Mary Shelley Essay

Do you agree? Frankenstein is one of the great novels of English literature, written in 1816 by a young Mary Shelley. The name Frankenstein is generally associated with the terrifying monster created in the many film adaptations of the book. But did Mary Shelley write only to frighten the reader? Or did she write in order to explore deeper issues of the evolving times she was living in? The basic plot of the novel is typical of a blood-curdling horror story: a mad scientist creates an inhuman monster, which subsequently goes on a murderous rampage, not resting until it has avenged itself. But Shelley’s novel uses various other themes throughout the book, asks questions and expresses strong views on the changing balance between science and religion of the early 19th century. Through her monster she explores the themes of isolation, the relationship between God and man, the importance of respecting nature and the dangers of obsession. Shelley’s novel has been extremely influential on horror stories since as it is one of the most famous gothic horror novels of all time. It is also the first to use the idea of ‘fear of the unknown’ in the context of scientific research. It is one of the forerunners of later 20th century novels such as Brave New World, which warn of the dire consequences of unchecked scientific progress. The novel was written as part of a game or competition between herself, her husband, the poet Byron and his friend Polidori. They were spending time in Geneva when Byron suggested they should each write a ghost story and see who could write the best. That night Shelly had a terrifying nightmare in which she saw the story of Frankenstein. Shelley’s parents appear to have been hugely influential on the novel. Her father was the writer and political journalist William Godwin, who became famous with his work An Enquiry Concerning Political Justice. Godwin had revolutionary attitudes to most social institutions, and as result she had been exposed to many modern radical ideas and had been to public shows where they stimulated the muscles of dead animals or humans to produce twitching. Perhaps it was this which gave birth in her mind to the famous creation scene of Frankenstein? Her mother had died in childbirth and she herself had lost children, which features heavily in the book. The novel is told through letters from Captain Walton to his sister Margaret in what is known as a Chinese box style. Walton talks about his own story and we get to know him, then we are introduced to another character, Victor, who Walton meets in the desolate landscape of the North Pole. Victor tells his story to Walton who relates it to his sister. Victor then tells us, through Walton, of how he met his creation, the ‘monster’, and tells Walton all that the creature told him which is then written down in the letters. In this way we get a first hand account from several different characters and we get a feeling of the depth of the story as we delve deeper in to the plot and see each side of the story. Chapter 5 is the beginning of any real horror in the novel. Of course, there have been some mysterious circumstances and the bleak and desolate setting of the North Pole, but nothing to really scare the reader. But the creation of the creature is Shelley unearthing her fears about the progression of modern science. To begin with Shelley creates tension, setting the scene, saying : ‘it was on a dreary night of November’ and ‘the rain pattered dismally’ both of these creating a sense of unease and darkness. Furthermore, she tells us how ‘the candle was nearly burnt out†¦ by the glimmer of the half extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open’, which again forms an image of a dark laboratory with flickering candle light, and creates tension, which have all become classic horror settings ever since.

Analysis of environment, industry and SWOT analysis

The Australian food retailing industry is characterized by a high level of competitiveness. The intense competitiveness has led to an environment in which emphasis on cost efficiency has become the critical success factor. In the general environment, the key to maintaining competitiveness has become ensuring cost efficiency through efficient supply chain management.This efficiency can be promoted technologically. Economic factors are also important in the environment. These factors manifest themselves in high levels of household debt, a low national rate of saving, falling house prices, falling oil prices and increases in unemployment and interest rates. In Aldi’s case, these environmental factors are likely to exercise a negative influence on consumer spending.The threat of new entrants is high in this industry. For example, Aldi faces the threat of its main European rival Lidl entering the Australian market. Therefore the threat of substitute products is also high. This thre at is underscored by the fact that most competitors are carrying house brands which are enabling them to offer high quality at a low price. This has resulted in a high level of competitive rivalry.The main competitors currently are Woolworths and Coles-Myer. These are the two major national chains. There are also smaller regional players such Action, IGA and Franklins. These companies are focusing on cost efficiencies and therefore sustainability of competitive advantage has become difficult to maintain. Bargaining power of customers in the FMCG industry is also high. However the bargaining power of suppliers is not that high. Costs in this case have been streamlined through building long term relations.Aldi’s main strength is the process of decentralization empowering managers. There is a high degree of delegation in the company. The company’s weakness is in its lack of investment in marketing. Currently this is not a problem but in the future, as new entrants stake o ut a claim in the industry, the company might have to invest in aggressive promotional strategies (cited in Hill, 2008).However the company is not structured to shift focus accordingly. Lack of market research might also become a problem in case of increased competitiveness. The opportunity for the company is to move into other Australian states and territories.In the immediate time frame, the company should focus on South Australia because of its proximity to its current locations. The threat is the rising level of competition not only from the existing players but also from new entrants. The competitive threat is being created in terms of cost improvements and product diversifications (cited in Aaker, 2004).Key resources and capabilitiesThe source of Aldi’s competitive advantage is cost leadership. Implementation of this strategy has been facilitated by maintaining good relations with channel members and ensuring employee satisfaction.Channel members include the suppliers a nd the customers. Aldi’s strategic focus is to ensure maximum customer satisfaction by maintaining a product range that is in alignment with customer tastes and preferences. The company also maintains good relations with the suppliers by maintaining a shared information network.Its cultural orientation is also unique in terms of facilitating the highest degree of decentralization and delegation. This gives the managers a sense of ownership over their processes and as a result they are committed to the continuous improvement process. This is a critical success factor for the company in the highly competitive environment in which it operates and these resources ensure a sustainable competitive advantage.What gives Aldi a sustainable competitive advantage is its limited product range that consists of house brands. The advantage of maintaining this orientation is that strategies against the threat of product differentiation can be implemented.This is particularly relevant in Aldi ’s case because it faces intense competition from Woolworths and Coles-Meyer which are major national chains and draw their competitive advantage from maintaining a widely diversified product portfolio.Therefore Aldi has to position itself as a low cost provider of products of comparable quality. This is facilitated through cutting costs in areas such as not providing free shopping bags, surcharges on credit card payments and motivating customers to manage their own shopping trolleys.These strategies enable the company to cut down the size of its manpower and therefore reduce costs. Being cost conscious is the first part of its guiding philosophy. The second and third parts of the philosophy are related to ensuring satisfaction with customers and suppliers.

Mixed Methods Research Manuscript Critique Assignment

Mixed Methods Research Manuscript Critique - Assignment Example plied the communication theory on its sample students in an attempt to understand the students’ perception on the use of the substances (DeSantis, Webb & Noar, 2008). Through the communication theory, the researcher would understand the health knowledge of the students, their attitudes and even reactional behaviors towards the substance. After gathering information on the students’ perception on the use of the drugs, the researcher would then be better placed to define mechanisms that would properly educate the students on the dangers of the prescription drugs (DeSantis, Webb & Noar, 2008). The quantitative and qualitative methodologies complemented each other in the research. The two forms of methodology provided an understanding on the rising numbers on the use of ADHD stimulant use. The quantitative methodology gave the statistics on the use of the stimulants while qualitative gave results on the interviews with the students (DeSantis, Webb & Noar, 2008). Data was collected quantitatively using surveys and qualitatively using in-depth interviews. Convenience sampling was used to get the best students to give the correct data on the use of ADHD stimulant drugs (DeSantis, Webb & Noar, 2008). Data was gathered via the use of in-depth interviews through the hand-held audio tape recorders. Rigor was assured through training and supervising the researchers on interviewing process, the ethical strategies, and the transcription procedure (DeSantis, Webb & Noar, 2008). Prior to participating in the study, the students were advised that the study would be voluntary and would lead to a productive educational experience. The students then provided their consent before the survey completions. Written agreements were also obtained from the students before the interview took place (DeSantis, Webb & Noar,

Social Change Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social Change - Research Paper Example The system depends on satellites to provide precise location and time data to the specified users (Helms 20). GPS-consumer products that exist in cell phones and smart phones accompany the technology. It is through this technology that turn-by-turn directions of everything that the consumer is looking for is available to the car dashboards, smart phones and iPhones among others (Kaplan and Hegarty 13). Navigation for a long time has been considered a skill up to now. It required a lot of knowledge and effort to interpret the maps in the past. The end of the 19th century and the entry of the 20th century emerged with a new technology that bridged the distance between an ordinary person and a knowledgeable navigator. (Roy and Beringer 32) This technology refers to the global positioning system. The technology has made navigation simple because with a single click on the screen; every person can find the intended way via a complex system that consists of satellites. The system works through receivers that translate satellite data and give precise positions of the features in question (Sherman 45). The first people to come up with the idea of the GPS were the military personnel and proof that the system worked in 1991.The American forces found it difficult to navigate through the desert terrain due to the lack of landmarks, the introduction of the technology made it easy for the forces to navigate with ease through any terrain that they came across with a lot of ease. The exact accuracy of this technology in the navigation sector showed the power of the GPS technology (Sonokpon 32). The technology also has a lot of impact on the economy of the country. Many companies are turning the GPS technology for collection of accurate and useful relevant geographic information data to improve their market targets (Hannon 50). A good example is the airport sector where an airline is in a position to find out the shortest possible distance between two

Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Response - Essay Example continuity: It is the only nation on earth that inhabits the same land, bears the same name, speaks the same language, and worships the same God that it did 3,000 years ago†¦Ã¢â‚¬  To some extent Israel only regained its independence because of the guilt over the Holocaust. Because of the advancement of technologies, the Holocaust was documented through statistics, pictures, and some film footage. The difference in Australia was little tangible proof of the atrocities toward the Indigenous people, these people were terra nullius (no one lived there), and they were treated as â€Å"invisible†, living as hordes in tribal form. While Britain came building structures, setting rules, and demanding that the Indigenous people join their culture. As Israel, Charles highlighted, looks whole, even after being controlled and ruled by many empires, the Jews still kept their own culture. This culture was even recognized by the British. The difference is the publicity of the Holocaust versus the Indigenous Australians. Because society differ from one another, even if the societies seem to have some common features, such as their historical domination over indigenous populations and the processes by which older political ‘settlement’ are being unsettled in the recent years in the face of dynamic and renewed indigenous challenge. They are not distinguishable from other kinds of (post) colonial societies (Curthoys, p.20). 3. Do you agree with Curthoy’s argument that Australians resist coming to terms with their colonial past because they see themselves as victims? Yes. Australians see themselves as victims, not oppressors. In non-indigenous Australian popular culture, people see themselves as victims of ‘large economics forces, middle class elites and powerful nations overseas. An example we can see through such as WWII and Anzac Myth which Over 8,000 Australian soldiers were killed. News of the landing at Gallipoli made a profound impact on Australians at

How have cell phones affected the lives of american citizens Essay

How have cell phones affected the lives of american citizens - Essay Example The lives of the American people are, therefore, highly influenced by mobile telephony. Arguments on the effects of cell phones on the lives of American citizens are both positive and negative, with the positives outperforming the negatives (Ling 34). Cell phones constitute the primary mode of communication in America. This means that mobile telephony has made it simple and easy to access effective and efficient communication services. As a result, communication challenges that were evident decades ago are no longer present today. Sending and receiving information is efficiently aided by cell phone devices, thereby reducing time and cost of sending and receiving information and messages. The social aspects of the American people have also been accounted for by cell phones. The mobile telephony industry has revolutionized social interactions through the use of cell phones. This has made it possible for people to interact even without having to meet physically. The link of cell phones to the social media has further led to the realization of an integrative social enhancement at a global level. This has come as a complement to intentional communications originating from America to the rest of the world. Cell phones have further impacted positively on the economic conditions of individuals, businesses and the performance of the American economy at large (Campbell 73). At individual level, cell phone services are provided at affordable charges, with competition in the industry necessitating an ever declining service pricing for mobile telephony. Moreover, cell phones companies undertake promotions all over America, offering cash money, mobile phone handsets and mobile phone accessories to their lucky subscribers. This has enhanced the economic conditions of numerous subscribers across the United States. In general, American citizens have benefited from the operation strategies employed by cell phone

How to successfully implement technological change using Essay

How to successfully implement technological change using sociotechnical principles lessons from case studies - Essay Example The whole electric-power industry felt the consequences" (Strategos, 2008). The problems that occurred at Babcock and Wilcox were attributed to quite a few different factors, namely technological difficulties. The company had built a plant at Mt. Vernon on the Ohio River and had pre-sold an entire year of pressure vessels. Before long, they noticed that every single one of the pressure vessels they were manufacturing was behind schedule (Strategos, 2008). Other problems abounded at the Mt. Vernon plant. Labor shortages, malfunctioning machines, rigid standards, and added expenses plagued the company, causing unprecedented delays to take place. Critics of the company's management team also say that corporate arrogance played a role, as had the choice for the location of the plant in the first place (in an area where labor was short and people were very difficult to train). A lot of money had to be spent in vain training workers that only 33% stayed behind after training to actually work for the company. In addition to being short on labor, the company was also short on skilled labor. The company also had equipment problems. These led to even further delays in getting the pressure vessels out (Strategos, 2008). Its customers were so frustrated by the delays that they began to take partially-manufactured units out of the Mt. Vernon plant and have the company's competitors finish them. The costs associated with these customers waiting any longer were just too high (Strategos, 2008). Kaizen Event for NC Machining According to the case study for this particular machining company "A Kaizen Event helped a jobbing-type machine shop implement workcells and set the stage for dramatic improvements in inventory, delivery, productivity, and quality." In this particular case, the results were that, "In the three months after cell startup, the pump assembly line was never once stopped or inconvenienced by a parts shortage from this cell. WIP inventory went from three months to three days. Productivity improved by about 50%. Capacity was released for increased production demand. Quality improved" (Strategos, 2008). Mechanical Control Cables This case study tells about an older organization that had grown to be very successful, but as has often been the case, met up with technological times and hit a roadblock. Their traditional way of doing things had led to too much overhead. After 2-3 consultants spent a great deal of time at the company and "taught, learned, experimented, and cajoled" (Strategos, 2008). According to the case study for this particular company, "In the end, five workcells were in place and a macro layout showed the locations of remaining cells. Training was well along and teams were developing. Supervisors were learning to deal with the cell environment. Mechtrol carried on this work in the years that followed" (Strategos, 2008). Compare & Contrast The last two cases are similar in structure, but are completely different from the first case. In the first case, major problems are causing unforgivable delays that rocked an entire industry. In the second and third cases, a few relatively minor adjustments in cell layout needed to be made in order to maximize speed, efficiency, productivity, and overall profitability. The decisions were also better thought out in the second and third cases, and the management teams took things impressively slower

Innovation at apple Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Innovation at apple - Coursework Example We chose a different path. Our belief was that if we kept putting great products in front of customers, they would continue to open their wallets† Steve Jobs 1. Introduction: Several companies today are caught up in a relentless pursuit of innovation and intentional development of novel ideas, products and services in a bid to capture the imagination of their target consumers. The role of innovation in organizational development and its contribution in organizational success have been amply substantiated in literature, over the years. Organizational ambidexterity has emerged as one of the most influential concepts in recent times whereby highly creative and innovation driven organizations have proven their might in the market by not only sustaining their competitive advantage over their rival firms, but by leading the industry as well. Apple Inc. is one such example which has managed to successfully evade the competition by constant innovation and research and capturing a relat ively larger market share through sheer creativity. The above quote aptly mirrors the collective sentiment at Apple Inc. This essay aims to discuss, analyze, and examine the case of Apple Inc., through various theoretical perspectives and models in a bid to explain the role and influence of technological innovation in organizational development. 2. ... eir initial phase strive to survive in the market by designing their policies in accordance with the present market environment and adapt to their surrounding environment (Hart and Christensen, 2002). This theory helps in assessing and evaluating the various aspects of firm behaviour with regard to technological change and the resultant scope of the firm to survive in a new market (Loasby, 1976; Casson, 2005). Apple was founded by Steve Jobs and Ronald Wayne on April 1, 1976 which was mainly focused on designing a personal computer that was popularly known and sold as Apple I. After the incorporation of Apple as a company in the year 1977 the company grew and shifted its strategy to innovation and creativity as the key drivers to sustain the market competition. This strategy helped Apple Inc in introducing highly innovative products in the market based on latest state-of-the-art technologies that helped them differentiate their products from that of their rivals. (Innovation at Apple , p. 1). The theories of entrepreneurship developed over the years indicate judgemental decision making as a key aspect of entrepreneurial behaviour (Shane, 2003). This theory entails that entrepreneurs at times may differ greatly in terms of their strategies by displaying attitudes that exhibit a high degree of optimism which in turn is based on the critical information available at their disposal as well as their conviction to deliver positive outcomes (Casson, 2005). Steve Jobs inspired the culture of innovation at Apple Inc. and created a highly favourable working environment whereby employees were constantly encouraged to come up with innovative and creative ideas. The key focus of the management was to hire people who displayed high level of motivation and commitment towards the

Interpersonal Communication Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Interpersonal Communication - Term Paper Example Therefore, we can say that interpersonal communication is influenced by the nature of relationships that exists between individuals. Interpersonal communication has some distinguishing characteristics. Some of the main characteristics of interpersonal communication include convenience, commitment, and freedom. Let us describe all of these characteristics in some detail. Convenience or accessibility refers to the concept of availability. From organizational perspective, interpersonal communication needs all employees expressing willingness to communicate with each other. It never happens in interpersonal communication that one employee is talking and the other employee keeps quiet during the whole conversation. Interpersonal communication needs both persons to communicate with each other. Commitment is another characteristic of interpersonal communication, which means to express dedication and assurance to take part in the communication. Interpersonal communication is worthless without commitment of all employees involved in the communication. Expression of freedom is one of the most admirable characteristic of interpersonal communication. Freedom refers to the elimination of harsh attitudes or pressurized situations during interpersonal communication. All persons involved in the communications must have the freedom to raise their viewpoints in front of each other. While talking about interpersonal communication, let us talk about some of its main elements in order to get a detailed understanding of the principles of effective interpersonal communication. Kern (2010) asserts, â€Å"Effective communication helps in that the message is enable to achieve its goals and helps in receiving the desired response from the reader of the message†. Interpersonal communication is of many types, which include one-to-one conversation, small group conversation, social communication, business communication,

Three major causes of the French Revolution Essay Example for Free

Three major causes of the French Revolution Essay The French Revolution had many causes. Some of the causes were dealt with political, social, and economical reasons. Out of the three estates, the third was the most dissatisfied with the conditions. The ideas of the Enlightenment lead to new views of the government and society. In this essay three causes of the French revolution will be discussed. One of the major cause of the French Revolution was the clashes between the diverse types of social classes in French society, first, second, and thirds estate. The third estate demanded changes from the French government. As stated in document 3, three changes were to reform the abuses and tyranny of letter de cachet, the tax on land should be equally paid by all classes, votes of the third estate should be taken by head. The largest group of the third estates was the rural peasants. Some were prosperous landowners who hired laborers to work for them. The bourgeoisie sat at the top of the middle class. They consisted of prosperous bankers, merchants, and manufacturers. It also included the officials who staffed the royal bureaucracy, as well as lawyers, doctors, journalists, professors, and skilled artisans. The poor people of the estates were extremely poor indeed as told in document 1. There is an inequality in taxes the each group must pay. Lands owned by the nobility are taxed lower than the lands owned by commoners. The price of bread had risen too high for the poor people to pay. In the third estate the urban workers were the poorest. They earned miserable wage. The slightest rise in food could lead to hunger or starvation. Peasants were forbidden to kill rabbits that ate their crops, but the nobles could. Peasants were angry when nobles hurt by rising prices tried to reinstate old manor dues. The middle class had knowledge of the ideas of the enlightenment. This caused them to want reforms. As quoted from document 4, which is an excerpt from The French Revolution, by Albert Mathiez, The Revolution came from them the middle class. The middle class asked for a lot and they wanted equality. Due to the pressure for reforms, the king summoned an Estates General. Louis XVI had all three estates prepare cahiers listing their grievances. This way the estates got to put down in righting what the wanted  changed or revised. Many cahiers called for reforms such as fairer taxes, freedom of the press, or regular meetings of the Estates General. The third estate had probably made most of these reforms. As seen above the middle class had a lot to do with the French revolution. Some were extremely poor and some were wealthy but they were all treated the same. This applied to all the estates. Clashes between the diverse types of social classes in French society, the poor people of the estates being extremely poor, and the middle class knowledge of the ideas of the enlightenment, were all causes of the French Revolution.

