Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Then and Now Essays

Then and Now Essays Then and Now Essay Then and Now Essay Now and Then Interview â€Å"Times sure have changed† is a quote that comes to mind when thinking of the different between being an adolescent today compared to being an adolescent sixty years ago. To find out more about the differences I was able to speak with a male, currently age 82, and a female age 18. I am familiar with both of these individuals one, a close friend of the family, and my cousin’s daughter was able to answer some questions for me also. These two people both grew up in the United States. The eighty-two year old lived in Kentucky as an adolescent. The eighteen year old currently resides in Arkansas. Times have changed and I learned a little about just how much in speaking with my willing participants. These two people from such different times in this country taught me quite a bit about how things are different than they were sixty years ago. When speaking with the elderly gentleman I found he spoke of his adolescents as a working time in his life. He wasn’t able to attend high school because World War II started. His father owned a saw mill and needed help making railroad ties for the government. He gave up going to school for working six days a week, 10 hour days in the saw mill, in addition to the home chores he had to do before and after work to help keep his household going. This compares drastically to the current adolescent I spoke to. Things are much different today in age than they were back then. The adolescent of today is graduating high school this month, where she was able to take medical classes along with her college prep classes. This subject works 25-30 hours per week at a local fast food restaurant, but by her own choice. One major difference between these two besides the importance of education is that the eighty-two year old did not get paid a wage to work 50 hours a week. He worked to help out his family, not to earn a wage. This gentleman was content to be given enough money to go the movies most weekends. He didn’t expect to receive a paycheck for the work he did. In speaking with the elderly individual I didn’t get a feeling that working at such a young age adversely affected his vocational identity. He worked because it was what he had to do. Working from such a young age in his home doing mandatory chores, and additionally having to work outside the home to help his father gave him a strong work ethic. Even though he is retired, this gentleman still lives alone, owns three vehicles, which he does all basic maintenance himself. Reading from the text book on page 419, the author makes it seem that working at a young age can harm an adolescent. This goes against my personal beliefs and what I found in doing these interviews, going to school and working helped both of my interview subjects, and from my own personal experience, it gave even me a better sense of responsibility and expectation for becoming an adult. From questions about school and job situations I moved into asking these individuals about the relationships they have or had with their parents. Neither subject spoke of conflicts with their parents. They both shared that their parents trust them to make correct decisions. The elderly man shared that his community was small, so his parents would warn that if he did something wrong it would get back to them. He claimed that he and his siblings knew to â€Å"just be a good citizen,† and if they did something wrong not only would their parents find out, but neighbors would correct them verbally if they were found to do something inappropriate, â€Å"it was a neighborhood kind of thing. When speaking to the current adolescent she shared that her household rules include only a curfew, dressing appropriately, not being allowed to be home alone with her boyfriend, or have him in her bedroom. Other than not being permitted to do drugs or alcohol, she said her father doesn’t place as many restrictions on her because he knows he can trust her to make good decisions. It seems both people were able to gain the trust and re spect of their parents by the time they were adolescence, keeping the conflict that can arise to a minimum. From conflicts in the home we spoke about what types of activities they do/did in their free time. This doesn’t seem to have changed much over the years. Both said they would just hang out with their friends wherever they were able to. Sixty years ago it was more outside and at Church. Today with transportation being easier things have shifted some to being â€Å"at each other’s houses, going to the mall, (we go to) Wal-Mart a lot. † Per the conversation I had with the youth of today. Though the locations are different, the time spent is similar enough. Peer selection was based on who they went to school or Church with, who was around them on a regular basis to gain that friendship with. I did notice that the current teenager shared she has had several boyfriends, where the elderly man advised he didn’t have a girlfriend until he was able to get a car of his own, which wasn’t until he was in his 20’s. This makes it appear that transportation makes dating easier. Though, he did share that walking a girl home from Church â€Å"was special. The actions are different from sixty years ago to today when adolescents spend free time with each other, but that’s to be expected with transportation and the amount of activities available increasing with technology. In closing, I found that both interview subjects were helpful in showing how the experience of being an adolescent has changed from sixty years ago to today. People still react to the environment around them. If a child is raised in a home where work is ex pected and no other option is given, they will most likely become a hard worker. Gender roles have changed and both people I spoke with mentioned something about how things are different now for women. It used to be women took care of the household, so when the eighty-two year old got married he expected his wife to stay home and take care of the house as his mother had. When she got a part time job after their kids were in school, he was upset by it, but allowed it. The young lady I spoke to provides money to her father for her vehicle payment, for her use of a cellular phone, and to help pay for their cable bill. She plans to attend college and become a teacher, which is the career she has chosen for herself. This is something she will expect any future spouse to be accepting of. Times have changed, and the roles men and women play have changed also. I learned more than I thought I would, but also found that some things haven’t changed, and I hope they never do. References Berger, K. S. (2008). The developing person through the life span, 7th edition. New York, NY: Worth, P, 416-425. Lambert, A. (2010, April 27). Telephone interview. Picklesimer, E. (2010, May 1). Telephone interview.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

