Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 29

Marketing - Essay Example However, many of the researchers specifically name it as ‘status consumption’. In literature the concept of status consumption is defined as the consumption of anything with the intention of boasting of and showing off affluence to others and it ranges from an expensive lipstick to a pricey car (Scheetz, n.d.). Status consumption is the phenomenon through which consumers seek to increase their social standing by conspicuous consumption and possessions (Schiffman). Shukla defines status consumption as the behaviour of the consumer to buy the products and services to enhance their status, no matter what their income or social class is. Basically, status consumption refers to the purchases made by consumers to attain a social status. It also shows the increasing materialism among the people in the society. A lot of work has been done by various researchers on status consumption. Even the concept of status consumption is considered very effective from marketing point of view. In a survey of 239 Malaysian students, it was found that promotional appeals that underline social comparisons are more effective on status seeking customers (Heaney, Goldsmith & Jusoh, 2005). The researchers have been always curious to determine the reasons because of which the consumers go for status consumption. In a study of 598 consumers, it was found that status seeking consumers have a need for uniqueness and can be good opinion leaders (Clark, Zboja & Goldsmith, 2006). Therefore, the need to look superior and to maintain the social status results in status consumption. Ustuner and Holt (2009) studied the concept of status consumption among the middle class people from less industrialised countries. They limited their research to middle class group only because this class does have enough spending power to maintain their social class and they find that significant

Monday, October 28, 2019

Great Gatsby and Elizabeth Barrett Browining Essay Example for Free

Great Gatsby and Elizabeth Barrett Browining Essay The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald and Sonnets from the Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning are influenced by their varying context in their portrayal of love in their respective texts. Both authors explore the concept of love using various language features such as metaphors the use of irony. The Great Gatsby explores how the desire for the American Dream has taken prevalence over romantic love during post world war 1. This is contrasted with Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Sonnets from the Portuguese where we are able to visualise her passion towards her lover through linguistic construct and also through the construction of an intimate sonnet. The Great Gatsby is set in what is commonly known as â€Å"The Roaring Twenties† or â€Å"The Jazz Age.† Given the 20s was about opulence, the nihilist attitude is reflected in romantic needs. Fitzgerald dismisses the idea of idealised love and refers to America’s love with the American Dream. Post World War 1 was a period of hedonism that reflected people’s determination to forget the sufferings and loss of the war. It was also a time of moral confusion. There was a mood of superficial optimism as people tried to hide their disillusionment. Fitzgerald explores the difficulty of individuals maintaining moral integrity in a material society that values wealth above all others. It was a time where there was great importance placed on what people had and not what people were. Fitzgerald’s use of Nick as the unreliable narrator is meant to represent cultural mores of the 20s. He represents the voice, failings and cynicism of the time and acts as a filter through which ideas and characters are reflected and mediated. We gain a pessimistic and fragmented insight into the tragic love story of the novel. The fragmentation and complex structure of the novel builds up Gatsby as the paragon of the Jazz Age and epitome of the American Dream. Ultimately, someone who represents the 20s cannot gain true love in the face of Tom’s wealth and riches. At the end of the play, Nick comes to fear that he is living in a loveless and faithful w orld. The narrative structure shows that time is a representation of love. The exploration of love in The Great Gatsby is treated with great ambiguity as Gatsby who is to be admired for his hope and vision, is sadly tragic and is unworthy in a society in which he loves. Fitzgerald is alluding to the fact that in successful America at the time, many were preoccupied with their social standings and wealth. The American Dream took precedence over romantic relationships. He condemns  love to be distrustful and faithless. This is shown through the numerous relationships throughout the novel. The relationship between Daisy and Mr. Gatsby is a clear example. Before Gatsby went to war, Daisy promised to wait for him but instead, married the very wealthy Tom. It becomes clear that Gatsby loves and wants the idea of Daisy rather than the real version. In order to eligible for Daisy’s love, Gatsby recreates himself to become a successful and wealthy man; hence he shows Daisy all his possessions after their meeting at Nick’s house. When Daisy cries over Gatsby’s â€Å"beautiful shirts† it highlights, the materialistic views she possesses and the relationship between love and money at that time. Part of Gatsby’s yearning for Daisy is her link to an exclusive society that he desperately wants to join. Gatsby’s love for Daisy is clear when he takes the blame for the death of Myrtle. We are positioned to see his devotion to Daisy as being foolish. â€Å"I love you now, isn’t that enough?† Although Daisy is unsatisfied with her marriage and enjoys her relationship with Gatsby, she never intended to leave Tom. In the end, it is not enough as Gatsby is not accepted in society or accepted by Daisy. F.Scott Fitzgerald shows the shallowness of love through the relationship of Myrtle and Tom. Their relationship is a symbol of an exploitative relationship. Myrtle is not content with her marriage and vies for a higher position. Myrtle admires ‘breeding’ and the aristocratic society and sees nothing immoral about her position as Tom’s mistress. She feels more superior when walking around New York with Tom and looks down on people who cannot afford materialistic goods although she normally would not be able to afford these products either. Tom provides Myrtle with presents that she normally would not receive. Ironically, Myrtle condemns her husband, George Wilson, for not owning his wedding suit. However, Tom doesn’t want to sustain the relationship with her. It is purely for his sexual needs. Hence, Fitzgerald depicts love to be superficial and is determined by the amount of wealth and social standing of a person. F.Scott Fitzgerald critiques the American Dream. Gatsby is an apparent self-made man who went from almost nothing to extravagance and wealth. However, Gatsby, Myrtle and George are seeking a better life but only achieve humiliation and death. Myrtle dies in the pursuit of the American Dream. Ironically, she is killed by Daisy who represents the idealised woman of her time in terms of wealth and status. Elizabeth  Barrett Browning’s Sonnets from the Portuguese explores love from the perspective of a 19th century women in order to convey the passion she feels for her lover. Barrett Browning ref lects a society where idealised love is admired and where there is faith in the individual. Barrett Browning presents an optimistic view of love. She manipulates the Petrarchan sonnet form, which is traditionally written from a male perspective, by subverting the writing scheme. She subverts the form by writing as the subject and object of the poem. Elizabeth Barrett Browning writes of her personal experience of love and idealised love. She is challenging how the art form challenges woman and celebrates love as a liberating force. By exploring her emotions, she explores her own identity. Elizabeth Barrett Browning believes her love with Robert has elevated so much that they approach transcended beings, â€Å"Our two souls stand up erect and strong.† Barrett browning is suggesting that if they didn’t have a body they would still move towards each other in passion. She captures the intensity of their love and the depth of their love through the line â€Å"Until their lengthening wings break into fire† This reiterates their passion and connection of love. There is a stark contrast with F.Scott Fitzgerald’s bleak view towards idealised love to Barrett Browning’s optimistic representation of love. In each sonnet, Browning portrays the notion of love has empowered her and made her value herself as an individual, â€Å"I love thee with the love I seemed to lose† (sonnet 43) She reveals to us that before she met Robert, her life was characterised by fragmentation and loss. This reinforces how love has transformed her life. She attempts to measure her love for Robert through the line, â€Å"I love thee to the depth breath height.† The use of the half-rhyme unifies Sonnet 1 but fractures it at the same time. Half rhymes show the impact of the love she is feeling and the reassessment she is feeling. The half rhymes are created to show how the predictable known ways of seeing the world have led her to innovation. In conclusion, it can be seen that both authors deal with love in their respective texts. However, F.Scott Fitzgerald takes a pessimistic view towards idealised love and rather, comments on the love for the American Dream in his society. Elizabeth Barrett Browning takes a more optimistic view, suggesting that it is a liberating force.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Henrik Isbens A Dolls House :: A Dolls House Essays

A DOLL’S HOUSE   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Believe it or not money is a big thing in a couples relationship. One of the themes in the play, A Doll’s House, was about money. In the play, money had a lot to do with the breaking of a relationship. The relationship was between Nora and Torvald a married couple. Their was a big thing that had to do with money that I will be discussing later in this essay.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On page 5, Torvald is asking the question, â€Å"What are little people called that are always wasting money?† Nora then answers, â€Å"Spendthrifts†. Nora by no means I think was truly a spendthrift. She was only given enough money by her husband at any given time to get only what she needed. She couldn’t go and get what she really wanted. She had to go out and get the necessities a family needed like clothes. I’m not saying she didn’t want to go out and spend money. Mostly only the men worked in this time period so its not like it was easy to get extra money.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Torvald was the man of the family. The man of the family was mostly the sole income of the family. He didn’t like wasting or spending money. He really cared about money and invested it in the right ways. He was so happy when he found out he was getting a promotion for a better job and salary with the bank. That meant a better appearance and a lot more money. He thought everything was going to be perfect.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nora had a secret that whole play that Torvald didn’t know about. Nora saved his life by taking him out on a long vacation away from everything so he could clear his mind at a very bad time. She told Torvald the money really came from her Papa. The money really came from a loan she took out from Kogstad that was forged. Krogstad was a former bank employee and long friend of Torvald’s. Torvald was very angry when he first found out of this because he was scared of his appearance, but when Krogstad met a old girl friend of his he didn’t worry about the loan. Henrik Isben's A Doll's House :: A Doll's House Essays A DOLL’S HOUSE   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Believe it or not money is a big thing in a couples relationship. One of the themes in the play, A Doll’s House, was about money. In the play, money had a lot to do with the breaking of a relationship. The relationship was between Nora and Torvald a married couple. Their was a big thing that had to do with money that I will be discussing later in this essay.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On page 5, Torvald is asking the question, â€Å"What are little people called that are always wasting money?† Nora then answers, â€Å"Spendthrifts†. Nora by no means I think was truly a spendthrift. She was only given enough money by her husband at any given time to get only what she needed. She couldn’t go and get what she really wanted. She had to go out and get the necessities a family needed like clothes. I’m not saying she didn’t want to go out and spend money. Mostly only the men worked in this time period so its not like it was easy to get extra money.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Torvald was the man of the family. The man of the family was mostly the sole income of the family. He didn’t like wasting or spending money. He really cared about money and invested it in the right ways. He was so happy when he found out he was getting a promotion for a better job and salary with the bank. That meant a better appearance and a lot more money. He thought everything was going to be perfect.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nora had a secret that whole play that Torvald didn’t know about. Nora saved his life by taking him out on a long vacation away from everything so he could clear his mind at a very bad time. She told Torvald the money really came from her Papa. The money really came from a loan she took out from Kogstad that was forged. Krogstad was a former bank employee and long friend of Torvald’s. Torvald was very angry when he first found out of this because he was scared of his appearance, but when Krogstad met a old girl friend of his he didn’t worry about the loan.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Eye Gaze