Imagined community

Imagined community According to Benedict Anderson, what is an ‘Imagined Community? How does this relate to the contemporary world? â€Å"I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can† George Bernard Shaw (Wisdom Quotes, 2009). Such views demonstrate that communities are an integral part of day-to-day life within the contemporary world, be this in a tiny, remote village in rural India or the thriving capital city of Beijing, China. This essay examines communities within the international sphere, focusing primarily on Benedict Andersons theory of ‘Imagined Communities. The first section of this essay examines Anderson as an academic scholar and his views towards nationalism, including of course a detailed understanding of his theory of ‘Imagined Communities. The second section then goes on to explore other political theorists take on Andersons work, focusing on three such theorists: Ernest Gellner, Anthony D. Smith and Eric Hobsbawm. This theory and reasoning behind Andersons and these three other theorists work, is then used as the foundation on which to build when looking at the contemporary world, focusing on the case study of Great Britain and how this study is of relevance to contemporary political issues. Communities within Britain are examined in terms of the imagination Anderson refers to, namely the Ukrainian community and also the Sikh community, both within multicultural British society. Andersons background is that of anthropology and when assessed, it is clear that he falls within the Modernist school of thought, arguing that nations are simply a product of modernity, in existence to cater to political, economic and military needs. Andersons theory of ‘Imagined Communities has been widely spread and applied to the field of international relations and political science, a theory which has been influential in carefully examining the politics of identity and the formation of communities across the globe, also known as nationalism. Anderson explores the modern nation in terms of its development throughout history, aiming to understand the emergence of these nations and how they have remained as nations in terms of status (Higson, 1998, p.355). Nationalism took form and began as an ideology during the eighteenth century, and more recently has undergone a global movement across the varying borders and boundaries of nations. It has three generic goals: â€Å"natio nal autonomy, national unity and national identity, and for nationalists, a nation cannot survive without a sufficient degree of all three† (Smith, 2001, p.9). National identity in particular is fundamental to the order of the contemporary international sphere. According to Anderson (1991) therefore, the building and construction of nation states is an imitative action in that it follows similar patterns and trends as used by fellow nation states. Nationalism, in Andersons (1991) eyes is thus an instrument and product of such social constructions and all of this was in actual fact an American construction. Additionally, he contends that nation building is consistent of and on a par with fictional narratives, a point which agrees which Smith (2001), discussed later on in this essay. With such a clear focus on nationalism, Anderson (1991) studies the idea of membership of a community, the idea of membership as boundaries defining ‘us and ‘them, and the idea of the community as an equal comradeship, thus collectively leading to the creation of an identity. Under the umbrella of nationalist thought therefore, Anderson is largely interested in the formation and preservation of political identities. His key argument is as follows: communities are in fact imagined ones as, in truth, individuals residing in one particular place i.e. Britain, will never know, see, meet, converse or have any sort of relationship with all other residents, yet this ideological concept of a ‘British community still exists. Anderson thus is focusing on nationalism, in particular nations and their identity building processes, a nation being â€Å"an imagined political communityimagined as both inherently limited and sovereign† (Anderson, 1991, p.7). In his argument, the a nation is imagined as limited in that, even the one holding the greatest number of human beings, each community has finite boundaries, beyond which are other nations (Anderson, 1991, p.7). The nation is imagined as sovereign as the concept emerged during a time in which â€Å"Enlightenment and Revolution were destroying the legitimacy of the divinely-ordained hierarchical dynastic realm† (Anderson, 1991, p.7). Finally, the nation is imagined as a community as despite inequality and exploitative behaviour that may occur, the nation remains a â€Å"deep, horizontal comradeship† (Anderson, 1991, p.7). Such ‘imagined communities are in actual fact socially constructed entities, consisting of individuals who have similar, if not identical, interests, these interests forming the basis for their grouping choices and decisions, and allowing the individuals to identify with one another. Andersons theory therefore comes from the location of individuals within specific ordered communities, as members of bounded communities whose members have common traits and concerns. His idea of this type of a community existing emerges from how the general public, according to him, identifies and understands themselves with respect to the community of their nation. As a result, all individuals have a horizontal relationship with all other members of their supposed ‘imagined community and this creates identity. Such identity provides safety and security to members of the imagined community, providing a sense of belonging to a group of people who are on the same wavelength and have similar i nterests and motivations (Anderson, 1991). This is of course, opposed to the previous identification which was wholly concerned with pre-existing religious systems and dynasties, which have now collapsed. Anderson (1991) then goes on to examine the fall in access to privileged scripts and discourse such as Latin, the movement to eradicate ideas and commands of the monarchy and divine rules of power and finally the emergence of print capitalism in terms of the media and how this is related to the concept of nations. The final point here is of greatest relevance to this essays discussion. From first thought, it is common to think that no real relationship exists between media and communities, yet on closer inspection, it becomes clear that this is not the case. Anderson (1991) argues that the media is the key group creating these ‘imagined communities through their mass audience targeting procedures. The media often makes generalisations to the ‘public and when thought about, is most definitely an ‘imagined community in itself. Anderson (1991) therefore argues that national media and education systems have a critical role in ensuring a nation imagines itself as  "a coherent, meaningful and homogenous community† (Higson, 1998, p.355). His primary concentration however lies with newspapers, which he argues are a fundamental part of print-capitalism, this being the key commodity in the generation of new ideas and concepts (Anderson, 1991, p.37). Print-capitalism contributed greatly to the imagined communities that exist within nations and will continue to do so in the future. He argues that newspapers allow shared experiences of resenting authority to take form, this not being beneficial as this gives rise to the marketplace, where print-capitalism is produced and invoked within consumer society in terms of profitability. Print-capitalism is, in Andersons opinion a commodity which is vital to current and forthcoming generations of completely new ideas and concepts (Anderson, 1991, p.37). His argument focuses primarily on the impact of the Reformation, this being: â€Å"the coalition between Protestantism and print-capitalism, exploiting cheap popular editions, quickly created large new reading publicsand simultaneously mobilized them for politico-religious purposes† (Anderson, 1991, p.40). He posits that much of the success of the Reformation is as a result due to print-capitalism itself (Anderson, 1991, p.39). Thus in Andersons critique with regards to the promise of the media in the public sphere and whether or not they invoke public debate, his answer is yes i.e. it was a vehicle for the American war of independence. The key example however given in his work is that relating to the Protestant and print-capitalism coalition, which he argues, was detrimental through the exploitation of cheap popular print-works (Anderson, 1991, p.40). Such â€Å"administrative vernaculars† (Anderson, 1991, p.41) led to religious and printing upheaval during the sixteenth century, and is regarded by himself as an â€Å"independent factor in the erosion of the sacred imagined community† (Anderson, 1991, p.41). In terms of ‘imagined communities and its relationship with the media, film and cinema are good areas to explore. Film is often indicative of â€Å"consensual images of communities† (Higson, 1998, p.355) and is keen to show individuals from varying backgrounds coming together in shared interests. The British musical Sing As We Go (1934) (cited in Higson, 1998, p.355) for example deals with this same image as explained above and ends with the ‘imagined community being explicitly â€Å"nationalized† (Higson, 1995, cited in Higson, 1998, p.356) in the final scene. It is important to distinguish though that not all of the ‘imagined communities Anderson refers to are united. Particularly within the contemporary multicultural location that is Great Britain, nations can be presented and represented as being in disarray (Higson, 1998, p.356). Higson (1998) refers to the British film named The Beautiful Laundrette and how this is demonstrative of such a thing, providing images of â€Å"social and cultural disturbance and fragmentation† (Higson, 1998, p.356) as opposed to images of consensual imagined communities. This is therefore raises questions of what it is like to be British and to hold such an identity. Films like this consequently oppose what Anderson claims to be the truth, displaying that national identity in contexts like this one are not â€Å"as consensual but as hybrid, not as pure but as variegated† (Higson, 1998, p.356) and so this challenges Andersons point. This theory of ‘imagined communities has often led to various branches of thought, one of the key ones with relation to this topic being that of ‘imagined geographies, a concept which has emerged from Edward Saids work on ‘Orientalism a theoretical framework which argues that Europeans define themselves against their cultural contestants i.e. people from the Orient and as a result define themselves against this. Back to ‘Imagined geographies though, this is a form of social constructivism, referring to the perception of space and boundaries within texts, illustrations and of course, discourse. Arguably, there is no real geography and that imagined geographies can be compared with, thus posing problems of comparative analysis. So the argument lies that such imagined geographies must not be taken as given, but rather they should be deconstructed in order to display the various power sources which have been embedded in them. Ultimately, although Anderson is sceptical of the general public in their decision to be part of ‘imagined communities, he acknowledges that in the current day and age, nationalism and the idea of community has taken to other extremes i.e. projecting fear and hatred towards the ‘Other, being deeply affiliated with racist and discriminative behaviour (Anderson, 1991, p.141.) He critiques this though by reinforcing how such communities are supposed to bring individuals together as opposed to dividing them further, and thus communities need to be reminded that â€Å"nations inspire love, and often profoundly self-sacrificing love† (Anderson, 1991, p.141). Other theorists however conflict with what Anderson (1991) poses as the function of nation building, namely Ernest Gellner, Anthony D. Smith and Eric Hobsbawm. Their proposals of national identity vary with respect to one another. Firstly, anthropologist and philosopher Gellner (1983) argues that nationalism is ultimately political in that it acts as the foundation for politics and nations as being on an equal footing. In his critique, nationalism only emerged within the modern sphere very recently, becoming a necessity in sociological terms, and thus has not been embedded within history. Smith (2001) was a student of Gellner yet did not completely agree with the argument made by his teacher. His argument therefore depends on his creation of an approach to nationalism termed ‘ethnosymbolism, this being a combination of traditional as well as modern views toward the theory and practice of national identities (Smith, 2001, p.13). Smith (2001) distinguishes between the concept of the term ‘nation and another word he terms ‘ethnie, this being: â€Å"a named human community connected to a homeland, possessing common myths of ancestry, shared memories, one or more elements of shared culture, and a measure of solidarity at least among the elites† (Smith, 2001, p.13). Thus in his critique, the