Effects of Music on Teenagers

Azam Mirabdullaev Professor Christdas ESL 094-622 March 4, 2013 Effects of Music on Teenagers I strongly agree that many of today’s popular songs refer to sex, drugs, and violence. I think these songs are very harmful for teenagers, and have to be taken off the market. These songs are causing a lot of problems in our society such as increasing rate of early pregnancy, drug abuse, and violence among teenagers. Furthermore, these songs project to teenagers that it is acceptable and glorified to behave in this manner.First, the songs that refer to sex are causing many teenagers to have early sex, which often leads to early pregnancies. Most of the time early pregnancies often end up with abortions. In the United States of America the rate of pregnancies among teenagers have gone up about 20 percent in the last five years. Recently I was reading an article in the New York Times about research which was done among high school teenagers. The research has shown that 90 percent of pre gnant high school girls will end up with abortions.Moreover, the research has shown that teenagers whose iPods are full of music with raunchy, sexual lyrics start having sex sooner than those who prefer other songs. Whether it is hip-hop, rap, pop or rock, much of popular music aimed at teenagers contains sexual overtones. Its influence on their behavior appears to depend on how the sex is portrayed, the researchers found. Songs depicting men as â€Å"sex-driven studs,† women as sex objects and with explicit references to sex acts are more likely to trigger early sexual behavior than those where sexual references are more veiled and relationships appear more committed.Teenagers who said they listened to lots of music with degrading sexual messages were almost twice as likely to start having intercourse or other sexual activities within the following two years as were teenagers who listened to little or no sexually degrading music. Therefore, these songs are polluting our soci ety causing early sex and a lot of abortions among teenagers. Secondly, songs, which refer to violence, are increasing the rate of violence among teenagers. Today’s most popular songs teach teenagers to be violent, to be tough.These songs are one of the main reasons teenagers are joining gangs and committing crime in early years. In fact, every day we can see from the news a teenager takes a gun and shoots someone. According to a new study published by the American Psychological Association, â€Å"The violent-song increases in aggressive thoughts and feelings have implications for real world violence. Furthermore, repeated exposure to violent lyrics may contribute to the development of an aggressive personality. I think these songs pull teenagers away from school and home into a life of violence.Therefore, the songs which refer to violence must be taken off the market. † Third, songs that refer to drugs are increasing the level of drug abuse among teenagers. The songs, which refer to drugs, teach teenagers that it is fine and very normal to use drugs. In addition, these songs infer that using drugs makes you cool. According to the study from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, one in three popular songs refers to drug or alcohol use if a person listens music about an hour he or she will receive 35 references to substance abuse.Furthermore, study has shown that teenagers are listening music to about 2. 5 hours a day. Consequently, teenagers are hearing about 90 references to substance abuse a day. No wonder that most of the teenagers abusing drugs. In conclusion, I want to say that songs, which refer to sex, drugs, and violence, are very harmful for teenagers and have to be taken off the market. These songs are polluting our society and teenagers. Furthermore, these songs are taking away the shock value from the teenagers, and damaging their identities and characters. Finally, government agencies must take appropriate actions against such songs.

Kerja Kursus Addmath

Not forgotten my parent's for providing everything, such as money, to buy anything that are related to this project work and their advise, purport which are the most needed for this project. Internet, books, computers and all that. They also supported me and encouraged me to complete this task so that I will not procrastinate in doing it. Beside that My father teacher at SMS Mat Kills , Kanata Pang, Tn HAJJ Mood Rosalie bin Seine for sharing ideas to ensure our task will finish completely. Then I would like to thank my teacher, for guiding me and my friends throughout this project.We had some difficulties in doing this task, but she taught us patiently until we knew what to do. She tried and tried to teach us until we understand what we supposed to do with the project work.. Last but not least, my friends who were doing this project with me and sharing our ideas. They were helpful that when we combined and discussed together, we had OBJECTIVES The aims of carrying out this project wo rk are: to apply and adapt a variety of problem-solving strategies to solve problems. To improve thinking skills. To promote effective mathematical communication. O develop mathematical knowledge through problem solving that increases students' interest and confidence. In a way to use the language of mathematics to express mathematical ideas precisely. O provide learning environment that stimulates and enhances effective learning. To develop positive attitude towards mathematics INTRODUCTION As a student who takes Additional Mathematics in SUMP, I am required to carry out a project work. This year the Curriculum Development Division, Ministry of Education has prepared two tasks for me.I need to choose one project based on my interest. This project can be done in groups or individually but the students are required to submit an individually written report. Upon completion of the Additional Mathematics Project Work, we are able to gain valuable experiences and able to: Apply and adapt a variety of problem solving strategies to solve routine and non- routine problems; -Experience classroom environment which are challenging, interesting and meaningful and hence improve their thinking skills. Experience classroom environments where knowledge and skills are applied in meaningful ways in solving real-life problems -Experience classroom environments where expressing ones mathematical thinking reasoning and communication are highly encouraged and expected -Experience classroom environment that stimulates and enhances effective learning.Acquire effective mathematical communication through oral and writing; and to use the language of mathematics to express mathematical ideas correctly and precisely -Enhance acquisition of mathematical knowledge and skills through problem-solving -Prepare ourselves for the demand of our future undertakings and in workplace -Realizes that mathematics is an important and powerful tool in solving real-life problems hence develop positive att itude towards mathematics. Train ourselves not only to be independent learners but also to collaborate, doctorate, and to share knowledge in an engaging and healthy environment Use technology especially the CIT appropriately and effectively -Train ourselves to appreciate the intrinsic values of mathematics and to become imperative and innovative -Realize the importance and the beauty of mathematics Part 1 Index numbers 1) An index number is a number that can be used to show changes in magnitude of a quantity over a specific period of time. ) The specific period over which the changes occurred is called the base time. The base usually equals to 100 and thus the index number is usually expressed as a percentage, but the % sign is not usually written. 3) The formula for calculating index of a quantity, I is: Index number, IQ x 100 CO where CO = quantity at base time, IQ = quantity at a specific time. 4) If the index number is 125, it indicates that there is a +25 points or 25% rise of the quantity from base time to the specific time. ) Conversely, if the index number is 97, it indicates that there is a -3 points or 3% fall of the quantity from base time to the specific time. U. S Consumer Price Index – Food and Beverage (it) Weight Weight is common word used in Asia. The meaning for weight is a weighting factor assigned to compensate for perceived advantage or a weight factor or ratio; eight. Weight can also be defined as the importance or value when compared with another thing An example for its usage is: â€Å"The admission holds 80% weight while the interview holds 20% weight of the admission process†.In a nutshell, weight can also be said as stake. Composite Index Composite index is a grouping of equities, indexes and other factors combined in a standardized way, providing a useful statistical measure of overall market or sector performance over time. 1) Unlike index number the index numbers and involves two or more quantities. 2) The weight is the alee or quantity assigned to each item. This terms provide the importance or significance of each quantity. ) The formula of composite index is: Composite index, where = index number for item , = the corresponding weight for item Composite index can also be defined as a group of indices combined to measure the overall price of an item over a period of time. For instance, we can take a look at the price of root canal in the year 2013 based on the year 2010. A composite index may also be used in the natural or social sciences to summarize complex or multidimensional data or redundant measures.Usually, a composite index has a large number of factors which are averaged together to form a product representative of an overall market or sector. For example, the Nasdaq Composite index is a market capitalization-weighted grouping of approximately 5,000 stocks listed on the Nasdaq market. These indexes are useful tools for measuring and tracking price level changes to an entire stock mark et or sector. Therefore, they provide a useful benchmark against which to measure an investor's portfolio. The goal of a well-diversified portfolio is usually to outperform the main composite indexes (b) .Ways of Weight Representations Weight in a set of data can be represented in certain ways. 2) Pie 3) Percentage 4) Ratio part 2 1) Bar Chart We often hear complaints from the public about inflation. It causes an increase in the household expenditure in a family. So what is inflation and how does it affect us in our life? Basically, as citizens, we do get affected as it increases our household expenditure. With that, it will certainly cause problem to low-income families as their expenditure increase but at the same time, their monthly income remains the same.But on the other hand, the capitalists will sure benefit from this situation as they are owners of these large corporations which conduct these businesses. The parties who will be least affected are the middle-class people and the super-rich citizens, I. E. The millionaires. Technically, inflation is caused by the price increase of certain items from time to time. In this part we're going to make a case study on my family household expenditure to investigate this so called â€Å"inflation†

Benjamin Healthcare Center Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Benjamin Healthcare Center - Essay Example Factors that increase chances of falls among the patients include cognitive impairment, visual impairment, gait and balance disorders, weakness, musculoskeletal disorders and history of falls among others (Huey, 2000) Health organizations should establish strategies to curb or prevent falls in hospital settings. It should have a screening process where patients are checked to ascertain certain characteristics which present high risks of falling. These features include physical disabilities, age and medications given in the hospital which might lead to patient’s disability. Physical environment should also be assessed through brief screening assessment whenever the patient enters the hospital settings. The nursing staff should do this assessment, and upon any identification of risks, they should avail facilities to lessen the chances of occurrence of such risk. It is important to identify the patients who are at risk of falling. This is the initial step in preventing falls among patients in hospital settings. All identified patients should be provided with extra assistance and be allocated well equipped rooms which are designed for patients with such physical limitations. Benjamin Healthcare Center has adopted program which is quite efficient. This program is aimed at reducing falling risks in patients within the hospital settings (Carol, 2007) Timely intervention by health professionals within the hospital settings can lead to prevention of falls among patients. The health professionals should prescribe assistive devices that can stabilize ones gait. This refers to provision of quad cane, walker or hemi-walker to the identified patient. They should be educated on how to use the devices for their own safety. The prescribed devices should be adjusted to the right height to fit the suspected patients (Haviley, 2005). Those patients with problems related to sensation, leg deformities and other form of deformities

