Gender, Race, and Religion in the Colonization of the Americas Essay

Colonization is associated with the occupation of a foreign land. The definition of colonization is broad. However, it is used in the materialist and the traditionalist sense, rather than the metaphorical, to refer to the expropriation and exploitation of land and/or resources by one group over another. Various countries and continents fell under the York of colonization, and one such case is the African continent. The motivation for European’s colonization of different regions such as Africa was a combination of curiosity, missionary effects, scientific inquiry, exploitation of natural resources, and philanthropic desire to bring progress to Africa and its inhabitants. This is as per the definition of the Europeans. While Christianity and some desire to promote commerce were primary drivers of European interest in Africa, the dominating view was one of laissez-faire politics, assuming that contact with Europe and the desire to trade and interchange would stimulate African dev elopment. Beginning 1800 European powerhouses such as Britain, France, Spain, Belgium, Portugal, Germany, and the Netherlands expanded their rule and influence to different parts of Africa. This led to the rise of colonial rule that affected nearly all institutions, politics, and social settings including growth and control of certain industries, government structures, education systems and health practices (Udeze, 2009). In the early periods of the twentieth century, European governments were claiming sovereignty over all, but six of the roughly forty political units into which the African continent had been divided by European missionaries and exploration. By doing this, these countries had already begun to lay claim to African territory, and this may have been attributed more to their competition with each other in Europe as opposed to the desire of developing colonies. In large part, the main focus of the colonial powers was to extract resources from Africa such as ivory, rubber, ores et c etera. In the case of colonization in Africa, there has been a significant debate about the impact of colonialism in Africa. In the grand scheme of the continent’s history, the colonial era lasted a short time –less than a century. The Eurocentric scholars often gave the early accounts of the colonial period in Africa and they emphasized the positive impacts of colonization by focusing on the introduction of new technology, civilizing mission, medical advances, and the onset of modernity. On the other hand, the era of African nationalism resulted in the emergence of Afrocentric and Marxist analysis of colonization in Africa that was hardly sympathetic to the European point of view. In general, these studies concluded that the colonial era interrupted Africa’s natural development and condemned the continent to stagnation and continued exploitation. That being said, it is clear that colonization in Africa came with its fair share of positive and negative outcomes alike. The nature of economic activities promoted during the colonial period caused the spread of cash crop agriculture, which in some cases allowed Africans to acquire wealth and raise their standard of living. Economically speaking, colonialism fostered the construction of economic infrastructure –roads, railroads, telegraph, and ports. However, the purposeful emphasis on cash crop agriculture impeded industrial development in Africa. This is because European nations did not want industrial competition. Furthermore, Africa’s integration into a world economy resulted in a system that encouraged Africans to produce what they could not use and use what they did not produce, creating national economies extremely susceptible to an economic crisis. America is another classical example of countries that were subjected to colonialism. American was a former colony of the British. Some of the most heated debates about colonization in America concerned whether this was primarily a form of gradual emancipation and a conservative alternative to abolitionism, or whether it is understood as a racist movement that ultimately reinforced slavery in America. Through colonization, America was able to realize its economic potential and today it is one the leading economies across the globe. Furthermore, colonization in America led to the introduction of an employee benefits program that helps to add to economic stability whereby the income and welfare of American families are guaranteed (Yarema, 2006). However, it cannot go without saying that the colonization of America increased the widespread of slavery that is often considered as a negative impact of colonialism in America. A lot of people from Africa were shipped to America to work as slaves. In its most benevolent formulations, the colonization movement proposed that, due to prejudice within the United States, free blacks and those who worked as slaves could not experience the full benefits of freedom, equality, or citizenship in America. This acted as a catalyst for racism, and some African-Americans did agree that the best course would be to leave the country and start freshly in Africa. In other cases, slaveholders made colonization a condition of manumission, leaving African-American women and men with the choice between slavery and Liberia (Jaffary, 2007). Other than slavery, the other negative impact of colonization in America is that it was premised on the assumption that a multiracial republic could not function prope rly. Effects of one culture trying to colonize the other are bound occur in one way or the other. The subject of colonization in the African historical experience; should explain why every cultural trend discovered in Africa by later observers should not be simply tagged as original African culture and the tradition of the group living it; or of Africa as a whole. The strongest arguments are based on the dramatic change and twists inflicted on the original African culture by the acts of colonization by the West in the history of Black Africa. As a result of Europeans invading Africa on the pretext of exploration, this did not only retard the steady growth of the original African cultures, it created confusion, a distortion and a form of syncretism. Based on the incompatible nature of these two cultures, the Europeans amalgamated cultures indiscriminately. This act of colonization inflicted an enormous long-term suppression on the totality of the African cultures colonized, and effected an extensive implant of the colonizing foreign cultures that are better referred to as Western cultures. The act of one culture colonizing the other cannot escape the fact that culture is a man-made reality; thus, it is a product of man. Each culture has its specific imperfections. The situation becomes worse when one culture, with all its imperfections, imposes itself indiscriminately on another culture; thus permeates its victims with its own imperfections; hence, proliferating evil and imperfections (Rieder, 2008). Because of the indifference of these two cultures, the European colonizers treated Africa as only a vast extension of land mass and paid very little or no attention to the people occupying that land mass except when they could consider them as a commercial vehicle or as any other means and instrument of making their insatiable material cravings come to fruition within the grips of their fingers. References Jaffary, N.E. (2007). Gender, Race, and Religion in the Colonization of the Americas. Burlington: Ashgate Publishing. Rieder, J. (2008). Colonialism and the Emergence of Science Fiction. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press. Udeze, B. (2009). Why Africa?: A Continent in a Dilemma of Unanswered Questions. Xlibris Corporation. Yarema, A. E. (2006). American Colonization Society: An Avenue to Freedom? Maryland: University Press of America. Source document