CIRRICULUM VITAE NATRAJ. K Mobile: +917893067763 ( : natraj. [email  protected] com PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY A dynamic & result oriented professional with 5. 6 years of experience in various platforms of project management, contract management, quality management, personnel management activities in INRASTUCTURE PROJECT SECTOR.Well served as an Infra site Manager (Jr) with ATS GROUP Ltd in Abu Dhabi, UAE for Homeland Security Projects Deputed by the AVANA [TATA-AGT] INTERNATIONAL COMPANY. Well conversant in handling the Survey, Planning, Drawing, Resource Management, Vendor Management. Astute manager with a flair for adopting modern project execution methodologies, systems in compliance with quality standards. Expertise in swiftly ramping up projects with competent crossfunctional skills and on time execution. EMPLOYMENT HISTORYWorked as an Infra Site Manager (Jr) with ATS GROUP LTD (Homeland security projects) since Oct 2010 to may 2012. (RECRUITED as an EXECUTIVE by the TATA AVANA G ROUP [JOINT VENTURE OF TATA AND AGT INERNATIONAL COMPANY] CORE COMPETENCIES PROJECT PLANNING ? Implement detailed project reports and project execution plans/drawings after thorough discussion with clients, selection of sites, project evaluation in terms of outlays and profits attached. ? List down the resource needs for projects, after considering the budgetary parameters set. Establish time span of project execution as per client specifics. ? Monitor project status during the course of periodic project review meetings. ? Evaluate Designs; coordinate with Consultants and Sub Contractors for changes in the same. SITE & CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT ? Manage all construction activities including providing technical inputs for methodologies of construction & coordination with site management activities. ? Interact with Site Purchasers and Suppliers for achieving cost effective purchase of equipment, accessories, material with timely delivery so as to minimize project cost.CONTRACT MANAGEMEN T ? Oversee pre-tender obligations like submitting pre-qualifications, study of contractual conditions, project cost analysis including considering cost impact of techno-commercial conditions. ? Coordinate with Main Contractors; monitor their performance in view of project schedule. Settle all techno-commercial disputes / clarifications during execution of project. ? Prepare contract documents for various work items including contractual terms and conditions, technical specifications and commercial terms.QUALITY ASSURANCE & CONTROL ? Handle Quality Management Systems across various processes to reduce rejection levels and ensure high quality standards at all the stages of production by maintaining Documentation & Data Management. ? Conduct various inspections to ensure designed products are in compliance with pre-set technical specifications. ? Take adequate measures like forming quality circles, maintaining necessary records and conducting audits to comply with statutory quality & environmental standards. CO-ORDINATION Network with Consultants, Architect, Contractors, Clients to ascertain technical specifications, construction related essentials, based on the prevalent rules and codes. ? Relationship management with Statutory Authorities for availing mandatory sanctions. EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS: ? BTech in Electrical & Electronic Engineering from J. N. T University in Nov 2006. WORK EXPERIENCE: 1. Worked as a Service Site engineer with Aster Teleservices Pvt Ld. , from Nov 2006 to Oct 2007 in Andhra Pradesh, INDIA. 2. Worked as a cluster Engineer (PMC Projects) with Aster Teleservices Pvt Ltd. from Nov 2007 to Oct 2008 in Ananthapur, Chittoor&Cuddappah regions in Andhra Pradesh, INDIA. 3. Worked as a CLUSTER HEAD (projects & maintenance) for the Medak, Rangareddy and Hyderabad region in Andhra Pradesh, INDIA from Nov 2008 to Jan 2010 in ESSAR COMMUNICATIONS. 4. Worked as a Deputy Manager in ESSAR BULK TERMINAL(20mmtpa) (port projects, Material Handling Pro jects and Power Projects) in jamnagar(vadinar) GUJRAT, INDIA from Feb 2010 to sept 2010 5. Worked as a Infra site Manager (Jr) with ATS GROUP LTD in Abu Dhabi, UAE in Homeland security projects from oct 2010 to May 2012.DETAL JOB PROFILE: 1. 1. Aster Teleservices Pvt Ltd. As a Service Site Engineer. Client: AIRTEL Company. Job profile: †¢ Supervising the Civil, Electrical and tower erection works . †¢ Commissioning, Maintenance & troubleshooting of all Sites. †¢ O & M activites of all civil and electrical works. 2. 1. Aster Teleservices pvt ltd. As a cluster engineer. Client: vodafone company & Indus Company Job profile: †¢ Supervising the Civil, Electrical works of all Sites. †¢ Commissioning, Maintenance & troubleshooting of all Sites. VSWR Measurements, RF Power calibration, Internal & External Alarm Testing. †¢ O & M activites of all civil and electrical works. †¢ survey for upgradation of existing sites. †¢ Survey for new sites. 3. 1. ESS AR COMMUNICATIONS. As a CLUSTER HEAD. Key Responsibilities: †¢ Execution of Projects from Inception to Completion including Project Planning, Project Costing, Budgeting. †¢ Coordination & Communication both Internal & External, Scheduling and preparation of project progress report. †¢ Preparation of BOQ & Collection of receivables from the customers. Managing for all the activities of mobile telecom Infra implementation Which Include Land acquisition, Civil survey, Civil foundation(for GBT and RTT and RTP TOWERS ), Shelter foundation, shelter erection, Tower Erection, DG installation, Internal & External Electrical works, Sharing of sites. †¢ O&M Responsible for operation and maintenance of Tower Sites at 3 regions are MEDAK , ZAHEERABAD , VIKARABAD †¢ Upgradation of existing tower sites for addition of customers †¢ System testing Acceptance & issuance of ATP 4. 1. ESSAR BULK (coal) TERMINAL. As a Deputy Manager. Key Responsibilities:Planning, Basic Eng ineering, Detail Engineering, Erection, testing & commissioning, Co-ordination with consultant, supplier , contractor & other departments for following packages 1) Power distribution for ESSAR TERMINAL PORT 2) Automatation , Control and VVFC drive for Conveyor system 3) Dust suppression and Fire Fighting system 4) Wagon loading and Truck loading system. 5) Brought out items like transformer, Motors, Cables 6) Grab Unloader (2000 TPH) & stacker cum reclaim (6000/2500 TPH) 5. 1. WORKED AS A INFRA SITE MANAGER (JR) WITH ATS GROUP LTD IN ABU DHABI, UAE.Key Responsibilities: ? Supervising the Civil, Electrical works ? Monitoring daily and weekly and monthly target tracking by vendor ? Providing design and work plan to vendor for completion of project in time ? System testing Acceptance & issuance of ATP. ? Plan, organize and coordinating with stakeholder for the successful completion of project. ? Responsibility includes design review and analysis of projects, preparation of documents fo r approval of the local authorities (confidential), material procurement scheduling, project budget, project development, and quality control.Key Projects and Selected Accomplishment: ? Construction of Backbone Project For fiber connectivity. This project involved Instalation of manholes, duct laying and fiber connectivity between major control room. ? ADCO in around fence up gradation and security camera installation, conversion of existing fence into smart fence and also planning for all fiber and power connectivity for cameras &sensors as well as radars. ( CNIA ) Critical National infrastructure Authority. Light pole project in Zero tolerance area to provide light support for the security camera, access control and smart fence. ? Fiber Network planning, cable laying in perimeter fence to backbone route and main control room. Installation of SWB and cable termination from the Cameras. (CC 10 & CC 30 ) PERSONAL DETAILS: Full Name: Kanikarapu Natraj Date of Birth: 25-06-1983. Langua ges Known: English, Telugu, Hindi Marital Status : Married. Permanent Address: PLOT NO: 14/A, Laxmi nagar, Picket, Secunderabad. Phone No : +917893067763.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Lars Von Trier Essay

