Thursday, October 31, 2019
BUSINESS LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
BUSINESS LAW - Essay Example Constitution, Article III, Section 2, Clause 1, and 28 United States Judicial Code 1332(a)(2). U.S. Const. art. III, 2, cl. 1. grants federal judicial power over all cases that are between a U.S. State or the citizen of a U.S. State and any "foreign States, Citizens or Subjects". 28 U.S.C. 1332(a)(2) provides for jurisdiction over a civil action that is between the citizen(s) of a U.S. State, and the "citizens or subjects of a foreign state". The plaintiff attempted to sue Albert Khalily and D.A.Y. Kids Sportswear, Inc., in the Southern District of New York, on the basis of alleged breach of contract. Both defendants were incorporated in the State of New York. The plaintiff claimed the right to bring suit in a U.S. court under 28 U.S.C. 1332(a)(2), which grants jurisdiction to the court over civil disputes between U.S. citizens and "citizens or subjects of a foreign state". During the breach of contract case, in June 1996, the court, of its accord, brought up the issue of whether it had proper jurisdiction over the matter. After the parties involved had briefed the issue, in August 1996, the court dismisssed it on the basis of lack of jurisdiction, having determined that, for the purposes of diversity jurisdiction, Hong Kong is not a "foreign state", and, therefore, the plaintiff cannot be considered a "citizen or subject" of one. (a) No. Issue(s): (a) Does "Hong Kong" merit the legal status of a "foreign state", thus allowing Matimak the status of a "citizen or subject of a foreign state" for the purposes of alienage jurisdiction; (b) Does Matimak have the status of a "citizen or subject" of the United Kingdom because of the Hong Kong's status as a "British Dependent Territory", when Matimak brought suit; (c)Does every non-U.S. citizen, in fact, have the right to claim alienage jurisdiction, when engaged in a civil dissent with a U.S. citizen Holding: (a) No. Hong Kong is not recognized a "foreign state" by the Executive Branch of the U.S. Government, therefore, Matimak is not a "citizen or subject of a foreign state" for the purposes of alienage jurisdiction. (b) No. Matmak is not a "citizen or subject" of the United Kingdom because the United Kingdom does not recognize corporations founded in Hong Kong as its "citizens or subjects". (c) No. Only the "citizens or subjects" of foreign states which are recognized as being sovereign states by the U.S. Government may claim alienage jurisdiction. Reasoning: (a) The definition of "foreign state" is not explicitly provided within the Constitution, nor in the relevent law. However, 13B C. Wright, A. Miller & E. Cooper, Federal Practice & Procedure 3604 (1984) holds that the generally recognized definition of a "foreign state", for purposes of U.S. legal status is a state that is recognized formally by the Executive Branch of the Federal Government. The Court used this definition to provide a ruling on the question of alienage jurisdiction in Iran Handicraft and Carpet Export Center v. Marjan International Corp., 655 F. Supp. 1275 (S.D.N.Y.), aff'd, 868 F.2d 1267 (2d Cir. 1988). At that time, the Court determined that because only the President has the power to receive Foreign Ministers, formal recognition of "foreign states" is solely the realm of the Executive Bra
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Tom's Shoes Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Tom's Shoes - Research Paper Example The same type of shoes was also being wore by the farmers in Argentina and were considered as the part of centuries old history of the shoes. These shoes are made in canvas or through cotton fibers with rubber soles. These shoes are traditionally made in different styles and are considered as common shoes in Argentina. (Cook) It is also important to note that the idea of actually giving one pair of shoes to the children for every pair of shoes sold was also taken from the Argentina. While Blake Mycoskie was on vacation in Argentina and was conceiving the idea of developing such shoes, he noticed that many children were not having shoes or other footwear therefore this idea of buy one and give one was conceived there. The overall business model of the firm is based upon the concept of one for one wherein for every needy child a pair of shoes is given against the sale of each new pair of shoes. The countries where most of the free shoes are sent include countries like Argentine, Ethiop ia, Haiti, Rwanda and South Africa. The overall focus is on corporate social responsibility wherein non-profit business is being integrated with for-profit organization. ... Most of the marketing of the firm is done through the word of mouth and is shared by the existing customers with the potential customers. What is critical to note that the firm wants to make benefactors out of the consumers by following a strategy of one for one? By focusing on this, firm has actually been able to focus on its consumers while at the same time focusing on other stakeholders also including non-consumers who get the shoes without actually paying for them. This model has been dubbed as an effort towards eradicating poverty and helping needy children. (Miller) Over the period of time, Toms Shoes has been able to offer 10 million pair of shoes to 10 million children in over 60 countries. Such large number of free pairs given suggests that the firm is effectively focused upon helping children specially to improve their eyesight and having access to quality shoes. (TOMS) Toms has been partnering with some of the worldââ¬â¢s leading organizations to help improve different aspects of life. Besides focusing on eradicating poverty and helping poor children, Toms has also been involved in using its profits for the purpose of medical equipment as well as the improvement of the education in some of the countries in Africa. Apart from this, it has also been partner with Charity: Water which is engaged in the project of offering safe drinking water especially to the people in African countries. What is critical to note however, is the philosophy that rather than doing charity, it is more important to actually do business and help the people? This model therefore is oriented towards using for profit organizational structure to help achieve the required degree of social change
Sunday, October 27, 2019
The Power Of The Mcdonalds Brand
The Power Of The Mcdonalds Brand McDonald is one of the most popular fast food brands in the world. It started business in fifties and now it is serving worldwide chain of 30,000 restaurants. McDonald restaurants undoubtedly present a very useful example of sociological artifact. Several artifacts of modern world has been very well organized as Macdonalds popular brands, promotional strategies with the famous toys and films, its involvement in the charities and its saturation advertisement. More than 75% of McDonald is owned and operated by local men and women. Its serves more than 40million people per day. It drives 80% of its revenue from 8 countries like Canada, Brazil, Germany, France, Japan, UK, Australia and USA. The greatest achievement it got was creating a image in the minds of people and introducing them to the fast food culture. Delivery speed, customer care and hygiene cautions are the main driving advantage it has which helps the Macdonald to attract many customers. They have created a corporate symbol and saturated advertisement has helped the Macdonald to make a brand image and logo in the minds of millions of people. Overall McDonald strategic plan is called plan to win. There focus is not to be the biggest fast food chain in the world but the best fast food chain. McDonald strategic thinking behind this plan is creating better experience through the execution of multiple initiatives surrounding the five factor of exceptional customer experience. (McDonald, 2009) A key element of the MacDonald strategy since the beginning has been to own all the property on which the MacDonald was built doesnt matter the property is franchised or company owned. Rental money differs from property to property but it has been estimated that McDonald generate more money from its rents of the property than the franchise fees it charges. The success of the MacDonald since its beginning can be attributed to the customers service it provides. As the restaurant wants to be known for its consistent high quality food and uniform method of preparations. Macdonald has revolutionized the restaurant industry by inventing the limited menu fast food restaurant. Some inventions it has made are the introduction of the indoor seating and drive through windows. Another invention was the introduction of the play area. MacDonald is continuing new inventions to facilitate the mass customization process. In 2001 McDonalds began standardizing its technology its existing point of sale system with the office system in more than 11,000 stores in the United States. The company is investing in a common point of sale which will be available to use all over the world in its branches. (typepad, 2009) McDonalds facilitates the exchange of value by matching the money paid by customers with quality and variety of products and services resulting to the customer feeling of having received their moneys worth and even more than what they paid for. McDonald targets the customer satisfaction by catering the preferences to make the customers feel satisfied about the value exchange. McDonald is recommend for the family or friends gathering as well. MCDONALDS VISION To be the best and leading fast food provider around the globe MISSION STATEMENT McDonalds vision is to be the worlds best quick service restaurant experience. Being the best means providing outstanding quality, service, value, and cleanliness so that we make every customer in every restaurant smile OPERATIONS AND BUSINESS STRATEGY The definition of business strategy is a long term plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal or set of goals or objectives. Strategy is managements game plan for strengthening the performance of the enterprise. It states how business should be conduct to achieve the desired goals. Without a strategy management has no roadmap to guide them. In McDonald the business strategy for the company is to make food fast available to its customers at a very low competitive price but to get profit as well by reducing the cost of the product and expanding the business world wide. Operations strategies play a very important role in achieving organizational goals. By using these strategies an organization controls and maintains all of its operations. So these should make after a comprehensive marketing analysis according to capabilities and resources of an organization. Operation management strategies in McDonald are being made by made by top management. These strategies are implemented in all the branches of the McDonald and these strategies are distributed to all its franchise branches in the written form. So there are operational managers in all the branches that control all operational activities. McDonalds has developed three strategies for its future scenarios. These customers values, customer convenience and optimal operations. Together with the digital strategies, it helps to create new ideas for the company. The stores are characterized by the operations team as miniature manufacturing facilities. With its goal to improve the manufacturing process (inventory control, production planning, financial control and point of sale order entry) that help the store. (bized, 2009) REDUCING COST WITH MORE EFFICIENT EQUIPMENT The challenge facing the global equipment suppliers when they design the fryers for our restaurants is to develop such kind of equipment that are more energy efficient and gives better taste while improving the crew efficiency and using less cooking oil. The low oil Volume Fryer is our next generation fryer. LOV improves cooking efficiency, simplifies filtering and cleaning, and provide enhanced environmental benefits. The LOVs innovative design allows restaurants to cook the same amount of product with approximately 40% less oil. It also uses approximately 4 % less energy than standard fryers. (Gallagher, 2003) In McDonald lighting represent an important role in reducing the cost of its operations. McDonald uses fluorescent low consumption lighting in the kitchen. Tests revealed that each restaurant saves 11,000kWh of electricity each year. Packaging plays an important role of McDonald brand not only for quality, integrity and safety but also in its visibility to our customers. McDonald also use its cooking oil in its transport operation which has significantly reduces the cost of operation as well. The manuals of the McDonalds employees not only emphasize the organizations motto and QSCV, it also spells out everything they need to know to perform their tasks efficiently. It includes detailed rules on cleaning, food preparation and employees grooming and hygiene. They help ensure efficiency, predictability, and control in the production and customer service. In order to achieve its business strategy goals, McDonald is emphasizing