Nathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter - 1193 Words

The Scarlet Letter, is most often referred to as Nathaniel Hawthorne’s best work. It gives a detailed image of life in a Puritan society. The heroine of the book-Hester Prynne, defies power, and rebels against colonial rule. Laws composed of religious convictions and individual beliefs. Through Hester’s action, you can depict a feminist consciousness. She differs from traditional colonial woman who s sole purpose it to be obedient, despite the unfair rules carried out by puritan men. Hester represents a new female image centering on her own religious spirit, self reliance, and strong mind. Hester represents the pure meaning of feminism, which here, has a positive meaning. She encourages todays women to fight for gender equality. â€Å" Massachusetts Bay colony was a man’s world†(History of American Women). Women were not allowed many civil rights or liberties, which men were awarded. Women could not attend town meetings, or vote in the churches elections, even the sermons were favored by the male supremacy (History of American Women). It was preached that the soul had two parts: â€Å"the immortal masculine half, and the mortal femine half† ( History of American Women). It seemed that men were subject to praise more often than woman were. Women were even often referred to as â€Å" instruments of Satan.† Men were able to construct scientific, religious, and philosophial systems which portrayed men in a dominant position. The Article Puritan Women’s Rights argues that womenShow MoreRelatedNathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter1187 Words   |  5 PagesPuritanism in Red Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter shows the early view of Puritanism by concentrating on sin, guilt, and its effects on society. Nathaniel Hawthorne conveyed a dark and romantic style of writing in â€Å"The Scarlet Letter†, impacting the society by focusing on the concepts of romanticism. The Scarlet Letter is considered a classic book and is still read today. Nathaniel Hathorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts on July 4, 1804. He was the son of Nathaniel and Elizabeth ClarkRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter1631 Words   |  7 PagesNathaniel Hawthorne’s personal isolation originated in his early childhood and later developed the theme for his most renowned literary novel, The Scarlet Letter. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne emphasized the impact that societal isolation can have on individuals. Several of the victims inflicted with isolation throughout the novel were ultimately met with their inevitable downfalls. One particular character, Hester Prynne, was selected to undergo a struggle comparable to Hawthorne’sRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter1896 Words   |  8 PagesIn a surface examination of the work of Nathaniel Hawthorne, it is quickly evident that no good things come from the wilderness. Therein, the wilderness is often associated with the savages and the devil. In his wor k The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne finds herself exiled by society for having an adulterous affair with the town reverend which brought forth the child known as Pearl. Pearl is quickly established as the child of the wilderness: wild, capricious, and thought by the town to be a demon-childRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter1944 Words   |  8 PagesNathaniel Hawthorne adds a satirical twist throughout his novel The Scarlet Letter which manifests his perception of the Puritanism. The novel portrays the strictness and impact of Puritanism on human lives. Hawthorne’s usage of Puritan characters and outcasts also demonstrate Hawthorne’s position on Puritanism. Throughout Hawthorne’s novel, all of the characters in this novel represent strong Puritan belief, Puritan lifestyle, strong resistance to Puritanism, and satirical Puritan lifestyles. HawthorneRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter869 Words   |  4 Pagesview of human life. The mo st famous Dark Romantic writer, Nathaniel Hawthorne, emphasizes human proneness to sin and self-destruction, uses symbols that are considered dark, and believes that evil can overtake good. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne employs elements of Romanticism and symbolism to communicate the idea that sin and guilt have psychological effects which can turn into physical and mental manifestations. Hawthorne utilizes the romantic element of the focus on the individualRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter1850 Words   |  8 PagesShe s an archetype. She is Eve. She s Juno. She the good woman gone bad. She is Hester Prynne. As part of NPR s series, In Character, my colleague, Andrea Seabrook, shows how this Puritan woman is still very much alive today. ANDREA SEABROOK: Hester Prynne is the protagonist of Nathaniel Hawthorne s magnum opus The Scarlet Letter. Any serious literary scholar will tell you that she is one of the first strong women in American literature and is still among the most important. She s veiled(ph)Read MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter2106 Words   |  9 Pagespeople of other religions. Because they â€Å"deeply and fervently believed that they were doing the work of God†, Puritans often punished and shunned those who did not follow their rules or share their same views (Collier 62). In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne presents these popular ideas and truths about the Puritan way of living in a symbolic story of submissive defiance. He creates a strong feminist that contradicts the majority of the Puritan views on feminism. This rebelliousRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter2174 Words   |  9 PagesChildren encompass parents’ lives from the day t hey are born into this world, often altering their plans for the future and their desired outcomes for life. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, the most seemingly complex and misinterpreted of characters is Pearl, the illegitimate daughter of Hester Prynne and Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. The deviations in Pearl’s temperament, conduct, and character in the progression of the plot are a guide to the varying moral statuses of Hester and DimmesdaleRead MoreAnalysis Of Nathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter 1606 Words   |  7 PagesMarin Fallon Mrs. Janosy English 2H 23 November 2015 Sin in the The Scarlet Letter The story of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is one with many twists and turns. A young woman moves to Boston, Massachusetts while her husband takes care of affairs in England. After two years pass she secretly has an affair with the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. When she becomes pregnant and gives birth to her daughter Pearl, the town punishes her for committing the act of adultery. She is sentenced to standRead MoreSymbolism Of Nathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter882 Words   |  4 PagesSymbolism in The Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter was a novel written in the 1850 s by a man named Nathaniel Hawthorne. Throughout the Scarlet Letter he uses scads of literary devices. The literary devices are there to give the novel more depth. The main device he uses in the novel is symbolism. Hawthorne uses the symbolism to make an object have more than one meaning. Three of the elements he uses as symbols are the scarlet letter, Pearl, and the forest. These symbols are seen differently by the

The Inequality Of Canadian Society - 963 Words

Canadian society is divided into groups labeled as the upper, middle, and working class. These class distinctions come from inequalities in wealth and that political parties tend to appeal to one class over others once elected. In Canada the wealth gap in the socio-economic classes comes from the tendency of the controlling party to focus on the class to which most of its members belong. Socio-economic class divisions in Canadian society can therefore be explained through a state-centered methodology because the government controls the focus of class issues. As different political parties come and go from government the policies change and some classes appear to receive priority. A couple parties appeal to the working and lower-middle class by distributing wealth through increased taxes and social safety net expenditure. Others focus on the opposite and their policies benefit the upper and upper-middle class via coercion from corporations and banks. The inability and smaller size of lower classes to stand up and influence government causes them to be overlooked. The fact that governments can operate this way demonstrates their individual power in Canadian politics. Socio-economic class cleavages in Canada can be best explained through a state-centered approach that the government tends to appeal to one group over another because of internal biases towards certain classes. Different governments appeal to different economic groups and which group they appeal to depends on theShow MoreRelatedMarx And Durkheim s Theory Of Social Inequality933 Words   |  4 Pagesreadily applied to social inequality in the context of present day Canada. Durkheim’s theory is founded in analyzing how societies function by focusing on the ideas of the division of labour, merit and functionalism. Marx, on the other hand, views society as divided into social classes of the bourgeoisie and proletariats, while stressing the importance of the role of capital plays in society in relation to inequality. Both Marx and Durkheim’s theories of modern society can be used to criticallyRead MoreMarx And Durkheim s Theory Of Social Inequality955 Words   |  4 PagesDiscussion of social inequality has been present in sociological works dating back as far as early 18th century in the works of Karl Marx and Emile Durkheim. Centuries later, theoretical foundations of both Ma rx and Durkheim can be readily applied to social inequality in the context of present day Canada. Durkheim’s theory is founded in analyzing how societies function by focusing on the ideas of the division of labour, merit and functionalism. Marx on the other hand, views society as divided into socialRead MorePublic Policy Of Globalization On Canada Essay1692 Words   |  7 PagesPolicy of Globalization in Canada The government is what makes executive decision for the public policy. Society is influenced by our living and working conditions which shape health. The social determinants of heath shape material, psychosocial, and behavioral routes. However, stages of life like, genetics, early life, and cultural factors are some components that influence health. The Canadian welfare state shape public policies enhance the social determinants in Canada and the low quality and theRead MoreA Brief Note On Global Gender Inequality Issues1334 Words   |  6 Pages Global Gender Inequality Issues Continuing Problem Gains and Progress More than 110 million children in the world are not in school. Among them two third of it accounts for girls. Some of the developing countries including Jamaica, Philippines and South Africa has worked on gender inequalities and made such policies that women literacy rate has gone higher. Women represents an average of less than 10% in the parliaments of various countries around the world. In 2005 Iraqi government decided thatRead MoreDivision Of Labour During The Industrial Revolution912 Words   |  4 Pageshe is referring to three key inequalities - natural, social and external. Natural inequalities relate to differences in ability and skill – no two individuals have an identical skill set, so inequalities must be present. Social inequalities are differences in social position, rank and status. These differences are based on perceived value. Durkheim argue that natural and social inequalities are directly related, saying â€Å"labour only divides up spontaneously if society is constituted in such a wayRead MoreInequality Affecting the Canadian Public Essay1238 Words   |  5 PagesInequality in Canada is not as prominent as many other places around the world, although it does remain in certain segments of Canada. There are many forms of inequality in Canada and internationally, although this papers main focus is going to be the inequality of wealth. According to Steven Kerstetter â€Å"Canadians may view their country as a land of opportunity, but it is also a land of deep and abiding inequality in the distribution of personal wealth† (Kerste tter 2002). The â€Å"gaps between the richRead MoreThe Ottawa Citizen, By Justin Trudeau Essay1735 Words   |  7 Pagestitled â€Å"Q and A: Why Justin Trudeau says he’s the real alternative†, where he shares his plan to increase taxation on the rich in order to give the middle class a tax break. This plan is in response to the larger issue of income inequality in Canada. Analysing the income inequality from a liberal â€Å"justice as fairness† perspective, one can conclude that Justin Trudeau is taking the correct action, as taxation on the rich is in compliance with the two principles of justice as described by John Rawls. InRead MoreSocial Determinants Of Health And How It Is And Will Further Effect Canadian Communities1183 Words   |  5 Pagesfurther effect Canadian communities. The reason for this assignment is to critically examine the article â€Å"Confronting what makes us sick† by Ryan Meili that discusses the social determinants of health that tend to make Canadians sick, in the format of an analytic essay. The issue that is being argued is the inequality of rights among Canadians. The issue that will be the main source of multiple issues will be healthcare and how it is not evenly distributed among Canadians. Inequality manages to affectRead MoreFemale And Female Athletes1463 Words   |  6 Pagesconquered points are achievements of male or female athletes, then why does Canadian society? Sports include any activity which requires physically exercising a skill by competing against another party for the purpose of entertainment. This paraphrased definition does not specify if sports a re better suited for males or females, yet there remains to be debate present over the equality - or lack thereof - enjoyed by females in Canadian sports. Not only are female athletes extremely under-represented in theRead MoreCanadian Income Inequality And Its Impact1007 Words   |  5 Pages Canadian Income Inequality and Its Impact Sarah Pitre - 100 511 731 University of Ontario Institute of Technology Canada has always taken great pride in its health care system. Publicly funded, Medicare has helped many, but has also aided in masking one of this country’s largest growing problems. Income inequality is highly prevalent throughout Canada, affecting the health of its citizens, and over-burdening its health care system. The growing gap between incomes is largely in part