Propeller Auxiliary Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Propeller Auxiliary Systems - Essay Example The modern anti-icing system known as deicing system is an electric propeller-icing control system that is made up of source of electricity energy, an element resistant to heating, necessary wiring and a control system. In this system, heating elements are often mounted externally or internally on the propeller blades and spinner. Through electrical leads, electric power is transferred from the aircraft system into the propeller hub and finally to the blade elements through flexible connectors. A deice control system is controlled by the pilot by use of on-off switches. There is also a master switch for all deice systems and a toggle switch for each propeller. Many deice systems may also include additional selector switch which is useful in adjusting for heavy or light icing conditions and enhance automatic switching thus do not need manual switching on-off by the pilot (Filippone, 2012). Icing control is achieved by conversion of electrical energy into heat energy within the heating element. Effective and balanced ice removal is crucial in managing excessive vibrations and is accomplished by controlling any variations in the heating current within the blade elements to ensure there is similar degree of heating on opposite sides of the propeller blades (Filippone, 2012). This type of anti-icing system is usually designed to apply power to the heating elements to remove ice after its formation and avoid excessive accumulation. In this regard, proper control of heating intervals is necessary to prevent runback. When heat supplied is just enough to melt the ice formed but insufficient to evaporate water formed, water will flow to unheated areas of the blade, forms ice and results into uncontrolled icing. Cycling timers are therefore used to energize heating elements circuits for a period between fifteen and thirty seconds (Filippone, 2012). Deicing electrical control sy stems consists of ammeters, on-off switches, current limiters and

Student Strip Search Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Student Strip Search - Term Paper Example The missing thing according to Justice David H. Souter "was any indication of danger to the students from the power of the drugs or their quantity, and any reason to suppose that Savana was carrying pills in her underwear. (Barnes)." In a dissenting note, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that Judges are not qualified to second-guess the best manner for maintaining quiet and order in the school environment (Barnes). He said that the school officials were logical in searching the school girl. The issue in this case was whether a 13-year-old student's Fourth Amendment right was violated when she was subjected to a search of her bra and underpants by school officials acting on reasonable suspicion that she had brought forbidden prescription and over-the-counter drugs to school. It was held that the search did violate the constitution because there were no reasons to suspect the drugs presented a danger or were concealed in her underwear. The official who ordered the search was also granted immunity from liability because the constitutional position of the Fourth Amendment was not clear at the time of the search. Facts of the case The case began when Marissa, another student was found with prescription-strength ibuprofen and said she received it from Savana. The facts of the case occurred in one October day in 2003 at 13-year-old Savana Redding’s math class at Safford Middle School. The assistant principal of the School, Kerry Wilson, came into the room and asked Savana to go to his office. Wilson then showed Savana four white prescription-strength ibuprofen 400-mg pills, and one over-the-counter blue naproxen 200-mg pill, all used for pain and inflammation but banned under school rules without advance permission (Safford Unified School Dist. No. 1 v. Redding, 129 S. Ct. 2633 - Supreme Court 2009). He then asked whether Savana knew anything about the pills. She said that she had no idea about it. Then Wilson told Savana that he had received a report that she was giving ibuprofen pills to fellow students. Savana said she didn’t. She also agreed to let Wilson search her belongings. An administrative assistant also came into the office, and together with Wilson they searched Savana's backpack. They did not find any ibuprofen pills. Wilson then asked the administrative assistant to take Savana to the school nurse's office to search her clothes for pills. Helen Romero, the administrative assistant and the nurse, Peggy Schwallier, asked Savana to remove her jacket, socks, and shoes, leaving her in stretch pants and a T-shirt (both without pockets), which she was then asked to remove. Finally, Savana was told to pull her bra out and to the side and shake it, and to pull out the elastic on her underpants, thus exposing her breasts and pelvic area to some degree (Safford Unified School Dist. No. 1 v. Redding, 129 S. Ct. 2633 - Supreme Court 2009). But no pills were found. Savana’s mother argued that strip search is in violation of Sav ana's Fourth Amendment rights. Savana's mother filed suit against Safford Unified School District 1, Wilson, Romero, and Schwallier for conducting strip search. The school officials raised the defence of qualified immunity. The District Court for the district of Arizona granted the motion on the ground that there was no Fourth Amendment violation, and a panel of the Ninth

U.S and Iran Negotiations Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

U.S and Iran Negotiations - Coursework Example The power bases include: The framework agreement comprised a milestone in negotiations that began like 12 years ago. It created parameters for more than 3 months of negotiations over technical advances and unresolved matters. In Washington, Mr. Obama strongly defended the agreement with Iran as a rare lifetime opportunity to end the spread of dangerous nuclear weapons. He used his excellent communication power base to reassure his critics that he would keep all options available if at all Iran cheated ultimately (Alanazi, & Arnoldo, 2003). Over a period, Iran has been subjected to various pressures and sanctions especially from the US. Under the Obama administration, the sanctions have become more international and far-reaching hence leading to sanctions on the sale of oil by Iran and international access to financial markets. Nonetheless, Obama used to assure Iran that all these sanctions that continued to batter its economy would be lifted in phases if the deal to end the production of nuclear weapons was signed (Castillo et al, 2015) After negotiating the nuclear deal with Iran, President Obama faces two more steps to make it realistic. One is using his power as the US president to make the outline of the deal and its finality. The other step is ensuring that the congress does not interfere on the way. Since the beginning of the negotiations, the Congress has tried to block the deal but president Obama has used his authoritarian powers to prevent the Congress from blocking the deal. Most of the Republicans and some Democrats are skeptical about the recent agreement but in his speech, President Obama dared them to block the deal (Carson et al, 1995). Influence can refer to the force that a person exerts on someone else to induce a certain change on the targeted person. Barrack Obama, the president of USA used the following influence tactics to force out the deal. In this tactic, the leader just issues and instructs

Organisational Change Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Organisational Change - Assignment Example In most cases, the process of change is met by some sort of resistance because employees tend to uncertain about the new concept being introduced as its outcomes tend to be uncertain (Pardo del Val & Maartinez Fuentes n.d, p. 5). Change should be a gradual process that should focus on having all team members on board, but those that seek to maintain the status quo are usually outshined by the same. John Kotter, a leading thinker in management, asserts that an eight step model is the surest way for leading changes in an organisation with a high chance that the organisation that applies it assured of success. The eight step model will be discussed later within the paper so as to capture an in-depth analysis of the same. Resistance within an organisational setting is something that a leader should anticipate, meaning that being prepared for this is likely to influence the speed of implementing the changes desired. Once change has been implemented, managing it becomes the next task as poor management of change is likely to foster undesired results. In essence, the need to implement change results from the aspect of globalisation and new technology innovations made every day that seek to make business practices be more effective, which is what every business organisation seeks to achieve (Aquinas 2010, p. 244). The implication of this is that organisations should operate at their l ocal level but apply international strategies so that their products and services can go global which a concept that McDonalds understood well (Vignali 2001, p. 98). With this, the essay will delve into the perspectives of John Kotter on change, the three schools of thought on change and their relevance today. In an organisational setting, change management refers to the process of helping individuals and teams within an organisation to transition towards the future that that the organisation desires (Burgess 2004, p. 169). According to many, change tends to be deliberate and

Reading Journal A Good Man Is Hard to Find Essay

Reading Journal A Good Man Is Hard to Find - Essay Example as been portrayed, it is clear that she has an out fashioned and traditional perspective of life, where life was full of goodness, including respect for people and doing what was right for everyone. Her perceptive in life would hold true during her times, when she was still growing up. However, it is far from reality today, especially with people like Misfits and his friends owning guns. This portrays the fact that the boys do not care about the well-being of their fellow men, and go as far as shooting the family. Due to her view of the world, grandmother even prepares for her death, saying she prefers wearing nice clothes so that her corpse would look good. Looking at grandmother’s character, it can be deciphered that she is ignorant and not flexible enough. This is because she does not adjust quickly to the changing world. Instead, she continues to judge people in her own way and expects them to act just as they did. In her mind, she has created her version of what passes as goodness. T6his she does even after continuously deceiving her family. The narrator mentions, â€Å"The grandmother’s brown eyes were very bright† (311). This can be interpreted as ironic, because to the readers, grandmother appears to be unaware of the reality of the world around her. Even when faced with death when Misfit and his friends come to them with guns, she still calls the Misfit a ‘good man’. Her continuous encounter with children illustrates her eagerness to teach the children ‘good’. The concept of Christianity also comes into play when talking about goodness. It demands that people see the goodness in others, irrespective of their errors. This could probably be the reason why grandmother calls Misfits a good man. According to her, her late husband was a good man. She tells the children about her life, implying that she expects the children to see the goodness in everyone. Grandmother is proud of her spirituality, even when begging for her life. In conclusion, it is