Amerindians of the Caribbean

Content Topic†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 2 Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 2 History†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3 Appearance †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦3-4 Entertainment †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5 Housing †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5-6 Survival (farming and hunting)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6-8 Religion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦9 Topic: The Arawak of Guyana, their cultures, land use patterns and their effect on the landscape and biota. Introduction The Arawaks are thought to have settled at Hosororo creek on the Aruka River around 3,500 years ago. They planted manioc (manihot esculenta) which they baked into bread on ceramic griddles on the hilltops. Arawaks occupied the Corentyne River also around 2,000 years ago leaving a unique type of rock engraving, called Timehri Petroglyphs.Due to the amount of rich protein supply found along the coastal swamps, the Arawaks moved hundreds of tons of earth with wooden shovels , in order to build habitation mounds and raised fields for farming. According to Denis Williams this settlement strategy has sustained human population on coastal swamps during the European era and into the present. During the rainy season the Arawaks hunted a lot, when animals were said to migrate from lowlands in search of high ground. Animals commonly hunted were the deer, tapir, labba, wild hog, agouti, birds, parrots and turtles.They were known as food producers, also they are also known for their pottery making skills as they were the first people to bring pottery to Guyana. The Arawaks have made great contributions to Guyana culture, today many places are named by the Arawaks, most of our rivers and creeks are named by the Arawaks. The Arawak nation is deemed the most intelligent of the Amerindian nations. Fig. 1 Map of Guyana showing the location of the Arawaks History The Amerindians is said to be the first inhabitants to Guyana who entered the territory about 11,000 years ago.Amerindians initially lived on low, swampy coastland regions. The coastal plain was built up by alluvial deposits from the rising Atlantic Ocean ranging from 17,000 to 6000 years ago. The Arawak nation is said to be the second nation to arrive in Guyana after the Warraus who came before approximately 84000 years ago. It is said that a number of Arawak tribes have been extinct for several hundreds of years. What could have happened that would bring a population that once numbered 2 to 3 million down to just a few thousand by the early part of the 16th century?Throughout history the Arawak were subject to many hostile take-overs, diseases, enslavement, damage to food supplies and much more. Inevitably, by the end of the 16th century the Island Arawak had become extinct. Sadly, the Arawak Indians have been eliminated or greatly reduced in number in many areas, some of which include the Caribbean, Guadeloupe, West Indies, Barbados, and the Virgin Islands. Their numbers have been sl owly rising, so that today upwards of 30, 000 Arawak currently reside in Guyana, with a very small number existing in Suriname and French Guiana. AppearanceBecause of the broad distribution of the Arawaks, little uniformity can be found in their culture or racial type. It has been found though that the language they speak distinguish them from the rest of the world. The Arawaks were well shaped, slightly built and medium height. It appeared that they were physically weak in comparison with the Africans and Europeans. Their skin was â€Å"olive† which mean smooth and brown. The Arawaks were considered naturally good- looking but distorted their features by artificial means. As babies their heads were flattened at the forehead, this elongated head was considered a mark of beauty.This is thought to have been done to thicken the skull thus it could withstand heavy blows. The Arawaks had broad nose and their nostrils probably flared wide. Their hair was straight and black but coar se and was usually worn long. Figure 2: showing an Arawak family The Arawak men painted their bodies with bright colored dyes with clay and fat mixed all over smearing patterns all over their bodies: â€Å"some of them †¦ with black, others white and others red, most of them on their bodies and some on their faces, and eyes or only the nose†.The favorite paint was Roucou a red dye, besides being colorful, the clay and grease kept insects and rain off. The Arawaks also had body piercings and wore ornaments made from clay, shell and cotton. A plate of gold and copper alloy called the guanin was worn by chiefs who also dressed in gold crowns and feather headdresses. Sometimes the Arawaks had gold in their noses as plugs or hanging ornaments. The Arawaks saw gold as nothing more than a form of decoration. The women wore simple bead aprons and necklaces. A number of small amulets (Fig. ) or charms were carried in sacks around the neck, foot and wrist. Others made from cotton; shell and clay were woven into hair. Figure 3: showing amulets worn or carried by the Arawaks Entertainment The Arawaks had ample leisure time and many festivals marked by the Arawak year, some religious and some not so. For example the naming of a baby was time to rejoicing of the Arawaks that a child without a name will meet with great misfortune. The wedding of a cacique and the inauguration of a new cacique were times of festivity.Arawaks are fond of sports, although not competitive like us. The favorite sport called batos was a ball game with the cross between volleyball and football. The game was played with a hard rubber ball. The main aim of the game was to keep the ball in the air using only the thighs and never touching the hands or feet. The most well-known of the Arawaks' pleasure was that of smoking. The Arawaks called the tobacco plant cohiba and the pipe for smoking the leaves, tabaco. The Arawaks liked tobacco for peace and contentment, and for helping them to medit ate.They made cigars and smoked it in a pipe which they enjoyed very much. Fig. 4: showing Arawak harvesting and smoking tobacco Housing All the Arawaks needed were a shelter to keep off rain. Arawak houses were rectangular with steep thatched roofs. The larger ones had a covered porch before the door. The construction of these houses is rather simple. Wooden posts were put into the ground in a circle and canes were woven between them and tied with creepers. The roof was thatched in a conical shape and a hole was left at the top to allow smoke to escape.There were no windows and only an opening was left for a door and the houses were thoroughly built and could withstand hurricanes. The tasks of building houses were done by the men. Fig. 5: showing the house of an Arawak Survival (farming and hunting) The Arawaks were subsistence farmers, growing food mainly for their own needs and with a little left over for trade. Some crops are shown in fig. . They cut down trees to make room for planting and used the â€Å"slash-and-burn† method of farming. This is a simple method where the land was burnt to clear it of weeds and bush.The ash produced was mixed with fish and urine to produce fertilizer to help prolong the productiveness of the land. Crops were then planted in the ashes among the blackened tree stumps. These primitive farmers did not practice crop rotation, after about five to ten years, the soil would become exhausted, and the village would proceed to clear fresh land, however, slash and burn is no longer used. Instead, shifting cultivation is their new form of farming. Women did the planting and were responsible for the preparation of food.The crop cassava (also known manioc), slips were cut from the stem and planted in mounds on the level earth. Cassava was planted twice a year when the soil was damp. The Arawaks ate a variety of other fruits and vegetables including pineapples, star apples, guavas and cashews. The Arawaks did not touch mammy apple s as they believed that it was food for the dead. Arawaks did not rely on field crops for all their food. Due to living on the coast oceans and rivers were rich in foods which needed little effort to gather: shellfish, turtle eggs, snails and gull.Huge piles of shells have been found among the remains of camp sites. Arawaks trapped many small animals including bots, lizards, snakes, iguanas and agouties. The only domestic animal known to Arawaks was a small dog. Fig. 6: Showing some crops grown by Arawak As mentioned, the women were also responsible for all food preparations. The main food of the Arawaks was cassava, which required special preparation since it was poisonous in its natural state. First, the root was grated on a board covered small pebbles or rough coral until it formed a paste. Fig. 4 is an indication of this tool.This was put into a wicker tube, one end of which was hung from a branch, while a weight was attached to the other end. This caused the tube to contract, a nd forced the poisonous liquid out through the wicker. The remaining paste was left to dry and then pounded into flour using a stone mortar and pestle. The flour was formed into flat cakes and baked on a clay griddle until they were hard and dry. In this way, the cassava flour could keep from an extended period of time. Fig. 7: showing an Arawak grind stone Seasoning played a big part in food preparation. Salt and especially pepper were the common seasonings used.In addition, a sauce called cassareep, which was made of cassava juice, salt and pepper was frequently used, especially when serving the Arawaks' simplest dish, ‘pepperpot’. Note that both cassareep and pepperpot are widely used throughout Guyana today. Pepperpot was prepared in a large clay pot. Cassava juice, with the poison extracted of course, beans, peanuts, potato and some meat were all allowed to simmer. This pot of soup was used to feed a family about three times a day and as the pot is emptied, more in gredients are added so that one can have pepperpot at any time of the day or night.The Arawaks could also make intoxicating drinks out of cassava and maize such as piwari and cassiri, but drunkenness was uncommon except on some ceremonial occasions. However, smoking tobacco was a big part of the Arawak culture. Religion The Arawaks’ religious believe was called animism and was based on a spirit world, this practice aimed at honoring the spirit god. However Hillhouse claimed that the Arawaks worshipped the universal creator, a supreme being who they called Aluberi. They also believed that the sky was the source of all things powerful and good.Certain men in society were single out to explain the mysterious and control the spirit world. They were called shamans or piaimen and were said to have supernatural powers. Arawaks believe that disease was nothing but the presence of evil spirit. These medicine men had the power possessed to drive out disease. The piaimen were versed in the knowledge of herbs to treat disease. Connected with the belief in evil spirits also was the Kanaima. The Kanaima would track down its victims for years for the sake of revenge.He was thought to be an evil spirit in the form of a man. References Some notes on the Amerindians of Guyana Then and Now. Compiled by Shebana Daniel Uncle Basil: An Arawak Biography. By Justin Greene- Roesel The Prehistoric Arawak of Guyana. By Jennifer Wishart, Walter Roth Museum The Amerindians and the Europeans. By M. N. Menezes http://www. google. ca/imgres? q=Arawaks+of+Guyana//html accessed December 10, 2012 http://www. google. gy/imgres? q=arawak+smoking+tobaccocigarettes. org/history. html accessed December 10, 2012

Dame Van Winkle-An Epitome of Non-conformist Behavior

Dame Van Winkle is a dominant and practical-minded lady and her disposition and character does not match with the norms of the contemporary American society. She is an anti-thesis to the Romantic Rip Van Winkle who epitomizes the romantic traits of his age. There is no textual hint that Dame Van Winkle was hash by nature bit it was socio-economic compulsion that made her to castigate Rip time and again. She does not complement but even sometime challenges the contemporary social traditions and norms that require a complacent attitude and behavior on the part of woman.It is the nature ad characteristics of Rip that compel Dame to be a cultural villain. Her villainy is not due to any inherent flaw in her nature or due to habitual formation or propensity in her character. It is due to the circumstances in which she is placed and in which she has to perform suitably. Economic well-being of her family is her ultimate objective. Rip does not pay attention to this aspect and indulge himself helping others. Although he is â€Å"simple good-natured â€Å"and â€Å"a kind neighbor† but he is not a good family head.He is not pragmatic and does not think about the well-being of his family. He is a fellow who â€Å"take the world easy, eat white bread or brown, whichever can be got with least thought or trouble†. He uses to â€Å"starve on a penny than work for a pound†. Dame’s scolding is not a result of any pernicious nature or individual grudges. The story manifests that there are certain other male characters in the story that spend their time in useless activities and enjoy the blessing of indolence but their wives do not scold them. Their attitude is in conformity with the social norms.The author only portrays Dame with the colors of cruelty because she does not conform to the so-called model of contemporary women. This model requires women to act submissively and remain obedient and subservient to their husbands. It further requires them not to complain or criticize the behavior of their husbands. Same is the case with Dame. Her husband, society and author want her to behave and act accordingly but she does not do so. Although her behavior is not appropriate to the social and cultural norms of the day but was most apt response according to the economic and domestic conditions of her family.In spite of doing something practical regardless of her rebuke and reproach, he used to â€Å"frequenting a kind of perpetual club of the sages, philosophers, and other idle personages of the village† and used to take refuge in idle activities. This further infuriates Dame and she further performs a non-conformist act by going into the stronghold of the men and scolds Rip’s companions as well. Although it is courageous act according to the social norms of today but it was considered a height of bad manners by that societies and that company. That’s the reason that contemporary society only blames her for all the misdeeds.Irving provides certain hints about other facets of her characters. He portrays her as a neat and clean lady who always keeps her house tidy. There is no quarrel between her and her neighbors or any other woman of the village. All the above-mentioned arguments and supporting evidence manifest that Dame Van Winkle was not of a tyrannical nature but it was Rip’s failing as a husband and father that make her behave so. Furthermore, she is regarded cantankerous not due to real bad temper but due to non-conformity with the contemporary social norms. Work Cited Irving, Washington. Rip Van Winkle. New York: Philomel Books, 1999.