more and more on reducing its cost of operational activities. In order to reduce the cost McDonalds purchases its potatoes from corporate farmers in farming states not the commodities market. Consequently it limits its contact with price fluctuations that might have occurred by using the commodity exchange to get those goods. (typepad, 2009) Aside from offering hamburgers and fresh fries, McDonald has start serving the family treat and as a community centre for the senior citizen. It has also start giving indoor playgrounds and promotional toys to its kids as well. As this trend continue there is an extension of more service-oriented technologies is needed. They can conduct studies and surveys to better know which among the different alternatives serves the companys objectives the best. These might include robots taking orders instead of humans, automated processes of food production (typepad, 2009) McDonald has a policy to be in the market as a market leader. In order to keep its leadership it keeps low cost and gets more income by selling food at cheap price. Food made with the help of machine is considered more hygienic; however the continuous development in the technology McDonald and especially its employees as they have to serve quick services. Computers and smart cashiers are used by the employees so that they would not get confused and they are provided with customized database management system. These all operational activities are conducted in all the branches of McDonald worldwide in order to successfully implement the business strategy of the McDonald. MCDONALD LAYOUT, PROCESS TYPE AND USE OF TECHNOLOGIES MCDONALD KITCHEN LAYOUT The strategy refers to the overall working and general environment offered by the McDonald. It includes the personal level, service and product layout, interior and exterior. McDonald has a policy to serve the fresh food to it customers in a minimum time and at the same time they want to get as many as possible customers to get the more income. The most important thing on which McDonald operational department concentrate is the customers satisfaction. Customers satisfaction can only be achieved if it serves the customers with a good quality food in a quickly with minimum price. In order to perform this whole process McDonald has a very specific type of layout. This layout gives an easy access to the staff to serves the customers in a quick way. At the till when a staff serves the customer, staff has a everything in its reach required by the customer. (Gallagher, 2003) McDonald keep maximum number of tills opens to serves the customers and each staff takes average one minute to serves the customer. The chairs are arranged in such a way that it gives a minimum disruption to the people who are standing in the queue. In the kitchen department McDonald has selected high efficiency fryers which take minimum time to fry the chips. Operations manager has assigned the task to different staff members according to their ability. McDonald get most of the things in ready to serve form from its main headquarter which decrease the cost of producing the food and it also help the McDonald to keep the quality same all over its stores. Staff in McDonald only has to put the food in oil and it gets ready to serve. It also helps the McDonald to save lot of storage cost. In order to keep the system runs smoothly McDonald always keeps good relation with the suppliers. Their supplier makes sure that they deliver the goods to McDonald in the minimum possible time. (Swearingen, 2003) STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF LAYOUT Proper layout enables: Higher utilization of space, equipment and people Improved flow of information, materials or people Improved employee morale and safer working conditions Improved customer/client interaction Flexibility Layout design mean the overall working and general environment offered by the McDonald. It includes the personal level, service and product layout, interior and exterior etc. STRATEGIES: Exterior McDonald sets its premises in proper manner to handle any number of customers easily. The building design is standard world wide but it may be have some difference in size or in exterior according to the location. It enables them to save time, satisfy their customers, comfortable environment for both employees and customers. Ray Kroc opened the first McDonalds franchise in 1955 and today there are over 30,000 restaurants worldwide. McDonalds objectives were to modernize older McDonalds buildings with a fresh new look, while still maintaining the primary iconic sign design and exterior facade elements. The restaurant sign design had to carry the restaurants into the next decade and follow their unique Forever Young branding. Interior: Interiors are set to be depoliticized. In addition to new restaurant lighting, menu boards, artwork and graphics, new materials will offer choice when it comes to decor selection. Technology perks include Wi-Fi, programmed music, and video. (typepad, 2009) MCDONALDS USE OF TECHNOLOGIES McDonalds U.S. created a Store Technology Board to help deliver on the Plan to Win. The board is comprised of corporate and franchisee representatives and is responsible for guiding the development of technology in McDonalds U.S. restaurants. It is also responsible for ensuring timely, cost-effective delivery of high-quality technology solutions; providing effective and timely communication with McDonalds stakeholders and leveraging technology talent and resources where they exist. In 2001 McDonalds began standardizing its technology by integrating its existing point-of-sale and back-office systems in more than 11,000 restaurants in the United States. The company now is investing in a common POS system for use around the world. New-POS, a product developed by Savista, will help McDonalds improve restaurant productivity and enhance the customer experience. In addition, moving to New-POS will create a common platform across the globea move that will better allow McDonalds to leverage future technology in the restaurants. McDonalds implemented an integrated electronic payment system that could be adapted to meet future technology needs as well. He says a significant amount of time also was invested in finding a solution that would permit debit, credit and gift card transactions to be processed through the standard POS system in less than four seconds.(swearingen, 2003) McDonald uses the best equipment to carry out the day to day operation in its outlet. MCDONALD EXPLOTATION OF VALUE CHAIN AND QUALITY PORTERS FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Competition Restaurant industry is highly competitive industry. There are many small fast food businesses in the industry that fight each other to improve their customer base. McDonald is not exception to this. Since it establishment in 1940, MCD has excelled in this sector. Nevertheless to stay in the competition, it started with MCafe. This helped the company to stay in the business as a major fast food business. Another major step came out when McDonald started breakfast to compete with the existing businesses serving breakfast. Hence this industry is extremely competitive and the MDC should be up to date with customer taste and preferences. Quality is very important for McDonald in order to stay in the market but at the same time it has to keep the prices minimum to maintain the cost leadership. Ease of entry Although it is hard to enter in the restaurant business as it demand a lot of investment and it is hard to establish a distinct brand name as well. There is a cost of entry in the market and there is high research and development cost. Large established companies like McDonald do make it more difficult to enter and succeed within the marketplace, new entrant find that they are faced with price competition from existing chain restaurants. At the same McDonald working hard to maintain the quality same throughout the time. It is aware that if it compromise on its quality then it will make very much easier for the new entrant to attract the customers with better quality of its food products. Figure 1.1 Substitutes McDonald keeps a very close watch on its quality because it is aware that customers have many others substitutes of its food products. e.g MDC burgers, Beverages and dairy products. Strength of Suppliers The suppliers power in the fast food industry is relatively small unless the main ingredient of the product is not readily available. Strength of Buyers Relatively strength of buyers in this industry is relatively low.(Ifm, 2009) PORTERS FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS OF VALUE CHAIN The goals of these activities are to offer the customer a level of value that exceeds the cost of activities, thereby resulting in a profit margin for McDonalds. Figure 1.2 The primary value chain activities are: Inbound Logistics The receiving and warehousing of raw materials and their distribution to manufacturing as they are required. McDonald has an efficient warehousing and transporting goods to its branches. All the products are made in the warehousing and goods are distributed as per the requirement of each branch. Operations The processes of transforming inputs into finished products and services. McDonald has a very good operation system as it has trained staff for each task in the kitchen. Most of its product is already in the ready to serve form. All they have to put them in the ovens or in the oil and the product get ready to serve in the minimum possible time which normally takes from 1-5 minutes. Outbound Logistics The warehousing and distribution of finished goods. McDonald has a very well established transporting system. As all of its products are prepared at the warehouse, so in order to improve the distribution process it has applied the IT technology which inform the warehouse body that which branch is running out of the products, so before the products get finished it immediately make available the product to the branch. This process is very cost effective as branches do not need to have the stock room for the goods. Marketing Sale The identification of customer needs and the generation of sales. Service The support of customers after the products and services are sold to them. The primary activities are supported by : Technology development Technologies to support value creating activities. The value chain model is a useful analysis tool for defining a firms core competencies and the activities in which it can pursue a competitive advantage as follows: Cost advantage By better understanding costs and squeezing them out of the value adding activities. As per the porters five forces analysis McDonald deals with factors outside a industry that influence the nature of competition within it, the forces inside the McDonald influences the way in which the firms compete, and so the industrys likely profitability is conducted in the Porters five forces mode.(Ifm, 2009) Figure 1.3 Further there are Secondary support activities which directly supporting the operational activities of the business. HRM department make it possible for the business to get the energetic people to perform the operations. They always keep motivating the staff to work hard. The Management makes possible to select the technology which is cost effective together with the efficiency. CONCLUSION McDonald is a very well established organization. The success of the McDonald is completely based on the extensive research of the market internal and external forces. It has done research on the people behavior of specific country, on their culture, buying power and social issue. McDonald has paid special attention on the location of the business, its interior and exterior outlook and types of technologies it going to use to get the maximum production at short time. The most important thing which it focused on was the quality and the market forces which directly affect the business.
Friday, October 25, 2019
Jay Gatsby is a Sympathetic Character in Fitzgeralds Great Gatsby Essa
In F. Scott Fitzgeraldââ¬â¢s The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby provides the reader with a unique outlook on the life of the newly rich. Gatsby is an enigma and a subject of great curiosity, furthermore, he is content with a lot in life until he strives too hard. His obsession with wealth, his lonely life and his delusion allow the reader to sympathize with him. Initially, Gatsby stirs up sympathetic feelings because of his obsession with wealth. Ever since meeting Dan Cody, his fascination for wealth has increased dramatically. He even uses illegal unmoral methods to obtain hefty amounts of wealth to spend on buying a house with ââ¬Å" Marie Antoinette music-rooms, Restoration Salons, dressing rooms and poolrooms, and bath rooms with sunken baths.â⬠(88) His wardrobe is just as sensational with ââ¬Å" shirts of sheer linen and thick silk and fine fennel.â⬠(89) Gatsby buys such posh items to impress Daisy but to him, Daisy herself is a symbol of wealth. Jay remarks, ââ¬Å"[Daisyââ¬â¢s] voice is full of money.â⬠(115). For him, Daisy is the one who is ââ¬Å" High in a white palace the kingââ¬â¢s daughter, the golden gir...
