RECOMMENDATION ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

RECOMMENDATION ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTION - Essay Example The main source for reference for this study is a 2003 World Bank endorsed report which provides facts about the practice. It also recommends possible interventions that can be taken by various stakeholders. One may ask whether   the responsibility of containing this evil be left only to governments. The main stakeholders such as employers, guardians, civil groups, labor authorities and governments have a mandate to collectively strategize on how to look and solve this issue once and for all. This is because if this does not happen the larger society will be in ruin as Larson (14) observes. Introduction Child labor is a nagging issue that is present in most developing countries. This is because of the fact that the policies and laws that govern labor are either too lenient or don’t exist at all. This can be traced back to the period when the world was in the Industrial revolution era according to Sailee Kale (1) who is a contributor to the issues that relate to labor. At thi s point in time, many industries were   constructed to manufacture commodities. Because the owners were keen to reduce the expenses that were originating from the inputs, they resolved to adopt cheap labor to maintain the desired profit levels. The main source for this labor was destitute children who could work for food and menial allowances. Such situations are reported by NGOs and the media on a daily basis in India and Africa where children toil the farms and manufacturing factories. The main cause of this situation as this study is going to highlight is poverty and ignorance. Faraaz Sidiqi a human labor consultant speaks widely on these issues and interventions that ought to be taken if the battle against child labor is to be won. Background Information According to Sidiqi (20) Africa and Asia account for more than 90% of the global child labor exploitation cases. This is because of the fact that they are developing at a unusually high rate. Countries in these regions have ag riculture and industrial sectors as the backbone for their economies. The two sectors are labor intensive meaning that they demand a high recruitment of workers to carry out menial jobs. Labor costs take the largest fraction of input expenses in any industry hence a constant search for cheaper supply by the owners. The available option for such labor is the children who are an easy target since they may not be aware of their rights. In the report that was investigating the trends of child labor from 1993-2003 by the World Bank, 22% of all workers in Africa and 15% in Asia were children. This can be a staggering revelation especially at this age and time when the world stresses on education for the future generations. The children working on massive farms or dungeons of factories miss education. The other issue on why the situation is prevalent in today’s society is the policy framework that exists in the affected countries. The laws that dictate labor in those countries are e ither too vague or are not implementable at all by the authorities as the report shows (67). Therefore, the starting point for solving this problem is through a thorough scrutiny of the laws that dictate how children and labor issues relate. This paper will expound on other probable causes of child labor and its associated effects. Later on, there will be a comprehensive look at recommended practices to change the aspect of child related labor. Causes of Child Labor Poverty and

Cavour and Bismarck respectively Essay Example for Free

Cavour and Bismarck respectively Essay The unification of the states of Italy and Germany was primarily driven according to how each statesman, Cavour and Bismarck respectively, handled the situation in their own countries. Generally, the two leaders implement the process of diverting their attentions on how to eject intruding forces out of the territorial states by starting a plot which will cause very common philosophical perspective, to drive away external forces. \. Cavour was able to ignite the war with the Austrians which lead to the total acquisition of territories for Italy. This started the unification process for the country since many forces of the states share the same sentiments (Arcaini, 2005). On the other hand, Bismarck of Germany also initiated a conflict in order to unify the outlying forces within the central German influence. Although indirectly, he created a small conspiracy by attracting an individual to accept a royal position in Spain in order to start the Franco-Prussian war. The combinations of forces lead to the unification of different German states. Between the two, Germany could be a potential effective European leader. This can be attributed due to its centralized extent of influence within its boundaries both geographically and politically. Unlike the Italian state, it is also situated in a way where easier strategic location is a big factor, an advantage to relay information to other European countries. Another factor which provides a greater advantage of Germany over Italy is that they showed a mightier force in terms of capturing other governments. When the war between France and the Northern states of Germany was over, Paris was captured considered to be the French center of government. References Arcaini. 2005. The Italian Unification. Arcaini. Retrieved November 17, 2007 from http://www. arcaini. com/ITALY/ItalyHistory/ItalianUnification. htm.

A Case Study On Its Strategies Marketing Essay

A Case Study On Its Strategies Marketing Essay Changing lifestyles, in the form of the rise in nuclear families and double income households has encouraged the growth of pet ownership specially dogs in urban areas of India. The pet humanisation trend, whereby owners treat pets like family members and are willing to spend money on goods and services to keep them healthy and happy, continued to underpin the development of Indias pet food and pet care products market in 2009. Growth in the number of single-person households and the ageing of the Indian population also contributed to the positive development of the market, with many single and older people adopting pets for companionship. Pet owners have started taking interest in their pets diet, health and grooming. A gradual shift from home cooked food towards prepared pet food has been observed. Pet owners are more than willing to spend on pet food and pet care products than ever before.  Mars Inc. is an enigma, a mystery tied up inside in a bright candy wrapper. Its pet food b usiness segment, the biggest in the world at about $30 billion in annual sales, has been bleeding money in the U.S. and had has a slow-down in Europe, even in strongholds such as Germany, where Mars has had an incredible 80% market share. The companys new-product-development record is dismal, and the lack of new hit products is inhibiting growth. Mars has long been fanatical about its quality control and manufacturing efficiency -such as the humans taste-the test for the pet food but there are no miracles left in process technology. Mars is the worst, most feared company in the business totally unpredictable, capable of anything. Keywords: Pet-food, Mars Inc., Pets companionship, Lifestyle Introduction Mars, Incorporated is a worldwide manufacturer of confectionery, pet food and other food products with US$ 30 billion in annual sales for 2008, and it was ranked as the 6th largest privately-held company by John Mars and Forrest Mars Jr. in the United States by Forbes. Its Headquarters are in McLean, unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, USA. Mars operates in six business segments in the U.S. Chocolate, Petcare, Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, Food, and Drinks Symbioscience. In India, the company operates in two business segments mainly, Petcare and Chocolates Mars is guided by its Five Principles namely, Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom. Mars is the worlds third largest food manufacturer, after Nestle. Mars is the worlds leading confectionery company, following its acquisition of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company in 2008, with billion-dollar brands MMS ®, SNICKERS ®, DOVE  ®, MARS  ®, EXTRA  ® and ORBIT  ®. Mars has more than 70,000 associates working at over 230 sites, including 135 factories, in approximately 68 countries worldwide. Iconic global brands of MARS over the world are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Mars Chocolate: MMS ®, SNICKERS ®, DOVE ®, GALAXY ®, MARS ®, MILKY WAY ® and TWI à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Mars Petcare: PEDIGREE ®, WHISKAS ®, SHEBA ®, CESAR ® and ROYAL CANIN ® à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Wrigley Gum and Confections: EXTRA ®, ORBIT ®, DOUBLEMINT ®, SKITTLES ®, STARBURST ® and ALTOIDS ® à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Mars Food: UNCLE BENS ®, DOLMIO ®, SEEDS OF CHANGE ®, EBLY ® and MASTERFOODS ® à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Mars Drinks: KLIX ® and FLAVIA ® à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Mars Symbioscience: WISDOM PANELTM MX, SERAMIS ®, and COCOAPROTM Three of the brands are more than 100 years old: ALTOIDS ®, JUICY FRUIT ® and SPEARMINT ®. Seven of the brands are more than 50 years old: MILKY WAY ®, SNICKERS ®, MARS ®, MMS ®, DOUBLEMINT ®, UNCLE BENS ®, and WHISKAS ®. Pedigree ®, the world No. 1 dog food, with more than 70 years experience behind them, PEDIGREE helps make sure that the mans best friend stays fit, healthy and happy. Theres a Pedigree meal for every size and shape of dog. Historical Background In 1935, Mars Limited was renamed as Mars Confectionery and it acquired Chappel Brothers Ltd, (CHAPPIE  ®) UK based canned dog Food Company beginning its long association with top quality pet foods by marketing Chappie dog food. In 1939, Cat food, KITEKAT  ® was first advertised in UK. In 1951, Chappie Ltd. manufacturing was shifted to Melton Mowbray, UK. In 1954, PAL  ® food for dogs entered the UK market under the name of MEET  ®. In 1957, Chappie Ltd. was renamed to Pedigree Petfoods Ltd. In 1958, WHISKAS  ® food for cats was launched in UK. In 1959, MEET  ® was renamed as PAL  ®. In 1960, CHUM  ® dog food was launched in UK. In 1964, CHUM  ® dog food is rebranded to PEDIGREE CHUM  ® and it was a beginning to its long standing association with Crufts Dog Show in UK. Silbury Soames is the first dog to be fed on PEDIGREE CHUM  ® to win the Best in the Show Award. In 1965, Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition was established in United Kingdom to identify the dietary needs, preferences and behaviour of pet animals. This knowledge was then applied to the products to better satisfy the needs of the pet animals. In 1967, The Uncle Bens of Australia pet food business was established in Wodonga, Australia. In 1968, Kal Kan Petfoods was acquired in USA, and Mars started its association with the American dog and cat owners and their pets. In 1977, all senior / general managers worldwide met in Easton, Maryland and formulized the Five Principles. In 1982, SHEBA  ® cat food was launched in Hamburg, Germany, in exclusive aluminium tray format, delivering exquisite food to cats. Small dogs were offered their opportunity for dining two years later with the launch of CESAR  ® dog food. In 1983, the first Five Principles of Mars booklet was published and distributed globally across the Corporation. In 1987, FROLIC  ® dog food was launched in Brazil. Two years later followed by PEDIGREE  ® dog food and then WHISKAS  ® cat food. In 1991, PEDIGREE SELECT DINNERS  ® dog food was launched and later renamed as CESAR  ® dog food for small dogs. In 2001, Royal Canin Petfoods was purchased by Mars and this leading French brand of nutritious pet-food was introduced globally. In 2007, NUTRO  ® Pet-foods was welcomed into Mars stable of leading pet-food brands. Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition The WALTHAM ® Centre for Pet Nutrition is the major hub of the global research activities for Mars, where they work with the dogs, cats, fish, birds and horses. In collaboration with the global scientific institutes, the unique team of carers, scientists and research staff have supported the leading Mars brands such as Whiskas ®, Pedigree ®, Trill ®, Cesar ®, Sheba ®, Kitekat ®, Aquarian ®, Winergy ® and Royal Canin ®. The team in these years has pioneered some of the most important breakthroughs in pet nutrition, and has shared the results of the Centres research in more than 1,500 publications, and regular communication with scientific and pet care communities. By developing products that have been constantly improving nutrition and care, they have helped the worlds pets to live healthier and happier lives. Waltham ® Centre for Pet Nutrition, today, is the worlds leading authority on pet care and nutrition because their science caresà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ the investment of the centre into pet-care and well-being, provides better and more relevant science à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ because their way of working, they have stimulated innovative solutions to research problems à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ because their research has been published in high impact journals They are having a lasting positive impact on the health and care of pets across the world. Strategic Management of PEDIGREE, MARS Inc. Mars has expanded through acquisitions. Through the years, Mars has acquired the most successful brands of pet food across the globe. Their strategy of global expansion has been finding the converts to its brands in new country after country globally. The company with aggressive marketing, along with acquisitions, has increased both its market share as well as its profits in a flat market. The acquisition of Doane by Mars has been an important part of their strategy to strengthen and grow their Pet care business in North America and the addition of Doanes U.S. operation, they will provide production capacity to accelerate their innovation pipeline and operating flexibility to better respond to their customers needs, said Bob Gamgort, North American President for Mars. The combination of Mars brands, science and innovation with the supply chain excellence of the acquired brands has significantly improved Mars business performance and competitive position. This has created a more efficient, geographically distributed network which has enabled Mars to respond more rapidly to shifts in the consumer demand and customer needs. In 1964, Forresters primary act was to destroy the fancy corporate surroundings, and since then, Mars has been practicing an open-office policy for everyone. Mars has built a culture that can only be described as every man for himself. Indeed, there are no private offices. The desks are arrayed from the centre of the floor in the descending order of ranks through their zones of management the lower- ranking zone fives are typically the brand managers, while the zones one and two are accorded to the senior executives. The company does not have special parking spaces or executive dining rooms, or washrooms at any of their locations. Competitors are afraid of Mars as they are witnessing a work of a strategic genius or the mad-scientist owners that have let the business slide as they chase their dreams of global conquest, which really is the way of how they capitalize on opportunities.