Lars Trier was born in Kongens Lyngby, north of Copenhagen, the son of Inger Trier (nà ©e Hà ¸st, 1915—1989). He had believed that his biological father was Ulf Trier (1907—1978), until his mother revealed to him on her deathbed that he had been conceived as a result of an affair she had with her employer, Fritz Michael Hartmann. His mother considered herself a Communist, while his father was a Social Democrat, and both were committed nudists,[5] and the young Lars went on several childhood holidays to nudist camps. They regarded the disciplining of children as reactionary. Trier has noted that he was brought up in an atheist family, and that although Ulf Trier was Jewish, he was not religious. His parents did not allow much room in their household for â€Å"feelings, religion, or enjoyment†, and also refused to make any rules for their children,[6] with complex results for von Trier’s personality and development.[7] He began making his own films at the age of 11 after receiving a Super-8 camera as a gift and continued to be involved in independent moviemaking throughout his high school years.[3] In 1979, he was enrolled in the National Film School of Denmark.[8] His peers at the film school nicknamed him â€Å"von Trier†. The name is sort of an inside-joke with the von (German â€Å"of† or â€Å"from† used as a nobiliary particle), suggesting nobility and a certain arrogance, while Lars is a very common and Trier not an unusual name in Denmark.[9] He reportedly kept the â€Å"von† name in homage to Erich von Stroheim and Josef von Sternberg, both of whom also added it later in life.[10] During his time as a student at the school he made the films Nocturne and The Last Detail, both of which won Best Film awards at the Munich International Festival of Film Schools.[11][12] In 1983 he graduated with the 57-minute Images of Liberation, which became the first Danish school film to receive a regular theatrical release.[13] Europe trilogy After graduation he began work on the very stylized crime drama, The Element of Crime (Forbrydelsens element 1984), which won a technical award at the Cannes Film Festival. His next film was Epidemic (1987), which was also shown at Cannes in the Un Certain Regard section. The film is partly a dark science fiction-tale of a future plague epidemic, and partly chronicles two filmmakers (played by Lars von Trier and screenwriter Niels Và ¸rsel) preparing that film, with the two storylines ultimately colliding. For television von Trier directed Medea (1988), which won the Jean d’Arcy prize in France. It was based on a screenplay by Carl Th. Dreyer and starred Udo Kier. He completed the Europe-trilogy in 1991 with Europa (released as Zentropa in the U.S.), which won the Prix du Jury at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival[14] and picked up awards at other major festivals. In 1990 he also directed the music video for the worldwide hit â€Å"Bakerman† by Laid Back.[15] This video was reused in 2006 by the English DJ and artist Shaun Baker who did a remake of Bakerman. Zentropa and The Kingdom In 1992 he and producer Peter Aalbà ¦k Jensen founded the movie production company Zentropa Entertainment, named after a train company in Europa, their most recent film at the time.[8] The reason for doing this was to achieve financial independence and to have total creative control. The production company has produced many movies other than von Trier’s own as well as television series. It also has produced hardcore sex films: Constance (1998), Pink Prison (1999), HotMen CoolBoyz (2000) and All About Anna (2005). In order to make money for his newly founded company,[16] he made The Kingdom (Riget, 1994) and The Kingdom II (Riget II, 1997), a pair of miniseries recorded in the Danish national hospital, the name â€Å"Riget† being a colloquial name for the hospital known as Rigshospitalet (lit. The Kingdom’s Hospital) in Danish. A projected third installment in the series was derailed by the 1998 death of Ernst-Hugo Jà ¤regà ¥rd, who played Helmer, one of the ma jor characters. Dogme 95 In 1995, Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg presented their manifesto for a new cinematic movement which they called Dogme 95. It would however take a while before the first of these films appeared, and at this point many thought of the concept mainly as a radical idea with no future.[citation needed] In 1996, von Trier conducted an unusual theatrical experiment in Copenhagen involving 53 actors, which he titled Psychomobile 1: The World Clock. A documentary chronicling the project was directed by Jesper Jargil, and was released in 2000 with the title De Udstillede (The Exhibited). Von Trier’s next film, Breaking the Waves (1996), the first film in von Trier’s ‘Golden Heart Trilogy’, won the Grand Prix at Cannes and featured Emily Watson, who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. Its grainy images and hand-held photography pointed towards Dogme 95. The second was The Idiots (1998), nominated for a Palme d’Or, which he presented in person at the Cannes Film Festival notwithstanding his dislike of travelling. Dancer in the Dark (2000) was the final component of the trilogy. As originator of the Dogme 95 concept, which has led to international interest in Danish film as a whole, he has inspired filmmakers all over the world.[17] Trier and Thomas Vinterberg, who created the Dogme 95 Manifesto and the â€Å"Vow of Chastity† together with their fellow Dogme directors Kristian Levring and Sà ¸ren Kragh-Jacobsen shared in 2008 the European Film Award European Achievement in World Cinema. Explicit images Von Trier’s use of sexually explicit images in The Idiots (1998) started a wave[citation needed] of arthouse mainstream films with unsimulated sex, such as Catherine Breillat’s Romance (1999), Baise-Moi (2000), Intimacy (2001), Vincent Gallo’s The Brown Bunny (2003) and Michael Winterbottom’s 9 Songs (2004). In 1998, Lars von Trier also made history by having his company Zentropa be the world’s first mainstream film company to produce hardcore pornographic films. Three of these films, Constance (1998), Pink Prison (1999) and the adult/mainstream crossover-feature All About Anna (2005), were made primarily for a female audience, and were extremely successful in Europe, with the first two being directly responsible for the March 2006 legalizing of pornography in Norway.[18] Women too like to see other people having sex. What they don’t like is the endless close-ups of hammering bodyparts without a story. Lars von Trier is the first to have realised this and produced valuable quality porn films for women. — Stern No. 40, 27 September 2007[19] Lars von Trier’s initiative spearheaded a European wave of female-friendly porn films from directors such as Anna Span, Erika Lust and Petra Joy, while von Trier’s company Zentropa was forced to abandon the experiment due to pressure from English business partners.[20] In July 2009, women’s magazine Cosmopolitan ranked Pink Prison as No. 1 in its Top Five of the best women’s porn, calling it the â€Å"role model for the new porn-generation†.[21] Lars von Trier would return to explicit images in his self-directed Antichrist (2009), exploring darker themes. 2000s In 2000, von Trier premiered a musical featuring Icelandic musician Bjà ¶rk, Dancer in the Dark. The film won the Palme d’Or at Cannes.[22] The song â€Å"I’ve Seen It All† (which Trier co-wrote) received an Academy Award nomination for Best Song. The Five Obstructions (2003), made by Lars von Trier and Jà ¸rgen Leth, is a documentary, but also incorporates lengthy sections of experimental films. The premise is that Lars von Trier challenges director Jà ¸rgen Leth, his friend and mentor, to remake his old experimental film The Perfect Human (1967) five times, each time with a different ‘obstruction’ (or obstacle) specified by von Trier.[23] He then directed two films in his announced ‘U.S. trilogy’: Dogville (2003), starring Nicole Kidman and Manderlay (2005), starring Bryce Dallas Howard in the same role – as Grace. Both films are extremely stylized, with the actors playing their parts on a nearly empty soundstage with little but chalk marks on the floor to indicate the sets. Both films had huge casts of major international actors (Harriet Andersson, Lauren Bacall, James Caan, Danny Glover, Willem Dafoe, etc.), and questioned various issues relating to American society, such as intolerance in Dogville and slavery in Manderlay. Controversy erupted on the 2004 set for Manderlay when actor John C. Reilly walked off the Trollhà ¤ttan, Sweden, set in late March. Reilly walked off the film when he learned that an upcoming scene involved the slaughter of a donkey for food. The film’s producer says the animal—who was old and not expected to live much longer—was killed off-camera by a certified veterinarian, in accordance with Swedish law. Reilly was replaced by Zeljko Ivanek.[24] The U.S. was also the scene for Dear Wendy (2005), a feature film directed by von Trier’s â€Å"Dogme-brother† Thomas Vinterberg from a script by von Trier. It starred Jamie Bell and Bill Pullman and dealt with gun worship and violence in American soci ety. In 2006, von Trier released a Danish-language comedy film, The Boss of it All. It was shot using a process that von Trier has called Automavision, which involves the director choosing the best possible fixed camera position and then allowing a computer to randomly choose when to tilt, pan or zoom. It was followed by an autobiographical film, De unge à ¥r: Erik Nietzsche sagaen del 1 (2007), scripted by von Trier but directed by Jacob Thuesen, which tells the story of von Trier’s years as a student at the National Film School of Denmark. It stars Jonatan Spang as von Trier’s alter ego, called â€Å"Erik Nietzsche†, and is narrated by von Trier himself. All main characters in the film are based on real people from the Danish film industry,[citation needed] with the thinly veiled portrayals including Jens Albinus as director Nils Malmros, Dejan ÄÅ'ukić as screenwriter Mogens Rukov and Sà ¸ren Pilmark in an especially unflattering portrayal as sex-obsessed sch ool principal Henning Camre. Von Trier’s next feature film was Antichrist, an art film about â€Å"a grieving couple who retreat to their cabin in the woods, hoping a return to Eden will repair their broken hearts and troubled marriage; but nature takes its course and things go from bad to worse†. The film, which includes sexually explicit content, stars Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg. It premiered in competition at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, where the festival’s jury honoured the movie by giving the Best Actress award to Gainsbourg.[25] The Cannes Film Festival Ecumenical Jury, which gives prizes for movies that promote spiritual, humanist and universal values, also â€Å"honoured† the film with a special â€Å"anti-award†; a spokesman for the jury described it as â€Å"the most misogynist movie from the self-proclaimed biggest director in the world.†[26] In 2010 the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter reported on their website that the film production company Zentropa is reportedly making more revenue from suing movie pirates in Germany that have downloaded Antichrist illegally than from box office and DVD sales, demanding a payment of around 1,300 euros per download to avoid legal action.[27] 2010s Von Trier’s latest work is Melancholia, a psychological disaster drama;[28] shot between 22 July and 8 September 2010 at Film i Và ¤st’s studios in Trollhà ¤ttan, Sweden,[29] and with exteriors in the area surrounding the Tjolà ¶holm Castle.[30] Magnolia Pictures has acquired the distribution rights for North America.[31] The film was in competition at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.