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Analysis of Adidas
POLITICAL FACTORS: Political stability is an important factor in any country for Adidas. Political and regulatory risks include potential losses from expropriation, nationalization, civil unrest, terrorism and significant changes to trade policies . In particular the Adidas Group faces risks arising from sudden increase of import restrictions, charges in the taxation system of a country, minimum wage policy, import tariffs and duties that could compromise the free flow of goods.ECONOMIC FACTORS: Economic growth and interest rates are major factors for any economy in the world, if interest rates are too high and keep rising, then the demand for products will fall, as it makes saving more attractive and borrowing more expensive (Babette & Ferrell et. al 2008). Whereas if interest rates are too low, people are encouraged to spend, as saving isnââ¬â¢t attractive. This means that there is more money going round in the economy and makes goods seem cheaper, which is bad for the economy a s it causes inflation to increase. This is why it is important that interest rates are stable. Taxation, VAT, Inflation, unemployment and per capita income highly affect the companyââ¬â¢s profitability.SOCIAL FACTORS: Adidas target market comprises of people from different social backgrounds. The Adidas Group is affected by peopleââ¬â¢s religion, race, culture, education levels, population, gender, buying habits and lifestyle. Different religions like Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism and many more have different buying patterns and opinions for any products they buy (Wilson 2005). The Adidas Group has penetrated most countries so all these social attributes play very important roles in deciding the companyââ¬â¢s strategy. PEST ANALYSISTECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS Technological advances in things like machinery will have an affect on the Adidas Group. The latest Technology can speed up production, save energy or cut down labour costs. Currently the world has become a small vi llage and the use of the Internet is increasing day by day all around the world, soà Adidas needs to make sure that they keep up-to-date with the Internet all the time. It will help customers to buy online, and help it to advertise online and many other things.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Gabriela Mistralââ¬â¢s, ââ¬ÅTiny Feetââ¬Â Analysis Essay
A childââ¬â¢s tiny feet, Blue, blue with cold, How can they see and not protect you? Oh, my God! (1-4) Tiny wounded feet, Bruised all over by pebbles, Abused by snow and soil! (5-7) Man, being blind, ignores that where you step, you leave A blossom of bright light, that where you have placed your bleeding little soles a redolent tuberose grows. (8-13) Since, however, you walk through the streets so straight, you are courageous, without fault.(14-16) Childââ¬â¢s tiny feet, Two suffering little gems, How can the people pass, unseeing. (17-19) The poem ââ¬Å"Tiny Feetâ⬠(1945) by Gabriela Mistral is a heart breaking poem that describes to us the lives of poverty-stricken children and the need for society to help and protect them. Mistralââ¬â¢s poems resulted from a life of tragedies that she, herself endured. When she was 3 years old, her father left home and never returned, leaving her mother and half-sister to raise her. Mistral was falsely accused of wasting classroom materials in school, and was unable to defend herself. She was then victimized by her peers when they threw stones at her and she was sent home to be taught by her half-sister. This was the first instance of injustice and human cruelty that she encountered which left a profound impression on her as a poet. She was determined to speak for the defenseless, humble and the poor. In the poem, her views are expressed as to how society ignores child poverty. The tone is sad at the beginning of the poem. Within the first stanza, Mistral explains the scene of the poem perfectly. Mistral presents the description of the barefooted feet of a little child, whom has no shoes in the following lines, ââ¬Å"A childââ¬â¢s tiny feet, Blue, blue with coldâ⬠(1-2). She lets the reader know that the child is suffering in the cold with his painful, wounded feet, yet no one cares if he has shoes or not. ââ¬Å"How can they see and not protect you?â⬠(3), here Mistral points out that no one stops to help or protect the child. They just walk by as if they donââ¬â¢t even notice. The author, who was a religious woman cries out, ââ¬Å"Oh, my God!â⬠(4) She calls out to God to help her to understand how the people could ignore the child and its needs. Mistralââ¬â¢s love for the child is expressed in this stanza with passion and wrath. This stanza leaves the reader to question how people could not see the issue of child poverty that is visual right in front of people passing by. The second stanza describes the harsh environments in which the child is living and the hardships it has to face every day. The lines ââ¬Å"Tiny wounded feet, Bruised all over by pebbles, Abused by snow and soil!â⬠(5-7) describe the image of the feet and that they are battered and torn from the elements. Mistral explains to the reader about the suffering and distress the child is enduring, not because his feet hurt, but that no one cares or tries to protect him from harm. Mistral employs the device of imagery to display this scene, as the reader can clearly visualize the childââ¬â¢s battered feet. The images directly connect the reader because we can easily feel the childââ¬â¢s pain. The third stanza speaks of the childââ¬â¢s innocence in the world. ââ¬Å"Man, being blind, ignores that where you step you leave, a blossom of bright lightâ⬠(8-10) depicts that for each step the child takes it could be towards progress but because the people are to blind to see them, they will never know their full potential or what they could become. ââ¬Å"That where you have placed your bleeding little soles a redolent tuberose growsâ⬠(11-13), the author explains that is not the childââ¬â¢s fault that he has to endure these hardships. She expresses that society could help the child by giving him a chance at a better life and see what progress could be made, but still theyà ignore him and the possibility. The fourth stanza explains the courage the child has while facing adversity. By reviewing the first two lines, ââ¬Å"Since, however, you walk through the streets so straight,â⬠(14-15) the reader can understand that the child is brave, and is not giving up hope, for one day he may have a better life. The last line of the fourth stanza states that ââ¬Å"You are courageous, without faultâ⬠(16) and shows the reader that through adversity and hardships, the child seems to not give up and that it is no fault of his own that he currently has to live this life of poverty. Mistral criticizes society for not wanting to help the child. Two incomplete sentences and a question make up the fifth stanza. The incomplete sentences help the reader to understand the view of the author. In the lines ââ¬Å"Childââ¬â¢s tiny feet, Two suffering little gems,â⬠(17-18) the author addresses the agony the child is enduring and compares the childââ¬â¢s feet to gems, stating how children are a blessing, and should be protected as you would protect any precious gem. Mistral ends the poem with the following question, ââ¬Å"How can the people pass, unseeing.â⬠(19) The ââ¬Ëunseeingââ¬â¢ people are those that take for granted the blessing of children, as having her own children is something she deeply desires. Mistral is concerned about the future of the child in a society that looked away from poverty stricken children who grew up poor knowing no other way of life. How could society continue to ignore child poverty and not intervene and protect them? The last stanza leads the reader to firmly believe that no one helped the child. Part II: Scansion and Analysis The central theme and meaning of the poem is children in poverty, and the neglect by society. Children are the innocence of the world and it is our responsibility as adults to help guide and protect them. The poem is written in free verse and it has no set meter. The only rhyme within the poem is an internal rhyme that is located within the line number 11, a ââ¬Å"Blossom of bright light.â⬠The tone of the poem begins as sad, and full of despair with the very idea of children living in poverty with no one to care for them. Though, by the middle of the poem, the tone changes when theà author shows hope is felt for the children because they are brave. The poem has five stanzas. The views and thoughts of the author are within all stanzas. Imagery is used throughout the poem. For instance, you can clearly imagine that because the childââ¬â¢s feet are so cold that they have turned blue. The reader can also visualize how the feet are bleeding from stepping on pebbles. The author uses a metaphor technique when comparing the childââ¬â¢s feet to precious gems as children are just as precious as gems and should be protected as such. The lines within the poem are sometimes difficult because of their harshness while reading, but the author uses this to promote an intended effect, giving the reader an emotional and uncomfortable uncertainty. The author also uses descriptive adjectives to bring deeper meaning to the poem. By using words that are not well known causes the reader to search for meanings to better understand the writing. I chose to view this poem through a thematic mode. I believe Mistral used the theme of the poem to bring awareness to society regarding childhood poverty. Her approach made it easy for the reader to understand the theme and the issue at hand. I also agree with Mistral that society as a whole turns the other way and does not want to help the neglected and poverty stricken individuals. The general message of the poem is to tell society to open its eyes to children in poverty and stop taking everything for granted. I feel that the poem is an expression of the childrenââ¬â¢s emotional and physical pain that is endured in poverty, as well as the pain the author feels by seeing the neglected children. Mistral expressed that children were the future, and in order for the future to look bright, there must be children that love the world in which they live. Works Cited Mistral, Gabriela. Poet Seers. n.d. 26 June 2014 .