The Threat of Nihilism: New Educational Opportunities? :: Education Philosophy Philosophical Essays

The Threat of Nihilism: New Educational Opportunities? ABSTRACT: If the educator is characterized by a willingness to stand for something and simultaneously willing to care for someone, then the philosophy of authenticity should help the educator out of the problems that the Enlightenment project and some of its critics have created. While our integrative authenticity should rescue us from despair, it should also correct the possible immobilism occasioned by the interpretation of some postmodernist authors. Here, what we take as somehow fulfilling us, to a certain extent also conceived in a naturalistic way, binds us to the ways of structuring our concerns so that others can participate in a common framework. But such a philosophical perspective is confronted with two objections. First, one asks whether it is still ethics given the importance it gives to the empirical level. Second, it is questioned whether there really is a place for the other, whether it in fact transcends subjectivism. This paper deals with some of Nietzsche's central ideas and argues that the reproach of extreme relativism and scepticism is not justified. It concludes that one may find on the contrary an interesting way of dealing with the necessarily individualistic nature of education as well for the educator as for the educandus. If education can be conceived as an answer from one individual person to another, particularity, care, integrity and trust are of the utmost importance, and so is what "being authentic" means. Of course, an agent cannot articulate a project concerning who she wants to be without a context of intersubjectivity. Such a project must constitute a particularly illuminating example of what can be done in a certain social predicament. Furthermore, authentic identity presupposes a moment of recognition on the part of another. Authentic identity can thus mean pursuing a project in which a willed uniqueness is expressed and the wish for others to recognize this unique person whom we want to become. If the educator is characterized by her willingness to stand for something and simultaneously willing to care for someone, then the philosophy of authenticity, thus conceived, should help the educator out of the problems that the Enlightenment project and of some of its critics have pressed on her. While her integrative authenticity should rescue her from despair, it should also correct the possible immobilism occasioned by the interpretation of some postmodernist authors. Here, what we take as somehow fulfilling us, to a certain extent also conceived in a naturalistic way, binds us to the ways of structuring our concerns so that others can participate in a common framework.

Organizational Behavior and Communication in the Walt Disney Company

This paper focuses on the organizational behavior and communication within the Walt Disney Company. This piece contains a discussion on The Disney Company’s philosophy, mission statement, vision statement and values and its affect on organizational behavior and communication. The Disney Company is an international organization in which communication role plays an important part in the organizations’ perception and organizational culture. The Company supports its values through its actions and communications among and within cast members (employees) as well as the general public. The Walt Disney Company â€Å"started with a mouse† a favorite comment made by Walt himself as he looked back at the humble beginnings of his organization. The Company’s philosophy, mission statement, vision statement and values come directly from The Company’s annual report (2010). The Company’s philosophy is taken directly from Walt Disney himself where â€Å"every child is born with a vivid imagination† which became the foundation for animated sequences of fantasy, visits to the depths of the ocean and dreams of flight into Space. The Company’s mission statement is â€Å"to be one of the world's leading producers and providers of entertainment and information. Using our portfolio of brands to differentiate our content, services and consumer products, we seek to develop the most creative, innovative and profitable entertainment experiences and related products in the world. † The vision statement reads â€Å"The Walt Disney Company is to be the preeminent leader in the field of family entertainment. The Company values are Innovation, quality through high standards of excellence and maintain quality standards for all product categories; Community to create a positive and inclusive idea about families and provide entertainment experiences for all generations to share. Every product will tell a story and will be timeless and engaging to inspire and delight; Optimism which focuses on hope, aspiration and have positive resolutions and Decency where the company honors and respects the trust people place in the Company and provide an atmosphere to create fun and to laugh at experiences and themselves. Communication plays a crucial role in perception and organizational culture within The Disney Company. A significant part of communication lays the question of trust between people receiving information and those giving information. Thomas, Zolin & Hartman, 2009 discussed the capability of trust and communication improving organizational concerns relating to employee participation and job performance. Open communication is a factor relating to interpersonal trust. If employees cannot trust supervisors then employees hesitate to work towards organizational goals. When companies exhibit openness, it promotes the organizations’ commitment to it culture and values (DeRidder, 2004). Being a global company, Disney employs people with diverse backgrounds and nationalities and being unable to communicate and work together can create problems. The Company aligns its communication style with its culture and values through the use of storytelling. Using a method called the â€Å"Grandparents Story†, Murray Nossel teaches employees of global companies how to listen and communicate with each other (O’Connor, 2010). Nossel says the use of storytelling brings people together because everyone has a Grandparent story and key to the method is not the story itself, but people listening (O’Connor). Barker and Gower (2010) recognized storytelling as a person’s ability to establish a common ground and social relationships. By creating a picture through stories, organizations are able to represent personal, interpersonal and corporate perspectives on a social level (Barker and Gower). A noteworthy part of communication is dealing with and resolving conflict. The Disney Company faced significant communication conflicts with Euro Disney (now Disneyland Paris) in France. Instead of listening, assimilating and communicating with the French people and their culture, The Disney Company dictated how the park would be set-up, prices to charge and create another â€Å"America† in France. According to France, everything had to be â€Å"the Disney way† and the French and their culture were pushed aside adding to a hostile environment (Spencer, 1995). The Company should have formed a group with French and American members to work out conflicts because the opinions of the members create discussions establishing an improved detailed method rather than a singular perspective (Jehn and Mannix, 2001). To improve communication with and among groups, The Company should follow the methods of recently acquired Pixar Company. The people at Pixar have the freedom to communicate with anyone in a â€Å"safe† environment to offer ideas and criticism with explanations from anyone at any level in the organization. The leadership at Pixar explains that creativity is behind the company’s success and having an open communication format is the basis of the company culture (Catmull, 2008). Disney’s espoused values align with its enacted values. The Disney Company focuses on the customer and their experiences and even created a new term called â€Å"guestology† (Innovation value). The term applies to the importance Disney puts on understanding their customers. Disney measures the amount of time a customer has to wait, the number of acceptable drops on the ride Tower of Terror† and what prices guests are willing to pay before becoming unhappy (Quality, Every product telling a story and Optimism values) (Ford and Heaton, 2001). According to Ford and Heaton, the organizational culture of The Disney Company guides and directs employees on how to handle situations using honor and respect that may not appear during formal training (Optimism value). Disney cast members (employees) are empowered to make decisions or perform reasonable actions to satisfy guests (Decency value). According to Michael Griffin, Vice President of communications for Walt Disney World, when it comes to communication, Disney disseminates in writing the same information to cast members as it does to the general public. When it comes to information not in writing, team leaders are informed and they in turn verbally inform their members. According to Griffin, the company does everything to protect the brand (Elsasser, 2009). As the Walt Disney Company grew through the innovative efforts of artists and technology, the Company maintains its philosophy of creating with the vivid imagination of a child. As the company grew to international status through movies, amusement parks and Broadway productions, the company continues to maintain its dedication to providing innovative, quality entertainment for all members of the family. The Disney Company communicates its corporate values which are infused in the organizational culture, instilled in employee training and acted upon with honor and respect to the customer.

