Thursday, December 26, 2019

Crime And Human Rights Criminology Of Genocide And...

For the book review assignment, I chose to read â€Å"Crime and Human Rights: Criminology of Genocide and Atrocities†. I chose this book, because the study of genocide is interesting to me, in learning about why it happens and how to stop it from happening in the future. In regards to the essay, it is going to be broken into three different parts. The first part, which is planned to be about half of the essay, will talk about a couple of the major themes of the book. The second part will consist of showing how the book is tied to content we have learned in class. And to wrap up the paper, I will talk about some of the strengths and weaknesses of the book. The first major theme I am going to talk about is the criminology of genocide and how it unfolds. In explaining the criminology of genocide, the book used historical cases of genocide to explain their reasons for genocide unfolding. First off, according to the book, genocide is more likely to happen in countries with a weak g overnment (Savelsberg 3). In other words, any country that has lack of leadership and control of the people are more likely to be prone to genocide occurring. Other factors that can contribute to genocide are racism and any political upheaval. In explaining why and how genocide unfolds, the book used the example of the holocaust in order to provide a real life situation to put the concepts to life. The book examines the steps that it took for the German genocidal regime to be put into place. This helps giveShow MoreRelatedThe, Socio Economics And Critical Legal Theories Essay973 Words   |  4 Pagesscientific evidences, hence, these legal arguments further gather force and liveliness .In this context, using the templates and thoughts from green criminology, public-international law’, wild-life law, jurisprudence, Human Rights, International environmental law, (treaties, national law and Customary law)as well as tort law ,the author will argue that, as a crime of strict liab ility, ecocide is a true representation of all disciplines and hence is a pragmatic remedy for 21st century challenge. Insofar

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

President Trump Once Said, “I Like Thinking Big. If You’Re

President Trump once said, â€Å"I like thinking big. If you’re going to be thinking anything, why not think big?†1 President Trump shares the mindset that many Americans had after the war of 1812. The United States citizens of the early 1800s felt an obligation to push the boundaries of the United States to the Pacific Ocean. John O’Sullivan was the first person to use the term â€Å"manifest destiny† in 1845 in an edition of the United States Magazine and Democratic Review. He said, â€Å"Our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions.†2 He could not have been anymore correct as Americans everywhere accepted that this was what the country was destined to be as it moved†¦show more content†¦Only fifty eight percent of eligible voters participated in the 2016 election. The main thing people of the time were interested in was economic development. Two major political moves were enacted to stimulate the economy. The first one was â€Å"granting corporate charters to private businesses to promote private investment in roads, bridges, canals, railroads, banks, iron mining, etc.†3 The second was â€Å"using private corporations for public purposes by promoting economic development thought to be for the good of all.†3 Westward expansions grew, along with the economy. The United States took lands in the southwest to bring development and enlightenment to that area. The removal of Native Americans brought up the question of the morals the American people had. Some said it was because the wild Indians did not fit into eastern society. Some said driving them to new lands was so they could continue their barbaric lifestyles elsewhere. These statements contained much hypocrisy. Not all of the Natives were civilized, but many Native American tribes had literacy rates higher than white southerners. A large amount of tribes in the sout h were successful farmers, but they were still forced west. The Natives in the north found much success in trade, but they were still forced west. By the late 1800s, the United States border was ranging from coast to coast. The United States had become a prominent world power in aShow MoreRelatedFast Fashion On Fast Food Industry2279 Words   |  10 Pagesmiddleman for people to recycle and reconnect with goods that have been passed along. Shopping at places like Goodwill are cheaper then buying new and friendlier to the environment, a shopper of the store said about the clothes, â€Å"It was owned by someone living somewhere at some point and it already had a life and I m here to give it maybe a second or third life† (4B). Wearing used clothing was once an indicator of poverty, but it has been rebranded as â€Å"vintage† and gives a nod to sustainability becauseRead MoreNike Football: World Cup 2010 South Africa12246 Words   |  49 Pagesexperiences. Creating deep consumer connections during the World Cup would be vital for fueling continued growth for Nike football in the years ahead. Football and the FIFA World Cup Some people believe football is a matter of life and death . . . I assure you, it is much more serious than that. — Bill Shankly, Scottish footballer and legendary Liverpool Manager1 Football was a game played between two teams of 11 players each, 10 field players and a goalkeeper per team. The game lasted 90 minutesRead MoreInnovators Dna84615 Words   |  339 PagesInnovator’s DNA is the ‘how to’ manual to innovation, and to the fresh thinking that is the root of innovation. It has dozens of simple tricks that any person and any team can use today to discover the new ideas that solve the important problems. Buy it now and read it tonight. Tomorrow you will learn more, create more, inspire more.† Chairman of the Executive Committee, Intuit Inc. â€Å" e Innovator’s DNA sheds new light on the once-mysterious art of innovation by showing that successful innovatorsRead MoreFounder-Ceo Succession at Wily Technology9042 Words   |  37 Pagesjob as Wily’s CEO, Williams Wanted Cirne to also give up the chairman position that Cirne had held since Wily’s founding. As he stared out the window, Cirne wondered how he should react: Just how much am I going to have to give up to make this thing a success? When is it too much? Is this step i going over the line?† As he thought back through Wily’s history, he also wondered what he could have done differently to avoid having to step down so soon as Wily’s CEO. ä ½â€ Ã¦Ëœ ¯Ã¯ ¼Å'ç ¶â€œÃ© Å½Ã¤ ¸Å Ã¤ ¸â‚¬Ã¨ ¼ ªÃ§Å¡â€žÃ¨Å¾ Ã¨ ³â€¡Ã¯ ¼Å'Ã¥Å" ¨Ã¨â‚¬ Ã¨ ¬â‚¬Ã¦ · ±Ã§ ®â€"çš„é  ËœÃ¥â€¦Ë†Ã© ¢ ¨Ã©Å¡ ªÃ¦Å â€¢Ã¨ ³â€¡Ã¥ ® ¶Ã§Å¡â€žÃ¦Å½Ë†Ã¦â€ž Ã¤ ¸â€¹Ã¯ ¼Å'CiRead MoreEssay on 16 Day Coursebook BOWS27896 Words   |  112 PagesEverything Else Scanning 101 Journaling Brokers News Sources/ Blogs Using Our Platforms Additional Charts Chapter 1 – Introduction I started trading in my first year of college. After placing my first trade in Exodus Communications, I was hooked. It was all I thought about and wanted to study. As I was learning my craft I had many ups and downs. I had times where I had large amounts of money in the bank and then days later it could all be gone. Such is the life of a 19 year old trader who has noRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesLibrary of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Robbins, Stephen P. Organizational behavior / Stephen P. Robbins, Timothy A. Judge. — 15th ed. p. cm. Includes indexes. ISBN-13: 978-0-13-283487-2 ISBN-10: 0-13-283487-1 1. Organizational behavior. I. Judge, Tim. II. Title. HD58.7.R62 2012 658.3—dc23 2011038674 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ISBN 10: 0-13-283487-1 ISBN 13: 978-0-13-283487-2 Brief Contents Preface xxii 1 2 Introduction 1 What Is Organizational Behavior? 3 The Individual Read MoreMarketing Mistakes and Successes175322 Words   |  702 Pages ELEVENTH EDITION MARKETING MISTAKES AND SUCCESSES 30TH ANNIVERSARY Robert F. Hartley Cleveland State University JOHN WILEY SONS, INC. VICE PRESIDENT PUBLISHER EXECUTIVE EDITOR ASSISTANT EDITOR PRODUCTION MANAGER PRODUCTION ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE MARKETING MANAGER ASSISTANT MARKETING MANAGER MARKETING ASSISTANT DESIGN DIRECTOR SENIOR DESIGNER SENIOR MEDIA EDITOR George Hoffman Lise Johnson Carissa Doshi Dorothy Sinclair Matt Winslow Amy Scholz Carly DeCandia Read MoreCrossing the Chasm76808 Words   |  308 Pages0-06-018987-8 The original hardcover edition of this book was published in 1991 by HarperBusiness, a division of HarperCollins Publishers. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 To Marie Contents PREFACE TO THE REVISED EDITION FOREWORD ACKNOWLEDGMENTS PART I Discovering the Chasm INTRODUCTION If Bill Gates Can Be a Billionaire 1 High-Tech Marketing Illusion 2 High-Tech Marketing Enlightenment PART II Crossing the Chasm 3 The D-Day Analogy v vi Contents 4 Target the Point ofRead MoreExploring Corporate Strategy - Case164366 Words   |  658 Pagesso-called ‘Second Summer of Love’, strongly associated with recreational drugs. By the early 1990s, drug-dealing in its most ugly sense had become part of the dance culture. Palumbo recalled: When I came into this business, with my bonuses and my nice City suits, I was completely naà ¯ve. Just a joke. I found that every Friday and Saturday night my door was taking  £30,000 and the security team was making  £40,000 on Ecstasy. It happens everywhere in the UK leisure business. There are all these fatRead MoreLibrary Management204752 Words   |  820 Pagesinformation science text series) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978–1–59158–408–7 (alk. paper) ISBN 978–1–59158–406–3 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Library administration—United States. 2. Information services— United States—Management. I. Moran, Barbara B. II. Title. Z678.S799 2007 025.1—dc22 2007007922 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available. Copyright  © 2007 by Robert D. Stueart and Barbara B. Moran All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced

Monday, December 9, 2019

Oleanna by David Mamet The Birmingham Stage Company, directed by John Harrison Essay Example For Students