The acquisition of knowledge is often a painful experience and through Essay

The acquisition of knowledge is often a painful experience and through suffering, one can achieve various degrees of wisdom. In - Essay Example † (1.1.51) instead of saying, â€Å"Which of you shall doth loves us most?† shows his first act of foolishness, giving more importance to showing off and displaying yourself in public rather than real love. On the other hand, Morrie Schwartz in Tuesdays with Morrie believes otherwise, saying, in page 127, â€Å"If you're trying to show off for people at the top, forget it. They will look down on you anyhow. And if you're trying to show off for people at the bottom, forget it. They will only envy you. Status will get you nowhere. Only an open heart will allow you to float equally between everyone." With this, it already clearly shows the opposing values and beliefs of the two main characters. While the two daughters cleverly flatter their father to acquire more land in King Lear, Cordelia, in contrast remains honest and refuses to participate in the test of public display of love. Out of rage, Lear disowns Cordelia, saying, â€Å"Here I disclaim all my paternal care/Pro pinquity and property of blood,/And as a stranger to my heart and me/Hold thee, from this, forever.† (1.1.113-116) On the contrary, in Tuesdays with Morrie, Morrie, who is a retired professor dying from Lou Gehrig’s disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), does not get carried away with his emotions and feelings. Even when he is in great pain, knowing he has a few more months to live, does not give in to the rage and great pain that he must be feeling, but instead, makes the best out of what he has left. In the 10th page of the book, he says, â€Å"Do I wither up and disappear, or do I make the best of my time left?† In King Lear, after the king’s sudden decisions about the division of the land and the banishment of Cordelia, Kent pleads with the king, telling him that he has gone mad in impulsively making those verdicts. Lear remains stubborn, and becomes angry again, saying, â€Å"Come not between the dragon and his wrath.† (1.1.128) and in line 166 shouts, â€Å"Out of my sight!†, banishing Kent. In Tuesdays with Morrie, however, Morrie, handles his emotions differently. On page 21, he explains, â€Å"There are some mornings when I cry and cry and mourn for myself. Some mornings, I’m so angry and bitter. But it doesn’t last too long. Then I get up and say, ‘I want to live . . .’† Later on, in King Lear, after the king banishes Cordelia and Kent, he, once again, becomes angry and through his impetuous anger, curses Goneril, the first daughter. Appealing to Regan, the second daughter, he is rejected by her. Through troubles and rejection made by his early hasty decisions, he finally gains wisdom and realizes the real characters of Goneril and Regan, and in vain, curses and cries out in grief, â€Å"I have full cause of weeping; but this heart/Shall break into a hundred thousand flaws,/Or ere I'll weep. O fool, I shall go mad!† (2.4.311-313) However, in Tuesdays with Morri e, although Morrie also gains more wisdom and understanding about life when he experienced pain and unhappiness in his past, this was not caused by his thoughtless decisions and giving into his emotions. When he learned about his fatal sickness, instead of screaming and crying out loud, instead on page 10, Albom writes, â€Å"Instead, he would make death his final project, the center point of

Logical Argument Essay Example for Free

Logical Argument Essay Overall paper thesis: The Freemason sub-culture appeals to potential members with a combination of logical aspects, emotional appeal, and aspects of overall credibility. Members are generally drawn to the group because of one of these three, but they all combine to create the compelling sub-culture. Logical Argument The logical appeal of the Freemason society is broad and often times, overriding. The first logical aspect that members are drawn to is a common group of people who share the same core beliefs. By being a member of the Freemason sub-culture, people are instantly attached to a support group of individuals who will be going through similar circumstances. This type of camaraderie is a primal human need and is one of the main logical selling points for the society. Another logical aspect which has broad appeal to members is the fact that the Freemasonry is often a leader in charity and community service. This is a compelling factor both because it is a good thing to do and also because it is something that reflects well on the individual members of the sub-culture. Men within the group understand that their efforts within the community will be looked upon with veneration and in many cases, these acts can help them gain power and influence outside the Freemasonry. One often overlooked logical appeal of the Freemasonry is the simple fact that it gives men something to do with their time. As men get older, they sometimes lose touch with their friends and with the things that they used to do earlier in life. Men can become entangled in their work, so it is good to have a place that they can go in order to get away from that. In fact, it is something of a brotherhood that men can rely upon in the best of times and the worst of times.

Analysis of Social and Political Contexts in Plays

Analysis of Social and Political Contexts in Plays With reference to at least two plays of your choice by different authors from different periods of theatre history analyze in what ways they reflect the social and political context in which they were written. â€Å"In the theatre, every form once born is mortal; every form must be reconceived, and its new conception will bear the marks of all the influences that surround it.†(Peter Brook) William Shakespeare takes the story of Julius Caesar and expresses his ideas about Queen Elizabeth, and the political atmosphere of Elizabethan England, using Julius Caesar himself as a metaphor for the growing Elizabethan empire, and the fears concerning the death of an heir-less Queen. Arthur Miller infuses the story of the Salem Witch Trials with sub textual references to the McCarthyism and Red Scare, which were going on in America in the 1950’s. In 2013, Anne Washburn sets her story, Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play, against a nuclear post-apocalyptic backdrop, using a popular television show, The Simpsons, as a catalyst, which in itself is a reflection on her ideas of modern American society, and society in general, as throughout the play, one bears witness to an old civilization unrav eling, and a resorting to story-telling in it’s most basic beginnings. This essay is a discussion on in what ways Julius Caesar, The Crucible, and Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play reflects the social and political context in which they were written. Julius Caesar was first performed in 1599, the first show to be performed at the Globe Theater in London. Though the text was not released until 1623, it is Shakespeare’s shortest play. Shakespeare is thought to have been heavily influenced in reference to the historical context by Plutarch’s Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans, which was written by Plutarch in the first century. In the play, Julius Caesar has just overthrown Pompey, who was threatening the republic. In the opening scenes, the people of Rome are seen celebrating Caesar, and try to crown him multiple times. This troubles many people in the shadows, who begin to whisper about the integrity of Caesar, and whether he will take the throne for his own, or honor the democratic republic, which Rome was in 440 B.C. These whisperings concern his peers, such as Cassius, who convinces Brutus that Caesar must be taken down before he becomes more powerful than the Republic. Ultimately, Caesar is assassinated, which results in mass chaos, as the entire country breaks out in civil war. In the end, almost everyone dies. Queen Elizabeth became Queen in 1558, forty years before Julius Caesar was first performed. â€Å"The Virgin Queen†, as she was commonly known, was the daughter of Henry VIII, and the last in the line of the Tudor monarchy. Queen Elizabeth ruled very strictly, and was extremely paranoid, therefore many people were imprisoned and questioned all the time for treasonous activity. â€Å"This was a meticulously recorded Police State, comparable with Hitlers Germany, Pinochets Chile, the former Soviet Bloc or Saddam Hussains Iraq. Almost all the major players in Shakespeares life including the poet himself would find themselves on the wrong side of the law at some point during their life†¦ And so England was a land of clear divisions: between the old faith and the new, between the cities and the rural communities, between the known and that which was unknown and therefore frightening.†(pbs.org) It was urgently necessary that if Shakespeare had a political view to share , he must share it very subtly. â€Å"Early modern writers frequently compared the English Parliament to the Roman republic’s Senate and popular tribunate. The English were also mindful of Rome’s role in their early history: Julius Caesar successfully invaded Britain in 54 BCE and the Roman Empire, which succeeded the republic, controlled Britain from 77 to 407 CE. At the broader level of political culture, English people strongly identified themselves as â€Å"free† in ways that (they believed) citizens of the Roman republic had been and others in Europe were not.†(newberry.org) In Julius Caesar, Shakespeare remarks on the political unrest of Elizabethan England in his portrayal of the rebellion and assassination of Julius Caesar. Throughout her reign, Elizabeth I thwarted many assassination attempts, as well as attempts at overthrowing her strongly Protestant rule by the Catholics. Shakespeare also comments on the impending future of England, as Elizabeth was very much like Caesar in a ge, and had no heirs to carry on her rule. He uses the Roman civil wars as a vehicle to perhaps predict a post-Elizabethan England, one that did not bode well for the English mass, as the eco-system that was Elizabethan English politics disintegrated into mass chaos. Hundreds of years later, Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible, in 1953. The Crucible is about The Salem Witch Trials, which happened in 1692 in Puritan Salem, Massachusetts. In the actual trials, young girls began accusing people of witchcraft, which led to mass hysteria, the persecution of over 200 people, and the execution of 20 people. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller adds dimension to a historic event, by adding his own ideas as to why and how the whole thing came about. He created answers as to why the girls began the dangerous faà §ade. He also combined historical figures as characters to create a clear and concise storyline. He took many artistic liberties. â€Å"For example, many of the accusations of witchcraft in the play are driven by the affair between farmer, husband, and father John Proctor, and the Ministers teenage niece Abigail Williams: however, in real life Williams was probably about eleven at the time of the accusations and Proctor was over sixty, which makes it most unlikely that there was ever any such relationship. Miller himself said, The play is not reportage of any kind . [n]obody can start to write a tragedy and hope to make it reportage . what I was doing was writing a fictional story about an important theme.â€Å"(ukmc.edu) In the 1950’s, the United States of America was going through a similar mass hysteria as during the Salem Witch Trials. After World War II, there was a huge anti-communist movement, led by Senator Joseph McCarthy, who famously brought in many people in the artistic and intellectual community and interrogated them about being communists. Americans were afraid of communism, or radical leftism, because of the belief that communism was in direct opposition to American values. This was the second time in the 20th century, that America had a Red Scare, the first being in the 1920’s. However, in the 1920’s the suspicions revolved a social movement, and in the 1950’s the fears stemmed from fears because of the conflict in Korea and China, and espionage based upon confessions by government officials of spying for the Soviet Union, the most famous being the trials of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were executed for passing on secret information to the Soviet Union about the atomic bomb. Senator McCarthy headed the Congresss House Un-American Activities Committee, which â€Å"launched an investigation into purported Communist influence in the movie business. HUAC subpoenaed writers, directors, actors and studio executives and inquired whether they were now or had ever been a member of the Communist Party.†(collin.edu) Although there is much speculation as to the exact mirroring of The Salem Witch Trials in The Crucible to the McCarthyism Red Scare hysteria of the 1950’s, â€Å"Miller writes, â€Å"These plays, in one sense, are my response to what was ‘in the air,’ they are one man’s way of saying to his fellow men, ‘This is what you see every day, or think or feel; now I will show you what you really know but have not had the time, or the disinterestedness, or the insight, or the information to understand consciously.†Ã¢â‚¬ (Steppenwolf.org) Arthur Miller himself had been brought in for questioning about being a communist, and among many others in the Hollywood and theatre scene. He was actually blacklisted at one point. The mass hysteria spread throughout the country, just like in Salem in The Crucible, and people became suspicious of everyone. â€Å"One group collected and published the names of people in the world of the arts and entertainment thought to be un-American in their politics. The most famous were able to successfully fight off such attacks butRed Channels: The Report of Communist Influence in Radio and Television, ruined or harmed many peoples careers.†(Collins.edu) Anne Washburn wrote Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play, which was performed at The Playwrights Horizon studio in New York City in Fall 2013. In the play, which is three acts, the show opens with a group of people sitting around a fire, in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust, trying to recall an episode from the popular TV series, â€Å"The Simpsons†. Throughout the whole first act, the audience watches what was an actually word for word transcription of the cast during one of the first workshops try and remember word for word the episode, â€Å"Cape Feare†. In the second act, time has moved forward ten years and the audience learns that this new world has evolved into a place where people barter with memories of Simpsons episodes, with different troupes going around performing them, along with commercial breaks. It is as if any fragment of the ‘old’ world is cherished, if not quite misunderstood by this new civilization. People are willing to trade food and shelter for missing pieces of the stories, and there is somewhat of a rivalry between the different troupes, a competition for how many stories each has collected. The second act ends in bloodshed, as people become violent in trying to attain as many recalling of Simpsons episodes. In the third act, it is hundreds of years later, and the audience watches a bizarre performance of what was being rehearsed in the second act, except it is now revered, almost religious in the manner it is being performed. The whole act is culmination of years of retelling and evolution into a masked performance that at the same time is almost an exact retelling and something completely different. Anne Washburn’s use of the post-apocalyptic theme is smart, as the idea of post-apocalyptic society has taken America’s imagination by storm. â€Å"We use fictional narratives not only to emotionally cope with the possibility of impending doom, but even more importantly perhaps to work through the ethical and philosophical frameworks that were in many ways left shattered in the wake of WWII.†(livescience.com) In a post 9/11 society, after two wars and a financial recession, America needs the catharsis that comes with an imagined world after the end of the world. â€Å"The image of New Yorkers fleeing the crashing towers and the toxic clouds of the death was broadcast over and over until the image was emblazoned in indelibly in nation’s collective psychic. America’s exalted sense of invincibility came crashing down with the WTC, our feeling of security forever buried underneath metric tons rubble.†(ipharoah.thoughts) With Mr. Burns, Anne Washb urn has also commented on the influence of pop culture in America, and the trend towards escapism in American society. Television especially is embedded into the American culture, and many Americans use television as a way to block out the impending bills, and declining health, and general disarray of their lives. â€Å"That single â€Å"Simpsons† episode becomes a treasure-laden bridge, both to the past and into the future. And in tracing a story’s hold on the imaginations of different generations, the play is likely to make you think back — way back — to narratives that survive today from millenniums ago. Every age, it seems, has its Homers.†(nytimes.com) Throughout history, playwrights have continued to give us a snapshot of the world from which they are writing. Whether it is about a specific person, a movement, or the society as whole, Julius Caesar, The Crucible, and Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play are three examples. All three plays reflect the social and political context in which they were written with the use of metaphor and symbolism, and sometimes just a straight up comparison. The interesting thing about these three plays, is that not only are they allegories for the time in which they were written, but they can also be related to on contemporary terms. In turn, the three plays not only comment on a social and political context, but on the human condition, which never changes. Bibliography Arnold, Oliver O. â€Å"Chronology† and â€Å"Republicanism, Popular Politics, and the Rhetoric of Liberty in 1599.† InJulius Caesar,by William Shakespeare. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, 2010. Blumberg, J. (2007).A Brief History of the Salem Witch Trials. Available: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-brief-history-of-the-salem-witch-trials-175162489/. Last accessed 14 Jan 2014. Brantley, B. (2013).Stand Up, Survivors; Homer Is With You.Available:http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/16/theater/reviews/mr-burns-a-post-electric-play-at-playwrights-horizons.html?_r=0. Last accessed 19 Jan 2014. Brook, P (1968).The Empty Space. New York, NY: Touchstone. Ipharoah. (2012).Apocalypse: As American as Apple Pie.Available: http://ipharaoh.thoughts.com/posts/apocalypse-as-american-as-apple-pie. Last accessed 14 Jan 2014. Layson, H and Zurcher, A. (2012).Shakespeares Romans: Politics and Ethics in Julius Caesar and Coriolanus.Available: http://dcc.newberry.org/collections/shakespeare-rome. Last accessed 14 Jan 2014. Linder, D. (2013).The Witchcraft Trials in Salem: A Commentary.Available:http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/SAL_ACCT.HTM. Last accessed 15 Jan 2014. Love, M. (2003).Shakespeares England.Available: http://www.pbs.org/shakespeare/locations/location153.html. Last accessed 10 Jan 2014. Miller, A (1953).The Crucible. USA: Penguin Books. Pappas, S. (2013).Why Were Obsessed with the Zombie Apocalypse.Available: http://www.livescience.com/27287-zombie-apocalypse-world-war-ii.html. Last accessed 18 Jan 2014. Shakespeare, W (1603).Julius Caesar. London: N/A. Washburn, A (2010).Mr Burns: A Post-Electric Play. New York: Smith Kraus. Wilkison, K. (2013).The Second Red Scare: Fear and Loathing in High Places, 1947-1954.Available: http://iws.collin.edu/kwilkison/Resources for Students/redscare.html. Last accessed 19 Jan 2014.