Intelligence in two psychological journals written by Thorndike and Hagopian

Intelligence in two psychological journals written by Thorndike and Hagopian Description of the papers The psychological concept under analysis is intelligence as seen through the operant conditioning lens. In 1898 one of the pioneers of operant conditioning – Edward Thorndike – wrote an article called â€Å"Animal intelligence: an experimental study of the associate processes in animals.†Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Intelligence in two psychological journals written by Thorndike and Hagopian specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the article, the author carried out an experimental analysis of cats. He placed them in enclosures when they were hungry, and added basic escape mechanisms to the boxes. Thorndike (1898) placed food outside the enclosures. Some of the boxes had platforms that the cats could step on when they needed to get out; others had levers that would open when the cats wanted to escape. In other instances, he placed cords that the cats could pull when nece ssary. He recorded the time it took the cats to leave the enclosures successfully. He took out the cats that failed to open the enclosures but never fed them. He found out that successful cats kept repeating the acts needed to open the enclosures, and they did this in remarkably short timeframes. However, the cats that failed never attempted again. Thorndike came up with the law of cause and effect by affirming that responses (methods of escape used by the cats) that came immediately before satisfactory outcomes (food and less loneliness) became strongly associated to the situation, and were more likely to recur. However, inadequate association with the situation occurred when negative responses followed certain responses; these responses were less likely to occur.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Hagopian et al. (2000) wanted to determine the effects of non contingent reinf orcement on engagement with stimuli and problem behavior. Their analysis involved four mentally retarded participants who all had problem behaviors. They provided them with positive rewards such as toys and soft music under different conditions and observed them. They found that if they provided the subjects with positive stimuli regardless of participants’ behavior (non contingent reinforcement), the subjects continued to engage with it. They also realized that the stimuli almost reduced problem behavior to zero in these cases. They explained that non contingent reinforcement created reductions of destructive behavior. They also found that reduced response to the readily available stimuli (satiation) was a factor when the subjects had long access times. Extinction providing no consequence for behavior – did not lead to reductions in problem behavior. Comparison In both analyses, the researchers are trying to understand how one reinforces behavior in intelligent organ isms. It can also be stated that the analyses focus on how learning occurs. They both use experimental analyses to come up with theories that explain these relationships. Furthermore, basic concepts of operant conditioning are the basis of these two researches; they all involve responses or behavior, rewards, and stimuli (something that alters behavior). Both studies also support the law of cause and effect; Thorndike (1898) explains that when a satisfactory effect comes immediately after a cat’s behavior (response), then the response is likely to be repeated.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Intelligence in two psychological journals written by Thorndike and Hagopian specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, when negative outcomes come immediately after certain behaviors, then the responses are less likely to occur. To Thorndike (1898), it is not possible to experience behavior reinforcement when one changes environments inconsistently. Similarly, Hagopian et al. (2000) explain that when one provides subjects with stimuli consistently; that is throughout the experiment, then targeted responses are likely to emanate from the study. In their case, they wanted to subvert problem behavior, so that was their targeted response. The subjects needed to form a link between the incentives and the consequences in order to achieve this outcome. Through consistent delivery, the researchers illustrated that there was a law of cause and effect. Continuities and discontinuities These researches are all based on operant conditioning. However, the recent paper is significantly different from the older article because it deals with the concept of non contingent reinforcement. Non contingent reinforcement refers to the provision of stimuli irrespective of a subject’s behavior. Scientists do this in order to show the subject that his or her negative behavior is not necessary in order to achieve a des ired outcome. In their research, the subjects’ desired outcome was getting attention. The actions that they used to achieve this were tantrums, biting, kicking and self harm – all cases of problem behavior. The researchers provided toys and music as stimuli. Continually providing these stimuli caused the participants to reduce their undesired behavior.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Thorndike (1898) had not considered a situation where the researcher continuously delivers the positive stimuli without regard to behavior. His experiment was contingent on the subjects’ responses. Therefore, his method was heavily reliant on interruptive removal or provision of stimuli; i.e., rewards and punishments. He did not focus on non interruptive patterns. The studies are quite different from each other because of the methods employed and the analytical techniques. The recent paper relied heavily on theoretical reviews of similar work. The authors quote other scientists’ explanations on extinction and satiation before making their conclusions. However, Thorndike (1898) was the first of his kind, so he did not rely on other authors’ previous work. He needed to justify his choice of methods because they were not common. Hagopian et al. (2000) used accepted methods of scientific research like baseline conditions and investigational conditions. Furthermore, the papers focused on different participants; Thorndike (1898) dealt with animals, so he could not use neurological explanations for his work; subsequent studies on operant conditioning have dwelt on human subjects. Lastly, Hagopian et al. (2000) distinguished between the factors that contributed to the effectiveness of the consequences such as contingency and satiation while Thorndike (1898) did not know about any of these terms. References Hagopian, L., Crockett, J., Van Stone, M., Deleon, I. Bowman, L. (2000). Effects of non contingent reinforcement on problem behavior and stimulus engagement: the role of satiation, extinction and alternative reinforcement. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 33 (4), 433-449 Thorndike, E. (1898). Animal Intelligence: An experimental study of the associate processes in animals. Psychological review monograph supplement, 2(4), 1-8

Written English - Definition and Examples

Written English s Written English is the way in which the English language is transmitted through a conventional system of graphic signs (or letters). Compare to spoken English. The earliest forms of written English were primarily the translations of Latin works into English in the ninth century. Not until the late fourteenth century (that is, the late Middle English period) did a standard form of written English begin to emerge. According to Marilyn Corrie in The Oxford History of English (2006), written English has been characterized by relative stability during the Modern English period. See also: WritingAlphabetColloquializationFormal Style and Informal StyleKey Events in the History of the English LanguageLiteracyPresent-Day English (PDE)SpellingStandard EnglishWhat Is Standard English?What Is Writing? Early Written English [T]he vast majority of books and manuscripts produced in England before the invention of printing were written in Latin or (in later times) French. Administrative documents were not written in English in any number until the fourteenth century. The story of early written English is one of a local vernacular language struggling to achieve a distinct visual identity and written usage.(David Graddol et al., English: History, Diversity, and Change. Routledge, 1996)[A] new standard form of written English, this time based on the usage of London, began to emerge from the fifteenth century onwards. This was generally adopted by the early printers, who in turn provided a norm for private usage from the sixteenth century onwards.(Jeremy J. Smith, Essentials of Early English. Routledge, 1999) Recording Functions of Written English The history of writing in the English-speaking world reveals a balancing act between competing recording functions of the written word. While written English has always had a role in creating durable records that were never intended to be read aloud, the oral side of writing has been far more important than we tend to realize. Through most of the languages history, an essential function of writing has been to aid in subsequent representation of spoken words. Overwhelmingly, those spoken words have been formal in characterdrama, poetry, sermons, public speeches. ( . . . [B]eginning in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, writing developed a new set of quintessentially written functions with the emergence of newspapers and novels.)In the latter part of the twentieth century, a new twist was added, as writing increasingly came to represent informal speech. This time, there was no intention of later rendering such texts aloud. Gradually, we learned to write as we spoke (rather than preparing to speak as we wrote). As a result weve generally blurred older assumptions that speech and writing are two distinct forms of communication. Nowhere has this muddying of boundaries been more apparent than in the case of email.(Naomi S. Baron, Alphabet to Email: How Written English Evolved and Where Its Heading. Routledge, 2000) Writing and Speech When writing developed, it was derived from and represented speech, albeit imperfectly . . ..To affirm the primacy of speech over writing is not, however, to disparage the latter. If speaking makes us human, writing makes us civilized. Writing has some advantages over speech. For example, it is more permanent, thus making possible the records that any civilization must have. Writing is also capable of easily making some distinctions that speech can make only with difficulty. We can, for example, indicate certain types of pauses more clearly by the spaces that we leave between words when we write than we ordinarily are able to do when we speak. Grade A may well be heard as gray day, but there is no mistaking the one phrase for the other in writing.(John Algeo and Thomas Pyles, The Origins and Development of the English Language, 5th ed. Thomson Wadsworth, 2005) Standard Written English Standard or standardized written English (SWE). Its alive and well in our culture, but what does it mean? Many varieties of English get into print in various contexts, but standard doesnt refer to all of themnot even to everything published in mainstream books and magazines. It refers only to one slice of mainstream writingbut an incredibly important and powerful slice: the slice that people happen to call correct edited written English. When people champion Standard Written English, they sometimes call it proper or correct or literate writing. . . . [I]ts a language that is found only on paperand only in the texts of certain established writers, and its rules are in grammar books. So again: standardized written English (or prescriptive written English) is no ones mother tongue.(Peter Elbow, Vernacular Eloquence: What Speech Can Bring to Writing. Oxford Univ. Press, 2012)Unlike most other kinds of English, standard written English is strongly codified. That is, there is almost total agreement as to which forms and usages form part of it and which do not. . . .Mastery of standard written English is a requirement for many professions, and it is highly desirable in many others. But nobody comes naturally equipped with this mastery. Standard written English has to be acquired, usually by formal education. Sadly, however, in recent years schools in most English-speaking countries have pulled back from teaching this material. As a result, even university graduates with good degrees often find themselves with a command of standard English that is at best inadequate and at worst distressing. This is not a trivial problem, since a poor command of the conventions of standard English will often make a very bad impression on those who must read your writing.(Robert Lawrence Trask, Say What You Mean!: A Troubleshooters Guide to English Style and Usage. David R. Godine, 2005)

