Criteria of American Rebels John Reed, Joseph Freeman, and Louis Research Paper

Criteria of American Rebels John Reed, Joseph Freeman, and Louis Fischer Used in the History Evaluation - Research Paper Example The developing stories of World War I, the Mexican Revolution, and the Bolshevik Revolution show the various stages through which the world has evolved before accomplishing its status. Apparently, the universe has been through series of social, economic and political transformations for the longest time since the introduction of the industrial revolution followed by series of inventions and discoveries that have shaped the world to what it is today (John Reed’s Selected Writings 76-158). Many people recognize the contributions of John Reed in the analysis of the Mexican Revolution as well as the happenings of World War I that have influenced international relationships between countries across the globe. Despite the raging debate over the contributions of World War and the infamous Mexican Revolution to the current status, it is important to recognize the views and opinions of the John Reed that have also illuminated understanding of many learners across the globe (John Reedâ €™s Selected Writings 76-158). In particular, Reed focused on the positive and negative aspects of the Mexican Revolution of 1911. He used unique criteria to create a clear and more comprehensible understanding of the Revolution, which has influenced the social, economic, and political dynamics of current Mexico as well as the neighborhood (Reed 63-78). The Americans (USA) did not understand the 1911 Mexico Revolution. However, the revolution found a soft landing in short stories, silent films, and American novels. The novels have particularly displayed a comprehensive analysis of the stages through which the country went through before attaining political, social and economic independence. Today, the United States and Mexico share fundamental similarities, which have immensely helped the process of shaping up an understanding of the relations between the two countries. Stereotypes about Mexico dominated American films during the 20thcentury (Reed 63-78). The first criteria that John Reed used were to examine and analyze whether or not the people of Mexico engaged in the fierce fight for the sake of it or because they wanted things they could not afford through the alternative option.  