imagined communities Anderson speaks of do have a cultural and historical background to them, and so they arent completely imagined but have some substance behind them. Smith (2001) on the other hand, studies nationalism in terms of ethnic groupings. To him, the concept of the nation is: â€Å"a named human community occupying a homeland, and having common myths and a shared history, a common culture, and a measure of solidarity at least among the elites† (Smith, 2001, p.13). Within this though he narrows down further his understanding of nations, consisting of what he terms â€Å"ethnie† (Smith, 2001, p.13): â€Å"a named human community connected to a homeland, possessing common myths of ancestry, shared memories, one or more elements of shared culture, and a measure of solidarity at least among the elites†(Smith, 2001, p.13). Hobsbawm (1992) too examines nationalism, a concept which he refers to as the same as defined by Gellner: â€Å"primarily a principle which holds that the political and national unit should be congruent† (Gellner, 1983, p.1, cited in Hobsbawm, 1992, p.9). He contends that imagined communities act as a shield for and to religious-based nation states, which in turn allows individuals from a vast array of backgrounds to come together through the notion of compromise (Hobsbawm, 1992, p.14). One of his key arguments is that nations are: â€Å"dual phenomena† (Hobsbawm, 1992, p.10), by which he means that they are socially constructed from both above and below, with regards to the â€Å"assumptions, hopes, needs, longings and interests of ordinary people† (Hobsbawm, 1992, p.10). Thus he reinforces the central and underlying importance of nationalism throughout history in relation to political evolution. With respect to this, we identify that no real national conscienc e is forged within his text, and later on he makes clear the number of incited mass movements of nations i.e. he refers to the liberalisation of countries like Italy. National identity has a huge role to play within countries across the globe. In particular, it is focused on and can be identified during sporting games i.e. football or cricket, avid fans supporting their nation to be successful and triumphant. National identity can however also be associated with negativity and can create tensions, as demonstrated politically within international relations more generally. This section focuses on Britain as its key contemporary example but compares and contrasts the experiences within Britain with those of other countries too. Britain, quite clearly, consists of a multicultural society, one which is made up of a variety of community groupings. Community-World (2009) provides examples of many of the community groupings that are existent in modern day Britain, i.e.: regional, ethnic, religious, charity/voluntary and finally miscellaneous ones which include vegetarianism and so on. In many cases, such communities are reflective of Andersons thought of ‘imagined communities. An example of this can be seen with respect to the South-Asian community in Britain, formed of Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans and many more, yet all come together under the umbrella term of South-Asian community even though it is most definitely likely that not all of these community members know each other nor have they seen each other nor, in reality, will they ever really do so. Such a community, although to be congratulated in bringing people of similar backgrounds together, is in actual fact a socially construct ed entity according to Anderson. In my critique of this however, such groupings are embedded in human nature in that terms like this have not been created as a product of society and societal views but rather because of religious, cultural and historical backgrounds. Thus they are not socially constructed. Andersons concentration of the media too is useful here when looking at Britain in that, in the contemporary world, his point that the print media, namely newspapers, is largely to blame for the creation of communities is only somewhat true. This is due to the rise of other media forms, particularly the internet, which has led to newspaper sales and general success of them falling over recent years. Greenslade (2009) in review of 2009 and the past decade identifies the spectacular decline of this once thriving industry: the Daily Mail recorded a fall from 2,777,501 to 1,260,019, a decline of 55%, whilst the Daily Express experienced sale plunges of 33.7%, the Daily Telegraph losses of nearly 27% and the Guardian a fall of just over 23%. Although newspapers are now widely available online, combining the previous paper form with the recent phenomenon of the internet, this does contradict with Andersons core argument. As sales of print newspapers have fallen, this suggests that readers hip too has declined and thus communities are less likely today to identify with communities within such media. Fisk (2010) makes an interesting point though in his work, arguing that many human communities within Great Britain have been abandoned since the Middle-Ages and so he works to commemorate such communities and identify their reasons for abandonment. Contrastingly, Hall (2004) examines the process of immigrants becoming citizens, with a particular focus on the Sikh community within Britain, namely second-generation ones. Her argument is that cultural politics have a huge role to play and in terms of the formation of nations, yet many more cultural processes are also at work: the role the media has in circulating religious, national and ethnic illustrations and political imaginaries; youth movement between cultural worlds in the home, at school and professionally; the frequently contradictory nature of the schooling system; and the cultural matters which flow across transnational and diaspora networks and communities (Hall, 2004, p.118). Thus Hall (2004) is suggesting that although this Sikh community may live and reside in Britain, this does not instantaneously make them a fundamental part of the imagined ‘British community, but rather due to their heritage and ancestral roots, many British Sikhs often find themselves to b e torn between identifying with Britain and identifying with their parents country of origin. Hence individuals can be part of a series of imagined communities as opposed to simply one as posed by Anderson (1991). Hall (2004) does however agree with Anderson (1991) to the extent that the media is incredibly influential in the contagion of national and cultural identities across various borders and boundaries. Similarly, Smith and Jackson (1999) studied ‘imagined communities with respect to Ukrainian communities living in Bradford, UK. Their argument was one of this sense of community, being shaped by Ukrainian history and the ever-changing global political climate (Smith and Jackson, 1999, p.367). For many Ukrainians living in Bradford, Ukraines independence in 1991 was symbolic of de-stabling an unsettled, often imaginary, sense of â€Å"Ukrainianness† (Smith and Jackson, 1999, p.384). Furthermore, they propose that recent cultural and historical change has led to an over-complication of the way in which the Ukrainian community within Bradford, UK is imagined and thus poses problems in terms of narratives and discourse. In my critique, although cultural influences are considered by all of the previously discussed political theorists, economics in terms of social status and inequality is not considered. It is no surprise that the creation and preservation of ‘imagined communities as discussed by Anderson (1991) leads to â€Å"fractionalization† (Alesina et al, 2003, p.155). My argument contends that such fractionalization is the cause of the observed rise in cross-country inequalities, Britain included, and Anderson (1991) fails to account for this. A broad view of heterogeneity demonstrates that anything that generates groups, as Andersons theory does, has both political and economic consequences, ultimately leading to greater inequality. In Britain for example, we can see that Central London, in most cases, is a highly affluent area. The outskirts of Greater London though vary in affluence such that groups are formed and located according to these same groups. Research has proved such theses to be correct i.e. Alesina et al (2003) examined approximately one hundred and ninety countries, concluding that â€Å"ethnic, religious and linguistic fractionalization† (Alesina et al, 2003, p.155) increases corruption, infant mortality and illiteracy, and reduces democracy and political rights indexes. Thus this supports my point of critique, that although ‘imagined communities bring people together from similar backgrounds and who have shared interests, the creation of such groupings leads to divisions and ultimately, in many cases, such divisions are indicative of social status, welfare and affluence. Hence Anderson (1991), along with Gellner (1983), Smith (2001) and Hobsbawm (1992), did not investigate this. Theorists in future should therefore research this area, building on the work mentioned above. In an age where it is extremely common for â€Å"progressive, cosmopolitan intellectuals to sit on the near-pathological character of nationalism, its roots in fear and hatred of the Other, and its affinities with racism† (Anderson, 1991, p.141), it is crucial to remember at all times that â€Å"nations transpire love, and often profoundly self-sacrificing love† (Anderson, 1991, p.141). Hence whether communities within these nations are imagined or not, which Anderson (1991) would say they are, they act as the fundamental foundation for society to communicate, evolve, exchange information and knowledge and ultimately to progress. Thus communities are incredibly important in multicultural Britain but also on a transnational scale too. To conclude, Andersons work on ‘Imagined Communities is one which has been used largely within the realm of political science and international studies. It does provide the reasoning as to why people commune together in the majority of instances yet at the same time, is rather broad in its explanation and thus has limited generalisation and applicability to the modern world that is the twenty-first century. The theory of ‘Imagined Communities is rather useful though in terms of understanding community and group formation with regards to historical, religious and cultural contexts across the world. This essay has examined what Anderson terms to be an ‘Imagined Community and how this has been used within the Social Sciences, in particular International Relations and Political Science. It has then later gone on to look at Britain as a contemporary example of how a series of ‘Imagined Communities have been formed i.e. the Sikh community and the Ukrainian communit y. Thus it is important to recall that nationalism is not simply a â€Å"sociological or cultural phenomena: it is also a powerful political instrument which†¦has played an important part in both the creation and the reform of modern states throughout the world† (Jackson, 2003, p.610). Bibliography Alesina, A.et al (2003) â€Å"Fractionalization† in Journal of Economic Growth, Vol.8, No.2, pp.155-194. Anderson, B.R. (1991) Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism (Revised ed.), London: Verso. Community-World (2009) Community-World UK [online] Available from: http://www.community-world.co.uk/ (2001) in Durham, M.G. and Kellner, D.M. (eds.) Media and Cultural Studies: Keyworks, Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Fisk, A. (2010) Abandoned Communities [online] Available from: http://www.abandonedcommunities.co.uk/ [Accessed 14th March 2010] Gellner, E. (1983) Nations and Nationalism, Oxford: Blackwell. Greenslade, R. (2009) Newspaper sales plunge over the decade [online] Available from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/dec/14/national-newspapers-sales-decade [Accessed 14th March 2010] Habermas, J. (1989) The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere: An Inquiry into a Category of Bourgeois Society, Cambridge: Polity. Hall, K.D. (2004) â€Å"The Ethnography of Imagined Communities: The Cultural Production of Sikh Ethnicity in Britain† in Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 595, pp.108-121 Higson, A. (1998) â€Å"Nationality: National Identity and the Media† in Briggs, A. and Cobley, P. (eds.) The Media: An Introduction, Harlow: Longman, pp. 354-364 Hobsbawm, E.J. (1992) Nations and Nationalism since 1780: Programme, Myth, Reality (2nd ed.), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Inglis, F. (1993) Cultural Studies, Oxford: Blackwell. Jackson, J. (2003) â€Å"Book Review Nationalism and the state: John Brueilly, 2nd edition (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1993), pp. 474,  £40.00 H.B.,  £14.99 P.B.† in History of European Ideas, Vol.21, No.4, pp.608-610. Smith, A.D. (2001) Nationalism: Theory, Ideology, History, Cambridge: Polity. Smith, G. and Jackson, P. (1999) â€Å"Narrating the nation: the ‘imagined community of Ukrainians in Bradford† in Journal of Historical Geography, Vol.25, No.3, pp.367-387 Wisdom Quotes (2009) Community Quotes [online] Available from: http://www.wisdomquotes.com/cat_community.html