Hormonal Replacement Therapy essays

Hormonal Replacement Therapy essays HRT 2 Hormone replacement therapy (natural and synthetic) restores declining hormonal levels associated with menopause. This helps alleviate many discomforts associated with menopause and allows the body to continue to receive the beneficial effects hormones have against cardiovascular disease, but do the risks weigh out the benefits. Before understanding the benefits for hormone replacement, it is needed to first understand the hormonal changes that occur during menopause. Menopause is a natural stage in life that occurs when a woman stops having menstrual cycles. However, menopausal symptoms and irregular menstrual cycles can begin to occur 5-10 years before menopause as the ovaries gradually stop producing eggs and there is a progressive decline in hormone production. This time period of change is called pre-menopause. When entering the early stages of menopause, the question of hormone replacement therapy arises. The two female hormones, estrogen and progesterone is certainly the most widely prescribed therapies utilized by physicians for the relief of menopausal symptoms and the prevention of certain hormone-related conditions of aging. Estrogen is not one hormone, but a group of similar hormones of varying degrees of activities, all produced in the ovaries. Estrogen is secreted by the ovaries throughout a womans reproductive years and is the female hormone responsible for ovulation. Estrogen plays an important role in a womans life from the time she enters puberty until the end of her last menstrual period. Not only does estrogen have beneficial effects on cholesterol and lipid levels but it also contributes to the strengthening of bones and the mental well-being of women. ...

Furniture Marketing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Furniture Marketing - Case Study Example The owner, Martin Smith has designed a new product and is willing to launch it on 25th of March 2010. As the world is currently experiencing a recession, consideration will need to be paid to the price and dynamics of the product. This will be achieved by the marketing and strategy plan. Having experience for eight years in producing furniture, Mr. Martin has come up with the idea of producing a computer desk that can be used to study as well. What makes this product different from other computer desks in the market is the ability to adjust the size and adapt to the room size (Bennington, 2004). The product design is attractive and can be ordered in different colors. The non-adjustable part of the desk is 75cm (horizontal). There are extensions on either side of the desk that can be extended by 40cm. Its height is 72cm and the legs are metallic. Both sides of the desk have drawer space which can contain CDs, books or the PC case. The total weight will be 67.5Kg. The current UK legislation may have a negative impact due to increase in taxes. If taxes increase this increase may have to be passed down to the customer. Thus price of the product will increase. This will affect the business. Transport costs too would be affected. Because of credit crunch many students from different cultural backgrounds will be reluctant to register in universities. ... The cost of the desk is affordable to the majority Since there are some value added features in this product there is bound to be greater demand for this desk Weaknesses Since there are many similar products in the market there will be a stiff competition Since this is a new product the people would be reluctant to buy it Opportunities Since computers are used by the majority of the public at homes, offices, universities and colleges there is a greater demand for computer desks. Product placement strategy related opportunities. Company can place the product in well researched market segments like universities and colleges in London. It can make use of its manufacturing division and technical control division to enhance efficiency by reducing costs. Threats Market penetration pricing strategy adopted by rival furniture manufactures is a threat. Total Concept also has to adopt a similar strategy. The bigger rivals have a better supply chain advantage. They buy products at cheaper prices thus can afford to sell it at cheaper prices 3.2 PEST Analysis PEST Analysis is a strategic analysis method that is used to understand market growth and the business position potentials and directions. Political The current UK legislation may have a negative impact due to increase in taxes. If taxes increase this increase may have to be passed down to the customer. Thus price of the product will increase. This will affect the business. Transport costs too would be affected. Social Because of credit crunch many students from different cultural backgrounds will be reluctant to register in universities. This will have a negative effect on the

Jordan Briefing Paper Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Jordan Briefing Paper - Article Example In this paper, we shall discuss various aspects of the Jordan culture which will enlighten us about this country’s social, economic, religious and political scenario. Elements of Traditional Arab Culture observed in Jordan Jordan has various elements of the traditional Arab culture indebted in its roots. The bulk of the population being Muslims they believe in the religion of Islam as the other Arabs. Both the social as well as political system of this region follows the extended patriarchal family structure where the Sheikh or head of the family is chosen on the basis of their lineage, wealth and the will of their personalities. According to the system, the eldest son of the Sheikh succeeds to the throne after his father’s death. Even today in Jordan, the camel breeders are considered to be on the supreme level in the society as per the traditional Arab culture. Moreover, they follow the old Arab custom of marrying a person from within the family since anyone outside t heir clan is considered to be inferior by the traditional clans. Although the Jordanians are much more liberal in their thoughts as compared to the other Arab countries, still they are very conservative regarding women’s clothing. The traditional Arab culture where women are required to cover themselves from head to toe as well as wearing of veils is still mandatory in Jordan. In addition, the practice of the separation of sexes is virtually followed in all the places in Jordan till today (Chmidt, n.d). Extent of Influence of Westernization and Modernization on Traditional Arab Culture Lot of changes has occurred in all aspects of the Jordanian society under the influence of Westernization and Modernization. Even though the Arab culture endorses the highest level of conservatism, Jordan is far more broad-minded especially where women are concerned who enjoy considerable liberty as compared to women in other Arab countries. The female gender enjoys the freedom to complete educ ation, the right to vote, to drive cars and often hold vital positions in business and politics. In the urban areas, women enjoy greater equality and freedom than in the past, though the traditional practices still dominate their lives. Furthermore, Muslims are prohibited from drinking alcohol as per Islam however it is available in most of the restaurants and pubs in Jordan. Moreover, the growing number of educated urban youths has started believing in individualism preferring to set up their own households instead of residing with their parents. This has led to the shift in the trend from extended families to nuclear households in this country. In addition, westernization has led the Jordanian youths to alienate from their traditional cultures (The Library of Congress Country Studies, 1989a). Cultural Sensitivities of the Country As we know that Jordanians are far liberal than their neighbors but they do have certain reservations which visitors needs to keep in mind when they are touring this country. They are conservative where women’s clothing is concerned; all the local women are supposed to wear attires which cover their arms, legs and hair. Though western women and tourists are not subject to so much restriction but very revealing clothes are never apposite and conventional clothing is advisable for both men and women in Amman and outside the cities. Moreover, topless bathing is barred and one piece swimsuits are recommended although two piece swimsuits can be worn at

Karl Marx & Political Life Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Karl Marx & Political Life - Term Paper Example It was these that guided these revolutionaries in their struggles to change the status quo and introduce a new system in society. At the core of Marxist ideas is the tool of analysis that is to be used in understanding the essential features of society. The Marxist social analysis is actually the most essential principle behind the socialist ideology. Without social analysis, it is apparently impossible to discover the factors that could lead to the progress of society from one historical stage to another. Without it, the leadership of such movements for change would not be able to identify the motive forces as well as those that would seek to maintain the status quo. As a social scientist, Marx was among the first to articulate that to understand society, it is necessary to focus on the material basis of its existence, the economy. He actually began his investigations of society by first understanding the dynamics of capitalist economy, particularly its mode of production. It was th rough his observations in the relationship among the people involved in production that he was able to formulate a theory about social classes and the political structure arising from it. Therefore, Marx does not consider politics as independent from economic life. Instead, he considers it to be a reflection of the relations in production. At the same time, however, he also explains that the nature of the economy can also be altered by changes in politics. Even as Marx formulated a social theory that eventually led to the organization and mobilization of the working class for social change, he was not a worker himself. A lawyer by training and education, he belonged to the middle class. Therefore, it was impossible for him develop the political standpoint and ideological viewpoint of the proletariat. However, he was drawn to socialist ideas and was also a Hegelian; both of which were contributing factors to his determination in learning about the potential elements that could lead t o radical social transformation. As a socialist, Marx appreciated the benefits of a society where there are no distinctions based on wealth and participation on labor. As a Hegelian, he was also very interested in discovering dialectics in society; the contradictions that could lead to change. Aside from being a socialist and a Hegelian, Marx also upheld the principal aspects of political economy as articulated by Adam Smith and David Ricardo, especially in the concept that the wealth of society originates from the combination of nature and human labor. All these were vital to the development of Marx’s systematic theory. Inspired by his socialist principles and Hegelian-influenced methods of analysis, Marx went on to investigate the mode of production. As a result of his investigation he concluded that â€Å"the increasing value of the world of things proceeds in direct proportion to the devaluation of the world of men† and that labor produces not only commodities; it also produces itself and the worker as a commodity – and does so in the proportion in which it produces commodities generally.† (Marx 43) As the working class reproduces itself, individuals who are not involved in labor but are related to production emerge. These are the capitalists or the bourgeoisie; the class whose existence is based on the appropriation of a certain percentage of the wealth created by