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
The Conflicting Communication In Pulp Fiction Essays - Marcellus
The Conflicting Communication In Pulp Fiction Essays - Marcellus The Conflicting Communication In Pulp Fiction Many movies tend to lean more toward the interest of a single gender rather than everyone as a whole. For instance, some may argue that the movie Pulp Fiction was created for the entertainment of the male persuasion. Director and creator Quentin Tarantino is notorious for his harsh, almost gory entertainment. Pulp Fiction seems to match Debra Tannens description of a male affiliated movie to the tee by the way Tarantino ties the action with the suspense of certain rough characters. It is a rough movie that deals with the lives of several kingpins and gangsters and their daily struggles. Yet, pervading through all these hard-core gangsters is a woman of greater character, Mia Wallace; she is the brave and confident wife of the kingpin Marcellus Wallace. She plays a character that contains great confidence and portrays a woman who, in short, is not to be messed with. In her own devious way, she seems to control the scene whenever she is around. Whether it is her relationship to her husband or just her strong will, Mia has a way about her that inspires and intimidates others that surround her. Even though Mias independence might seem to appeal more to a female audience, it also works to reinforce to the male dominance appeal. It is interesting to watch her reactions and compare then to the other main characters of the movie. There are predominantly different reactions in the way that the kingpin, the gangsters, and Mia handle and control different situations. There, in Pulp Fiction, is a character that possesses the utmost of confidence and calmness about him. His name is Marcellus Wallace, and he is the kingpin of all the crime and action that takes place in the flick. Everything, from the clout that he carries to his physical build, portrays a large man that contains the knowledge and the power to win any conflict. Marcellus knows the awe that he possesses, and he uses this knowledge to his advantage. Butch was the name of the boxer that failed to throw a fight after Marcellus had paid him to do so. In a gun battle between Butch and Marcellus, both men are captured and are taken to be beat by a random storeowner. Butch then finds a way to save his and Marcelluss lives by escaping. Even after receiving such a harsh beating, Marcellus still carries a sort of scary calmness about him. To keep his reputation straight gets revenge not only on the man who beat him but all the store owners family and friends also. This display of how Marcellus expresses his anger and stress is enough to almost petrify any man. It was shortly there after when one of Marcellus gangsters called him in a panic because the gangster in their car shot a man and had no means of cleaning it up. Being relaxed and cool Marcellus responds to the call sending one of his best men to take care of the problem. The way Marcellus reacts to the situation also helps to calm the nerves of Jules, the gangster. It seems his leadership springs from his confidence, like Debra Tannin describes in the articles You Just Dont Understand. Her research proves that poor questions, comments, or commands are not as likely to be executed as well as those that are firm and confident. Through his power Marcellus is able to gain followers that are loyal and true, weather be the fact that they also are scared. It seems almost ironic the way the main gangsters act throughout this movie. Vincent and Joules are the two main gangsters and they both possess split personalities. Even in the crime world, there seems to be a change of command; the gangsters are under the kingpin. Jules and Vincent do the dirty work that is passed down to them by Marcellus. One would be surprised in the way these two men react to truly difficult problems. It was Vincent who almost had a heart attack on the night he took Mia out on the town, as orders from the boss. She overdosed on heroin and came near death. Panicked, he rushed her to Chiastic, the drug dealer's,
Monday, October 21, 2019
Zelda Fitzgerald Quotes
Zelda Fitzgerald Quotes Zelda Fitzgerald, born Zelda Sayre, was an artist, ballet dancer, and writer. Married at 19 to writer F. Scott Fitzgerald, her zany and racy antics (and his) seemed to symbolize the freedom of the Jazz Age. She wrote in part to battle her restlessness while her husband was absorbed in his writing. Zelda Fitzgerald was diagnosed as a schizophrenic. She was hospitalized after a nervous collapse in 1930 and spent the rest of her life in sanatoriums. Zelda Fitzgerald died in a hospital fire in 1948. It was the 1960s before her writing began to be studied seriously and she began to emerge a bit from the shadow of her more famous husband. Selected Zelda Fitzgerald Quotations I dont want to live I want to love first, and live incidentally. Nobody has ever measured, not even poets, how much the heart can hold. Why do we spend years using up our bodies to nurture our minds with experience and find our minds turning then to our exhausted bodies for solace? Women sometimes seem to share a quiet, unalterable dogma of persecution that endows even the most sophisticated of them with the inarticulate poignancy of the peasant. Oh, the secret life of man and woman dreaming how much better we would be than we are if we were somebody else or even ourselves, and feeling that our estate has been unexploited to its fullest. By the time a person has achieved years adequate for choosing a direction, the die is cast and the moment has long since passed which determined the future. We grew up founding our dreams on the infinite promise of American advertising. I still believe that one can learn to play the piano by mail and that mud will give you a perfect complexion. Most people hew the battlements of life from compromise, erecting their impregnable keeps from judicious submissions, fabricating their philosophical drawbridges from emotional retractions and scalding marauders in the boiling oil of sour grapes. I wish I could write a beautiful book to break those hearts that are soon to cease to exist: a book of faith and small neat worlds and of people who live by the philosophies of popular songs. Its very expressive of myself. I just lump everything in a great heap which I have labeled the past, and, having thus emptied this deep reservoir that was once myself, I am ready to continue. I have often told you that I am that little fish who swims about under a shark and, I believe, lives indelicately on its offal. Anyway, that is the way I am. Life moves over me in a vast black shadow and I swallow whatever it drops with relish, having learned in a very hard school that one cannot be both a parasite and enjoy self-nourishment without moving in worlds too fantastic for even my disordered imagination to people with meaning. Mr. Fitzgerald I believe that is how he spells his name seems to believe that plagiarism begins at home.
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Abortion Essay Example for Free (#4)
Abortion Essay Essay Topic: Abortion Choose cite format: APA MLA Harvard Chicago ASA IEEE AMA company About StudyMoose Contact Careers Help Center Donate a Paper Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Complaints ? Thereââ¬â¢s a lot of speculation going on right now about whether or not abortion is ethical. Many people believe that there should be laws against it, that it should be banned entirely. Thousands spend time protesting abortion, stating that it is a sin, and that it is the same as murdering a child. However, the majority of those who claim these things donââ¬â¢t have their facts quite right. When an abortion is performed, the fetus is in a very early stage of development. Most brain cells are not yet developed, and this means that the fetus cannot feel pain. The ââ¬Å"silent screamsâ⬠that those who oppose abortion often mention are nonexistent. Fetuses cannot scream, move, or feel at this point in the pregnancy. Additionally, aborting a fetus is certainly not the same as murdering a fully-developed, self-sufficient child. At this stage in a fetusââ¬â¢ development, it is entirely unable to survive outside of the womanââ¬â¢s womb. It is incapable of breathing as well as conscious thought. It is not yet a child, but merely a developing organism with the capability of becoming one. Abortion should be kept legal. While I do not think it should be used as a standard form of birth control, it definitely needs to remain an option. What if you found yourself pregnant after being a victim of rape? Just imagine trying to provide a quality life for a baby while youââ¬â¢re so young yourself, especially seeing as you arenââ¬â¢t pregnant as a result of your own decision, but because of some cruel personââ¬â¢s actions. Why should that child have to grow up to have a life in either a struggling one-parent household or an orphanage? If we get some of the facts out there, I believe that people might begin to see that abortion is really not such a sin. Maybe when others start to realize this, some of the laws in certain countries that do not allow abortion will be lifted. After all, is it not a terrible thing to have tons of children living their entire lives in poverty? Think about this for a second: whatââ¬â¢s better, terminating an undeveloped, non-autonomous fetus, or watching a child slowly die due its young parentââ¬â¢s lack of income? Abortion. (2017, Jan 08).
Friday, October 18, 2019
Early american history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Early american history - Essay Example This followed a drastic change in the reforms at that time in America. The reforms that were made at that time included the following changes: All powers of legislation were transferred to a central body which was the Congress and constituted of the Senate as well as House of Representatives. Members from the House of Representative were to be reselected every two years and their qualifications were the basis of their selection. A minimum age of 25 was decided for political representation and the House of Representatives had the authority to choose their senior officials. There were to be two Senators from each state and each one will have equal representation. An annual meeting of the Congress would be held at the end of the year for discussing issues that arose in that year. Each House of Representatives was responsible for its actions and for regulating the behavior of its members, and had the right to punish or dismiss them if they did not follow the rules, regardless of their po sition. The House of Representatives shall be responsible for originating bills and the approved ones (the ones that had a simple 2/3 majority) shall be presented to the President for approval. The Congress had power to collect taxes etc. The judicial power will be entrusted to the Supreme Court before which a series of smaller courts would need to be passed. Congress will not make any kind of laws that prohibit people from practicing the religion of their own choice or hinder their freedom of any kind- speech or expression. Everyone will have rights such as the right to speak regardless of power and authority, race, religion or any other means of discrimination. Everyone was to be considered as having the same importance (Conlin, 1877). All in all, the source we are talking about here was not created for people who only want to read history because it is in their course work or just for the sake of it. The source is created by Joseph R. Conlin; students actually enjoy reading it an d read it by choice instead of force. The source basically describes the improvements that took place in the political scenario of America in the late 19th century but is does not tell us what America was before those changes occurred. The source tells all the improvements that were made at that time when changes were demanded by the minorities who were not treated equally, hence reforms were made so that political issues can be resolved, and there are central bodies that will deal with policies and procedures where everyone can participate with a certain qualification and each person has the right to get equal representation in the government regardless of position. Policies and procedures had become organized and more systematic and now there was a fixed procedure to get demands accepted. If two thirds of the Senate agrees to a certain point then that bill can be passed and presented to the President who may approve or disprove it because he has the final power. Moreover, courts a lso became very systematic and well organized. Supreme Court was the highest and any case would have to pass through the smaller courts to reach the Supreme Court which gave the final verdict (Conlin, 1877). Ultimately, it can be sad that the source explains the improvements very explicitly but only talks of the past very implicitly, if at
Bring awareness to a country about ways to reduce greenhouse emissions Essay
Bring awareness to a country about ways to reduce greenhouse emissions - Essay Example cientific results suggest that the increase in global emission of greenhouse gasses has contributed to a steady and a slowly rising temperature of the earth. It is also good to know that emission from transport add to approximately 27% of the global greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (Han, Qian, Long & Li, 2009). It is therefore upon us to follow the following steps to reduce a huge percentage of global emissions. The first way to reduce greenhouse emission is by fining the amount of carbon footprint you produce. By carbon footprint I mean the amount of carbon you emit as an individual, this can be reduced by reducing your driving habit, spending habits, diet and other factors that can be taken into account. The second way to reduce greenhouse emission is by rethinking transportation. This can be done y not using cars frequently, taking a subway to avoid driving yourself, and improving on walking or biking frequently. The other way to save greenhouse emission is by saving electricity and energy. Electricity energy is being generated by emission producing plants. Reducing your consumption on electricity reduces the amount of energy produced and hence the emission reduction. The consumption can be reduced by unplugging appliances when they are not in use. Greenhouse emission can be eliminated or reduced by changing individualââ¬â¢s consumption habits. Increasing meat consumption can help or making food from scratch while avoiding packed food. As it is so clear it is important to acknowledge the most relevant contributors to greenhouse emission and minimize them as possible. Han, H., Qian, G., Long, J., & Li, S. (2009). Comparision of two different ways of landfill gas utilization through greenhouse gas emission reductions analysis and financial analysis. Waste Management & Research, 27(9), 922-927.