Doea a dividend policy matter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Doea a dividend policy matter - Essay Example But the practitioners are of the opinion that dividend policies do play an important role in this regard. They provide examples in this regard that there are numerous companies whose share prices have jumped to a new high after their announcement to pay regular dividends. The process of paying dividend by companies is considered very important because it sends a powerful message to outsiders of the company about the future prospects of the organization. If an organization is able to pay out consistent dividends over time to its shareholders, it can be concluded by the general public that the fundamentals of the organization are very strong. It should be noted in this regard that focusing solely on the dividend policy of an organization is not sufficient. The company must also have the money that is required to pay dividends to its shareholders. Any company’s sources of funds must equal its uses of such funds. If an organization pays dividends to its shareholders and this is considered as use of funds, there must be something that has to change in the uses and sources statement. In this regard it could be said that given the investment policy of the firm, the dividend policy decisions of any firm is dependent on the choice of its financing strategy. An organization has to take a decision in this regard whether it wants to rely heavily on external funds to finance its projects and then paying back those funds to the providers of finance in the form of higher dividends. The other way is to retain a part of its earnings to finance its growth. Ploughing back of profits is an important tool by which an organization ca n effectively finance its projects without relying too much on outside sources of funds (Miller, 1977, pp. 261-265). It can be said at this point that generous dividend policies may not be considered as the best for an organization. The organization’s

Canadian Aboriginal Residential Schools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Canadian Aboriginal Residential Schools - Essay Example While the effort might have been successful in mitigating native cultural attachment, it has been found out that many residential school students were subjected to physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Brasfield (2001) claims that many former residential school students experience a similar form of condition as post-traumatic stress disorder, which he calls residential school syndrome. The Canadian government has set up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission that aims at compensating for any abuse they have gone through. However, a greater concern is the implication of residential schools on the current generation of aboriginal Indians whose parents or grandparents have been former residential school students. This paper will explore the impact of residential schools on the current generation of aboriginal Indians in terms of education, income, job opportunities, health services, and child care facilities.Beaulne-Stuebing (2013) cites the findings of a report produced by the Canadian Human rights Commission which points out that there still exists a great well-being divide between aboriginal natives and the non-aboriginals of Canada. The statistical figures take a look at Metis and Inuit Indians and demonstrate marked inequalities between native aboriginals and non-aboriginals. In fact, the social inequality between the two groups is the most significant artifact of colonialism with aboriginals being one of the poorest ethnic groups of Canada (Wilson and MacDonald, 2010).

Personal statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Personal statement - Essay Example My short-term plan is to get an Associate degree in accounting to gain new knowledge and refine my existing accounting skills and knowledge. My long-term goal is to start my own business where I can use my professional accounting skills and knowledge to achieve success. My aim is to become an invaluable part of the development and economic progress of my native country, Cambodia. I want to play a key role in the economic development of my country by running a successful business. An advanced knowledge of accounting and related subjects would be helpful for me as an entrepreneur to ensure and achieve business success in the present fluctuating economy of my country. I am of the viewpoint that economic status and educational opportunity go side by side in ensuring quick personal and professional progress and achievement. This is the reason for me to get a degree in the field of professional accounting. This degree would help me in acquiring key accounting skills and knowledge, as well as in running a successful business. I have had some working experience that proved to be very helpful for me to understand the value of the practical professional life. For example, I have recently worked in a local TV station broadcast in Long Beach, which is called Khmer TV. I worked there as an interpreter and gained experience of managing the office work. This working experience has improved my English language skills and has allowed me to become more socialized and able to do successful communication with other people. At present, I am also working part time for a local retail business, namely Bigfish Tackle, in Seal Beach California as a salesperson. My duty is to contact with the customers all the time and make successful deals with them related to the sale of the company’s products. Both of these practical experiences have helped me in developing professionally. I have come to know the ways to run a

Do violent video games cause behaviour problems Essay

Do violent video games cause behaviour problems - Essay Example Kids, teens and adults all play these games and enjoy to the hilt, but various studies have shown that such violent game play affects the human mind rather severely. Teens suffering from various peer problems take out their frustration over these games and become more and more holed up by being in front of their computers or Playstation the whole day. Although video games are a great and innovative invention, every technology has its positive and negative aspects. Parents should guide their children in the correct manner to help them stay unaffected by the fictional world they are shown in these games. Also, the game makers at large should also keep in mind the dire aspects of their games and try and mellow them down a bit. As so many youngsters swear by such video games, they are a great way of teaching them so many useful things by developing games with a more practical storyline, and which involve something much more than just people blowing their heads

Carrefour Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Carrefour - Assignment Example The other smaller stores include supermarkets, convenience stores, and gas stations. The first store was opened in 1997, in Lodz. It also has a mobile service known as Carrefour Mova (Hoovers, 2015). The hypermarket structure has contributed immensely to the success of Carrefour. The company deals mainly with grocery and retail items. The items are as follows; clothing, household items, hardware, perishable and non-perishable food items. The business networks of Carrefour include convenience stores, hypermarkets, online stores, discount stores, supermarkets and electronic commerce. The Carrefour hypermarkets offer a range of services which include: financial service, ATM, parcel holding, Carrefour optical, shopping center to name a few. Carrefour also faces stiff competition in this competitive industry of grocery and retailing from other businesses either locally or internationally based. These competitors include: convenience stores, Wal-Mart, Ahold, Auchan, Tesco, Aldi and grocery stores. What differentiates these chains is their marketing plans strategy. Thus, this report will analyze the strategies it has employed in venturing in this new foreign market, and that has enable it compete favorably and continue making profits. Also it will include a SLEPT analysis of how marketing mix elements and management issues influence its successful productivity (Businesscasestudies, 2015). The major strength of Carrefour is that it is a hypermarket store well stocked with diverse goods and services, and it is well-known globally. The creation of its brand name products is a probable weakness that Carrefour faces. This is because it is a tradition of customers to the belief that own-branded products are inferior and hence lose trust in the company. Carrefour has potential opportunities for exploring its online stores and expansion in overseas markets. Carrefour also experiences enormous threats and challenges such as it creates

Researching and Developing a New Business Venture Essay

Researching and Developing a New Business Venture - Essay Example The paper also focuses on the micro level evaluation of the restaurant industry, with the help of Porter’s five forces model. Subsequently, the paper accentuates on the micro-level restaurant industry evaluation, with due consideration to the economic viability of the restaurant business model. The paper further confers the mission and the aspiration of the team. Finally, the paper concludes with the discussion of the rationale for the attractiveness of the new venture and cites reasons for the same. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Introduction 4 Micro-Level Market Assessment 5 Macro-Level Market Assessment 7 Macro-Level Industry Assessment 8 Micro-Level Industry Assessment 10 Team Assessment 13 Summary and Conclusions 15 References 16 Bibliography 19 Introduction The paper comprises of a customer feasibility assessment for setting up an Afro-Caribbean restaurant in Allerton, a suburb in Liverpool, United Kingdom. The paper initially focuses on the micro-level assessment of the market for the restaurant. This assessment is focussed on identifying the target market segment for the Afro-Caribbean restaurant, its size and growth opportunity. The assessment also accentuates on the needs of the target group and the suitability of the restaurant’s cuisines in meeting those needs. ... Conclusively, the paper discusses the rationale for the attractiveness of the new venture and cites reasons for the same (Mullins, 2007). Micro-Level Market Assessment The potential target market for an Afro-Caribbean restaurant in Allerton, Liverpool would be the British Afro Caribbean community and other ethnic groups residing in the area as well as the British population who have a liking for Caribbean foods. The total population of Allerton has been estimated to be around 30,000 (VDC Group, 2011). It has been observed that a decent magnitude of ethnic population resides in the Allerton region and its vicinity. Bernstock (2007), had stated in his study on the meal preference of Afro-Caribbean people that a clear correlation could be identified amid the African-Caribbean populace interviewed and their consumption preference, with an obvious inclination for Afro Caribbean cooking. This was despite the fact that there have been considerable cultural and social changes that has been o bserved amongst the Afro Caribbean population in the United Kingdom over the years (Caterer and Hotelkeeper, 1986). Additionally, the rapidly increasing statistics of ‘Black and Minority Ethnic’ restaurants imply that there is huge potential for a restaurant business, catering Afro Caribbean foods (Bernstock 2007). This is particularly true for Allerton because this neighbourhood of Liverpool does not have any prominent eatery dedicated solely to Afro Caribbean cuisines. During the recent years, a significant market has emerged for the category of cuisine, often referred as the ‘ethnic’ food. The augmented production of ethnic food in the UK lately is partially a response to the expanding group of African and other Ethnic communities in the UK. However, the growth in

History and Theory two - buildings in context Essay

History and Theory two - buildings in context - Essay Example The connection between the British excavations in Greece in the end of 18th century and in the beginning of 19th century and the architecture of British Museum building is not easy to make out for a contemporary onlooker. But still this connection is a simple instance of contextuality in which a building, any building, is immersed. Contextuality The example given above, of the contextuality of architecture draws attention to the question, how we understand a building. It is difficult to decide to what extent, a building fulfills the functional needs of its users and to what extent it simply represents aesthetics, prevailing architectural norms and possibilities, historical and social perceptions, and the patterns of a visual culture. To be more close to reality, a building has to be viewed as a product of its historical and contemporary contexts. Moore has put this concept as, â€Å"buildings have become such an integral part of our cultural existence that it is hard to think of the m as something separate from our Self.†7 To describe this phenomenon in a more academic language, Moore has said â€Å"the patterns and meanings associated with the built environment reflect fundamental cultural concepts uniquely shaped by particular societies at specific times.†8 Types When a building is classified, under a stylistic type like classical Greek or Gothic or Victorian, it involves a tendency of reductionism- to see a building as a product of design alone. But when an attempt is made to move away from the perception of architecture as purely a visual form, a new mode of classification has to be adopted based on types that derive from the functions or activities that happen in and around a building. This is where actually the historic and contemporary context gains importance. This is to accept that we can understand a building by understanding how its relates to the society around it. For example, there can be types such as domestic buildings, religious bu ildings, governmental buildings, recreational buildings, commercial buildings, industrial buildings, welfare service buildings, educational buildings, health service buildings, prison buildings, military buildings and so on. Here, architecture is defined and explained based on its functional use. A prison building ought to have a design based on its security needs and an army building requires a style based on the needs of discipline. As the concept about law and order, human rights and crime and punishment change over time, the design of a prison building is bound to change. In a similar way, â€Å"with the raising of the school leaving age to 11 in 1893 and 12 in 1899, schools had to accommodate more and more pupils, and the later schools were even larger in scale and designed in a more elaborate manner.†9 This is why it is observed that architecture can be understood as