Corporate Strategy and Competitive Advantage †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Corporate Strategy and Competitive Advantage. Answer: Introduction Mechanism of planning, controlling, monitoring, analyzing and assessing and which are also considered as the most essential for the business management entity to attain the desired goals and objectives. The below executed is the analysis of the business entity Samsung which is a Korean multinational corporation and is dealing in consumer electronics. Samsung is a Korean organization which has made a modest start as a small trading organization in 1938 has today developed as a world-class present day enterprise. Before the end of 2014, Samsung worked in more than 84 nations through more than 213 workplaces over the globe and utilized somewhere in the range of 320, 000 people. The organization's portfolio traverses hardware, overwhelming businesses, monetary administrations, chemicals, administrations and others (Samsung 2017). Its organizations are far reaching that stretch out finished semiconductors; propel innovation, high rise and plant development, design, petrochemical, medicati on, lodgings and substantially more. At Samsung, ability, and innovation are guided after fulfilling the financial objectives to likewise contributing towards making a superior worldwide society. Brilliance is among the center estimations of the organization which is clear from the way that in 2015 Samsung Hardware possessed the thirteenth position in Fortune Worldwide 500. It has also been noted that under the authority of Mr. Gracious Hyun Kwon, Bad habit Executive, and President, the organization has topped the charts in the general cell phone and PDAs portions amid Q3 2015 holding pieces of the overall industry of 19.0% and 23.2% individually according to rankings of the exploration firm Counterpoint. Despite getting an extreme rivalry from its adversary Apple, the organization has still figured out how to be the world's biggest versatile vendor. As a brand, Samsung has been positioned at the seventh place in "Best Worldwide Brands 2015." The advance of the brand is clear from that it remained at seventeenth place amid 2011. Samsung's present market position can be credited to its center esteems, arranged business moves, tight control over inventory network exercises, and its system to harvest points of interest of experience bend economies management. The organization is the biggest producer of cell phones and smart phones. On the basis of the research which has been conducted on the company reports, it has been concluded that in July 2017, the market estimation of the Samsung hardware ascends by the US $316 billion subsequent to overwhelming Intel group. The organization is a noteworthy manufacturer of electronic components, for example, lithium- batteries, chips, and flash-memory (Lawaspect 2017). The business entity is a multinational corporation and deals in a diversified range of consumer electronics products. Samsung has a wide range of electronics and consumer products from which cell phones have been considered as one of the biggest categories in which the company deals. This product line is considered as very much significant for the business entity the company enjoys a large market share due to this product range and also a competitive advantage is attained. The products range of the entity involves home appliances, for example, TVs, monitors, refrigerators, and washing machines and in addition key mobile telecommunication products like cell phones and tablets. The business entity has maintained the quality level and trusted a brand of key electronic appliances like DRAM and non-memory semiconductors. Samsung promises to develop and deliver quality products and services that improve convenience and encourage smarter ways of life for its clients around the globe. Samsung is committed to enhancing the worldwide society through its steady quest for ground breaking developments and esteem creation. As observed "Inspire the world to create the future" is the principle vision, which has been developed by the business entity and is also known as Vision 2020. This vision is at the core of entitys responsibility which is concerning the enhancements in innovation, products, and solutions that motivates societies all over the globe to join the aspiration so as to develop a better world which involves richer digital experiences (Researchomatic 2013). As the corporation perceive the obligation as a creative leader in the global community, the business entity devotes the efforts and resources to offering new esteems to the business and clients while satisfying shared values of our employees and partners. Problem Statement At Samsung, the hierarchical plan was basically affected by the run of the typical Korean culture; regularly represented by restrained, dictator and bureaucratic administration styles. Such an organizational plan encourages top administration's obligation of vision on rest of the organization in this manner facilitating control over exercises. Be that as it may, such an authoritative plan not just adversely influenced the monetary objectives of the organization; it likewise drew part of outer feedback to the organization announcing it to be non-creative and laggard (Anderson, 2016). A revolutionary decision was taken by the organization for a progressive choice to change its hierarchical outline from being a proficiency centered to a more advancement situated association. The once hazard avoidance theory has been supplanted by an authoritative plan which advances persistent experimentation and development. Throughout the years, it has taught an authoritative culture of creating in-ho use mastery. The organization works on a non-union rationality which was really the possibility of its author, Mr. Lee ByungChul. Conclusion In the limelight of the above-executed analysis, it has been concluded that Samsung is one of the multinational corporation which is executing strategic management so as to attain competitive advantage in this business environment. Moreover, the task involves a brief introduction and one problem statement which is faced by the business entity. References Anderson, D. L. (2016).Organization development: The process of leading organizational change. Sage Publications. Lawaspect, (2017). Samsung's Corporate Strategy and Competitive Advantage. Retrieved on 8th September 2017. From https://lawaspect.com/samsungs-corporate-strategy-competitive-advantage/ Researchomatic, (2013). Samsung's Sustainable Competitive Advantage, Retrieved on 8th September 2017. From https://www.researchomatic.com/samsungs-sustainable-competitive-advantage-160561.html Samsung, (2017). Samsung electronics in India, Retrieved on 8th September 2017. From https://www.samsung.com/in/aboutsamsung/samsungelectronics/india/index/.

Movie Summary Losing Isaiah Essay Example

Movie Summary Losing Isaiah Paper The movie Losing Isaiah is about a young mother named Khaila who is poor, illiterate, and a crack addict. With no home or family support, she is alone with her new infant. One night, desperate to get high, she leaves her child in a cardboard box on the street. Early the next morning, the baby is discovered crying by the garbage man just as his truck was about to crush the trash. The baby is immediately transported to the hospital and checked and it is determined that the infant is addicted to cocaine. Within days, a social worker, Margaret Lewin, is assigned to the baby’s case and soon falls in love with the baby, Isaiah.She brings him to live with her husband and their daughter. Meanwhile, Khaila woke up in the morning to realize what she had done. She raced back and frantically searched through the trash for her baby and when she couldn’t find him, she assumed he was deposed of and probably dead. Khaila sobbed and was overcome with grief; she went out and got high until she was arrested for shoplifting. Once arrested, she was placed into a rehab center that ultimately saved her life. The film jumps three years to when Isaiah had officially been adopted by the Lewin family. At this point in time, Khaila is learning to read and is earning a living by working as a caregiver. One day while reading a book with her caseworker about a pregnant woman who lost her child, she breaks down crying.She finally shares with her case worker about the loss of her son. The case worker finds out that baby Isaiah is still alive and helps Khaila hire a lawyer to get her son back. When she goes to court, this case brings up many issues like poverty, racial identity, parental rights, child and family justice. In the end, the birth mother wins the case and Isaiah is returned to her. However, Isaiah does not adjust well, so Khaila decided that Isaiah is happier living with his adopted parents for the time being. We will write a custom essay sample on Movie Summary Losing Isaiah specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Movie Summary Losing Isaiah specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Movie Summary Losing Isaiah specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer 1.Rational Theory – (Septem