How Ambiguity Strangles Your Marketing Performance With Karen Martin

How Ambiguity Strangles Your Marketing Performance With Karen Martin What does â€Å"strategic ambiguity† mean? Marketers, politicians, and others use it all the time. It’s the art of making a claim using language that avoids specifics. So, you can be purposefully vague to derive personal and organizational benefit. On the other hand, it creates an environment at companies where employees try to avoid blame. Today, my guest is Karen Martin, president of TKMG and author of Clarity First. She describes how a pervasive lack of clarity strangles business performance and leadership on marketing teams. Definition of Clarity: State of something being easily and accurately understood; similar to transparency, but different from certainty Conveying and receiving information can cause ambiguity or clarity for employees and customers Primary reasons for lack of clarity all come down to fear Ramifications of lack of clarity: Takes time, builds frustration, and creates inefficiencies Five Ps for clarity: Purpose Priorities Process Performance Problem-solving Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Visual of the marketing team’s health Profit is not your purpose; profit is the outcome of delivering high value to customers, and purpose is to solve a customer’s problem Are you a clarity avoider, pursuer, or blind? Take Karen’s Clarity First Quiz Where to start to focus on clarity: What do you do? What do you really do? Why does that product, and not something else, to solve a problem? Fearless Workplace: Multiple perspectives, but not a single understanding; feel comfortable having difficult conversations Links: TKMG Clarity First by Karen Martin Clarity First Quiz Clarity Webinars presented by Karen Martin The Outstanding Organization Write a review on iTunes and send a screenshot of it to receive cool swag! If you liked today’s show, please subscribe on iTunes to The Actionable Content Marketing Podcast! The podcast is also available on SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Quotes by Karen Martin: â€Å"I discovered that there were several different primary reasons for the lack of clarity, but they all actually boil down to one thing, and that is fear.† â€Å"Limit how many things you’re working on at any given time. You’ll get more done per unit of time.† â€Å"Profit is an outcome. It’s an outcome of delivering high value to customers, and the purposeis to solve a customer’s problem.† â€Å"It’s more fun to come to work every day because you’re solving people’s problems in a profound way. It feels good.†

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Compare and contrast the total GDP of the Arab world Essay

Compare and contrast the total GDP of the Arab world - Essay Example In the case of France, the country’s GDP ($2.734 trillion) alone is greater than the combined GDP of Arab League members. In 2011, Germany’s GDP was estimated to be $3.55 trillion, which is $1.24 trillion greater than the total GDP of Arab League members. The Arab League members’ combined GDP is nearly half the GDP of Japan ($5.773 trillion) alone in the same year. It is interesting to note that Japan achieved this status despite the massive Tsunami attack on March 2011. Finally, the United States’ GDP is 6 times greater than the total GDP of Arab League members in 2011. According to CIA World Factbook, total GDP of the occupied Palestine was estimated to be $6.641 billion in 2011. As compared to the GDP of Israel ($239.8 billion) in the same year, it seems that the combined GDP of Arab League members represents only 2.77% of the Israel GDP. From the above compare and contrast analysis, it is clear that the combined GDP of 22 Arab League members is less than the GDP of economically developed countries like United States, Japan, Germany, and France. It must be noted that this combined GDP would be smaller if members like Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Egypt are taken away from the list. Countries like US, Japan, and Germany contribute to global economy far better than Arab League members do combinedly. As stated in the Arab League Investment and Business Giude despite the enormous oil and natural gas reserves, the Arab League’s economy greatly struggles to stabilize the region’s growth; and tourism sector is appeared to be one of the fastest growing industries in this area (14). Experts suggest that Arab League members have adequate key resources to enhance their GDP growth rate over the next decades. Finally, the GDP of the occupied Palestine (Gaza Strip and West Bank) constitutes only a small percent of the GDP o f the