Texas Policy Report Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Texas Policy Report - Term Paper Example Governor Rick Perry signed the Texas bill 5 during a special session. Rick Perry convened the special session after Senator Wendy Davis conducted a filibuster in an attempt to interfere with signing of the abortion bill. Rick Perry signed the bill in a ceremony attended by various media groups, lobbyists and legislators. Perry and other supporters of the abortion bill had believed that unborn children experience immense pain during abortion. Governor Perry had proposed the abortion bill on May 27, 2013 though it became unsuccessful in regular senate sessions. However, Wendy and other activists argued that illegalizing abortion would had fatal consequences to the mother. Wendy explained her protest through her experience where she discussed abortion case of her daughter (The State of Texas 1). Wendy had tried several times to stop law provisions that restrict abortion including 2012 debates. She was especially concerned about part of abortion bill that banned abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Consequently, during the special session when the Perry was to sign the abortion bill in June 25, 2013, Wendy Davis reported to the media that she would conduct a filibuster. The filibuster would aim at preventing final process of adopting abortion bill. Wendy attracted social media debate following her emotional speech where she discussed heart-rending disclosures about her pregnancy experiences. However, Governor Perry had promised citizens six months before the 25 June 2013 session that he would sign laws against abortion. Perry had stated that unborn babies deserved the legal rights to sound health besides constitutional protection. He had believed that abortion bill would form the foundation on Texas culture of respect for life. House bill 2 signed by Governor Perry had provisions that bans abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy. In addition, House of Bill 2 demands that clinics that perform abortion be of similar health

Any topic you think is good for my paper 'but look to the assigment Assignment

Any topic you think is good for my paper 'but look to the assigment sheet befour u start' - Assignment Example Using logos as a means of persuasion, Boot provided narrative details of historical claims and identified nautical miles that establish sovereignty to lands according to international law. Likewise, incidents of current events that detail both countries’ active claim through positioning respective vessels in the area have been detailed. The apparent lack of support and active participation of the United States, known as an ally to the Philippines proven by a 1951 treaty, was likewise allegedly established through assuming a neutral stance. The author used ethos by establishing his credibility as a â€Å"senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of the forthcoming (book)† (Boot par. 13). By indicating that he is not among the two claiming parties’ citizen, he appeared to present objective and unbiased arguments on this matter. Through establishing appropriate logical reasoning, the author effectively established logos as a rhetorical appeal and has likewise appropriately used ethos to credibly confirm his unbiased character as an author and to provide an objective report on the subject of

Econ exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Econ exam - Essay Example Furthermore, HR managers and supervisors are blamed for gender inequality practices, even when the job is suitable for professionals from both genders, mostly because of personal beliefs and the ‘glass ceiling’ effect. Even though such incidences are much more common within second or third world countries, where the position of women is mostly confined to domestic chores, the media in the US is more active on this issue. The economic impacts have been better in the case of US as well as other developed economies, especially after the recent recession, which forced many otherwise homemakers to pursue employment, and thus utilizing their unharnessed talents for economic gains; while creating a healthy competition in the job market. Moreover, even though media has been frenzy about racial and gender discrimination in the workplace (especially within the HR department), such incidences are much more common within developing and under-developed countries. As far as racial differences are concerned, the election of a President with African-American descent is evidence of the fact that the beliefs of the American populace are changing for the better. The economic influence of such events will be advantageous and profitable. Undoubtedly the most obvious and terrible social effect is that some of these couples are treated as outcasts by their own family and community members. Along with this, generation gaps cause even more negative social impacts towards the issue, especially if the cultures and beliefs amongst the couple’s culture differ substantially. Nevertheless, there is a silver lining [†¦] a social significance of interracial marriages, it is the fact that the couple will leave behind a lesson for their next generation, which is to remain indifferent towards racial differences. For something that is considered a taboo in the US, interracial marriages encompass an imperative economic

Texas Policy Report Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Texas Policy Report - Term Paper Example Governor Rick Perry signed the Texas bill 5 during a special session. Rick Perry convened the special session after Senator Wendy Davis conducted a filibuster in an attempt to interfere with signing of the abortion bill. Rick Perry signed the bill in a ceremony attended by various media groups, lobbyists and legislators. Perry and other supporters of the abortion bill had believed that unborn children experience immense pain during abortion. Governor Perry had proposed the abortion bill on May 27, 2013 though it became unsuccessful in regular senate sessions. However, Wendy and other activists argued that illegalizing abortion would had fatal consequences to the mother. Wendy explained her protest through her experience where she discussed abortion case of her daughter (The State of Texas 1). Wendy had tried several times to stop law provisions that restrict abortion including 2012 debates. She was especially concerned about part of abortion bill that banned abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Consequently, during the special session when the Perry was to sign the abortion bill in June 25, 2013, Wendy Davis reported to the media that she would conduct a filibuster. The filibuster would aim at preventing final process of adopting abortion bill. Wendy attracted social media debate following her emotional speech where she discussed heart-rending disclosures about her pregnancy experiences. However, Governor Perry had promised citizens six months before the 25 June 2013 session that he would sign laws against abortion. Perry had stated that unborn babies deserved the legal rights to sound health besides constitutional protection. He had believed that abortion bill would form the foundation on Texas culture of respect for life. House bill 2 signed by Governor Perry had provisions that bans abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy. In addition, House of Bill 2 demands that clinics that perform abortion be of similar health

Econ exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Econ exam - Essay Example Furthermore, HR managers and supervisors are blamed for gender inequality practices, even when the job is suitable for professionals from both genders, mostly because of personal beliefs and the ‘glass ceiling’ effect. Even though such incidences are much more common within second or third world countries, where the position of women is mostly confined to domestic chores, the media in the US is more active on this issue. The economic impacts have been better in the case of US as well as other developed economies, especially after the recent recession, which forced many otherwise homemakers to pursue employment, and thus utilizing their unharnessed talents for economic gains; while creating a healthy competition in the job market. Moreover, even though media has been frenzy about racial and gender discrimination in the workplace (especially within the HR department), such incidences are much more common within developing and under-developed countries. As far as racial differences are concerned, the election of a President with African-American descent is evidence of the fact that the beliefs of the American populace are changing for the better. The economic influence of such events will be advantageous and profitable. Undoubtedly the most obvious and terrible social effect is that some of these couples are treated as outcasts by their own family and community members. Along with this, generation gaps cause even more negative social impacts towards the issue, especially if the cultures and beliefs amongst the couple’s culture differ substantially. Nevertheless, there is a silver lining [†¦] a social significance of interracial marriages, it is the fact that the couple will leave behind a lesson for their next generation, which is to remain indifferent towards racial differences. For something that is considered a taboo in the US, interracial marriages encompass an imperative economic

The Cost of College Essay Example for Free

The Cost of College Essay The cost to attend college is high, and has been rising for many years. The cost of college is too high, a lot of people can’t afford it, and unemployment rates are sky high. Why is the cost of college so much? The best answer would be our economy. Our economy has a great effect on the rising prices of everything, including college tuition. Another factor influencing the price of college is the demand for a higher education, for a well-paying job is more than ever. The problem of the cost of college right now is that many people can’t afford to go to college, and it puts them in debt even though it may be worth it. Works Cited Adams, Caralee J. Mid-Income Students Incur Higher Debt. Education Week 29 August 2012. English, Ed. Cap In Hand: The High Price Of Higher Education: A College Degree Has Become An Indispensable Credential In Today’s Workforce. But With The Cost Of Postsecondary Education Soaring, A Degree Is Also Slipping Out Of Reach For More People. What’s Behind Tuition Inflation, And Can Its Trajectory Be Altered? EconSouth 2011: 6. Luhby, Tami. Is College Worth It? Careers and Colleges November 2000. ? Articles about College Tuition: The cost of college is rising, and has been rising for many years. Even though the prices can be more or less depending on what state the college is in, what degree students plan on getting, and what type of college students go to, the costs are still very high. At a private four-year college the total cost would be over $40,000. At a public four-year college the cost would be more than $20,000. The cost to attend a two-year college would be more than $14,000. Most jobs require employees to have some sort of degree. Even though the prices keep rising, more and more people are going to college to get a better education, so they can get a well-paying job (English). Another issue with the high costs of college is the debt that comes along with it. Sure, some people get scholarships, and others have the money they need, but some people don’t. The people that don’t have enough money or don’t get a scholarship that want or need to go to college have to borrow the money. Borrowing these large amounts of money causes a lot of debt. Graduates can have thousands of dollars in debt. Debt can cause many problems all throughout life. Since most graduates cannot get a well-paying job right out of college, they have problems paying the high amounts of debt off (Adams). Others think that the cost of college should not be a problem because it is worth it. Going to college means that graduates will be able to get a better paying job than they could without a degree. Having a better job will eventually allow graduates to pay off loans and thrive in the real world. People who have a Doctorate or Professional degree earn between $120,000 and $150,000 per year. People who have a Masters or Bachelor’s degree earn between $80,000 and $95,000 per year. People with only a high school education only earn about $45,000, and people with less than a high school education only earn about $30,000. It is important to have a job that will pay enough to live a good life and even support a family. Even though the cost of a college education is ridiculously high, it is completely worth it. Getting a college education and having better job opportunities to get a well-paying job helps people in many ways throughout their lives (Luhby).