Free Essays on Juvenile Delinquincy And The Ageing Out Process

At what point do juveniles discontinue delinquent thinking and behavior? Does a juvenile’s age environment or identity effect their delinquent behavior? If the â€Å"ageing out theory† is concrete, then what factors are decisive in this phenomenon? I would like to examine what causes juvenile delinquency and if the aging out process is a cause of nature or society. In the year 2000, juveniles were responsible for 17% of all arrests, 53% of arsons and 33% of property crime committed in the United States (1). In that same year there were 7,327 arrests for every 100,000 youth ages 10-18 in the U.S (2). Although this number has dropped since the early 1980’s when juvenile crime was on the rise it is still high. To help understand why these statistics are so high we need to understand the theories behind why juveniles commit crime. There are several factors which are currently being attributed to juvenile delinquency ranging from socioeconomic status and neighborhood quality to ones identity perception or age. Travis Hirschi and Michael Gottfredson are renowned criminologist who have been theorizing about delinquency for over 30 years. Their theory on the aging out process is that age and crime has remained the same for years and therefor age is not connected to crime. Regardless of ones enviornmental issues (family, peers, race and gender) they have consistently phased out of criminal activity over their life span (3). One example that Hirschi and Gottfredson give is that crime and age are always a constant through out the life cycle. If a 15 year old boy is 4 times more likely to commit crime than a 15 year old girl, then a 50 year old man will be 4 times more likely to commit crime than a 50 year old woman (4). Not all criminologists share this same view though and have actually disregarded it as much to generalized rather than specialized. According to criminologist Kyle Kercher, personal factors (such as gender and race) and s... Free Essays on Juvenile Delinquincy And The Ageing Out Process Free Essays on Juvenile Delinquincy And The Ageing Out Process At what point do juveniles discontinue delinquent thinking and behavior? Does a juvenile’s age environment or identity effect their delinquent behavior? If the â€Å"ageing out theory† is concrete, then what factors are decisive in this phenomenon? I would like to examine what causes juvenile delinquency and if the aging out process is a cause of nature or society. In the year 2000, juveniles were responsible for 17% of all arrests, 53% of arsons and 33% of property crime committed in the United States (1). In that same year there were 7,327 arrests for every 100,000 youth ages 10-18 in the U.S (2). Although this number has dropped since the early 1980’s when juvenile crime was on the rise it is still high. To help understand why these statistics are so high we need to understand the theories behind why juveniles commit crime. There are several factors which are currently being attributed to juvenile delinquency ranging from socioeconomic status and neighborhood quality to ones identity perception or age. Travis Hirschi and Michael Gottfredson are renowned criminologist who have been theorizing about delinquency for over 30 years. Their theory on the aging out process is that age and crime has remained the same for years and therefor age is not connected to crime. Regardless of ones enviornmental issues (family, peers, race and gender) they have consistently phased out of criminal activity over their life span (3). One example that Hirschi and Gottfredson give is that crime and age are always a constant through out the life cycle. If a 15 year old boy is 4 times more likely to commit crime than a 15 year old girl, then a 50 year old man will be 4 times more likely to commit crime than a 50 year old woman (4). Not all criminologists share this same view though and have actually disregarded it as much to generalized rather than specialized. According to criminologist Kyle Kercher, personal factors (such as gender and race) and s...

How to Talk About Fractions in Chinese

How to Talk About Fractions in Chinese Know that you know your whole numbers in Chinese, you can talk about rational numbers in decimals, fractions, and percents with the addition of a few more vocabulary words. Of course, you can read and write numbers- like 4/3 or 3.75 or 15%- using the universal numerical system in Chinese-speaking regions. However, when it comes to reading those numbers out loud, youll need to know these new Mandarin Chinese terms. Parts of a Whole Fractions can be expressed either as parts of a whole (half, quarter, etc.) or as decimal fractions. In English, parts of a whole are stated as â€Å"XX parts of YY,† with XX being the parts of the whole and YY being the whole. An example of this is saying two parts of three, which also means two-thirds.   However, the phrase construction is the opposite in Chinese. Parts of a whole  are stated as YY 分ä ¹â€¹ XX. The pinyin of 分ä ¹â€¹ is fÄ“n zhÄ «, and is written the same in both traditional and simplified Chinese.  Note that the number representing the whole comes at the beginning of the phrase.   One-half can be stated as either ä ¸â‚¬Ã¥ Å  (yÄ « bn)  or using the phrase construction mentioned above:  Ã¤ ºÅ'分ä ¹â€¹Ã¤ ¸â‚¬ (à ¨r fÄ“n zhÄ « yÄ «). There is no Chinese equivalent to the term one-quarter besides  Ã¥â€ºâ€ºÃ¥Ë†â€ Ã¤ ¹â€¹Ã¤ ¸â‚¬ (s à ¬ fÄ“n zhÄ « yÄ «). Examples of Parts of a Whole three-quarterssà ¬ fÄ“n zhÄ « sÄ n四分ä ¹â€¹Ã¤ ¸â€°eleven-sixteenthsshà ­ lià ¹ fÄ“n zhÄ « shà ­ yÄ «Ã¥  Ã¥â€¦ ­Ã¥Ë†â€ Ã¤ ¹â€¹Ã¥  Ã¤ ¸â‚¬ Decimals Fractions can also be stated as decimals. The word for decimal point in Mandarin Chinese is written as é »Å¾ in traditional form and ç‚ ¹ in simplified form. The character is pronounced as diÇŽn.   If a number begins with the decimal point, it can optionally be prefaced with é› ¶ (là ­ng), which means zero. Each digit of the decimal fraction is stated individually just like a whole number. Examples of Decimal Fractions 1.3yÄ « diÇŽn sÄ nä ¸â‚¬Ã© »Å¾Ã¤ ¸â€° (trad)ä ¸â‚¬Ã§â€š ¹Ã¤ ¸â€° (simp)0.5674ling diÇŽn wÇ” lià ¹ qÄ « sà ¬Ã©â€º ¶Ã© »Å¾Ã¤ ºâ€Ã¥â€¦ ­Ã¤ ¸Æ'å›› (trad)é› ¶Ã§â€š ¹Ã¤ ºâ€Ã¥â€¦ ­Ã¤ ¸Æ'å›› (simp) Percents The same phrase construction used in expressing parts of a whole is also used when talking about percentages. Except for when talking about percents in Chinese, the whole is always 100. Thus, XX% will follow this template: ç™ ¾Ã¥Ë†â€ Ã¤ ¹â€¹ (bÇŽi fÄ“n zhÄ «) XX.   Examples of Percents 20%bÇŽi fÄ“n zhÄ « à ¨r shà ­Ã§â„¢ ¾Ã¥Ë†â€ Ã¤ ¹â€¹Ã¤ ºÅ'Ã¥  5%bÇŽi fÄ“n zhÄ « wÇ”ç™ ¾Ã¥Ë†â€ Ã¤ ¹â€¹Ã¤ ºâ€

HEALTHY GRIEF Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

HEALTHY GRIEF - Essay Example Her work was specially linked with the dying as well as diagnosis of life threatening diseases which could put a person in grief and create a sense of loss. (Kurian, 2009) The five stages of grief, according to this model, include denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. At each stage, an individual experiences grief over the period of time however, it is not necessary that the same stages may occur in sequential manner and every person facing a given situation may pass through this. (Kubler-Ross, 1969) According to this model, persons facing a dying situation may go through five different stages of the grief. However, it is not necessary that everyone must go through the same cycle in same order or experience the same stages of grief at all. According to this model, the five stages of grief are: 1. Denial- this is the first stage where an individual often feels that he is fine and nothing can be done to him. This stage is considered as a temporary defense for an individual and can be replaced with the awareness about the possessions of an individual as well as individuals who will be left behind after the death. 2. Anger is a stage where a person specifically starts to believe as to why he or she is the victim of any illness or grief. This is an stage where an individual actually realizes that denial can no longer work and can often become unmanageable because of misplaced feelings of rage and fury. 3. Bargaining stage is reached when an individual starts to believe that he or she can actually bargain to gain more time to delay the death. It is often argued that it is at this stage where a person fully understands that he cannot avert death but can bargain by altering the life style to negotiate with the higher power. 5. Acceptance is the last stage where individual actually realizes the mortality of his own or the loved ones. It is at this

Green Supply Chain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Green Supply Chain - Essay Example Monsoon Company uses strategies that are environmental friendly in manufacturing their chemicals. They do not dump waste materials but they recycle their waste products to avoid pollution. They have an accounting program that monitors activities that may led to degradation of the environment. Amazon Company is also environment sensitive since they replace trees that they have used in manufacturing their books. This is by planting more trees than they have cut for manufacturing of paper. Sustainability Stagecoach Company controls the effect that carbon dioxide may cause to the environment by replacing old vehicles. The company improves the efficiency of their vehicles thus offering their customers excellent services and as well reducing impacts on the environment (Basu & Wright, 2007). They have implemented new technology in their vehicles that do not guzzle appreciable quantities fuel and thus reducing carbon dioxide emission. These vehicles have achieved a high emission standard in Europe. The company has set targets on carbon emission strategies as the centre of their green program. This is possible, as they have introduced an accounting and control system of carbon emissions. This program is integrated with their business agenda to ensure transparency to their customers and ensure they have managed carbon emissions by their vehicles. The company has used alternative technologies that are environmental friendly, which reduce carbon dioxide emissions. They have more than 1000 vehicles with alternative drive train, which are modified to ensure efficiency to their customers (Basu & Wright, 2007). The modifications include aerodynamics technology that has proven to be efficient and electronic adaptations that reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Drivers are made aware of the importance of environment conservation. Drivers are trained on better driving techniques where they drive efficiently, thus saving fuel. There are many campaigns on awareness of efficient driving that will assist in saving fuel. They should use vehicles that do not depend on fuel for energy because of its rising cost and fines they pay from carbon emissions Monsoon Company has to come up with other alternatives for dealing with raising fuel cost and regulations that govern carbon dioxide emissions. This will interfere with most of their supply chain strategies for delivering services to customers. These companies pay a huge amount of taxes that interfere with their outcomes and profits. It is therefore, the role of these companies to come up with alternative technology that will be used in manufacturing their chemicals. This technology should be environmental sensitive by reducing the rate of carbon emissions (Emmete, & Sood, 2010). The company should use raw materials are not toxic and might have impact on the environment. This helps in reductions of carbon dioxide emissions, thus conserving the environment. It is the role of the company to connect their businesses with gr een supply for the purpose of transparency. Customer’s needs are fulfilled by companies that connect their business to green supply resulting to high output of the company. Connecting green supply goals with business goals Companies like Amazon must align their businesses with green supply chains to realize their objectives. Amazon should ensure that green supply chain is connected