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Culture Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Culture - Assignment Example Consequently, we shall be required to hire a language and cultural interpreter for dealing with Chinese in addition to engaging in selective hiring of expats based on their past international experience particularly with the Chinese. Furthermore, ethical aspects of the Chinese culture may be weak leaving scope for bribery and gift-giving at various levels of business operations. Additionally, team work may be difficult to achieve with the Chinese who do not possess any concept of teams in their culture. However, binding based on understanding of the Chinese language could prove to be a successful strategy in developing strong cross-cultural teams involving Chinese. Finally, the company may have o consider the conflict of home country versus subsidiary strategy based on different cultures prevailing in the two countries. It is recommended that Primark engages in cross-cultural training and engages in selective hiring on expats so that the need for repatriation is minimized. 1. Introdu ction National culture is stated as having a profound effect on the strategy adopted by organizations. Furthermore, the formulation of strategy for our subsidiary in China at our headquarters in U.K could entail the risk of having one national culture dominate over the other when it comes to strategy formulation. A stark difference between the national culture of China and U.K based on Hofstede’s dimensions is also apparent. 2. Chinese culture and HR Policy The Chinese culture is marked by hierarchical ties based on status, paternalistic leadership and emphasis on trust building amongst relationships (Guanxi) which is contrary to the Western notion of formal planning, more objective business dealings and a participative style of management. It is important to understand the key dimensions of masculinity, power distance beliefs, uncertainty avoidance and long term orientation laid down by Hofstede identifies that highlight the differences between the Eastern(including Chinese) and Western (including U.K) national culture(Hofstede, n.d.). The Chinese societies possess high power distance beliefs, collectivism, long term orientation and conformity. Therefore, it is not uncommon for the Chinese to derive satisfaction from collective gains rather than personal achievements. Furthermore, the Chinese people tend to avoid conflict in an attempt to â€Å"save face† and appreciate harmony and cohesion. On the other hand, Western societies such as U.K tend to be more work-centric and highly individualistic with low power-distance beliefs(Edfelt, 2010). Clearly, we run the risk of engaging in what is known as an ethnocentric approach. Sending expatriates from the parent country (in this case, U.K) to assume top managerial positions in the foreign country (China) would be part of our HR policy. However, it is necessary that there is sufficient coordination between these expatriate bosses and the local intermediate managers in China. Research also suggests tha t prior international experience provides valuable work-related and non-work related information for cross-cultural interaction, particularly if that experience has been with a culture similar to the current one(Selmer, 2001). 3. Socialization and business dealings At this stage, hiring of expatriate managers based on their past experience of dealing in cross-national assignments/projects (particularly projects with China) would be necessary as

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Abusive Relationship Essay Example for Free

Abusive Relationship Essay Physical, emotional, verbal, and sexual abuse are some of the different types of abuse that can be found within a relationship. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of adolescent dating aggression, and to define, compare and contrast different points of view. The author of the novel Faultline, Janet Tashjian, describes a series of events in the life of Becky, the main character of the story, where she is getting involved into an abusive relationship with Kip, presenting all the warning signs that every adolescent should know. This story represents the millions of adolescents that are in this same situation. I will be presenting real cases from different sources to demonstrate that adolescent dating aggression is a serious problem for many teenagers. Yet like other forms of aggression, warning signs are often present that a young couple may be at risk. By understanding these precursors we can help adolescents avoid problematic situations and instead develop healthy dating relationships that will set in place a solid foundation for satisfying relationships throughout life. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in four teenagers report being verbally, emotionally, physically or sexually abused in a dating relationship. The issue of dating violence is so critical that it was included in the 2005 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, along with the crimes of sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking. Statistics indicate that males who are exposed to domestic violence as children are twice as likely to be abusive in their own relationships. Many teens use cell phones and computers as tools of control and abuse in dating relationships. There have been millions of reports of abuse in a relationship; one of these cases was reported by Nicky who was 12 when she fell in love with Richard who was 13. What Nicky has to show for their years together are a chipped tooth, a nose bent several degrees by his fist, three children â€Å"all of whom were born before their due dates because of beatings†, she says, a nd emotional scars that are hard to fathom in someone so young. She shares her story to Los Angeles Times: My earliest memory of abuse? I was 13. When he went into high school, I was still in junior high and he didnt trust me. One time I was wearing this see-through blouse. I had a slip on underneath it, because my parents taught me how to dress. [But] he got mad, and he pushed me on the ground and started calling me a bitch and everything. I thought, `Well hes just mad, I shouldnt have worn that. I couldnt go home. What was I gonna tell my mom? So I went to school and I put on my P.E. clothes and that is what I wore all day. In the last two decades, domestic violence has emerged from the black hole of taboo subjects to become highly visible. And what has long been happening between spouses or adult lovers is now recognized as a problem for teen-agers as well. Surveys show that about 28% of high school- and college-age students are in abusive relationships, roughly the same proportion as adults. But while adults have shelters and well-publicized hot lines, adolescents typically have only each other, if that. They often cannot or will not turn to adults for help and may not even talk to their peers. Young girls and women often do not know how to get out of abusive situations. More schools are providing programs to teach teens the warning signs of abusive relationships and provide them with the tools they need to leave violent and controlling partners. Some people think that dating violence is increasing because many girls are afraid to stand up to an aggressive and controlling boy. Others blame the violent and sexual content in the media as a contributing factor in dating violence. According to a New York Times article, â€Å"The high incidence of adolescent abuse distresses Barrie Levy, a Santa Monica therapist and a founder of the Southern California Coalition for Battered Women†. Levy, who edited the book Dating Violence: Young Women in Danger became aware of the problem in 1982 during a domestic violence education project in Los Angeles-area secondary schools. Our focus was on the development of an education program that would target adolescents, thinking that the way to start dealing with domestic violence was presumably before it started, Levy says. Violence in adolescent dating relationships is a large-scale problem, and may result in long-term trauma and psychological aftermath for victims. I provided some data, statistics, facts and opinion about this issue. An abusive relationship can be prevented if parents, teachers and counselors talk to the adolescents about the warning signs and how get away from that abusive relationship. The novel Faultline is a great example that can be used to teach teenagers about this serious topic.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Blanche is Responsible for her own Fate in a Street Car Named Desire Es