History Comparison Betwen Mexican and African Americans Essay Example for Free

History Comparison Betwen Mexican and African Americans Essay The history of Mexican Americans is comparable to that of African Americans: filled with stories of conquest, racism, and discriminatory acts posed by society. The past has triggered Chicanos to fight back against injustices, in hopes of reforming immoral treatment, and emerging as an equal part of America’s society. The Chicano movement yielded some successes in this aspect. However, mass media and stereotypes confirm the notion that Mexican Americans are still viewed as a â€Å"lesser† people. This stems from the long-established concept of racial stratification. In this case, it indicates that Anglo-Americans have hierarchy over Mexican Americans. Consequently, discrimination towards Chicanos is still prevalent, despite ongoing efforts by activists for change. This nation was socially molded based on the idea that there is a hierarchy of races, and as long as that idea exists, Mexican Americans will continue to suffer inequality. In â€Å"Sexual Violence in the Politics of Conquest’, Castaneda explores the sexual crimes against Amerindian women during the Spanish conquest of Alta California. The soldiers accompanying the missionaries on the settlement raped and violated the native women openly. There were many incidents before rules were set to govern the matter, but even after the rapes continued to occur. One court case recorded in 1773 indicates that there was no intention to grant justice to the victims. The natives took matters into their own hands and formed forces to seek their own justice (similar to Chicano activist groups that seek reform for discrimination), but to no avail. Castaneda goes on to explain that the actions of the soldiers were not farfetched from practices of Western civilization (27-28). Because these dark crimes were normal for the dominant culture, they were automatically imposed on the natives, who were supposed to accept this without resistance. This is similar to Mexican Americans during the Chicano movement, who were not given equal opportunities for education and employment because they were not in the central group. In both situations, the majority emasculates the men and oppresses the women of the minority. The idea of hierarchy is apparent in this passage; Catholic missionaries try to strip the natives of their culture and convert them to value Western practices because they consider themselves the ‘prominent’ people. The history of the Chicano Movement can date back to the Manifest Destiny. In the 1840s, the United States planned to expand its territory and take Mexico, which had become independent from Spain. In reporting these events, Leo Cervantes notes the attitude of superiority that the Americans displayed in their imperialist plan. He notes one adherent’s thoughts, who asked â€Å"why resign this beautiful country to the custody of the ignorant cowards who have ruled for the last 25 years? † (13). Cervantes also quotes Thomas Jefferson, who has similar views of the matter, and promoted â€Å"policies of non-miscegenation† during the expansion (14). Even before Anglo-Americans were acquainted with Mexicans, they held predisposed opinions of contempt for them. As I suggested, Arturo Rosales agrees, â€Å"An underlying cause for the hostility Anglo-Americans felt for Mexicans was a preexisting ideology of racism† (5). These preconceived notions of Mexican Americans were the beginning of negative stereotypes attached to them. Today Chicanos are often represented in the media as uneducated thugs, loose women, or undocumented workers. Even whites who claim they are not racist may practice aversive racism by absorbing the images portrayed in media. It is this ideology of racism has contributed to discrimination over the years and inversely, the building of the Chicano Movement. The movement flourished in the 1950s and 1960s, feeding off other civil rights movements, particularly the African American movement. Both African American civil rights activists and Chicano activist protested the unlawful repression of minorities in America. They protested the terrible education system, police brutality, and denial of economic opportunities. Arturo Rosales compares Chicano activist, Cesar Chavez to Martin Luther King. It is expected that on this path to address the plight and repression of their people, Chicanos were met with resistance from White Americans. Rosales notes that police officers and other uniformed officials â€Å"were employed to suppress manifestations of discontent and did so using violence† (xv). It can be suggested that Anglo-Americans considered Chicanos a threat to the racial hierarchy, so they took action. Cervantes supports this theory, quoting Brooks Adams who said, â€Å"When a highly centralized society disintegrates, under the pressure of economics condition, it is because the energy of the race has been exhausted (18). This point illustrates the pressure Anglo-Americans felt to keep superiority over Mexicans. The American achievement ideology suggests four points: Anyone can make it. American society is fair and open. Success is based on merit. Moreover, inequality is the result of differences in ability and ambition. This ideology contradicts the apparent effects of a racial hierarchy. Stratification of races has formed structural discrimination among minorities, specifically, Mexican and African Americans. The poor education, poor neighborhoods, and badly equipped jobs that these minorities are subjected to prevent them from achieving upward mobility. However, white America still neglects to acknowledge these factors. Historian, Oscar Lewis, believed that people living in poverty are to blame for their own situation, yet minorities’ history in America consists of repression and treatment as inferior beings. There is no questioning it; racial classes have been socially constructed and this has directly affected minorities. The Chicano Movement has led to some advances for Mexican American such as the growing numbers of Latinos attending school, and raise concerns about unequal treatment to Chicanos. However, because underlying values of America are products of a deep-rooted, corrupt social structure, issue of prejudice will continue to exist.

Introduction to Environmental Science Essay Example for Free

Introduction to Environmental Science Essay Be able to define an environmental factor. There are two types (condition and resource). What is the difference between a condition and a resource? Be able to categorize particular environmental factors as conditions OR resources (for example, temperature is a condition and not a resource). Be able to rank from smallest to largest: ecosystem, landscape, biome, biosphere Be able to rank from smallest to largest (in terms of numbers and diversity of life): species, population, biota and biosphere. Also, what is the difference between a population of a species and a species overall? Make sure you can explain the Law of Limiting Factors. What is the difference between the optimum conditions, the zones of tolerance and the zones of stress? Can life exist outside of the zones of tolerance? Outside of the zones of stress? Be able to list the primary atoms in organic compounds. What is the difference between a producer and a consumer? Be able to classify life as one or the other. Make sure you know the products and reactants for photosynthesis and cellular respiration. In each of the following cycles, be able to identify the primary source for each atom (atmosphere, lithosphere, biosphere): Carbon cycle, Nitrogen cycle, Phosphorous cycle. Be able to categorize an environmental resistance factor as population density-dependent or density-independent. Some examples may include food availability, water availability, disease, temperature, wind and available space/shelter. What are biotic potential and environmental resistance, and how are they related? Be able to define critical number (what this means for a species survival), threatened and endangered. Make sure you can list characteristics of a K-strategist versus an r-strategist. Is an elephant a K- or r-strategist? What about a fly? Be able to describe, and identify, the following community interactions: predation, competition, mutualism, commensalism, amensalism. What is an adaptation? Be able to identify common types of adaptations of organisms (camouflage, prickles on cactus, ability to store water in the desert, hibernation in cold climates, long necks to reach food, etc. see table in your Power Point and textbook). See more: introduction paragraph example How does the process of selective pressure influence the processes of evolution and speciation? What IS the process of speciation? What is time frame for evolution and/or speciation of complex species (i.e., not single-celled organisms like bacteria)? Can species that evolve from other species still mate with the species from which they evolved? How are the Theories of Evolution and Continental Drift complimentary? Be able to identify the exponential growth rate equation and the logistic growth rate equation. What are the differences between the two? (For example, carrying capacity is only in logistic growth, the shapes of the curves are different.) Be able to describe how (in what way) each of the four human population revolutions impacted the carrying capacity for humans on Earth. Make sure you can tell me what each of the letters stands for in this equation, I = (P x A x T)/S, and how increasing and decreasing each will change environmental impact (I). Make sure you know what each of these trophic categories or food web terms are: Autotrophs, Heterotrophs (includes decomposers, consumers), Producers, Consumers (first-order, second-order, third-order). Where do herbivores, carnivores and omnivores fit into the consumer classes? Be able to list the 6 major biomes, and compare them in terms of precipitation and temperature (precipitation is the primary factor that determines biomes, and temperature is the second most important factor). What are common values that humans place on biodiversity? What was the goal of the Endangered Species Act? Does it protect the organism only, or also its habitat?