The Eisenstein And Architectural Montage Film Studies Essay

The Eisenstein And Architectural Montage Film Studies Essay From a lump of clay a vessel is made, what makes it useful is space within the vessel, for a room, we make doors and a window, but what makes a room habitable is the empty space, so while theres advantages in the tangible, it is in the intangible that theres use.  [1]   Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, c.550 BC Tzu describes a space which is not empty but which is a gap, a gap which is waiting to be transformed by experience. These spatial gaps are inherent in fragmentation. In his book Actions of Architecture, Jonathan Hill focusses on these spatial gaps and discusses the Chora L. Works by Jacques Derrida and Peter Eisenman. The book is split into three sections. It doesnt start at the beginning nor does it end at the end. The first and last sections are penetrated by nine holes whilst the middle section has only conceptual holes. Hill states the intention of this was to convey that the absence of a section doesnt mean the absence of meaning. In the book, Eisenmann and Derrida declare that solid and voids are architectural representations of presence and absence. Voids have as much of a presence as solids in the book, as users can fill in missing words with their own meaning. Montage: In Actions of Architecture, Jonathan Hill discusses the use of montage in architecture. He uses Alvar Aaltos Sanatorium and Le Corbusiers 1931 rooftop apartments for Charles de Beistegui as examples of buildings where montage was used as a strategy for architectural composition. In Aaltos Sanatorium, montage is used as a strategy to join two dissimilar aspects of the building which have no connection expect for being adjacent to each other. Aalto achieved this by utilizing two distinct fragments.  [2]   In Le Corbusiers rooftop apartments, the architect departs from his traditionally rational design approach. Various surfaces of the apartment are juxtaposed with elements of the surrounding city. Important fragments of the city are isolated from the rest of the urban context below with the use of high walls surrounding the perimeter of the terrace. By doing this, Le Corbusier twinned the fireplace with the Arc de Triomphe in the far distance. The architect revealed selected views of the city with sliding walls. A periscope in the centre was the only means by which the entire city could be seen as a spectacle.  [3]   Space Between: Hill explains montage as a spatial exercise where fragments are brought from other sites to a new location while maintaining to some extent the essence of the older location. He uses film to explain this. In film, we perceive fragments through the arrangement of components. In Baldessaris artwork, the artist claims the process is as important as the final result. He juxtaposes unrelated components as he opposes the predictability and linearity of film.  [4]   Jose Quetglas suggests that Mies is concerned with the creation of visual perspective that acts as a guide to movement.  [5]  A Miesian plan is primarily concerned with compositional aspects of perspective painting than that of the anti-perspective intentions of the De Stijl. Jonathan Jones, a researcher at the Applied Visual Research Unity in Derby University found that according to his research, it is impossible to comprehend a painting in its entirety at once. A single glance is not sufficient to take in everything. Visual perception is fragmentary in nature. Our visual field is quite small so to focus on objects results in the background becoming blurred. Similarly in a film by a montage director, the world is viewed through a series of glances.  [6]   While designing the Barcelona Pavilion, Mies drew an axial line over and over from which he measured asymmetries against.  [7]  Mies orientated the Pavilion along an East West axis. Through termination of axis and spaces, movement was diverted. Mies used this technique to formulate movement sequences. Zimmerman states movement flows on the outer of planes in contrast to the delimiting floor and ceiling planes.  [8]  Mies contrasts symmetry and asymmetry and slices space with elements of the building which is characteristic of postmodernism.  [9]   In his book Neoclassicism Architecture Rowe analyses the work of Mies. He states the centre is diminished by the international style and emphasis is placed on dispersion along the axis in which Mies creates a composition of balanced symmetry.  [10]  The Pavilion is an example of decomposition of a volume which is deconstructed into individual planes. Through Mies Pavilion we see a focus on multiple viewing positions as opposed to a single perspective of the classic. The positions of internal walls are determined by the use of triangulated lines. Mies aligns corners and end points of planes using this technique.  [11]  His attention was divided between the fragmentation of the space and the integration of visual perception through this method. The image was fragmented by The Cubist Art Movement which created multiple points of view. As discussed, in Mies Pavilion we see a shift from centrality, abstractions of geometries and facades with frontal relations.  [12]  Buildings such as this cannot be experienced or understood from a static position. Cinema Montage is composition and the assembly of movement images. This comprises an image of time.  [13]  These parts succeed each other creating a parallel alternate montage. Eisenstein criticises Griffith for what he see as the juxtaposition of parts and not a unity of production. A cell, which makes its own part by division and differentiation. Eisenstein agrees with Griffiths idea of an organic composition as an assembly of movement images to the transformed situation through the transcendence of opposition.  [14]   Deleuze investigates cinema in terms of movement, the philosophical and the technical. Movement informs our understanding of the formation of worlds in terms of the types of information it selects and generates as new forms. Deleuze discusses cinema in terms of framing the movement image. In a relatively closed system; framing, type of shot and cut are the vital aspects for the films quality creating what he calls a set of values.  [15]  The speed and rhythm of the shots affects the image. Cinema Montage: Dleuze looks at four schools of montage. American, French, German and Soviet. Deleuze situates montage in the relation the movement of time. In the Deleuzian system, montage is the determination of the whole of the image, achieved through the techniques of cutting and creating continuities. Montaged images creates sets of images. Montage creates movement which in turn produces specific modes of time that are not fixed but events that are contextually reproduced over the passage of chronometric time. He regards montage as the coming together of images to create a whole whose final form is in movement. He refers to the work of Bob Dylan as an example of the long preparation for creating work. To him things are made after an encounter with other things, people but also with after encounters with movement, other ideas, events, entities. Cinema is comprised of a number of different kinds of images, Deleuze calls this image- assemblage montage. Through connections as of yet un-thought, un-named, but intuited through things already manifested in forms and the performance of those intuited spaces. Montage makes possibilities take new forms. Eisenstein: Architectural Montage. For Eisenstein, a relentless vertigo is determined from the architectural forms interacting with each other. Eisenstein intention was for architectural representations of space to explode into successive stages of montage from decomposition to recomposition as though it were an array of shots. From this, Eisenstein claimed the principles of montage are embodied by architecture. In Montage and Architecture by Eisenstein, he sets out this theory. Two paths of spatial perspectives are contrasted, where the viewer follows an imaginary line created among a series of objects. Varying positions moving in front of a spectator and the architectural, where, the viewer moves through an array of carefully positioned elements which he has viewed in order with a visual sense. Eisenstein claims that the perspective path of the Acropolis constructed by Auguste Choisy depicts composition of the site.  [16]  He asks the reader to view it with the eye of a film maker. Eisenstein claims there are carefully sequenced perspectives here. He suggests that there is a relationship between the viewers pace of movement and the rhythm of the buildings. To him, Choisy has set up a combination of a film shot effect, producing new impressions from each new emerging shot. This creates according to Eisenstein a montage effect, where effect is gained from sequential juxtaposition of these shots. In the movie street Eisenstein shows his interest of cause and effect as a notion of movement. Shots are decomposed and recomposed. Architectural composition is compared to cinematic montage by Eisenstein in an essay on two Piranesi engravings for the early and late states of the Carceri series. The flux of form which contains the potential to explode into a series of successive states Eisensteins theory of space constructions depicted new ideas of architecture as frozen music. Eisenstein compared the basis of architectural composition, massing and the establishment of rhythmic elements to that of music, painting and cinematic montages. Montage: As Frozen Music In The Culture of Fragments Gianmarco Vergani puts forward a proposition for the unification of interdisciplinary arts to create an original art form. This is an area which offers a depth of experimentation. According to the author, the merging of architecture and music can be achieved through two principles, synchronic and diachronic expression.  [17]  He terms music as a diachronic art form as it is derived from change and continuous transformations in time. Architecture on the other hand, is synchronic, it a fixed medium consisting of structure and volumetric elements. This leads to two methodologies by which to create architecture through music. First, music must be reduced to its architectonic dimensions outside of time. Music is then seen as a synchronic structure in which it can be applied to architecture. In the diachronic approach, architecture unfolds through time. Space is read sequentially in time increments and is experienced through the observers movement.  [18]  This is a reversal of positions as the observer is required to move in order to experience the architectural composition unlike the listening of music where the observer remains static whilst enveloped in music. Relationships are formed between the two elements. The author proposes that in music; tone timbre, pitch, dynamics and duration can be extracted while in architecture; texture, material, light, colour, scale. These can be transposed into architectural spaces. In music the pitch is transposed into colour, tones and timbres are transposed into textures and materials. The dynamics of a piece of music can be read as contradiction and increasing scale.  [19]   However, he does claim some limitations in this methodology. He states the art form is not truly fluid or dynamic as it can only become such through the participation of the observer. Architecture is static; representing time in this medium cannot be fully executed. The author proposes that a truly diachronic visualization of music is needed. Folding In Folding in Architecture Greg Lynn declares the importance of defining compositional complexity in architecture. Gregg seeks a progression from the collage aesthetics of Robert Venturis Complexity Contradiction in Architecture and the spatial collage of Deconstructivist Architecture. Greg terms Intricacy as a fusion of components into a continuity creating a whole in which the various elements form a larger composition.  [20]   According to the author, this intricacy is unlike compartmentalisation or hierarchy. Instead it is the variation of components. He aims for the term to move from an understanding of detail in architecture as an isolated component. What is proposed is an architectural system where there are no details in the traditional sense. Instead the detail is everywhere continuously variegated throughout the whole. As mentioned in previous chapters, the loss of structure to Greg was in favour of an infinitesimal component and displacement of a fragmentary collage.  [21]   The infinitesimal is a fragmentary approach to form. It is based on the slipping between single frames and interconnections. From a distance the form possess similarity and in a coherence of detail between varying elements that compromise the structure. According to the author, the composition of the intricate is organic, in that every component interacts and communicates simultaneously. Every instance is affected by every other instance. The outside is not a fixed limit but a moving matter animated by peristaltic movements, folds and foldings that together make up an inside: they are not something other than the outside, but precisely the inside of the outside. Deleuze Foucault p.96-97 Le Pli, the concept of the fold, is Deleuzes architectural philosophy. In which, the fold is seen as continuous multiplicity of differentiation Thus a continuous labyrinth is not a line dissolving into independent points, as flowing sand might dissolve into grains, but resembles a sheet of paper divided into infinite folds or separated into bending movements, each one determined by the consistent or conspiring surroundingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ A fold is always folded within a fold, like a cavern in a cavern. The unit of matter, the smallest element of the labyrinth, is the fold, not the point which is never a part, but a simple extremity of the line.  [22]   The fold is the integration of elements that are unrelated into a continuous form. Deleuzes philosophy of the fold offers continuity and variation in the development of a form. To him the form is the conclusion and the process. The Inflection as Delezue describes is the point at which a curve begin to form as either convex or concave. Inflection is the ideal genetic element of the variable curve or fold. The essence of a fold is the temporal nature in which it develops from the inflection to its subsequent position. A memory is maintained of its previous position.  [23]   to unfold is to increase, to grow; whereas to fold is to diminish, to reduce, to withdraw into the recesses of a world.  [24]   An example of this can be viewed in Origami. The folds of which shift from enfolding, unfolding to enveloping. After the first fold, the context begins to reduce in size. The form is unpredictable, after each fold the shapes from the previous fold cease to exist. According to the author, in this instance memory can be enacted through unfolding. A variation of this is Kirigami. The continuity of the folds becomes obstructed by cuts in the fold. This demonstrates conflict and contradiction instead of smoothness and continuity. The folds in origami act as bounding agents between other folds, in Kirigami when a conflict arises, the folds deviate from their continuity and exhibit but not resolve the occurring confliction. In this way, Origami is like folding architecture seeking to realize conflict and contradiction whereas Kirigami is similar to Deconstructivist architecture, it exhibits them. According to Deleuze, multiple is not many parts. It is something that has been folded in many ways. This becomes a unity that envelopes a multiplicity.  [25]   As a by-product of the fold, form and context become surfaces with no distinct interiority or exteriority. The continuous nature of the fold implies a dialogue between time and environment. Case Studies: Montage Strategies Rem Koolhaas who had involvement in cinema as a scriptwriter conveys cinematographic image in some of his plans. In his proposal for the City Hall in The Hague, we see a transfer of the Manhattan skyline to the European City. The famous skyline which is seen so many times in film is utilized here as a movie set made into architecture. Koolhaas breaks down the overall volume into various slabs and uses a series of prisms of differing heights. From a distance, the effect appears like a series of skyscrapers compressed on a flattened image, as would be the view from the opposite side of the river in Manhattan. Since the latter decades of the 20thCentury, fragmentation has been a central issue in architecture. The many different guises of architecture today from postmodern, Deconstructivist and to all subsequent trends are based on fragmentation. A transcript of Rem Koolhaas and Sarah Whilings conversation is quite revealing in this aspect. as an entire object from the exterior of a building. That is what seems to unite the biggest project competitions from 1989 (Zeebrugge, ZKM and Bibliotheque). In some of the projects, the architectural language is quite unstable. The facades and the angles of Porto Case de Musica and Seattle are odd structures which no longer possess a unified identity. For the most parts these projects appear more decon now than they did as part of the 1988 Deconstructivist Exhibition.  [26]   For Koolhaas, the characteristic of Deconstructivism was not in the strange forms, but in the fragmentation. According to Koolhaas, each new building insisted on assembly and integration, the construction of a new whole, which may be unstable but which remains a single entity.  [27]  An example of this are the Seattle and Porto projects which have forms that cannot be recognized as regular geometric shapes but they have in their volume a unity of materials on the outside. In terms of metropolitan scale, Koolhaas has said, A city can obtain a coherence in its planned composition through a system of fragments.  [28]   This is evident in his large scale urban projects where he strives to achieve coherence. According to Koolhaas when a building gets beyond a certain size, it becomes a big building. The volume can no longer be articulated by one architectural gesture nor a combination of gestures. It is this which initiates the autonomy of its elements. This is not fragmentation as the elements remain committed to the overall building. To establish links between independent elements, Koolhaas relies on the programmatic hybridizations, frictions, overlaps, proximities and the superimpositions that are possible in a building of large scale. Montage itself was founded to organize relationships between independent elements. As Maholy-Nagy stated in 1929. The technique of montage is present as efficient in many fields of design. It can be found in methodology, in text, writings and in painting through collage.  [29]   In Soviet avant-garde cinema, Lev Kuleshovs idea of montage can be viewed as an analysis, a dissecting into parts, with the aim of reintegration or as he stated, Montage is a two way operation Montage is the basis of cinema. It enables us to fragment and to reconstruct and finally to remake the material.  [30]   Dualities: Koolhaas utilizes these methods of montage in the urban planning and architectural projects his office undertake. A dualism is present in his use of montage. A decomposition and a reintegration. For example, in Lille Congrexpo, there are three independent sections. The zenith, the conference and the expo which are all juxtaposed without any articulation as though the three sections had been cut from one complete form. The CCTV HQ project in Beijing can be viewed as a single skyscraper which has been divided up into six parts which contain functionally different divisions. In these examples the concept was to concentrate all the activity and program into a single system. The Hyper Building in Bangkok is an assemblage of a series of pieces that maintain their independence in the final building. This is both sculptural and architectural. The building was designed by Koolhaas as a veritable city that groups a vast array of programs together giving the essence of a hybrid building on an urban scale. According to Koolhaas, several buildings fuse together into a larger singular whole which brings together the coexistence of real space and cyberspace, of electronics and real facilities. To him the montage consists of material bodies and immaterial flows. Montage as a collision: Urban Complexity Koolhaas compares the work of an architect with the cinematic montage. Im certain the work of a screenwriter and the processes of an architect are methods based on editing, in creating programmatic, cinematographic or spatial sequence  [31]   The complexity of urban life such as infrastructural congestion is the central themes to many of Koolhaas projects. He highlights these elements through the collision of contrasting elements. As with Eisenstein  [32]  , this collision sometimes occurs at several scales in Koolhaas projects, from the urban scale down to the encounter between materials. The Kunsthal in Rotterdam is an example of this issue. The concept was a square with two routes crossing it. The collision between these routes gives rise to the project. These two infrastructures also cross over other collisions, crossing between ramps and staggered planes, and between these and the horizontal planes. A similar instance can be found in The Euraille project. A tower was placed over the TGV station, this solution was the symbol of infrastructural and programmatic congestion that characterized the architectural operation. Similarly with Eisensteins films, through collisions, the visual and mental conflict involved in this montage is what expresses the concept. In The Hague, a service tunnel comprising of a subway with a station at either end and two car parks with pedestrian entrances, was not designed by Koolhaas to resemble a tree like system. Instead it is a hybrid project, building and infrastructure. The different program elements interpenetrate spatially and form an assemblage in which the flow and the visuals are participants an altering but not segregated perception. The strategy utilized here is that of the montage in which collisions between constituent environments and elements give rise to a richer and clearer spatial experience. The Villa Savoye marked a high point in Le Corbusiers promenade architecturale As a critic explains The movement, in one sense, is more virtual than real, to progress through the building you must engage your imagination  [33]  and if entertainment is associated with the displacement of the viewer, then the house becomes the source of that entertainment. It does this by choreography; there is no fixed image but a series of overlapping images. This architectural effect is clearly associated with cinema  [34]   Sequences There are three relations in an architectural sequence. The first deals with the working method. Secondly, external relations where spaces are juxtaposed and thirdly the program. The mode by which architects traditionally draw implies a transformational sequence. Layers of transparent paper are placed on top of each other. Each has a variation around a theme. An open system of sequencing sees transformation through the addition of new elements which are juxtaposed according to criteria such as narrative or programmatic. However, not all architectural sequences are linear and comprised of spatial additions. Fragmented montages produce structure where meaning is found through order of experience rather than the order of the composition. Mies Pavilion as discussed in previous chapters is an example of this fragmentation of space. Its sequence is organised around a thematic structure and variations.