Changes in the Social and Political Fabric in 16th and 17th Century Eur

The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries were periods of questioning and searching for truth. The practice of challenging traditional institutions, including the Church, was revolutionary. Individuals began to use reason to guide their actions and opinions and realized the oppressive nature of the Catholic monarchy. Individuals strove to act in their own best interest and in the name of what was true to them. The consensus was that society would be better off with an economy that shifted away from agriculture, looked globally, and decreased monopolies and the importance of Guilds, as economic opportunities would surface for all classes of men. This type of economy was only possible in light of religious reform, as religion was the foundation of all traditional aspects of the political and economic world. Religious reformers offered alternatives to Catholicism that attracted men from all social and economic classes. They delineated the problems associated with rule under a Catholic dominated state that the majority of men could relate to. A questioning of the nature of government resulted, and the role that religion should have in politics was addressed. Different opinions surfaced, and because of both differing religious views and an increased awareness of the Church's abuse of political power, religion lost its cohesive ability and diminished in importance in local politics. As individuals experienced life absent of former traditional and religious restraints, benefits were realized, many of which were economic. Additionally, economic ventures led men to encounter other cultures, increasing appreciation of differing spiritual views. Luther and Calvin offered alternatives to Catholicism, feeling that superstition guided man... ... questions considered heresy. In effect, the common man felt deceived by his passivity and realized that his world was quite different from the image constructed by the Church. Two of the most significantly effected aspects of people's lives during the 16th and 17th centuries were their religious practice and economic pursuits. People increasingly used reason to determine what their beliefs were and how they should carry out their lives. Absent of the stringent limitations posed by traditional Catholic culture, individuals could secure themselves better economic opportunities and lifestyles. References Spielvogel, Jackson J. Western Civilization: Fourth Edition. Vol. 2: Since 1550. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing, 2000. Walker, Mack. "Guilds." Social History of Western Civilization. Vol. 2. Golden, Richard M. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. 28-39.

Lizzie Borden Essay -- essays research papers fc

It is best described by the closing arguments for Lizzie Borden's defense, made by her attorney, George D. Robinson: The Lizzie Borden case has mystified and fascinated those interested in crime forover on hundred years. Very few cases in American history have attracted as much attention as the hatchet murders of Andrew J. Borden and his wife, Abby Borden. The bloodiness of the acts in an otherwise respectable late nineteenth century domestic setting is startling. Along with the gruesome nature of the crimes is the unexpected character of the accused, not a hatchet-wielding maniac, but a church-going, Sunday-school-teaching, respectable, spinster- daughter, charged with parricide, the murder of parents, a crime worthy of Classical Greek tragedy. This is a murder case in which the accused is found not guilty for the violent and bloody murders of two people. There were the unusual circumstances considering that it was an era of swift justice, of vast newspaper coverage, evidence that was almost entirely circumstantial, passionately divided public opinion as to the guilt or innocence of the accused, incompetent prosecution, and acquittal. 	Not much is described of Lizzie Andrew Borden's childhood. On March 1, 1851, Emma Lenora Borden was born to Andrew and Sarah Borden, and on July 19, 1860, Lizzie had arrived. While Lizzie was at the young age of two, Sarah died of uterine congestion. In 1865, Andrew Borden wed Abby Durfee-a short, shy, obese woman who had been a spinster until the age of 36. Abby's family were not as well off as the Bordens. 	Lizzie suffered from psychomotor epilepsy, a strange seizure of the temporal lobe that has one distinct symptom: a "black-out" in which the patients carry out their actions in a dream state, aware of every action without knowing what they are doing. Lizzie Borden seemed to have two entirely different personalities: the good daughter (a member of the Congressional Church, and a brilliant (conversationalist), and the bad daughter (deeply resentful of the patriarchy). These two personalities could be explained by the families' contradiction about their social statuses. She also had a habit of stealing from the local merchants. The Borden family of Fall River, Massachusetts, was well known-not only because of Andrew Borden's wealth, but also because of the New England name. Lizzi... ...rders took place. The Lizzie Borden House Bed and Breakfast Museum was to open on, appropriately, August 4. The breakfast includes food eaten the morning of the murders, such as bananas, johnnycakes, sugar cookies, and coffee with the management dressed as and playing the part of the Bordens.   Bibliography "Borden Murder Trial Begun." New York Times June 6, 1893. Clover, Carol J. Men, Women, and Chainsaws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film. Princeton: Princeton Publishing, 1992. Kent, David, ed. Lizzie Borden Sourcebook. Boston: Branden Publishing Co., 1992. The Legend of Lizzie Borden. Video. Director William Bast. George Lemaire Productions in association with Paramount, 1975. Starring Elizabeth Montgomery. "Lizzie Borden is Acquitted." New York Times. June 21, 1893. Porter, Edwin H. The Fall River Tragedy: A History of the Borden Murders. Portmand, Maine: King Phillip Publishing, 1985. http://www.sirus.com/~rlf/lizzie/chronology.html "Lizzie Borden Basic Chronology." http://www.bram.addr.com/newpage41.htm "Try to Catch Forty Whacks†¦ Er, Winks†¦ At This B&B." by Bram Eisenthal