Sheila birling in an inspector calls

Sheila birling in an inspector calls An Inspector Calls is a play set in Spring 1912, just before the First World War, but written by J.B. Priestley just after the Second World War. In this time Britain had a capitalist ideal. Basically if you were well-off that was great, but the vast majority of people were poor and lived off tiny wages. Furthermore it was a sexist country, so women didnt have the same rights as men. For example they were not permitted to vote until 1918, and even then they had to be over 30 until 1928 where the age was lowered to 21, equal to men. This is showed when Sheila and Sybil leave the room, so the men can talk business. Priestly may have written it at this time because he was trying to convey his socialistic views through the mouth of the Inspector, and the inclusion of dramatic irony referring to World War I a few German officers talking nonsense and a few scaremongers here making a fuss about nothing and these silly little war scares is proof that Priestley believes socialism is the best system. The Birlings are described through very detailed stage directions. For example, the Birlings are subtly described as materialistic [their house] is substantial and heavily comfortable, but not cosy and homelike. This portrays them as people who care more about appearances than comfort. The lighting is pink and intimate; this shows that they are enjoying the night and it might also suggest that they have something to hide. In the stage directions at the beginning of the play, Priestley presents Sheila, as a pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather excited. Sheila doesnt really contrast from the rest of the family at this stage, which would imply she is happy in this selfish, capitalist household. It is immediately apparent that Sheila and Geralds relationship is not based on love; it is more arranged and convenient. For example, Sheilas engagement to Gerald means a step up the social ladder for the Birlings as Gerald might have done better for [himself] socially. Furthermore, it appears that Birling is hoping for a business relationship between Crofts Limited and Birling and Company, for lower costs and higher prices. It shows that Birling thinks of this relationship as a means to make money, rather than to make his daughter happy. Furthermore the ring represents materialism and class, rather than love. This is shown because Sheila kisses Gerald hastily indicating a lack of romance. While Sheila looks like she is a bit childish and naÃÆ' ¯ve Mummy, isnt it beautiful? she is later seen to be quite suspicious and intelligent. For example, when she teases Gerald over his absence all last summer, she is half serious, half playful. She doesnt seem convinced he was awfully bu sy at the works. Her suspicions arent fully explored because women at the time were expected not to question their husband, which is shown when Mrs. Birling says, men with important work to do sometimes have to spend nearly all their time and energy on their business. Youll have to get used to that, just as I had. Thus at the start of the play, Sheila seems happy to have a subordinate role. When the Inspector appears the lighting changes to a brighter and harder light which gives the impression of exposure and the revelation of truth. This is significant as it shows that the Inspector will change the mood completely and it indicates secrets coming to light. The audience is enticed to trust the Inspector over Mr. Birling because Mr. Birling says a lot of things which we know not to be true dramatic irony. For example, he says that the Titanic is, unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable. The audience knows that the Titanic, of course, crashes during its voyage but Mr. Birling doesnt know this and the repetition of the word unsinkable suggests his misplaced certainty. In addition, the audience at this point believes the Inspector to be a real inspector, so they automatically think he is a trustworthy person. Something else that makes the audience more wary of Mr. Birling is when he says, Now, Inspector, perhaps you and I had better go and talk this over quietly in a corner whic h reinforces our opinion that he places money over morality. It looks like he is trying to bribe the Inspector. We also get a clear message that the Inspector is not impressed or intimidated by the social status of Mr. Birling, as many people would in that time. It is shown when Mr. Birling says, Perhaps I ought to warn you that hes an old friend of mine, and that I see him fairly frequently. We play golf together sometimes up at West Brumley followed by the response from the Inspector, (dryly) I dont play golf. This excerpt shows that people would commonly threaten people of a lower class than them using their social status and contacts, which we find out Sheila does to Eva later in the play. The Inspectors response, I dont play golf is a metaphor for saying Im not threatened by you and ultimately Im not a capitalist. This extract also voices Priestleys views on capitalism, saying how corrupt it is. When the Inspector announces the death of Eva Smith, Eric is the first to say something (involuntarily) My God! This shows that he is genuinely surprised/caring about the incident. This contrasts with what Mr. Birling says next, (rather impatiently) Yes, yes. Horrid business. But I dont understand why you should come here, Inspector. This shows how selfish Mr. Birling actually is. He obviously doesnt care about Eva, which is apparent from his impatience he just wants to know why the Inspector has bothered him. Sheila also appears caring later on when she is shown the picture of Eva Smith, She looks at it closely, recognizes it with a little cry, gives a half-stifled sob, and then runs out. This response shows she has much more remorse and guilt than Mr. Birling, who was quick to dismiss any responsibility [Me sacking her] has nothing to do with the wretched girls suicide. Eh, Inspector? We find out that Sheila is partly responsible for Eva Smiths suicide because she complained to the shop Milwards about Evas behaviour, as she was jealous of her prettiness and was in a bad mood. We realise that Sheila can be shallow and childish at times, when she says, When I tried the thing on an looked at myself and knew that it was all wrong, I caught sight of this girl smiling at Miss Francis as if to say: Doesnt she look awful and I was absolutely furious. This extract also makes her look quite vain, because she assumed that Eva was smiling about her, as if theres nothing else she could possibly be smiling about and that the world revolves around her. The childishness is also supported by the fact that she calls her parents Mummy and Daddy on numerous occasions. Overall she probably did what she did at Milwards because she had been in a bad temper anyhow and just wanted someone to blame, so she took it out on someone she considered lower than her and used her money and status to get what she wanted. Sheilas actions (and possibly her beliefs) change throughout the Inspectors investigation. Upon discovering she is partly responsible for Evas death she manages to get a moment alone with Gerald, where she tries to find out his involvement before he is interrogated by the Inspector. Gerald gives himself away because he says, (started) What? as soon as the Inspector says the name Daisy Renton. It also looks like Sheila becomes more wary and independent after this, as she asks Gerald questions about Eva and guesses correctly Geralds involvement with her You not only knew her but you knew her very well. She also realises that the Inspector knows everything already, Why you fool he knows. Of course he knows. And I hate to think how much he knows that we dont know yet. Youll see. Youll see. The repetition of Youll see is used to emphasise the fact that before the end of the evening, everyone will be proved guilty which shows that Sheila has superior insight to the rest of the family. S heila also gets an insight into the way the Inspector works, which she displays when she uses the wall metaphor, You mustnt try to build up a kind of wall between us and that girl. If you do, then the Inspector will just break it down and itll be all the worse when he does. In effect here she is saying theres no point in trying to lie or avoid responsibility, because you will find out that you are in fact responsible. The wall also represents the barriers the Birlings exact between the rich and the poor She is saying something similar with the rope metaphor Hes giving us the rope so that well hang ourselves. This shows that the Inspector is here to make the Birlings admit to their mistakes, rather than just to arrest then because of course in reality they havent committed any legal crime towards Eva. Shelia is definitely more receptive to the Inspectors message. This is further shown by the fact that she is trying to get the rest of the family to just tell the honest truth It cra zy. Please, stop mother. When Sheila gives the engagement ring back to Gerald this is actually very symbolic. Firstly it shows that Shelia has grown less materialistic and vain and that she values the truth much more, as the ring was the only thing keeping Gerald and her together. In addition it can also be thought of as Sheilas switch from a capitalist to a socialist as she is turning her back on this symbol of materialism. This shows that she was particularly receptive to the Inspector. The fact that Mr. Birling tries to keep the two engaged, Now, Sheila, Im not defending him but you must understand that a lot of young menà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ shows that he is still completely oblivious to the Inspectors message and is still trying to hold on to the thing that will help him step up on the social ladder. When the Birlings find out that the Inspector isnt an actually police inspector, they all behave differently. Sheila and Eric dont believe that it makes any difference because the Inspector opened their eyes to how selfish he family is, which is shown when Sheila says sarcastically, I suppose were all nice people now. So the Inspector leaves the biggest impression on the younger generation, which interestingly is mentioned earlier when the Inspector says, We often [leave an impression] on the young ones. Theyre most impressionable. This shows that the younger people have a chance to change their beliefs and do something about it, as they are the future. On the other hand, Mr. and Mrs. Birling seem to think that the Inspectors fakeness makes all the difference. For example Mr. Birling says, If that had been a police inspector and hed heard you confessà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ This shows that he cares more about appearances and how scandalous the ordeal would be rather than how much of an impact it should have had on his beliefs. Priestleys message is quite complicated. Earlier on the Inspector gives a speech that covers the main themes of the whole play. He says, One Eva Smith has gone, but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us, with their lives, their hopes and fears, their suffering and chance of happiness, all intertwined with our lives, and what we think and what we do. The hopes and fears is to emphasise the fact that these people are actual people, not cheap labour as Mr. Birling says. This whole speech is basically to say that it is not just one person; millions of people are suffering just for the rich to prosper. Afterwards he says, We dont live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other. And I tell you that the time will come soon when, if men will no learn that lesson, then they will be taught in fire and blood and anguish. The term Fire and blood and anguish is dramatic irony as it is a reference to the World Wars. The fact that the audience knows that this will happen makes them think that socialism is the correct political system. The final part is open to interpretation, but in my opinion when the family gets the phone call to find out that a girl has actually committed suicide, the audience get the idea that the Inspector might actually be God as he appears omniscient, which tells us that God would prefer everyone to share the blame and understand their mistakes, which fits in with Socialist beliefs. The Inspectors role was to make the others admit their secrets and mistakes and make them see that what they did was wrong. Sheila has definitely changed with this, becoming less vain and materialistic. Eric has also changed, becoming more Socialist than Capitalist. The change in the younger generation shows that it is up to them to change the world and make it a better place (a Socialist place). This is because it is too late for the older, elitist more prejudiced generation and the audience knows that because of them the World Wars would be inevitable.