Does Utopian Socialists offer an attractive political reform? :: essays research papers

Utopia is a term invented by Sir Thomas More in 1515. However, he traces the root two Greek words outopia and eutopia which means a place does not exist and a fantasy, invention. It is widely accepted that Plato was to first to picture a utopian order. In his masterpiece, â€Å"Republic†, he formed the principles of ideal commonsense and his utopia (Hertzler, 1922:7). After the classical age, Sir Thomas More assumed to be the first of the utopian writers in early modern period. As a humanist, he gave the world in his â€Å"Utopia† a vision of a perfect communistic commonwealth (the history of utopian thought). Utopia’s influence on contemporary and rival scholars is so deep that it has given its name to whole class of literature. Following the appearance of More’s Utopia, there was a lack of Utopian literature for nearly a century (Hertzler, 1922:7). This period ended with the works of Francis Bacon, Campanelle and Harrington. These early modern utopians, being the children of Renaissance, filled with a love of knowledge and high respect for the newly truths of science. Thus, they believed that the common attainment of knowledge means the largest participation of all members of society in its joys and benefits. After the period of early Utopians, continuation of a sprit of French Revolution and initial signs of industrial revolution resulted in the emergence of a new group of Utopians called Socialist Utopians (Hertzler, 1922: 181). The word â€Å"Socialism† seems to have been first used by one of the leading Utopian Socialists, St Simon. In politics utopia is a desire that never come true neither now nor afterwards, a wish that is not based on social forces (material conditions and production) and is not supported by the growth and development of political, class forces. This paper discusses the validity of this claim, tries to present and evaluate the political reforms, if any, offered by Socialist Utopians. In order to assess the degree of appeal for the political reforms offered by the Utopian Socialists, their ideals should be examined from both structural and programmatic point of view. Programmatic point of view helps us to clarify the basis of political reforms of the Utopian Socialists whereas the structural point of view forms the theoretical basis of these practical actions and reform plans. The period in which the early socialists were formulating their theories covers the development of industrialism which was causing the dislocation to the situation of existing social groups.

Course Project: Leadership and Organizational Behavior

My course project is based on organization of Creative Images, Inc. Creative Images is a California based company in computer graphic design studio who’s affiliated with Hollywood movie production companies. Creative Images work very closely with their clients and well known clients are Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Company, and many other animation movie makers. Numbers of intelligent computer graphic designers are working hard to meet the status quo on current animated production movies and projects for the customers in night and weekends. The company is all about providing highest quality of work to world giant animated movie production companies and its well getting recognized by their customers. But only problem is that employees’ at Creative Images are not satisfied with their current benefits of their job since many people are subject to provide the project status and meeting deadlines which it requires for them to work nights and weekends without getting over-time paid. I am a Human Resource analysis just recently got hired by Creative Images to provide the best quality assurance to employees so that all employees are satisfy with their jobs and benefits so that it increases employee’s morale. I will be reviewing current job duties and functionalities so that their compensation and benefits are competitive with current market as well as provide them with incentives and rewards so that it increases employee’s morale and reduce number of high turnovers. Problem Statement The problem that Creative Images faces employee’s compensation and benefits package which it makes the company is not competitive and enjoyable work place. According to Human Resource’s firm wide hiring analysis, they have been showing increases of job turnovers in the past 2-3 years. During their exit interview, number of employee reported complains of their stressful working hours and have not been compensated for their amount of work that they provided in after working hours. After working excessive hours, their team or department did not recognized their showmanship for delivering high quality work and company did not award them or no creases in bonuses either. Since Creative Images are known for proving highest quality of work to their customers, in seldom, several other design studios who’s competition to Creative Images are trying to offer a job to elite and talented individuals from Creative Images to get the best people of for them. It’s causing the huge headache to the firm since many of them who left company are key employees who bring revenue to the company. To avoid any high turnovers, we need to provide very competitive salaries, incentives as well as reward programs to keep the Creative Images employees and bring higher standards and morale.

Lather and Nothing Else (Short Story) by: Tellez Essay

Q: What is the possible message of Tellez’s story? Explain In the short story â€Å"Lather and Nothing Else†, the possible message of the story would be how our roles determine our actions. In society today the work we do, the responsibilities we have and the work or decisions we choose to do is what would determined our actions. In the short story theres two main facts proving that our roles do determine our actions. Firstly, when Captain Torres talks about killing the revolutionaries subject proves how he once killed those specific people because of his job and that is what he is known for: â€Å"some of them we brought back dead; others are still alive. but they’ll be all dead.† not one will escape; not a single one (Tellez 35)†. These comments proves and explains how Torres is really eager to kill everyone. This shows Torres’s role how he acts like a dictator and kill the revolutionaries. His action were chosen for him and that were to kill the revolutionaries. Secondly, the part when the barber talks to himself and convinces himself that he has to do his job no matter what: â€Å"I would gave to shave his beard just like any other, carefully, neatly, just as though he were a good customer, talking heed that not a single pore should emit a drop of blood (Tellez 36)†. This part shows how the barber’s role is to shave the beard without any choice, because that is his job and this is what he is known for. His actions is chosen for him too because of his profession. These situations shows our profession determines our actions, our decisions and our actions will determine our work. Whether it is a future that we would enjoy or a future we will not enjoy.

Why School Attendance Matters and Strategies to Improve It

Why School Attendance Matters and Strategies to Improve It School attendance matters. It is arguably one of the most important indicators of school success. You cannot learn what you are not there to learn. Students who attend school regularly improve their chances of being academically successful. There are obvious exceptions to both sides of the rule. There are a few students deemed academically successful who also have attendance issues and a few students who struggle academically who are always present. However, in most cases, strong attendance correlates with academic success, and poor attendance correlates with academic struggles. To understand the importance of attendance and the influence the lack thereof has, we must first define what constitutes both satisfactory and poor attendance.   Attendance Works, a non-profit dedicated to improving school attendance, has categorized school attendance into three distinct categories. Students who have 9 or fewer absences are satisfactory. Those with 10-17 absences are exhibiting warning signs for potential attendance issues.   Students with 18 or more absences have a clear cut chronic attendance issue. These numbers are based on the traditional 180-day school calendar. Teachers and administrators will agree that the students who need to be at school the most are the ones that are seemingly seldom there. Poor attendance creates significant learning gaps. Even if students complete the make-up work, they most likely will not learn and retain the information as well as if they had been there. Make-up work can pile up very quickly. When students return from an extended hiatus, they not only have to complete the make-up work, but they also have to contend with their regular classroom assignments. Students often make the decision to rush through or completely ignore the make-up work so that they can keep pace with their regular class studies.   Doing this naturally creates a learning gap and causes the student’s grades to drop. Over time, this learning gap increases to the point where it becomes nearly impossible to close. Chronic absenteeism will lead to frustration for the student. The more they miss, the more difficult it becomes to catch up. Eventually, the student gives up altogether putting them on a path towards being a high school dropout. Chronic absenteeism is a key indicator that a student will drop out. This makes it even more critical to find early intervention strategies to prevent attendance from ever becoming an issue. The amount of schooling missed can quickly add up. Students who enter school at kindergarten and miss an average of 10 days per year until they graduate high school will miss 140 days. According to the definition above, this student would not have an attendance problem. However, all together that student would miss nearly an entire year of school when you add everything together. Now compare that student with another student who has a chronic attendance issue and misses an average of 25 days a year. The student with a chronic attendance issue has 350 missed days or almost two entire years. It is no wonder that those who have attendance issues are almost always further behind academically than their peers who have satisfactory attendance. Strategies to Improve School Attendance Improving school attendance can prove to be a difficult endeavor.   Schools often have very little direct control in this area. Most of the responsibility falls on the student’s parents or guardians, especially the elementary aged ones.   Many parents simply do not understand how important attendance is. They do not realize how quickly missing even a day a week can add up. Furthermore, they do not understand the unspoken message that they are relaying to their children by allowing them to miss school regularly.   Finally, they do not understand that they are not only setting their children up to fail in school, but also in life. For these reasons, it is essential that elementary schools in particular focus on educating parents on the value of attendance.   Unfortunately, most schools operate under the assumption that all parents already understand how important attendance is, but that those whose children have a chronic attendance issue are simply ignoring it or do not value education. The truth is that most parents want what is best for their children, but have not learned or been taught what that is. Schools must invest a significant amount of their resources to educate their local community adequately on the importance of attendance. Regular attendance should play a part in the daily anthem of a school and a critical role in defining the culture of a school. The fact is that every school has an attendance policy. In most cases, that policy is only punitive in nature meaning that it simply provides parents with an ultimatum that essentially says â€Å"get your child to school or else.†Ã‚   Those policies, while effective for a few, will not deter many for whom it has become easier to skip school than it is to attend. For those, you have to show them and prove to them that attending school on a regular basis will help lead to a brighter future. Schools should be challenged to develop attendance policies and programs that are more preventive in nature than they are punitive. This begins with getting to the root of the attendance issues on an individualized level. School officials must be willing to sit down with parents and listen to their reasons for why their children are absent without being judgmental. This allows the school to form a partnership with the parent wherein they can develop an individualized plan for improving attendance, a support system for follow through, and a connection to outside resources if necessary. This approach will not be easy. It will take a lot of time and resources. However, it is an investment that we should be willing to make based on how important we know attendance to be.   Our goal should be to get every child to school so that the effective teachers we have in place can do their jobs. When that happens, the quality of our school systems will improve significantly.