[32] Von Trier announced that after finishing Melancholia he hopes to begin production of The Nymphomaniac, a two-part film about the sexual awakening of a woman (Charlotte Gainsbourg).[33] The director explained how he got the idea for the upcoming project: â€Å"my DP on [Melancholia], Manuel Claro, at one point voiced a surprising prejudice. He urged me not to fall into the trap that so many aging directors fall into – that the women get younger and younger and nuder and nuder. That’s all I needed to hear. I most definitely intend for the women in my films to get younger and younger and nuder and nuder†.[34] The announced cast includes Gainsbourg, Stellan Skarsgà ¥rd, Shia LaBeouf, Willem Dafoe, Connie Nielsen, Jamie Bell, Jens Albinus, Jesper Christensen and Nicole Kidman. Phobias Von Trier suffers from multiple phobias, including an intense fear of flying.[35] His fear of air travel frequently places severely limiting constraints on him and his crew, necessitating that virtually all of his films be shot in either Denmark or Sweden, even those set in the United States or other foreign countries. Von Trier has had a number of his films featured at the Cannes Film Festival over the course of his career, and each time has insisted on driving from Denmark to France for the festival and back. On numerous occasions von Trier has also stated that he suffers from occasional depression which renders him incapable of performing his work and unable to fulfill social obligations.[36] Filming techniques Lars von Trier has said that â€Å"a film should be like a stone in your shoe†. In order to create original art he feels that filmmakers must distinguish themselves stylistically from other films, often by placing restrictions on the filmmaking process. The most famous restriction is the cinematic â€Å"vow of chastity† of the Dogme95 movement with which he is associated, though only one of his films, The Idiots, is an actual Dogme 95 film. In Dancer in the Dark, jump shots[37] and dramatically-different color palettes and camera techniques were used for the â€Å"real world† and musical portions of the film, and in Dogville everything was filmed on a sound stage with no set where the walls of the buildings in the fictional town were marked as lines on the floor. Von Trier often shoots digitally and operates the camera himself, preferring to continuously shoot the actors in-character without stopping between takes. In Dogville he let actors stay in character for hours, in the style of method acting. These techniques often put great strain on actors, most famously with Bjà ¶rk during the filming of Dancer in the Dark. Often he uses the same regular group of actors in many of his films: some of his frequently used actors are Jean-Marc Barr, Udo Kier and Stellan Skarsgà ¥rd. He is heavily influenced by the work of Carl Theodor Dreyer[38] and the film The Night Porter.[39] He was so inspired by the short film The Perfect Human directed by Jà ¸rgen Leth that he challenged Leth to redo the short five times in feature film The Five Obstructions.[40] Trilogies Von Trier has on occasion referred to his films as falling into thematic and stylistic trilogies. This pattern began with his first feature film, marking the beginning of The Europa Trilogy, though he claims a trilogy was not initially planned, instead being applied to the films in retrospect. The Europe trilogy illuminated the traumas of Europe in the past and future. This trilogy includes The Element of Crime (1984), Epidemic (1987) and Europa (1991). The Golden Heart trilogy was about naive heroines who maintain their ‘golden hearts’ despite the tragedies they experience. This trilogy consists of Breaking the Waves (1996), The Idiots (1998) and Dancer in the Dark (2000). While all three films are sometimes associated with the Dogme 95 movement, only The Idiots is a certified Dogme 95 film. The USA: Land of Opportunities trilogy follows the character of Grace, and is set in a stylized American past. Von Trier has stated he was inspired to make a trilogy about the United States as a reaction to Americans at the Cannes film festival who said he had no right to make the Dancer in the Dark,[8] which was often viewed as being critical of a country he has never been to (and has no intention of ever visiting, due to his phobia of travel); however, von Trier himself has stated in interviews he did not intend it to be a criticism of America, saying the film takes place in a â€Å"fictional America†. Von Trier proposed the films as ‘a series of sermons on America’s sins and hypocrisy’[citation needed], inspired by the fact that American movie makers have made many movies about places across the world to which they have not travelled. All three movies will be shot in the same distinctive style, on a bare sound stage with no set and buildings marked by lines on the floor. This style is inspired by 1970s televised theatre. The trilogy will consist of Dogville (2003), Manderlay (2005) and the so far not produced Washington. The Depression Trilogy consists of Antichrist, Melancholia and the yet to be completed, Nymphomaniac. All three star Charlotte Gainsbourg and deal with characters that deal with depression or grief in different ways. This trilogy is said to represent the current depression that von Trier himself is currently going through. The Kingdom (Riget) was planned as a trilogy of three seasons with 13 episodes in total, but the third season was not filmed due to death of star Ernst-Hugo Jà ¤regà ¥rd shortly after completion of the second season. Biological father In 1989, von Trier’s mother revealed on her deathbed that the man who he thought was his father was not, and that she had had a tryst with her former employer, Fritz Michael Hartmann (1909–2000),[41] who descended from a long line of Roman Catholic classical musicians (his grandfather was Emil Hartmann, his great grandfather J.P.E. Hartmann, his uncles included Niels Gade and Johan Ernst Hartmann and thus Niels Viggo Bentzon was his cousin). She stated that she did this in order to give her son â€Å"artistic genes†.[42] Until that point I thought I had a Jewish background. But I’m really more of a Nazi. I believe that my biological father’s German family went back two further generations. Before she died, my mother told me to be happy that I was the son of this other man. She said my foster father had had no goals and no strength. But he was a loving man. And I was very sad about this revelation. And you then feel manipulated when you really do tur n out to be creative. If I’d known that my mother had this plan, I would have become something else. I would have shown her. The slut![43] During the German occupation of Denmark, Fritz Michael Hartmann worked as a civil servant and joined a resistance group (Frit Danmark), actively counteracting any pro-German and pro-Nazi colleagues in his department.[44] Another member of this infiltrative resistance group was Hartmann’s colleague Viggo Kampmann, who would later become prime minister of Denmark.[45] After four awkward meetings with his biological father, the man refused further contact.[46] The revelations led von Trier to attempt to â€Å"erase† the connections with his stepfather by converting to Catholicism, and to rework his filmmaking into a style emphasizing â€Å"honesty†.[3] I don’t know if I’m all that Catholic really. I’m probably not. Denmark is a very Protestant country. Perhaps I only turned Catholic to piss off a few of my countrymen.[43] In 2009, he declared, â€Å"I’m a very bad Catholic. In fact I’m becoming more and more of an atheist.†[47] Controversy at 2011 Cannes Film Festival On 19 May 2011, Cannes Film Festival’s board of directors declared von Trier persona non grata for comments he made during a press conference for his film Melancholia the day before, an unprecedented move for the film festival.[48][49] Responding to a question by The Times film critic Kate Muir about his German roots and his comments in a Danish film magazine about the Nazi aesthetic, von Trier claimed to have some sympathy for and understanding of Adolf Hitler,[50] and then jokingly claimed to be a Nazi himself:[51][52] Von Trier at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. What can I say? I understand Hitler, but I think he did some wrong things, yes, absolutely. †¦ He’s not what you would call a good guy, but I understand much about him, and I sympathize with him a little bit. But come on, I’m not for the Second World War, and I’m not against Jews. †¦ I am of course very much for Jews, no not too much, because Israel is pain in the ass, but still how can I get out of this sentence. †¦ — Press Conference for Melancholia, Cannes, 2011[53][54] Referring to the art of Nazi architect Albert Speer, von Trier added: †¦ he had some talent that was kind of possible for him to use during†¦ Ok, I’m a Nazi. Then, to Toronto Star film critic Peter Howell, who questioned whether Melancholia could be an answer to Hollywood blockbusters and asked von Trier if he could â€Å"envision doing a film on a grander scale than this†, von Trier replied: On a grander scale? Yeah. Yeah that’s what we Nazis, we have a tendency to do things on a greater scale. Yeah, maybe you could persuade me into the final solution with journalists. †¦ Hours later, von Trier released a brief statement of apology about his comments at the press conference: â€Å"If I have hurt someone this morning by the words I said at the press conference, I sincerely apologise. I am not anti-semitic or racially prejudiced in any way, nor am I a Nazi.†[55] The next day, the festival directors held an extraordinary meeting, deciding his remarks were â€Å"unacceptable, intolerable and contrary to the ideals of humanity and generosity that preside over the very existence of the festival. [†¦] The board of directors condemns these comments and declares Lars von Trier persona non grata at the Festival de Cannes, with effect immediately.†[55] Afterwards, von Trier held a news conference of his own in Danish. His first remark to the Danish journalists was: â€Å"If any of you journalists will beat me, so just do it. I will enjoy it.† He went on to say that â€Å"The Holocaust is the worst crime that ever happened. I have nothing against Jews. I have a Jewish name, and all my children have Jewish names.† He admitted that his remarks about the Nazis had been misguided, saying â€Å"It was really stupidly done and it was in the wrong forum. At the press conference with Danish journalists, there were no problems, but I do not think the international journalists understand my Danish humor.† But he also said he was proud to have been kicked out of the Cannes festival: â€Å"I am proud to have been declared ‘persona non grata’. It is perhaps the first time in cinematic history, it has happened. †¦ I think one reason is that French people treated the Jews badly during World War II. Therefore, it is a sensitive topic for them. I respect the Cannes festival very highly, but I also understand that they are very angry at me right now.†[56][55] Speaking to other news outlets he said that his comments were â€Å"very sarcastic and very rude, but that’s very Danish.† He also added, â€Å"I don’t sympathize with Hitler for one second.†[57] In the October 2011 issue of GQ, von Trier is quoted in an interview saying he was not really sorry for the comments he made, only sorry he didn’t make it clear that he was joking. He added, â€Å"I can’t be sorry for what I said—it’s against my nature.†[58] On 5 October 2011, von Trier was interviewed by police in Denmark about his remarks at Cannes. Afterwards, he announced that he had ‘decided from this day forth to refrain from all public statements and interviews’.[59] Honours Von Trier was made a Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog on 14 January 1997.[60] Ten years later von Trier decided to hand back the prize, saying that the Danish royal family are just â€Å"simple people of bad quality†.[61]