Organ Trail :: essays research papers

I have traveled the Oregon Trail many times in my day. From various mistakes I have made in the past, I have learned different procedures to take in order to prevent bad things from taking place. I have also learned many techniques that have helped me along my journey. I hope to share these steps of advice with the new travelers of the Oregon Trail. If these steps are followed, the ride is assured to be much safer. Important Steps To Take 1) Do bring plenty of money. There will be many different stops along the way where you can trade. It will be important to get new tools and belongings on your way to help you. You can also trade for food. You may run out of food on your trip so it will be necessary to have money as a side plane. 2) Do bring a riffle. It will be important to have a riffle for protection. There will be many dangerous obstacles along your way. You may have Indians or other men who stand in your way or wish to fight. You may also have animals such as buffalo that you can hunt and make great use out of. A riffle will definitely come in handy in your travels. 3) Do bring lots of water. Water will help you to stay healthy along your way. You can easily get dehydrated on a trip like this. Water is better then any drink because it helps you to maintain your body the best. Water will nourish all of the people on your wagon and keep them in good conditions. 4) Do bring basic medicines. It is easy for your fellow members to get ill on this long and harsh journey. You will face deadly weather conditions and many diseases along your way. While traveling there will be no close destinations to stop and recover the sick at. Nor will you have time to take breaks in order for the sick to get well. The medicine will help them get better as you continue to travel. 5) Do bring basic tools. You will go through various things where tools will be extremely useful. You may get stuck in the mud after a downfall near The Great Basin. You will need tools to help you work the wagon out of the mud. You may also need to fix parts of the wagon in case pieces break through the rough journey. Organ Trail :: essays research papers I have traveled the Oregon Trail many times in my day. From various mistakes I have made in the past, I have learned different procedures to take in order to prevent bad things from taking place. I have also learned many techniques that have helped me along my journey. I hope to share these steps of advice with the new travelers of the Oregon Trail. If these steps are followed, the ride is assured to be much safer. Important Steps To Take 1) Do bring plenty of money. There will be many different stops along the way where you can trade. It will be important to get new tools and belongings on your way to help you. You can also trade for food. You may run out of food on your trip so it will be necessary to have money as a side plane. 2) Do bring a riffle. It will be important to have a riffle for protection. There will be many dangerous obstacles along your way. You may have Indians or other men who stand in your way or wish to fight. You may also have animals such as buffalo that you can hunt and make great use out of. A riffle will definitely come in handy in your travels. 3) Do bring lots of water. Water will help you to stay healthy along your way. You can easily get dehydrated on a trip like this. Water is better then any drink because it helps you to maintain your body the best. Water will nourish all of the people on your wagon and keep them in good conditions. 4) Do bring basic medicines. It is easy for your fellow members to get ill on this long and harsh journey. You will face deadly weather conditions and many diseases along your way. While traveling there will be no close destinations to stop and recover the sick at. Nor will you have time to take breaks in order for the sick to get well. The medicine will help them get better as you continue to travel. 5) Do bring basic tools. You will go through various things where tools will be extremely useful. You may get stuck in the mud after a downfall near The Great Basin. You will need tools to help you work the wagon out of the mud. You may also need to fix parts of the wagon in case pieces break through the rough journey.

Muslims Essay -- Muslim Islam Religion Essays

Muslims I first became interested in learning about Muslims when I met a young man in a Speech class of mine. He was dark skinned, dark haired, and extremely handsome, so I decided to get acquainted with him. I asked him his name and he asked me if I wanted his real name or his made up name. I was a little confused and I asked him what he meant by that. He told me he was a Muslim and his "real" Muslim name is Sadat and his made up name is Danny. I was quite intrigued by, but a little confused by all of this, so I thought I would look further into the subject. Luckily, I was asked to write a paper on a subject of my choice so hopefully I can teach you some of what I learned about Muslims. The Muslims are people who practice the religion of Islam. They were taught their beliefs by a man named Muhammad in the A.D. 600's. Muslim is an Arabic word that means one who submits (to God). There are about one billion Muslims throughout the world today. They form the majority of the population in the Middle East, North Africa and the southeast Asian nations such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Pakistan. There are three to six million Muslims in the United States. A Muslim's chief duties are prayer, almsgiving, fasting, and pilgrimage. Muslims pray five times a daily: at dawn, at noon, in the afternoon, in the evening, and at nightfall. According to The Economist July 1996, "a crier, or muezzin announces prayer time from the minaret, a large tower. On Friday, which for the Muslims resembles the Jewish Sabbath or Christian Sunday, Muslims are expected to attend noon prayers at this tower." There, a Muslim washes his face, hands, and feet, in a type of ceremony, immediately before prayer. The lead... ... been to achieve stable governments and to feed their people. Some Muslim nations such as Bangladesh, Egypt, and Pakistan, have too many people living on too little land. Other countries lack the moisture and fertile soil needed to produce food. Conflicting interests keep the Muslim people from being united. But they are bound by cultural ties and a determination to resist colonialism. As you can see the Muslims and their beliefs are quite different than other groups such as the Christian beliefs and the Jewish beliefs. It just goes to show what a diverse world we live in. I am glad I have had the opportunity to explore the special ceremonies, rituals, and beliefs of the Muslims. Now the next time I approach someone to ask them their name and they answer in the same way my friend Danny did, I will be able to understand better his or her way of life.

The Lasting Musical Impact of Ludwig Van Beethoven and Wolfgang Amadeus

Many people compare the musical works of Ludwig Van Beethoven and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart because of the styles of music that they produced. They were also similar because of their age and the music period in which they created in. Throughout their lives these two composers had vastly different customs and behaviors. Each composer contributed to their own unique styles of music, however they continue to be a musical inspiration in today’s world. Many people of the early classical music period reacted differently to both of the musician’s works because of the unique way they chose to create and present their music. These musician’s created a lasting effect on the musical world that we see today. Although Mozart was older than Beethoven by fifteen years they were brought up in extremely different environments. Early on in their lives both children were recognized because of their talent with music. They were both better know as prodigy children. Mozart started his career on the harpsichord when he was only three years of age, and performing at the early age of seven. The age at which Beethoven played is not known. However, â€Å"It is clear that at a very early age he received instruction from his father on the piano and the violin. Tradition adds that the child, made to stand at the keyboard, was often in tears.† (Grove music online, Joseph Kerman) Mozart, as well, received instruction from his father, however it is said that at an early age he could play an instrument by ear. Beethoven’s family had performed at the Court of the Elector of Cologne for many years. Beethoven’s father was a local musician, first as a young soprano, and then through his adult years a tenor. He could also play the violin and piano. Mozart’s f... ...2015. http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/40258pg3?q=mozart&search=quick&pos=5&_start=1#firsthit Wagele, Elizabeth. Elizabeth Wagele. â€Å"Beethoven’s Personality and Music: The Introverted Romantic.† Accessed: 27 May 2015. http://www.wagele.com/Beeth-personality.html Salter, Hannah. Ludwig Van Beethoven’s Website. â€Å"Testament.† 2001. Accessed: 25 May 2015. http://www.lvbeethoven.com/Bio/BiographyHeiligenstadtTestament.html Yoho, Agencja. Encyclopedia. â€Å"Beethoven’s Output.† Accessed: 26 May 2015. http://www.beethoven.org.pl/en/encyklopedia/beethoven/tworczosc Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1756-1791. â€Å"Biography.† Accessed: 26 May 2015. http://www.its.caltech.edu/~tan/Mozartreq/main.html Beethoven, Ludwig Van (1770-1827). Accessed: 26 May 2015. http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/Biographies/mainbiographies/B/beethoven/2.html

Lone Survivor Review

The Lone Survivor is a movie based on a book written by a Navy Seal veteran Marcus Luttrell about a failed mission called Operation Red Wings starring Mark Wahlberg. Mark Wahlberg played the lead character Marcus Luttrell. 1The rest of the four man team is played by Eric Bana, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch, and Ben Foster. Eric Bana is an Australian film actor who played Lieutenant Commander Erik S. Kristensen, also played Bruce banner in the HULK. Taylor Kitsch played Lieutenant Michael P.â€Å"Murph† the on ground leader and also played as Gambit in X-Men Origin. Emile Hirsch played Danny Dietz SEAL Team 10's communications officer and had roles in The Girl Next Door, Alpha Dog. Ben Foster plays Sonar Technician Matthew â€Å"Axe† Axelson and also played in Hostage, and X-Men: The Last Stand. The Drama/war film had a R rating and had a run time of 1 hour and 21 minutes. The film had been expected to make 45. 1 million dollars at the box office and had a budget of 40 mil lion.Operation Red Wings was a Navy Seal 10 mission on June 28th 2005. The team set out on a clear night into the mountain outside of a Taliban village. They were then ordered to locate and terminate an Anti-Coalition leader Ahmad Shah. The movie was announced to be the best war film since Saving Private Ryan The film's theme was behind enemy lines and the movie went over the operation according to Marcus Luttrell’s story. The movie had excellent special effects and stunts.They made it seem like you were right with them in the mission. The film had been filmed in the mountains of New Mexico, but it was to look like Hindu Kush Mountains in Afghanistan. The actors added to the experience by going through a brief military training, so they knew how to move through the field. It won four rewards so far it won Best Action Film, and was places in the top ten films of the year from 2013 Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards.It won the Best Actor in an Action Movie which had been awa rded to Mark Wahlberg and Best Action Film from 19th Critics' Choice Awards. It is still pending on other rewards Therefore, the In theater experience is amazing with the sound effects and picture. The film had emotional closings also because they honored the fallen soldiers and their families. The movie was short for a war film, and I felt it could have had more details and training, but I would rate this movie at a solid 7, but I would not put it over Saving Private Ryan.