Absolute and Relative Error Calculation

Absolute and Relative Error Calculation Absolute error and relative error are two types of experimental error. Youll need to calculate both types of error in science, so its good to understand the difference between them and how to calculate them. Absolute Error Absolute error is a measure of how far off a measurement is from a true value or an indication of the uncertainty in a measurement. For example, if you measure the width of a book using a ruler with millimeter marks, the best you can do is measure the width of the book to the nearest millimeter. You measure the book and find it to be 75 mm. You report the absolute error in the measurement as 75 mm /- 1 mm. The absolute error is 1 mm. Note that absolute error is reported in the same units as the measurement. Alternatively, you may have a known or calculated value and you want to use absolute error to express how close your measurement is to the ideal value. Here absolute error is expressed as the difference between the expected and actual values. Absolute Error Actual Value - Measured Value For example, if you know a procedure is supposed to yield 1.0 liters of solution and you obtain 0.9 liters of solution, your absolute error is 1.0 - 0.9 0.1 liters. Relative Error You first need to determine absolute error to calculate relative error.  Relative error expresses how large the absolute error is compared with the total size of the object you are measuring. Relative error is expressed as a fraction or is multiplied by 100 and expressed as  a percent. Relative Error Absolute Error / Known Value For example, a drivers speedometer says his car is going 60 miles per hour (mph) when its actually going 62 mph. The absolute error of his speedometer is 62 mph - 60 mph 2 mph. The relative error of the measurement is 2 mph / 60 mph 0.033 or 3.3%

Zero and Its Synonyms

Zero and Its Synonyms Zero and Its Synonyms Zero and Its Synonyms By Mark Nichol The word zero has a small but distinctive set of synonyms, which are listed in this post. Zero is the word for the symbol 0, representing the absence of magnitude or quantity and the value between positive and negative numbers. The word also represents the lowest point or the starting point for measurement or, as in the phrase â€Å"ground zero,† a point of impact or origin. In addition, it refers to absence or impartiality, or to the lowest possible score on a test, and as slang it describes a worthless person or one with little or no discernible charm or personality. The word ultimately derives, like many arithmetical and scientific terms, from Arabic, in this case sifr, which means â€Å"zero† or â€Å"empty† and is also the source of the synonym cipher. Meanwhile, cipher itself, while also occasionally expressing the numerical symbol, describes a nonentity, with the connotation that a person so identified has no influence or no distinguishing characteristics, as in a reference to someone mysteriously vague. This sense of mystery extends to the sense for cipher of a method of encoding information, or a coded message itself. A cipher may also be a combination of letters used symbolically, similar to a monogram. Aught and naught, discussed in more detail in this post, are also synonyms of zero (as is nought, a variant of the latter word), but briefly, aught is employed usually when referring to the first decade of a century (in which the tens place of any given year is represented by a zero) or to a zero used in decimal measurement. Naught, however, is used in the sense of â€Å"nothing.† Nothing itself, as might be guessed, literally means â€Å"no thing† and stems from Old English. In addition to pertaining to a lack of quantity, nothing alludes to nonexistence and is used, like zero, to suggest that someone is worthless. However, it also, in plural form, refers to playful remarks, especially, as part of â€Å"sweet nothings,† in a romantic context. It is also employed, though rarely, as an adjective or adverb. Nil, a contraction of the Latin word nihil (the root of nihilism, the word for a philosophy of renunciation of traditional ideas or morals), is ultimately from nihilum, literally â€Å"not (even) a trifle,† and generally alludes to a comparison, such as a sports score or to the distinction, or lack thereof, between two like objects, or to (a lack of) probability; one’s chances of achieving an impossible result, for example, are said to be nil. Zilch and zip, both of obscure origin, are slang synonyms for zero. The letter o and the word oh are also, because of the resemblance of the letter to the symbol for zero, used informally in speech and rarely in writing to refer to the symbol, as is â€Å"goose egg,† from the similarity in shape between that object and the symbol. (On a related note, the use of love to indicate a zero score in tennis is said to originate in the phrase l’oeuf, French for â€Å"the egg,† though this etymology is disputed.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:What is the Difference Between "These" and "Those"?Expanded and Extended20 Ways to Cry

Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) - Essay Example While Hughes (1998) is not entirely incorrect, he is not correct either. Certainly, as Maio (1991) argues, technology is a major determinant of a port's capacity to execute the functions and responsibilities associate with VTS and, technological limitations ultimately delimit the capacity to efficiently and effectively execute the stated responsibilities. Nevertheless, the human factor is integral as VTS is ultimately all about human-machine interaction. The qualifications of operators, thus, extends beyond the ability to work with the system and correctly interpret data output to include, more often than not, crisis management and critical decision-making under pressure. There is little room for human error (Maio, 1991). In consideration of the somewhat divergent points of view presented in the preceding paragraph, the primary aim of the present study is the analysis and articulation of VTS operator and personal qualifications, alongside a determination of the extent to which the failure to satisfy these qualifications adversely bears upon a port's capacity to execute its VTS responsibilities. Within the context of the functions of Vessel Traffic Service and the systems used for the monitoring of waterway traffic and the maintenance of safety, what characteristics and qualifications should VTS operators possess As a strategy for responding to the selected researched question and satisfying the research's articulated aim, an in-depth investigative exploration of radar technology, coastal radar systems, and the requirements of coastal radar surveillance shall be undertaken. The results of the investigation shall determine the optimal coastal radar surveillance system(s). Introduction Prior to presenting the data upon which the discussion pertaining to the research question shall be based, it is necessary to contextualize the report's focus. This shall be done through a review of the role which Vessel Traffic Service play in the promotion of waterway safety, the strategies by which vessel traffic is monitored and safety maintained, an historical analysis of its development and the articulation of its responsibilities and tasks of VTS operators. 2.1 Background The provision of traffic services is integral to the maintenance of minimum safety levels in all forms of transportation. This is especially true for vessel traffic and, more so in busy waterways. The reason as Nuutinen, Savioja and Sonninen (2005) contend lies in the fact that the mismanagement of vessel traffic in busy waterways results in both environmental and human catastrophe. Vessel traffic management, in other words, is of unique and critical importance. Further to that, it is also extremely complex and complicated, requiring a degree of data precision and

The Truman Show Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Truman Show - Movie Review Example In the show, which must keep going in order to sustain its own world, Truman Burbank is the ultimate consumer: nothing about his life is secret to the viewer. He is doing what corporations want to observe people doing: acting naturally and making choices which seem to be those of free will. Going into a large corporate store, it is very easy to fill out surveys. Cameras are everywhere. There are parallels everywhere to the ways that consumers are scrutinized, just as Truman Burbank is scrutinized in â€Å"The Truman Show.† The motivation of the show’s producers is motivated to portray Truman Burbank as an ideal consumer so that the self-sustaining world of supply and demand can continue. The producers are the supply; Truman makes the demands. It is a symbiotic relationship, so the producers want to keep it going. They will stop at nothing to keep Truman from the truth, and this is part of what forms much of the tension in the second part of the movie. Overall, Truman Bu rbank is a typical ideal consumer, because he is the object of constant scrutiny and measurement. To me, the conclusion is the most important part of a short essay such as this one, because it really is the last thing that the reader is going to take away from the process. The conclusion here about the cycle of Truman’s routine was something that I completely agreed within this response because I also think that corporations are looking for habits and cycles in their consumers, and this is something that made Truman ideal.   