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Summarys on Don Quixote, Othello, Paradise Lost and Popol Vuh Essays

Summarys on Don Quixote, Othello, Paradise Lost and Popol Vuh Essays Summarys on Don Quixote, Othello, Paradise Lost and Popol Vuh Essay Summarys on Don Quixote, Othello, Paradise Lost and Popol Vuh Essay Essay Topic: Don Quixote Book I Paradise Paradise Lost Summarys on Don Quixote, Othello, Paradise Lost and Popol Vuh Fools and tricksters are very closely related and are used simultaneously in poetry and other literary works. A fool can be described as one who is deficient in judgment, sense, or understanding and also can be someone who acts unwisely on a given occasion. A trickster is defined as someone that swindles or plays tricks. Often a trickster is a mischievous or roguish figure in myth or folklore. (Websters Online Dictionary) Fools and trickster are used frequently in poetry and other literary works to portray distinct meanings for characters. In most instances, fools and tricksters derive from evil protagonists. In the following literary works, every attempt will be made to identify the fool, the trickster and the evil characters in each selection and describe why the characters in each are befitting of their respective designation. Miguel De Cervantes Don Quixote is a fool in many respects. His speech is ridiculous, his ideas are hopelessly out of date, and he has lost touch with reality. Yet readers admire him and know immediately he is the hero of the story. All the things which make him a fool, however unbelievable as it may be, add to his heroic appearance and lets the reader know where Quixote is coming from. Along with this, his foolish nature adds a sense of artlessness and purity, very heroic aspects. Is Don Quixote really a fool or is he so innately wise to know that pretending to be a fool is advantageous? The story of Don Quixote is filled with legendary actions. Alonso Quijano, as he is first known, is a man who lives in the village of La Mancha, in Spain. This gentleman was â€Å"close on to fifty, of a robust constitution but with little flesh on his bones and a face that was lean and gaunt. †(Lowall and Mack) He was a man of modest means who resided with his housekeeper who was a middle aged woman, a niece who was twenty, and a man who saddled his horse and performed odd jobs around his place. Quijano loved to hunt but he was â€Å"in the habit of reading books of chivalry with such pleasure and devotion as to lead him to almost wholly to forget the life of a hunter and even the administration of his estate. (Lowall and Mack) He became so infatuated with the books that he read that he â€Å"spent whole nights from sundown to sunup and his days from dawn to dusk in poring over his books, until, finally, from so little sleeping and so much reading, his brain dried up and he went completely out of his mind. †(Lowall and Mack) He was so immersed in his books that he came to believe that the fictitious things in the novels were real. He set out on a series of ventures, the first being to become a â€Å"knight-errant and roam the world on horseback, in a suite of armor. (Lowall and Mack) He put together an ill-fitted coat of armor and hit the road with an old nag who he named Rosinante. He was dubbed a knight named Don Quixote de La Mancha by an innkeeper who realized he was out of his mind and performed the fictitious ceremony just to get rid of him. The newly knighted Don Quixote sets out on a series of outrageous adventures too numerous to list. He is captured and slips away various times to return to his adventures and finally ends up half dead, stripped and â€Å"stretched out on his old-time bed†. His niece and housekeeper â€Å"scarcely knew what to do, for they were very much afraid that their master and uncle would give them the slip once more, the moment he was a little better, and it turned out just the way they feared it might. †(Lowall and Mack) Such is the life of a wise fool. In Shakespeares, Othello, the reader is presented with the classic battle between the deceitful forces of evil and the innocence of good. It is these forces of evil that ultimately lead to the breakdown of Othello, a Venetian General, well known by the people of Venice as an honorable soldier and a worthy leader. In spite of his elevated status, he is nevertheless easy prey to insecurities because of his age, his life as a soldier, and his race. Othellos breakdown results in the murder of his wife Desdemona. The evil contained within Othello is by no means magical or mythical yet is represented by the character Iago. Iago is cunning, untrustworthy, selfish, and plotting. In speaking to Cassio regarding Desdemona, â€Å"I’ll send her to you presently, and I’ll devise a mean to draw the Moor out of the way, that your converse and business may be more free. He uses these traits to his advantage by slowly planning his own triumph while watching the demise of others. It is this that is Iagos motivation. The ultimate defeat of good by the wrath of evil. Not only is it in his nature of evil that he succeeds, but also in the weaknesses of the others. Iago uses the weaknesses of Othello, specifically in his jealousy and devotion. He explains to Roderigo that he has no respect for Othell o other that what he has to display in order to carry out his revenge. â€Å"I follow him to serve my turn upon him. We cannot all be masters, nor all masters cannot be truly followed. †(Lowall and Mack) Shakespeare’s Othello gives the audience a full measure of evil, mostly in the person of the sinister Iago, whose evil influence penetrates the lives of the victims around him. Milton’s Paradise Lost has been praised as being the greatest English epic of all time. Throughout the poem, Milton hopes to â€Å"justify the ways of God to man†(Lowall and Mack) He gives a realistic depiction of the parents of humanity, Adam and Eve and also tells the story of the most epic battle; the battle between satan and God, or good vs. vil. After a brief description of Adam and Eve’s disobedience to God in the Garden of Eden â€Å"Of man’s first disobedience, and the fruit of that forbidden tree whose mortal taste brought death into the world†(Lowall and Mack) the poem joins satan and his followers in hell, where they have just been defeated by God and kicked out of h eaven. Satan briefly considers asking God for forgiveness but just as quickly, he realizes that his confession would not be sincere. Artificer of fraud; and was the first that practiced falsehood under saintly show, deep malice to conceal, couched with revenge. † Unrepentant, satan does not change his ways â€Å"Farewell remorse! All good to me is lost; evil, be thou my good† (Lowall and Mack) This levy of good vs. evil carried on throughout the poem with the interaction of Satan and his fallen angels with God and his son in Heaven. The common representation of sin and evil came from the lead character in the battle against God, which was Satan. His name means enemy of God. He was a former high angel from Heaven named Lucifer, meaning, light bearer. Satan became jealous in Heaven of Gods son and formed an allegiance of angels to battle against God, only for God to cast them out of Heaven into Hell. Milton divided the characters in the epic poem Paradise Lost into two si des, one side under God representing good, and the other side under Satan representing evil and sin. Milton first introduced the reader to the character Satan, the representative of all evil, and his allegiance of fallen angels that aided in his revolt against God. This introduction of Satan first led the reader to believe acts of sin were good, just like Eve felt in the Garden of Eden when she was enticed by Satan to eat the fruit off of the Tree of Knowledge. The later introduction of The Almighty had the reader’s change their feelings toward sin, as the ways of God were introduced to them and these ways were shown to be the way to feel and believe. Popol Vuh is a work of epic poetry that tells the original story of the Maya and Quiche people of Guatemala and their account of the creation story. Originally written in the 16th century, the unknown author gives hints about the sources he uses by referring to the â€Å"council book,† presumably a pre-Columbian screen-fold that served him as a source. † (Lowall and Mack) Popol Vuh’s main characters are often seen as duplicates of one another. â€Å"Yet against this stately patterning, the hero gods appear as light-hearted boys, even as tricksters. † The Plumed Serpent, or creator, also known as â€Å"Heart of Sky, Hurricane, and Newborn Thunderbolt, and Sudden Thunderbolt† (Lowall and Mack) is a good example of how the characters throughout the story are sometimes duplicated, and even tripled. The characters include Hunahpu and Xbalanque, â€Å"being gods, the two of them saw evil in his attempt at self-magnification before the Heart of Sky† (Lowall and Mack) These duplicated characters are the tricksters who represent satan, the serpent, who tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The nance, which is the tree of good and evil, and the food for Seven Macaw, which is Adam, and his wife Chimalmat, which is similar in character to Eve. The creation story as depicted by the author, include many similarities that closely relate to the creation story referred to in the book of Genesis. Fools, tricksters, and evil characters have played a large part in history since the beginning of time. There will always be people who act foolishly and there will always be people who are mischievous and play tricks on others. Fools and tricksters have been a significant part of poetry and literary works since their existence. Writers portray a character to be a fool or a trickster to show in greater detail the meaning of the writing and to keep the reader involved in the plot. The two are often used in conjunction with evil characters. The evil character can be a fool or a trickster or can even vacillate back and fourth between the two. Writers use them together to allow the reader to see the dept of the character and how evil the character can be towards others. Such is the case in the literary writings of Don Quixote, Othello, Paradise Lost and Popol Vuh. Lawall, Sarah, and Maynard Mack. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. 2nd ed. Vol. C. New York: W W Norton Co Inc, 2002. 2675-2731, 2919-2996, 3001-3060, 3076-3092. Print Websters Online Dictionary. Websters Dictionary, 2006. Web. 11 Jul 2010. .