Researched Literary Analysis Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Researched Literary Analysis Paper - Essay Example Henry V approaches this juxtaposition in a period set some time around the late 16th, early 17th century. (Margolf, 1995, 946-948) Clarissaââ¬â¢s ambiguity is characterized by Clarissaââ¬â¢s standing as a member of the upper crust society together with her sense of duty and her contrasting inner thoughts and desires. Mrs. Dalloway is set in a period which follows the First World War in England. Shakespeareââ¬â¢s Henry V is presented as the ideal king and despite the fact that he might have inherited the crown by illicit means, Henry is determined to represent it well without offending Christianity. Just before battle he demonstrates his Christianity as well as his commitment to the title bestowed upon him and prays: Shakespeare constructs each scene around development of Henryââ¬â¢s character. As the play progresses the reader gradually becomes acquainted with a multifaceted persona. For instance as noted in the excerpt above, Henryââ¬â¢s religious nature is depicted. In other scenes, Henry is presented as endowed with compassion and mercy. He is also portrayed as a young man of keen administrative knowledge, a skilful warrior, a man of nobility, an incurable romantic and able to communicate with all walks of life. (Cahn, 1991, 489) Implicit in the cumulative impact of these character traits is a dual character. One who is a ruthless yet compassionate leader. More importantly, as Victor Cahn explains, Shakespeare is careful in ensuring that Henry comes across as ââ¬Å"a man who fights only for legitimate causes.â⬠(Cahn, 1991, 489) Shakespeareââ¬â¢s prologue introduces the reader to Henry as ââ¬Å"the warlike Harryâ⬠(Shakespeare, Henry V, 2003, Prologue, 5) Despite this characterisation, Shakespeare follows with an entirely opposing characterization in the Chorus by describing Henry as the ââ¬Å"mirror of all Christian kings.â⬠(Shakespeare, 2003, Chorus 6) It is this kind of inconsistency that lends
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Online Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Online Communication - Essay Example 207-212). Online communication has become the major and most significant advancement in human communication after the development of printing press. Communication through Short Messaging Service (SMS) Communication through mobile phone text messages is the most slang and commonly used online communication protocol. Since only 160 characters are allowed in a single SMS, application of brief letters and lesser number of words are used to overcome time and space constraints. The main aim is to ease the communication as much as possible. No doubt, SMS has been enhancing communication and global business in general terms but on the other hand, it has been harmful for language proficiency of the learners. Learners mix up the SMS language with the Standard English language committing numerous errors like that of grammar, punctuation etc. Impact of SMS Language on English Language and Education The influence of SMS language on learnerââ¬â¢s language proficiency and especially in official work like assignments, reports, has been widely noticed. The use of SMS language has influenced badly on the performance of students, since they are not observing the grammatical rules of English language. It has influenced the educational field largely as people have now become habitual of using short forms even in official notifications, circulars, etc. Educators use short forms as they find it convenient in usage, and the language used in acceptable as well. There are numerous examples of such official notifications, such as: Notification: To all members, there is an emergency meeting to be held at the Conference Hall between 9.15 to 11. See you There!! B on time. The educators should try to eliminate slang and short form of SMS language from official work, and try promoting the actual English language as much as possible. Communication through Social Networking Sites The last 20 years or so have brought significant modification in communication. The ââ¬Ëresponse timeââ¬â¢ has dropped significantly and communication has become shorter as well as regular (Warschauer, 2001, pp. 207-212). Moreover, instant messaging is yet another interaction tool where style of interaction is more conversational and length of messages is shorter. Broadcast technologies, such as Twitter, have changed communication to news, by letting users post short messages about what are they doing or experiencing; these posts can be related to anything including enjoyment, academics, work life, and / or social activities. It is often regarded as the cousin of instant messaging; a tool for social networking, learning activities, and showing creativity, which is not being used to its maximum potential Anon., 2007). Pear Analytics - an American market research company - reported that around 40 % of posts on Twitter are nothing but ââ¬Å"pointless babbleâ⬠(Anon., 2007). Even though the results provided by this report are supported in individual judgments of people, it sheds light on the usage of Twitter. Not only Twitter but also all social media sites must be seen as revolutionary not vague in their design, but also in their re design as there is no rules or limits on how you want to use it. Clive Thompson (2007, pp. 7) has classified this phenomenon as ââ¬Å"social proprioception. It explains where the nodes of our community are and provides a sense of connectedness to and awareness of others without direct
Different techniques on raising children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Different techniques on raising children - Essay Example If the parents failed to establish a meaningful relationship with their children, the children may not care much about the instructions given by the parents. For example, if both the father and the mother of a child professionals, they may not get enough time to establish a strong relationship with their children because of the less time they might have spent with their children. In such cases, it is difficult for them to make their children obedient to the instructions given by them. ââ¬Å"Self-confidence comes largely from being confident in the world around you. If you can trust your own world to be solid and unchanging, its far easier to be sure of your own place and personality within itâ⬠(Ten Tools for Parenting Happy, Healthy Children, 2010). Planting self confidence in the minds of the children is one of the major requirements for making the child capable of undertaking independent tasks. A child should have planted the seeds of self esteem even in his mind during his childhood itself in order to succeed in his future life. For that purpose, the parents have a definite role to play. As the child learns from his surroundings, especially from the family, the family members should exhibit reasonable confidence in their activities. It is difficult for a child to develop self esteem if his parents happen to be cowards. ââ¬Å"Parents should be each childââ¬â¢s first and favorite teacher. Most parents will encounter a few bumps in the road as their child moves from baby to teen to adultâ⬠(Parenting & Family Issues, 2010). Family is the first and major school of a child. Peaceful family atmosphere is important in raising a child in the right track. Children first learn things from their parents and the family. If the parents often clash each other in the family, children may not get the right message for their development from the all important family school. Moreover, the transition from a baby to teen and teen to adult are important phases in oneââ¬â¢s life.
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Researched Literary Analysis Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Researched Literary Analysis Paper - Essay Example Henry V approaches this juxtaposition in a period set some time around the late 16th, early 17th century. (Margolf, 1995, 946-948) Clarissaââ¬â¢s ambiguity is characterized by Clarissaââ¬â¢s standing as a member of the upper crust society together with her sense of duty and her contrasting inner thoughts and desires. Mrs. Dalloway is set in a period which follows the First World War in England. Shakespeareââ¬â¢s Henry V is presented as the ideal king and despite the fact that he might have inherited the crown by illicit means, Henry is determined to represent it well without offending Christianity. Just before battle he demonstrates his Christianity as well as his commitment to the title bestowed upon him and prays: Shakespeare constructs each scene around development of Henryââ¬â¢s character. As the play progresses the reader gradually becomes acquainted with a multifaceted persona. For instance as noted in the excerpt above, Henryââ¬â¢s religious nature is depicted. In other scenes, Henry is presented as endowed with compassion and mercy. He is also portrayed as a young man of keen administrative knowledge, a skilful warrior, a man of nobility, an incurable romantic and able to communicate with all walks of life. (Cahn, 1991, 489) Implicit in the cumulative impact of these character traits is a dual character. One who is a ruthless yet compassionate leader. More importantly, as Victor Cahn explains, Shakespeare is careful in ensuring that Henry comes across as ââ¬Å"a man who fights only for legitimate causes.â⬠(Cahn, 1991, 489) Shakespeareââ¬â¢s prologue introduces the reader to Henry as ââ¬Å"the warlike Harryâ⬠(Shakespeare, Henry V, 2003, Prologue, 5) Despite this characterisation, Shakespeare follows with an entirely opposing characterization in the Chorus by describing Henry as the ââ¬Å"mirror of all Christian kings.â⬠(Shakespeare, 2003, Chorus 6) It is this kind of inconsistency that lends
Different techniques on raising children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Different techniques on raising children - Essay Example If the parents failed to establish a meaningful relationship with their children, the children may not care much about the instructions given by the parents. For example, if both the father and the mother of a child professionals, they may not get enough time to establish a strong relationship with their children because of the less time they might have spent with their children. In such cases, it is difficult for them to make their children obedient to the instructions given by them. ââ¬Å"Self-confidence comes largely from being confident in the world around you. If you can trust your own world to be solid and unchanging, its far easier to be sure of your own place and personality within itâ⬠(Ten Tools for Parenting Happy, Healthy Children, 2010). Planting self confidence in the minds of the children is one of the major requirements for making the child capable of undertaking independent tasks. A child should have planted the seeds of self esteem even in his mind during his childhood itself in order to succeed in his future life. For that purpose, the parents have a definite role to play. As the child learns from his surroundings, especially from the family, the family members should exhibit reasonable confidence in their activities. It is difficult for a child to develop self esteem if his parents happen to be cowards. ââ¬Å"Parents should be each childââ¬â¢s first and favorite teacher. Most parents will encounter a few bumps in the road as their child moves from baby to teen to adultâ⬠(Parenting & Family Issues, 2010). Family is the first and major school of a child. Peaceful family atmosphere is important in raising a child in the right track. Children first learn things from their parents and the family. If the parents often clash each other in the family, children may not get the right message for their development from the all important family school. Moreover, the transition from a baby to teen and teen to adult are important phases in oneââ¬â¢s life.