Business research report Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business report - Research Paper Example However, upon completion of the survey process and subsequent data screening, responses provided by 438 participants were considered and the rest were omitted. The reason behind the omission was particularly because some of the surveys were incomplete, some responses were biased and error existed in the rest (Mukherji & Albon, 2009; Saunders, Lewis & Thornhil, 2009). The data has been presented both in the form of descriptive. Application of these methodologies enabled the researcher to describe the major aspects of a set of data quantitatively (Somekh & Lewin, 2004; Spradley, 1979). The ultimate aim was to abridge a sample of data quantitatively with the application of any probabilistic model The first and foremost objective is to determine who are using the park and what the purposes behind that are. In order to achieve this objective, the researcher had to analyze question 1 through to question 4. The first question involved investigation of the main reasons that prompted people to visit the park. It is evident from figure 1 given below that 31.28% of the respondents visit the parks in order to exercise. According to 20.32% of the respondents, walking the dog is the major reason behind their visit to the park. 17.35% of the respondents visited the park in order to accompany their children to the playground. 7.99 % of the respondents visit the park in order to engage themselves in organized sports activities. Sitting/relaxing/socializing is the reason behind visiting parks for 12.79% of the respondents. Among the other major reasons that prompt people to visit their nearby park is to organize family barbecue parties or to fly aero plane models. Given the fact that, majo rity of the sample population visits the park in order to exercise, it provides an excellent premise for the researcher to conduct an in-depth analysis of their attitudes and perceptions towards outdoor exercise equipment positioned along the walk paths. As far as the

What Part Does Cultural Compatibility Play in Determining The Success Essay

What Part Does Cultural Compatibility Play in Determining The Success of Cross-Border Mergers & Acquisitions - Essay Example Most often, considerations in relation to financing and strategies have become the main concern in obtaining the acquisition targets or merger partners that are most suitable for a company’s purpose. Usually, decisions are made depending on certain issues such as availability, price and probable earnings. When their activity fails, the analysis of merger failure or weak performance is often focused on the re-examination of certain factors that initiated the decision for selection (Schweiger & Goulet 2005). Often, poor selection decisions for mergers and acquisitions are associated with an overly high purchase price, incompetence of managers in achieving goals, or that the companies simply do not match each other. These factors have been continuously examined yet M & A activity has not obtained the necessary improvements (Teerikangas 2007; Seo & Hill 2005). Because of this, international acquisitions make up inconsistencies: despite the fact that business practice and academic research have reported that many of these activities fail to achieve their objectives, cross-cultural acquisitions still remain to be a popular strategy for multinational companies. Therefore, it is necessary that the causes of international merger and acquisition failure are examined as well as the strategies for addressing such problems. As reported by Galpin & Herndon (2007), in a study of 190 top executives who were involved in the global acquisition, it was believed that cultural incompatibility was viewed as the greatest barrier to the success of their M & A activities. Furthermore, the 1996 British Institute of Management survey reported that when merging two cultures is underestimated, it becomes a significant factor for failure (Carleton and Lineberry 2004).

Cultural Policy & foreign policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cultural Policy & foreign policy - Essay Example This is possible through soft power offering advantages to the country including matching of ideas and culture to prevailing global norms, access to communication channels used in framing global news by a nation, and augmented credibility through domestic and international behavior. Soft power is culture power owing to the need for both private and public organizations as well as international relations between governments to consider the cultural definition of the parties. Culture determines values and information that make up soft power and are evident in negotiations and practices giving negotiators in a company scene or at international level the ability to make ideas on cooperation between the counties. Respecting and have mutual understanding of cultural difference among countries allows for the mutual understanding and goof information flow. This results in the countries sharing and incorporating the shared ideas and values in one country’s culture. This increases the relation between the countries through having a common stand on a given subject. Culture in form of songs, movies, documentaries, and photographs has a high potential of expounding the ability of the nation to communicate cultural affiliation, values, and ideas to the world in a simp le manner. This acceptance of these cultural forms allow for increased interrelation among countries and lead to increased nationality of the country. Therefore, culture plays a huge role in the current dynamic environment and is embedded in the daily activities of an individual increasing its ability to influence many people making it right to say soft power is culture

Use of drugs in Sports Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Use of drugs in Sports - Dissertation Example A quick review of print and electronic literatures reveals that doping has been an integral and controversial issue for the sports fraternity since historical times. In most literatures on doping in sports, the types of drugs used and their effects on individual sportsmen, sportswomen, their families, their nations, their fans and the sporting fraternity have been given quite a wide coverage. This kind of coverage emphasizes the importance of the fight against doping in sports. Besides, seeking to ensure a level and fair playing field for sportsmen and women, the fight against doping has been portrayed in literatures as seeking to eliminate and reduce the negative effects of doping on health, well being and the image of sports (Berryman, 1992). Literatures have also covered the interventions designed and impended to curtail doping problems in sports. For example, as a consequent of drug use by athletes and the subsequent health effects and deaths, sports governing bodies such as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) set up medical and testing commissions to test athletes for signs of illicit substances and ban the use of these drugs and other performance enhancing substances. Although these testing started in a small scale in the 1968 Mexico Olympics, it would be introduced in a full-scale at the Olympic Games in Munich four years later (Wayne, 2000). Following the banning of substances such as anabolic steroids, many sportsmen were disqualified in the years that followed 1975 and 1983.

Cultural Policy & foreign policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cultural Policy & foreign policy - Essay Example This is possible through soft power offering advantages to the country including matching of ideas and culture to prevailing global norms, access to communication channels used in framing global news by a nation, and augmented credibility through domestic and international behavior. Soft power is culture power owing to the need for both private and public organizations as well as international relations between governments to consider the cultural definition of the parties. Culture determines values and information that make up soft power and are evident in negotiations and practices giving negotiators in a company scene or at international level the ability to make ideas on cooperation between the counties. Respecting and have mutual understanding of cultural difference among countries allows for the mutual understanding and goof information flow. This results in the countries sharing and incorporating the shared ideas and values in one country’s culture. This increases the relation between the countries through having a common stand on a given subject. Culture in form of songs, movies, documentaries, and photographs has a high potential of expounding the ability of the nation to communicate cultural affiliation, values, and ideas to the world in a simp le manner. This acceptance of these cultural forms allow for increased interrelation among countries and lead to increased nationality of the country. Therefore, culture plays a huge role in the current dynamic environment and is embedded in the daily activities of an individual increasing its ability to influence many people making it right to say soft power is culture

COMMUNICATION IN BUSINESS - case study format Essay

COMMUNICATION IN BUSINESS - case study format - Essay Example The perceptions about time, the power of analysis and integration etc can also be different in different cultures. Political, economical, social and technological parameters can affect the business management process. These parameters are different across diverse cultures. Some countries may have democratic administrations whereas some other countries may have autocratic administrations. Moreover, economic growth, religions and the development of technology etc need not be the same in different countries. Business management styles need to be adjusted or fine tuned based on these parameters in order to manage a business successfully across cultures. Terms of Reference â€Å"In global firms, the effective management of cultural diversity which was once a concept, became imperative for the firms survival now† (Adler & Gunderson, 2007, p.128). I am working as a management consultant and Microsoft has recently approached me to prepare a management report for them in doing business in India. They specifically asked me to give more emphasize to the management challenges Microsoft may face in India. Microsoft discards the idea of a joint venture in India and they preferred making an independent unit in India. They are aware of the fact that because of the above decision, they have to do everything from A to Z in order to setup a business unit in India. So, they asked me to study the probable management issues they may face in India related to culture. This paper is written as a report to Microsoft about the possible management issues Microsoft may face in their Indian operations. Overview of the situation America and India are some of the largest democratic countries in the world even though, they differ heavily in many other aspects. Even though democracy is prevailing in both of the countries, the functioning of the political systems is entirely different. Even though both the countries are secular democratic, Christians dominate the American population where as Hindus dominate the Indian population. â€Å"India is an enormously hierarchical society (arguably the most hierarchical in the world) and this, obviously, has an impact on management style† (Indian Management Style, n.d) Most of the Indian organizations consist of people from different parts of the country and the management should address the cultural diversity aspects all the time. India consists of 28 states and 6 union territories; most of them are extremely diverse as far as culture and language are concerned. Because of the influence of left parties, the influence of trade unionism in India is more than that in America. Left trade unions can create problems to Microsoft, because of their declared stands against the capitalist countries and monopolies. However, considering the huge growth potentials of India Microsoft can neglect these challenges. At the same time, Microsoft needs to spend more time on learning about the diverse Indian culture in order to manage thei r business successfully in India. â€Å"Management practices are always culturally bonded† (Guidham, 2002, p.52). Analysis based on Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner cultural model The major elements of Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner cultural model of management of international business are; Universalism vs. Particularism, Analyzing vs. Integrating, Individualism vs. Communitarianism, Inner-directed vs.