This essay will describe whether or not Blanches’ unfortunate eventual mental collapse was due to her being a victim of the society she went to seek comfort in, or if she was solely or at least partly responsible. The factors and issues that will be discussed include, Blanches’ deceitful behaviour and romantic delusions which may have lead to her eventual downfall, the role Stanley ended up playing with his relentless investigations of her past and the continuous revelations of it, the part society and ‘new America’ played in stifling her desires and throwing her into a world she could not relate to or abide by. Firstly, the reader may initially feel Blanche is completely responsible or at least somewhat to blame, for what becomes of her. She is very deceitful and behaves in this way throughout the play, particularly to Mitch, saying, ‘Stella is my precious little sister’ and continuously attempting to deceive Stanley, saying she ‘received a telegram from an old admirer of mine’. These are just two examples of Blanches’ trickery and lying ways. In some ways though, the reader will sense that Blanche rather than knowingly being deceitful, actually begins to believe what she says is true, and that she lives in her own dream reality, telling people ‘what ought to be the truth’ probably due to the unforgiving nature of her true life. This will make the reader begin to pity Blanche and consider whether these lies and deceits are just what she uses to comfort and protect herself. Blanche has many romantic delusions which have been plaguing her min d since the death of her husband. Though his death was not entirely her fault, her flirtatious manner is a major contributor to her downfall. She came to New Orleans as she was fired from... ...hey affect the lives of the women around them, yet somehow do not change to a great extent throughout the plays. On the other hand, both characters are comparable in that their eventual fate could be argued as being in many ways as a result of their own deeds and possibly the strains of society. In conclusion Blanche is to a degree responsible for her own downfall and mental collapse. She opts to turn to promiscuity and inebriety even going as far as to admitting to flirting with Stanley, and by the end disclosing all her tricks and deceits to him and Mitch. However, she cannot be held as responsible for the acts of her husband, Stanley and even Stella and the social circumstances involving the destruction of her old America by new America, which have caused her already deteriorating mental state to detract beyond possible repair by the end of the play.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Stuart Hall’s Cultural Identity and Diaspora