Oleanna by David Mamet The Birmingham Stage Company, directed by John Harrison Essay The Birmingham Stage Company is the resident company of the Old Rep Theatre. Its patrons are Sir Derek Jacobi and Paul Scofield. The company is unfounded and relies mainly on box office income. Company productions include Speed-The-Plow by David Mamet, The Crucible by Arthur Miller and The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. The present production by The Birmingham Stage Company is David Mamets Oleanna. David Mamet is a contemporary writer well known for his shocking and controversial plays. While Oleanna doesnt have Mamets infamous swearing, it does pack all the other Mamet traits; realistic, ping pong dialogue and lots of conflict. There are only two people in the play, John Neal Foster and Carol Sophie Bold. John is a university professor his subject is not clear, although one would assume he teaches psychology. Carol is his failing student who he offers to talk to and help her understand his subject. Carols background is unclear and gets more so as the play progresses. In the first session John uses a number of examples to try to get what he is saying across to Carol who is still struggling to understand. Each time John starts to get somewhere with Carol the telephone rings and interrupts what he is trying to say. That is how act one ends with Carol about to say something which could determine the outcome of the play but is interrupted by the telephone. In act two the relationship between the two characters is totally different to what it was in act one. The act opens with John and Carol in the office again, however the ambience is a lot less relaxed and we soon find out that Carol has lodged a complaint to the university tenure committee because she thinks John to be elitist, hypocritical and she accuses him of sexual harassment. When act three opens John is accused of rape and Carol is trying to get his book banned. When Carol tells John that she is trying to ban his book, this as this is the final straw because she is trying to take away the only thing that he believes in anymore and he ends the play by beating Carol up. All of the action takes place over about month. We dont actually see the action, more the aftermath of it. Oleanna has many themes but the most poignant are sexual harassment, political correctness and power. John gives an example of his elitist attitude when he gives talks about the sexual behaviour of the Rich and poor. He starts by saying, A college friend once told me that poor people copulate more then rich people do, but rich people take more of their cloths offà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Carol interprets this as elitism. Again John displays power when he continuously finishes off Carols sentences in the first act. Carol strives for political correctness when she seeks Justice for what John has done. Director John Harrison made the set simple because of the budget and for effect. He does add one symbolic twist, there is a mock tree in the background and in the first act a rich, golden light is cast upon it; this is in contrast to the atmosphere and how John is feeling. At the beginning of act two the light has changed to a dark green and this again symbolises Johns feelings, the atmosphere and the hostile intentions Carol has for John. In act three the light cast upon the tree is a very dark blue and this symbolises the throbbing hatred John has for Carol. Also the only other lighting in act three was an overhead strip light which gives the feeling of an interrogation room. Harrison also used a raked stage with a small wharf at the end, which was not raked. The raked sage was used so the audience could see better and the seating arrangement was quite steep which made the audiences view even better. Another method used by Harrison was to change Johns appearance in each act. In act one John is dressed smartly. .u1dd645cb419bd4cfdaad5c433f2fa14e , .u1dd645cb419bd4cfdaad5c433f2fa14e .postImageUrl , .u1dd645cb419bd4cfdaad5c433f2fa14e .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u1dd645cb419bd4cfdaad5c433f2fa14e , .u1dd645cb419bd4cfdaad5c433f2fa14e:hover , .u1dd645cb419bd4cfdaad5c433f2fa14e:visited , .u1dd645cb419bd4cfdaad5c433f2fa14e:active { border:0!important; } .u1dd645cb419bd4cfdaad5c433f2fa14e .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u1dd645cb419bd4cfdaad5c433f2fa14e { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u1dd645cb419bd4cfdaad5c433f2fa14e:active , .u1dd645cb419bd4cfdaad5c433f2fa14e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u1dd645cb419bd4cfdaad5c433f2fa14e .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u1dd645cb419bd4cfdaad5c433f2fa14e .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u1dd645cb419bd4cfdaad5c433f2fa14e .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u1dd645cb419bd4cfdaad5c433f2fa14e .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u1dd645cb419bd4cfdaad5c433f2fa14e:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u1dd645cb419bd4cfdaad5c433f2fa14e .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u1dd645cb419bd4cfdaad5c433f2fa14e .u1dd645cb419bd4cfdaad5c433f2fa14e-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u1dd645cb419bd4cfdaad5c433f2fa14e:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Character Analysis - Ordinary People EssayHe is wearing a suite with a tie and smart shoes. In the second act John appears scruffier with messy hair and he was without his jacket, his tie was loosened and he was also wearing casual shoes. In the third act he was without his tie, his sleeves were rolled up and his hair was a complete mess. There were differences in Carols dress not much in the third scene but in the first scene Carol was wearing a short skirt and a T-shirt. In the second scene Carlo wore a long skirt. This made her look more formal even though it wasnt particularly formal.

Monday, December 2, 2019

The Virgin by Kerima Polotan Tuvera Essay Example

The Virgin by Kerima Polotan Tuvera Essay He went to where Miss Mijares sat, a tall, big man, walking with an economy of movement, graceful and light, a man who knew his body and used it well. He sat in the low chair worn decrepit by countless other interviewers and laid all ten fingerprints carefully on the edge of her desk. She pushed a sheet towards him, rolling a pencil along with it. While he read the question and wrote down his answers, she glanced at her watch and saw that it was ten. I shall be coming back quickly, she said, speaking distinctly in the dialect (you were never sure about these people on their first visit, if they could speak English, or even write at all, the poor were always proud and to use the dialect with them was an act of charity), you will wait for me. As she walked to the cafeteria, Miss Mijares thought how she could easily have said, Please wait for me, or will you wait for me? But years of working for the placement section had dulled the edges of her instinct for courtesy. She spoke now pere mtorily, with an abruptness she knew annoyed the people about her. When she talked with the jobless across her desk, asking them the damning questions that completed their humiliation, watching pale tongues run over dry lips, dirt crusted handkerchiefs flutter in trembling hands, she was filled with an impatience she could not understand. Sign here, she had said thousands of times, pushing the familiar form across, her finger held to a line, feeling the impatience grow at sight of the man or woman tracing a wavering X or laying the impress of a thumb. Invariably, Miss Mijares would turn away to touch the delicate edge of the handkerchief she wore on her breast. We will write a custom essay sample on The Virgin by Kerima Polotan Tuvera specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Virgin by Kerima Polotan Tuvera specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Virgin by Kerima Polotan Tuvera specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Where she sat alone at one of the cafeteria tables, Miss Mijares did not look 34. She was slight, almost bony, but she had learned early how to dress herself to achieve an illusion of hips and bosom. She liked poufs and shirrings and little girlish pastel colors. On her bodice, astride or lengthwise, there sat an inevitable row of thick camouflaging ruffles that made her look almost as though she had a bosom, if she bent her shoulders slightly and inconspicuously drew her neckline open to puff some air into her bodice. Her brow was smooth and clear and she was always pushing off it the hair she kept in tight curls at night. She had thin cheeks, small and angular, falling down to what would have been a nondescript, receding chin, but Natures hand had erred and given her a jaw instead. When displeased, she had a lippy, almost sensual pout, surprising on such a small face. So while not exactly an ugly woman, she was no beauty. She teetered precariously on the border line to which belonged countless others who you found, if they were not working at some job, in the kitchen of some married sisters house shushing a brood of devilish little nephews. And yet Miss Mijares did think of love. Secret, short-lived thoughts flitted through her mind in the jeepneys she took to work when a man pressed down beside her and through her dress she felt the curve of his thigh; when she held a baby in her arms, a married friends baby or a relatives, holding in her hands the tiny, pulsing body, what thoughts did she not think, her eyes straying against her will to the bedroom door and then to her friends laughing, talking face, to think: how did it look now, spread upon a pillow, unmasked of the little wayward coquetries, how went the lines about the mouth and beneath the eyes: (did they close? did they open? in the one final, fatal coquetry of all? to finally, miserably bury her face in the babys hair. And in the movies, to sink into a seat as into an embrace, in the darkness with a hundred shadowy figures about her and high on the screen, a man kissing a womans mouth while her own fingers stole unconsciously to her unbruised lips. When she was younger, there had been other things to do college to finish, a niece to put through school, a mother to care for. She had gone through all these with singular patience, for it had seemed to her that love stood behind her, biding her time, a quiet hand upon her shoulder (I wait. Do not despair) so that if she wished she had but to turn from her mothers bed to see the man and all her timid, pure dreams would burst into glory. But it had taken her parent many years to die. Towards the end, it had become a thankless chore, kneading her mothers loose flesh, hour after hour, struggling to awaken the cold, sluggish blood in her drying body. In the end, she had died her toothless, thin-haired, flabby-fleshed mother and Miss Mijares had pushed against the bed in grief and also in gratitude. But neither love nor glory stood behind her, only the empty shadows, and nine years gone, nine years. In the room for her unburied dead, she had held up her hands to the light, noting the thick, durable fingers, thinking in a mixture of shame and bitterness and guilt that they had never touched a man. When she returned to the bleak replacement office, the man stood by a window, his back to her, half-bending over something he held in his hands. Here, she said, approaching, have you signed this? Yes, he replied, facing her. In his hands, he held her paperweight, an old gift from long ago, a heavy wooden block on which stood, as though poised for flight, an undistinguished, badly done bird. It had come apart recently. The screws beneath the block had loosened so that lately it had stood upon her desk with one wing tilted unevenly, a miniature eagle or swallow? felled by time before it could spread its wings. She had laughed and laughed that day it had fallen on her desk, plop! What happened? What happened? they had asked her, beginning to laugh, and she had said, caught between amusement and sharp despair, Some one shot it, and she had laughed and laughed till faces turned and eyebrows rose and she told herself, whoa, get a hold, a hold, a hold! He had turned it and with a penknife tightened the screws and dusted it. In this mans hands, cupped like that, it looked suddenly like a dove. She took it away from him and put it down on her table. Then she picked up his paper and read it. He was a high school graduate. He was also a carpenter. He was not starved, like the rest. His clothes, though old, were pressed and she could see the cuffs of his shirt buttoned and wrapped about big, strong wrists. I heard about this place, he said, from a friend you got a job at the pier. Seated, he towered over her, Im not starving yet, he said with a quick smile. I still got some money from that last job, but my team broke up after that and you got too many jobs if youre working alone. You know carpentering, he continued, you cant finish a job quickly enough if you got to do the planing and sawing and nailing all by your lone self. You got to be on a team. Perhaps he was not meaning to be impolite? But for a jobseeker, Miss Mijares thought, he talked too much and without call. He was bursting all over with an obtruding insolence that at once disarmed and annoyed her. So then she drew a slip and wrote his name on it. Since you are not starving yet, she said, speaking in English now, wanting to put him in his place, you will not mind working in our woodcraft section, three times a week at two-fifty to four a day, depending on your skill and the foremans discretion, for two or three months after which there might be a call from outside we may hold for you. Thank you, he said. He came on the odd days, Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday. She was often down at the shanty that housed their bureaus woodcraft, talking with Ato, his foreman, going over with him the list of old hands due for release. They hired their men on a rotation basis and three months was the longest one could stay. The new one there, hey, Ato said once. Were breaking him in proper. And he looked across several shirted backs to where he stopped, planing what was to become the side of a bookcase. How much was he going to get? Miss Mijares asked Ato on Wednesday. Three, the old man said, chewing away on a cud. She looked at the list in her hands, quickly running a pencil down. But hes filling a four-peso vacancy, she said. Come now, surprised that she should wheedle so, give him the extra peso. Only a half, the stubborn foreman shook his head, three-fifty. Ato says I have you to thank, he said, stopping Miss Mijares along a pathway in the compound. It was noon, that unhappy hour of the day when she was oldest, tiredest, when it seemed the sun put forth cruel fingers to search out the signs of age on her thin, pinched face. The crows feet showed unmistakably beneath her eyes and she smiled widely to cover th em up and aquinting a little, said, Only a half-peso Ato would have given it to you eventually. Yes, but you spoke for me, he said, his big body heaving before her. Thank you, though I dont need it as badly as the rest, for to look at me, you would knew I have no wife yet. She looked at him sharply, feeling the malice in his voice. Id do it for any one, she said and turned away, angry and also ashamed, as though he had found out suddenly that the ruffles on her dress rested on a flat chest. The following week, something happened to her: she lost her way home. Miss Mijares was quite sure she had boarded the right jeepneys but the driver, hoping to beat traffic, had detoured down a side alley, and then seeing he was low on gas, he took still another shortcut to a filling station. After that, he rode through alien country. The houses were low and dark, the people shadowy, and even the driver, who earlier had been an amiable, talkative fellow, now loomed like a sinister stranger over the wheel. Through it all, she sat tightly, feeling oddly that she had dreamed of this, that some night not very long ago, she had taken a ride in her sleep and lost her way. Again and again, in that dream, she had changed direction, losing her way each time, for something huge and bewildering stood blocking the old, familiar road home. But that evening, she was lost only for a while. The driver stopped at a corner that looked like a little known part of the boulevard she passed each day and she alighted and stood on a street island, the passing headlights playing on her, a tired, shaken woman, the ruffles on her skirt crumpled, the hemline of her skirt awry. The new hand was absent for a week. Miss Mijares waited on that Tuesday he first failed to report for some word from him sent to Ato and then to her. That was regulation. Briefly though they were held, the bureau jobs were not ones to take chances with. When a man was absent and he sent no word, it upset the system. In the absence of a definite notice, someone else who needed a job badly was kept away from it. I went to the province, maam, he said, on his return. You could have sent someone to tell us, she said. It was an emergency, maam, he said. My son died. How so? A slow bitter anger began to form inside her. But you said you were not married! No, maam, he said gesturing. Are you married? she asked loudly. No, maam. But you have you had a son! she said. I am not married to his mother, he said, grinning stupidly, and for the first time she noticed his two front teeth were set widely apart. A flush had climbed to his face, suffusing it, and two large throbbing veins crawled along his temples. She looked away, sick all at once. You should told us everything, she said and she put forth hands to restrain her anger but it slipped away she stood shaking despite herself. I did not think, he said. Your lives are our business here, she shouted. It rained that afternoon in one of the citys fierce, unexpected thunder-storms. Without warning, it seemed to shine outside Miss Mijares window a gray, unhappy look. It was past six when Miss Mijares, ventured outside the office. Night had come swiftly and from the dark sky the thick, black, rainy curtain continued to fall. She stood on the curb, telling herself she must not lose her way tonight. When she flagged a jeepney and got in, somebody jumped in after her. She looked up into the carpenters faintly smiling eyes. She nodded her head once in recognition and then turned away. The cold tight fear of the old dream was upon her. Before she had time to think, the driver had swerved his vehicle and swung into a side street. Perhaps it was a different alley this time. But it wound itself in the same tortuous manner as before, now by the banks of overflowing esteros, again behind faintly familiar buildings. She bent her tiny, distraught face, conjuring in her heart the lonely safety of the street island she had stood on for an hour that night of her confusion. Only this far, folks, the driver spoke, stopping his vehicle. Main streets a block straight ahead. But its raining, someone protested. Sorry. But if I got into a traffic, I wont come out of it in a year. Sorry. One by one the passengers got off, walking swiftly, disappearing in the night. Miss Mijares stepped down to a sidewalk in front of a boarded store. The wind had begun again and she could hear it whipping in the eaves above her head. Maam, the mans voice sounded at her shoulders, I am sorry if you thought I lied. She gestured, bestowing pardon. Up and down the empty, rain-beaten street she looked. It was as though all at once everyone else had died and they were alone in the world, in the dark. In her secret heart, Miss Mijares young dreams fluttered faintly to life, seeming monstrous in the rain, near this man seeming monstrous but sweet overwhelming. I must get away, she thought wildly, but he had moved and brushed against her, and where his touch had fallen, her flesh leaped, and she recalled how his hands had looked that first day, lain tenderly on the edge of her desk and about the wooden bird (that had looked like a moving, shining dove) and she turned to him with her ruffles wet and wilted, in the dark she turned to him. from: http://pinoylit. blogspot. com/2005/03/virgin-by-kerima-polotan-tuvera. html