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Everything You Need to Know About Kenya Essay Example for Free
Everything You Need to Know About Kenya Essay Kenya is a country in the continent of Africa, on the Indian Ocean coast of East Africa. This country has land on both sides of the equator. This report is going to tell you all about this fascinating country. Jambo (Hello), and we can begin our safari (journey). Jambo and safari are Kiswahili words, one of the languages of Kenya. Kenya is about two times the size of Nevada. Its slightly smaller than Texas and slightly larger than California, our 2nd and 3rd largest states respectively. The countries that border Kenya are Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda. Kenya is not landlocked because the Indian Ocean borders Kenya to its right. Kenya is in both the northern and eastern hemispheres. Some major landforms in Kenya include the Kenyan Highlands, Mt. Kenya, the Great Rift Valley, Mau Escarpment, and Mt. Marsabit. The highest elevation is Mount Kenya at 17,057 feet, which is also one of the tallest in Africa. The capital of Kenya is Nairobi. The distance from Nairobi (the capital of Kenya) to Washington D.C. is 7,548 miles. The geography of Kenya supplies some advantages. One area that displays this is the highlands. The highlands provide Kenya with one of the best agricultural regions in Africa. There is rich soil and fertile ground. There is plentiful rainfall and mild climate perfect for farming. High altitude is also great for growing coffee and tea. Kenya is the 4th largest tea producer in the world. Farming provides jobs to the people that live there. Exporting crops such as coffee and tea help provide money in the country. The one and only type of natural vegetation in Kenya is tropical grassland. They have no active volcanoes, but a few centuries ago Mt. Kenya was a volcano. The distance from Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, to the equator is approximately 216 miles. The climate of Kenya is varied. However, overall, the one-month it rains theà most in Kenya is in April when they get 6.3 inches. The average temperature in January is about 68 degrees while in July its 63 degrees. The many climates in Kenya include tropical wet, tropical wet and dry, arid, and semiarid. Arid is a dry region and receives approximately 5 inches of rain per year. In the summer Kenya gets .6 inches of rain and in the winter receives .1 inches. The temperature in the summer is 81 degrees Fahrenheit and the winter about 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Semiarid is considered a dry climate type. Summers average 79 degrees Fahrenheit and in the winter averages 51 degrees Fahrenheit. The yearly rainfall is 10 inches in the summer 3.4 and .2 in the winter. Tropical wet and dry is considered a tropical climate. Its hot all year, averaging 79 degrees all year. It receives about 50 inches of rainfall per year with 10 inches in the summer and .2 inches in the winter. I will now tell you about the history of Kenya before European exploration. Early tribal groups have started to settle in Kenya as far back as 2000 BC. The main reason tribes came here was for the rich, fertile ground, which would be good for farming. Both the highlands and the Rift Valley provided this in southern Kenya. The first migrants to arrive were pastoral nomads from Ethiopia who were in search of fertile ground, which they could use to graze their flocks. They were soon forced to leave and go into central Tanzania because of the climate changes over the centuries and water had begun to be scarce. The Yaaku, or Eastern Cushites, came 1,000 years later and settled in central Kenya. It seems that the Yaaku had been the leader and many more tribes came as the followers and by 100 AD there has been nearly 1,400 pastoral communities in the Rift Valley region. Next, I will tell you about the people of Kenya. The population of Kenya is 31,138,735 people. There are 2,310,000 people living in Nairobi. The populationà density is 139 people per square miles in Kenya. Kenya is rural in mostà areas, but urban in the capital. The official language of Kenya is English and Kiswahili (Swahili). The major ethnic group of Kenya is Kikuyu, which makes up 22% of the population. The major religion of Kenya is Protestant. 45% of the people follow the Protestant religion. The literacy rate in Kenya is 78.1% overall. Males are 86.3% literate, and women are 70% literate. Many areas lack good education. The life expectancy for women is 48 while the men are expected to life to 46. The population trend is growing greatly at 1.15% per year. One major illness that Kenyans suffer greatly from is HIV/AIDS. I will now tell you about the economy. The major type of economic activity is agriculture including herding and farming. Approximately 75-80% of the working population are in agriculture. It is a primary activity. The main agricultural product is tea. Kenya relies on coffee, tea, and flowers as their limited amount of cash crops. Although they have areas for farming, due to the large population and climate and weather problems, Kenya suffers with both starvation and famine. Some of their leading exports include coffee, tea, and flowers. They have a trade deficit with 3.1 million dollars imported and 1.8 million dollars exported. The major trading partners with Kenya are UK, Tanzania, and Uganda. The major imports Kenya receives are machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum products, motor vehicles, iron and steel, resins, and plastics. The per capita GDP is $1,000 per person. The major natural resource is hydroelectric power. Other natural resources include gold, limestone, s oda ash, salt barites, garnets, and rubies. The currency is called a Kenyan Schilling. A US dollar is worth 77 Kenyan Schillings. I will now tell you about the politics and government of Kenya. The type of government in Kenya is a republic. Recently, the government has not changed. The current leader of Kenya is President Mwal Kibaki. The date Kenya was granted its independence was on December 12th, 1963. The country got its name when Europeans mispronounced the name Kikuyu (what Kenya was then called) for Kenya. The same occurred with the name for Mt. Kenya. There have been no recent civil wars. The ambassador to the US is Yusuf Abdulraham. The name of the major political party is the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy also known as FORD. The international organizations Kenya is aà part of include the UN (The United Nations), IMF (International Monetary Fund), WB (World Bank), OAU (Organization of African Unity), and ISO (International Organization of Standardization). The flag of Kenya has many meanings. The shield represents the pride and tradition of Kenya. The black represents the people. The red represents the blood. Green represents the fertile ground. Finally, the white represents peace. I feel that Kenya is still in the developing stage. Much of the area is rural, with an increasing population, particularly in and around the capital. They have many citizens with HIV AIDS, and have many more suffering from starvation. One strength that Kenya has is that they get 40 inches of rainfall per year. That makes it good for farming, in the areas that they can farm. Another strength is the high altitude and Great Rift Valley that not only allows tea and coffee to grow, but it offers more jobs, which is important with a high population density country like Kenya to have. I think that Kenya will not improve in the future unless they reduce the incidence of Aids and eliminate starvation. Due to limited education, lack of a cure for Aids, and weather conditions that cannot be controlled, the future does not look very promising for Kenya.
Monday, October 14, 2019
Gender Differences in Speech
Gender Differences in Speech A striking contrast between ââ¬Ëthe taciturn man and the ââ¬Ëcackling hen Abstract: Are men really more casual and women more sophisticated while speaking? Despite both genders being part of the same human species, they do have a salient difference in the manner they interact, speak, react and even the topics they choose to talk about. While men are more at ease in their social contexts, women appear to be conscious about their status and thus tend to use higher standard language in terms of talking. In addition, both men and women have different purposes when talking: for men it has more to do about imparting information and demonstrating expertise compared to women who aim to maintain and develop relationships. However, like in a lot of other things, exceptions are a part of this issue too; some men are just ââ¬Ëtoo feminine and some women are just ââ¬Ëtoo boyish. Ever noticed how differently girls and boys talk? What words they use? What topics do they speak on? If you havent yet; next time make sure to do so because linguists have ââ¬Å"claimed to establish a rather intriguing difference between the language used by women and menâ⬠(Talbot, 1998, p. 20). Language and gender is a vast topic that attracts a lot of discussion from linguists around the world who aim to extract the variations and distinctions between a males language and a females. Up until today several such distinctions have been discovered, studied and noted. These differences are essential in characterizing the ââ¬Ëmasculine style of talking and the ââ¬Ëfeminine style. The paramount objective of this paper will be to look deep into these specific differences and also to find possible reasons as to why they exist. The ââ¬Ëhe dominance Historically, English was considered as a sexist language with gender bias in its use (Yule, 2006; Jule, 2008). An example of this gender bias is the use of ââ¬Å"pronouns, particularly the generic use of ââ¬Ëhe or ââ¬Ëhim or ââ¬Ëhis to refer to something relating to both men and womenâ⬠(Jule, 2008, p. 13). For instance, the tendency to say ââ¬Å"each student is required to buy his own dictionaryâ⬠indicates the sexism in the use of ââ¬Ëhis (Yule, 2006, p. 225). Nevertheless, now it is becoming much less common and there is now strong use of the forms ââ¬Ëshe/he and ââ¬Ëhis/her so that both genders can be included in all contexts where both the genders are being referred to. Variation and Exception Language use not only varies between cultures and religions but also ââ¬Å"varies according to the social context, in terms of level of formality required by the relationship between speaker and hearer and what they are talking about, as well as other aspectsâ⬠(Talbot, 1998, p. 19). It also varies based on geographical locations, both within and across national boundaries; there are forms like Nigerian English, South African English, Australian English etc However, apart from social dialects and contexts, sociolinguists have asserted that there is a striking divergence between the language used between men and women in general. Several studies have been conducted by sociolinguists to prove that these distinctions in a mens speech and womens speech do exist and are not just for say. In addition, differences not only exist in matters of speech but also in terms of interaction. This gendered language is the reason that not only reflects these social differences between men and women but it also creates and maintains them (Talbot, 1998). However, what is worth remembering is that it is not always the same; not all women have a stereotypical style as outlined by the linguists and not all men have the exact identical way described by linguists. You must have occasionally heard someone say ââ¬Ëhes too feminine or ââ¬Ëshes totally boyish. This does indicate that exceptions, as in everything else, exist in gendered language too. All women and men cannot be placed in the category set out by linguists. Nonetheless, a general framework that has been created by linguists clearly defines that differences amongst la nguage used by men and women are present. There are vocal differences, differences in forms, in politeness, in compliments and what is interesting is that these differences exist since childhood. Boy talk vs. girl talk Even as young girls and boys, there is a great amount of difference in the way each one speaks, interacts and responds. There is a difference in interests as well. While girls are busy dressing up Barbie dolls or playing teacher-teacher, boys are fighting for dominance in wrestling games or killing each