The Lottery Winner :: Essays Papers

The Lottery Winner SETTING: The book starts out in Manhattan, New York in modern times. The book mostly takes place in New York city but throughout the book they also travel to London, England, cypress point spa, and several other places. The book ends back in Manhattan, New York. CHARACTERS: 1. Alvirah Meehan is a former maid that is near her sixties and has quit her job after her and her husband struck it rich in the winning of the lottery. Alvirah started taking interest in helping people with murders and other problems that she ran across while traveling across the world. After she had won the lottery the New York Globe news paper had asked her to write about all of her different adventures. 2. Willy Meehan is around his sixties, he has blue eyes with white hair. Willy is a former plumber who quit his job after wining the lottery with his wife Alvirah. Willy enjoys traveling with Alvirah to all the different places. He is very supportive and help full to Alvirah in her interest of helping others with there crimes. He also enjoys helping the poor or just those people that can't afford to hire a plumber so he dose the job for free. 3. Brian who is somewhere around his twenties, he is an up and coming famous play writer. Brian is the nephew of Willy. Brian is first introduced in the first story called "The body in the closet". He was staying at the apartment of Willy and Alvirah were a body was found in there closet at there return from there trip to England. He becomes the main suspespect in the murder because he was the last be in the apartment. This was not a good thing for Brian because his career was just taking off with all the great plays he was writing. Brian becomes very lucky with the help of Alvirah as they prove his innocence. Brian then was able to go back on with is writings of the plays. 4. Cynthia Lathem was found guilty for the murder of her father in the second story. It all happened when she was in her junior year of the Rhode Island School of Design when her step father Stuart Richards was found shot to death in the study of his mansion.

Adrian is currently running Gunner Pass with no other employees. So he :: Business and Management Studies

Adrian is currently running Gunner Pass with no other employees. So he does not need to use ICT to communicate between departments. Gunner Pass. 2 Describe the type of work done in functional areas of Gunner Pass. 2 Describe how ICT is used within these functional areas of Gunner Pass. 3 Explain how the functional areas help to achieve the aims of Gunner Pass. 3 Explain how ICT helps Gunner Pass work together 4 Analyse how effectively the functional areas work together to achieve the aims of Gunner Pass 4 Suggest how and possible improvements or developments in ICT might help the functional areas work together more effectively. 5 Cummins UK.. 6 Describe the type of work done in the functional areas of Cummins. 6 Describe how ICT is used within these functional areas of Cummins. 7 Explain how the functional areas help to achieve the aims of Cummins. 7 Explain how ICT helps Cummins work together 8 Analyse how effectively the functional areas work together to achieve the aims of Cummins 8 Suggest how and possible improvements or developments in ICT might help the functional areas to work together more effectively. 8 Gunner Pass Describe the type of work done in functional areas of Gunner Pass A function in a business is the area of activity in the business. Adrian is a sole trader. As Adrian currently doesn’t employ anyone, he must run all the functions in a business. The functions in business are: marketing and sales, customer service, production and operations, human resources, finance, administration and ICT. Some sole traders will have an employee who in specialised or skilled in a certain area, such as a sole trader may have a marketing and sales manager. Adrian works on his own so he as to do work in all these areas of his business. In a normal working day, Adrian does work in more than one function of his business. He writes out adverts, designs new leaflets, this would be marketing and sales. When he pays cheques into the bank, or pays out insurance on his vehicle, that is in the Finance department. When Adrian receives a call from a new customer, and the customer wants to know the services and prices he offers. Then that is in the Customer Services department. All the areas are needed to keep Gunner Pass running. Finance: Consists of paying bills and receiving payments. Adrian must keep a record of his expenditure and his incomings. He does this because he never earns the same amount of money each month. He receives a tax statement at the end of each year. By doing this he will be able to calculate his net profit per month/year.

Generic Skills in Career and Technical Education :: Skills Work Careers Essays

Generic Skills in Career and Technical Education Career and Technical Educators Employ a Variety of Strategies for Teaching Generic Skills The Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) identified the general skills that most workplaces require, thus providing a basis for programs that prepare students for employment. Reform programs such as Tech Prep and High Schools that Work strive to incorporate these "generic" skills as they offer students a rigorous academic background, technological literacy skill development, and learning experiences that are situated in the context of real-world environments (Pucel 1999). Integrated academic and CTE programs and contextual learning efforts offer similar opportunities to promote the learning of generic skills by linking them to specific workplace and social practices. Workplace learning experiences are another way of highlighting generic skill development by placing students in job situations where these generic skills are used in combination with occupational or technical skills. Although the United States has adopted a variety of strategies for the teaching of generic skills, it is not the only country to do so. Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom have initiated similar programs to address generic skill development. In Australia, integrated curriculum that infuses literacy into specific vocational courses has served to illustrate the necessity of contextualized, multiple literacies (Searle et al. 1999). Case Studies to Advance Skills and Employability, a project conducted at the Universities of Northumbria and Newcastle, emphasized the development of employability skills within the academic curriculum (Holmes and Miller 2000). The contextual integration of employability skills into curriculum has become a recent trend in Canada and the United Kingdom (Overtoom 2000). Although there is evidence that generic skills are being taught in schools, there is great ambiguity about what they are. Many terms have been used to describe them: key skills, core skills, transferable skills, personal transferable skills, and employability skills. The list of skills defined by whatever term is being used varies across countries; however, most lists include communication skills, interpersonal and social skills, organization and planning skills, problem-solving skills, creative thinking, literacy, and technology skills. The Australian key competencies add "cultural understanding" as a generic skill (Werner 1995). Most attempts to define generic skills more closely "have resulted in a plethora of superficially similar but often significantly different lists" (Drummond, Nixon, and Wiltshire 1998, p. 20). Guile (2002) contends that definitions of generic skills are grounded in the complexity of relationship that they imply, which in turn directs how the skills are being taught.