Quantitative Research Design Essay

Business research is, arguably, founded on the study of social interactions within the realm of commerce and trade. Until recently, such research has seen staunch counter-position of two research paradigms: quantitative and qualitative, the first deriving from positivism, the latter from interventionism. Indeed, the positions taken by individual researchers vary considerably between those like Bryman (1988) who argues for a â€Å"best of both worlds† approach by suggesting that qualitative and quantitative approaches be combined to those of scholars like Hughes (1997) whom counteracts by stating that such technicist solutions underestimate the politics of legitimacy that are associated with the choice of methods. It is the purpose of this essay to analyze these two research frameworks highlighting the positive aspects as well as the flaws and limits, and highlighting the rise of what is often referred to as the â€Å"mixed† method. All of this will be seen within a business contest. Specifically, looking at the author’s proposed future research in the realm of commercial negotiations, the arguments presented will reflect this sphere of research. Quantitative and qualitative research are based on different philosophical approaches and methodologies. Quantitative research derives from neo-positivist philosophy which underlines the belief in the presence of an absolute truth as its core foundation. This perspective of seeing the world translates in the utilization of research approaches founded on scientific analysis through statistical elaborations and mathematical models. The qualitative approach by contrast, does not highlight the presence of absolute truths but rather truths which are dependent on the particular perspective from which a phenomenon is observed through. This off-course entails that qualitative research is undertaken primarily through the adoption of narrative and logical deduction. These differences appear encapsulated in Best & Khan’s (1989: 90-90) statement: â€Å"Quantitative research consists of those studies in which the data concerned can be analysed in terms of numbers†¦Research can also be quantitative, that is, it can describe events, persons and so forth scientifically without the use of numerical data†¦Quantitative research is more open and responsive to its subject. † From a first glance, it appears clear that there are substantial differences between the quantitative and qualitative approaches. Indeed, the way data is obtained, the flexibility in methodological application, the objective and subjective nature of the results obtained, are just a few of the most evident points of contrast. Such contracts has resulted in what has been defined as the â€Å"paradigm wars† which has highlighted and emphasized the incompatibility of the two approaches. For a protracted period of time the quantitative approach has been seen the best form of research for two main sets of reason. Firstly, scientific progress in the last century has projected the notion of the scientific approach as the most apt for explaining the world around us. Secondly, the advent of the â€Å"information age† from the 1980’s has seen the ability of elaborating a vast amount of data electronically thus further promoting the scientific approach as the best method to adopt for research. Recently however, the divide between the quantitative and qualitative has diminished to the point of many scholars advocating a debate on the merits of a mixed research methodology utilizing the strengths of both schools of thought. Indeed, the quest for obtaining the best possible research result has seen a reconceptualization of research methods with an integration of the two main philosophies which may be used to converge and convalidate (defined as â€Å"triangulation†), refute data or indeed inform new paths of enquiry. Indeed, research papers today often contain statistical data derived from the quantitative methodology which is then presented and formulated in interviews which put the data into the â€Å"real-world† perspective. The integration of the two approaches also makes sense when one starts to look at the commonalities between them. Indeed, both approaches share the following characteristics: -Research project design -Identification of information -Information management -Analysis of data -Empirical observations There are many other characteristics which instead differentiate quantitative and qualitative research, but a growing group of scholars are now perceiving these differences as positive in that they may reinforce rather than detract from each other. This is often referred to as â€Å"triangulation† and I believe this to be of paramount importance within the context of business research. Indeed, just like the integrated approach, the business sphere also is a mixture and fusion of statistics, and â€Å"hard† financial data in conjunction with â€Å"softer† narrative explanations derived from interviews, and focus groups. Delving even more specifically into my proposed realm of research which centers around the commercial negotiation methodologies adopted in multicultural environments and frontier markets, the integrated approach is, in my opinion, the only approach capable of providing a true and accurate framework for developing such research. This claim is further upheld if one considers the eleven ways in which it is possible to combine qualitative and quantitative research methods: 1)Logic of triangulation in which the findings from one type of study can be checked against the findings from the other type as above highlighted; 2)Facilitation of qualitative research for quantitative research. In this instance the qualitative research informs the quantitative method by providing essential background information and a context; 3)Facilitation of quantitative research for qualitative research. In this occurrence quantitative research methodology helps to inform the qualitative one by providing a filter and narrowing down the subjects which merit further investigation. 4)Quantitative and qualitative approaches are combined into one thereby furnishing a more in-depth analysis. 5)Structure & process.

Paper on Education: A Gift or Not

The term education can mean many things. An education is the collective knowledge a person has, but what does an education mean? Although an education can be paid for, no one can physically give you an education, so it is not a gift. There are societal situations where an education is a necessity, but not many globally. Education is a tool to be utilized differently in every part of the world. Knowledge is power, but some knowledge is more powerful depending on your region. If you are part a primitive tribe in New Guinea, a person that is considered to be educated may be illiterate. Whereas in America, an illiterate person would have trouble functioning at all in society. Education is a tool that is to be developed by a combination of motivation, preparation, support, and society. An education can be offered to someone, but the pupil can only take from it what is put in. A gift is something that can be given to someone regardless of the effort put forth by the individual, therefore an education is not a gift. Although an education cannot be given to someone, and it is not a gift, there are things that can be given to you that contribute to your education. Perhaps the greatest thing that can be provided is support. When a parent or teacher rewards a child for learning, it makes a connection in the child's mind that an education will pay off. When an educated and successful family strongly support a child's education, that child will have a better chance to obtain an education. The child will see that education and success coincide. A person that is to be educated has to be given many opportunities to learn new things. Some of these opportunities are as simple as letting your four-year-old watch â€Å"Sesame Street† or letting your six-year-old make a sandwich. There are cases, however, when parents are not able to promote their children's education. If the parents are poor and uneducated, then a child will most likely be unmotivated towards school. The child might realize that his parents are managing to pull through, and think that he will be able to survive without an education as well. This will withhold the child from opportunities that an education would provide. Allowing that certain educational gifts are given to a person, they can acquire the motivation it takes to receive an education. Once you have made the decision to attain an education, certain virtues must be possessed. You must be motivated by something, weather it be money, power, or just the desire to learn. It is motivation that drives you to learn new things and to expand your horizons. You must prepare for an education. For everything that you want to know, there is something else you need to know first. Before you can be proficient on a piano you must know music, and before you can be proficient on a computer you must learn to use a keyboard and a mouse. Even though these skills may seem intuitive to some, someone from a different social culture may not have been introduced to these ideas at all. You must also have certain resources provided. To learn in an institution, often times you need money, books, and other materials that, sadly enough, cannot always be secured. This situation exemplifies the problems that one can face when an education is desired but outside scarcities disallow. There are some circumstances where special educational aspects are a necessity in a certain region, but education is not global. In most developed countries a lawyer would be considered an educated person, but if a lawyer was sent to a more primitive society he would be lost. A farmer educated in cultivation in Nebraska could nourish himself indefinitely, but take away his farm and he has nothing but the knowledge of farming. There are certain things that a person must know in order to have the power to survive in a chosen society. These things change with regards to the society at hand. In more developed places it is pertinent that you know how to read. Without this skill a person will remained severely uninformed, disconnected, and uneducated. The ability to read is the stepping stone to self-education. A literate person with motivation and knowledge of construction can become successful with very little institutionalized education. This skill, as it applies to American social culture, is the most important attribute of an education. Without the ability to read, a person would have to either settle for an extremely unskilled job, grow their own food, or resort to thievery. In a accomplished society such as this, not many people find the need to do these things. Instead people achieve an education, learn a trade or a profession, and earn money to prosper. However, in some societies it is perfectly normal not to be able to read, and a person will manage to survive on other skills such as hunting. Regardless of where you are or what you do, education is an asset. It is a tool that you add to every day, and that no one can take from you. Once you have truly learned something, it will be with you forever, and you will be able to put that information into use whenever it applies. Your education is something you truly own. It cannot be taken away in a bet, by a bankruptcy, and it cannot be stolen. Once you are educated in a particular field, you have job security. If you are a programmer, and your company goes under, you will be able to find another position as a programmer. When you are educated you make more money and have the better jobs, because it shows that you are dedicated to learning. You will not age as fast as someone with a labor intensive job, and chances are you will not have a career ending injury on the job. It is education that gives you options, keeps you connected to the world, and keeps you informed. Although an uneducated person has the resources to inform themselves, they rarely have the ability or motivation it takes to utilize these resources. An education can be achieved by anyone who has the motivation, support, and resources it takes too receive an education according to their perception. This education is a made up of support, motivation, and the necessity to survive. This education cannot be taken. This education means survival and success.