The Evolution Of International Environmental Law (IEL) Essay Example for Free

The Evolution Of International Environmental Law (IEL) Essay Trace the evolution of International Environmental Law (IEL). What does the rise of IEL signify in terms of community interests versus the egoistic interests of nation states? The term ‘International Environmental Law’ can be used as a term to encompass the entire corpus of international law, public and private relevant to environmental issues or problems.[1] The modern rules of international environmental law can be traced back to a ‘spat’ between the United States and Britain. The first ever reported environmental dispute dates back to 1742. [2] In the early 1970s environmental issues started to appear on the agenda of various United Nations and non United Nations agencies and this was, in part, due to the amount of publicity that was being devoted to the problems of environmental degradation. In 1972, due to pressure from NGOs especially in the United States, the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment was convened. Preparations for this conference necessitated a thorough examination of activities that had any impact on the environment.[3] Under United Nations General Assembly Resolutions in 1968 and 1969 which gave rise to the Conference, the assembly agreed that there was an urgent need for intensified action at national and international levels to limit and if possible, eliminate the impairment of the human environment and that this was necessary for sound economic and social development.[4] The 1987 World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) Report and the resultant 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development expressed the already existing concern for sustainable development. Meanwhile, the dynamics of negotiations within these conferences changed with time. With decolonisation and the attainment of independence of more developing countries, more of these countries were joining the United Nations and other international Organisations. During negotiations, developing countries were insisting on radical changes to international economics relations that would bring about a situation that would be more conducive to the realization of their developmental goals.[5] Financial Institutions such as the World Bank now structured and conditioned loans in such a way that development should always be ecologically sound.[6] By the 1990s, environmentalists were opposing strongly, the trade regime under the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT). This was inflamed by two decisions of the Dispute Resolution Mechanism. In the Tuna Dolphin case, GATT ruled against the U.S ban on tuna that was caught using mechanisms that killed dolphins as well. In the Shrimp Turtle case, the GATT ruled against an American law that was put in place to protect turtles that were sometimes killed in the process of catching shrimps.[7] Now, the WTO rules are to be applied in such a way as to ensure the promotion of sustainable development so do the rules of many other international organisations. Under the various international environmental laws, companies are bound to respect environmental laws, they are bound for instance to conduct impact assessments on any project they wish to undertake.[8] States are also bound to respect the environmental integrity not only of their state but also that of all other states. In the world of today, it is doubtful that the GATT Dispute Resolution Mechanism would give similar rulings as those that they gave in the Tuna Dolphin and Shrimp Turtle cases. The rise of International Environmental Law has meant that states can no longer pursue their own personal interests without having consideration for the environmental integrity of other states. [1] Birnie and Boyle (2002) International Law and the Environment (2nd Edition) Pg. 2-3 [2] Sands (2005) Lawless World: America and the Making and Breaking of Global Rules Pg 71 [3] Ibid Pg. 38 [4] United Nations General Assembly Resolutions XXIII of 1968 and XXIV of 1969 [5] Dadzie, in Roberts and Kingsbury (1993) United Nations, Divided World: The Un’s Role In International Relations (2ND Edition) Oxford: Oxford University Press Pg. 300 [6] Birnie and Boyle (2002) International Law and the Environment (2nd Edition) Oxford: Oxford University Press Pg. 60 [7] Giplin (2001) Global Political Economy: Understanding The International Economic Order. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Pg. 226 [8] Article 4 Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in Transboundary Context

Just War Theory Essay -- Just War Armed Conflict Military Essays

Just War Theory Price reduced due to problems with format One of the perennial realities of human existence is war. From the earliest recorded events of human history all the way through to modern times, human communities have engaged in armed conflict as a method of dispute resolution. While war has been a constant part of the human experience, there has also been a tendency within virtually all human civilisations to limit the extent of war and the methods by which warfare may be conducted.(1) In Western civilisation, this limitation on warfare has taken shape as an effort to limit both the determination of when war is appropriate and the means used in battle.(2) Within the Western moral, legal, and political arena, the connected questions of when war is appropriate and what means are acceptable in warfare has been the subject of a great deal of examination. The basic theory which has arisen within Western culture to evaluate the legitimacy of military action is called just war theory.(3) The just war theory has received widespread accept ance both within Western culture and in the international community as a means by which a war may be determined to be justified or not.(4) Just war theory, which has both religious and secular proponents, is perhaps the most universally recognised moral theory by which the use of force may be evaluated. II. A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF JUST WAR THEORY A. BACKGROUND ON JUST WAR THEORY Just war theory has a varied and diverse background.(5) The just war tradition includes the contributions of philosophers and theologians dating back to Roman times. As James Tuner Johnson has pointed out, Just war is an historical tradition formed by experience and reflection, including much that is neither specifically theological (or even religious), nor philosophical. It has been strongly influenced by international law, the traditions of chivalry, and soldierly practices derived from the experience of many battles.(6) Just war theory as a method of evaluating military actions has been recognised historically by thinkers as varied as Cicero, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, Grotius, and Daniel Webster. It is a theory which has been used by Christians and non-Christians alike to determine whether or not the decision to go to war and the means used to prosecute that war are just. It is crucial to keep this varied and complex pedigree of t... ...50. Id. 51. See the Nuremberg Charter, art. 6(a)-(c). The charter lists the waging of aggressive war, "violations of the laws or customs of war," and the extermination and enslavement of civilians among its examples of wartime criminal conduct. 52. Rostow at 169-70. 53. United Nations Charter, articles 2(4) and 51. See also Gardam at 403-11; Motala at 3. 54. U.N. Charter art. 51. 55. Motala at 4. 56. Id. 57. Id. 58. Motala at 11. 59. Johnson at 149; Bederman at 29. The tradition of dividing just war theory into two distinct analytical categories has its roots in the work of Grotius, Aquinas, Augustine, and Cicero. 60. Johnson at 149 61. Johnson at 149 62. Johnson at 149. 63. Id. 64. Id. 65. Aquinas, Summa Theologicae, II, II, Q. 40, Art. 1. 66. Johnson at 158 67. Johnson at 158. 68. U.N. Charter art. 51. 69. Johnson at 158. Johnson compares the concept of "right authority" with the modern concept of sovereignty and argues that the just war notion of authority basically mirrors the modern notion of sovereignty. Id. 70. Bederman at 31-32; Aquinas, Summa Theologicae, II, II, Q. 40, Art.1.. 71. Aquinas, Summa Theologicae, II, II, Q. 40, Art. Just War Theory Essay -- Just War Armed Conflict Military Essays Just War Theory Price reduced due to problems with format One of the perennial realities of human existence is war. From the earliest recorded events of human history all the way through to modern times, human communities have engaged in armed conflict as a method of dispute resolution. While war has been a constant part of the human experience, there has also been a tendency within virtually all human civilisations to limit the extent of war and the methods by which warfare may be conducted.(1) In Western civilisation, this limitation on warfare has taken shape as an effort to limit both the determination of when war is appropriate and the means used in battle.(2) Within the Western moral, legal, and political arena, the connected questions of when war is appropriate and what means are acceptable in warfare has been the subject of a great deal of examination. The basic theory which has arisen within Western culture to evaluate the legitimacy of military action is called just war theory.(3) The just war theory has received widespread accept ance both within Western culture and in the international community as a means by which a war may be determined to be justified or not.(4) Just war theory, which has both religious and secular proponents, is perhaps the most universally recognised moral theory by which the use of force may be evaluated. II. A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF JUST WAR THEORY A. BACKGROUND ON JUST WAR THEORY Just war theory has a varied and diverse background.(5) The just war tradition includes the contributions of philosophers and theologians dating back to Roman times. As James Tuner Johnson has pointed out, Just war is an historical tradition formed by experience and reflection, including much that is neither specifically theological (or even religious), nor philosophical. It has been strongly influenced by international law, the traditions of chivalry, and soldierly practices derived from the experience of many battles.(6) Just war theory as a method of evaluating military actions has been recognised historically by thinkers as varied as Cicero, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, Grotius, and Daniel Webster. It is a theory which has been used by Christians and non-Christians alike to determine whether or not the decision to go to war and the means used to prosecute that war are just. It is crucial to keep this varied and complex pedigree of t... ...50. Id. 51. See the Nuremberg Charter, art. 6(a)-(c). The charter lists the waging of aggressive war, "violations of the laws or customs of war," and the extermination and enslavement of civilians among its examples of wartime criminal conduct. 52. Rostow at 169-70. 53. United Nations Charter, articles 2(4) and 51. See also Gardam at 403-11; Motala at 3. 54. U.N. Charter art. 51. 55. Motala at 4. 56. Id. 57. Id. 58. Motala at 11. 59. Johnson at 149; Bederman at 29. The tradition of dividing just war theory into two distinct analytical categories has its roots in the work of Grotius, Aquinas, Augustine, and Cicero. 60. Johnson at 149 61. Johnson at 149 62. Johnson at 149. 63. Id. 64. Id. 65. Aquinas, Summa Theologicae, II, II, Q. 40, Art. 1. 66. Johnson at 158 67. Johnson at 158. 68. U.N. Charter art. 51. 69. Johnson at 158. Johnson compares the concept of "right authority" with the modern concept of sovereignty and argues that the just war notion of authority basically mirrors the modern notion of sovereignty. Id. 70. Bederman at 31-32; Aquinas, Summa Theologicae, II, II, Q. 40, Art.1.. 71. Aquinas, Summa Theologicae, II, II, Q. 40, Art.