I Was Mugged Essays -- Personal Narrative, essay about myself

I was mugged tonight. It was about 11pm, and I was walking home from the gym, and for some reason I decided to the Other Route. I walked down Valencia to 15th instead of 14th, and headed down the block that's supposed to be one of the worst in the city, along the side of the Valencia Street Projects. It was a beautiful, warm night, and tons of people were hanging out outside. It looked like a few drug deals were being had, but usually no one hassles me. I was wearing my torn up jeans jacket that I bought 13 years ago in high school, my jogging shorts and old Nikes, and my hair was all messy. How the hell could I have looked like a person with money? I was walking down this one particular block, thinking to myself, "wow, racism is bad." And then I thought about how this block was one of the first things that people warned me about when I moved into my hood, and how mad at me my ex-boyfriend John would be if he knew I was walking down that street, and how my parents would be pissed, and how really, logically speaking, it was a pretty stupid thing to do. But I made eye contact with one dude who was pretty cute and he smiled at me and I smiled at him and I kept walking, thinking, "well, there are some cute people in the projects." I wa... ...ds them. "You pathetic losers! You got my money, but you don't have my pride." (Sure it is a clichà ©, but hell, give me some credit, I did just get mugged!) "You two are the losers for doing that!" Why bother filing a report? These skinny kids have enough problems without having the cops go in there and remind them how desperate and lacking in dignity they are. In the war between good and evil, it is not always who walks away with the goods, but the who deserved them in the first place, and how they were attained. So I trotted home to write this up. Thirty bucks for a story to tell. Not a bad deal, really.

Discuss the Narrative Method of Kurt

Discuss the Narrative method of Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five is a that in no way can be treated as one-dimensional one. It deals with the historical events like the bombing of Dresden, socio-cultural reality of America in the 1960s and the alternative world of Tralfamadorians. Although three different realms are combined, the novel does not present anything that could be perceived as unseen. Its exceptionality comes from a less explored perspective – the novel’s unique narrative structure.It seems obvious that the text could not have been interpreted with the use of traditional interpretational tools therefore Vonnegut introduced a new method of narration. The main focus of the analysis are several devices Vonnegut uses to create his narration. First of all the story has in fact two narrators not one. In this way the reader sees more clearly that he narration technique is in a way turned upside down. The narrator not nec essarily loses his traditional role and still influences the way readers perceive the plot but a slight difference can be noticed.What is more, contrary to the potential assumptions of the reader, Slaughterhouse-Five not entirely breaks out with the convention of an anti-war book. The second issue that needs to be looked upon are the stylistic devices use by the author. Those are: the collage technique, the foreshadowing of some of the events and multitude of repetitions. These tools can be traced in every chapter of the novel. Moreover both of them connect different levels in the plot. The third aspect of the novel is Vonnegut’s attempt to explore the subconscious of the protagonist with the use of Tralfamadorian reality.It might be argued whether the author’s intention was to make the reader believe in alternative world or to present the main character as schizophrenic. By the matter of fact such question is legitimate as the topic of schizophrenia can be easily asso ciated with Billy Pilgrim’s travels in time and space. From the first sentence in the novel the reader becomes aware that it is impossible to state whether the story is true or fictitious. â€Å"All this happened, more or less. † (p. 5) Throughout those words the reader is confronted with is the question of truth.In this way Vonnegut gives the reader a thrill and achieves the effect of reality. On the one hand the reader feels that the story is a fiction on the other however some parts of the story seem to be far too realistic to be artificial. Moreover Vonnegut calls his novel â€Å"a failure. † (p. 14) With this expression he again brings it into question the truthfulness of the reported facts. The question whether the novel tells a real story or is only a successful mystification is left to the reader to answer by himself. The story begins in chapter II.The author introduces the protagonist named Billy Pilgrim who describes his time travels. As the story unfo lds the reader gets more details about the alternative world of the Tralfamadorians. The idea of time traveling as well as the utopian life on another planet is, by the matter of fact, just a renewed and transferred to the modern versions of topics introduced to literature centuries earlier by Thomas More or Jonathan Swift. There is however one aspect, which is worth a particular amount of attention – the way the story is presented.Taking into consideration the fact that it is Billy who describes what happened it is odd that every expression, Billy utters, is commented on with the words â€Å"he says†. (p. 20) At first sight this may not seem important but it points to the question of truth. Does Billy travel to remote areas, or does he only say so? Vonnegut asks this question every time he repeats those words. Another device used by the narrator is the foreshadowing of important events. As an example one may look at the following expression: â€Å"Billy sat down in t he waiting room. He wasn't a widower yet. † (p. 4) By foreshadowing some of the important events in the story the author breaks with the concept of time. He deliberately upsets the chronology in the novel. It is visible especially when Vonnegut places the first and the last sentences of the novel next to each other. That procedure forces the reader more focused while reading the novel, more careful in search of full understanding. What is more not only the concept of chronology but also tension is rejected in the novel. Vonnegut avoids tension by anticipating some of the events which are connected with a given character, for example: â€Å"His name was Howard W.Campbell, Jr. He would later hang himself while awaiting trial as a war criminal. † (p. 63); Next technique used by Vonnegut repetition of some phrases. The repetitions appear throughout the novel in different contexts. â€Å"I drive my wife away with a breath like mustard gas and roses. † (p. 6) This quot ation occurs in the first chapter which describes the genesis of his novel. It is used again in chapter four, when Billy imagines that he can smell somebody’s breath and once again in the war episode when the protagonist describes the bodies: â€Å"rotted and liquefied† and the smell was â€Å"like roses and mustard gas. (p. 105) The smell is a kind of a sign which links the past with the present. The repetitions also join several episodes of the novel in order to make it less chaotic and incoherent and introduce a kind of structure. That in turn makes the novel more coherent and easier to follow. Apart from stylistic devices which Vonnegut, with all his mastery, uses to create the unique atmosphere Slaughterhouse Five turns out to be also a in-depth study of human psyche. The psychological aspect of the book is, however, deftly disguised with the use of alien society of the Tralfamadorians.The symbolic meaning of this alternative reality is in fact more than a symbol , as it becomes true to some extent at some of the points of the novel. What is more Billy’s stay also make the reader raises more questions than it would be possible to provide answers to. Who or what are Tralfamadorians? Are they a symbol of an ideal society that is a far cry from the one known and used on Earth? A morality which just like many which preceded it should show us the way?Or maybe the planet exists only in Billy's imagination and is nothing more than a plaint of a mind tormented by regret, a world existing in Billy's reality only? It is difficult to state whether Vonnegut wants to impose the expression that Billy is schizophrenic or whether he tries to convince the reader that the Tralfamadorians really exist. It is essential to notice that Vonnegut does use the word schizophrenia from the very beginning of the novel. â€Å"This is a novel somewhat in the telegraphic schizophrenic manner of tales of the planet Tralfamadore, where the flying saucers come from. † (p. ) Ambiguous as it is this statement still points out to the fact that the author’s intention was to mislead the reader a make him believe that schizophrenia might be the key issue, an element that should not be omitted. What is schizophrenia? According to R. D. Laing schizophrenia can be described as: â€Å"a special strategy that a person invents in order to live an unlivable situation. † This definition contrary to the strictly medical, that is traditional view seems to focus less on the fact that schizophrenia is a serious mental illness and more on the opportunities a split personality provides.According to this definition the fact that one’s personality can be torn apart because of the negative environment is a understandable defensive reaction. Might it be then a coincidence that the Tralfamadorians themselves might be treated as schizophrenic as they all the time neglect any negative implications in life and exclusively focus on the positive m oments. Taking into consideration all the troubles Billy experiences during his lifetime, it seems obvious that Slaughterhouse Five tells a story of a man who can perceive his life as a failure.The protagonist has a negative childhood, marries a woman whom he pities but not love, so he is relieved when he loses her. He experiences much during the war, almost dies in a plane-crash and his children are hard to raise and difficult to love. For those reasons Billy’s life might be described as unlivable. Can one find a better reason to break the identity in half and try to find shelter in the depths of one’s mind? It seems to be a logical consequence for the protagonist. Mental illness perceived as a kind of barrier is also referred to several times in the novel.As an example Rosewater, one of the characters in the novel utters an assumption that life is too heavy a burden to be bearable for some eg. â€Å"Another time Billy heard Rosewater say to the psychiatrist, ‘ I think you guys are going to have to come up with a lot of wonderful new lies, or people just aren't going to want to go on living. ‘† (p. 50) Also one of the descriptions given refers to one of the characteristic feature of schizophrenia – hallucinations – by stating: â€Å" Billy Pilgrim was having a delightful hallucination. He was wearing dry, warm, white sweatsocks, and he was skating on a ballroom floor.Thousands cheered. This wasn't time-travel. It had never happened, never would happen. It was the craziness of a dying young man with his shoes full of snow. † (p. 26) Again the author uses those expressions not without a reason. With a few sentences he reveals the delicate inside of his character, makes him more approachable as if he felt obliged to provide an explanation to his visions of a better life on another planet. Vonnegut makes even a step further by deriving Billy’s illness from the physical consequences of the plane-crash.Apa rt from the fact that Billy was the only person which managed to survive still he suffered from severe brain damages. This might have created the perfect mental environment for creating Tralfamadorians. Another device the author uses in narrating is placing information about novels written by Billy’s favorite author Kilgore Trout. The plot of those novels also influenced Billy’s â€Å"time travels† as one of them, entitled The Big Board (p. 105) tells the story of a couple which have being abducted by aliens and shown in a zoo.It is than possible that Billy might have taken this story as a real one and projected the idea on himself. Vonnegut confirms this belief in chapter nine writing: â€Å"So they were trying to reinvent themselves and their universe. Science fiction was a big help. † (p. 50) Nevertheless the mental state of the main character is in no way clear for some parts of the chapter are narrated as if the protagonist experienced the travel: â €Å"Billy was unconscious for two days after that, and he dreamed of millions of things, some of them true. The true things were time-travel. † (p. 7) It seems obvious that the author deliberately makes the reader confused. This assumption can be proved as the narrator makes a clear distinction between time-travel and plain fantasy. However one can also say that â€Å"Vonnegut seems to supply internal evidence for a psychological explanation of Tralfamadore while at the same time denying that evidence with a contradictory narrative statement. † (Harris 235) It can only imply that reading Slaughterhouse-Five, one can suspect that Vonnegut’s intention is far from being interested in accuracy as far as the subdivision between reality and fiction is concerned.Only by such narration technique Vonnegut was able to allow the protagonist to solve the conflicts which thorn him apart, even if the only way to do it was to split his identity by introducing schizophrenia. Sl aughterhouse-Five is obviously one of the novels that could not be forgotten for it differs to a large extent from other works from this genre. The author, on purpose, neglects all values and norms. What is more no principles of logic can be applied to the plot. Therefore just like the novel is narrated in a completely new way, it needs also to be read differently in order to fully understand it’s unique utterance.BIBLIOGRAPHY: (1)Kurt Vonnegut. Slaughterhouse-Five. Great Britain, Jonathan Cape Ltd 1970 available in PDF version on: http://chomikuj. pl/Angouleme/e-booki/Kurt+Vonnegut+-+Slaughterhouse-Five,58449367. pdf (2)A quote by R. D. Laing found on: http://www. quoteland. com/topic/Madness-Quotes/538/ (3)Charles B. Harris, â€Å"Time, Uncertainty, and Kurt Vonnegut Jr. : A Reading of Slaughterhouse Five,'† Farmington Hills: Gale Group. October, 2001 Can be viewed at: http://infotrac. galegroup. com/galenet? cause=http%3A%2F%2Fgalenet. galegroup. com%2Fservlet%2FDC% 2F%3FfinalAuth%3Dtrue&cont=&sev=temp&type=session&sserv=no