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

How Unemployment Affect Labour Market

How Unemployment Affect Labour Market How Unemployment Affect Labour Market How Unemployment Affect Labour MarketUnemployment is a socio-economic situation when part of the active, working population can not find work that they are able to perform. Unemployment is conditioned by excess of quantity of people wanting to find a job over the amount of available jobs, corresponding to the profile and qualifications of applicants for these jobs. Thus, able-bodied citizens, or job seekers registered at the labor exchange, who have no real opportunity to get a job in accordance with their education, specialization and labor skills are considered to be unemployed. Thus, the main aim of the assignment is to explain how unemployment affect labour market.Making a response to the article about unemployment, we may say that balance in the labor market exists when the amount of the requested labour is equal to the amount of the proposed work. According to the neoclassical concept, it can be achieved by instantaneous reaction of wages on supply and demand in the labor marke t. Due to the flexibility of wages, market mechanism provides full and productive employment. Full employment in this case means that anyone who needs a certain amount of labor in the current price can realize this wish at the moment.But, exploring stocks and flows of unemployment into the labour market, it becomes obvious that even in rather stable economic times, there are always can be seen large monthly flows into and out of employment. It means that there appear problems in labour market, when the level of unemployment is increased of decreased because balance is always better than sudden changes in one or another side.To continue, as it was previously mentioned, unemployment, being a socio-economic phenomenon, has great destructive scales. It is a fact that very often we estimate only economic impact of unemployment as the number of free workers and the amount of benefits paid, while the social consequences that are difficult to stand out and which have cumulative character ar e not practically evaluated. However, the degree of negative impact on the unemployment situation in the country depends on the particular characteristics of the overall social situation. So, researches in this area allow more clearly define the boundaries of the problem and find ways out of the crisis, in accordance with features of social, economic and political development of the country at the present stage.Thus, making a conclusion, it can be stated that the labor market is one of the indicators, the state of which gives an indication of the national well-being, stability and efficiency of social and economic transformation. It is a truth that mixed economy and its restructuring put forth new requirements for quality manpower, its professional qualification structure and the level of training, while everything of this greatly increases competition between workers because nobody wants to be unemployed. Moreover, it allows to make actual the tasks of clarifying the influence of f actors that shape the processes in the labor market, assessing patterns, trends, and prospects for its development. To add, employment is a necessary condition for human reproduction, as it is essential for people’s living standards, costs of the society for the selection, training, retraining and advanced training of people, their employment, as well as financial support for people who have lost their jobs. Therefore, such problems as employment, unemployment, labor force competitiveness and, in general, the labour market, are relevant to the economy and they are always relevant for consideration.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Platos Meno Plot, Analysis, and Commentary on virtue

