Thursday, October 31, 2019

Mozart Operas and Pre-Revolution Chinese Operas Contain Surprising Article

Mozart Operas and Pre-Revolution Chinese Operas Contain Surprising Relationship - Article Example Also, the music takes greater importance in these works than the acting or singing, which is obvious in Mozart’s operas, but much less so in Chinese operas. Each of these styles is driven by the music, rather than by the story or even the vocal performances. Finally, both styles of opera have an understated simplicity, making the viewer of the opera believe that he or she could have come up with the plot, which allows for more enjoyment of the music and the experience as a whole. This is not to say that the plots of these operas do not have their complexities, but the basic plot is usually easy to follow, allowing for the casual viewer to simply enjoy the experience. The works of Mozart are widely regarded as some of the greatest in history. Even individuals who do not follow the opera or classical music closely have most likely heard his name and have also heard his music at some point during their lives. What these individuals probably do not know, however, is how politically driven much of Mozart’s work was. An example of this was Mozart opera entitled The Marriage of Figaro, which was originally banned in Vienna because it is a satirical look at aristocracy. Mozart had some very famous battles with the upper class over the course of his career, which got him into trouble because of his volatile personality.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Barack Obama and US Foreign Policy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Barack Obama and US Foreign Policy - Assignment Example The present paper has identified that the United States foreign policy has deep significance for the lives of Americans and others worldwide in so many ways. Americans may not be aware of the substantial effects that the United States foreign policy has on their daily lives because it is so indirect. The American standard of living, for example, is deeply affected by the state of the economy, and the role of America in the global economy. This is in turn impacted by foreign economic policies which involve investment in companies and capital, trade in goods and services, access to raw materials and energy, and monetary policies and currencies fluctuations. Today, the American economy is more elemental to and dependent upon the international political economy. Besides security, economics, freedom, individual health and individual livelihood, there are other considerable areas of foreign policy that impact Americans. Examples are immigration and population dynamics, tourism, travel, the spread of HIV/AIDS, drug trade, deforestation, global warming, and environmental protection. The United States foreign policy is therefore involved in countless activities and affairs that have immediate and direct, as well as indirect and underlying implications on daily and future lives of Americans. During his victory speech on the evening of November 4, 2008, President-Elect Barack Obama used the moment to remind the world the image of the United States will undergo a dramatic transformation under his administration.†The foreign policy approach that has emerged during Obama’s tenure as president aligns closely with the liberal internationalist concept to foreign policy. A liberal internationalist approach is based on several core beliefs and values, about the interests and aims of foreign policy actions, for different nations and for the United States in specific. Essential domestic values, such as the development of individual freedoms and democracies are perceive d as significant ways to build a balanced, and amicable international order. Liberal internationalism also â€Å"calls for promoting international cooperation and interdependence in a variety of ways as a means to knit states and people today in a web of interdependence to address common problems and reduce the risk of conflict.† President Barrack Obama’s administration has not only had to handle the war on terrorism and the effects of Iraq war, but it also took office at a time when the International and American political economy was rocking at the threshold of breakdown. The first priority of President Barack Obama’s administration was to prevent the economic situation of America from deteriorating further and possibly collapsing into a greater depression. This was done in part by attempting to rebuild the confidence of foreign markets which had been lost during the 2008 economic crisis.  

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Pervasiveness of marketing in todays society