Monday, October 21, 2019

Qatar Influence in the World

Qatar Influence in the World Statement of the Research Question The main research question that my thesis will cover is, ‘How does Qatar use soft power to strengthen its global political influence?’ This question will provide an opportunity for me to study the various processes of soft power that Qatar has and/or continues to utilize to strengthen its political influence not only in the Middle East, but also across the world.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Qatar Influence in the World specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is evident that Qatar has emerged as one of the most influential Middle East countries in the world’s political affairs. This thesis will be a revelation as to how such a country has achieved its current position. Introduction Since 1995, following the takeover of leadership by Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani through a peaceful coup d’etat, Qatar has been transformed from a little-known tiny count ry into a major economic and political powerhouse in the Middle East and, in extension, the world (Evans and Grant 42). In the last 18 years, the country’s leadership has been engaged in a protracted effort to transform it into a globally recognized and respected modern state (Brannagan and Grix par. 3). Being the world’s richest country in terms of per capita income, which stood at USD$ 448,246 in 2008, Qatar has managed to achieve tremendous successes in its short history (Hey 42). Its enormous wealth and a leadership that is keen on putting the country ‘on the map’ in the Middle East make it a major political player in the Arab World. Its influence in the world is growing (Beaumont 3). The main question is how such a country can achieve so much within such a short period. According to Brannagan and Grix, Qatar presents a good example of how soft power can be used to propel a nation’s influence in the global political affairs (par. 5). In the last 15 years, the country has invested heavily in building an appealing image to the world without using military or other forms of hard power. This move has allowed the country to gain a substantial political influence (King 16). The country has used its enormous resources to put in place measures of not only making Qatar an important investment destination for many nations and companies, but also as an important economic ally of many other states (Antwi-Boateng 39).Advertising Looking for proposal on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Further, its close and friendly association with western countries such as the US and the United Kingdom has separated the country from the politics of the Middle East, hence creating an appealing image to the world (van Ham 10). Other major areas of focus have been on the creation of an image of the country as a top tourism and sporting destination (Amara par. 3). For a long time, its neighboring rich, populous, and influential neighbors such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Iran among others have over shadowed the country (Worth 7). Owing to the fact that it was the last Arab country to discover its oil wealth, it is a recent entrant into the politics of the Middle East. So far, it has been successful in its push for becoming a key player in the region. For instance, while the UAE’s Abu Dhabi has been the major tourist and financial hub of the region, Qatar’s Doha has gained a strong footing against the former with an increasingly busy Airport, a key indicator of the country’s connectedness to the world (Brannagan, Mubanga, and Wolff par. 2). Further, its global financial assistance to many countries has also put the country into the league of nations where it provides billions of dollars for humanitarian and development purposes in disadvantaged populations and countries across the world. The country has also invested heav ily in education of its citizens, thus bringing it to the forefront of nations that offer quality education to their citizens. Education is a major factor of power for top nations such as the UK and the US (Joseit par. 1). The current position of Qatar as having a substantial and increasing power and influence in global political affairs has not gone unnoticed. This position has been captured in various researches and articles to this effect. My thesis aims at studying how Qatar has used soft power to create its growing influence and presence in global political affairs. This topic is interesting since the country is succeeding in an area that many other countries have failed. For a long time, to gain political influence in the world affairs, many powerful countries such as Russia, the USA, China, and the UK have used hard power, through military and economic processes (Worth 7).Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Qatar Influence in the World specifically f or you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Consequently, the success of Qatar in gaining global political influence without using hard power presents a new approach to the understanding of power and hence the significance of the study (Nye ‘Soft Power’ 96). The thesis will create an understanding of how Qatar uses soft power through four main areas that include foreign aid, cultural institutions, tourism, and sports diplomacy to gain and maintain its global political influence. Relevant Literature A substantial amount of research that has focused on the growing influence of Qatar in the global political affairs is available. However, much of the research focuses on the increasing influence of the Middle East countries on the global political affairs. With some efforts being dedicated to Qatar, it is a clear indication that the use of soft power by the small Middle East country has not gone unnoticed. In addition, the existing research has majorly focus ed on the economy of the country as the main avenue through which it has amassed power in the global political affairs. The first and most relevant research article is titled, ‘The rise of Qatar as a Soft Power and the Challenges’ by Osman Antwi-Boateng. The research is important and relevant to my thesis since it comprehensively covers the various ways through which Qatar exercises its soft power. According to the article, Qatar exercises soft power influence through what it refers to as attraction and ‘carrots’. In terms of attraction, the article points to the strong political stability, close relationship with the US, progressive higher education system, and effective income redistribution policies (Antwi-Boateng 42). The country also uses carrots through the media (Aljazeera Network), sports investments, and foreign aid policy to advance its soft power across the world. In this study, the author explores how Qatar exerts its soft power in its foreign p olicy in addition to how it addresses various challenges in advancing its influence. Antwi-Boateng begins by noting that the country is an exception of its neighbors who are facing political instability or other major hurdles affecting their influence in Middle East and in extension, the world (47). Firstly, in his study, Antwi-Boateng notes the importance of sport as a major source of soft power for Qatar (51). The Study gives an example of the 2006 XV Asian Games that Qatar hosted successfully. Further, the country has successfully bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup (Antwi-Boateng 51). The two events have greatly enhanced the country’s reputation and image, especially in the Middle East and the Muslim World.Advertising Looking for proposal on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Secondly, the study highlights the increasing use of football diplomacy and cultural institutions that have been characteristic of Qatar in the last few years. Antwi-Boateng regards Qatar’s sponsorship of Barcelona, a world’s re-known Spanish club as well as its purchase of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), a French club, as major steps that the nation has taken to improve its influence through the world’s most popular game (48). The country invested a whooping USD$190 million in Barcelona’s sponsorship and another USD$ 63 Million for acquiring a 70% stake at PSG (Kamrava 540). The study identifies Qatari’s involvement in sporting, especially football, as in line with Nye’s assertion that culture is a major element of soft power (‘Public Diplomacy’ 102). Football provides an opportunity for Qatar to be in popular culture to display its own civilization due to the wide audience that the game receives across the world (Dorsey 4). The stu dy identifies foreign aid as a major aspect through which Qatar has gained and maintained its soft power. According to the study, Qatar is ranked at the 20th place worldwide in terms of the percentage of its population’s giving and first position in the Middle East and Arab Countries (Antwi-Boateng 45). According to the study, foreign aid is linked with positive goodwill, which enhances the country’s reputation among its beneficiaries. This move is in line with Nye’s claim that such efforts lead to legitimate power in the eyes of others (‘Public Diplomacy’ 99). For instance, in 2010-2011, the nation’s development and humanitarian aid amounted to more than USD$ 1 billion (Brannagan and Grix par. 2). Its foreign aid policy has been majorly focused on Arab countries that have been experiencing political instability due to the Arab Spring (Kinninmont 5). For instance, Qatar has advanced a low interest loan of USD$1 billion to Tunisia. It has also offered to employ over 20,000 Tunisians in Qatar while at the same time funding the construction of subsidized houses to the tune of USD$ 37 million (DOHA2012 18). The country has also provided financial support amounting to USD$ 3 billion loan facility to Egypt. Besides, it has also offered humanitarian aid support to many countries, including the US (Ministry of Foreign Affairs par. 2). This study is very relevant and central to my thesis since it comprehensively covers different processes through which Qatar exercises its soft power. By recognizing sporting and foreign aid as major ways of gaining soft power, the paper goes a long way in terms of proving the relevance of my study. Other studies that have also addressed Qatar’s soft power are also relevant to this research. One these researches is titled, ‘Qatar: A First-Hand Account of Soft Power’, by Brannagan, Mubanga, and Wolff. In the study, Brannagan, Mubanga, and Wolff point out the increasing influence in the regional and global political affairs (par. 4). The study identifies the increased efforts of Qatar to become a top tourist destination. Further, there have been more efforts to market the country through its unique culture to the world. The research is also relevant to this study since it covers cultural and tourism aspects through which Qatar seeks to gain influence in regional and global political affairs. Another important study that is relevant to my thesis is, ‘Qatar’s Soft Power Gamble: The FIFA World Cup 2022’ by Paul Brannagan and Jonathan Grix. In the study, the focus is on the growing participation and presence of Qatar in the international sports, and more importantly, its successful bid for hosting 2022 world cup games (QTA par. 2). Hosting such an event will be in line with the nation’s plans of becoming a top tourist destination since it will present a prime opportunity of displaying the country’s culture and attractiveness to billions of spectators across the world (FIFA par. 6). The study will be important for my thesis since it will provide important information and support on the increasing use of sporting and tourism as a means of gaining soft power for the Middle East country. Data In my thesis, I will use both primary and secondary data to address the main research question. There is a considerable amount of data that can be drawn from different secondary sources. For instance, Qatar’s Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics offers a rich source of data and important figures that can support different assertions of my research paper such as foreign aid and investment in sports and tourism. Further, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website also offers significant information on Qatar’s foreign policy and foreign aid, which are both central to my research (par. 3). Owing to the high number of other studies that the research relies on, this study will offer an important platform of accessing and drawing secondary information. Primary data sources will include the use of interviews, surveys, and questions that will be targeted to specific population groups privy to Qatar’s soft power. For instance, interviews will be conducted on people such as lecturers and professors who can offer expert opinion on Qatar’s growing political influence in the Middle East and the world at large. Online survey will also be important in providing important information on the opinions of different populations on Qatar’s growing influence. The primary data is important in incorporating the information that will be obtained through secondary data sources. Outline of the Argument In the last two decades, Qatar has emerged from a little known and less influential nation to a major player in regional and global political affairs. During this time, with a major economic transformation, the country has used different approaches to acquire legitimate power and influ ence over other nations. Of these approaches, military muscle power and economic maneuvers, which have traditionally been the source power for many countries, have not been used by the country. Instead, the country has used other approaches to gain soft power. So far, it has been successful. My thesis will seek to discuss the various approaches of soft power that Qatar has used to gain its political influence in the Middle East and around the globe. These approaches include the use of culture, tourism, foreign aid, and sports. The thesis will discuss each of the above approaches in an attempt to show how they have helped Qatar to gain its influence and prominence in the global political affairs. Frameworks The first framework will be a theoretical structure that will focus on the concept of soft power. Drawing heavily from Joseph Nye’s ‘Public Diplomacy and Soft Power’, the framework will guide the thesis in providing an understanding of what constitutes soft pow er and how Qatar has been successful in gaining political influence through its well-calculated use of various processes of gaining power. Nye’s article comprehensively covers and brings forth the concept of soft power by comparing its effectiveness with the use of hard power (Nye ‘Public Diplomacy’ 102). It is evident that although hard power still dominates what constitutes power in the global political influence, soft power approaches have emerged strongly as an option for many countries that cannot exercise hard power. By utilizing the ideas brought forward in Nye’s article, my thesis will be able to cover the use of soft power by Qatar as it continues to emerge as a major power in the Middle East and in the global political environment. My research will also adopt the conceptual framework, which will focus on how the ideas of my thesis will be organized and presented to answer the main research question. It will also focus on how Qatar frames its appr oaches in order to gain power over other nations across the world. The framework is important since it helps to link the theoretical framework to real life examples of how soft power can be utilized successfully. By covering each of the areas and approaches through which Qatar has exerted its influence globally, the plan will be an important part of the conceptual framework of helping to answer various questions that arise from the process of answering the main research question. Chapter/Section Outline The thesis will begin with a background discussion on Qatar’s past and current status. It will show how it has gained an influential status over the years in the Middle East and beyond. This information will form an important part of the thesis. It will provide the foundation and basis for my research. The background information will include Qatar’s growing economic significance in the Middle East in terms of how it has been able to extend its influence beyond the regio n. The second section of thesis will focus on various ways through which Qatar gains its power and influence in its region and across the world. In this section, the first component to be covered will focus on how Qatar uses foreign aid to attain power and/or exert its influence across the world. The second component will focus on Qatar’s use of cultural institutions, including education and arts to grow its profile as a top education and cultural destination in the world, an achievement that has made it gain considerable power over other nations. The third component of coverage will be tourism and how Qatar, through the Qatar Tourism Authority, has put in place efforts to turn Qatar into a top tourist destination in the Middle East. The last component is the use sport diplomacy that Qatar has adopted to market itself to the world. These strategies include its successful bid to host 2022 World Cup games, its sponsorship of major European clubs such as Barcelona, and its acqui sition of Paris Saint-Germain among many other sporting activities that it has shown interest. Contribution of the Research The paper will contribute to the growing field of knowledge on soft power with Qatar as a good example of its effectiveness. It will be an important knowledge base for future studies that will be focused on Qatar and other nations’ influence on global political affairs using soft power approaches. Amara, Mahfoud. The Pillars of Qatars International Sport Strategy, 2013. Web. e-ir.info/2013/11/29/the-pillars-of-qatars-international-sport-strategy/. Antwi-Boateng, Osman. â€Å"The Rise of Qatar as a Soft Power and the Challenges.† European Scientific Journal 2.1(2013): 39-51. Print. Beaumont, Peter. â€Å"How Qatar is taking on the world.† The Guardian July 20. 2012: 3. Print. Brannagan, Paul, and Jonathan Grix. Qatars Soft Power Gamble: The FIFA World Cup 2022, 2014. Web. e-ir.info/2014/01/18/qatars-soft-power-gamble-the-fifa-world-cup-2022 /. Brannagan, Paul, In’utu Mubanga, and Mads Wolff. Qatar: A First-Hand Account of Soft Power, 2014. Web. e-ir.info/2014/03/20/the-state-of-qatar-a-first-hand-account-of-soft-power/. DOHA2012. Offering a helping hand, Qatar is a good neighbor around the World. Doha: The UN Climate Change Conference, 2012. Print. Dorsey, James. â€Å"Qatars sports-focuses public diplomacy policies backfiring.† Daily News Feb. 10. 2014: 4. Print. Evans, Gareth, and Bruce Grant. Australias Foreign Relations in the World of the 1990s. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1999. Print. FIFA. Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani visits FIFA President in Zurich, 2014. Web. fifa.com/worldcup/qatar2022/news/newsid=2441686/. Hey, Jeanne. Small States in World Politics: Explaining Foreign Policy Behavior. Boulder, CO: Lynne Reinner, 2003. Print. Joseit, David. The Art Effect, 2013. Web. aucegypt.edu/gapp/cairoreview/pages/articleDetails.aspx?aid=614. Kamrava, Mehran. Mediation and Qatar i Foreign Policy. Middle East Journal 65.4(2012): 540-556. Print. King, John. National Branding: Coverage and Perceptions of Qatar in Major World Newspapers. Working Paper. Tennessee: East Tennessee State University, 2007. Print. Kinninmont, Jane. â€Å"From football to military might, how Qatar wields global power.† The Guardian February 3. 2013: 5. Print. Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Qatar Foreign Aid Over QR3 Billion, 2013. Web. mofa.gov.qa/en/SiteServices/MediaCenter/News/Pages/News20131111082549.aspx. Nye, Joseph. Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics. New York, NY: Public Affairs, 2004. Print. Nye, Joseph. â€Å"Public Diplomacy and Soft Power.† The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 616.1(2008): 94-109. Print. QTA. A New Chapter of Pioneering Association, 2013. Web. psg.fr/en/News/003001/Article/64010/A-new-chapter-of-a-pioneering-association. van Ham, Peter. The Rise of the Brand State: The Postmodern Political Image and Reputation. Foreign Affairs 80.2(2001): 2-17. Print. Worth, Robert. â€Å"Qatar, Playing All Sides, Is a Nonstop Mediator.† The New York Times July 9. 2008: 7. Print.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