Plato's Meno Plot, Analysis, and Commentary on virtue Although fairly short, Platos dialog Meno is generally regarded as one of his most important and influential works. In a few pages, it ranges over several fundamental philosophical questions, such as: What is virtue?Can it be taught or is it innate?Do we know some things a priori (independent of experience)?What is the difference between really knowing something and merely holding a correct belief about it? The dialog also has some dramatic significance. We see Socrates reduce Meno, who begins by confidently assuming that he knows what virtue is, to a state of confusion–an unpleasant experience presumably common among those who engaged Socrates in debate. We also see Anytus, who will one day be one of the prosecutors responsible for Socrates trial and execution, warn Socrates that he should be careful what he says, especially about his fellow Athenians. The  Meno  can be divided into four main parts: The unsuccessful search for a definition of virtueSocrates proof that some of our knowledge is innateA discussion of whether virtue can be taughtA discussion of why there are no teachers of virtue Part One: The Search for a Definition of Virtue The dialog opens with Meno asking Socrates a seemingly straightforward question: Can virtue be taught? Socrates, typically for him, says he doesnt know since he doesnt know what virtue is, and he hasnt met anyone who does. Meno is astonished at this reply and accepts Socrates invitation to define the term. The Greek word usually translated as virtue is arete, although it might also be translated as excellence.  The concept is closely linked to the idea of something fulfilling its purpose or function. Thus, the arete of a sword would be those qualities that make it a good weapon, for instance: sharpness, strength, balance. The arete of a horse would be qualities such as speed, stamina, and obedience. Menos first definition: Virtue is relative to the sort of person in question. For example, the virtue of a woman is to be good at managing a household and to be submissive to her husband. The virtue of a soldier is to be skilled at fighting and brave in battle. Socrates response: Given the meaning of arete,  Menos answer is quite understandable. But Socrates rejects it. He argues that when Meno points to several things as instances of virtue, there must be something they all have in common, which is why they are all called virtues. A good definition of a concept should identify this common core or essence. Menos second definition: Virtue is the ability to rule men. This may strike a modern reader as rather odd, but the thinking behind it is probably something like this: Virtue is what makes possible the fulfillment of ones purpose. For men, the ultimate purpose is happiness; happiness consists of lots of pleasure; pleasure is the satisfaction of desire; and the key to satisfying ones desires is to wield power- in other words, to rule over men. This sort of reasoning would have been associated with the sophists. Socrates response: The ability to rule men is only good if the rule is just.  But justice is only one of the virtues.  So Meno has defined the general concept of virtue by identifying it with one specific kind of virtue. Socrates then clarifies what he wants with an analogy.  The concept of shape cant be defined by describing squares, circles or triangles.  Shape is what all these figures share.  A general definition would be something like this: shape is that which is bounded by color. Menos third definition: Virtue is the desire to have and the ability to acquire fine and beautiful things. Socrates response: Everyone desires what they think is good (an idea one encounters in many of Platos dialogues). So if people differ in virtue, as they do, this must be because they differ in their ability to acquire the fine things they consider good.  But acquiring these things–satisfying ones desires–can be done in a good way or a bad way.  Meno concedes that this ability is only a virtue if it is exercised in a good way–in other words, virtuously.  So once again, Meno has built into his  definition the very notion hes trying to define. Part Two: Is Some of Our Knowledge Innate? Meno declares himself utterly confused:   O Socrates, I used to be told, before I knew you, that  you were always doubting yourself and making others doubt; and now you  are casting your spells over me, and I am simply getting bewitched and  enchanted, and am at my wits end. And if I may venture to make a jest  upon you, you seem to me both in your appearance and in your power over  others to be very like the flat torpedo fish, who torpifies those who come  near him and touch him, as you have now torpified me, I think. For my soul  and my tongue are really torpid, and I do not know how to answer you. Menos description of how he feels gives us some idea of the effect Socrates must have had on many people. The Greek term for the situation he finds himself in is aporia, which is often translated as impasse but also denotes perplexity.  He then presents Socrates with a famous paradox. Menos paradox: Either we know something or we dont.  If we know it, we dont need to inquire any further.  But if we dont know it if we cant inquire since we dont know what were looking for and wont recognize it if we found it. Socrates dismisses Menos paradox as a debaters trick,  but he nevertheless responds to the challenge, and his response is both surprising and sophisticated.  He appeals to the testimony of priests and priestesses who say that the soul is immortal, entering and leaving one body after another, that in the process it acquires a comprehensive knowledge of all there is to know, and that what we call learning is actually just a process of recollecting what we already know. This is a doctrine that Plato may have learned from the Pythagoreans. The slave boy demonstration:  Meno asks Socrates if he can prove that all learning is recollection. Socrates responds by calling over a slave boy, who he establishes has had no mathematical training, and setting him a geometry problem.  Drawing a square in the dirt, Socrates asks the boy how to double the area of the square.  The boys first guess is that one should double the length of the squares sides.  Socrates shows that this is incorrect.  The slave boy tries again, this time suggesting that one increase the length of the sides by 50 percent.  He is shown that this is also wrong.  The boy then declares himself to be at a loss.  Socrates points out that the boys situation now is similar to that of Meno.  They both believed they knew something; they now realize their belief was mistaken; but this new awareness of their own ignorance, this feeling of perplexity, is, in fact, an improvement. Socrates then proceeds to guide the boy to the right answer: you double the area of a square by using its diagonal as the basis for the larger square. He claims at the end to have demonstrated that the boy in some sense already had this knowledge within himself: all that was needed was someone to stir it up and make recollection easier.   Many readers will be skeptical of this claim. Socrates certainly seems to ask the boy leading questions. But many philosophers have found something impressive about the passage.  Most dont consider it a proof of the theory of reincarnation, and even Socrates concedes that this theory is highly speculative. But many have seen it as a convincing proof that human beings have some a priori knowledge (information that is self-evident).  The boy may not be able to reach the correct conclusion unaided, but he is able to recognize the truth of the conclusion and the validity of the steps that lead him to it.  He isnt simply repeating something he has been taught. Socrates doesnt insist that his claims about reincarnation are certain.  But he does argue that the demonstration supports his fervent belief that we will live better lives if we believe that knowledge is worth pursuing as opposed to lazily assuming that there is no point in trying. Part Three: Can Virtue Be Taught? Meno asks Socrates to return to their original question: Can virtue be taught?  Socrates reluctantly agrees and constructs the following argument: Virtue is something beneficial; its a  good thing to haveAll good things are only good if they are accompanied by knowledge or wisdom (for example, courage is good in a wise person, but in a fool, it is mere recklessness)Therefore virtue is a kind of knowledgeTherefore virtue can be taught The argument is not especially convincing.  The fact that all good things, in order to be beneficial, must be accompanied by wisdom doesnt really show that this wisdom is the same thing as virtue.  The idea that virtue is a kind of knowledge, however, does seem to have been a central tenet of Platos moral philosophy.  Ultimately, the knowledge in question is the knowledge of what truly is in ones best long-term interests. Anyone who knows this will be virtuous since they know that living a good life is the surest path to happiness.  And anyone who fails to be virtuous reveals that they dont understand this.  Hence the flip side of virtue is knowledge is all wrongdoing is ignorance, a claim that Plato spells out and seeks to justify in dialogues  such as the Gorgias.   Part Four: Why Are There No Teachers of Virtue? Meno is content to conclude that virtue can be taught, but Socrates, to Menos surprise, turns on his own argument and starts criticizing it.  His objection is simple.  If virtue could be taught there would be teachers of virtue.  But there arent any.  Therefore it cant be teachable after all. There follows an exchange with Anytus, who has joined the conversation, that is charged with dramatic irony.  In response to Socrates wondering, rather tongue-in-cheek query whether sophists might not be teachers of virtue, Anytus contemptuously dismisses the sophists as people who, far from teaching virtue, corrupt those who listen to them. Asked who could teach virtue, Anytus suggests that any Athenian gentleman should be able to do this by passing on what they have learned from preceding generations.  Socrates is unconvinced.  He points out that great Athenians like Pericles, Themistocles, and Aristides were all good men, and they managed to teach their sons specific skills like horse riding, or music.  But they didnt teach their sons to be as virtuous as themselves, which they surely would have done if they had been able to. Anytus leaves, ominously warning Socrates that he is too ready to speak ill of people and that he should take care in expressing such views.  After he leaves Socrates confronts the paradox that he now finds himself with: on the one hand, virtue is teachable since it is a kind of knowledge; on the other hand, there are no teachers of virtue. He resolves it by distinguishing between real knowledge and correct opinion.   Most of the time in practical life, we get by perfectly well if we simply have correct beliefs about something. For example,  if you want to grow tomatoes and you correctly believe that planting them on the south side of the garden will produce a good crop, then if you do this youll get the outcome youre aiming at. But to really be able to teach someone how to grow tomatoes, you need more than a bit of practical experience and a few rules of thumb; you need a genuine knowledge of horticulture, which includes an understanding of soils, climate, hydration, germination, and so on. The good men who fail to teach their sons virtue are like practical gardeners without theoretical knowledge. They do well enough themselves most of the time, but their opinions are not always reliable, and they arent equipped to teach others. How do these good men acquire virtue?  Socrates suggests it is a gift from the gods, similar to the gift of poetic inspiration enjoyed by those who are able to write poetry but are unable to explain how they do it. The Significance of the  Meno The  Meno  offers a fine illustration of Socrates argumentative methods and his search for definitions of moral concepts.  Like many of Platos early dialogues, it ends rather inconclusively.  Virtue hasnt been defined.  It has been identified with a kind of knowledge or wisdom, but exactly what this knowledge consists in hasnt been specified.  It seems it can be taught, at least in principle, but there are no teachers of virtue since no one has an adequate theoretical understanding of its essential nature.  Socrates implicitly includes himself among those who cannot teach virtue since he candidly admits at the outset that he doesnt know how to define it.   Framed by all this uncertainty, however, is the episode with the slave boy where Socrates asserts the doctrine of reincarnation and demonstrates the existence of innate knowledge.  Here he seems more confident about the truth of his claims.  It is likely that these ideas about reincarnation and inborn knowledge represent the views of Plato rather than Socrates.  They figure again in other dialogues, notably the Phaedo.  This passage is one of the most celebrated in the history of philosophy and is the starting point for many subsequent debates about the nature and the possibility of a priori knowledge. An Ominous Subtext While the content of Meno is a classic in its form and metaphysical function, it also has an underlying and ominous subtext. Plato wrote Meno about 385 BCE, placing the events about 402 BCE, when Socrates was 67 years old, and about three years before he was executed for corrupting Athenian youth. Meno was a young man who was described in historical records as treacherous, eager for wealth and supremely self-confident. In the dialogue, Meno believes he is virtuous because he has given several discourses about it in the past: and Socrates proves that he cant know whether hes virtuous or not because he doesnt know what virtue is. Anytus was the main prosecutor in the court case that led to Socratess death. In Meno, Anytus threatens Socrates, I think that you are too ready to speak evil of men: and, if you will take my advice, I would recommend you to be careful. Anytus is missing the point, but nevertheless, Socrates is, in fact, shoving this particular Athenian youth off his self-confident pedestal, which would definitely be construed in Anytuss eyes as a corrupting influence. Resources and Further Reading Bluck, R. S. Platos Meno. Phronesis 6.2 (1961): 94–101. Print.Hoerber, Robert G. Platos Meno. Phronesis 5.2 (1960): 78–102. Print.Klein, Jacob. A Commentary on Platos Meno. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1989.Kraut, Richard. Plato. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University 2017. Web.Plato. Meno. Translated by Benjamin Jowett, Dover, 2019.Silverman, Allan. Platos Middle Period Metaphysics and Epistemology. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University 2014. Web.Tejera, V. History and Rhetoric in Platos Meno, or on the Difficulties of Communicating Human Excellence. Philosophy Rhetoric 11.1 (1978): 19–42. Print.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

What makes a Food Organic Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

What makes a Food Organic - Article Example If a product is labeled â€Å"organic†, it means that a government-approved certifier has approved the food. This certifier has inspected where the food came from to ensure that the food is in fact organic. Organic foods are foods that are produced without pesticides, bacteria, fertilizers containing synthetic ingredients or chemicals, herbicides, antibiotics, bioengineering, hormones, and ionizing radiation. This paper intends to discuss how food is made organic. The most important thing is to convert the agricultural land to organic status. This is done on a much larger scale. Land conversion may take two to three years to convert the status of the land from infertile to fertile. â€Å"They will also look to ensure that the entire surrounding areas and systems maintain its biodiversity and sustainability† (BiofuelsWatch.com, 2012, para.3). The crop or produce that shows up in the first year is not organic, and that produced in the second year is still in the conversio n phase (Foerstel Design, 2012). Fully organic food is produced in the third year, when the land has fully turned into its organic status. So, the nature completes its course while producing organic food. Organic farming not only reduced the production costs but also helps sustain the environment. The produce, which includes vegetables, fruits, and livestock, is very much closer to the natural organic state. Hence, the most important step in making the food organic is organic farming, whose important factors are soil and natural fertility of the land. At small level, pots can also be used with potting soil, to produce a wide variety of vegetables and fruits (BiofuelsWatch.com, 2012). Potting soil is free of fertilizers and is handled very simply. Personal compost heaps can be used in the potting soil for the plants, which may include banana peels, which act as a very good fertilizer due to high content of potassium. Crushed mint leaves and camphor can be used as insect repellents fo r home grown plants, because these things expel pungent vapors that repel the insects, thus saving the plants. In order to save water, rain water can be conserved and saved in specially designed devices. Farmers can repot the plants with nutrient rich organic soil. Repotting is beneficial because it helps the plants to develop useful soil microorganisms and sustaining roots. Hence, home grown food is organic in nature since it is grown in soil which is free of fertilizers, and is grown in the most natural environment and by the most natural means ever possible. After production, there are manifold steps that producers go through to make sure that the organic food meets the standards of the consumers and is of high quality. Organic farmers make sure that the production is never sprayed with chemicals, insect repellents, synthetic hormones, and other synthetic sprays, so that the quality remains at its highest level. The livestock food chain is saved from synthetic hormones and antibi otic injections. Organic farmers use renewable sources to conserve soil and water, thus maintaining the organic state of the land and environment. This helps ensure that the quality of the organic food remains high year after year. Cover crops keep insects away, saving the organic produce from harmful effects of the environment. Animal manure and compost are used to feed the soil and the produce, which ensures the renewability of resources. However, according to Insel, Turner, and Ross (2009, p.609), it is important for the organic farmers to properly manage the animal manure while feeding the soil, so that it does not contaminate the water, soil and crops to affect the overall quality. Hence, organic farming needs proper management

