, and decide to raise oil prices whenever they want. This affects businesses and other normal consumers severely (Colander, 2010). Question 2 In order to comprehend international trade, it is essential to identify what the effects of foreign trade have on the domestic markets, GDP and university students. Foreign trade is fundamentally when nations exchange products (Colander, 2010). If a nation’s net exports are positive, then the nation’s GDP goes up, but if they are negative, then GDP goes down (Colander, 2010). Every state wants their GDP to be greater rather than other nations. Therefore, every state wants their net exports to be positive. It is, however, not possible for every nation to have positive net exports since one or more nations have to import more than they send abroad if the others export more than they bring in. America is one of the ke y contributors to foreign trade (Colander, 2010). In reality, our GDP is tremendously impacted since we are enormous importers. We depend highly on products from other nations than what we sell abroad. This not only affects our GDP, but also has an upshot on our domestic markets since we are purchasing more from nations abroad. For a university scholar who is considering opening a business, as an instance, when they leave school the effects can be tremendous when they enter a market where there is a strong contender abroad. Question 3 The U.S. government makes numerous choices especially when it comes to money matters (Colander, 2010). The crucial question is how these choices, in line with quotas and tariffs, affect foreign trade and relations? First and foremost it is essential to recognize that quotas and tariffs are, in place, to support the government in making choices on how much amount they will agree to have exported and imported (Colander, 2010). Tariffs and quotas, in addi tion, help the U.S. government determine the sum of taxes, which will be collected so as to avoid discarding of those products. Foreign traders are encouraged to play their part in international trade through having exchange rates in place (Colander, 2010). There are also government regulations that help to avert certain products from entering our nation. In reality, the main aim of the U.S. government and the choices, which they make concerning quotas and tariffs, is to do what is paramount for our country to keep it lucrative and