Pervasiveness of marketing in todays society Marketing affects our everyday lives from the moment we wake up and go to sleep, such as what type of car that we drive, what websites we visit during the day and what make of clothing we wear. These all affect how we behave in our everyday life and how we respond to things we see and hear within current affairs and the media. There are a number of definitions as to what marketing actually is and how it affects society. Kotler (2006) defines marketing as a societal process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating, offering and freely exchanging products and services of value with others. However, the British Chartered Institute of Marketing (1984) describes it as the management process responsible for indentifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements probability, cited in Cooper et al (2005, p.554) Even though these are two different definitions, they both describe marketing as being a process and both mention the value of customer s .Many people think marketing is just about marketing goods and services, but there is much more scope than that as marketers can market almost anything, such as persons, properties, places and events, ideas and information to get through to their consumers. Marketing is said to be pervasive in todays society and Cambridge Dictionaries define pervasive as present, spread out or noticeable in every part of something or place.[http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/pervasive]. I agree with this statement and think marketing is very pervasive in todays society and this essay will evaluate how pervasive marketing can be and how it affects consumers recognising brands and their behaviour towards certain market strategies. This essay will also include a number of factors such as marketing psychology, globalisation of brands and marketing technology to help me prove and evaluate this claim I am agreeing with. Marketing technology is a good example to prove how pervasive marketing is in our lives. This is because an increase in social networking technology means marketing can be more spread out and noticeable. For example, marketers use social networking technology such as Facebook to stay in constant contact with their customer base and understand their needs and wants. Therefore, the more marketers know about people through Facebook, the more knowledge they develop about people and ideas, to result in new products to target them with. For example in the US Facebook has taken over Google and is second only to Google in the UK, proving the sheer popularity and usage of the social network site. [https://www.keynote.co.uk] Which has led to 250 million people logging on to Facebook per day and 200 million users have installed it on their phone [http://www.facebook.com], proving that it is a great distribution channel for marketers to sell and inform consumers about their ideas and products. T he Social Ads at the side of the page on Facebook offers is a space for companies to advertise themselves and their products to Facebook users. The company can chose what consumers see their advert by typing in keywords such as, age, sex, hobbies, political views, relationship status, education and location and then relate this to their product. For example, Dominoes Pizza use this lot to advertise themselves to their consumer base as their company is usually within these Social Ads.[ http://www.facebook.com] Therefore, the rise in the popularity of social network technology has resulted in marketing being more pervasive because its around everybody that uses Facebook all the time, even though they might not notice it. Another example to support that marketing technology has led to marketing being more pervasive is by the globalisation of brands. As technology advances in transportation, shipping and communication have made it easier for companies to market in other countries. Kotle r, Keller (2006, p.103) Therefore this means it is easier for consumers to buy products globally and travel anywhere for the experience of these products in other countries and experience local tastes and culture. This clearly, shows that marketing is pervasive because it is everywhere you go despite which country you are in and what type of behavioural or geo-demographic characteristics you have. Another example that has led marketing to become more pervasive is marketing psychology. For example, companies such as LOreal use a number of different physiological strategies to get through to their consumer base. This can be shown by companies repeating their adverts and pairing products to have a positive familiarisation connection with the consumer. This type of physiology is used for companies to help market their brands. For example, LOreal is not only known for its slogan because your worth it but it is also known for its faces of celebrities within the radio and television adverts, most commonly associated with Cheryl Cole and Halle Berry as their adverts are repeated on television throughout the day [http://www.loreal.co.uk]. Resembling a brand with a slogan and celebrity is a clever way of marketing because when consumers see the celebrity there is a stimulus to the brand and when they see the brand, there is a stimulus to the celebrity, so in turn makes a positive resemb lance. One physiological strategy is to transfer the meaning from an unconditioned stimulus to explain why certain brand names show strong effects on consumers. For example, Nike is known for Just Do It and McDonalds is known for Im Loving It. Therefore, once consumers here this slogan they automatically recognise that brand due to their marketing slogan, which differentiates it from other brands such as Nike from Addidas and McDonalds from Burger king and gives it the uniqueness. Therefore this shows that psychological factors help marketing become more pervasive in that in results in certain stimulus, which can result in certain behaviour towards that product. The Cola-cola Company has recently been hailed as a company with inspirational marketing, as their profits soar, for example, they have recently announced a 13% revenue increase from last year, proving they are doing something right as sales have increased [http://www.marketingweek.co.uk]. This could however, been down to their marketing and psychology strategies, as the emphasis on their adverts watched by consumers relate to happiness. If a consumer receives this message from a brand, it is likely they will consider buying their products because they will have a positive attitude towards it. This has led to their most recent advert from February 2011 called Siege currently being shown in the USA, to bring across a message to their consumers that coke has the power to bring happiness and optimism, even the darkest situations. [http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com]. Therefore, this shows companies can use a certain type of hidden message to make their consumers feel happy and in turn r esult in customer loyalty. This shows, to an extent that marketing is pervasive because