Social construction of environmental issues

Social construction of environmental issues Introduction The environment refers to the central part that links the ecological, political, social, economic and technological aspects. It is a component that integrates these spheres into a whole. This integration is necessary as none of these spheres can work without the others; they mutually depend on each other for the common good of the whole. Despite this, the environment is exposed to major destruction factors stemming from its utility and exploitation mostly by the same humans who depend on it (Reid and Paul 2005). Extensive and long-term destruction exposes the environment to continued degradation which then becomes irreversible at some point due to permanent destruction. Environmental issues refer to the consequences that arise as a result of reduced resilience to destruction by the environment (Reid and Paul 2005, pp.28-36). These issues are diverse and include factors such as, resource use conflicts, environmental degradation, global warming, pollution, species extinction among others. Our focus on environmental issues however targets the impacts of the social sphere on the environment. The social aspect considers the consequences arising from human to human interaction that indirectly impact on the environment as well as human nature interactions that contribute to a change in the functioning of the environment. As Bass (2000) asserts, humans obtain a good percentage of their livelihoods from the environment. These quantities are however variable. Poverty is a social condition that plays a vital role in molding the state of the environment. It has become an environmental issue due to the nature and impact of activities associated with it. It is expressed as a state where individuals who earn below a certain benchmark are said to be poverty stricken. This benchmark is what is known as the poverty line. Currently, the poverty line puts individuals who earn less than a dollar a day as poor. Poverty is driven by forces such as explosive population growth rates, corruption, high living standards and high inflation rates (Bass 2000). From an environmental perspective, poverty is both a cause and effect of environmental degradation. Poor people are mostly indigenous people, that is, they interact directly with the environment for their survival. They are therefore vulnerable in the sense that when they are deprived of a certain resource useful to them, their livelihoods are impacted on negatively to a large extent. Population explosions exist mostly in poverty stricken environments (Mink 1999). High birth rates are a common scenario in low income places. This is because health risks are high as people are unable to afford basic health requirements and maintain high levels of sanitation. Due to this, individuals opt to increase the population of their children whereby the death of one can be substituted by the survival of the others. High populations further result in environmental stress as the resources available in the environment are fixed while population levels continue to increase exponentially. From Erhlichs (2002) perspective environmental stress is felt where the carrying capacity is strained due to inadequate resources such as water that are available as demand for them grows at an alarming rate. This stress is also felt where increased numbers of people look for settlement areas and therefore encroach on pristine and fragile ecosystems like the forests and arid and semi arid lands. T his then tampers with ecological balance in these zones. Encroaching into arid and semi arid areas results in exposing these areas to desert like conditions due to land degradation. The degraded environment accelerates the process of impoverishment. Deforestation-Poverty And Environment Nexus Deforestation is one activity carried out to pave way for settlement of increasing populations. It is an activity where trees are cut down without being backed by afforestation. This leads to the extinction of valuable species of both fauna and flora. Deforestation causes environmental degradation where commercial logging is embedded in the policies of a nation for purposes of earning revenue to boost the Gross Domestic Product (Tomich 2001, p.18). Commercial timber benefits driven by government policies as incentives for deforestation in the Himalayas are one example that expounds on this issue. Countries attempting to improve the living standards of their citizens through this contribute to environmental deterioration of their local environments. In Africa especially Central and East Africa, deforestation is common and reduces the pristine tropical forests into shells as indigenous and endemic tree species are exploited for timber, fuel wood, herbal medicine and production of wooden artifacts (Grainger 2000). Deforestation also takes place for agricultural expansion. Shifting cultivation promotes the slash and burn approach where trees and shrubs are cut down to provide room for cultivation of crops with high market demands. Grainger (2000) observe that this technique results in excessive soil deterioration as it reduces land cover thus exposing the soil to high rates of soil erosion. The conversion of forests for cattle ranching and mechanized agriculture has also contributed to an environmental crisis. This is common in the Less Developed Countries where agriculture is the main foreign revenue earner as products are exported. In the attempt to meet the needs of its people, these countries practice the aforementioned activities. The production of agricultural commodities such as coffee, tea, among others is driven by market forces of demand and supply. The need to create grazing land for cattle ranching is also driven by the demand of dairy and meat products. These fields are overgrazed exposing fertile soils to soil erosion mechanisms (Balu 1996). Impact Of Education Education which is the acquisition of knowledge is important in the restoration, maintenance and conservation of the environment. This education may be acquired formally through modern acquisition methods such as being taught in class by trainers or informally through indigenous knowledge acquisition techniques. High poverty levels hinder the acquisition of this knowledge due to lack of resources such as reading materials and facilities like classrooms to spearhead the acquisition process. When this knowledge is not acquired, the environment is left at risk. It is exploited ignorantly and individuals usually end up with less environmental resources for use. Education is important to help communities reduce their overdependence on the immediate environment (Orr 2004). Deforestation is not entirely a cause of natural resource depletion. When carried out sustainably, deforestation can provide essential needs to people. However, knowledge of sustainable application is mostly obtained from education. Clean energy such as biogas can be adopted to provide substantial quantities of gas. The simple mechanism can be practically trained to community members. In order for relevant education to take place, resources such s human resources, delivery services, financial services and facilities have to be available for use. Human resources involve trainers who have the ability to create a learning environment for people so as to pass on information. Teachers or trainers are competent and understand the needs of local people hence train people on viable exploitation and conservation practices to prevent exploitation that leads to poverty (Wiseman 1999). On the other hand, financial resources are necessary for provision of education whereby funding for reading materials, tuition fees among others is essential. Lack of funds usually denies an individual the ability to acquire appropriate education hence poverty sets in. The facilitation of education is vital where delivery of services is provided (Orr 2004). In some Least Developed Countries, delivery of education services to remote areas is inevitable whereby people have to travel for long distances just to reach schools or in the case where the teacher has to a certain location and lacks transport. This therefore leads to denial of education. Another aspect hat promotes lack of acquisition of education is gender bias. Women are denied a chance to education. The boy child is seen as the epitome of the society hence given priority in accessing education {Wiseman 1999}. It has also become a cultural taboo to educate the girl child hence all these aspects contribute to increase in poverty levels. Lack of education increases poverty in such a way that one is denied access to jobs due to lack of basic skills and knowledge that enable one to gain access to jobs. This leads to crude methods that individuals will adopt to satisfy their livelihoods. Such crude methods include overexploitation of agricultural land, forests and other natural resources at large. Food Insecurity, Poverty And The Environment Food security exists when all people at all times have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life (Food and Agriculture Organization). Food insecurity stages vary from food secure situations to total famine. Famine and hunger are deeply-rooted in food insecurity. This insecurity may be chronic whereby there is a high degree of vulnerability to famine and hunger or transitional which may be short term in nature. Food security situations eliminate this kind of vulnerability. Chronic food insecurity is characterized by undernourishment and is known to exist mostly in poor countries (Clay 2004). Inadequate human resource development inhibits peoples capacity to grow and/ or purchase the needed food. Human resource development for agriculture is usually facilitated by agricultural extension agents who provide professional agricultural information that enables maximum agricultural produce. Lack of these agents brings about food insecurity in the sense that maximum benefits are not acquired by farmers. Balu (1996), details that farmers acquire sustainable and professional advice through technical transfer, advisory work, human resource development and empowerment. Technical transfer involves a process whereby technical assistance is provided by governments towards technical issues that affect farmers such as funding, of equipment; advisory work is usually provided by private organizations and governments to give advice on issues pertaining to what crop to plant on what type of soil, methods of harvesting, planting and how to use certain equipment. Human resource development is mostly necessitated by university students and trainers who are competent in the agricultural field to farmers who cannot afford access to extension services. The empowerment of farmers integrates the participatory approach which ensures that farmers acquire practical skills relevant to increase their production capacities. With presence of extension services, food insecurity problems can be effectively minimized. The extension services are affected by poverty in the sense that; there are few extension agents. The ratio of extension agents to farmers is 1:1000; lack of adequate delivery services to deliver extension services to farmers. These are evidences of poverty in that lack of funding to support the provision of adequate extension agents and lack of funds to cater for transportation services. Poverty also causes lack of funds for training and extension materials and tools. This leads to food insecurity since maximum agricultural produces are not at tained (Clay 2004). Due to poor exploitation mechanisms, environmental degradation has been characterized by degraded natural resources. Soils for example have been degraded as a result of poor agricultural practices such as cultivating on hill slopes ad close to river banks; forests have been deforested to meet the daily needs of the people; fisheries have been exposed to siltation situations due to soil erosion, this has reduced immensely the survival of fishes. All these have been capitalized by poverty as individuals aim at satisfying heir immediate needs without caring about the impact of their activities on the overall state of the environment. As envisioned by Balu (1996), the food insecurity scenario has been compounded by population growth. Land fragmentation is evident in areas where inheritance is widely practiced. The male siblings of households are entitled to a portion of the family land. With the current populations approximating 3billion people, the agricultural land faces fragmentation problems which contribute to the reduction of available food resources as agricultural land is subdivided into small portions thus only small scale farming is practiced. There is also a general increase in consumer demand for food products. India and China are the leading countries of this demand (Mink 1999). The United States of America has only 1million farmers who are less than 1% of the countrys population. This increased demand outshines the supply curve resulting in less available food resources to cater for the general population. Furthermore, there is a high demand for non food products such as cotton for the production of clothes for people in the world over. This high demand for such resources has resulted in farmers opting to produce them as they boost there levels of income (Kenneth and Piet 2007). They convert their field to produce these instead of food products as food crops do not garner up as much profits as non food crops like cotton which are influenced by fashion and preferences. In addition, the world oil price has shot up to over one hundred dollars a barrel (Duchin 1998). With the inception of biofuels to counter oil scarcity, most countries have introduced the growth of jutropha, a famous crop known to produce substantial amounts of ‘green fuel. Countries such as Tanzania have therefore introduced this crop which has substituted the cultivation of food crops making them vulnerable to food insecurity as there is not enough food to feed its citizens. Industrialization is one invention introduced to provide resources to the ever increasing populations. As an incentive by governments to industry owners, the decentralization of industries is encouraged to reverse rural urban migration patterns. These industries are meant to provide jobs for the rural folks thus reducing their migration to urban areas in search for jobs. This is however at the expense of rural farmers who have to sacrifice sections of their lands to secure space for the development of these industries (Duchin 1998). The sizes of these agricultural lands shrink and the remaining fields are exposed to adverse effects such as those related to affluence from the industries further affecting the quality and quantity of the products. Residential areas are also developed to provide residence to the settlers. With high populations, the agricultural lands cannot escape the encroachment of people to these lands. People have to set aside portions of their lands for the establishment of housing units. Wood products that is, timber is required in the building of the residential units. This timber is majorly obtained from forests hence increasing the