Outline of Carbon and Molecular Diversity of Life

Chapter 4 Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life Lecture Outline Overview: Carbon – The Backbone of Biological Molecules * Although cells are 70–95% water, the rest consists mostly of carbon-based compounds. * Carbon is unparalleled in its ability to form large, complex, and diverse molecules. * Carbon accounts for the diversity of biological molecules and has made possible the great diversity of living things. * Proteins, DNA, carbohydrates, and other molecules that distinguish living matter from inorganic material are all composed of carbon atoms bonded to each other and to atoms of other elements. These other elements commonly include hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), nitrogen (N), sulfur (S), and phosphorus (P). (CHONPS) Concept 4. 1 Organic chemistry is the study of carbon compounds * The study of carbon compounds, organic chemistry, deals with any compound with carbon (organic compounds). *Organic compounds can range from simple molecules, such as CO2 or CH4, to compl ex molecules such as proteins, which may weigh more than 100,000 daltons. * The overall percentages of the major elements of life (C, H, O, N, S, and P) are quite uniform from one organism to another. However, because of carbon’s versatility, these few elements can be combined to build an inexhaustible variety of organic molecules. * Variations in organic molecules can distinguish even between individuals of a single species. * The science of organic chemistry began in attempts to purify and improve the yield of products obtained from other organisms. * Initially, chemists learned to synthesize simple compounds in the laboratory, but had no success with more complex compounds.The Swedish chemist Jons Jacob Berzelius was the first to make a distinction between organic compounds that seemed to arise only in living organisms and inorganic compounds that were found in the nonliving world. * This led early organic chemists to propose vitalism, the belief that physical and chemical laws did not apply to living things. * Support for vitalism began to wane as organic chemists learned to synthesize complex organic compounds in the laboratory. * In the early 1800s, the German chemist Friedrich Wohler and his students were able to synthesize urea from totally inorganic materials.In 1953, Stanley Miller at the University of Chicago set up a laboratory simulation of chemical conditions on the primitive Earth and demonstrated the spontaneous synthesis of organic compounds. * Such spontaneous synthesis of organic compounds may have been an early stage in the origin of life. * Organic chemists finally rejected vitalism and embraced mechanism, accepting that the same physical and chemical laws govern all natural phenomena including the processes of life. * Organic chemistry was redefined as the study of carbon compounds regardless of their origin. Organisms do produce the majority of organic compounds. * The laws of chemistry apply to inorganic and organic compounds ali ke. Concept 4. 2 Carbon atoms can form diverse molecules by bonding to four other atoms *With a total of 6 electrons, a carbon atom has 2 in the first electron shell and 4 in the second shell. * Carbon has little tendency to form ionic bonds by losing or gaining 4 electrons to complete its valence shell. * Instead, carbon usually completes its valence shell by sharing electrons with other atoms in four covalent bonds. This tetravalence by carbon makes large, complex molecules possible. * When carbon forms covalent bonds with four other atoms, they are arranged at the corners of an imaginary tetrahedron with bond angles of 109. 5Â °. * In molecules with multiple carbons, every carbon bonded to four other atoms has a tetrahedral shape. * However, when two carbon atoms are joined by a double bond, all bonds around those carbons are in the same plane and have a flat, three-dimensional structure. * The three-dimensional shape of an organic molecule determines its function. The electron configuration of carbon makes it capable of forming covalent bonds with many different elements. * The valences of carbon and its partners can be viewed as the building code that governs the architecture of organic molecules. *In carbon dioxide, one carbon atom forms two double bonds with two different oxygen atoms. * In the structural formula, O=C=O, each line represents a pair of shared electrons. This arrangement completes the valence shells of all atoms in the molecule. * While CO2 can be classified as either organic or inorganic, its importance to the living world is clear. CO2 is the source of carbon for all organic molecules found in organisms. It is usually fixed into organic molecules by the process of photosynthesis. * Urea, CO(NH2)2, is another simple organic molecule in which each atom forms covalent bonds to complete its valence shell. Variation in carbon skeletons contributes to the diversity of organic molecules. * Carbon chains form the skeletons of most organic mole cules. * The skeletons vary in length and may be straight, branched, or arranged in closed rings. *The carbon skeletons may include double bonds. Atoms of other elements can be bonded to the atoms of the carbon skeleton. * Hydrocarbons are organic molecules that consist of only carbon and hydrogen atoms. * Hydrocarbons are the major component of petroleum, a fossil fuel that consists of the partially decomposed remains of organisms that lived millions of years ago. * Fats are biological molecules that have long hydrocarbon tails attached to a nonhydrocarbon component. * Petroleum and fat are hydrophobic compounds that cannot dissolve in water because of their many nonpolar carbon-to-hydrogen bonds. Isomers are compounds that have the same molecular formula but different structures and, therefore, different chemical properties. * For example, butane and isobutane have the same molecular formula, C4H10, but butane has a straight skeleton and isobutane has a branched skeleton. * The tw o butanes are structural isomers, molecules that have the same molecular formula but differ in the covalent arrangement of atoms. * Geometric isomers are compounds with the same covalent partnerships that differ in the spatial arrangement of atoms around a carbon–carbon double bond. The double bond does not allow atoms to rotate freely around the bond axis. *The biochemistry of vision involves a light-induced change in the structure of rhodopsin in the retina from one geometric isomer to another. * Enantiomers are molecules that are mirror images of each other. * Enantiomers are possible when four different atoms or groups of atoms are bonded to a carbon. * In this case, the four groups can be arranged in space in two different ways that are mirror images. * They are like left-handed and right-handed versions of the molecule. * Usually one is biologically active, while the other is inactive. Even subtle structural differences in two enantiomers have important functional signi ficance because of emergent properties from specific arrangements of atoms. * One enantiomer of the drug thalidomide reduced morning sickness, the desired effect, but the other isomer caused severe birth defects. *The L-dopa isomer is an effective treatment of Parkinson’s disease, but the D-dopa isomer is inactive. Concept 4. 3 Functional groups are the parts of molecules involved in chemical reactions * The components of organic molecules that are most commonly involved in chemical reactions are known as functional groups. If we consider hydrocarbons to be the simplest organic molecules, we can view functional groups as attachments that replace one or more of the hydrogen atoms bonded to the carbon skeleton of the hydrocarbon. * Each functional group behaves consistently from one organic molecule to another. * The number and arrangement of functional groups help give each molecule its unique properties. * As an example, the basic structure of testosterone (a male sex hormone ) and estradiol (a female sex hormone) is the same. *Both are steroids with four fused carbon rings, but they differ in the functional groups attached to the rings. These functional groups interact with different targets in the body. * There are six functional groups that are most important to the chemistry of life: hydroxyl, carbonyl, carboxyl, amino, sulfhydryl, and phosphate groups. * All are hydrophilic and increase the solubility of organic compounds in water. * In a hydroxyl group (—OH), a hydrogen atom forms a polar covalent bond with an oxygen atom, which forms a polar covalent bond to the carbon skeleton. * Because of these polar covalent bonds, hydroxyl groups increase the solubility of organic molecules. Organic compounds with hydroxyl groups are alcohols, and their names typically end in -ol. * A carbonyl group (>CO) consists of an oxygen atom joined to the carbon skeleton by a double bond.* If the carbonyl group is on the end of the skeleton, the compound is a n aldehyde. * If the carbonyl group is within the carbon skeleton, then the compound is a ketone. * Isomers with aldehydes versus ketones have different properties. * A carboxyl group (—COOH) consists of a carbon atom with a double bond to an oxygen atom and a single bond to the oxygen of a hydroxyl group. * Compounds with carboxyl groups are carboxylic acids. A carboxyl group acts as an acid because the combined electronegativities of the two adjacent oxygen atoms increase the dissociation of hydrogen as an ion (H+). * An amino group (—NH2) consists of a nitrogen atom bonded to two hydrogen atoms and the carbon skeleton. * Organic compounds with amino groups are amines. * The amino group acts as a base because the amino group can pick up a hydrogen ion (H+) from the solution. * Amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, have amino and carboxyl groups. *A sulfhydryl group (—SH) consists of a sulfur atom bonded to a hydrogen atom and to the backbone. This grou p resembles a hydroxyl group in shape. * Organic molecules with sulfhydryl groups are thiols. * Two sulfhydryl groups can interact to help stabilize the structure of proteins. * A phosphate group (—OPO32? ) consists of a phosphorus atom bound to four oxygen atoms (three with single bonds and one with a double bond). * A phosphate group connects to the carbon backbone via one of its oxygen atoms. * Phosphate groups are anions with two negative charges, as two protons have dissociated from the oxygen atoms. * One function of phosphate groups is to transfer energy between organic molecules.Adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, is the primary energy-transferring molecule in living cells. These are the chemical elements of life. * Living matter consists mainly of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen, with smaller amounts of sulfur and phosphorus. * These elements are linked by strong covalent bonds. * Carbon, with its four covalent bonds, is the basic building block in molecular archi tecture. * The great diversity of organic molecules with their special properties emerges from the unique arrangement of the carbon skeleton and the functional groups attached to the skeleton.