Discovering Emotional Labour Essay

Emotional work is the control of a person’s feeling in order to display the appropriate emotions to others in different situations (Hochschild, 1983: Pg. 7). In other words, a person has to put aside his or her own feelings and shows the right emotions in the right place at the right time. This concept can be applied to many aspects of our daily life and when used in terms of it being sold for a wage, Hochschild (1983) define it as emotional labour. By focusing on the service industries, this essay will discuss Hochschild’s account of emotional labour and look into certain areas of concern caused by it. Although the practice of emotional work can be link all the way back to the ancient time, the term emotional labour is considered to be relatively new and is first discussed in Arlie Hochschild’s (1983) book, â€Å"The Managed Heart†. With the rise of the post-industrial work, there had been a significant increase of the service sector during the late 1900s (Hochschild, 1983: Pg. 9). In fact, one now interacts with other individuals rather than working with a machine (Hochschild, 1983: Pg. 9). Thus, this gives rise to the importance of interpersonal skills and the use of emotional labour (Hochschild, 1983: Pg. ). Whenever a person changes his or her emotions, tone, body language, etc. to conform to an ideal, it is considered as emotional labour (Hochschild, 1983: Pg. 7). It is practiced widely in many forms of modern work. A flight attendance smiling warmly while serving each and every passengers, a cafe barista showing enthusiasm when making coffee, and a nurse showing care and concern when helping a patient. All of the above are examples of emotional labour. With it being a major part of our behavior today, it is vital that we look more deeply to understand how emotional labour works. Hochschild discussed two types of emotional acting: surface acting and deep acting. Surface acting is the act of putting on or showing an emotion without truly feeling that emotion inside oneself (Hochschild, 1983: Pg. 35). This means that one has to suppress his or her negative emotions, such as sadness, anger, boredom, etc. , and display positive emotions, such as happiness, care, excitement, etc. There have been concerns being brought up regarding the use of surface acting, as it can lead to serious side effects such as depression. On the other hand, deep acting is the act of putting on an emotion that one truly feels inside (Hochschild, 1983: Pg. 35). This is done either by showing the emotion that we really feel or by true method acting. True method acting works by thinking of our past experiences we try to encourage the real emotion that we may not have felt otherwise (Hochschild, 1983: Pg. 38). In terms of emotional labour, we are often referring to true method acting which is very much similar to surface acting, one lacks the freedom to genuinely display his or herself during work. Now girls, I want you to go out there and really smile. Your smile is your biggest asset. I want you to go out there and use it. Smile. Really smile. Really lay it on (Hochschild, 1983: Pg. 4). † A pilot tells the above to the trainees of Delta Airline Stewardess Training Center. This clearly shows how much the airline focuses on the value of a personal smile to reflect it company’s identity rather than its flight s afety or the punctuality of its flight departures and arrivals (Hochschild, 1983: Pg. 4). Another good example would be the baristas working in the world largest cafe chains, Starbucks Coffee being remained consistently by their managers to provide customers with the â€Å"Starbucks Experience†. Baristas are told to put up a cheerful and enthusiastic front, connect with the customers and to develop the say â€Å"yes† attitude. In fact, beside Starbucks, many other food and beverage businesses today have already move on to focus on their customer service rather than focusing solely on the quality and taste of their products. There has been much discussion of emotional labour being â€Å"Taylorized†. Hochschild (1983) compared the labour of a factory worker and a flight attendant. She mentioned that a factory worker is simply doing physical work while a flight attendant has to do physical and mental labour, as well as also emotional work (Hochschild, 1983: Pg. 6). Quite similar to Frederick Taylor’s standardization of the physical movements of industrial workers in the early 1900s, scientific management is now used to the mass production of emotional movements (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 33). For example, Disney provides prescriptions to their trainees to always make eye contact and smile, greet and welcome each and every guest, say â€Å"thank you† to each and every guest, etc. (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 32). The Disney look also extends to body appearances, such as hair length and style, make up, body fragrance, nails length and colour (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 32). Besides Disney, a huge number of companies are also transforming emotional labour on a grand scale (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 33). This is because of the economical benefit of doing so (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 33). If employees are able to give the customers a good experience, make them feel welcome and special, then the customers may repeat their visit and purchase (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 33). This greatly concept greatly encourages firms to exploit the use of emotional labour (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 33). The smile of a salesman is seen as a key feature of a â€Å"good† employee attitude and customer satisfaction (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 33). â€Å"The infectious smile is regarded as sources of competitive advantage. (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 33). † As time goes by and till today, we all expect service to be smiling (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 3). Many see emotional labour as a potentially good as no customer will want his or her mood to be spoiled by a surly waitress or a crabby banker (Hochschild, 1983: Pg. 9). Today, it is common to have the thinking that we pay for good service and expect it to be provided (Hochschild, 1983: Pg. 9). However, there are several areas of concern caused by emotional labour . Disney or Macdonald in the process of creating standards of their Dreamland Experience or the Big Mac, at the same time also produce emotion in their employees (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 34). The employees have to perform interpersonal work within them to create the ever-present smile, politeness when under pressure and suppression of annoyances and fatigue (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 35). For those that uses deep acting to perform their work started to feel that they are beginning to lose their own identity (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 35). Fineman (2003) mentions that the flight attendances were so into their work role that they began confuse of their identity, especially their sexuality. Others prefer to take on the job by surface acting, putting up the show, looking right and no more (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 5). Using surface acting can still cause one to breakdown under pressure, when their anger, irritation or rebellion breakthrough (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 35). Beside psychological issue, there are also cultural issues of concern over emotional labour. Many fast-food workers are immigrants who have little to smile about when they arrive at work (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 36). A majority of them hav e many problems and faces much worry inside them but they are still expected to put up the smile (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 36). Another cultural issue is that not all social-cultural background support smiling in commercial exchange. However, by standardizing even the emotional aspect, MacDonald except all their staff in all countries and cultural background to smile at their customers (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 36). For example, in Japan native Japanese businessmen were taught to smile to help them with international deals (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 42). However, this is a huge conflict with the traditional Japanese way, where instant smile is considered as a cultural insult (Fineman, 2003: Pg. 42). In conclusion, due to the emerging service sector work in the late 1900s and the transformation of emotional labour on grand scale through standardization and training, we all expect service to be smiling today. No doubt, it is consider as potentially good, no one will like their mood to be affect by the others. However, there are also areas of concern over the psychological and cultural issues that arise from the use of emotional labour. Therefore, it is important for us to reconsider and perhaps not overly exploit the use of emotional labour for own good.