rate of deforestation that further heightens the degradation of the environment (Duchin 1998). During seasons of food shortage, poor households often embark on extreme measures in the present, including depriving the family of needed calories, in order to maintain productive resources for the future, such as a plough, oxen or seed stock. This proof suggests that poor African households may, in fact, have very low rates of time preference (Clay 2004). Urbanization Bass (2000) describes urbanization as the process by which villages grow into towns and urban centers and towns grow into cities and mega cities. An urban area is a settlement in which most of the inhabitants i.e. over 65% are engaged in non agricultural occupations. For example, commerce, manufacturing, administration, trading amongst others Urban areas are defined by population size, population function, population density which is the number of people per square kilometer, and legal administration. The United Nations recommended population size to declare a location as an urban area is twenty thousand people. The reasons for rural urban migration which contributes to urban growth are diverse and include; seeking employment due to high underemployment levels in rural areas; searching for settlement as rural areas are widely affected by land fragmentation; searching for recreational and social services (Reid and Paul 2005). Despite the movement of people from rural areas in search of employment opening, they are not assured of being employed in the end. High and rising unemployment rates contribute to poverty as people are unable to obtain financial resources important for the provision of basic needs. Individuals are forced to relocate to slum dwellings which are uninhabitable. Basic sanitation lacks in such locations with poor disposal of waste taking a centre stage. Common in the slum areas, are ‘flying toilets which are used due to lack of clean toilets (Elliot 1997). Satellite garbage sites are a common scenario in the urban areas where proper disposal mechanisms are not a prime consideration. Poor urban dwellers are unable to pay up for garbage collection in cases where this activity is privatized. The amount paid to such institutions is unaffordable for the poor hence satellite garbage sites are their only option. Mushrooming satellite garbage sites compromise the aesthetic value of the urb an environment (Mink 1999). Available amenities are overstrained due to large numbers of people living towns, cities and urban areas. Water resources for example are on high demand while their supply is largely influenced by watershed management and climatic conditions. The quality and quantity of water available in urban areas is compromised by industrial establishment, residential use and commercial utility. Water is mostly polluted when these establishments do not meet environmental standards as far piping and sewerage system is concerned. Clean water may mix up with sewage where the system is poorly done further resulting in water borne diseases. Towns located close to large water bodies contribute to water pollution due to the formation of algae blooms. Congestion of humans and traffic is another cause of environmental deterioration. This is common in busy urban areas. Unworthy road vehicles pollute the environment with lead and smoke. The congestion of people also increases their vulnerability to air related diseases like tuberculosis (Mink 1999). Embezzlement of resources accruing from corruption is another cause of poverty. Lack of transparency in government and private sector institutions located in urban areas promotes poor maintenance of services. The fire brigade is an important department especially in cities. Sources of livelihoods like businesses go up in smoke accidentally for example through electrical mishaps and cannot be salvaged due to poor service delivery from the necessary department. People are reduced to poverty which indirectly affects the natural environment. The smoke from the burning buildings also causes air pollution. Impact Of Rich Nations On The Environment Extreme inequalities exist in human societies. According to the United Nations Human Development Report 2009, 20% of people in industrialized countries account for 80% of total private consumption expenditures. The poor on the other hand account for a miserable 1.3%. In addition, 1 billion people suffer from hunger and approximately 2-3 billion experience deficiencies in vitamins and minerals. 1 Billion Survive on less than a dollar a day and 2 billion on less than 2 dollars a day. On the contrary, a few hundred millionaires own as much wealth as the worlds 2 billion people. Decision making on world related issues is usually skewed to favor few narrow interests of richer nations (Duchin 1998). This can be evidenced from the just ended Copenhagen Summit in Denmark. Richer nations who have contributed largely to global climatic changes are unable to commit themselves on a timescale to address the climate change issue. Poor nations are left with no options but to agree with the recommended solutions despite contributing minimally to these changes and yet experiencing immensely to the adverse impacts of climate change (Ehrlich 2002). Clay 2004 observes that Third world debt ahs made it difficult to prioritize on sustainable development. The Breton Woods institutions that is, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund through the introduction and adoption of Structural Adjustment Programs have destructed immensely environments of countries that have adopted such strategies and streamlined them in policies, rules and regulations. This has set drawbacks on health, education and provision of other necessary services due to a requirement to prioritize on debt repayment. Loans are lent to third world nations at high interest rates and are to be settled at specific timescales. Structural Adjustment Programs encourage deforestation of indigenous forests and encourage plantation forests (Tomich 2001). Free market economies are introduced by Structural Adjustment Programs where forces of demand and supply determine the selling price of commodities. This is dangerous in economies with high demands and low supply levels of goods and services as more and more people are driven into poverty due to high and fast rising living standards. Basic commodities are difficult to acquire as they are expensive. Food and farm products flow from areas of hunger and need to areas of with monetary stabilities and high demand, from rural areas to urban zones and from third world countries to first world countries. Third world countries that export unprocessed food products such as coffee beans export them at low prices to richer nations. These products are processed and imported at high prices to third world nations. This creates a vicious poverty cycles. In West Africa, cocoa is harvested and exported to the western world for the production of cocoa. The harvesters are paid meager wages and spend most of their valuable time in the fields. When coca is imported back, it is sold at very high prices resulting in strikes and riots (Clay 2004). Less Developed countries are used as dumping grounds for goods, industries and toxic wastes. Second hand goods such as clothes are imported at cheaper prices to these nations. Infant industries that produce new clothes shut down as they face the challenge of accessing local markets which are already invaded by foreign commodities whose prices are cheaper (Bass 2000). Industries that pollute the environment and do not meet environmental standards are relocated in third world countries whose measures are not stringent. They are also able to survive due to poor governance. Mining industries such as those located in South Africa result in worsening the aesthetic value of the environment as derelict holes are left open and become breeding grounds for mosquitoes when rain water accumulates (Elliot 1997). Toxic wastes from the west find their way into environments of poor nations. The waste impacts negatively on the environment of the recipient nation. Nuclear energy results in the production of toxic radioactive waste which destroys the life forms located close to where it is dumped. The destination for such wastes is large water bodies. Since water in these bodies is mobile the waste finds its way to shores mostly of developing countries due to the proximity of the dumping grounds to the country geographical boundaries. Corn is a major animal food grown in the United States. The amount of corn produced can feed humans in poverty stricken countries for close to 90 days. This shows that the amount produced is a lot. However, instead of it being supplied to humans it is fed to animals. Rich nations have contributed to the continuity of poverty in developing countries. This is by instituting and entertaining the dependency syndrome (Duchin 1998). Recipients of foreign aid and donor funding have created a perception that it is their right to receive this aid. They are therefore reluctant to adopt self independence practices as they believe that their lives can only be sustained through foreign aid. Poverty then becomes chronic as people are more vulnerable. Infrastructure And Technology Infrastructure entails promoting information and communication in vast areas of the country. This communication is better built by increasing access to various parts that are hot spots for the provision of certain goods and services. Infrastructure plays a fundamental role in minimizing poverty. Lack of it on the other hand accelerates poverty conditions (Botros 1997). Agriculture is one aspect that incorporates infrastructure and technology. Since agricultural products are naturally susceptible to perishing, it is essential that they get to markets early enough before they are stale. For this to be achieved, access roads to agricultural zones should be of good quality. This is not the case however in regions affected by poverty. The poor state of access roads results in losses incurred by farmers as the roads do not favor quick transfer of commodities to markets. Technology is vital for example in finding the most suitable means of transport for agricultural commodities to markets. Using vehicles are all weather road resistant ensures that commodities reach the market without vehicles getting suck on the way. Fish products require freezing equipment attached to automobiles so as to get to market locations when fresh. If these are not incorporated in the initial stages irreversible losses will be incurred. For this to be effectively adopted, financial resources are required to purchase the necessary equipment and machinery. Poverty cripples this as it is mainly characterized by lack of resources. When this happens resources are underexploited and sometimes poorly exploited resulting in environmental compromises (Kenneth and Piet 2007, p. 48-53). Appropriate technology involves the adoption of technology efficient for the exploitation of the natural resources. Technology is important but not all technology is applicable (Botros 1997, p.78). The use of organic fertilisers is for example necessary for the sake of the environment. The use of different sizes of fishing nets could also necessitate the discriminative fishing which ensures that young fishes are not fished out. Biogas production and the use of solar energy protect both the environment and individuals from adverse effects as a result of utilizing poor energy resources. This is propagated by knowledge of the appropriate technology and basic application skills. Industries require the utilization of sufficient electricity for the production and processing. In order for the industry to be sustainable, the production of electricity can include recycling hot water for driving electric turbines. Industrial symbiosis is necessary to ensure maximum production at lower costs (Elliot 1997). This is where by-products of one industry are used as raw materials for another. This ensures that resources are well maintained and used sparingly to avoid overexploitation. The development of relevant infrastructure and technology comes at an extra expense. Poor countries are left out as they are unable to raise the funds needed propelled by their state of Gross Domestic Products whose percentage is diverted to this goal. Health And Environment Health diseases can be attributed to poverty related activities. In door and outdoor pollution occurs when firewood and biomass energy such as cow dung is used as fuel. This is because carbon dioxide and monoxide gases that affect the respiratory organs of human beings. These gases are also of suffocating nature and cause deaths of close to 1% of its users (Reid and Paul 2005). Poor people are at high risks of death as they are unable to access basic health care needs. Preventable and immunisable diseases are a major cause of death among poverty stricken people. Burial sites are a common sight in poverty locations and to the pollution of underground water due to sipping of human burial waste in to underground aquifers. Cemeteries also impact on the aesthetic value of the environment. Conclusion Environmental issues are complex and require appropriate and applicable solutions. Poverty is a major environmental issue which despite being socially constructed affects the rest of the environmental spheres. Poor populations are widely found in Developing and Less Developing countries. Women are a component of the poverty development nexus and should be actively involved in the decision making process to help reverse the state of poverty in their designated locations. Capacity development and empowerment are powerful tools that can be employed to contribute to community development and sustenance. This should therefore be promoted in all aspects of development. References Balu, B and Carlos, B, 1996, The Position of Fertilizer in Supporting Food Security and Caring for the Environment, Washington DC, International Food Policy Research Institute Bass, S 2000, City Poverty and the Environment, Fiji, University of New England, Botros, S, 1997, Green Technology and Blueprint for the Environment, Washington DC, Taylor and Francis Clay, J, 2004, Global Agriculture and Environment, USA, Sage Publications Duchin, F, 1998, Measuring Variations in Technology, Living Conditions and the Environment, USA, Island Press. Ehrlich, P, 2002, Food Security, Population and Environment, London, Darton Elliot, D, 1997, Energy, Humanity and Environment: a sustainable future, New York, Routledge Grainger, A, 2000, Assessing Tropical Deforestation, United Kingdom, Earth scan Publications Kenneth, M and Piet, B 2007, Poverty Decline and Environment, Washington DC, World Bank Mink, S, 1999, Scarcity, Population and the Environment, New York, World Bank Orr, D, 2004, Earth in Mind: culture, environment and human view, USA, Island Press Reid, H and Paul, S, 2005, Reducing Poverty and Sustaining the Environment, London, Earth scan Publications Tomich, TP, 2001, Increase in Deforestation and the Environment: assessing trade offs, Nairobi, World Agro forestry Centre Wiseman, S, 1999, Education and Environment, Oxford, Manchester University Press