Ouahani Nasr-edine A Paper about Stuart Hall’s article: Cultural Identity and Diaspora Stuart hall talks about the crucial role of the â€Å"Third Cinemas† in promoting the Afro-Caribbean cultural identities, the Diaspora hybridity and difference. Hall argues that the role of the â€Å"Third Cinemas† is not simply to reflect what is already there; rather, their crucial role is to produce representations which constantly constitute the third world’s peoples as new subjects against their representations in the Western dominant regimes. Their vocation is to allow us to see and recognize the different parts and histories of ourselves. They should provide us with new positions from which to speak about ourselves. Stuart Hall provides an analysis of cultural identities and what they stand for, their workings and underlying complexities and practices. Hall argues that cultural identities are never fixed or complete in any sense. They are not accomplished, already-there entities which are represented or projected through the new cultural practices. Rather, they are productions which cannot exist outside the work of representation. They are problematic, highly contested sites and processes. Identities are social and cultural formations and constructions essentially subject to the differences of time and place. Then, when we speak of anything, as subjects, we are essentially positioned in time and space and more importantly in a certain culture. These subject positions are what Hall calls â€Å"the positions of enunciation† (222). Hall talks about cultural identity from two different, but related, perspectives. First, he discusses cultural identity as a unifying element or as the shared cultural practices that hold a certain group of people together and second, he argues that as well as there are similarities, there are also differences within cultural identities. In the following paragraphs, we will discuss these two sides of cultural identities. In the first sense, cultural identity is held to be the historical cultural practices that held to be common among a group of people; it is what differentiates them from other groups and held them as of one origin, one common destiny. In this sense, cultural identity refers to those cultural codes which are held to be unchangeable, fixed true practices. This underlying â€Å"oneness† or â€Å"one true self† is the essence, Hall argues, of â€Å"Carribeaness†, of the black Diaspora. It is this identity which should be discovered by the black Diaspora and subsequently, should be excavated and projected through the representations of the â€Å"Third Cinemas†. Here we would add that this collective identity is not only to be represented by the â€Å"Third Cinemas† but also by The Third Literature and through The Third Academia. It is this sense of cultural identity which plays a critical role in eliciting a lot of postcolonial struggles. The act of discovering such identity is at the same time an act of re-shaping and rehabilitating, of re-claiming â€Å"the true self†. It is an act which goes beyond â€Å"the misery of today† to recover and reconstruct what colonization have distorted. Imaginative rediscovery plays a crucial role in restoring such identity. The emergence of counter discourses (like feminist discourse, anti-racist discourse, anti-colonial discourse and so on) which tries to highlight and bring to the forth the â€Å"hidden histories† are an outcome of the creative force of such sense of cultural identity. Hall gives the example of Armet Francis photographs about the peoples from the â€Å"Black Triangle† which is considered as a visual attempt, an act of imaginary reunification of blacks which have been dispersed and fragmented across the African Diaspora. Another universal unifying element of blacks is the Jazz music. It is an attempt to restore the black agent to his home â€Å"Africa†, to relocate him, symbolically, within his true essence: â€Å"Africanness†. Such counter discourses are resources of resistance which problematizes the Western regimes of scholarly and cinematic representations of blacks. The second side of cultural identity is related to the discontinuities and differences, to the historical ruptures within cultural identities. Cultural identity is not just a matter of the past, a past which have to be restored, but it is also a matter of the future. It is a â€Å"matter of ‘becoming’ as well as of ‘being’† (225). In this sense cultural identities no longer signify an accomplished set of practices which is already there; they are subject to the â€Å"play† of history, power and culture. They are in constant transformation. Hall argues that it is this second sense of cultural identities which enable as to come to terms with â€Å"the traumatic character of the ‘colonial experience’. The Western representations of the black experiences and peoples are representations of the ‘play’ of power and knowledge. Western categories of knowledge not only position us as ‘Other’ to the West but also makes as â€Å"experience ourselves as Others† (225). This colonial experience puts as in a dangerous position: it makes us ambivalent in our life, our needs, and our thought. This colonial experience had produced uprooted subjects, split between two words in an unidentified space. This rootlessness, this lack of cultural identity which the colonial experience produces leads us to question the nature of cultural identity itself. In this sense it is never a fixed, shared entity. It is not one and for all† (226). It is not something which happens in the past but it is a process. What we told ourselves about our past is always constructed through â€Å"memory, fantasy, narrative and myth†. Cultural identities are not essences but are ‘positionings’; they are constructed sites from which we speak about ourselves. Hall states that black Caribbean identities are shaped through two operative vectors: the vector of the continuity which is related to the past heritage and the vector the discontinuity which is the result of slavery, transportation and migration. In this sense, it is the Western world that unifies the blacks as much as it cuts them, at the same time, from direct access to their past. This colonial effect on the Caribbean positions the different regions of the Caribbean archipelago as both the same and different simultaneously. In relation to the West, we are positioned in the periphery, one space, one fate and one destiny; but in relation to each other, we have different cultural identities. These variations within cultural identities cannot be simply cinematically presented in simple binary oppositions as â€Å"past/present† or â€Å"them/us†. Drawing on the concept of â€Å"differance† which the French philosopher Jacque Derrida had developed, Hall explains that cultural identities which, generally, we think of as eternal and unified are instead, merely a temporary stabilization and arbitrary closure of meaning historically and culturally specific. Cultural identities are subject to the infinite nature of the semiosis of meanings and the endless supplementarity within those meanings. The complexities of the Caribbean cultural identities can be partly understood if we relate it to the three ‘presences’ over the islands: â€Å"the presence Africaine†, â€Å"the presence Europeenne† and the â€Å"presence Americain†, the terra incognita. The presence Africaine is the space of the repressed. It is inscribed in every aspect of the Caribbean everyday life and it is the secret, hidden code by which Western texts are re-read. This is the live Africa from which â€Å"the Third Cinemas† and other representations should derive their materials. The discontinuity and ruptures which are caused by slavery and transformation makes us aware of our â€Å"blackness†. It causes as to return back to our past to discover our real essence which unites us despite our differences. This process returning back enables the emergence of a ‘new Africa’ grounded on and necessarily connected to the symbolic ‘old Africa’. Our journey to the old Africa is an imaginative journey, a symbolic journey to the far past to make something of the present day Africa. The presence Europeenne, on the other hand, has positioned us in the rims of the centre and inscribes in us a sense of ambivalence manifested in our attitudes of and identification with the West, going backward and forward from moments of refusal to moments of recognition. Finally, the Americain or the â€Å"New World presence† constitutes the battleground where different cultures from different parts of the world grapples and collide with each other, what Mary Louse Pratt calls a â€Å"contact zone†. It is the ‘empty’ space, the third space or the space of no one. It is the place where the processes of creolizations, transformations, assimilations, syncretisms and displacements occur: It stands for the endless ways in which Caribbean people have been destined to ‘migrate'; it is the signifier of migration itself- of travelling, voyaging and return as fate, as destiny; of the Antillean as the prototype of the modern or postmodern New World nomad, continually moving between centre and periphery. 234) In this sense, the â€Å"New World presence†, the terra incognita, constitutes the very beginning of the Diaspora of the black presence, of diversity, hybridity, and difference. It is an open symbolic space which is constantly producing and re-producing, a space of heterogeneity of constant newness and uniqueness. The rich past of sameness and difference, of shared spiritual and cultural habits on the one hand and of memories of ruptures and discontinuities_ slavery, migration, transformation†¦_ on the other hand constitute â€Å"the reservoir of our cinematic [and other] narratives†. It is the real black Diaspora. Reference:Rutherford, Jonathan. Identity, Community, Culture and Difference. Ed. London: Lawrence & Wishart Limited, 1990.[ 1 ].All the quotations stated in this work are taken from Stuart Hall’s article ‘Cultural Identity and Diaspora’ in Jonathan, Rutherford. Identity, Community, Culture and Difference. Ed. London: Lawrence & Wishart Limited, 1990. PP 222–237