The History of Policing

The history of policing in the United States is broke down into three general eras they are the political era from 1840 to1930, the reform era from 1930 to 1980 and the community era from 1980 to present. As we look at these eras we find that some of the tactics and policies that were effective in one era were quite ineffective in another or in contrast that some tactics that were thought ineffective are now being considered necessary for an effective and productive police force. In the political era officers were appointed by politicians and would remain loyal to those who appointed them. In this era officers provided several services that would include running soup lines, helping immigrants find jobs and establish themselves, the officers would at times allow new immigrants temporary housing in the station house. The main means of patrolling their beat was on foot. These officers would also live in the neighborhoods that they patrolled this would prove to be both beneficial and detrimental. The beneficial part was that they knew their neighborhood they had a personal stake in maintaining order. The detrimental part was that they had a tendency to keep those who â€Å"did not belong† or â€Å"strangers† out of the neighborhood by using â€Å"Curbstone justice† this often resulted in discrimination. In the reform era the public grow tired of the corruption, brutality and unfairness of police forces and wanted to follow J. Edgar Hoover's reform of the Bureau of Investigation. Those that wanted these changes became known as â€Å"reformers† and they demanded change, they saw politicians as the problem with policing and wanted to remove the ties between politics and police. These reformers began to get changes made across the country things like civil service exams, making it illegal for an officer to live in the area that he patrolled and making changes to how the chief of police was hired or fired. Changes were also made to the why officers did their jobs and even what their jobs were. Police focused on law enforcement and controlling crime all of the other duties became Social work. This system removed foot patrols and wanted officers to be distant and removed from the communities they served, the belief was that this would enable them to administer the law in an objective manner. In 1967 the â€Å"President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice ratified this orientation: heretofore, Police had been conceptualized as an agency of urban government; the President's Commission reconceptualized them as part of the Criminal Justice System.† The community era started in the 1980's however the research that much of this era is based on began in the late 1970's in places like Flint Michigan were foot patrols were brought back throughout the city. The city even voted twice to raise taxes in order to maintain the foot patrols. The result of the foot patrols were â€Å"reduced fear, increased citizen satisfaction with police and increased morale and job satisfaction of the officers.† Other programs like the â€Å"Safe and Clean Neighborhood Program† in New Jersey had similar success. Research also showed that increasing other types of patrols that focus on police-citizen interactions also had similar results. These studies lead to a new way of policing referred to as community policing. This new tactic put officers back in the communities and changed what was expected of them. Officers were now tasked with maintaining order, negotiating conflicts and solving community problems these tasks require neighborhood and community involvement. Community policing encourages people to bring problems to an officer or to a local police station and gives the officer and the station the ability to devise and implement solutions, it is also a strategy that allows officers to learn what is expected or wanted by their community then gives the officer the ability to deliver results that will meet these expectations. The intension is to deliver on what the community wants and in turn gain the trust and cooperation of the community, this trust and cooperation will in turn reduce crime and gain effective information from the community when needed to solve crime.The history of policing in the United States has gone through several changes since the political era of the 1840's. With wide spread changes made in the reform era of the 1930's that took police away from the community and kept them distant from those that they served. It took research conducted in the late 1970's and early 1980's to discover that better information on crime and criminals could be obtained by police from citizens and that patrol officers were in the best position to obtain this information. This research has lead to the community policing that we see in today's police departments.

Personal Org Ethics Case Study Four: A South African Investment Assignment Essay

The field of business is one of the areas in society wherein people involve in it have to make important decisions almost everyday in their jobs. Most of the time, decisions have to be made immediately especially with the competitive nature of the business industry. In relation to this, since most companies is a source of employment to thousands and sometimes even millions of people, the decisions made by the administration of organizations affects numerous people. Moreover, the influence of companies especially of multinational corporations has tremendous impact in the society that could actually inflict change upon them. This situation is greatly applicable in the case of the South African Investment. Texaco and Standard Oil, presently known as Chevron are the two major stockholders in the Caltex Petroleum Company. Each company owns 50 percent of the total stocks of Caltex. The company has dealings with the South African Government as the country is the primary source of oil that allows them to produce various petroleum products. In the same manner, South Africa also largely benefits from foreign investors because they contribute a huge portion to the country’s income. Caltex is the largest American company that invested in the country. Being the case, the company has a vital position in the economic robustness in the company and their decisions and actions would greatly affect the situation of the country. In line with this, advocate groups wants to use this strategic position of the company in order to further their cause of eradicating or at the very least addressing the issue of apartheid in South Africa. Apartheid allows the white minority of the country to dominate the majority of the citizens, which are mostly blacks. In this situation, the whites hold the advantageous position with the resources and power at their side, which leaves the blacks as second class citizens that have to suffer unfair and unjust treatments (â€Å"A South African Investment†). In 1977, the administration decided to expand the operation of Caltex in South Africa. They planned on building a plant that would further enhance the production of the company. However, this was met by protests coming from some members of the board that belong to the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility. This group greatly advocates anti-apartheid causes and one way in order to reach this objective is by convincing the Texaco and Standard Oil to pull out its investment in South Africa. Based upon my judgment, the utilitarian benefits of the expansion of Caltex is more important during that time as compared to the possible violation of moral rights. Utilitarianism focuses on the outcomes of an action. A decision or action is perceived to be ethically justifiable when it gave greater amount of benefit for the most people concerned (National Endowment for Financial Education, 2006). In the case of the Caltex plant expansion I deem that this would have more benefits rather than costs. First of all, the establishment of foreign companies in South Africa also helped improve the situation of the black population. This is observable in the improvement of the real earnings of black industrial workers that also aid in the lessening the gap between the white and black incomes. The expansion of Caltex would actually further enhance these benefits for the black people. Furthermore, if Caltex would removed its investment from the country it would hardly effect the black majority since all the benefits they from the foreign company would be lost. On the other hand, there is still a possible violation of moral rights as well as injustices against the blacks. This could be proven by the fact that even though adhere to the Sullivan code that would further improve the situation of blacks and uphold their rights it is still not binding since it still have to work within the South African law. The government of South Africa implements laws that have separate facilities for whites and blacks as well as the unequal pay among their citizens. Even though there are possible violations of human rights against the blacks from the expansion of Caltex, not pursuing the plan would even make life difficult for the blacks because even their source of livelihood coming from this company would no longer exist. Not only would they cease to have equal political rights but they will no longer have the means to sustain their everyday needs that is also essential for them to live. If I were in the position of one of the stockholders of either Texaco or Chevron, I will have different positions on the three resolutions that were presented. My decision would be guided by the maximum amount of benefit that my stocks and the company would gain from the decisions. Moreover, I would also think of the welfare of the majority of the stakeholders involved. On the first resolution, I would vote against the proposal of terminating Caltex operations on South Africa. I deem that ceasing operations in the country would bring detrimental effects to the company because the oil obtain from the country has an important role in the robustness of the company. In relation to this, it would also affect numerous people who would lose their jobs, which includes the black workers in South Africa. Moreover, such action would not make any substantial change in the issue of apartheid since there are still other foreign investors in the country and the government has other means to survive even if Caltex terminate its operation. I would also vote against the second resolution that requires Caltex not to sell its oil products to the police and military of South Africa. Based upon the South African law, refusing to cater petroleum products to the armed forces of the country is a clear violation of the law. As such, violating this rule would clearly put Caltex in a disadvantageous position that could threaten the operation of the company in the country as well in other nations. It could also be the cause for the unemployment of large numbers of its workers. Another reason is that doing so might only put the blacks’ citizens in a bad situation because the government might further exploit the blacks especially during such time of crisis for the country. Contrary to my previous positions, I would vote in favor of the third resolution that would ask the South African government to implement the Tutu principles. Caltex has established its important role in South Africa especially during the time when OPEC established an oil embargo in the country. As such, Caltex has the capability impose demands upon the South African government and they could do so by asking the implementation of the Tutu principle. This is a good way to improve the situation of the blacks in a sound and legal manner. There is a huge possibility that the South African government would grant it especially if they would analyze the situation that they are in. South Africa has a lot to lose if they would have conflict with Caltex while they are facing a challenging situation. By approving this resolution, many stakeholders would benefit from it, not only the blacks but also the company since they would have better relationship with those who advocate anti-apartheid issues and this could also boost their image of addressing societal issues. The managers of Texaco and Chevron should respond to these resolutions in a manner by which they would take into account the maximum benefit that all stakeholders could achieve from the decision. Being the case, they should also vote against the two resolutions and approved of the last. The managers should respond in such way because doing so would be beneficial to the majority of the people involve and this would also address the social issue of apartheid. Lastly, the management has a responsibility in making sure that the whole operation of its business is running smoothly. Their concerns should not solely be based upon the high income returns because they would not achieve such if they do not address the problems that are affecting their business. In line with this, they should not only look at the law and the rate of returns in deciding where to put their investments. They should also give due importance to the social and political situations of the country or a certain place that they would invest in. This is due to the fact that these factors play an important role in the overall success of a business. The important role that most companies have, not only in the business field but also in the society should be use properly so that they could also be agents of positive change in the world.