The United States Of Africa Or Pan Africanism Politics Essay

The United States Of Africa Or Pan Africanism Politics Essay One of the introductory sources used to introduce the Life Orientation Research Task Umbrella Topic uses the idea that all human beings originated from Africa, due to anthropological DNA profiling proof, and the idea that we are all originally African. While it is all very well that Americans and Europeans etc. want to dig into their roots finding linkages to being African, and in turn, establishing a sense of unanimity amongst all Human Beings since we all come from one place, my research project explores the topic from an African perspective, investigating whether or not Africans from different parts of the continent actually feel united themselves. An idea for a United States of Africa was first vaguely suggested back when Africa was ruled by Colonialists. However, in recent years, the African Union looked into actually making this idea a reality. My motivation behind this research topic is that as a Ghanaian by roots, but a born and bred South African, I have dealt with a bit of an identity crisis, not really feeling like I truly belong in either country. I have experienced and have been emotionally affected by situations in which Africans look down on other Africans, and see themselves as different to, or separate from other Africans of different countries and even different ethnical groups. For so many years, all African countries have had to face a range of problems, from the issue of African independence, to the continuous problem of poverty. As a continent that is perceived as primitive and underdeveloped in comparison to the rest of the world, the concept that becoming united could help us rise above the problems of Africa and possibly make us the most powerful and influential country/continent is a very attractive idea. The amount of general natural resources found all across this continent could be very beneficial for us, and as one big country, there might be more control over the resources, as opposed to foreign forces coming in and taking advantage of these resources in the possession of minor, defenceless countries. There is the potential to create a very strong force of the 54 states that could be very intimidating when it comes to foreign affairs. My aim for this project is to explore the likelihood of this idea. I aim to investigate the opinions and perspective of citizens from various African nations, investigating the way in which they perceive Africa at this current moment. I aim to compare the way in which South Africans view this issue, and the way that other Africans view this issue, to see whether the final result is a united view, or whether it is more of a South African point of view due to different cultural environments. With this information, I am going to analyse whether this could be a good idea, obviously not from a professional point of view, but from a common citizen point of view, seeing as most of my interviewees will be everyday people. Would it be practical or even realistic to form a United States of Africa as an effective solution to our problems? Would Africans be comfortable relinquishing their countrys names, flags, and proud nationality to become one and the same as people they once referred to as the other Africans? My theory is that most Africans do not see themselves as equals to Africans of other nations, and my research project will hopefully determine whether this is true or not. Literature Review The United States of Africa or Pan-Africanism The African Union, an organisation made up of members of 54 countries of Africa (all excluding Morocco due to conflicts with the Sahara Arab Democratic Republic, another member of the AU) was an organisation officially launched by Thabo Mbeki in 2002. The idea stemmed from the original Union of African States project, an alliance of three African countries (Ghana, Guinea and Mali) founded by Kwame Nkrumah, in the 1960s (McKown, 1973). He planned to start the Pan-Africanism movement, and founded the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). However, the organisation as critics said did not do much in the favour of actual African citizens, but rather benefited the leaders of the countries more. The organisation was a gathering of all leaders across the continent to discuss and try to solve Africas issues, ironic since most of Africas problems were caused by dictator-like leaders. (African Union, 2012). Critics described it as a Dictators club. In 2002, as the last chairman of the organisa tion, Thabo Mbeki disbanded the OAU and established the new African Union. (African Union, 2012) Around 2006, new talk started concerning overthrowing the African Union, and replacing it with a single African government for the new United States of Africa. An AU Summit hosted in Accra, Ghana in 2007 was organised for various African leaders to come together and discuss forming a union that would help Africa flourish in this world of increasing globalisation (Soares, 2007). The government would control a 2-million man army, have stronger, combined forces in the fight against AIDS, and be represented as one voice when it came to intercontinental matters. The movement was lead for many years by the very eager Maummar Gaddafi. Some African leaders were all for the idea, some were against it, believing his motives to be questionable. Those opposed felt that more of Africas countries need to be strengthened within themselves, both economically and politically before this could become a reality. Before you put a roof on a house, you need to build the foundation, Thabo Mbeki expressed on the matter (Soares, 2007). At the 2007 AU Summit in Accra Ghana, Ugandas Yoweri Museveni expressed that he believed it would do more harm than good, and would create tension rather than cohesionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Ross, 2007). He further explained how he believed that some groups would force their identities upon others, whereas not everyone will be willing to give up their identity. He suggested that we first focus on uniting similar nations before we try and unite everyone all at once, especially considering the traditional differences such as languages and culture. He even mentioned other aspects that we should rather focus on as a continent, such as the environment, trade negotiations and managing a defence pact etc. (Ross, 2007) Baby steps is the general idea. Many people consider the goal to achieve this United States of Africa by 2015 as too hurried, and not thoroughly thought out. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigerias previous finance minister, makes reference to the EU on her opinion on the matter, describing how it took them long to form a Union; some nations like Bulgaria and Romania were not easily accepted due to their gang problems and disorder. She highlights goals that we should focus on such as political and economical stability and regional infrastructure. (Soares, 2007) Advocates of Pan-Africanism Kwame Nkrumah, the chief founder of the idea of a united Africa, was Ghanas first president after they gained independence. As president of the first country to have gained independence, Kwame Nkrumah immediately launched and started promoting his idea of one African country (McKown, 1973). His vision of this included the Northern Arabic African countries, since he was well acquainted with their leader Gamal Abdel Nasser. At that time they were seen as more of an excluded part of Africa, and this was the first step to bridging the gap (Nkrumah, 2007). Much scepticism was held against Nkrumah, since he was able to build a big palace, with a 2  200-seater hall, for the Annual OAU summit to be held, all in his quest to supposedly find ways to provide for poor Africa (Soares, 2007). Maummar Gaddafi was another huge advocate of the united Africa idea. When Thabo Mbeki started the AU, Gaddafi publically branded the organisation as a failure and swore to keep pushing the idea of a United States of Africa. He simply saw no future for singular African nations (Gaddafi urges pan-African state , 2007). As a man with a strong personality and strong opinions, Gaddafi had his fair amount of enemies; people against him and the idea of a pan-African State. After his death, members of the AU commented that everything was better without the pressure that Gaddafi placed on many leaders to be pro- Pan-African movement (AU better without intimidating Gaddafi Zuma, 2011). Gaddafis urgency put a lot of strain in the matter even when so many people were sceptic about it, making his motives highly questionable. Having been in power for 42 years in Libya, many imagined that he saw himself as the president of this new country, in order to claim authority and power. Civil wars and conflict between Africans For the longest time Africa, the second largest continent in the world, consisting of 54 countries and home to about 1 billion people with almost 2000 languages (Africa, 2012) has been a relatively troubled continent. Originally consisting of different tribes and a few kingdoms even, it was seen as very primitive, especially since it hadnt yet been explored. However, as soon as it was, colonialists from other continents began taking over Africa, territory by territory. Colonialists were mostly the Arabs from the Middle East and Europeans. Years and even centuries passed before Ghana gained independence as the first country to do so. The rest of the countries soon followed, however it was from this point that a lot of Africas problems started to develop. The book Africa: Postcolonial Conflict summarises and pin points a general source to Africas problems after the colonial period. All across Africa, the main goal was the same: to successfully take back Africa and to make it thrive under the African rule. They aimed to take full advantages of the abundant resources across the continent, and use the money made to create businesses, and improve education, health care, housing and economic communications. (Downing, 2003). They aimed to spread out the wealth, using the richer countries wealth to support the poorer ones. All these aims are still the goals of the AU, and part of the USA II project (Downing, 2003). In truth, many new leaders of many of the newly independent nations of Africa had been educated outside of Africa, like Nkrumah and Liberias Charles Taylor, raised with a different lifestyle to the common people of the country, causing a divide and possible barrier of understanding between the leaders and the people (Downing, 2003). The fight for independence in the countries had been so unanimous, that the new governments did not have any opposing parties wanting power in the country. This meant that even with systems of democracy, the people did not have a choice in the leadership of the country. It also meant that the single-ruling parties began dictator-like behaviours that corrupted the countries (Downing, 2003). Under colonial rule, different ethnic groups were generally separated by European boundaries and during postcolonial times, the tension between these groups grew. The single-ruling parties of the countries usually came from one tribe, which created even more tension and bitterness, and during times of famine and financial difficulties, the tribes would point a finger of blame on each other (Downing, 2003) . War between different groups, mainly Muslims and non-Muslims, based on religious differences broke out in countries such as Sudan, Nigeria and Chad (Downing, 2003). During Colonisation, the British ruled Sudan in two parts; the Arab Muslims who lived in the North, and the black, mostly Christians who lived in the South. When they gained independence, military Muslim leaders took over, enforcing Muslim laws upon the entire country, igniting a 28-year civil war with the Southerners who formed an armed resistance. The civil war completely destroyed the country, and only came to an end in 2002 (Downing, 2003). Some African countries like Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia and Djibouti were caught in the middle of the Cold War. The USA and the Soviet Union supported different 3rd world neighbouring African countries, providing them with economical and with military support and eventually set the countries up against each other. This lead to civil wars that severely impacting their economies, leaving them in ruin. Poverty and famines that spread over this area during this time also had a huge impact of the people (Downing, 2003). In Liberia, when the government tried to raise the price of rice, riots and protests began, and eventually a group of soldiers the Krahns, led by Master-Sergeant Samuel Doe overthrew the ruling government. They promised the people democracy and justice, but instead used violence and corruption to rule the country, and the people of the country got poorer. Soon other armies sprung up in objection, and the country went into civil war with up to 6 different tribes fighting each other, not necessarily for power, but more out of ethnic hatred. Western Africa got involved to restore the peace and Liberia had elections in 1997. Charles Taylor won these elections, but in 1999 uprisings began again, and the country sunk back into an ungovernable, unstable war zone (Downing, 2003). The double genocide of two the ethnic groups, the Tutsis and Hutus of Rwanda is probably one of the most renowned African civil wars. With a 90% population of Hutus, the Tutsis were favoured by the colonial government and this stirred hostility. When independence was gained, the Hutus took charge, leading to a number of Tutsis that fled the country. The assassination of the Hutu leader made his protective squads (Interahamwe) fight back and they began killing the suspects of the murder, i.e. the Tutsis. The Hutus were made to believe that these attacks were performed by the Tutsis, and orders went out for all Hutus to defend themselves and kill all Tutsis that were still in Rwanda. The original exiled Tutsis came back to invade Uganda for revenge but eventually, a government that contained both Tutsis and Hutus came to be, and some sort of peace was restored to the country, with a safety zone refugee camps created by the French in Zaire (DRC) for the exiled Hutus to return to (Downin g, 2003). These are all mere examples of only a few conflicts in Africa over the years, and even today, problems of power-possession, oppression, racism, and dictatorships sweep the continent. Not to mention other factors that have a serious impact on Africans such as poverty, hunger and AIDS. Africa does not seem to be in a position to be able to unite just yet, as there is so much more potential for more civil wars. Despite all of this, we must not lose sight of the benefits of a USA II, one being that problems are always better resolved with combined forces. The main factor that would allow this idea to be successful is how the people of Africa would feel about it, and their sense of unity. Methodology To carry out this project, I decided to use both quantitative and qualitative research. Secondary Research: For my literature review, I did some secondary qualitative research using the internet, books, articles and other resources in order to research previous information and matters pertaining to the focus question, specifically the history of Africa and the idea of Pan-Africanism. Primary Research: To further my research, I