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Mice & Men Essay

In chapter 3, the setting, the bunkhouse can be seen to symbolise that people only see what is obvious to them. Steinbeck shows this through symbolism in the bunkhouse. ‘Although there was evening brightness showing through the windows of the bunkhouse, inside it was dusk†¦ Instantly the table was brilliant with light, and the cone of the shade threw its brightness straight downward, leaving the corners of the bunkhouse still in dusk. The brightness down the centre of the bunkhouse shows our assumptions about something, as we judge things solely for what we see and know. This happens at least once during the text and can be seen through the immediate judgement of Curley’s wife as comes alone to the bunkhouse. George seems to know exactly where the trouble is going to originate, and this is shown when George cautions Lennie not to talk to Curley’s wife. George immediately judges Curley’s wife from previous gossip from Candy, her appearance and her behaviour before he has a chance to get to know her. His assumption led the audience to believe that she is simply just a tart, and nothing more. The dark and gloomy corners on the other hand are a representation of the secrets and not so obvious things in life. This can be seen at the end of the text when we find out the real reasoning as to why Curley’s wife behaves the way she does, which is due to her lack of attention from Curley, not just because she is a floozy. The contrast of dark and light builds anticipation in the audience as the feeling of doubt seems to lurk permanently in the background. Others may interpret the bunkhouse to symbolise cruel world of reality. The dark corners of the bunkhouse suggest dreams and ambitions as in the dark, as we cannot see the problems in which lie ahead. It is only in the light which can be seen down the centre of the bunkhouse that we can see reality and all of the barriers in which will prevent us from achieving these ambitions. Steinbeck shows this when all ambitions of the ranch workers never go to plan. In the light down the centre of the Bunkhouse It appears to be a world in which fate often plays a hand, and the characters are frequently defenceless and watch their dreams turn to dust. Lennie’s puppy symbolises dreams, joy and the relationship between George and Lennie. A puppy is so fun to play with. You can spend time with it; a puppy can listen to all of your problems, is a great friend and you could never stay mad when you see one; however they are reliant on its owner for its wellbeing. This is like the relationship between George and Lennie. Lennie is reliant on George to keep him well and healthy and out of trouble just like the puppy would be reliant on Lennie when it grows older. George and Lennie are also have a close relationship, where they share their problems and although they George may get frustrated with George at times he is always quick to forgive him. The puppy brings joy to Lennie and George because ‘George said if Lennie didn’t hurt the puppy then he could tend the rabbits, when they get their own farm. The dream farm symbolises the tie between them and keeps them working, even when times are hard it is, and is ultimately, their version of heaven. So when Lennie kills a kills the puppy later on in the Chapter 5, it is obvious to the audience that their chances of going there are forever ruined. In contrast to this it may lead some to believe that the puppy is therefore a symbolism of the fate of the weak in the strong and foreshadows doom, shown particularly when Lennie brings the puppy in to the house and away from the it’s nest. ‘’He reached down and picked the tiny puppy from where Lennie had been concealing it against him’’. Concealing means to prevent something from being seen or known about. Many things are concealed during the story such as the petting and death of the mice, the incident in weed, the death of the puppy and briefly the death of Curley’s wife. We learn about the incident in weed in chapter 3 so it automatically foreshadows a doomed future of the puppy, given our knowledge about the mice. Our suspicions are confirmed During Chapter 5 when Lennie kills the puppy accidentally due to the fact that he still does not recognize his own strength. Although no other character can match Lennie’s physical strength, Lennie finds himself in a similar situation as the innocent animal, as Lennie is unaware of the vicious, predatory powers that surround him. This doom was foreshadowed by the puppy. The sequence of events of the puppy gives a cast contrast of scenes full of hope (when the puppy is first given to Lennie), in comparison to scenes of disappointment (when the puppy dies) increases the reader’s apprehension as they are continuously on the edge wondering what he will do next.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Polygraphs Essays - Polygraphy, Pseudoscience, Polygraph