Use of Language in Out of Africa by Grace Nichols :: essays research papers

This poem takes us on a journey of Grace Nichols life, from her ancestry in Africa to her migration from the Caribbean to England. Language features such as extended metaphor’s and repetition of phrases help to keep this journey flowing. The first language feature we come across is the repetition of the words ‘out of’ and ‘into’. The phrases being repeated help to link past and present. The first stanza repeats ‘Out of†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This talks about Grace’s ancestry, i.e. coming out of before her time. The second and third stanza ‘Into†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ is about her life and her past. Grace lived in the Caribbean and moved to England so the ‘into’ refers to her life experiences. Personification is used widely throughout the poem, an example of this is the personification of the word mother. ‘ Out of Africa of the suckling.’ The word mother is not specifically mentioned in the line but sucking refers to the relationship between mother and child. The second reference to mother is a personification of the earth, ‘Out of Africa of the first rains, the first mother. This personification is symbolic and has references to the past, the first rains being those rains of a long time ago. The personification of the ‘trampled autumn tongues,’ can be taken on two levels. (It is also an extended metaphor!) Trampled autumn tongues could be taken literally i.e. leaves being trampled on or metaphorically. The leaves could be reference to the tongues of the slaves (slaves tongues would be cut off if they were caught speaking between each other in their native tongue.) The structure of the poem is also interesting, there are three stanzas’, the first and second stanza are equal in length but the third is slightly longer. The third stanza is the longest because that is where she is living now and has been the longest. The narrative voice in the poem is the voice of the African people. The tone is sarcastic and hast a hint of mocking to it, with parts such as ‘ baleful tourist glair’ and ‘ happy Creole so-called mentality.’ These lines show the ignorance of the white tourists that come to the Caribbean expecting everyone else (Caribbean people) to be happy just because they are on holiday. This is a white persons stereotype of the Caribbean and so the tourists are labeled as having a baleful glair.

International Relations Essays -- Literary Analysis, Realism, Neo-Real

The first paradigm of international relations is the theory of Realism. Realism is focused on ideas of self-interest and the balance of power. Realism is also divided into two categories, classical realism and neo-realism. Famous political theorist, Hans Morgenthau was a classical realist who believed that national interest was based on three elements, balance of power, military force, and self interest (Kleinberg 2010, 32). He uses four levels of analysis to evaluate the power of a state. The first is that power and influence are not always the same thing. Influence means the ability to affect the decision of those who have the power to control outcomes and power is the ability to determine outcomes. An example of influence and power would be the UN’s ability to influence the actions of states within the UN but the state itself has the power to determine how they act. Morgenthau goes on to his next level of analysis in which he explains the difference in force and power in t he international realm. Force is physical violence, the use of military power but power is so much more than that. A powerful state can control the actions of another state with the threat of force but not actually need to physical force. He believed that the ability to have power over another state simply with the threat of force was likely to be the most important element in analysis the power of as state (Kleinberg 2010, 33-34). Morgenthau goes onto his third method of analysis which is reviewing a state’s usable and unusable power. The most popular example of this is the possession of nuclear weaponry. Nuclear capabilities and that threat of their use is a form of useable power for states like the US and Russia but not for states with underdeveloped nu... ...th 2001). Roth argues that the concept of international jurisdiction is not a new idea but was exercised by the US government in the 1970 after an aircraft hijacking. Also the war crime courts established after the end of World War II exercised international jurisdiction. In fact the Geneva Convention states that is a person regardless of their nationality should be brought before the court of any state in which that person has committed grave breaches of law and convention. Roth states that the concept of international jurisdiction is not a new one but that only in recent years have states been willing to act on universal jurisdiction and go after criminals of the international community regardless of their stating or power within the international community. Roth believes in the ability and authority of international organizations and institutions (Roth 2001). International Relations Essays -- Literary Analysis, Realism, Neo-Real The first paradigm of international relations is the theory of Realism. Realism is focused on ideas of self-interest and the balance of power. Realism is also divided into two categories, classical realism and neo-realism. Famous political theorist, Hans Morgenthau was a classical realist who believed that national interest was based on three elements, balance of power, military force, and self interest (Kleinberg 2010, 32). He uses four levels of analysis to evaluate the power of a state. The first is that power and influence are not always the same thing. Influence means the ability to affect the decision of those who have the power to control outcomes and power is the ability to determine outcomes. An example of influence and power would be the UN’s ability to influence the actions of states within the UN but the state itself has the power to determine how they act. Morgenthau goes on to his next level of analysis in which he explains the difference in force and power in t he international realm. Force is physical violence, the use of military power but power is so much more than that. A powerful state can control the actions of another state with the threat of force but not actually need to physical force. He believed that the ability to have power over another state simply with the threat of force was likely to be the most important element in analysis the power of as state (Kleinberg 2010, 33-34). Morgenthau goes onto his third method of analysis which is reviewing a state’s usable and unusable power. The most popular example of this is the possession of nuclear weaponry. Nuclear capabilities and that threat of their use is a form of useable power for states like the US and Russia but not for states with underdeveloped nu... ...th 2001). Roth argues that the concept of international jurisdiction is not a new idea but was exercised by the US government in the 1970 after an aircraft hijacking. Also the war crime courts established after the end of World War II exercised international jurisdiction. In fact the Geneva Convention states that is a person regardless of their nationality should be brought before the court of any state in which that person has committed grave breaches of law and convention. Roth states that the concept of international jurisdiction is not a new one but that only in recent years have states been willing to act on universal jurisdiction and go after criminals of the international community regardless of their stating or power within the international community. Roth believes in the ability and authority of international organizations and institutions (Roth 2001).