MBA application essay

MBA application essay MBA application essay The first step to writng a good MBA essay is to analyse what the MBA application essay question is asking. To do this you need to take a keen look at the keywords of the topic to arrive at the right approach. Business essay topics can ask you to: Compare and Analyze Discuss and Criticize Explain and Illustrate An MBA application essay that asks you to examine how electronic media has redefined the marketing scope of a product would require a deep analysis of the topic to be researched and written about after proper investigation. If your MBA application essay asks you to discuss an issue then you need to shortlist the main views on the subject and give reasons for and against each view. The choice is yours Sometimes an MBA application essay will allow you to choose your own topic, in which case you should write on an area in which you are an interested expert; that way you can enjoy writing an MBA application essay that gets you where you want to be. Once you arrive at the topic focus- on a central point or issue throughout your MBA application essay: Research is the key Go to the Business Studies section of your library and get a hold of key references on the topic. The time you spend reading and taking notes will add breadth and depth of knowledge to your MBA application essay. You can also access source material from a reputable site online. Include sources like: Relevant articles and case studies Access information from credible sources like the Journal of Marketing Explore sites like Questia that provide plenty of resources on a variety of business topics. Conduct interviews and surveys to obtain a deeper insight into the topic of your MBA application essay Keep a record of page numbers, the title, author, and publisher along with the date and place so that you can give a list of all the readings in a Works Sited or reference page. Make an outline plan of your essay with diagrams and bullet points that flow logically from one another Use business terminology to get to the point in the first draft of your MBA application essay-do not ramble on unnecessarily to sound contrived and clever Follow these tips for an outstanding MBA application essay. Interesting topics: Thesis Methodology American History Thesis Islamic Religion Term Paper 15 Page Term Paper Research Paper Proposal

Saturday, October 19, 2019

(MACROECONOMICS) Explain why the actual budget deficit is not a good Essay

(MACROECONOMICS) Explain why the actual budget deficit is not a good indicator of the fiscal stance and suggest any other better alternatives - Essay Example Moreover, ideal and functional fiscal stance indicators should embrace in-depth analysis of fiscal policies and collective economic variables. The actual budget deficit has from time to time been used as an indicator of the fiscal stance, although various shortcomings have rendered it a rather inadequate indicator. The overall balance of a government budget is basically a measure of the difference between government expenditure and revenue. In a case where expenditure outweighs revenue, the overall balance presents an actual budget deficit, which is an indication of an expansionary fiscal stance. The actual budget deficit indicates a fiscal stance where the negative impact of revenue on an economy’s aggregate demand is far much implicative of the positive effects achieved through government spending. Gross national product of any given economy at any given time is on the receiving end as it is negatively impacted by the fiscal policies put in place by the government (International Monetary Fund, 1989, p.76). However, the measure of actual budget deficit needs to be analyzed and judged more cautiously for accurate and relevant indication of the fiscal stance. In case keen judgment and analysis of the actual budget deficit measure is compromised, it ceases to act as a good indicator for the fiscal stance with respect to other economic variables. The actual budget deficit is also regarded as deficient indicator of fiscal stance, since it only offers impacts on aggregate demand perspectives and overlooks other economic variables such as economic sustainability, monetary stance, and growth aspects. Moreover, the actual budget deficit overlooks other economic complexities such as the manner in which the deficit is financed with regards to successive impact of the country’s economic variables. Fiscal impact complexities encompass the manner in which an actual budget deficit is financed among other special measures that are put in place to

Biology 206 U4IP Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Biology 206 U4IP - Research Paper Example Components of Cigarettes that Affect the Respiratory System: The toxic components in tobacco include substances and gases that affect the respiratory system and lead to cancer. These include components such as benzene, vinyl chloride, ethylene oxide, aromatic amines, arsenic, nickel, chromium, cadmium, and radioactive elements, and gases such as acetone, ammonia, acrolein, carbon monoxide, nitrogen, hydrogen, methane, phenol, formaldehyde, and benzene. The gas phase of smoking directly affects the respiratory tract of the body. The other constituents together cause damage to the respiratory tract with loss of cylia. Hypertrophy in the mucus gland occurs. The peripheral airways, the bronchioles also suffer and cells of the bronchial tree suffer from inflammation as a result of these constituents. The cardiovascular system, the gastric system, the cataracts are other parts of the body that are affected by smoking and its constituents. COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is th e other form of disease caused by smoking affecting the functioning of the lungs (Robinson and Scullion, 2008, pp.544-546). Increased Carbon Dioxide Levels in Blood Through Smoking: The amount of carbon dioxide in the human blood is balanced by the presence of receptor sites in the blood. However, such balance is disturbed with toxic substances being intruded in the flow of blood, and the levels of carbon dioxide can change as a result of such toxins (Francis, 2011, p.85). Increase in the levels of carbon dioxide in the blood mainly occurs when enough carbon dioxide is not exhaled out of the body. This occurs when the lungs and the respiratory system do not function properly. Thus, chronic and obstructive lung diseases that are caused by the smoking lead to increase in the levels of carbon dioxide in blood. Lung cancer causes obstruction of the lungs resulting from uncontrolled development of malignant cells, thus leading to higher levels of carbon dioxide (Cargill, 2011). Effect of Smoking on Other Organs of the Body: Smoking not only affects the lungs and the respiratory system, but it affects almost all the organs of human body, that include the heart, the blood vessels, eyes, mouth, reproductive organs, bones, bladder, and digestive systems. Blood cells in all these organs are affected by the chemicals and toxic substances present in tobacco, thereby damaging the functions of these organs. Besides the lungs, the negative effects of smoking have been mostly obtained in heart and the blood vessels, leading to severe heart diseases of humans (How Does Smoking Affect the Heart and Blood Vessels? 2011). Correlation of Cellular Respiration with Respiratory System: Physiological respiration or the respiratory system involves the process through which gases are exchanges by human beings and animals with their surroundings. This involves the process on oxygen intake in the body and exhalation of carbon dioxide from the body. The correlation of the respiratory syste m with cellular respiration is that cellular respiration involves the reactions that produce ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate), with the reactions occurring in the mitochondria. It is termed as cellular respiration as use of oxygen and release of carbon dioxide is done for these oxidative reactions (Russell, 2008, p.998). Effects of Smokeless Tobacco: Although many tobacco

Friday, October 18, 2019

My Mothers Breast Cancer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

My Mothers Breast Cancer - Essay Example When I first learned that my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer I was in shock. This was, without question, the most intensely emotional moment in my life. By moment, I refer not to subsequent events, but to my immediate reaction and state of mind. How does a young adult, still dependent and searching for her way in life, react to the news that her mother has cancer There is nothing but shock, a desperate sense of disbelief, and a subsequent search for answers that may not even be worth asking about. My initial reaction was shock. A heavy stillness enveloped me and I found it hard to even move my mouth. My hands fell listlessly to my sides, the very breath inside of me seemed to escape, and I was at a complete loss for words. My entire being was devastated, sunk, and I felt unable to offer any aid or comfort to my mother. I was in shock and helpless. More, I knew at this moment that I was helpless. I wanted to say something to reassure my mother that everything would be fine in the end.