Polygraphs Essays - Polygraphy, Pseudoscience, Polygraph Polygraphs Introduction Homo Sapiens have yearned for a reliable and consistently correct way of finding out if one is telling the truth since ancient times. ?Early societies used torture. Statements made by a person on the rack were considered especially believable.? (Jussim, pg.65) There was also trial by ordeal, which was based on superstition. For instance, if there were two suspects for one crime, it was thought that the innocent would be stronger in combat and thus vanquish a guilty opponent. This example shows how it was done long ago. ?The ancient Hindus made suspects chew rice and spit it into a leaf from a sacred tree. If they couldn?t spit, they were ruled guilty. Although this procedure long predated the modern lie detector, it was based-knowingly or not- on assumptions about psychological stress much like those that support polygraph examinations today. The ancient test depended on the fact that fear makes the mouth dry, so rice would stick in a guilty person?s mouth. For the procedure to work, the subject had to believe in its accuracy and, if guilty, had to be anxious about being caught in a lie.? (Ansley, pg. 42) The modern polygraph is said to measure the subject?s ?internal blushes? in much the same way. It does not really detect lies-only physiological responses. The theory behind the polygraph is that lying always heightens these responses. When taking the test, subjects are hooked up to a briefcase-sized machine by means of several attachments. usually, a pneumatic tube goes around the chest to measure respiration, a cuff squeezes one bicep to monitor blood pressure, and electrodes are attached to two fingertips to determine the skin?s resistance to electrical current (which is related to how much the subject is sweating). An examiner, or polygrapher, quizzes the subject. As the subject answers the questions, the machine draws squiggles on a chart representing physiological responses, which are supposed to clue the examiner in to the subject?s lying, or truthful, ways. Just as the ancient Hindu was betrayed by a dry mouth the modern polygraph subject is said to indicate that he or she is lying by breathing harder or having a racing pulse. (In arriving at a conclusion about a person?s deceptiveness, some polygraphers also use their own subjective observations of the person?s behavior.) The test will not work, though, if the subject does not believe in the procedure. If the subject doesn?t not think the machine can tell the examiner anything, then he or she won?t be anxious and won?t show the heightened responses that the machine is designed to record. Because of this, the examiner will often use deceptive tricks to impress the subject with the polygraph?s alleged accuracy. Modern polygraphy got its start in Chicago in the 1930s, where it was used in criminal justice investigations. Now it has a wide range of other applications, including screening job applicants and employees, conducting intelligence investigations in federal security departments like the Central Intelligence Agency, and trying to uncover the source of unauthorized disclosures to the press of government documents or information. The strategies used by polygraphers vary from one application of the machine to another. in pre-employment screens, subjects are typically asked a series of about twenty questions. ?Irrelevant? questions like ?Is your name Fred serve to put the subject at ease. Typical ?relevant? questions are: have you ever been convicted of a crime? Stolen from a previous employer? is all the information on your employment application correct? Do you take illegal drugs? This series is repeated, and if physiological responses to particular relevant questions are constantly and significantly higher than responses to others, the subject is reported as ?deceptive.? Investigations into specific incidents are more complicated. Tin these, ?relevant? questions concern only the alleged wrong doing-for instance, ?Did you steal the missing $400 To determine truthfulness, polygraph responses to these questions are compared with responses to other questions- called ?control? questions-that are provocative but do not relate to the incident. The use of polygraphs in the work place greatly increased over the last fifteen years, and now over two million of them are given annually in the United States. Seventy-five percent of them are administered to job applicants. Other tests are given periodically or randomly to employees or as part of an investigation in the wake of a theft or act of sabotage. Although subjects technically submit to testing ?voluntarily? - generally signing a release saying they are willing to undergo such an examination- they actually have few options. Applicants who refuse a