formulated a questionnaire of 4 questions that are relevant to the topic; questions that will investigate what people would think of a United States of Africa. The questionnaire contains multiple choice questions with space for extra comments, if anyone wished to express an opinion. This would ensure that I had both quantitative and qualitative data. The questionnaire was used to interview people both from Africa and a few from other continents. I compiled a list of 30 potential participants of the ages 16 and older. The participants were from Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, DRC, Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia and Zimbabwe. (It was initially planned to include participants form other continents, but it was decided against, and so question number 5 on the questionnaire was cancelled.) Once I had completed the list, I went about to hand out the questionnaires to the participants. Due to my demand for very specific participants from various countries, some questionnaires were completed over social networks. After all the questionnaires had been completed, I assessed the multiple choice questions and generated bar graphs from them to illustrate the trend of the answers. I separated South African answers from other African countries answers so that I could examine whether the trends were affected by different cultural environments. I used the added comments that some participants gave on their questionnaires to write up a summary of their general view of Pan-Africanism. I also used the visible trends from my graphs to support the information. I then linked the information from the questionnaires to the information that I researched in my literature review. Finally, I drew up a conclusion based on my literature review, results and summary. I linked all my information to whether or not Africa would be able to form a single country, from the perception of my African participants. Possible Questionnaire Age: _____________________________________ Nationality: _______________________________ Citizenship: _______________________________ Gender: __________________________________ How would you describe the state of Africa with regards to political stability and issues of Xenophobia? You may motivate your answer. à ¢- ¡ Good à ¢- ¡ Reasonable à ¢- ¡Bad à ¢- ¡Horrible _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Do you think Africa would be able to form a United States of Africa at this point in time, considering the political, economic and racial issues that we face in the different parts of the continent? You may motivate your answer. à ¢- ¡ Yes à ¢- ¡No _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Do you think it would benefit Africa, or do more harm than good? You may motivate your answer. à ¢- ¡It would benefit Africa à ¢- ¡It would not benefit Africa _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Do you think of yourself as equal to and similar to any other African from another African country? You may motivate your answer. à ¢- ¡We are all equal à ¢- ¡We are not equal à ¢- ¡I dont look down on them, but there is a difference _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I hereby give Cordelle Annor permission to use these answers in her IEB Life Orientation Research Project. Signed: _______________ Processed Findings Tables and Graphs of Results Question 1: Majority of the participants feel that the state of Africa is bad with regards to its political state and problems of Xenophobia. Questionnaires 7 and 9 state that foreigners are still referred to in derogatory terms and that Africans dont yet see each other as fellow Africans. Participant number 24 says that Africa is very far from getting a good state of stability right, whereas, the one participant (12) who actually referred to the state of Africa as good, justified it by saying that, Overall, the continent is stable, in spite of some pockets of instability. Xenophobia is a world-wide phenomenon and not limited to Africa. This is a valid point, but most of the participants dont seem to view Africa in this way, which possibly means that most Africans would feel that the continent is not stable enough to join to form a country. All the examples in my literature review of conflicts and wars between Africans, supports what most of the participants believe. Most wars and conflicts, like in Rwanda and Libya for example, have only recently kind of sorted out their conflicts, and yet, there is still a lot of conflict in those countries, as in many countries all over the continent. Even in a country that is relatively politically stable, there are still huge problems of xenophobia, like in South Africa for example. Both my literature and the questionnaire results clearly show that Africa is not very stable. Question 2: When asked if Africa would be able to form a United States of Africa, most participants felt that it wouldnt be ready for such. Some said that there was just too much diversity between the African countries, and that countries that are less stable would bring the well-being of other countries down. The well-off countries would not want to combine with the less stable countries being aware of the problems that they are facing. Questionnaire 20 even states that it might be unfair to join the countries. Some of the participants blamed the leaders of the African countries, saying that they are too selfish, and that there is too much dictatorship in Africa. Africa would not be able to unite unless there was a deep sense of kinship, belonging and unity, questionnaire 8 declares. However, one participant (3) thinks that Africa would be able to form a country, since most of the political issues are triggered by external factors such as the colonialists. The information in my literature review reflected opinions much like the general response to this question. Most of the African leaders that were at the AU summit in Ghana in 2007 were opposed to the idea because they felt that most countries had to strengthen themselves before Africa could possibly unite (Soares, 2007). Yoweri Museveni from Uganda believed that some African groups would force their identity on others, and not everyone would want to give up their identity (Ross, 2007). Question 3: Despite the obviously negative response to the possibility of forming a USAII at this point in time, a lot more participants believed that it would eventually be a good thing for Africa. Those for it believe that uniting will be good for tackling the problems that the various countries face. Participant 16 believes that if unity works positively in smaller communities then it should work for a continent. However, those against it believe that there are simply too many differences between the countries, politically, economically, and socially. Becoming united might lead to a continental war, as well as distract Africa from the serious issues at hand as everyone, including leaders will focus on petty things such as who will lead the country. In the literature review, I found that a few people thought that the way to approach this topic was with baby steps, and that Africa needs to focus on individual countries and smaller countries before it attempts such a big project. Thabo Mbeki motivated this opinion by saying that we need to build the foundation before we try to put a roof on a house (Soares, 2007). Museveni believes that it would do more harm than good; just as most of the participants expressed as well, and he motivated this by saying it would cause tension rather that cohesion. Question 4: Through all of this, most of the participants still felt that all Africans are equal; that there is no one nation that is better than the other, as we are all Africans at the end of the day. There were very few participants that opposed this opinion, and a lot of them felt that while there is no one better than the other, there are very distinct differences between the different religions and cultural differences. One participant (15), although she ticked that she believes that all Africans are equal, she stated that other Africans possibly still dislike one another, and do not believe that they do not believe that we are all equal. Some participants pointed out that due to the vast differences between economical classes, some Africans being rich and educated, others not, one cannot exactly say that we are equal because of this difference (Questionnaire 25). This response shows that even though majority of the participants dont believe that Africa should unite, they dont feel and particular hatred of dislike for other Africans. Although this sample cannot represent the feelings of the rest of Africa, as other Africans in different parts of Africa, or even different parts of the country may have stronger feelings on this matter. However, it shows that there has been some sort of improvement in the attitude of Africa, in that civil wars are less likely if Africans believe that they are equal. That was the problem in the conflicts and wars mentioned in the literature review; the different cultural groups believed that there was a difference between them and others, and that they were more superior to the other cultural groups. Female 15 Male 15 South African 15 Other Countries 15 Ages younger than 20 15 Ages older than 20 15 Who the participants were: Fortunately, I was able to get a good balance in the different kinds of people that I questioned, and to truly evaluate my results, I feel its best to compare South African opinions to opinions of people from other countries. Although all of my participants are currently staying in South Africa, and therefore are all influenced by the South African society in a way, this comparison will analyse whether there is more of a trend in the answers of people who come from and have lived in other parts of Africa as opposed participants who most likely only know South Africa, as it is their home. The State of Africa In describing the state of Africa, majority of the South Africans and other African nations feel that the state of Africa is bad. Wherein the foreigners show a more diverse trend in answers, having had two participants describe the state of Africa as the two extremes, Good and Horrible, the South Africans stuck mostly to the Reasonable and Bad options, and two South African participants that said it was Horrible. Would Africa be able to form a United States? Once Again, majority of South Africans and the people from other African nations feel that Africa would not be able to form a United States of Africa at this moment, but absolutely no South Africans believed that it was possible, whereas some Africans from other nations believe that it might be possible. Would it benefit Africa to form a United States of Africa? A very clear majority of South Africans believe that forming a united country would not benefit Africa, and they were a bit more negative about this question, whereas the foreigners showed a trend of going both ways. More of the foreigners are optimistic about a single African country. Are Africans equal? An equal amount of South Africans and foreigners believe that all Africans are equal and there is no one Nation better that the other, however there are 2 foreigners that believe that we are not equal, and only one South African. Quite a number of both groups believe that we are equal but there is a difference between each country, and although not the majority, both are very close to the majority. The results for each question for both categories of Africans are relatively similar, but this may be because, as mentioned before, all the participants have some sort of South African society influence. In some questions, however, South Africans seem to have answered more negatively, for example, in describing the state of Africa, as well as in question 2, in which the participants were asked if Africa could form one country now and no South Africans thought that we could. A reason for this may be that since South Africa is a country that is considered to be one of the richer, more developed countries of Africa, it would get affected by a union, as some of the participants mentioned, joining countries would make the poorer, worse off countries being down the developed countries as money would be more distributed etc. This information confirms the facts in the literature review; that the joining of African countries is in fact influenced by different cultural environments. The South African participants are like South African leaders like Mbeki and Zuma, who were also opposed to the idea of a single African country. Evidence of completing questionnaires online C:UsersCorbbieDownloadsScreen_20120608_010747.jpg C:UsersCorbbieDownloadsScreen_20120608_01098.jpgC:UsersCorbbieDownloadsScreen_20120608_011129.jpgC:UsersCorbbieDownloadsScreen_20120608_010813.jpgC:UsersCorbbieDownloadsScreen_20120608_010725.jpgC:UsersCorbbieDownloadsScreen_20120608_010842.jpg Conclusion After doing the research that I presented in the Literature Review, I saw that Africa seemed very unstable, what with its history being full of so many wars and conflicts. The information on the African Union illustrated how not even the leaders of the African countries are unanimous on the decision to form a single country. From the literature review, you can understand that potentially could be a need for uniting the continent, so help each other deal with issues that we are faced with. It could benefit a lot of countries, and the continent as a whole, but the literature review also provided clear evidence that countries are not stable enough, and there is too much corruption going on for this plan to be successful. The questionnaire results showed that the participants are quite negative about the idea; they do not feel that Africa can or should form a United States of Africa. They feel that the continent is unstable and too corrupted, and that there are far too many reasons that would get in the way of successfully, and peacefully uniting. Not only that, but that it would cause more problems than it would solve, and actually turn out to be harmful to the state of Africans. Their response was much like the African leaders: they were not unanimous. If we do consider this sample to be a true representative of the continent, then Africans do not feel united within themselves, whether they are South African or from another country. South Africans tend to have a more negative response, but the general trend of both groups is opposed to the idea. So while there is a movement overseas to support the idea that every individual of the human race is tied together by our African origin, being African does not necessarily mean unison. There will forever be cultural, political and a variety of difference that separate each different groups of human beings. However, as mentioned before, the results of this project can be greatly refined. 30 participants is a very small sample for dealing with such a huge topic that deals with the whole of Africa, and if this research topic could be carried out on a more professional level, many more participants should be included. The sample could expand to involve Africans who have only ever known their own countries. It should include Africans of different economic classes, as the questionnaires also suggested that this is another barrier that makes people unequal. There are a lot of different categories that need to be included, and interviews with profes