Divorce Bill Essay

Underpinning this proposal is a commitment to the policy of the State to protect and strengthen marriage and the family as basic social institutions, to value the dignity of every human person, to guarantee full respect for human rights, and to ensure the fundamental equality before the law of women and men. In the Filipino culture, marriage is regarded as a sacred union, and the family founded on marriage is considered as a fount of love, protection and care. Philippine society generally frowns upon and discourages marital break-ups and so provides cultural and legal safeguards to perserve marital relations. Cultural prescriptions and religious norms keep many couples together despite the breakdown of the marriage. But the cultural prescriptions for women and men differ. Women are traditionally regarded as primarily responsible for making the marriage work and are expected to sacrifice everything to preserve the marriage and the solidarity of the family. While absolute fidelity is demanded of wives, men are granted sexual license to have affairs outside marriage. Yet when the marriage fails, the woman is blamed for its failure. Reality tells us that there are many failed, unhappy marriages across all Filipino classes. Many couples especially from the marginalized sectors, who have no access to the courts, simply end up separating without the benefit of legal processes. The sheer number of petitions that have been filed since 1988 for the declaration of the nullity of the marriage under Article 36 of the Family Code (commonly known as â€Å"annulment†) shows that there are just too many couples who are desperate to get out of failed marriages. Even when couples start out well in their marriage, political, economical and social realities take their toll on their relationship. Some are not prepared to handle the intricacies of the married life. For a large number of women, the inequalities and violence in marriage negate its ideals as the embodiment of love, care and safety and erode the bases upon which a marriage is founded. The marital relations facilitate the commission of violence and perpetuate their oppression. Official figures in 2009 showed that nineteen women were victims of marital violence everyday. Among the different forms of violence and abuse against women committed in 2009, wife battery ranked highest at 6,783 or 72% according to the Philippine National Police (PNP). The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) likewise recorded marital violence as highest among different forms of violence against owmen at 1,933. Previous reports of the PNP about three of ten perpetrators of violence against women were husbands of the victims. Husbands accounted for 28 percent of the violence against women crimes. Given these realities, couples must have the option to avail of remedies that will pave the way for the attainment of their full human development and self-fulfillment and the protection of their human rights. Existing laws are not enough to guarantee and protect these rights. To quote the Women’s Legal Bureau, Inc. , a legal resource NGO for women: â€Å"The present laws relating to separation of couples and termination of marriage are inadequate to respond to the myriad causes of failed marriages. Particularly, the remedies of declaration of nullity and annulment do not cover the problems that occur during the existence of marriage. Legal separation, on the other hand, while covering problems during marriage, does not put an end to marriage. † â€Å"Though both divorce and a declaration of nullity of a marriage allow the spouses to remarry, the two remedies differ in concept and basis. A declaration of nullity presupposes that the marriage is valid from the beginning and the court declares its non-existence†¦ Beyond [the] grounds specified [in the law], declaration of nullity is not possible. † â€Å"In annulment, the marriage of the parties is declared defective from the beginning, albeit it is considered valid until annulled. The defect can be used to nullify the marriage within a specified period but the same may be ignored and the marriage becomes perfectly valid after the lapse of that period, or the defect may be cured through some act. The defect relates to the time of the celebration of the marriage and has nothing to do with circumstances occurring after the marriage is celebrated. In annulment, the marriage is legally cancelled, and the man and woman are restored to their single status. † â€Å"Since August 3, 1988, couples have been given a way out of failed marriages through Article 36 of the Family Code†¦Ã‚  The remedy provides under Article 36 is declaration of nullity of the marriage. The article voids a marriage where one party is â€Å"psychologically incapacitated† to comply with the essentials of marital obligations. Consistent with the concept of void marriages (where the remedy is declaration of nullity), the law requires that the incapacity must have existed at the time of the celebration of the marriage†¦ In practice, Article 36 has become a form of divorce, as valid marriages are declared void every day in the guise of â€Å"psychological incapacity. The innumerable Article 36 cases brought to trial courts is an indication of the elasticity of Article 36 to accommodate the needs of many couples desiring to terminate their marriages. It is proof that divorce is needed in the Philippines. Article 36 provides a remedy only for spouses who can prove â€Å"psychological incapacity†. The concept certainly cannot accommodate all cases where divorce would be necessary. What we need is a divorce law that defines clearly and unequivocally the gr ounds and terms for terminating a marriage. That law will put an end to the creative efforts played daily in courtrooms across the country to accommodate a wide range of cases in order to prove â€Å"psychological incapacity. † (Women’s Legal Bureau, Inc. , The Relevance of Divorce in the Philippines, 1998) Thus, the bill seeks to introduce divorce as another option for couples in failed and irreparable marriages. The bill was crafted in consultation with women lawyers and inspired by the studies and inputs of various women’s groups and the experiences of spouses gathered by GABRIELA from its various chapters nationwide. The bill seeks to introduce divorce in Philippine law with a strong sense of confidence that it will be used responsibly by Filipino couples. This confidence stems from the experiences of Filipino families that show that separation is usually the last resort of many Filipino couples whose marriage has failed. Cases of battered women also support this. Battered women invariably seek separation only after many years of tring to make the marriage work. Separation only becomes imperative for them when they realize that it is necessary for their and their children’s survival. Divorce could actually provide protection to battered women and their children from further violence and abuse. With the predominance of the Catholic faith in the Philippines, the fear that divorce will erode personal values on marriage appears unfounded. The experience of Italy, where the Vatican is located, and Spain, two predominantly Catholic countries which practice divorce, supports this. Those countries have a low rate of divorce. Italy registers a 7% rate while Spain registers 15%. The figures reflect the strong influence of religious beliefs and culture on individuals in deciding to terminate marital relations. Historically, divorce had been part of our legal system. In the beginning of the 16th century, before the Spanish colonial rule, absolute divorce was widely practiced among ancestral tribes such as the Tagbanwas of Palawan, the Gadangs of Nueva Vizcaya, the Sagadans and Igorots of the Cordilleras, and the Manobos, B’laans and Moslems of the Visayas and Mindanao islands. Divorce was also available during the American period, starting from 1917 (under Act No. 710 enacted by the Philippine Legislature), and during the Japanese occupation (under Executive Order No. 141) and after, until 1950. It was only on August 30, 1950, when the New Civil Code took effect, that divorce was disallowed under Philippine law. Only legal separation was available. The same rule was adopted by the Family Code of 1988, which replaced the provisions of the New Civil Code on marriage and the family, although the Family Code introduced the concept of â€Å"psychological incapacity† as a basis for declaring the marriage void. In recognition of the history of divorce in the Philippines, the farmers of the 1987 Philippine Constitution left the wisdom of legalizing divorce to the Congress. Thus, the 1987 Constitution does not prohibit the legalization of divorce. This bill is respectful of and sensitive to differing religious beliefs in the Philippines. It recognizes that the plurality of religious beliefs and cultural sensibilities in the Philippines demand that different remedies for failed marriages should be made available. For this reason, the bill retains the existing remedies of legal separation, declaring of nullity of the marriage and annulment and only adds divorce as one more remedy. Couples may choose from these remedies depending on their situation, religious beliefs, cultural sensibilities, needs and emotional state. While divorce under this proposed measure severs the bonds of marriage, divorce as a remedy need not be fo the purpose of re-marriage; it may be resorted to by individuals to achieve peace of mind and facilitate their pursuit of full human development. This bill also seeks to make Philippine law consistent in the way it treats religious beliefs with respect to termination of marriage. Philippine law through the Code of Muslim Personal Laws of the Philippines (Presidential Decree No. 1083 [1977]) allows divorce among Filipino Muslims, in deference to the Islamic faith which recognizes divorce. Non-Muslim Filipinos should have the same option under Philippine law, in accordance with their religious beliefs. The bill proposes five grounds for divorce. All the five grounds are premised on the irreparable breakdown of the marriage and the total non-performance of marital obligations. Thus, the bill provides that a petition for divorce may be filed when the petitioner has been separated de facto (in fact) from his or her spouse for at least five years at the time of the filing of the petition and reconciliation is highly improbable, or when the petitioner has been legally separated from his or her spouse for at least two years at the time of the filing of the petition and reconciliation is highly improbable. Not all circumstances and situations that cause the total breakdown of a marriage could be defined in this proposed measure. Thus, the bill also provides that divorce may be granted when the spouses suffer from irreconcilable differences that have caused the irreparable breakdown of the marriage. Spouses living in a state of irreparable marital conflict or discord should be given the opportunity to present their marital contrarieties in court and have those differences adjudged as constituting a substantial ground to put an end to the marriage. Another ground for divorce included in the bill is when one or both spouses are psychologically incapacitated to comply with the essential marital obligations. This provision will consequently repeal Article 36 of the Family Code. The bill seeks to include â€Å"psychological incapacity† in the grounds for divorce in the belief that the concept is consistent with the termination of marital ties rather than with a void marriage. This bill seeks to eliminate â€Å"condonation of the act† and â€Å"consent to the act† as grounds for denying a petition for legal separation and, by extension, a petition for divorce. Many spouses especially women ignore the offense because of the social and economic conditions they are in. Many women in the marginalized sectors tend to condone the offense because they are economically dependent on their spouses or because of the stigma attached to failed marriages. Some women who are perceived to be condoning the acts of their husbands actually suffer from the cycle of spousal abuse such that they have become so disempowered to address their situation.