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

The Meanings of Sarah Palins Childrens Unusual Names

The Meanings of Sarah Palin's Children's Unusual Names Many questions have been raised about the unusual names of Sarah Palins children . They werent randomly chosen. In fact, the former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate and her husband, Todd Palin, selected names that reflect the familys personal history and shared passions. Track Palin Track, the familys first-born son, was given that name because of the familys longstanding interest in sports. Sarahs parents were coaches, Todd was a high school athlete, and Sarah is an avid runner. Their first child was born during the track season. Track made news in January 2016 when he was charged in a domestic violence case in which his girlfriend said he punched her and threatened suicide. Palin was charged with three misdemeanors and pleaded guilty on a weapons charge. The other charges were dismissed. Sarah said her son’s arrest stemmed from post-traumatic stress disorder after a military deployment in Iraq. In December 2017 Track was charged with felony burglary, fourth degree assault against his father, and criminal mischief for causing property damage  at his parents home. According to court documents, the dispute was over a truck that Track wanted to borrow; his father declined because Track allegedly had been drinking and taking pain medicine. He was ordered to spend a year in custody in October 2018 after a third alleged assault when a judge ruled the allegation disqualified him from a therapeutic veterans program following a previous assault case. Bristol Palin The couples oldest daughter is named after Bristol Bay, an area where Todd grew up. Bristol Bay is also the site of the familys commercial fishing interests. Willow and Piper Palin The Palins havent identified the significance of their other two daughters names, but the meaning is likely rooted in aspects of the regions culture and way of life. Willow is the name of a small Alaskan community near the family home in Wasilla. Piper may have come from the name of the popular bush plane the Piper Cub, which is commonly used in Alaska. In a People magazine interview, Todd was quoted as saying, Theres just not too many Pipers out there, and its a cool name. Trig Paxson Van Palin Trig Paxson Van Palin is the couples youngest child. According to governors spokeswoman Sharon Leighow in a statement shortly after his birth, Trig is Norse and means true and brave victory. Paxson is a region in Alaska the couple favors, while Van is a nod to the rock group Van Halen. Before Trigs birth, his mother had joked about naming her son Van Palin, a play on the bands name. Trigs birth was a source of controversy and blogosphere rumors. Palin, according to her book Going Rogue, didnt tell anyone about her pregnancy with their fifth child except her husband. There were rumors that Bristol, not Sarah, was Trigs mother, but the allegations were largely disproved. Sources: Shapiro, Rich. Whats in the Palins childrens names? Fish, for one. nydailynews.com.Sutton, Anne. Palin welcomes  fifth child, a son named Trig Paxson Van Palin. Fairbanks Daily News-MinerWestfall, Sandra Sobieraj. John McCain Sarah Palin on Shattering the Glass Ceiling people.com nbcnews.com, Track Palin, son of Sarah Palin, arrested on domestic violence charges against dad

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Programmable Logic Controllers Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Programmable Logic Controllers - Assignment Example The RES instruction is used to cancel the SET instruction, hence putting the PLC off. In the contemporary society, electronic devices are used in variety of ways. Electronic devices which make use of microprocessors rely on signals to understand information. Signals are available in two forms, i.e. Digital and analogue. Electronic devices can only understand information that is in digital format, and hence the analogue signals are meaningless in such devices. For this reason, the conversion of analogue to digital signals is essential, especially considering that most real life situations lead to the production of analogue signals. The analogue to digital conversion of information, changes the format of the information, without altering its content. Microprocessors are used for the conversion of the analogue signal to digital. The principle used in the conversion of analogue signals to digital signals by the microprocessor is the voltage variation. The microprocessor used sensors, which detect the incoming analogue signals, and translate them into voltage levels. For instance, the translation of temperature of 0 – 1000c, leads to the assignment of 0 volts to 00c, and 5volts to 1000c. Any value that is above 0volts represents an HIGH, and hence microprocessor can show the actual value, depending upon the number of levels the microprocessor can represent. The resolution of the A/D converter refers to the number of intervals which can be divided from a certain analog input range. Since the interpretation of the analogue input (e.g. temperature) requires assigning of voltage levels, the number of levels which can be represented is determined by the resolution. Resolution of A/D converter is represented in bits, for instance, an n-bit A/D converter has a resolution of 1/2n. The word length, as used in the microprocessors refers to the

Friday, November 1, 2019

Racial and Ethnic Relations Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Racial and Ethnic Relations - Assignment Example ifferent countries contributes to make race relations in that country and consequently, the residents face problems in accepting the outsiders as their own parts. South Africa has a racially defined society and the mentioning of the race becomes compulsory to facilitate the citizens to equalize their past grievances. The dwellers of United States require redressing and balancing of the race in order to live normal lives as United States is a multicultural land with many races as its citizens, therefore the presence of race relations is not a new thing in United States. In South Africa and United States, racism is acknowledged as an issue faced by society; however, Brazilian population rejects the existence of racism in its society. Because of race relations in Different countries, the minorities face economic disparity and majorities rise in economic power as well as political power. In South Africa, race relations cannot be ended as the culture is deeply enriched with racial discrimination. Restrained kind of relations can be found out in African population. Similarly, in United States, ethnicity, racism and discrimination are very clear as people are offered different types of facilities according to their races. The African Americans located in United States are mostly poor with no economic stability due to which, they get less opportunities of health care, education, employment and so on. Black population everywhere in the world was racially deprived except in South Africa. Slavery was at the base of Black racism. United States got fame because of its slave trade. Even in South Africa, some people were involved in selling those who were poor and dependent. However, African government considers slavery as a mistreatment with its people. At this juncture, when there are no more slaves, the old status of Africans still makes them guilty of their historically deprived status. The race relations are not discriminative in United States only but also in Brazil.