Fundamental Difference between Judaism and Christianity Essay

Judaism and Christianity are closely related religions that can trace their origins back to Abraham and are considered in the studies of comparative religion as Abrahamic religion or Judeo-Abrahamic Faith. While there are those who argue that Christianity is a religion that began independently from Judaism, interpretations of biblical texts from the Old Testament reveal that it started out as Jewish sect during the late Second Temple period of the 1st century. The origins of Judaism on the other hand are still unclear as there are debates regarding the source of this religion. Most scholars however agree that the Genesis book of the Hebrew Bible is the canonical that bears on that question. Whatever the origins of these religions maybe, it is clear that they are currently considered as two (2) separate religions that differ on many fundamental issues. The first fundamental issue upon which Christianity and Judaism differ is with regard to the existence of God. Christianity believes that the existence of God is manifested in the Holy Trinity. God, according to the Christians, exists as three (3) distinct persons who share a single essence, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God is indivisible but the persons who form the trinity are distinct from each other. This notion of God existing as the Holy Trinity runs contrary to the tenets of Judaism as they believe that God exists solely as a single indivisible divine being. The idea of the Holy Trinity is incomprehensible to the followers of Judaism because of the rejection of the notion that Jesus or any other object or living being could be â€Å"God†, that God could have a literal â€Å"son† in physical form or is divisible in any way, or that God could be joined to the material world in such fashion. While Judaism has two (2) different words used to label God (transcendence = Ein Sof and immanence = Shekhinah), these refer only to ways of experiencing God and still maintain the indivisibility of God. The other fundamental difference between Christianity and Judaism is with regard to the idea of Original Sin. The concept of Original Sin is found only in Christianity and it makes the assumption that all human beings are born with the original sin which is derived from the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. This basically theorizes that everyone is born a sinner and nobody is born a saint. The only exception to this rule however is Jesus Christ who is regarded as the only person born without original sin. The concept if Original Sin does not exist in Judaism. Instead, Judaism holds that people have free will and have the ability to affect the course of their lives even if they be born naturally with a good inclination or bad inclination. Judaism holds that humans are born with either yetzer hatov or good inclination, or yetzer hara or bad inclination but can change because of free will. According to the teachings in some sects of Judaism, there can be no original sin because Adam and Eve cannot be blamed for eating the forbidden fruit because the notion of evil or of sin did not arise until after the fruit was eaten. Judaism and Christianity also differ with regard to the concept of love. According to certain scholars, love, as understood in the Christian sense, is equivalent to charity and that love in the Judaic context means justice. This is seen in this bible passage: â€Å"Whereas Jews believe that law is the ultimate fulfillment of love, Christians believe that love is â€Å"the fulfillment of the Law. † An examination of the core commandments of Judaism reveals that love as justice means that God commands the love of his people or Israel but never professes his love for his people (Israel). The Christian concept of love is manifested by the numerous acts of charity that Jesus Christ was said to perform during his lifetime including the ultimate act of love which was sacrificing himself to atone for the sins of man. These fundamental differences between Judaism and Christianity have given rise to the existence of two (2) separate religions who may arguably be worshipping the same God. Whatever the justifications are for having such fundamental differences, there is one common ground that not only Judaism and Christianity but also other religions can agree upon, that is that one should always seek to do good for others and learn to respect the beliefs of others.

Consumer Decision Making Process

A CONSUMER DECISION-MAKING PROCESS IN PURCHSING A CAR Research suggests that customers go through five stages in making decision on any purchase (The Engel, Blackwell and Miniard, 1990). The economic buyer theory published by South-Western college in 1997 () explained that all customers have full information, make comparison, are rational, they have limited resources to satisfy their limitless needs, and they want to maximise satisfaction (page). A person who intends to purchase a car, go through a five decision-making stages. These include; Problem recognition Information search Evaluation of alternatives Purchase Post-purchase behaviours In dealing with these processes, it is important to note that there are factors influencing individual decision-making process. The factors could be categorized into three; Individual factors Motivation Perception Learning Personality, self-concept, lifestyle Values, beliefs and attitudes Social factors Culture Reference group Opinion leaders Family Social class Purchase situation Reasons for purchase Time Physical surrounding A consumer, influenced by the above factors goes through the first stage; Problem recognition: An individual realises that something is not as it should be. Perhaps, for example, an individual goes to work on a commercial bus or train late because of constant delays in travel time, decides he needs a car. Once the problem is realised it goes to the second stage. Information search: In this stage a consumer engages in both internal and external information search. The internal search involves gathering information in his mind about cars he prefers. External search on the other hand involves finding information from friends, reviewing in customers reports, (for example, accelerator pedal faults on some Toyota brands reported by BBC on 28 January 2010), consulting different websites, and visiting several dealerships. Information could be as well gathered from brochures, catalogs and news coverage. Evaluation of alternatives: The car industry is a competitive market and gives consumers options to choose, ranging from brands, product features, fuel efficiency, balance, space and price, for example a car may have a low price and good fuel efficiency, but slow acceleration. If the price is inexpensive and fuel efficient, the customer may select it over a car with better acceleration that cost more and use more fuel. Purchase: The above stage in the decision-making process determine what happens in this stage. This stage is when the consumer makes the purchase of the car. Post-purchase behaviours: This is where the consumer considers his decision for justification. The consumer then seeks new information to reinforce and judge whether he had the right price and quality for his money. The consumer could avoid contradictory information or deliberately seek contrary information to refute. He could even revoke the decision by returning the car. Firms and organisations invented strategies to overcome cognitive dissonance through sending post-purchase letters, cards, advertisement, guarantees, warrantees, instruction booklets and refund policies. (Festinger, L. 1957) In conclusion, the study of these consumer decision-making stages will help firms and organizations to improve their marketing strategies. REFERENCES Brassington and Pettitt, (2006), _Principles of marketing, 4th ed. _ FT Prentice Hall. Charles W. Lamb jr, Christo Boshoff et al. (1997), Consumer Decision-making process, South-western college publishing. Engel, J. F. , Blackwell, R. D. and Miniard, P. W. (1990), Consumer Behaviour, Dryden. Festinger, L. (1957), A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, Stanford university press. Lars Perner (1999-2008), Consumer Behaviour, Publish by university of Southern California, Business school.

Social Media Networks Impacts on Political Communication

Social Media Networks Impacts on Political Communication Introduction Social media networks have greatly influenced political communication in modern society. Its impact on political activities and governance is especially profound. In the book, the Internet Imaginaire, Patrice Flichy says the development of the internet (social media) is among the most revolutionary processes in modern society (more specifically because the internet has become a super-highway of information).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social Media Networks’ Impacts on Political Communication specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More From the increasing importance of the internet, today, Flichy argues that most politicians have only joined an ongoing trend of designers, business executives, and individuals (among others) who have resorted to use social media as a technical utopia for advancing their goals. Since many people have accepted the internet as their main communication paradigm, the internet h as become widely successful in changing how politicians interact with their subjects. In sum, Flichy argues that the internet has been widely successful in politics because it transforms the interaction between leaders and their followers. From an emphasis on the Middle East political space, this paper focuses on explaining the impact of social media in the UAE political life by exploring if social media networks make leaders more visible and transparent. To have a practical understanding of this issue, this paper focuses on the social media activities of UAE’s foreign affairs minister, H.H. Abdulla Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Through an analysis of his Twitter account, this paper proposes that social media networks make political accountability easier and friendlier, as it increases the visibility and transparency of political leaders. However, to understand this fact, this study first explains how social media has created a new way to represent political leaders in the UAE. A New Way to Represent the Political Leader in the UAE Culture The social media presence of Abdulla Bin Zayed draws significant inferences from the works of Louis Marin, in the book, the King’s Portrait. Marin largely borrows from the experiences of King Louis XIV in portraying the image of a politician as an immortal onlooker (through the transformation of politicians from theological bodies to immortal political figures). Flichy contextualises this transformation through his understanding of the power that most politicians enjoy in transforming themselves to political relevance today (through social media). Marin explains the same situation, although from a historical perspective, by saying that the transformation of politicians to political relevance (through the internet) is a symbol of absolutism.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Absolutism represents a poli tical order that redefines the meaning and status of representation by redefining the configurations of power. Broadly, Marin’s work shows how politicians achieve social control through art. The relationship between politics and art is unfamiliar for most political studies, but it symbolises the interaction between aesthetics and kingship. This relationship also stems from the interaction between state, God, and the truth. A complete symmetry of these three aspects of governance stems from the absolute achievement of sovereignty and power. Most literatures that have explored the impact of social media in the UAE political space have chronologically shown that the growth of social media has led to a shift of its use from a social paradigm to a political and civic paradigm. Recent events surrounding the Arab spring and the increased influence of civic movements in the Arab world have especially supported this change. The influence of social media in the UAE political space asso ciates with several political and social factors, like the acceptance of divergent political views, the support of social and political changes, people’s empowerment, and the influence of social media on people’s views of the society. Across the Arab world, social media use has however introduced political change in different measures. Particularly, social media has had a huge impact on how political leaders interact with their followers. A key issue that manifests here is persuasion because it explains how political leaders interact with their followers. The role of social media in persuading people to follow a leader is a departure from the traditional role of social media as a tool for collecting signatures, or for advocating a social or political cause. Nonetheless, every political leader has a distinct reason for using social media. An analysis of Sheikh Zayeds Twitter page shows that the uses of social media are highly dynamic (even though it should primarily inc rease the level of interaction between political leaders and their followers). Therefore, today, social media serves to provide a more intimate/personal access to political leaders. For example, people know Sheikh Zayed more intimately through random tweets. For example, one tweet (which appears on his Twitter page) says, â€Å"Read my piece on how Sheikh Zayeds childhood and early youth shaped his character as a leader.†Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social Media Networks’ Impacts on Political Communication specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Such tweets offer a personal insight into the life of the political leader. Despite providing a personal touch to political leadership, social media also provides a platform where people can be entertained and informed about political events. For example, in Sheikh Zayed’s Twitter account, there is a lot of information regarding the dangers of driving, the importance of eating healthy, personal inspiration (among other factors). In sum, social media has helped to package political leaders differently, by presenting them as multifaceted individuals with a more personal touch (than before). This platform gives them visibility in their public lives. Too Much Visibility While social media offers immense advantages to businesses, political institutions, individuals, and political leaders, it also has its disadvantages. A common disadvantage is too much visibility. In the past, visibility was mainly limited to the presence of individuals on one location and at a specific time. However, with the development of social media communication, people do not have to be at the same place and at the same time to be visible; online presence gives them this visibility. This new form of visibility has a huge impact on the relationship between visibility and power because it may destroy or build the reputation of politicians. However, smart political lea ders seek the services of third parties, like public relations (PR) firms, to manage this new level of representation and exploit it to their advantage. Usually, such political leaders use this platform to create a strong support base for their political causes. Relative to the above assertion, Abdulla Bin Zayed uses his visibility on his Twitter page to create a strong support base for his official duties. As the minister of foreign affairs, Abdulla Bin Zayed uses his Twitter account to communicate positive issues about the UAE. For example, his Twitter account has the following tweets, â€Å"Abu Dhabi is the worlds fourth favourite city, ranked behind only New York, London, and Paris.† â€Å"American University in Paris receives anonymous donation from UAE in honour of late educator.† These tweets report positive issues (such as security, development, tourism, and charitable matters) about the UAE and some of its cities. A positive portrayal of the UAE also complemen ts his role as an ambassador for the government (especially in his capacity as the minister for foreign affairs). Depending on the contextual framework, too much visibility may be a positive and negative thing for social media users. For example, for political leaders, too much visibility is a positive thing because political leaders are public figures and the higher their visibility, the better they achieve political effectiveness. Even though some political leaders use social media for the right reasons, the proper management of increased public attention may expose such leaders to new risks.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More New risks create new areas of fragility for political leaders because even though the smart ones manage this visibility to their advantage, they cannot have an absolute control over social media issues. Therefore, their efforts to exploit social media may still work to their disadvantage. The public may however enjoy increased political transparency through social media. Increased Transparency in the UAE Political Life – A Social Media Analysis The role of social media in increasing the level of transparency in the political life of the UAE largely stems from its influence in determining how people share information (its implication on governance is usually very profound). Social media therefore introduces new risks and opportunities for the UAE political space because on one hand, political leaders may use this platform to influence people’s perceptions, but on the other hand, the same platform has greatly empowered the people to question and criticise political activ ities in the country. Therefore, through an angry blog or tweet, someone can easily tarnish the name of a political leader. While many political leaders have understood these inherent risks and opportunities, they cannot afford to be complacent. Increased transparency is therefore one issue that political leaders cannot wish away. While traditional communication channels included extreme barriers of bureaucracy and lack of access to political leaders, social media has broken down these barriers and made leaders more accessible to the electorate. This way, the electorate finds it easy to question their leaders. In turn, the leaders have become more accountable and transparent in their political and professional activities. A tweet from Abdulla Bin Zayed’s account confirms the above assertion because it contains evidence of public complaints and responses to such complaints (increased accountability). For example, one person said, â€Å"believe it or not; they called to tell m e that they credit the money back based on my complaint.† This tweet shows an interesting dynamic of social media communication in politics because it highlights a seamless communication between the electorate and political leaders. In the past, this type of communication was one-sided (from the political leaders to the electorate). A transformed communication framework outlines one aspect of Flichy’s argument (in the book, the internet Imaginaire) that captures the essence of this paper redefining information sources. Through a constructivist model, Flichy says the transformation of communication (through the internet) means that information does not have to originate from only one source. Instead, people may interact freely without experiencing the traditional communication barriers held by politicians and mainstream media. This assertion largely explains the nature of information in the Twitter account of Abdulla Bin Zayed because most of the content (tweets) appear ing in his pages do not necessarily originate from him. The potentials that social media and other internet platforms hold for politicians create a huge bulk of the arguments presented by Flichy because he says that the internet has helped politicians to transform mask utopia to liberal ideology. This argument mentions the role of social media in transforming the political causes of some US politicians, such as Al Gore, who used the internet to transform mask utopia to liberal ideology. Nonetheless, evidence of unbiased information sources of interaction also exists between other Middle Eastern leaders and their subjects. In sum, this level of interaction shows that social media has greatly increased the level of transparency in political governance in the Middle East. Conclusion After weighing the findings of this paper, we can affirm that social media networks increase the level of political accountability and transparency in the Middle East. Evidence from Abdulla Bin Zayedâ€℠¢s Twitter account also shows that social media has helped to package political leaders as more humane, fun, and entertaining. However, the main goal of a political leader, in using social media, is to persuade their followers to be more familiar with their thinking. As leaders strive to achieve this objective, they should use the increased visibility they get through social media to advance their ideologies and relate better with their followers. Marin says that the proper use of social media may immortalise the relevance of political leaders because they can re-invent themselves this way. Comprehensively, smart political leaders identify the right types of conversations (that promote their cause) and engage their audiences accordingly. This attempt should be followed with extreme persuasion because the value of social media exists here – persuading the electorate.