The Economic Life of My Community Personal Statement

The Economic Life of My Community - Personal Statement Example The subjects in Terms 1 and 2 have stimulated me to think like a business manager, and now I can see how apparently irrelevant news items can have an economic or business impact. Charles Handy’s book, â€Å"Understanding organizations† introduces concepts key to business management: motivation, role, power and influence, group dynamics, leadership, organizational structure etc. He explains the necessity of thinking in terms of organizational context. Before attending this course though I had seen a lot of organizations like my school, my father’s company etc. But I had never considered how they are structured and organized. This course has trained me to look at organizations analytically, to consider questions like: â€Å"How should a company be structured?†; â€Å"How is authority delegated?†, â€Å"How can staff be motivated?†, â€Å"How salaries are to be decided ?† I am nowhere near to be answering these questions and that’s where I believe my final degree in business management will help. ... My course was just at the right time to benefit from these events. Understanding how an organization works are very important to understand how businesses operate, as I want to start my own business this learning was very crucial for me when I had joined this course. Has the course lived up to my needs? This is something I may not be able to answer but I can certainly mention that what I have learned is what I will surely need in my career. The course has certainly surpassed my expectations. Here are a few things that I have learned about how an organization works. Learning from specific seminars: Roles and interaction – In 1970 Dr. Meredith Belbin, working at Henley Management College defined the concept Team Role as â€Å"A tendency to behave, contribute and interrelate with others in a particular way.† He also suggested nine different roles played by team members. I believe my role is that of a resource investigator; while my ambition to be an entrepreneur. Before un derstanding these concepts I had problems working as a group member, due to differing expectations of my role within the group. I believed my role to be that of a networker with outsiders, and a mobilizer of resources. However having studied these concepts and applying them during my foundation course I have improved my ability to work as a team member, and I now ensure to spell out clearly from the start what role I expect to play. Handy’s explanation of Role theory explains the concepts of â€Å"stereotyping† and â€Å"halo effect† which will also help me to work better in team endeavors.  

Ways in Which Ingvar Kamprad is a Manager Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ways in Which Ingvar Kamprad is a Manager - Essay Example The paper "Ways in Which Ingvar Kamprad is a Manager" analyzes what skills that an individual needs to develop or refine in order to become a leader like Ingvar Kampard, founder of the IKEA business. This paper describes what makes him a great manager and leader, and the nature of followership that Kamprad seems to have encouraged at Ikea. Ingvar Kamprad management abilities are evident in his ability to grow IKEA from small catalog business to a multinational company. It is noteworthy that Kamprad began his business by riding his bicycle throughout the neighborhood, selling matches, pens, and Christmas cards to local residents after which it expanded gradually into a bigger company. Effective use of Resources: Kamprad is not wasteful and he has developed various policies that ensure that limited resources are effectively put into use. Kamprad views wastefulness of resources as an immortal sin in IKEA. This claim can be justified by the fact that he avoids wearing suits, takes the su bway to work, frequents cheap restaurants, flies economy class and drives a ten-year-old Volvo. Effective application of resources in IKEA is also evident when managers are made to share hotel rooms when they travel in addition to using employees as catalog models. Maintaining profitability: Kamprad has developed a hard-core drive for profits and market share that bows to no competitor, anywhere, anytime. The company has been operating profitably in successive financial years stretched over a long period.

Political Science - State and Society in Europe Essay

Political Science - State and Society in Europe - Essay Example propose a typology that is essentially concerned with cross-national differences that occur in three aspects; these include the association of the state with the market in the provision of welfare, the stratifying impact of welfare states and the value of social rights (Dale 2002). Using cross-national differences that occur along these aspects, Esping-Andersen classified welfare states into three main types. These three types were referred to as the three worlds of welfare: social democratic, liberal and corporatist. The social democratic welfare states encompassed the countries of the Scandinavian region, whereas the liberal welfare states included the countries from the Anglo-Saxon areas. The conservative corporatist welfare state was dominant in Central Europe (Dale 2002). For instance, the German welfare system is considered as a conservative-corporate regime because of its salient social policy features (Cochrane, Clarke & Gewirtz 2001). The three worlds of typology opened new frontiers for the interpretation of comparative welfare state research. The typologies have fueled extensive debate, theoretical criticisms and had led other sociologists to propose their own typologies to understand the social welfare dynamics (Dale 2002). In fact, criticism against the typology surfaced right after the time that the typology was proposed, which has resulted in the development of a series of typologies for welfare states. One of the most significant contributions of the Esping-Andersen typology lies in the fact that it was the first of its kind to initiate the process of researching welfare states from a novel perspective. Before the typology was proposed, much of the research on welfare states was conducted on the comparison between the values of degree outcomes and the quantitative worth of social security expenditures. The essence of the second cluster of welfare state typologies encompasses the connection between paid wor k and welfare as well as the implications

Fashion retail concepts of the future Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Fashion retail concepts of the future - Essay Example The essay "Fashion retail concepts of the future" analyzes Fashion retail. In future fashion retail, there will be considerable use of online systems. A website legitimizes the existence of a business. E-commerce performs a physical role in enabling convenient access of products across distant areas. More fashion stores may face the pressure of opening their online versions to facilitate convenience of shopping among customers. In supply chain management, technology will be crucial in enabling efficiency. RFID technology helps track the movement of clothes in the distribution chain. This is possible though the use of tags that help track products from the manufacturing phase to the purchase stage. Fashion is ushering in an age of interactive shopping. Interactive experience means that a client takes charge of one’s shopping time. This involves the use of sensory simulation in testing products before purchase. For instance, the Burberry store in central London avoids the idea o f direct purchases. The store has simulated the website experience in its physical store on Regent Street. A customer, therefore, makes one’s purchases from the sofa while using a swipe machine. Clothing in the store has chips and identification technology that makes it possible for customer to witness images of clothes in catwalk. Mobile applications will be a key feature in fashion retail. Major brands such as SalesGossip, Burberry, Forever21, Shopstyle, and Tommy Hilfiger are investing in various applications.

Albert Hourani and Ibn Khaldoun Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Albert Hourani and Ibn Khaldoun - Essay Example Hourani, in his book, presents his political views while he traces the emergence of Islam, which was born into a pagan area influenced by Christianity and Judaism, where the great powers exercised no direct control that is a breeding ground in both the political and religious. A new political order, headed by a new elite, following the Arab tribes of Mecca, went up between the two empires. The precise role that Mohammed has played in these events is uncertain because the history of his time was reconstituted in writing nearly a century after his death. These biographies tell of events concerning his life, his revelation and his action may not have been fabricated. Muhammad began to communicate his message, announcing the end of the world, the arrival of Reckoning, asking to submit to the Will of Allah, the Arabic word for the God of monotheism. His relations with other tribes deteriorated so quickly that he left Mecca for Medina in the Hijra, the Hijra, which marks the beginning of t he Muslim era. In Medina, Muhammad gathered an increased number of supporters and fought to Quraysh. For Ibn Khaldoun, morality matters in the relationship between the individual and the state to the extent that any resolutions or acts taken by the ruler should be evaluated by the moral principles of the society. As one of the great political thinkers and anthropologists, he was greatly affected by the Islamic traditions that values morality above one’s own interests.

Letters of credit have been described '' as the lifeblood of Essay

Letters of credit have been described '' as the lifeblood of international commerce'' . ( Kerr L J in R D Harbottle ( Mercant - Essay Example They are Open Account, Bill of Exchange, Documentary Bill and Letter of Credit.1 Open Account is a type of practice whereby contracting parties agree on payment of cash against order. This means the importer has to make advance payment along with his order. The risk for the importer is at a maximum. On the other hand, exporter assumes equal risk if he agrees to ship the goods and receive payment at a later date on or after delivery. Secondly, bill of exchange is an arrangement by which the exporter obtains an undertaking that the importer shall pay the value of goods received after a certain period from the date of supply, delivery or against despatch as the case may be. This is a negotiable instrument just as a cheque or promissory note and it is governed by the Bills of Exchange Act 1882. In case of default by the importer in payment, the exporter acquires legal rights to proceed against the importer. This arrangement is safer than an open account type of payments. The third type o f payment Documentary bill refers to Bill of Exchange accompanied by the bill of lading which is document of title to goods. The Bill of exchange drawn by the exporter along with the bill of lading for the goods shipped is accepted by the importer for payment as per the negotiated terms as to whether it is payable at sight or after a period of say 30 to 90 days. These three types of payment do not guarantee payment or shipment (in case of advance payment by the importer) to the respective party. The last of the above said types is the letter of credit. This form of payment removes difficulties encountered by the parties in the first three types of payment. The letter of credit has therefore been regarded as life blood of business as rightly said by Kerr L.J.2 This type of payment wherein third parties step in to guarantee payment thus lubricating the wheels of commerce is however not without problems that would affect the interests of either party.3 This paper discusses the importan ce of letter of credit as the lifeblood of international commerce in the following pages. Letter of Credit The letter of credit opened by a bank on behalf of an importer guarantees payment to the exporter in a foreign country through his nominated bank. Thus, the importer’s bank after satisfying with the credentials of the importer who may be its long standing client and taking necessary precautions to collect payment from its client, sends an irrevocable letter of credit as per the terms and conditions agreed upon between the importer and the exporter to the exporter’s bank. The exporter’s bank in turn forwards the letter of credit to the exporter and intimates the fact to the importer’s bank. The exporter ensures the compliance of stipulated terms and conditions and ships the goods to the importer. The bill of lading which evidences the shipment of goods and becomes the document of title to goods, is submitted to the exporter’s bank along with ot her documents such as invoice, certificate of insurance, certificate of origin etc and the bank is instructed to collect payment for the goods shipped against delivery of the said documents to the importer’