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Forbidden Foods and Drinks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Forbidden Foods and Drinks - Essay Example These prohibitions have origins that are varied. In other situations the forbidden food is due to some considerations of health, others come about because of the symbolic system of humans (Gebhardt 21). Different foods could be prohibited in certain festivals, specific times in life, and different classes of people. This paper explores different types of forbidden food and drinks. Religion prohibits the intake of some specific foods. For instance, A strict rule is set by Judaism concerning whatever could and could not be eaten. Similar laws are observed in Islam who divide food in the form of halal and haraam. On the other hand, Jains strictly follow their religion hence only consume vegetarian. Hindus also prohibit the consumption of cow meet since they take cows as being that is sacred (Mike 6). Apart from this, some communities scrutinize the cooking process instead of real food. For example, in Christianity of early medieval specific uncooked of fast food were considered to be of dubious status. In this case, the consumption of canned, as well as other fast foods, is forbidden to this group of individuals. This can be attributed to the fact that the canned foods and other fast foods are sweeter and consumption-ready; they can be directly taken without requiring farther preparations that other food substances require. It is also because the cost of these ty pes of food kinds of stuff has been reducing drastically making the affordable. Examples of common canned and fast foods that are widely consumed include beef jerky, yogurt, jam, canned tea, and canned meat, just but to name a few. In spite of the large markets that they command, the foodstuffs are considered to be harming the society in various ways, but what are these various ways that the canned foods are considered to harm the society? This paper discusses the ways in which the canned foods are harming the society. To begin with, the canned food manufacturers are hurting the

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Political Systems in U.K and U.S Essay Example for Free

Political Systems in U.K and U.S Essay What are the similarities and differences between the political systems in U. K and U. S? When the U. S. Constitution was being drafted, its writers had the British Parliamentary system to base on. The British system was the system they were used to and had learnt since childhood. However, because the monarchy was one of the main things that the former colonists had rebelled against, any form of monarchy and most forms of concentrated power were avoided. The most fundamental difference between the political system in the U. K and the U. S is the constitution. The United States has a written constitution which is very difficult to change. The UK does not have a single document called the constitution but instead its constitutional provisions are scattered over various Acts of Parliament, any of which can be changed by a simple majority in the Parliament. Similarities Both the U. S. and British political systems have a head of state, a court system and an upper and lower house. The U. S political system has a constitution which lays out the rules for government and the rights of the people, however, the U. K has documents with constitutional provisions which lay out the same rules. Both systems are democratic in nature, as governments are put in place and removed from power by the will of the people and both have systems of checks and balances to limit the power of any one branch. Head of State In the U. S. political system, the president is the official head of state. The president is elected under the electoral college system. In the U. K. , although the prime minister usually has the spotlight on political matters and is the official head of government, the queen or king is the official head of state. The queen officially signs off on acts of parliament and, just as the U. S. president delivers the State of the Union Address every year, the queen reads the Speech from the Throne, which is written by the prime minister. In U. K, the monarch is more of a ceremonial figurehead and it is unusual for any member of the royal family to directly interfere with the political process. The Upper House The United States has a Senate as the upper house of the legislative branch and the U. K. has the House of Lords. Under the U. S. ystem, each state, regardless of size, has two senators. Originally, senators were appointed by the governor of the state they represented but they are now elected to serve six-year terms. The House of Lords is very different. Members of the House of Lords are not elected. The 792 members of the House of Lords are members by inheritance, appointment or their rank in the Church of England; they are not elected and cannot be removed by vote. This part of the political system in the U. K is not democratic. Otherwise the House of Lords serve the same purpose as the U. S. Senate. They discuss, debate and vote on legislation passed by the lower house of the legislative branch. The Lower House The U. S. House of Representatives and the British House of Commons have a great deal in common. Each house is made up of representatives elected by the people. In both systems control of the lower house goes to the party that has the most seats. Under the U. K. system, the leader of the party with the most seats becomes the Prime Minister and the official head of the government. Under the U. S. system this person would be the Speaker of the House. One other key difference is elections. Under the parliamentary system, the prime minister can go to the crown at any point and ask to dissolve Parliament. If this is done an election is called. An election can also be called if the prime minister loses the confidence of the house. This means that the prime minister lost a vote in Parliament on a matter of confidence. Matters of confidence are usually over budgetary matters. If the prime minister loses a vote of confidence, the end result is an election Other political differences. The American general election lasts almost two years, starting with the declaration of candidates for the primaries. The British general election lasts around four weeks. In the United States, no Cabinet member is allowed to be a member of the Congress because of the strict theory of the separation of the powers. In Britain, every Government Minister must be a member of one of the two Houses of Parliament and, if he or she is not already in the Parliament, he or she is made a peer. The constitutional system in the UK involves a lot of custom and practice, and much more flexibility than the US system. For example, the timing of US presidential elections is fixed. In the UK, it is essentially the Prime Ministers choice as to when elections are to be held, up to the 5 year limit. The resignation of a president in the US would have to lead either to an election or to his vice president taking up the office. In the UK, the resignation of a prime minister will lead to the party choosing a new leader, but there is no technically requiring this, the Queen is technically free to choose whoever she wishes.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Fear of Fear Essays -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) for panic disorder but the mechanism responsible for the improvement are lacking. The reduction of fear of fear (FOF), or the tendency to respond fearfully to benign bodily sensations, is believed to underlie the improvement resulting from CBT. Research has provided evidence consistent with the FOF hypothesis. Descriptive studies consistently show that panic disorder patients score significantly higher on self-report measures tapping fear of bodily sensations. Those who score high on measures tapping FOF display heightened emotional responding to challenge compared with those who score low on these same FOF measures (M. Brown, Smits, Powers, & Telch, 2003; Eke & McNally, 1996; Holloway & McNally, 1987; McNally & Eke, 1996; Rapee & Medoro, 1994; Telch et al., 2003). Findings from several prospective studies suggest that people score big on the Anxiety Sensititivity Index (ASI) a re at greater risk for developing occurring panic attacks (Schmidt, Lerew, & Jackson, 1997;p Shmidt, Lerew, & Joiner, 1998).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Specific procedural components contained in contemporary CBT manuals for panic disorder include education about the nature and physiology of panic and anxiety, breathing retraining designed to assist patients in learning to control hyperventilation, cognitive restructuring aimed at teaching patients to identify and correct faulty threat perceptions that contribute to their panic and anxiety, interoceptive exposure aimed at reducing patents’ fear of harmless bodily sensations associated with physiological activation, and fading of maladaptive defensive behaviors such as avoidance of external situations (Barlow, Craske, Cerny, & Klosko, 1989; Clark et al., 1994; Telch et al., 199).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the basis of contemporary psychological theories of panic disorder, several findings implicate change in FOF as a mediator of treatment outcome. CBT results in significant reductions on measures broadly tapping FOF (Bouchard et al., 1996; Clark et al., 1997, Poulton & Andrews, 1996). Modifying patients; catastrophic misinterpretations of bodily sensations result in significant reductions in panic (Taylor, 2000). A clinical trial comparing cognitive therapy with guided master... ... to 5 being extremely frightened Likert-type scale. The total score is computed by averaging the responses to the 17 items.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The hypothesis that the effects of CBT would be mediated by changes in FOF was tested in accordance with the analytic steps outlined by Baron and Kenny (1986). Step 1 is testing the effects of treatment on the proposed mediator by performing an ANOVA with treatment group (CBT vs. waitlist) as the grouping factor and FOF score as the dependent variable. Step 2 is testing for the presence of a treatment effect by performing the grouping factor and residualized change scores of the four major clinical status measures as the dependent variables. Step 3 is the relationship between the proposed mediator and the four major clinical status measures was examined. This step was tested by performing a series of analyses of covariance with treatment group (CBT vs. waitlist) as the grouping factor, residualized change scores of clinical status measures as the dependent variables, and the FOF score as the covariate. The final step is tested by comparing the effect of treatment in the third step with the effect of treatment in the second step.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Domestic Violence Essay

Domestic Violence is one of the many social issues that society is faced with. Research has it that the female group is the one that becomes victimized the most and there are several strategies that have been put into place to culminate this issue of violence at home, more especially against women. One of the strategies that have been introduced in fighting domestic violence in South Africa is the Domestic Violence Act of 1998. Although this Act is one of the good moves by the government, it has many shortcomings. This essay will therefore discuss critically domestic violence and how the Domestic Violence Act is not sufficient to protect women in South Africa from violence at the hands of their abusers To begin with, South African government refers domestic violence to any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between adults who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexual ity; and in the (South Africa) constitution enacted is an Act which aims â€Å"to provide for the issuing of protection orders with regard to domestic violence; and for matters connected therewith† which is the Domestic Violence Act, 1998 (Act No. 116 of 1998). There are several good points about this Act, and primary to those is that people (especially women and children) to some extent are protected from the deliberate abuse at home. However, many are the shortcomings of this Act. For instance, the exact statistics concerning domestic violence are extremely difficult to obtain hence it becomes difficult to know how much the Act is working. Domestic violence is not a crime as such, and police statistics reflect only reported crimes, such as assault, rape or malicious damage to property, and so forth. In some instances, domestic violence is not reported by the victims because of several reasons. There are many actions that constitute domestic violence that are not defined as crimes, such as forced isolation, verbal abuse, stalking and economic abuse. Domestic violence is often not just a one-off event, but a series of events, or a continuous pattern of abuse. Domestic violence may also exist as a continuum with one serious violent incident at one end, to ongoing and multiple abuses at the other. This pattern of abuse is not recognized in South African criminal law, which tends to isolate individual incidents. In addition, as outlined by Bollen et.al (1999).most crimes of domestic  violence are not reported to the police for fear of intimation, shame, and fear of not being believed, self-blame, or fear of retaliation. Furthermore, it appears from studies and work by organizations offering support to victims that the incidence of domestic violence is very high in South Africa. Community based studies have revealed that in some areas almost a quarter of women report having being abused in their life times by a current or ex-partner, and that up to a half are affected by emotional or financial (Jewkes et.al, 1999). A survey of 269 women who had contacted helping agencies in three major cities found emotional or physical abuse to be the most prevalent form of domestic violence experienced by women, with 90 percent of the sample having experienced this abuse (Bollen et al, 1999). The Domestic Violence Act (Act 116) was introduced in 1998 with the aim of affording women protection from domestic violence by creating obligations on law enforcement bodies to protect women (victims) as far as is possible. The Act sets out a broad range of behaviours that constitute domestic violence; including physical, sexual, verbal, emotional and psychological abuse, stalking, intimidation, harassment, malicious damage to property, unauthorized access to the complainant’s property, as well as other forms of controlling behaviour which may cause harm to the safety, health or wellbeing of the complainant. The Act also extends the notion of ‘domestic relationship’, affording to protection to married couples; same-sex relationships; couples who are (or were) in a dating, engagement or customary relationship, including an actual or perceived relationship; any person in an intimate relationship; parents of a child; and people who do or have recently shared a residence. The Domestic Violence Act allows a complainant to apply to court for a protection order asking for relief or protection. An interim order may be granted, and after an enquiry, a final order may be granted against a respondent. The protection order may prohibit the respondent from committing any act of domestic violence; from entering a specified place; or from committing an act set out in the order. A warrant of arrest is issued simultaneously with the order, and brought into effect if the complainant reports that the respondent has breached any provision of the order. If he or she is found guilty of a contravention, then the court may convict the respondent and sentence him or her to a fine or a term of imprisonment. In terms of the Act, no prosecutor is permitted to refuse to  institute an action, or to withdraw a charge unless authorized by the Director of public prosecution (Dissel & Ngubeni, 2003). Another of the other very serious shortcoming of this Act is that, while the Act criminalizes the breach of an order, it does not create an offence of domestic violence (Dissel & Ngubeni). Where the offender commits an act that is recognized by the criminal law as a criminal offence, a woman can report the case to the police, and it may proceed to a criminal trial but if it is not recognized, then there is nothing to be done. In conclusion, the Act is an indication of the seriousness with which domestic violence is now viewed in South Africa. It offers one form of protection to women who are the victims of domestic violence, but it does not necessarily offer remedies to the problem. The essay has outlined that sometimes the reason why domestic violence is so prevalent is due to the fear of shame and not being believed. The recommendation therefore is that there should be trained personnel who understand clearly the domestic violence issue, persons who understand of such related issue s and that will enable the victims to talk freely so as to reveal everything. References Bollen, S., Artz, L., Vetten, L., Louw, A. (1999). Violence Against Women in Metropolitan South Africa: A study on impact and service delivery. Institute for Security StudiesMonograph Series No 41, September 1999. http://www.iss.co.za/Pubs/Monographs/No41/Contents.html. Retrieved 8 October 2013 Dissel, A & Ngubeni, K. (2003).Giving Women their voice: Domestic Violence and Restorative Justice in South Africa. CSR: Paper presented at the XIth International Symposium on Victimology, Stellenbosch, July 2003. Jewkes, R., Penn-Kekana, L., Levin, J., Ratsaka, M., Schreiber, M. (1999). â€Å"He must giveme money, he mustn’t beat me†: Violence against women in three South African provinces. Pretoria: CERSA (Women’s Health) Medical Research Council