other in robotics. Linguists have pointed out that girls, since school age, have a more interactive style with ââ¬Å"socializing in small groups, more often in co-operative activities, establishing reciprocal relationships and exchanging rolesâ⬠(Yule, 2006, p. 224). Boys, on the other hand, tend to exclude girls from their activities and make fun of those who do include them. Comparatively, they tend to ââ¬Å"socialize in much larger groups, often in competitive activities, establishing and maintaining hierarchical relationshipsâ⬠(Yule, 2006, p. 224). Also what is noticed is when conflicts arise between girls and boys, both use different strategies for tackling them. Amy Sheldon undertook an interesting set of analysis of ââ¬Ëconflict talk and studied the discourse of 3-5 year olds in day care centers. ââ¬Å"Boys she observed handled conflict in a more heavy-handed fashion, expressing more self-assertive statements and dominance, whereas the girls used more collaborative discourse negotiationto mitigate conflictâ⬠(Clark, Eschholz, Rosa Simon, 2008, p. 519). In addition to conflict strategies, there is also a difference in forms and pitch ranges between young boys and girls. Fern L. Johnson goes on to state that ââ¬Å"since childhood, girls tend to speak in softer, polite, higher-pitched voicesâ⬠compared to boys who have more ââ¬Å"forceful, straight forward, lower pitched voicesâ⬠(Clark, Eschholz, Rosa Simon, 2008, p. 504). However, the differences in pitch and voice range is accounted for by the differences in vocal characteristics of males and females. Males have longer vocal tracts, larger larynxes and thicker vocal chords compared to females and this is the reason why there is a difference in pitch ranges. The result is that men typically speak in a lower pitch range- typically between 80 200 Hertz whereas women speak in a much higher version- between 120 400 Hertz. The term pitch refers to the vibration in the vocal chords, ââ¬Å"with slower vibration making voices sound lower and rapid vibration making voices sound higherâ⬠(Yule, 2006, p. 224). What you might also notice is that at an early age parents are often heard telling their kids different things to sons and to their daughters. Sons are always told to ââ¬Ëtoughen- up and ââ¬Ëstand-up for themselves and if they dont act like it, they are advised ââ¬Ëdont be a sissy. In contrast, girls are always commanded to ââ¬Ëact ladylike, ââ¬Ësit and speak properly and to ââ¬Ëdress decently. These reasons are also responsible for the differences in a womans speaking style and a mans. ââ¬ËChatty women and ââ¬ËMen of few words Women have always been addressed with typical phrases like ââ¬Ëcackling hens, ââ¬Ëchatty women and ââ¬Ëthe gossip whereas men have been tagged with ââ¬Ëthe taciturn man and ââ¬Ëman of few words (Clark, Eschholz, Rosa Simon, 2008, p. 523-524). Women, undoubtedly, have been believed to talk more than men. Jule mentions a study statistic done by Mark Peters (2007) on the number of words used by women and those used by men in a single day. ââ¬Å"Peter indicates that women use about 7000 words a day compared to only 2000 for menâ⬠(Jule, 2008, p. 27). Apart from the fact that females talk more, what is interesting is that the ââ¬Ëspeech they use varies considerably than that used by men. Womens speech has been associated with the use of tag questions, super polite forms, affective adjectives, hedges, rising intonations and hypercorrect grammar. Tag questions are questions at the end of a sentence, like an utterance, often asking for an opinion, approval or confirm ation, like ââ¬Ëthis dress is pretty, isnt it? or similarly ââ¬Ëdont you? ââ¬Ëhavent we? are all questions tagged at the end of a sentence. Super polite forms refer to the ââ¬Å"avoidance of swear-words and extensive use of euphemism. Euphemism is the use of veiled, indirect expression (for instance, saying passed away instead of died)â⬠(Talbot, 1998, p. 39). These tend to make womens language more standard and often higher in prestige compared to men. Hedges are filler items or an utterance like ââ¬Ëyou know, ââ¬Ëwell, ââ¬Ëkind of or sounds like ââ¬Ëhmm and ââ¬Ëyeah. These hedges are often a reason of misinterpretation amongst men and women. Since hedges are in a womens use, men consider it to be a sign of agreement whereas when women do not see men using such hedges, they take it as if the men are not paying attention to what the speaker is saying (Yule, 2006). Affective adjectives are used in expressing approval, or admiration, many of which are use d by women, words such as ââ¬Ëdivine, ââ¬Ëadorable and ââ¬Ëcharming. Hypercorrect grammar, as stated by Lackoff, is simply to state that women tend to use more standardized forms, which implies that ââ¬Å"they are more correct than they ought to beâ⬠(Talbot, 1998, p. 40). All these above mentioned characteristics are rarely heard from a man and are usually not a part of their speech. These characteristics also point to something else: interaction between and amongst the two genders. The casual man and the sophisticated woman à à à à à Women have a completely differing style of interaction than men. Also, topic choices vary between men and women. Each gender speaks more about the topic that they are comfortable with. The general view of linguists is that men speak more casually than women. This is perhaps because women are more conscious about their social status and how others around them perceive them to be. In a study mentioned by Jule, the conclusion drawn was that ââ¬Å"men are more at ease in their social settingsand that women are more anxiousin social situations because of their need to achieve or maintain social statusâ⬠(Jule, 2008, p. 20). Deborah Tannen also asserts that men and women ââ¬Å"have different goals in conversation and that the conversational strategies men use, such as interruptions, help to establish their own status and authorityâ⬠(Clark, Eschholz, Rosa Simon, 2008, p. 506). Jennifer Coates mentions a study conducted by Zimmerman and West (1975) which cle arly suggests that the number of interruptions is very high in mixed- sex conversations, with men interrupting more than women. Also, there is a fact that men rarely interrupt each other while speaking amongst themselves, ââ¬Å"it is when they are talking to women that they use interruptionsâ⬠(Coates, 1993, p. 109). Conversely, women do not use overlaps in conversation with men (while they do use amongst themselves) suggesting that they are ââ¬Å"concerned not to violate the mans turn but wait until hes finishedâ⬠(Coates, 1993, p. 110). There is also a difference in communication and interaction of men and women within social contexts and private contexts. According to a study mentioned by Janet Holmes ââ¬Å"males tend to talk more than women in public contexts where talk is highly valued and attracts positive attentionâ⬠(Holmes, 1995, p. 37). Therefore, each gender provides more contribution in the situation they are most contented in. In private contexts ââ¬Å"women tend to regard talk as means of maintaining and developing relationshipsâ⬠(Holmes, 1993, p. 38). Mary M. Talbot also puts forward that ââ¬Å"men tend to use conversation as arenas for negotiating and maintaining status.Conversations are about imparting information, talking for a purpose, demonstrating expertiseâ⬠(1998, p. 99). This then explains why men are more aware about their status in public perspectives than in casual conditions. Tannen mentions a personal experience where at a party she noticed that when men dont know much a bout a particular topic, they tend to ââ¬Å"change the subject to something they know more aboutâ⬠(Clark, Eschholz, Rosa Simon, 2008, p. 533). Whos more polite? With regards to politeness, there are two things that are of great significance in indicating the level of politeness: compliments and apologies. In both the aspects of compliments and apologies, women definitely hold their flag much high than men. In a study conducted by Janet Holmes (1995) on the levels of politeness amongst men and women, what was found was that ââ¬Å"women give 70% of compliments and receive about 75% of them; compliments between men are rare- less than 10%â⬠(Jule, 2008, p. 83). She further presents a study conducted between New Zealand men and women in regards to who apologizes most and what Holmess data relates is that ââ¬Å"apologies were more frequent between and amongst womenâ⬠typically around 58% compared to only 8% amongst men (1995, p. 157). However, ââ¬Å"the number of apologies between women and men is remarkably evenly distributedâ⬠close to the 20% mark (1995, p. 159). As an explanation to this, Holmes offers that women might consi der explicit apologies for offences as more important in maintaining relationships than men do which may also be why women tend to be more polite, aware of their surroundings and status than men. In conclusion, as Holmes points out; it is not always this way, not all women speak in the way describes above i.e. using hedges, super polite forms, tag questions, standard language, hypercorrect grammar etc. This is the general view of linguists that has been established after a wide range of studies and this is what outlines such patterns in the styles of gendered language. However, this does not mean that women do not have an abrasive, challenging and antagonistic speech style, some of them do but then they are considered to have adopted a ââ¬Ëmasculine style of talking and thus, they are placed under the category of exceptions. Nonetheless, these exceptions exist as a minority and the general pattern in womens and mens speech is the one described above and the one that is observed and accepted by several linguists of this field. A brief word about the cited authors: Janet Holmes is a professor of linguists at the Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. She is a teacher of sociolinguistic courses, New Zealand English, and language and gender issues. Her publications consist of ââ¬ËAn introduction to sociolinguistics, ââ¬ËNew Zealand ways of speaking English, ââ¬ËGendered talk at work, ââ¬ËWomen, men and politeness and several others. Jennifer Coates is a professor of English language and linguistics at Roehampton University, UK. Her works comprise of ââ¬ËWomen, men and language, ââ¬ËWomen in their speech communities, ââ¬ËWomen talk, ââ¬ËConversations between women friends along with many others. Recently, she has completed a book on men, masculinity and narrative entitled ââ¬ËMen talk. Most of her research interests address the issue of language and sexuality and the conversational patterns in gendered talk. She is also the editor of the Blackwell sociolinguistic series ââ¬ËLanguage and Social change and the senior editor of the Longman ââ¬ËReal Language series. Allyson Jule, a PhD from Roehampton University, London, has particular research interests in the field of gender and language. She is an associate professor of education at the Trinity Western University along with being on the Advisory committee of the International Gender and Language Association (IGALA). Her famous works are composed of ââ¬ËSh-shushing the Girls, ââ¬ËA beginners guide to language and gender, along with several other journal articles and co-edited books on the same issue. She is also part of the British Association of Applied linguists (BAAL) and is the reviewer of the Gender and Education journal. References Clark, V., Eschholz, P., Rosa, A., Simon, B. L. (Ed.). (2008). Language: Introductory readings (7th ed.). Boston: Bedford/St.Martins. Coates, J. (1993). Women, men, and language: A sociolinguistic account of gender differences in language (2nd ed.). New York: Longman. Holmes, J. (1995). Women, men, and politeness. New York: Longman. Jule, A. (2008). A beginners guide to language and gender. Toronto: Cromwell Press. Talbot, M. M. (1998). Language and gender: An introduction. Malden: Blackwell Publishers. Yule, G. (2006). The study of language (3rd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Free Destiny vs. Controlled Fate in Antigone Essay -- Sophocles