Global Politics Essay

Ethnic nationalism is formed by a group with members that may or may not exist within the boundaries of a single state, and yet can be categorized as a group of individuals that share a common ethnic national identity. The nations that practice nationalism share a common heritage, including a common faith, a common language, common ethnic ancestry and a common culture. The first stage in the formation of ethnic nationalism is a form of cultural and moral relativism. It is inspired by a sense of inferiority and resentment against societies (or social groups) perceived to be morally and culturally superior. The architects of such nationalisms begin by insisting on the plurality and equality of (national) cultures, with the fact of plurality being taken as a sign of value. Appeal of ethnic nationalism By the end of the nineteenth century, ethnic nationalism was already the most common type of nationalism in the world. The real meaning of nationalism has been confused by many people. People’s inability to distinguish between different types of nationalism and to perceive the close similarity between the ideologies of ethnic identity and ethnic nationalism, shows how natural it has become for us to think in terms of ethnic nationalism, how unproblematic, how legitimate its vision appears to us. Ethnic nationality is appealing to us because as compared to civic nationalism, it provides superior psychological gratification. It limits individual’s freedom, while at the same time relieves them of responsibility and offers a sense of tangible order. It offers the universal need, to live in a free society, where one may choose one’s identity. It is natural, what with the anomie and the disconcerting indeterminacy of one’s reality, to yearn for the comfort for the regulated world where one is never allowed more than what one can accomplish. It allows for one to be respected and the maintenance of his dignity is assured by his membership in the dignified community irrespective of his accomplishments. The experience of modernity, in other words, created as it is by nationalism, favors ethnic nationalism. (Goldmann etal 34-35) Ethnic nationality has also been promoted by the recent wave of democratization which has spread throughout the world alienation from increasingly impersonal, bureaucratic and centralized states; and the declining importance of class-based political parties and movements. Uneven economic development has often frustrated the desires of regionally based ethnic groups for educational and occupational mobility and an improved standard of living. In this light, ethnic nationalism can be seen as an attempt to maintain or to create a sense of identity and community in the face of the threat of cultural assimilation or cultural destruction. Ethnic nationalism is used by governments, including its use for elite manipulation, its involvement in situations of threat and defense, its relationship to relative economic deprivation and the interstate rivalries that feed on ethnic secession and irredentism for their own needs. Limits of ethnic nationalism On the other hand, ethnic nationalism is associated with several limitations. In the modern world, the rise of ethnic nationalism has often resulted in disruptive changes such as the disintegration experienced by several multiethnic states. As a result, it is incompatible with the idea of the state nationalism that seeks the convergence of territorial and political loyalty, irrespective of competing locus of affiliation, such as kinship, profession, religion, economic interest, race or even language. This may occur, for example, where the government forces the members of certain ethnic groups to agree to ethnic nationalism. For example, the officials of Pakistani present the country as one united nation with a common history, common culture and common religion. But various ethnic groups refuse to accept those lies and, despite a common religion, challenge them with the myths of their own distinct history, culture and language. Due to such reasons many people have sympathized with ethnic nationalism and said that it at least faces up to the negativity of the existing world. (Khan 25) Zhao Suisheng says that repression is not the only measure the state has deployed to retain ethnic minority areas. The role of the state, even the totalitarian state, has its limits. Ethnic nationalism has a resilience of its own; it cannot be easily dislodged from the minds of minority peoples by repression. The state may rewrite history as a means to colonize ethnic minorities and to control them through coercive policies. It can not however eliminate the historical memory of ethnic minorities. The inclusion of identity as a factor in ethnic nationalist should be considered. Many nations that support ethnic nationalism encourage its citizens to follow only one culture, leading to the loss of identity to many people in the country. Maintenance of people’s identity should be considered as it plays a key role in motivating ethnic nationalistic communities, and in explaining the shared goals among the members. While identity is important in explaining the shared goals within an ethnic nationalist community, other factors such as homeland relationships should also not be overlooked. (Zhao Suisheng 79) Question two Multilateralism Multilateralism is a term used in international relations to refer to many countries working jointly on certain issues. There are several principles and features of multilateralism, which it follows for the sake of its effective operation, such as defending human rights, promoting free trade and globalization, conserving the environment and encouraging freedom of movement to mention but a few. Although all the aforementioned principles are set for the good of multilateralism, they may either weaken or strengthen it as an approach to finding solutions to global problems. Principles and features of the international system affecting multilateralism Human rights Multilateralism encourages the leaders of its member countries to consider the humanitarian needs and the human rights of the citizens first, before their personal interests. It also encourages them to maintain good relations with other countries. This is especially the case when it comes to political instability. Due to multilateralism, international organizations have offered help to the member countries, for example, in cases of political instability. On the other hand, politically stable countries have helped the politically unstable ones to regain peaceful relations. This shows the role of multilateralism as a good approach to resolving problems affecting several countries. For example, the United Nations played a big role in the recent fight between Israel and Gaza. A report by the United Nations accused the Israeli troops of abusing the human rights. The troop was accused of human rights violations such as shelling a building they had ordered the civilians to enter, using a Palestinian child as a human shield during fighting in Gaza, shooting Palestinian children among many others. The United Nations was at the fore front of urging the two countries to settle their differences and observe peaceful relations. Globalization and free trade Multilateralism encourages globalization. Globalization is defined as the sense of wide spread international movement. It implies a higher place of organization, where discrete international entities dissolve, so that all major political and economic decisions are transmitted globally. It sees the death of boundaries encouraging free trade; in this sense, it is seen as a factor strengthening multilateralism as the preferred approach for resolving global problems. Globalization has been of utmost performance in reducing barriers to trade in both goods and services and capital flows. Occurrence of unhampered trade has not only caused maximum economic welfare for the participating states, but has also caused peaceful relations among states. No single country is completely self-sufficient in terms of its consumer needs, such as food. Multilateralism has therefore been able to balance the two aspects; it has provided a market for the big producers of consumer products, while satisfying the consumer needs for the people in the low producing countries. Health Multilateralism involves and encourages the movement of people from one country to another. It has seen the movement of people among nations, resulting to immigration. Immigrants find their way in an environment that is new to them due to several reasons such as wars, the search for a better life and famine among many other reasons. Multilateralism has given people the freedom to move to foreign countries and easily acquire passports, work permits and other documents required for one to settle in the country. However, this movement has seen crowding in the developed nations, as the people from the third world struggle to find ways to migrate to the developed nations. It has also resulted to the spread of diseases from one nation to the other. Many of the people who migrate as refugees are not screened for dangerous or contagious diseases. They spread diseases from their home countries to the foreign country. A good example was the spread of diseases that happened in the 20th century is spread of Ebola by Uganda immigrants to the neighboring countries like Kenya and Tanzania, and the spread of small pox by immigrants form Congo. Environmental conservation One of the principles of multilateralism is to oversee environmental conservation, especially today, when global warming has been declared a global environmental crisis. It’s well known that multilateralism encouraged the developed countries to establish industries in the developing countries. However, in doing this, it has accelerated the rate of global warming in the developing countries. Initially, the developing countries have little levels of global warming. When the multinational companies in the developed nations establish subsidiaries in the developing nations, they accelerate global warming through the increased emission of the green house gases to the atmosphere, and increasing chances acidic rain. This, not only poses health risks to the people in the developing nations, but is also a cause for the destruction of their crops as most of them rely on farming. Even though multilateralism intends to encourage environmental conservation and the development of the third world countries, it ends up encouraging global warming indirectly. Works cited 1) Khan Adeel. â€Å"Politics of identity: ethnic nationalism and the state in Pakistan. † SAGE, 2005. Pg 25 2) Goldmann Kjell, Hannerz Ulf, Westin Charles. â€Å"Nationalism and Internationalism in the Post-Cold War Era† New York: Routledge, 2000. Pg 34-35 3) Hider James, UN accuses Israeli troops of Gaza human right abuses; Times Online. 3/24/2009, retrieved on 4/17/2009 from http://www. timesonline. co. uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article5962905. ece 4) Zhao Suisheng. A nation-state by construction: dynamics of modern Chinese nationalism. Stanford University Press, Beijing; 2004. pg 79

Edicts of Ashoka Essay

The Edicts of Ashoka are a group of writings on the pillars of Ashoka, as well as boulders and cave walls, made by the Emperor Ashoka These writings are spread throughout the areas of modern-day Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan and represent the first concrete evidence of Buddhism. The edicts describe in detail the first wide expansion of Buddhism through the support of one of the most powerful kings of Indian history. According to the edicts, the extent of Buddhist teachings during this period reached as far as the Mediterranean, and many Buddhist monuments were created. These writings state Ashoka’s beliefs in the Buddhist concept of dharma and his efforts to develop the dharma throughout his kingdom. Although Buddhism and the Buddha are mentioned, the edicts focus on social and moral teachings, rather than specific religious practices or the philosophical aspect of Buddhism. The writings revolve around a few recurring themes Ashoka’s conversion to Buddhism, the description of his efforts to spread Buddhism, his moral and religious precepts, and his social and animal welfare program. The Mauryan empire was the first Indian empire to unify the country and it had a clear-cut policy of exploiting as well as protecting natural resources with officials tasked with protection duty. When Ashoka embraced Buddhism in the latter part of his reign, he brought about significant changes in his style of authority, which included providing protection to wildlife, and even relinquished the royal hunt. He was possibly the first ruler in history to support preservation of wildlife. Ashoka did not completely prohibit the killing of animals; he prohibited killings for sacrifices, he advocated restraint in the number that had to be killed for consumption, protected some of them, and in general condemned violent acts against animals, such as castration. However, the edicts of Ashoka reflect more the desire of Ashoka than what actually happened; the mention of a 100 coins fine for poaching deer in royal hunting preserves shows that rule-breakers did exist. The legal restrictions clashed with the practices then freely exercised by the common people in hunting, felling, fishing and setting fires in forests. According to the edicts, Ashoka took great care of the welfare of his subjects, and those beyond his borders, spreading the use of medicinal treatments, improving roadside facilities for more comfortable travel, and establishing officers of the faith throughout his territories to survey the welfare of the population and the circulation of the Dharma.