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Cost Allocation

Cost allocation for indirect costs Cost Pool – Set of costs that are added together before being allocated to cost objects on some common basis Cost Driver/ Allocation base Cost Object Cost Driver Rate = Total Costs in Pool/ Total Quantity of Driver Where total quantity of driver = practical capacity of driver Cost of excess capacity = Cost Driver Rate * Excess capacity Predetermined overhead rate – cost per unit of the allocation base used to charge overhead to products. Predetermined overhead rate=Estimated overhead/Estimated allocation base One-stage allocation system Single cost pool – Entire manufacturing overhead * Single allocation base / cost driver-Direct materials cost/ Direct labor hours/ Direct labor cost/ Machine hours/ etc. * Predetermined Overhead Rate or Burden rate = Total manufacturing overhead / X * Where X = Total Direct materials cost or Total Direct labor hours or Total Direct labor cost or Total machine hours used * Total product costs of A = Direct materials cost + Direct labor cost + allocated overhead cost where allocated overhead = Burden rate * # of machine hours used by ADisadvantage: Assumes that all products consume direct labor (or other driver) and overhead in the same proportion. Two-stage allocation system and Product Costing Overhead costs are divided into different cost pools. Each cost pool has a cost driver (allocation base). * Split manufacturing overhead into more than one cost pool (e. g. create 2 cost pools whose costs add up to total manufacturing overhead cost) * Calculate burden rate Cost pools| Cost Drivers|Overhead related to direct materials| Direct materials Cost| Overhead related to direct labor hours| Direct labor hours| Overhead related to direct labor cost| Direct labor cost| Overhead related to machine-hours| Machine hours| Advantage: * Provides most accurate cost information * Cost system captures differences in the way overhead is consumed in different parts of the production process Disadvantage: * Cost of the system redesign may be high. The selection of an optimal cost system is based on trade-offs between increased accuracy and the cost of system redesign.Predetermined Overhead Rate or Burden rate = Overhead cost related to direct materials/ Total Direct materials cost OR Overhead cost related to direct labor hours/ Total Direct labor hours OR Overhead cost related to direct labor cost/ Total Direct labor cost OR Overhead cost related to machine hours/ Total machine hours used Total product costs of A = Direct materials cost + Direct labor cost + allocated overhead cost where allocated overhead = Burden rate per machine hour * # of machine hours used by A + Burden rate per direct labor $ * direct labor cost of ADepartmental overhead rate – Rates based on a department's direct and indirect overhead costs and some measure of the department's activity, such as the department's machine hours. Departmental rates are more accurate than plant-wide rates when a company manufactures diverse products requiring a variety of processes. Allocate overhead on a plantwide basis using machine hours – Burden rate per machine hour = total overhead costs of all departments/ total machine hours used by all departmentsAllocate overhead using department rate with machine hours as the allocation base – Burden rate per machine hour = Overhead costs of a department/ Machine hours used by that department Activity Based Costing 1. Identify activities, and identify overhead costs for each activity 2. Identify the cost drivers for each activity 3. Compute cost driver rates (cost per driver unit)= activity overhead cost/ total driver volume 4. Allocate costs to cost objects Overhead costs allocated to A = cost driver 1 rate * cost driver 1 volume for A + cost driver 2 rate * cost driver 2 volume for AABC Costs and Benefits Costs are very high if: †¢ You have a large number of activities, none of which dominate †¢ You do not know/unders tand your activities †¢ Your activities are changing quickly and dramatically †¢ You do not have any sort of ERP system in place Benefit: * Detailed Cost break-down at activity level can manage costs at activity level, or charge customers for their activity use * More accurate information * Flexibility in Choice of Cost objects * Flexibility in Types of Companies/Organizations this works for such as Product companies, Services, Non-profitsSymptoms of faulty accounting system †¢ The outcome of bids is difficult to explain †¢ Customers do not complain about price increases †¢ Competitors’ prices appear unrealistically low †¢ Profit margins are hard to explain †¢ Products those are difficult to produce show high profits †¢ Operational mgrs want to drop products that appear profitable †¢ Some departments are using their own accounting system †¢ The accounting department spends a lot of time on special projects †¢ Product cost s change because of changes in financial reporting RegulationsCommon Cost Allocation Systems Plantwide/Company-wide Cost System (â€Å"Peanut-Butter†) – Typically 1 cost pool – â€Å"burden rate† based on 1 cost driver (1 stage†¦) Department Allocation Method – Typically 1 cost pool per department – cost driver for each department (testing rooms in Seligram) 2-stage Cost System with Logical Cost Pools – Typically at least 1 cost pool per department, but might split more carefully (For example, what if Seligram’s electronic and mechanical testing had all been in 1 room? ) Direct cost can be directly traced to specific cost objects, in an economically feasible way. Example: direct materials, direct labor, etc. * One-stage costing system (â€Å"Peanut butter†): pool all indirect costs together, use a single cost driver. inaccurate. * The Seligram case: in the original costing system, â€Å"burden was grouped into a si ngle cost pool†, they use a single cost driver â€Å"testing and engineering labor dollars† * Two-stage costing system: first stage, costs are traced/allocated to cost pools (at least two).Second stage, costs are allocated from cost pools to cost objects using cost drivers. * The more cost pools, the more accurate your cost numbers, but the more costly to track. * The Seligram case: the costing system proposed by the accounting managers is a two-stage system. * Stage 1: burden is traced to two pools: (1) burden related to admin and technical functions; (2) all other burden costs * Stage 2: pool 1 will be charged on a rate per direct labor dollar. Pool 2 would be charged based on machine hours. Sometimes firms are already using two-stage costing, but they need to add new cost pools. * Add a new category * Divide current pool into subcategories * The formula for cost driver rates: total costs in pool / total quantity of driver * Activity-Based Costing system: 1 cost pool for each major activity performed in the company. * Idea is that resource usage is homogeneous within each activity, so the allocation is more accurate. * Disadvantage of ABC system: costly. * When NOT to use ABC system: when activities change quickly, when there is no ERP system in place

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Death Penalty - Pro stance essays

Death Penalty - Pro stance essays I believe in the death penalty. I believe that in certain cases, criminals deserve to die. We dont need them to be a burden to our society. And when people say that it is a waste of human resources, theyre saying that theyre okay if a murderer lives and has a chance to escape and kill again. We knows whom he or she kills, it could be you, him, her, me, them? The death penalty is not inhumane because we are getting rid of the bad people in society. Also, what do we do if a person that is sentenced to life commits another crime? Does he/she get sentenced to life again? That wouldnt make sense. The only way we can deter them is o kill them. If there were no death penalty, then the world would be overcrowded with prisoners. Our prison system is already over crowded. I think that the death penalty is good for society. Liberals argue that we make mistakes in the cases sometimes, that sometimes the person on death row is found innocent after. Well, if theyre found innocent then it was our mistake. But that case happens rarely since a person that is sentenced to death has an automatic court appeals case. There is always more than one case and if the evidence to prove that he/she is guilty is great, why not execute him/her? Society should operate on a basis of the greatest good for the greatest number. The utilitarianism of the Renaissance in Europe is an example of that. If the majority of death penalties are correct and only a few of them, a miniscule amount are wrong, then it is good to proceed with the executions. My view on the death penalty is 3 strikes and youre out. If a criminal commits 3 major felonies then hes dead. There should be no argument about that. Its justified to execute the bad people; we have a moral obligation. ...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

The Four Sounds of the Spelling OU

The Four Sounds of the Spelling OU The Four Sounds of the Spelling OU The Four Sounds of the Spelling OU By Maeve Maddox In response to the post on all a rouse, Paul Wilkins wrote I am wondering why people are misusing rouse to mean ruse. What other spellings of common words are there that would cause them to think that rouse is pronounced in the same was as ruse? The only only one that comes to mind is the -use word ending for words such as hypotenuse. Actually, there are several English words in which the spelling ou represents the /oo/ sound: you, your, tour, crouton, group, coup The reference on which I most rely for discussing the sounds and spelling of English is Romalda Spaldings The Writing Road to Reading. Spalding based the teaching guidelines in her book on the work of Samuel Orton and his student Anne Gillingham. Both the Spalding Method and the Orton-Gillingham Method organize the sounds and symbols of English into 46 sounds (phonemes) and 70 written symbols (phonograms). In the Spalding method phonograms that represent more than one sound are presented in order of frequency. That is, if a letter or letter combination can represent more than one sound, the first sound is the most common, the second less common, and so on. When encountering an unfamiliar word, the beginning reader is taught to try the first sound first. If that doesnt produce a recognizable word, then the second sound is to be tried. In Spalding the four sounds of the phonogram ou are presented in this order: 1. /ow/ as in found about, house, shout, mouse, count, loud, sound, hound 2. long o as in four pour, course, court, gourd, mourn, fourth 3. /oo/ as in you your, tour, crouton, group, coup 4. /uh/ as in country cousin, double As one might expect, American pronunciation has undergone changes since Orton and his students did their research back in the 1920s and 1930s. Television has spread many pronunciations and words that were once considered regional rather than standard. For example, the word tour [tÊŠr] is often heard pronounced to rhyme with chore. In answer to the readers question, the bloggers who spell the word ruse with the phonogram ou have never seen the word in print. They are associating the spelling ou with its third sound and not its most common sound. As the writing population continues to read less, many conventional spellings will be lost. They will be replaced by forms that look right to writers who are not used to seeing them in print. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:36 Adjectives Describing LightWhat is Dative Case?Affect vs. Effect