The Role of Propaganda in China Gate, The Green Berets, and Rambo: First Blood, Part Two :: Movie Film Essays

The Role of Propaganda in China Gate, The Green Berets, and Rambo: First Blood, Part Two â€Å"Film has established itself as a major medium by which our culture reflects and shapes its reality† (Taylor 186). Nowhere is Bruce Taylor’s statement made more clear than in movies about the Vietnam War. While some films, like Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket, illustrate how horrible the army can be, other Vietnam War films glorify the armed services and American superiority in an attempt to alleviate the public’s fears that the war was a negative undertaking. China Gate (1957), The Green Berets (1968), and Rambo: First Blood, Part Two (1985) all glorify Americans at war. As Leo Cawley claims in his essay, â€Å"The War about the War: Vietnam Films and American Myth,† they sought to show that â€Å"the Americans are the good guys, the Viet Cong are the bad guys, and the peasants are the frightened townsfolk who need protection and rule of law† (74). The characters in these films have no ambiguity to them, but rather just the opposite : they are either paradigms of goodness or pillars of evil. By analyzing these one-dimensional characterizations, we are clearly able to see the propaganda in these films. Propaganda in films did not begin with the sending of U.S. troops to Vietnam. As the French were slowly losing the battle in Southeast Asia in the 1950s and the United States was consequently taking over monetary as well as human forces there, an explanation was necessary for the American people. Samuel Fuller’s China Gate was made to offer just that. Filmed when the U.S. was already active in Vietnam but not yet involved in an outright war, the movie, which has â€Å"a rather clear political intent,† attempts to, as David E. Whillock says, â€Å"produce a positive image of involvement in Southeast Asia to the American public† (305). The film seeks to influence American audiences against the Communists and to show the public that Americans are just trying to help the poor South Vietnamese. Made at a time when the Red Scare was at its height, China Gate is an obvious representation of the fear of Communism in that era. In fact, at the time the film was ma de, there were over two hundred suspected Communists blacklisted by the Hollywood studios themselves (Belton 242). This attitude comes through in the film right from the beginning with a voice-over that Rick Berg, in his essay â€Å"Losing Vietnam: Covering the War in an Age of Technology,† calls a â€Å"political endorsement disguised as a history lesson† (53).

The Concert Experience and the Song as Oral Tradition :: Communication Literature Essays

The Concert Experience and the Song as Oral Tradition Before the invention of written language that enabled the creation of book technology, the spoken word was the leading edge of communication. Spoken epic poetry such as the Iliad and Odyssey, the Anglo-Saxon Beowulf, and the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh was the content of the speech medium. These epics were created as spoken pieces, and because listeners lacked an alphabet to commodify them (separate them from their performance), the tales had to be heard and experienced first-hand. This group experience of the spoken epic involves what authors Hobart and Schiffman term commemoration: â€Å"In the world before writing, memory is the social act of remembering† (15). The way pre-literate media (speech) shaped culture includes this commemorative act. Pre-literate cultures had no other way of storing information and memory than to relive it. They could not write something down, forget about it, and then relearn the same information at a later date by reading it, because they lacked the technology of the written alphabet necessary to do so. Of course, they had the recollecting powers of the mind alone, but as today's stories, passed from one person to the next inevitably change, so did oral communications as human recollection failed in terms of an exact repetition of the original performance. Hence, each time listeners heard a spoken account of the Iliad, it changed a bit. In terms of an exceptional pre-literate performer of the Iliad or Odyssey, Rober t Fitzgerald goes as far as to say that "He inherited a traditional art comparable in range and refinement to the art of the musical virtuoso in our day, but more creative and fluid, for in some degree it remained an art of improvisation" (484). Mnemonic devices such as rhyme and meter aided memory and kept the story on track (Hobart & Schiffman, 24), and as McLuhan would agree, can be counted as technological advances prior to the invention of alphabet because they extend language technology. An analog to the spoken epic experience is the modern-day concert experience. Both are examples of live performance. For an example, the Rolling Stones' song "Sympathy for the Devil" is more like a spoken epic than a written account of an epic. This is because song and spoken epic utilize the same medium.