Trifecta Not Always Appropriate

Trifecta Not Always Appropriate Trifecta Not Always Appropriate Trifecta Not Always Appropriate By Maeve Maddox Libby Lewis wonders about the different meanings of trifecta.: I had a student use it in a paper addressing racial discrimination: the United States ever growing trifecta of white, black, and brown. another student cited an article from MuscleMag magazine entitled Your Tri-Fecta for success.Can this word be used as a general reference to any trio? First lets look at the term perfecta. The OED identifies the gambling term as chiefly U.S. and defines it as a bet that requires the bettor to predict, in the correct order, the first and second finishers in a race. In New York state, this kind of bet is called an exacta. The OED entry for trifecta identifies it as a betting term used principally in North America, Australia, and New Zealand. Its a recent (1971) addition to English and derives from American Spanish perfecta which is a shortening of quiniela perfecta, perfect quiniela. Quiniela, game of chance. Entertainment writers were probably the first to use the word trifecta to mean any three awards won by an artist: Joe Lovano hit the trifecta at the Jazz Awards, with wins for tenor saxophonist, small ensemble and record of the year, but pianist-composer Vijay Iyer walked off with musician of the year honors They may also have been instrumental in turning trifecta into a mere synonym for three or trio. How’s this for a musical trifecta: the intriguing guitarist Charlie Hunter, the swinging Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and the imposing saxophone/drums/bass trio known as Fly. Some writers use trifecta in any context in which three of anything figure: Marchesa actually had a trifecta of successes. Marchesa is a fashion house and three women wore its designs to the Emmy awards. Jerrod Niemann Completes a Country Music Trifecta Niemann is going to play at the Grand Old Opry. Hes already played at two other venues on his wish list. Blue Spur eatery up for awards trifecta The restaurant has won the award twice before. MGM Recipients Achieve MacArthur Trifecta Andrea Ghez won the Maria Goeppert Mayer Award in 1999. She was the third woman to win this award, hence the trifecta in the headline. Its probably a reasonable extension of the word trifecta to use it to refer to the winning of a trio of awards as here: McMurray gave Ganassi his first Daytona 500 win in February. In May, Dario Franchitti won the Indianapolis 500 in one of Ganassi’s cars. On Sunday, Ganassi hit the unprecedented trifecta. No other car owner has won all three major races, much less in the same year. Used willy-nilly to mean three of anything, however, it smacks of lazy writing. Its use is especially inappropriate in this New Republic piece about the automotive industry: GM, Ford, and Chrysler are taking precisely the sorts of steps everybody says are necessaryor, at least, they were taking those steps until an unexpected trifecta of high gas prices, vanishing credit, and a deep recession hit. The word trifecta implies winning. High gas prices, vanishing credit, and a deep recession hardly fit the connotation. Here are some other three words to consider, depending upon the context: trio triple triad trilogy tripartite triplet troika Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Compared "to" or Compared "with"?What is Dative Case?Drama vs. Melodrama

Learning Theories Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Learning Theories Paper - Essay Example he constructivist theory allows for a more dynamic role on the part of the learner by engaging him/her actively to analyze, conceptualize and synthesize the current objective in light of the previous knowledge by forming constructs. A constructivist classroom is a dynamic and ‘happening’ place where most of the learning process is carried out by the students themselves, with the teacher merely facilitating by putting forth queries that keep up a healthy classroom discussion. The teacher always makes the students recall any previous knowledge they might have, and shares the learning objective to be achieved. Student input is invited as to how the object might be achieved by following certain success criteria. The query put across to the class is ‘This is what we’ll learn today; how do you think we might go about learning it?’ Active participation from all members of the class, individually as well as in groups, enables the class to reach a conclusive construct regarding the learning objective at hand. Group formation not only instils the value of teamwork in the class, it also reinforces respect for a differentiated working environment having students belonging to various academic, social and cultural backgrounds. The teacher always bears in mind that individual student’s faith and background has a significant effect on the extent of their learning capability and subtly tries to maximize it. He encourages each student to give their response and ask questions, however insignificant they might seem, hence facilitating the emotional fulfilment of the class The constructivist theory impacts the students positively. Repeated application of constructivism enables the student to acquire knowledge that is multidimensional while transforming them into confident, original, responsible and creative individuals. The teacher looks out for misconceptions which are evident as a result of discussion and guides the students in the right direction of questioning. In

Offshore Wind Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Offshore Wind - Essay Example The article also notes from experience that the installation of offshore wind stations has not been received that well and is witnessing a low takeoff. Nevertheless, the installation has seen remarkable improvements over the last few years with at least 3.5 GW of offshore winds being in line, over 2GW is already in development, and more than 100GW currently at different development stages. Nevertheless, most constructions are concentrated in North Europe especially in the UK, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and Belgium.The article also shows that projects of offshore winds have increased in scale over the last decade, and the trend continues. The increase is mainly projected to be witnessed in UK, which will see hundreds of high voltage wind turbines being constructed. This will require numerous highly specialized installation vessels as well as port facilities to manage the increasing dimension of wind turbines, balance of plants and support structures. Wright notes that the major challen ge pertains to financial requirements as the UK round 3 Zones are projected to require over â‚ ¬90 billion, which would necessitate new financing models and the support of the public at all levels. Nevertheless, private investors have aired their worries regarding the high risk associated with construction, financial incentives, long-term stability, and issues related to turbine reliability.The article also reveals that the supply chain progress has been inspired in the recent past with increasing separation between onshore and offshore wind sectors.