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Statistics Quiz Multiple choice Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Quiz Multiple choice - Statistics Project Example IV. If the process were repeated many times, each time selecting random samples of 500 people aged 20-24 and 450 people aged 25-29 and each time constructing a confidence interval for p1  - p2, 95% of the time the confidence interval limits will contain the true difference between the two population proportions. Assume that you plan to use a significance level of  Ã‚  = 0.05 to test the claim that p1  = p2, Use the given sample sizes and numbers of successes to find the pooled estimate  . Round your answer to the nearest thousandth. The table shows the number satisfied in their work in a sample of working adults with a college education and in a sample of working adults without a college education. Assume that you plan to use a significance level of  Ã‚  = 0.05 to test the claim that  Ã‚  Find the critical value(s) for this hypothesis test. Do the data provide sufficient evidence that a greater proportion of those with a college education are satisfied in their work? Use this approach to find the size of each sample if you want to estimate the difference between the proportions of men and women who plan to vote in the next presidential election. Assume that you want 99% confidence that your error is no more than 0.05. A researcher reports an F-ratio with df= 3, 36 from an independent-measures research study. Based on the df values, how many treatments were compared in the study and what was the total number of subjects participating in the study? A research obtains an F-ratio of F = 4.00 from an independent-measures research study comparing 2 treatment conditions. If the researcher had used an independent-measures t statistic to evaluate the data, what value would be obtained for the t statistic? An independent-measures research study compares three treatment conditions using a sample of n = 5 in each treatment. For this study, the three samples totals are, T1 = 5, T2 = 10, T3 = 15. What value would be obtained for SS between? An

Friday, November 1, 2019

Globalisation is Not Always a Solution to Poverty And Inequality Essay

Globalisation is Not Always a Solution to Poverty And Inequality - Essay Example Because of its sheer force and power, many people are wont to think that it can automatically eradicate poverty. Economic, political and social factors within the domestic arena play a big part in ensuring that inequality and poverty are addressed with sustainable solutions. This paper argues that without internal governance and social stability in the domestic arena, globalization can exacerbate rather than mitigate the problem. It will argue this point by examining the case of Brazil, and why, despite its large land size and the investments in bioethanol, the economic benefits have yet to trickle down to the poor and inequality and poverty remain to be pervasive. This paper will proceed as follows: first, it will give a brief background of globalization, second, it will give a brief overview on Brazil, third it will provide an analysis of the internal political and social conditions in the country that explain why the benefits of the globalization are not spread equally across the population. Globalization did not take place by happenstance. It was the culmination of a long process that began after the end of World War 2 in what was called the Bretton Woods Agreements. The Bretton Woods Agreements resulted in the creation of three organizations: the International Monetary Fund or IMF, the World Bank, and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade or GATT. (ibid, page 2) Powerful countries converging around a specific set of economic interests came together to hammer out the specifics and details of these institutions that they believed could shepherd the world out of the wreckage of the Second World War and out of the specter of Communism, and create a new world order based on the Capitalist framework. The United States played a lead role in making this all come together.

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Diel Oxygen Measurements Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Diel Oxygen Measurements - Lab Report Example The water may be used in anthropogenic activity such as cooking and laundry. Measurement of diel changes in dissolved oxygen concentrations of freshwater systems is a widely accepted method of examining its productivity. It measures the dissolved oxygen concentrations twice a day (sunrise and sunset) to determine the gross productivity and respiration of the system (Van de Bogert, 2007). This is based on the carbon dioxide-acquiring and oxygen-producing photosynthesis, as well as the carbon dioxide-producing and oxygen-acquiring respiration. It is thus to be expected that the oxygen is highest during the sunset because the sunlight-requiring photosynthesis happened during the day, and lowest during the sunrise because photosynthesis does not occur to offset respiration (Hansom et al., 2003). In this light we may also expect that the surface is more productive at the bottom than at the surface, because it is more difficult for sunrays to hit deeper areas of the water. The objective of this experiment was to measure the productivity of aquatic systems in San Joaquin Marsh. Specifically, the researchers aimed to measured the dissolved oxygen concentration on the bottom and surface of the marsh, to calculate the productivity/respiratory ratio, and to assess whether the surface and bottom are autotrophic (productivity/respiratory > 1), or heterotrophic (productivity/respiratory Dissolved oxygen concentrations were measured at the surface and bottom of 8 different ponds on the site from Monday, 6:00 am sunrise and 7:45 pm sunset, to Tuesday, 6: 00 am sunrise. After data gathering, productivity/respiratory ratios were calculated as

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Feminism In Elizabeth Barrett Browning English Literature Essay