Fate is an old debated concept. Do one's actions truly play a role in determining one's life? Is fate freedom to some or is it binding to others, in that no individual can make completely individual decisions, and therefore, no one is truly free. Nowadays, fate is a subject often rejected in society, as it is seen as too big, too idealistic, and too hard to wrap a persons head around. However, at the time of Antigone, the concept was a terrifying reality for most people. Fate is the will of the gods, and as is apparent in Antigone, the gods' will is not to be questioned. Much of Sophocles' work focuses on the struggle between human law and what is believed to be the godââ¬â¢s law. Fate was an unstoppable force and it was assumed that any efforts to change one's future were unrealistic. In Sophocles' Antigone, fate plays a crucial role the choices that the characters make. Most people believe that Creon and Antigone were under the influence of forces that they could not control, in the decisions they made and the actions that they took. Despite Antigone's morals and her practice of those morals, she cannot escape the family curse. She states, ââ¬Å"You would think that we had already suffered enough for the curse on Oedipusâ⬠(prologue.2-3). Ironically Antigone will suffer the rest of her life because of what her father/brother did. Her life had been rocked so much by this family curse that only Ismene remains, and she lost the last thing that mattered to her--her sister Antigone, who surprisingly took her own life. Antigoneââ¬â¢s strong beliefs in the godââ¬â¢s laws can really be heard when she said ââ¬Å"â⬠¦Your edict, King, was strong, but all your strength is weakness itself against the immortal unrecorded laws of god. They are not merely now: they ... ...n offering at the altar but the god of fire failed me so the flame never blazedâ⬠(5.10-22). The birds may symbolize the family, two brothers killing each other, Creon sentencing Antigone to die. Or Antigone opting to hang herself which leads Haimon to try and kill his father but getting killed himself instead, and as a result Creon's wife commits suicide. The gods don't show acceptance of this situation, because the family has been doomed into the fate of death. A lot can be learned about an author by just reading his or her works. For instance one can easily learn about Sophoclesââ¬â¢ view on fate just by reading Antigone. Much of Sophocles' work focuses on the struggle between human law and what is believed to be the godââ¬â¢s law. Sophocles believed that Fate was an unstoppable force and it was assumed that any efforts to change one's future were completely unrealistic.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Essay --
performance of the Board Jump game, in compares ion of the YH and GH players. Prior to the Olympic Games in Atlanta, the United States Tested the Olympic Team Board Jump players (N=20, ages ranged from 22.01 to 31.73 years) consisted of laboratory tests of maximum oxygen uptake, computerized strength measures, blood tests, etc, and a battery of field tests (anthropometries: height, weight, hand breadth, arm length, arm span; and skills: accuracy Jumping, dribble and jump-Jumping) that included assessments of physical characteristics, and physical performance components Bergemann, B 27 (1995) the mean vertical jump for the dominant leg was 54.03 cm (21.27 in), the non-dominant leg was 46.72 cm (18.39 in), and for both legs was 62.15 cm (24.47 in). This is higher than vertical jumps of 52.8 cm (20.8 in) for professional soccer players, 53.3 cm (21 in) for college basketball players, but less than 67.0 cm (26.4 in) for elite men volleyball players. The correlation coefficients for the anthropometric, vertical jump and the skills tests with the Experts Rankings we re very low. The correlation between the Total Composite T-scores and the Experts Rankings were the highest with r = 0.364. This is not significant but was very close to the r = 0.3783 needed for significance. Zapartidis, D. 28 (2009) in his study conducted under the heading, 'Factors Influencing Ball Jumpinging Velocity in Young Female Board Jump Players'. The study aimed to the investigation of the relationship between the Jumping ball velocity and specific anthropometric and physical fitness characteristics of young female team Board Jump players. The scholar selected some 220 young female board jumpers for the study and (N=220, mean à ± SD age 13.99 à ± 1.06 yrs and playing ... ...when tested. In the study the researchers assessed the speed, using a 30-m run, and agility, using the tests such as the stepping aside test. The teamââ¬â¢s Board Jump wing players are usually required to be faster and more agile than other field players. The scholars in the study saw some of these qualities of wing players but only partially, since the performance of back-court players was similar to that of wing players. There was no plausible explanations were offered for this lack of differences. However, the means for the speed and agility tests showed that wing players tended to be faster and more agile than back-court players. It is possible that the lack of statistical difference was due to a lack of statistical power. Unfortunately, the effect size could not be calculated from data presented in this study, since the standard deviation values were not reported.
Friday, October 11, 2019
Child of Divorce Essay
Divorce is becoming a norm in the society nowadays. This refers to the complete termination of marriage between the couple who demands for it. Through the dissolution of the bonds of matrimony, both parties are allowed to marry again (Gallagher, 1996). However, opposing views are prevailing regarding divorce. For those who are in favor of it, divorce can be regarded as the only legitimate remedy when happiness and affection are no longer provided in the marriage (Scanzoni 1965). For those who are against it, divorce causes psychological problems and damage to social cohesion (Diefenbach, 2007). Divorce is not just the story of the couple parting ways but it is more of a story of the children who are products of a divorced marriage. ââ¬Å"Human children need parents longer than any other species and are totally dependent on parents for food, shelter, and protection for the first several years of life. This dependency spawns a fear of abandonment. In divorce, one of the parents leaves. When one parent leaves, the children feel rejected. The loss children feel at divorce is similar to that experienced when a parent dies. Divorce might actually be harder on children because it lacks the concrete cause and finality of death (Bryner, 2001). â⬠This causes most of the children of divorce to be more aggressive, impulsive and develop antisocial behavior compared to children from intact families (Hetherington, 1999). Others also exhibit lower academic performance (Kelly, 1998). However, some children manage to develop without these deleterious effects of divorce. As a matter of fact, these children are found to have less stereotyped sex behavior, greater maturity and greater independence (Emery, 1995). The developmental stage of the child when the divorce of his parents occurs is predictive of the childââ¬â¢s behavior and reaction towards the situation. An infant or a toddler will not react at all to his parentsââ¬â¢ divorce because he canââ¬â¢t still comprehend the situation. However, a preschooler will tend to blame himself as the culprit of his parentsââ¬â¢ divorce. Because he feels guilty and fears that the remaining parent may also leave him, he becomes more possessive of his parent (Roseby, 1998). For a young school-aged child, the divorce of his parents gives him a sense of responsibility. He feels that he should bring his parents together again and think of strategies that will make his parents interact in any way (Lansky, 1996). On the other hand, older school-aged children tend to blame one parent and take the side of the other parent. They become anxious and worrisome of the situation which makes them prone to illnesses such as headaches, sleeping disorders, chest pains, diabetes and asthma (Kimball, 1994). The reaction is more deleterious with adolescents who entirely mask their reactions. They switch to other outlets such as peers, sex, alcohol and drugs because they hate being bothered by their parentsââ¬â¢ lives (Thompson, 1998). I have a friend named Diane. Fourteen years ago, her parents separated by divorce. Back then, she was only turning three and didnââ¬â¢t know anything about the chaotic situation between her parents. She was left to the custody of her mother while her father was just obliged by the court to provide some financial assistance. Everything went well with this arrangement until she entered primary school where she had greater monetary needs. Unfortunately, her father had another family and was compelled to reduce the money sent to her. This was the reason why her mother was obligated to work in order to support her. Because her mother became busy in her work, Diane was always left with her grandmother whenever she was off from school. It was only through her grandmother that everything regarding her family became clear. She hated the fact that her own mother concealed their broken family from her and would always say that her father is just working in a far away place. She realized that she will never have his father back and that her fantasies of having a complete family would never be real. That time, she began to skip classes in school and whenever she would attend a lecture, she never participates in the recitation. She also failed our exams. I was really worried about the big change in her behavior because she used to be the top student of our class. I just learned about her family problem when she never attended classes for a week and her mother came to our school looking for her. One of our classmates revealed that Diane eloped with her boyfriend. I canââ¬â¢t forget the face of Dianeââ¬â¢s mother crying and blaming herself for what had happened to her daughter. After that, I never saw Diane again. The last news I heard about her was that she is living with her mother again. She broke up with her boyfriend but gave birth to a baby boy, who, like her, is a child of divorce. Dianeââ¬â¢s story is just one of the millions of stories which we can get from the life of a child from a broken family. In her case, the effects of divorce were appalling because of the lack of effective communication. It would have been better if both her parents explained to her the situation and the reasons why they should have divorce. When Diane learned that her parents were already divorced, she was very frustrated because she fantasized of having a complete family when her father returns from work. She also felt betrayal because her mother never told her whatââ¬â¢s real. These extreme negative emotions changed her attitude and made her rebel against the situation. Also, Dianeââ¬â¢s mother was very preoccupied in her work thatââ¬â¢s why she was not able to keep an eye on the performance of her daughter in school. If only she did, maybe she was able to help Diane solve her emotional problems at an early stage. After all, divorce can really cause a big scar but it doesnââ¬â¢t really have to. References: Bryner, C. L. (2001). Children of Divorce. Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine Practice;14:201ââ¬â10. Diefenbach, H. and Opp, K. D. (2007). When and Why Do People Think There Should Be a Divorce? http://rss. sagepub. com/cgi/content/abstract/19/4/485. Emery, R. E. and Coiro, M. J. (1995). Divorce: consequences for children. Pediatric Review;16:306 ââ¬â10. Gallagher, M. (1996). The Abolition of Marriage. Regnery Publishing. Hetherington, E. M. and Stanley-Hagan M. (1999). The adjustment of children with divorced parents: a risk andresiliency perspective. Journal of Child Psychology; 40:129ââ¬â40. Kelly, J. B. (1998). Marital conflict, divorce, and childrenââ¬â¢s adjustment. Child Adolescent Psychiatry;7:259 ââ¬â71. Kimball, G. (1994). How to survive your parentsââ¬â¢ divorce: kidsââ¬â¢ advice to kids. Chico, California: Equality Press. Lansky, V. (1996). Divorce book for parents helping your child cope with divorce and its aftermath. Minnetonka, MN: Book Peddlers. Roseby, V. and Johnston J. R. (1998). Common developmental threats in high-conflict divorcing families. Child Adolescent Psychiatry;7:295ââ¬â309. Scanzoni, J. (1965). A Reinquiry into Marital Disorganization. Journal of Marriage and the Family 27: 483ââ¬â91. Thompson, P. (1998). Adolescents from families of divorce: vulnerability to physiological and psychological disturbances. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Service;36(3):34 ââ¬â9.
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