Changes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Changes - Essay Example However, the question on which of these factors will have the greatest influence remains unanswered. This paper outlines three of the changes expected in criminal justice in the next fifty years. Like any other system or discipline, criminal justice is expected to evolve. This evolution will be apparent in both crime and justice. In fact, as criminal evolve; their potential victims will also evolve in the preventive strategies they will use against the perpetrators. For instance, criminals are expected to use devices that would counter or unlock the more advanced devices and technologies such as alarm systems and locks that potential victims are expected to use to protect themselves (Ritter, 2006). As is currently the case, crime fighting strategies will however continue to focus on the reduction of crime opportunities, removing criminal-motivators, and altering peoples’ basic values by nurturing positive values, more so in the youth so that their propensity to commit crimes is reduced (Ritter, 2006). Population experts believe that in the next three to five decades there is a likely increase in the percentage of the over-30 population, particularly those over 65 year s of age. The implication of these demographic changes on criminal justice is that more people will be highly likely to become victims and criminals. The other change expected in the next fifty years in criminal justice is the increased use of technological advances in fighting crimes. In this regard, there is an expected increase in the development and use of more sophisticated biometric devices, surveillance equipment, identification microchips, and DNA analysis in preventing, detecting and reducing crime (Ritter, 2006). These technological devices will be quite effective in enhancing crime prevention and crime solving in the future. Technologically, more complex and effective intelligence databases for policing and analysis of crime trends by experts and the public will be exploited

Weddings From Two Different Cultures Theology Religion Essay

Weddings From Two Different Cultures Theology Religion Essay Irish Weddings and German Weddings. There are many similarities when it comes to having a wedding in these two different traditions. The similarities are that both of the weddings will have flowers though the flowers will be use differently in each of the wedding because both wedding and the flowers symbolize a certain religious thought. The Irish use the flowers for the brides to wear in their hair and the Germans use the flowers to decorate the top of the wedding car. I think that both of these traditions use flowers in a way that are similar because each bride will usually wear the flowers on her head or have a bouquet. The next similar item that is in the wedding is the music that is being played. Each wedding tradition has some sort of music that is playing though the music that is playing is different because of the background but music is a way to have fun and dance and both Irish and German wedding do agree on a large part. The music will usually play at the reception to awake the party and celebrate the new bride and groom. There is usually different customs when it comes to a wedding whether is being a normal style type like I would have that would take place in a church. It is different for each of these traditions. The Irish will get married in a church as a German will get married on a outside alter to show grace of becoming one. I think that when getting married it is nice to stick to your religion as close as possible because if done means that the groom and bride will have a long happy marriage. I know that some brides and grooms come from a different background sometimes when getting m arried, so if this was to happen both of the couple background religion should somehow be part of the wedding to make both of them feel important. The customs of each wedding differ for each tradition and certain traditions are supposed to be followed. The Irish believe that is it unlucky if a class or cup were broken on the wedding day and to the German wedding tradition it was a good thing if a plate or dish was smashed because it would suppose to bring good luck to the bride. This is different and was thinking about what if an Irish and German were getting married and they were trying to follow the traditions of each bride and groom and the plate smashing meant something different would they still follow this step?. The second custom that I thought was different was who is going to pay for the wedding. This has to be the most important part of each wedding and figuring out who is going to be able to make the day happen. In an Irish wedding the bride and grooms parents would split the cost of the wedding to make it even among the families. In a German wedding the father of the bride is suppose to pay for the wedding. In my religion usually both the parents of the groom and bride pay for the wedding and this has some similarities to an Irish wedding. When it comes to customs each type of wedding has its own that the bride and groom try to add to the wedding to make sure that it is the most important day of their lives and usually is for all. I think that there are many things to think about when it comes to a wedding and all the superstitions that you may have to think about. I know that these are certain things people dont think about when getting married but they are most assumed in a wedding. I know for a fact that in an Irish wedding and in a German wedding the superstitions do take place and are thought of before the wedding is sat up. These superstitions consist of what days it is good to get married on and what roads to travel on the way to the church. I know that in an Irish wedding it is unlucky to marry on a Saturday and people that are married in harvest would spend all their living being happy. There are also says about the bride and groom washing their hands together which mean that they are counting on a disaster to happen and also you are suppose to travel the longest road on the way to the wedding. In a German wedding there are really no superstitions that have a high affect on the wedding but only tricks that the bride and grooms friends play on them after they are married. Like for example for the first night they pull pranks on them like taking the bed apart or even filling the room with balloons. The bride takes a large amount of attention when it comes to each of these weddings and what takes place in the wedding is mostly up to the bride or who is paying for the wedding. There are things that happen on each day leading up to the wedding that follow the way a wedding is suppose to be held. In a German wedding there is usually three days that take affect before the bride and groom gets married. The first day in a German wedding the couple is married by the justice of peace. The second days hold a big party that is called Polterabend. Polterabend means the evening with lots of broken porc elain. The porcelain is brought by the friends and relatives to smash in front of the bride and groom because it is a symbol of a happy and luck life. The traditions are mostly drawn on the bride and grooms cultural and ethnic backgrounds and it helps them include the traditions and customs into their wedding. The one important thing that should be pointed out among these two wedding traditions is the colors that are used in the wedding and why they are used and the meaning behind them. In an Irish wedding the color green is used in a lot of weddings because of Irelands nickname Emerald Isle. The color green is also used because of the shamrock. The shamrock is the used for luck in a wedding and lifelong happiness and are usually carried by the groom in the wedding. The honeymoon must be the most important part that takes place after the couple is married. The honeymoon for an Irish wedding is way different from the traditional wedding that is held among people getting married. I can say that for a traditional wedding the bride and groom usually take a trip to spend time together because of their happy day that took place and also have some alone time. In an Irish honeymoon the newlyweds spend a month together drinking honeyed wine secluded so that they families cannot separate them. This also took place so that the couple could elope and the belief was that after a month had passed the bride would become pregnant and her family would then have no choice of the wife to stay with her new husband. The German wedding tradition is pointed back at a regular traditional wedding. There are so many things that can be pointed out between these two different cultural weddings that take place between the marriage and also after the wedding. There are many traditions that take place among a wedding taking place that will be followed to make sure that the wedding goes the way it is suppose to. The impression that I have made when reading over these articles is that a German wedding is more typical wedding that I would have and an Irish wedding is more towards a religious status and is put together by steps that the bride and groom agree to. I know if my background was Irish I would think that our tradition weddings are nothing like theirs and different in so many ways from the customs to the way the marriage is held at the altar. The ceremonies in each of the wedding are different from one another and each have a certain amount of days it should take to throw a wedding. A German wedding take accordingly three days but not three full days and an Irish wedding is most of the times held for at least two day or even just one day at the most. The reason why an Irish wedding is held not that long is so the new couple can spend time together and celebrate the new beginning of life and their talk about what their future hold for them. I think that each wedding whether it be a traditional wedding always has some kind of religious background to it whether is it showed at the wedding or not it is still acquired about each the bride and the groom. I have stated that the ceremonies are mostly different among the wedding and the religious backgrounds or the bride and groom. The ceremony in an Irish wedding many couples want to incorporate Irish blessings and toasts into their ceremony. These blessings wish prosperity and luck on the couple. In a German wedding ceremony on the third day the wedding takes place and the bride and groom take their vows while on their knees and the groom might kneel on the brides dress to show who is going to be in charge in the relationship though the bride may do it right back. When the bride and groom they throw coins to the children watching which is different among any other cultural wedding. I have been too many weddings throughout my life time and can tell you the one that I have went to are the traditional weddings. They consist of music, dancing, drinking, games, and just all out fun while celebrating the marriage of two people and wishing them well. I can tell you in different parts of the world each wedding is different whether it is an Irish wedding, German wedding, Chinese wedding, Dutch wedding, and Greek wedding. All the wedding have some type of background and tradition that is followed throughout the ceremony. The traditions of each wedding can consist of religious thinking and saying grace towards the couple that is getting married to make sure that they have a long happy life and a healthy marriage. The traditions and customs of a wedding can rely on the background of the bride and groom like in a Dutch wedding. The custom is that there is a lovely tree branch that is placed next to the bride and grooms table and the guests write their special wish for the c ouple on the paper leaves that are attached to the branch. In a Greek wedding the mother of the bride spends years collecting household items for the daughters dowry. The customs in a Chinese wedding are different than all of the others above because they pick the wedding date according to the astrological signs and birthdates of the bride and groom and the ceremony being on the half hours to wish good fortune to the couple. I can stay that if you have a different religion than an American then it has to be interesting when getting married. I think that certain ceremonies have more thought put into them as I read though a lot of different types of wedding and how the ceremony is thrown to make sure that all is blessed and the marriage will be a success. I can say that not everyone has a wedding that follows the traditional wedding and some dont make a big deal about the deal the wed. I myself think it is a big deal because you are closing vowels that going to spend the rest of your life with the person next to you whether that works out is all up to how much each of the partners put into the relationship. I think that honesty and being opened about thoughts will make a marriage last because if you are honest and true then there is nothing that needs to closed behind a door and forgot about. I can say that I thought about what wedding traditions to do and what would be the most interesting ones to choose from and give a reason why and I have to say that my attitude towards how different wedding are from the way a American wedding is held is really not thought about. I think that I had no idea how many customs an Irish and German wedding would have involved when thinking about getting married and what steps need to be followed. I just thought that everything should fall into place and work out to the best if the people are meant to together and never looked behind the process it takes to setting up wedding and how some cultures take wedding more serious than other due to the parents are giving up either their daughter or son that is getting married. Some take this memory as a happy one and hope and wish that all is well for the couple on their journey to the next level and their future. The parents I think before the couple make arrangement to get married are able to care for themselves and able to support a family because later on in the future there will be the thought of a child being born with then will be a new journey in the newlyweds lives. I think that once the husband and wife have a child it will show how much they are in love and how much they are committed to the relationship and how well each will be able to support one another. I think that it takes a long time to find the right person to marry and more than a couple years to find out if your going out with the same person. I say that if you are going out with the same person for over six years that still may not be the person that you want to marry and may be only a really good friend that you like being with but may not want to be hooked to for the rest of your life or live your lifes together but usually things like this will be figured out among both of the partners and how well they can work together in a relationship. I can say that I have learned a lot about how different cultures set up weddings and how serious they take them. I know that it is a big day and a life changer so it would be the smart idea or make the right decision and if you are happy with someone for a while well they you may have found the person who you are suppose to spend the rest of your life with. Citations Irish Wedding Traditions. Bridget Haggerty; http://www.ireland-information.com/articles/irishweddingtraditions.htm Walking Down the Aisle: Wedding Traditions from Germany. Tatyana Gordeeva; 1998-2009; http://www.germanculture.com.ua/library/weekly/aa030601a.htm German Wedding Traditions. http://www.personal.psu.edu/jld345/German.html German Wedding Traditions, Part 1. German Culture. 2004. Tatyana Gordeeva. 14 Mar. 2005 http://www.germanculture.com.ua/library/weekly/aa030601a.htm Irish Wedding Customs and Traditions, Hudson Valley Weddings. http://www.hudsonvalleyweddings.com/guide/irish.htm Irish Wedding Traditions, Euroevents Travel, LLC. http://www.worldweddingtraditions.com/locations/west_europe_traditions/irish_traditions.html German Wedding Traditions, Euroevents Travel, LLC. http://www.worldweddingtraditions.com/locations/west_europe_traditions/german_traditions.html Cultural Wedding Traditions and Customs, Beau-coup Favors, Inc. 2010 http://www.beau-coup.com/cultural-traditions-weddings.htm