The Holocaust Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Holocaust - Essay Example They argue that most countries by then never had the information of the kinds of atrocities that the Germans were putting the Europeans Jews through. This makes it quite complicated for one to have a pointing finger on any individual country as to their role in the holocaust. The American government and the Americans failed completely to assist the European Jews. Although the American government had the capacity and power to get directly involved in the holocaust, it remained silent and, as a result, many lives and properties were lost. It is also believed that America had a network of allies that it could have influenced in order to assist and halt the mass killings by the Nazis. When they got involved, it was either too late or too little or both to offer any substantial help. During this period of Holocaust, different countries had different views as whether to take part and assist the European Jews. By 1938, world major countries took part in order to rescue some the European Jew s. Different allies were also formed that sped up some rescue missions (Rosenfeld, 57). Theses allies were either directly involved in the war or they pressured the Nazis to end the mass killings. These allies also facilitated the massive movements of the European Jews to different countries for example Netherlands, The Great Britain, Scandinavia and Switzerland. During the war, the American government had put in policies to the major publishing paper then, New York Times that limited the nature and content of information that could be passed to the public. Consequently, the public was not aware of the kinds of killings that the European Jews went through. This also made it quite impossible for other government departments fully to initiate programs and rescue missions towards the Jews. American restrictions on migration; unlike European countries and the Great Britain that allowed migration of the Jews in their countries, the Americans developed a very restrictive

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Discussion 3, ch 16 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Discussion 3, ch 16 - Assignment Example The advanced forms of machinery also ensured that production within industries was more effective because the machinery came to cater for deficiencies with manpower such as human errors and fatigue, which slowed down production (Weathers, 73). Labor was another factor that aided in the growth in wealth as labor accounts as an important input to production, meaning that the more labor there is, the more the level of production can be guaranteed. Earlier, industries spent so much on labor, making it impossible to employ a good number of laborers to man the industries and thus affecting production negatively. As there was being an improvement in the economic wealth of the country as informed by the industrialization, it was expected that employees who were behind this growth would also benefit accordingly. This however was not the situation as employees had a strong feeling that they were being used unfairly in working more than they were paid or remunerated with. As this happened, it became important that the employees make their voices and grievances heard by appropriate quarters and authorities who could address their issues. One way by which the employee force did this was to form national labor unions that represented the collective voice of the employee force (Kautsky, 34). Another way for the labor force, mostly through the unions available to stage strikes, which prevented them from giving off their expertise and skills all together so that their employers would be aware of their challenges and address these appropriately. These two approaches were generally positive and influent ial as the interests of the employees became generally represented through the approaches they used. 3. In the late 1800s in the United States, workers transitioned from mostly agricultural workers to mostly industrial workers, and you have read the history of that transition. Today, workers in the United States are transitioning from

Women in the Black Church Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Women in the Black Church - Research Paper Example n the African American Churches men often took over the leadership positions while women held themselves responsible for all the rest of the major roles. Name it and it was there. May it be the schooling arena or any other social or domestic service; women were always there to play their part. This was primarily in line with the spiritual inspiration that these women had associated with the contemporary churches. It was however strictly observed that women did not occupy any key positions in the preaching activities in the church itself. Every time the church would gather only women would be observed paying all head to the sermons being said out by a man. Leadership was one aspect that women were never allowed to come closer to. This male empowerment has existed for years in spite of the fact that it was seemingly impossible without the critical involvement of the black women. (Green, 2003) The Civil rights movement in the US has often been traced back to the Black Church. The way the blacks were being deprived of their right to live like the whites and the racial discrimination that they were facing was all thought of to have bought out into the streets after being bought up in the black church first. This racial discrimination was also accompanied by social injustice. The crowded basements and offices were often thought to be the main areas where all the plans for the resistances were being made. The core idea behind the civil rights movement drifted the African Black away from the Divine thought and gave importance to the substantiality of this life. Every next step and every protest of the movement was often preceded by a sermon, a prayer or a religious song. It was in the wake of such circumstances that the black women realized the rights that they were being deprived off within the church itself. Women were generally denied the right to lead or preach in the Black Church. It had been a certain custom that men commanded the black church pulpits. Thus they

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Discussion 3, ch 16 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Discussion 3, ch 16 - Assignment Example The advanced forms of machinery also ensured that production within industries was more effective because the machinery came to cater for deficiencies with manpower such as human errors and fatigue, which slowed down production (Weathers, 73). Labor was another factor that aided in the growth in wealth as labor accounts as an important input to production, meaning that the more labor there is, the more the level of production can be guaranteed. Earlier, industries spent so much on labor, making it impossible to employ a good number of laborers to man the industries and thus affecting production negatively. As there was being an improvement in the economic wealth of the country as informed by the industrialization, it was expected that employees who were behind this growth would also benefit accordingly. This however was not the situation as employees had a strong feeling that they were being used unfairly in working more than they were paid or remunerated with. As this happened, it became important that the employees make their voices and grievances heard by appropriate quarters and authorities who could address their issues. One way by which the employee force did this was to form national labor unions that represented the collective voice of the employee force (Kautsky, 34). Another way for the labor force, mostly through the unions available to stage strikes, which prevented them from giving off their expertise and skills all together so that their employers would be aware of their challenges and address these appropriately. These two approaches were generally positive and influent ial as the interests of the employees became generally represented through the approaches they used. 3. In the late 1800s in the United States, workers transitioned from mostly agricultural workers to mostly industrial workers, and you have read the history of that transition. Today, workers in the United States are transitioning from

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

International environmental management and sustainability Assignment

International environmental management and sustainability - Assignment Example In order to secure the future of the planet, there is a need to cut down the carbon footprints. The steps should be taken individually and on the mass level to make a difference. There are many ways to cut down the carbon footprints; like consuming as less energy as possible, utilizing renewable methods to generate energy, limiting the cutting of forests and planting more trees, using alternate fuel in the vehicles that produce no or less green house gases or utilizing the electric vehicles or covering short distances by foot or through cycling. In this way, the environmental protection can be guaranteed and the future of the planet earth can be secured (Carbonfootprints.com, nd, np). Diagnostic Base-line I noticed that a larger amount of carbon emissions are produced by the vehicles and as the travelling all around the world is increasing, the amounts of carbon emissions are also increasing. In this way, I aimed to reduce my individual carbon footprints by utilizing cycle or cover t he short distances by foot. ... In order to reduce my travel carbon footprints, I made decision to never use car for such short distances, instead I use bicycle for such short distance or cover the distance by foot. However, utilizing bicycle is a better option as it covers distance fast. For this reason, I bought a bicycle. The price of the bicycle can be covered by the saving the cost of the fuel. Every year vehicles are the major contributor in making the carbon footprints amount larger. According to a survey in 2004, it is estimated that about a distance of averagely 2.6 trillion miles was covered by cars and light trucks. The distance is as long as about 10 million complete trips to the moon from the earth. The estimated amount of miles per gallon an average vehicle gives was about 19.6 mpg, which is improved to a much lower value. An average type of gasoline has a content of about 5.3 pounds of carbon in a gallon. In this way, utilizing a gallon of gasoline in our cars produces about 5.3 pounds of carbon. If the miles per gallon are estimated to 20 mpg for an average car, then for 20 miles a vehicles produces about 5.3 pounds of carbon footprints and thus for a distance of about 2.6 trillion miles, the carbon produces is about 0.689 trillion pounds. The individual production of carbon from travel is about 1.5 tonnes per year. In this way, if a major reduction is made in the travel carbon footprints, the atmospheric carbon footprint can be reduced to a certain lower level. (Science-news.org, 2008, np) Aims The major air is to reduce my total carbon footprints, which are about 5.89 tonnes per year. However, the major contribution is made by my travel carbon footprints, which are about 3.08

Monday, October 14, 2019

Our Hands Essay Example for Free

Our Hands Essay There is great societal influence on the family builders, the parents, as to their preference, bias toward the number and sex of children. As a result of this societal influence, the effects are apparent. One effect is that if two parents have two children, one of each gender, then a third is not very plausible. If a family has two children both of the same sex, then they are more apt to have a third. A second effect of this societal influence pertains to China and its One-Child Policy. The effect is detrimental to its female population. An obvious result to such influence is a climb in the number of worldwide abortions, and infanticide. There is a new product on the market and available to the world right now that will aid society in its persuasion and this product is the Baby Gender Mentor(tm) Home DNA Gender Testing Kit. This product will have a grave significant effect on the future outcome of global society both economically and ethically. The responsibility is too great to be left in the hands of the individual and must be monitored by the governments. Family sex structuring has occurred since the beginning of the studies and surveys that date back to 1915. Family sex structuring is the planning with intentions directed toward the preference of one sex over another. This preference is only one theory involved in the reasoning of the article Emerging Parental Gender Indifference? Sex Composition of Children and the Third Birth by Michael S. Pollard and S. Philip Morgan. The original in depth idea of the article is that a family consisting of two parents and two existing children, each of the same sex, will statistically be more likely to add a third child in the hope of having a child of the opposite sex than the preexisting two. Families consisting of two parents and two children of opposite sexes are statistically less likely to add a third. This article introduces studies and theories trying to answer the reasoning for and against this idea. One theory is that this idea of family sex structuring is becoming progressively less and less important since 1995 up to the present, the current shifts in the gender system. The current shift in the gender system is due to the acceptance of women and they getting higher education and powerful positions. Roles have changed for women immeasurably in the last fifty years. Girls were encouraged to knit, sew, embroider or weave. While these activities were necessary tasks for females in the past, they are less necessary now and leave women to accomplish greater feats. Todays women may choose, and are encouraged and supported, to attend college. They are able to go places on their own and are not weighted down by as many responsibilities of the household as they once were. Some responsibilities are still expected, but men are also expected to pitch in and help with housework. Also, women from all classes are also able to mingle freely with other classes and the opposite sex without fear of a diminished reputation. Men are much less threatened at the idea of women holding powerful, commanding positions because women have proven equality of the sexes. Equally well, women can roam the Internet, support themselves financially and pay the bills, root for a favorite baseball team, or even if fact, play on a baseball team. Many women have chosen to include sports and fitness routines among their lifestyle choices, recognizing the physical and mental health benefits of exercise. Women have struggled to earn independence and respect, and have succeeded. Women since the seventies now have a choice to terminate their pregnancy if they feel that a child will interfere with their lifestyle of simply, if they so choose.