Winnie-the-Pooh

Milne named the character Winnie-the-Pooh after a teddy bear owned by his son, Christopher Robin Milne, who was the basis for the character Christopher Robin. Christopher's toys also lent their names to most of the other characters, except for Owl and Rabbit, as well as the Gopher character, who was added in the Disney version. Christopher Robin's toy bear is now on display at the Main Branch of the New York Public Library in New York. [2] Harry Colebourne and Winnie, 1914 Christopher Milne had named his toy bear after Winnie, a Canadian black bear which he often saw at London Zoo, and â€Å"Pooh†, a swan they had met while on holiday. The bear cub was purchased from a hunter for $20 by Canadian Lieutenant Harry Colebourn in White River, Ontario, Canada, while en route to England during the First World War. He named the bear â€Å"Winnie† after his hometown in Winnipeg, Manitoba. â€Å"Winnie† was surreptitiously brought to England with her owner, and gained unofficial recognition as The Fort Garry Horse regimental mascot. Colebourne left Winnie at the London Zoo while he and his unit were in France; after the war she was officially donated to the zoo, as she had become a much loved attraction there. [3] Pooh the swan appears as a character in its own right in When We Were Very Young. In the first chapter of Winnie-the-Pooh, Milne offers this explanation of why Winnie-the-Pooh is often called simply â€Å"Pooh†: â€Å"But his arms were so stiff †¦ they stayed up straight in the air for more than a week, and whenever a fly came and settled on his nose he had to blow it off. And I think — but I am not sure — that that is why he is always called Pooh. † Ashdown Forest: the setting for the stories The Winnie-the-Pooh stories are set in Ashdown Forest, Sussex, England. The forest is a large area of tranquil open heathland on the highest sandy ridges of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty situated 30 miles (50 km) south of London. In 1925 Milne, a Londoner, bought a country home a mile to the north of the forest at Cotchford Farm, near Hartfield. According to Christopher Milne, while his father continued to live in London â€Å"†¦ he four of us—he, his wife, his son and his son's nanny—would pile into a large blue, chauffeur-driven Fiat and travel down every Saturday morning and back again every Monday afternoon. And we would spend a whole glorious month there in the spring and two months in the summer. † [4] From the front lawn the family had a view across a meadow to a line of alders that fringed the River Medway, beyond which the ground rose through more trees until finally â€Å"above them, in the faraway distance, crowning the view, was a bare hilltop. In the center of this hilltop was a clump of pines. † Most of his father's visits to the forest at this time were, he noted, family expeditions on foot â€Å"to make yet another attempt to count the pine trees on Gill's Lap or to search for the marsh gentian†. Christopher added that, inspired by Ashdown Forest, his father had made it â€Å"the setting for two of his books, finishing the second little over three years after his arrival†. Many locations in the stories can be linked to real places in and around the forest. As Christopher Milne wrote in his autobiography: â€Å"Pooh’s forest and Ashdown Forest are identical†. For example, the fictional â€Å"Hundred Acre Wood† was in reality Five Hundred Acre Wood; Galleon's Leap was inspired by the prominent hilltop of Gill's Lap, while a clump of trees just north of Gill's Lap became Christopher Robin's The Enchanted Place because no-one had ever been able to count whether there were sixty-three or sixty-four trees in the circle. [5] The landscapes depicted in E. H.  Shepard’s illustrations for the Winnie-the-Pooh books are directly inspired by the distinctive landscape of Ashdown Forest, with its high, open heathlands of heather, gorse, bracken and silver birch punctuated by hilltop clumps of pine trees. In many cases Shepard's illustrations can be matched to actual views, allowing for a degree of artistic license. Shepard's sketches of pine trees and other forest scenes are on display at the V&A Museum in London. The game of Poohsticks was originally played by Christopher Milne on a footbridge across a tributary of the River Medway in Posingford Wood, close to Cotchford Farm. It is traditional to play the game there using sticks gathered in nearby woodland. When the footbridge required replacement in recent times the engineer designed a new structure based closely on the drawings by E. H. Shepard of the bridge in the original books, as the bridge did not originally appear as the artist drew it. An information board at the bridge describes how to play the game. First publication Winnie-the-Pooh's debut in the 24 December 1925 London Evening News There are three claimants, depending on the precise question posed. Christopher Robin's teddy bear, Edward, made his character debut in a poem called â€Å"Teddy Bear† in Milne's book of children's verse When We Were Very Young (6 November 1924) although his true first appearance was within the 13 February 1924 edition of Punch magazine which contained the same poem along with other stories by Milne and Shepard. Winnie-the-Pooh first appeared by name on 24 December 1925, in a Christmas story commissioned and published by the London newspaper The Evening News. It was illustrated by J. H. Dowd. [6] The first collection of Pooh stories appeared in the book Winnie-the-Pooh. The Evening News Christmas story reappeared as the first chapter of the book, and at the very beginning it explained that Pooh was in fact Christopher Robin's Edward Bear, who had simply been renamed by the boy. The book was published in October 1926 by the publisher of Milne's earlier children's work, Methuen, in England, and E. P. Dutton in the United States.

PATRIOT Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

PATRIOT Act - Essay Example This is because he explains that there is a need of submitting a leader who is not accountable to the people. The Patriot act on the other hand is a law enacted in 2001, aimed at fighting and preventing terrorism within the country. Thomas Hobbes in his book, the Leviathan, sets out to outline the best principles of government that can lead to prosperity, stability and peace. Thomas Hobbes begins his explanation of the role of the government, by explaining how life would be, without the government(Kitanov, 2011). Under this situation, life would be difficult and anarchic, because people would be engaged in carrying out anything that they want. They can kill, steal, or engage in activities aimed at frustrating their neighbors, just because they are strong. This is a condition that Thomas Hobbes refers to as, â€Å"The State of Nature†. For purposes of creating order within the society, there is a need of creating a social contract, and establishing a civil society (Hobbes and Schuhmann, 2003). This civil society should be governed by a sovereign authority who is not answerable to them (Kitanov, 2011). Furthermore, people within the society should cede some of their basic rights, for purposes of acquiring protection from the sovereign authority. Based on these facts, Thomas Hobbes believes that the doctrine of separation of powers does not exists, and this is because the sovereign must control the judiciary, the civil society, the military, and he must have the ecclesiastical powers (Hobbes and Schuhmann, 2003). Hobbes therefore explains that it is only through an absolute monarchy, that the society can be protected from the state of nature. By closely looking at these principles established by Thomas Hobbes, it is possible to explain that Hobbes was advocating for a dictatorship (Kitanov, 2011). This is a form of governance, where its citizens have very limited rights, and they cannot play a role in the governance

Disciplinary actions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Disciplinary actions - Essay Example In order to do this, there are a number of legislation that an organization should strive to adhere to as guidelines to ways of eliminating any discrimination or the sense of it within a company (Befort & Budd, 2009). By following these legislations, a company is able to show it good will towards all members of the society in an effort to display its non-bias nature towards people from different backgrounds. Some of these legislations include: The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) This is a legislation that has been proposed in congress and will specifically deal with the discrimination in the hiring process based on the sexuality or gender of an individual by non religious civilian employers who have at least 15 workers at their disposal (Eleveld, 2007). The legislation protects these employers from denying an individual fair opportunity due to their sexual orientation (that is whether they are gay or lesbian) or because of their gender (that is because they are a man or a wo man). The legislation hopes to protect all groups of people from discrimination in the work place by doing this and attempts to bring equality among individuals working in organizations. If this legislation is passed, gays and lesbians will no longer lose out to jobs due to their sexual orientation, but companies should not wait for its passing to get rid of such discrimination in the work place as doing so is the right thing to do. ... This will motivate the workers to strive harder if they are aware that will not be subject to any discrimination in the end. A disadvantage with this legislation is that it only protects employees who are working in an organization with 15 or more people meaning those employed by small businesses are not protected by it and thus can still be subject to discrimination in the work place. This is not fair to those in small firms as they deserve the same protection that their colleagues in the larger organizations are receiving. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act This legislation prevents employers from using the genetic information they are able to acquire from an individual to base their decisions on hiring or firing them. This legislation was developed to ensure that individuals who may be suffering from genetic disorders/diseases are able to get a fair shot at employment as the rest of their compatriots and that their health complications would not come in the way of them getting a job (Tilcsik, 2011). The legislature was passed in 2008 and aims and restoring parity between all employees in the field after realizing that there was a chance that healthy individuals with no genetic problems were being given preference over their colleagues with genetic defects (Tilcsik, 2011). These defects did not necessarily affect the performance of the individual who was afflicted by it and thus such discrimination proved to be unfair to these types of employees. However, the legislature also has its advantages and disadvantages as well. In terms of advantages, it ensured that all individuals were given a fair chance and climbing up the professional ladder in their career no matter the complications that they may have been

IMPERIALISM, VEBLEN Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

IMPERIALISM, VEBLEN - Essay Example Even so, the rise of World War 1 proved otherwise, by the time Veblen was writing Absentee Ownership, which he did in 1923; capitalism had done more harm than good. The financial management was poor, the cost was rising and the economy was becoming less productive and less competitive. The fruits of technology were not being realized. That is where Veblen argued that the economy or the market was organized in a way that there was a ‘free lunch’ privileges for some people. Some group of people could seize the income without really contributing to the production process. The power and ownership of property was rewarded more than labor. At this time, the economy sought to guide the economic policies and those in power only served their own interests. In his entire economic theory, Veblen is critical to the issue of imperialism, militarism, patriotism, nationalism, and emulative consumption. The greatest economist of all time analyzes capitalism as it is reflected in the lar ge corporations, financial institutions, imperialism, militarism and patriotism. He does this by looking at how society is divided into the groups; the leisure class, and the rest of the population. The leisure class is there to exploit the others while the rest of the population is characterized by workmanship which is constantly rejecting leisure group resulting in a social conflict. The social conflicts exist in much society either in form of slavery, feudalism or capitalism. As a result, the society is divided into two distinct classes (Veblen 12). In modern times, they can be termed as the exploit and the industry. The industry means innovation or creation of new things while the exploit seizing other peoples work or innovation. For that reason, to maintain the status quo, and prevent war, some form of military must be in place to ensure that war is prevented. In addition, to ensure that the power remains only on the hand of the few patriotism exist to ensure that those who sup ports the status quo are greatly rewarded. Veblen regarded patriotism as the collective expression of what he called the archaic human propensity (Veblen 165). He argued that patriotism was being used by interest of capitalism to legitimize imperialism condemned imperialism on the ground that it retarded the economic growth and it was wasteful. Emulative consumption, according to him was a personal treadmill. This means that there was no possibility of progress. There was no way possible to escape the cycle. According to him, the power to rule over the society depended on the ability to control the ideologies and the emotions of the rest of the society and that was only possible to those who controlled the modes of production. Comparison of Veblen’s Ideas about Imperialism with Each of Hobson’s, Lenin’s And Luxemburg’s Views of Imperialism Imperialism can be defined as the highest stage of capitalism. It is a concept in a left theory of politics which sho ws the aggressive nature and characteristics of modern capitalism. The term, over the time keeps changing in meaning, from the classical Marxist theory to present day. Different scholars have different meaning of what really imperialism means. Hobson, for example, explains it as a symptom of capitalist crisis. According to him, capitalism has moved beyond its competitive stage to another high level characterized by a