Personal Goals Essay -- English Literature Essays

Personal Goals As most of my peers, I have been asking myself a question, what do I want out of my life? This question bothers many people, and not only the college students who are trying to figure out the path that will lead them to the comfortable life. One might ask, what is that comfort that we all are striving for? Is it a state of mind or is it some unknown world that we are so eager to enter. It varies from person to person; there are several aspects, such the way were raised, making, of our lives that could influence a person and the future decisions that we’ll make. The biggest part of our decision-making is the way we were raised and the culture we have gotten used to. Many Americans believe that the success depends on the family background that we have. There are those who say that if the person was raised in a rich family, all opportunities are available to them and there is a high chance that this person will live a comfortable life. The same people say that if the person was raised in a poor family there are too many obstacles to overcome and most of the time these barriers on the way are too hard to cross. On the other hand, there are those people who say that the America is a land of opportunities and any person could achieve their goals if they set their mind to it. Sarah, a good friend was born in a rich family. She never had to worry about the basic needs like food, shelter or security, and all the resources were provided thanks to the excessive amo...

Reflection on Japanese Earthquake

After watching the news about the catastrophic earthquake in Japan these days, I was overwhelmed with a range of emotions: anxiety, depression, grief, confusion and shock. Like a lot of people, I was stunned by percussive images of the ruins of buildings and the bodies of casualties. I felt sorry for the dead. Meanwhile, I was deeply touched by those survived. Instead of being thrown into panic, the Japanese faced up to the catastrophe with dispassion and composure. Although their homes were destroyed and their relatives were violently torn away, they still evacuated orderly and stood calmly in a queue to get reliefs. However, the case in china is just the other way around. Some Chinese people seem to be keyed up. Many articles concerning this earthquake can be found on the internet, a majority of which are radical. These people said: It serves Japan right. If only the island country sunk and disappeared forever. Admittedly, as Chinese, I felt repugnance for Japan. However, as descendents of the country with a history of thousands of years, we should reach out our friendly hand and let the world know that we Chinese are a civilized and well educated nation. If we merely stand by or even loot a burning house, we are no better than those Japanese invaders. From my point of view, we are all world citizens living in this global village and international community. In the face of natural disaster, we human beings are vulnerable. No one is powerful enough to escape. We can do nothing but pull together to go through. Therefore, we should relate to those wretches with sympathy and love instead of being narrow-minded and ultranationalistic. Japanese people are innocent. Let’s care for them with tolerant and generous hearts and help them out of the difficulty.

American Comfort Food & Culture

Comfort food, in common parlance, refers not just to the sustenance obtained from edibles, but also to the sense of well-being obtained from eating. In this case, it may be psychological or emotional satisfaction. As defined by YourDictionary. com, comfort food is â€Å"any food eaten not only for its pleasing taste but also for a sense of contentment, nostalgia, etc. that it provides. † The sad reality is, the pleasing taste in most cases does not equate with healthy food. Comfort food, while it provides feelings of soothing warmth and gratification, may have ill effects on the body, and the persons concerned may or may not even realize it.Yet one wonders why people, though aware that certain foodstuffs (like the nicest tasting fries) are unhealthy, still partake of it. Upon closer analysis, one sees that food and diet are inextricably linked to, if not embedded in, evolving society and culture. Take the case of America, where one can witness comfort food in two distinct and interesting dimensions: fastfood that is usually devoid of nutritional quality; and traditional gastronomy handed down by one generation to another, as exemplified by authentic South American cuisine, painstakingly prepared by the matriarch of the household as younger family members look on and assist.Fastfood has become a highly profitable industry and global phenomenon, while home cuisine preparation is becoming a vanishing art. As families become immersed in the vicious cycle or struggle to survive, attain work success or recognition, traditional meal preparations are being replaced by cheap instant meals. â€Å"Saturated fats and meats are displacing grains and fresh vegetables. Mealtimes are shrinking. McDonalds is everywhere. † (Walsh 36). Regular fastfood fare like burgers and fries continually entice young and old alike, in America and other parts of the world.â€Å"The flavors of childhood foods seem to leave an indelible mark, and adults often return to them, witho ut always knowing why. These comfort foods `become a source of pleasure and reassurance, a fact the fast food chains work hard to promote† (Schlosser 123). Huge marketing budgets have been allocated to convince consumers to head for fastfood restaurants with kids and other family members in tow. What people easily take for granted is that as they opt for fastfood meals, â€Å"they consume more calories, less fiber, and more fat† (Schlosser 241).Fats may be categorized as good or bad, and among the most undesirable kind is trans fat found in fastfood staples like french fries. Trans fats contained in hydrogenated cooking oil pose a big risk to heart health, as studies have revealed. â€Å"It serves to justify current efforts to get trans fats out of the American diet† (Boyles, parag. 5). Obesity, fatty liver and heart problems are but some of the dangers of regular fastfood consumption in big servings.Fortunately, helping curb the health decline among America†™s population are medically backed reports and a growing health consciousness that have spawned concerted efforts by consumer groups to ban â€Å"the use of trans freats in restaurant food in major cities like New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago† (Boyles, parag. 5). This had also generated â€Å"pledges from a growing number of fast-food restaurant chains to make their products trans-fat free† (Boyles, parag. 5). Showing an earnest gesture of support in such initiative or clamor to give consumers healthier food options are fastfood companies like Wendy’s and KFC, to name some.Home-produced food may be the norm in certain societies, and â€Å"it shouldn’t be surprising that the societies that have been most successful at retaining food cultures are the ones that have also resisted the pull of Westernization† (Walsh 39). This is not to say, though, that traditional fare like Southern American cuisine is not laden with calories, sugar and fat. South ern American food with multicultural influences includes deep-fried foods and rich gravy made with pan drippings and leftover coffee (Brant parag. 3).If not taken in moderation, they may pose some undesirable health effects, Economics likewise lays a big role in people’s food options. â€Å"Most Southerners were subsistence farmers who relied upon their on harvests to feed their families† (Brant, parag. 3). Delectable dishes, notably â€Å"big country breakfasts of eggs, biscuits and gravy, sausage and grits, and supper plates of chicken-fried steak, corn bread and collard greens provided farmers with the fuel to work from sun up to sun down in the scorching heat and humidity of the south† (Boyles, parag. 5).While certain recipes and ingredients of south American cuisine stand out, the myriad, longed-for flavors reflect â€Å"a combination of culinary heritages from around the world† (Brant, parag. 1). In many parts of America and major cities around the world, contributing to the decline of traditional mealtimes are the trappings and offshoots of the modern technology era. There is media, with its powerful influence; and migration from slow-paced rural communities to cities marked by fast-paced lifestyles. â€Å"Not only do these changes add stress for families, but nutritional quality declines as well† (Walsh 38).Cornell University Professor of Nutritional Science Jeffrey Sobal, was quoted by TIME as saying that †parents complain that they make [traditional] dishes, but the kids won’t eat them. They want the things that they see on television† (Walsh 38) and consenting adults acquiesce. Indeed, various interweaving factors shape today’s American food culture and while â€Å"we might – indeed must – clean up the worst of the fastfood excesses, trying to preserve the diets that keep us both culturally and physically healthier, no one pretends we’re ever going to turn back the cl ock entirely† (Walsh 39). It is, after all, the age of convenience products.Further boosting the popularity of fastfood restaurants is the business strategy of focusing not just on product innovations but also in providing a complete customer experience. Hence, McDonalds has its Playland to appeal to tots. Other fastfood restaurants strategically focus on a theme, slogan or attitude to further lure customers, wittingly or unwittingly. All told, fastfood has both an upside and downside, While most present-day comfort foods meld flavor and texture for utterly enticing eating options, consumers will do well to take a moment to determine if these foods are worth the momentary pleasures they provide.As for restaurants who have made a giant step towards offering consumers the healthier route through food alternatives that limit dangerous ingredients, it is high time they sustain their initiatives that will put a country’s burgeoning population down the healthier path. Househ olds that find it difficult to reshape their dietary paths are usually hindered by budgetary limitations. It can be gleaned that inexpensive, time-saving fastfood has fueled the rapid growth of fastfood outlets on a global scale, Individuals with high standards of living, on the other hand, are better able to experiment and widen their food choices.Indeed, given today’s societal trends and the fastfood phenomenon, only time will tell if healthier and tastier alternatives to trans-fat-laden `comfort food’ will see the day. In the meantime, America is seen grappling with diet-related illnesses even as health empowering news updates are gradually holding sway Works Cited Boyles, Salynn. â€Å"Researchers Say Findings Justify Move to Reduce Trans Fat in U. S. Diet. † Emedicinehealth. com. 26 March 2007. 13 August 2008 . Brant, Kelly. â€Å"Southern Comfort. † Allrecipes. com. 13 August 2008 n. â€Å"Comfort food definition. † YourDictionary. com. 13 Au gust 2008 . Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. New York: HarperCollins, 2001. Walsh, Bryan. â€Å"How the World Eats. † TIME June 2-July 2, 2007: 36.