Feminism In Elizabeth Barrett Browning English Literature Essay Through a detailed analysis of the writings of Victorian era female poet, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, this essay exposes the underlying themes of feminism in the authors works. The essay makes specific reference to two of Barrett Brownings most noteworthy poems, Aurora Leigh, a directly biographical piece, and The Runaway Slave at Pilgrims Point, not officially an autobiographical piece. The essay reveals the theme of feminism through an examination of key aspects of Barrett Browning, including: the inner conflict resulting from the struggle to choose between female identity and accomplished author, the comparisons made between the oppressive practice of slavery and the poor treatment of Victorian women, and the importance of female autonomy prevalent in the poems of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. All of these aspects come together together in the essay and Elizabeth Barrett Browning is successfully able to shed light on the oppressive treatment of women living in the Victorian period. Through her writings that often surround cruel female oppression, Victorian era poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning expresses feminist views in her works. Though often done subtly and indirectly, Barrett Browning uses her poems as a medium to express her aversion towards Victorian era female oppression that manifested itself in areas such as societal expectations and lack of independence. Despite the fact that few pieces by Barrett Browning are said to be truly biographical, one could suggest that numerous other poems by Barrett Browning depict her life as a woman living the Victorian period, as well as the lives of women in general living in the Victorian period. Through the analysis of two of Barrett Brownings works in particular, Aurora Leigh and The Runaway Slave at Pilgrims Point, one can clearly see areas of Barrett Brownings own life being expressed in her writing. Aspects of Elizabeth Barrett Brownings life that are most visibly expressed in her writing include her inner turmoil between wanting to be a poet, and yet also wanting to maintain her femininity. Also visible is her condemning view of slavery, and how she likens the practice of slavery to the then treatment of women. And finally visible is her belief in the importance of women gaining independence from men. Through a detailed analysis of Barrett Brownings work with a particular focus on Aurora Leigh and The Runaway Slave at Pilgrims Point, one can see how the works reflect Barrett Brownings own lifetime experiences and opinions regarding female rights. The works of Elizabeth Barrett Browning depict her aversion towards the misogynistic Victorian era society. Numerous works by Elizabeth Barrett Browning reflect the inner conflict that existed in her life. This inner turmoil is made very apparent in Aurora Leigh. Barrett Browning often depicts this conflict between wanting to become a poet and yet also wanting to possess femininity through a use of symbolism. As the scholar Dorothy Mermin observes, A woman who tried to be a poet within this structure would seem to be taking the part of a man (Mermin, 715). In saying this, Shires asserts the notion that Barrett Browning, and by transference Aurora, is torn between wanting to be a poet and still wanting to fulfill her role as the archetypical Victorian woman. The conflict between a woman wanting to assert herself in any male-dominated field while still maintaining a feminine identity would have been felt by many Victorian women, not just Elizabeth Barrett Browning as a poet. Barrett Browning uses figurative imagery to help convey this inner turmoil within both Aurora Leigh and also The Runaw ay Slave at Pilgrims Point. In the first book of Aurora Leigh, Barrett Browning writes of being sent to England to live at her aunts house, where she strives to lead the life of a proper lady that her aunt avidly advocates. However, when she describes the lifestyle of her aunt, she describes it as being caged: She had lived a sort of cage-bird life, born in a cage à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I, alas, a wild bird scarcely fledged, was brought to her cage (p. 13). Cages, used to entrap animals, act as a universal symbol for oppression, entrapment, and control. In this way Barrett Browning suggests that the life that was regarded as being most fit for the Victorian era women was something she viewed as being oppressive and constricting. Furthermore, by using the word cage, Barrett Browning implies that the lives the women led were no better than an animals life. Through creating this image, Barrett Browning is making a statement about her rejection to conform and become, essentially, a domesticate d pet. The narrators rejection of her aunts lifestyle does not necessarily convey Barrett Brownings internal turmoil to the reader, but it does show her strong opinions against the expectations of Victorian women. As Barrett Brownings description of her upbringing with her aunt continues in book two of the poem, her inner conflict is again described through her use of symbolism. As the narrator celebrates her twentieth birthday, she makes the ultimate statement about her conflict between her identity as an artist and her femininity. She claims that she does not feel complete as either an artist or a woman, though the resources for her to achieve either one or the other are available to her. Woman and artist-either incomplete, both credulous of completion. There I held the whole creation in my little cup (p. 38). Clearly, Aurora feels she is incapable of becoming both a writer and a real woman in her Victorian society, and thus she feels she is forced to choose one or the other. By w riting that she held the whole creation in her teacup, a personal item, Barrett Browning implies that the personal decision was, literally, in her own hands. In this way, the teacup itself is symbolic of Auroras, and thus Barrett Brownings, inner conflict and moreover expresses just how ultimately personal the choice between artist and woman is. And as Zonana states, in the poem Aurora undergoes a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦transformation into a poet who reconciles being a woman with being an artist (Zonana, 242). Through these examples, it becomes visible to the reader that the use of figurative imagery in Aurora Leigh plays an important role in depicting the internal struggle within both Aurora Leigh and Elizabeth Barrett Browning with regards to personal identity. The theme of inner conflict is also visible in her poem The Runaway Slave at Pilgrims Point. Just as in Aurora Leigh, the conflicts present in the text can be related to Elizabeth Barrett Brownings own life and internal struggle. There are many parallels that can be drawn from the runaway slave within the text, and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. This provides reason to believe that the poem may purposely, yet indirectly, reflect some of the happenings that Barrett Browning experienced as a Victorian woman. This poem tells the story of a black female slave, a dichotomy to the proper white female discussed in Aurora Leigh, however The Runaway Slave at Pilgrims Point as well depicts Barrett Brownings struggle with her identity as an author and as a woman. In stanza eighteen of The Runaway Slave at Pilgrims Point, the narrator observes the baby she bore her master. She cannot help but see her master when looking at her infant childs white face in contrast to her own: My own, own child! I co uld not bear to look in his face, it was so white. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ For the child wanted his liberty Ha, ha! He wanted the master-right (18, 1-7). The narrator continues: I saw a look that made me madà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The masters look, that used to fall on my soul like his lashà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦or worse! And so, to save it from my curse, I twisted it round in my shawl (21, 3-7). In a response to The Runaway Slave at Pilgrims Point, Tricia Lootens states: Better, she suggests, to be whipped than to have ones soul (implicitly) stripped bare; better to kill ones child than to curse him. Even in violence, soul trumps flesh: classic EBB (Lootens, 497). Stated simply, Lootens asserts that in the work of Barrett Browning, the worth of ones soul is greater than ones flesh. Flesh is valueless without soul. Knowing the value that Barrett Browning places on the human spirit, these lines signify the authors turmoil. The narrator kills her own child children being a flesh embodiment of a womans femin inity to spare the childs spirit. In this way, the action of the runaway slave in Barrett Brownings writing represents the feelings of the author; the spirit, or the artistic desires of her spirit, is worth sacrificing the flesh, or her femininity, for. As the text progresses to stanza twenty-six, where the narrator describes the act of burying her child under nightfall: My little body, kerchiefed fast, I bore it on through the forest on: And when I felt it was tired at last, I scooped a hole beneath the moon. Through the forest-tops the angels far, With a white sharp finger from every star, Did point and mock at what was done. (26, 1-7) This passage exposes much more than just the notion that society will chastise the narrator for killing her own child, hence her burying under the cover of nightfall, but further that even the angels above with their white sharp fingers will blame or point and mock her for her act. Just as the angels in heaven harshly judge the narrator for killing her child, the Victorian society would judge Elizabeth Barrett Browning, or any Victorian woman, who shirked her stereotypical social responsibility as a woman. Another theme used by Elizabeth Barrett Browning to expose the ill treatment of Victorian era women is slavery. Elizabeth Barrett Browning was notoriously opposed to the slavery that existed during the Victorian period, and this is reflected in several of her works. Perhaps one of the factors that inspired this resentment towards the practice of slavery was a sense of understanding from Barrett Browning that developed from her experience with the oppression of Victorian women; the plight of slaves and women would have been felt similarly in the era. This may provide an explanation to Barrett Brownings focus on slavery she was able to sympathize. Within Aurora Leigh there are links made between the practice of slavery and female oppression. Dalley describes Aurora Leigh as being written with the purpose of denying Victorian era gender roles: EBB clearly conceived of Aurora Leigh as a challenge to the conventional tradition[s] governing womens behavior because it openly discusses the plight of women and calls for changes to existing laws governing marriage and property, and attitudes governing womens work for money (Dalley, 526). Within Aurora Leigh, the idea of slavery and its similarity to the oppression of women becomes most evident in book two. As Aurora describes to her cousin Romney why she denies the concept of marriage, the connection between slavery and female oppression becomes lucid: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Am I proved too weak to stand alone, yet strong enough to bear such leaners on my shoulder? Poor to think, yet rich enough to sympathise with thought? Incompetent to sing as blackbirds can? (p. 48). In this passage, Aurora appears to have some of the inferiorities that the oppressed blacks were thought to posses mental inferiority and weakness. By subtly making this correlation, Barrett Browning likens the oppressed woman to an oppressed slave. She suggests that a wife was to a husband as a slave was to a master. Both the woman and the slave required the s upposed superior man to compensate for their inherent shortcomings. This passage is important in that it depicts Barrett Brownings opinions towards slavery while also addressing her opinion of sexism, while effectively correlating the two. Later in the poem, again to Romney, Aurora states: We sew, sew, prick our fingers, dull our sight, Producing what? A pair of slippers, sir, To put on when youre weary-or a stoolTo tumble over and vex you . . curse that stool! Or else at best, a cushion where you lean (p. 206). Auroras statement directly draws a comparison between being a Victorian era woman and being a slave. Through Aurora, Barrett Browning suggests that a man does not desire a wife as an equal companion in life, but rather to act as an aid to him in his life, while the wife gains little from the marriage. This thankless job of assistance is also what was expected of slaves. Both act as a mere tool to facilitate a mans life. In this passage, Aurora recognizes that in her patriarchal society, women were little more than tools to convenience their husband. These words spoken by Elizabeth Barrett Browning show that women were capable of realizing that they were being wronged and taken advantage of, which meant that they were not as mentally incapable as they were portrayed and thought to be. And moreover, they liken the treatment that the Victorian era women faced to the unethical treatment of slaves. Through the fact that The Runaway Slave at Pilgrims Point centres on a female slave, there are many areas that display Barrett Brownings opinion towards the practice. However, in certain instances, Barrett Browning glorifies the choices made by the narrator which demonstrates her hatred for slavery, and further demonstrates that she desires to escape the slavery of her gender. In the final stanzas of the poem, the narrator describes that the men are hunting her, knowing they will soon capture her, she literally laughs at the thought of her own demise: My face is black, but it glares with a scorn which they dare not meet by day. Ha!-in their stead, their hunter sons! Ha, ha! They are on me-they hunt in a ring! Keep off! I brave you all at once (29-30, 6-3). In these lines, Barrett Browning conveys the absolute fearlessness and strength of the narrator. The tone of the passage, through its liberal use of punctuation and literal use of laughter, becomes excited and maniacal, and in a se nse seems to glorify the narrator and her defiance. Perhaps Barrett Browning created this effect of glorification of the narrator because she, as a woman, would want to see the narrator courageously defy and overcome her oppressors. By laughing in the face of her oppressors hunting her, the narrator can take control of the situation and remove any satisfaction that her killers may get from her death. After having killed her child, and now letting herself die, she will be reunited with her child in a place where racial or gender-based oppression does not exist. This implies the notion that by glorifying the narrator and her final actions in the closing of the poem, Barrett Browning suggests that the narrator, wronged as she may have been by the men, was not only able to overcome, but furthermore triumph over her lifes obstacles. This furthers the idea that Barrett Browning wishes to see the oppressed overcome their oppressors. Again, in the last stanza of the poem, Barrett Browning d epicts the narrator as bravely awaiting her death, I am floated along, as if I should die of libertys exquisite pain. In the name of the white child waiting for me in the death-dark where we may kiss and agree (36, 3-6). In writing these lines in such a way, Barrett Browning creates a seeming sense of duty in the narrator, suggesting that to defend ones position or gender should be honourable. By including the narrators jovial mood towards her demise, Barrett Browning makes the statement that the oppressed woman was able to take actions into her own hands, and by her dissatisfying reaction, rob her oppressors of any satisfaction. In this way, Barrett Browning glorifies the bold action of the narrator so as to glorify the action of opposing her oppressors. Through this poem, Barrett Browning not only demonstrates her opposition to slavery, she also demonstrates its relation to the treatment of women, suggesting that fighting against either is an honourable act. Finally, the theme of womens autonomy is prevalent in Elizabeth Barrett Brownings works. Womens independence is a central theme in Aurora Leigh and in fact, acts as a driving force in not only the actions of Aurora, but in Elizabeth Barrett Brownings own life. The desire for female autonomy is visible in Aurora Leigh when Aurora marks herself as a writer by crowning herself with ivy. As Aurora crowns herself, she discusses the need to prove herself worthy: The worthiest poets have remained uncrowned till death has bleached their foreheads to the bone; and so with me it must be unless I prove unworthy of the grand adversity, and certainly I would not fail so much. (p.38). Although there is not explicit mention of what the grand adversity is, it is very likely the mere fact that Aurora, and of course Barrett Browning herself, were females in a misogynistic period. As previously mentioned, women in the Victorian era would be little more than the chattels of their husbands. For a Victori an woman to become a prominent poet, she would need to break free of the constraints placed on her by a misogynistic society. It is evident that both Aurora and Elizabeth Barrett Browning felt that in order to achieve their desires, they had to overcome the domineering masculine influence in their lives. This theme of female independence is visible in Aurora Leigh as Aurora explains to her cousin, Romney, why she cannot marry him. You misconceive the question like a man, who sees a woman as the complement of his sex merely. You forget too much that every creature, female as the male, stands single in responsible act and thought (p. 51). In writing this passage, Barrett Browning states that women, just as much as men, possess individual thought and actions, despite the opposing opinion of Victorian men such as Romney who believe that women are simply extensions of their husbands. Barrett Browning suggests that if women are not granted even the most basic of liberties from their patriarchal society, then they will never achieve independence unless they boldly act out against their Victorian gender constraints. While the theme of female independence is slightly less conspicuous in The Runaway Slave at Pilgrims Point, it is nevertheless alluded to in several instances. The mere fact that the poem centres on a female slave who yearns for freedom from her master instils in the piece an intrinsic theme of the need for female sovereignty. In many lines of the poem, the narrator discusses the oppression of the black slaves and especially black, female flaves, and through this description links to the oppression of Victorian period women can be drawn, as both are treated as chattels of their master. Despite the fact that the narrator is talking about black slaves in the following passage, parallels can be drawn to oppressed females: But we who are dark, we are dark! Ah, God, we have no stars! About our souls in care and cark our blackness shuts like prison bars. (6, 1-4). In this excerpt, the narrator explains that due to their blackness, or their skin colour, they are automatically regarded as be ing lesser than their white masters. Of course, not only did the black slaves have no control over their skin colour, but furthermore it is irrelevant to their mental and physical capabilities as a human. Just as the slaves were judged as being inferior because of their race, women were also assumed to be ultimately inferior to men based on their gender, an inherent and irrelevant feature of their identity. The femininity of women was falsely equated to, by men, frivolous unintelligence. Elizabeth Barrett Browning would have been familiar with this entrapment that she wrote about, not only from experiencing life as a Victorian woman, but also due to her chronic illness that often limited her actions. The concept of female independence becomes visible again as the poem nears the end: I am not mad: I am black. I see you staring in my face-I know you, staring, shrinking back, Ye are born of the Washington-race, and this is the free America: (32, 1-5). By mentioning George Washington an d the free America, Barrett Browning draws explicit attention to the point that America is a country founded on freedom, and it becomes emphasized just how horribly the slaves, and in a similar way women, were treated in the gloriously free country, and just how un-free their lives really were. In this passage, Barrett Browning insinuates that no nation can ever be free until all of its people are free. Within The Runaway Slave at Pilgrims Point, just as the slaves were oppressed by their masters in the free country of America, Elizabeth Barrett Browning was oppressed by her civilized yet patriarchal, Victorian society. Through indepth analysis of key themes in the poetic works of Elizabeth Barrett Browning with a particular focus on the autobiographical Aurora Leig and non-biographical The runaway slave at Pilgrims Point, it becomes lucid that Barrett Browning uses her writing to express her own experiences and opinions towards the unjust Victorian treatment of women. Firstly, these experiences and opinions are displayed through Barrett Brownings use of interal struggle between the identity of poet and woman. Also, she expresses herself through her fierce opposition to slavery visible in both poems. Finally she achieves this purpose through the importance of individual independence that is portrayed in her poems. When all of these elements of Elizabeth Barrett Brownings poetry are examined individually, it is clear that Barrett Browning uses her poetry as a medium to express her experiences and opinions towards the ill treatment of Victorian era women.