it is in all types of adverts even though some consumers might not recognise it. Marketing is used in order to influence society and our behaviours when we see things. Most marketing is related to private companies marketing their goods and services in order to create and demand and in turn a profit for their company. However, there are some marketing acts that can be used for non profitable reasons such as health issues to protect society. For example, in late 2009 the government launched a new NHS act, the F.A.S.T campaign, to boost awareness in society and to get people to act fast if they think somebody is suffering from a stroke and to call emergency services, as soon as possible. The campaign has been marketed on posters, Facebook, television adverts and on the radio [http://www.nhs.uk/], and is still a popular advert on the television today. This market campaign again has a strong psychological status to it as the television adverts are almost like an interactive test, and shows what each letter means and what to look out for, so the next time you see the advert you remember what each letter stands for and what to do if it happens. However, this marketing campaign, led to an increase of an extra 55% in calls to the emergency services, reporting a stroke, not all of which were correct [http://optimistworld.com]. Therefore this shows that it isnt just private companies that market ideas to their consumers, and even though some of these calls arent correct, it has certainly forced a change in society as more people are aware of this, showing its pervasiveness across the private and public sector in terms of marketing. However, there are some types of marketing to argue that marketing isnt pervasive in todays society. For example, de-marketing is known as attempts to discourage customers in general or a certain class of customers in particular on either a temporary or permanent basis, Phillips (1971) cited from [http://www.bukisa.com/article]. Therefore this means, de-marketing is completely the reverse from marketing, and normally results in decrease of prices and less advertising. Contemporary examples of this would include cigarette smoking as smoking adverts have been banned and cigarette machines have been banned. The BBC states that there is an upcoming advert being shown across the UK later this month, to show smokers that even though roll up cigarettes are bad, there are not as dangerous as packet cigarettes[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news] This shows that de-marketing isnt pervasive because they are trying to decrease the demand of cigarettes smoked, which has obviously resulted in less advertis ement. This means that consumers do not have a physiological stimulus with cigarettes, without an advert because there is not a particular picture or slogan to resemble its familiarity with. This has led to decrease of 26% of school trying cigarettes from 1983 till 2009 [https://www.keynote.co.uk]. Therefore, less advertisement of the product, will give consumers less knowledge of the brand, and will challenge customer loyalty, showing all marketing isnt pervasive because de-marketing strategies are implemented to decrease the demand for something and in turn decreasing how popular, noticeable and spread out it is. Conclusion In conclusion, this essay suggests that marketing is pervasive in todays society because marketing is a common activity across the globe and has been made easier by recent improvements in technology as mentioned above. Without marketing, companies would have no demand for their product and consumers would have no products for their own wants and needs. Therefore, it is clear to say, marketing is pervasive within society due to everyday activities such as social networking as companies can find out exactly what consumers want and how to target them with specific segment demands to create a certain product. All achieved with market research from the help of Facebook and Google. However, marketing is only pervasive to a certain extent because other marketing strategies such as de-marketing prove that not all marketing is linked to a behavioral stimulus or recognition of brands and in turn making it less spread out. Considering this, there are a lot more varied reasons why marketing is p ervasive in everyday life rather than it not, because if it wasnt spread out and around us all the time we would live a limited lifestyle with no high demand for change in society.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Graduation Speech: In Memory of Those Who Did Not Make It :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Good evening and welcome parents, family, community members, friends, the School Board, faculty, and seniors to the County High School Class of 2012 commencement ceremony. It is a great honor to be able to welcome you here today. Class of 2012, you have worked hard for 12 years; tonight we celebrate your achievements - this night is yours. Congratulations! I have heard that some faculty members have coined the term "survivors" with reference to our graduating class. Indeed, we are survivors and I cannot think of a better term to describe us. Throughout the past year, our class has been subjected to several devastating tragedies. The deaths of three of our family members at County High: Joy M., Serik P., and George F. These three members of our family at County High School were each amazing and loving individuals. Their spirit of love lives on and was clearly exhibited by the manner in which the students and faculty pulled together to comfort each other and mourn their deaths. Their families will remain in our thoughts and prayers. As you graduate tonight, I would ask you to remember their love and strive to make it an integral part of your lives. The great Mahatma Gandhi called the love that I believe these three held in their hearts "all embracing ... [a love that] transforms all it touches ... [with] no limit to its power." And, most definitely, their love transformed people's lives. They certainly have inspired me. A wise man simply known to us as Paul wrote of this love as the "most excellent way." Paul wrote, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Philosophical traditions of Confucianism, Daoism & Legalism Essay

In the middle of the chaos of political weakness and constant warring of the Zhou era, arose many creative thinkers that brought such a knowledgeable impact in politics, religion and philosophy. Confucianism became the primary school of thinking. Later important philosophies such as Daoism and Legalism gained great respect as well. Each party had their own plans for creating a dreamlike political society where many problems they faced in their everyday lives could be eliminated. All three approaches were very specific. At the same time, they contained certain similarities as well. In my reasoning, I find that Confucianism and Daoism could be paralleled in many ways to find several common grounds. On the other hand, Legalism takes a more uncommon approach. This was much different from the other two. Both Confucianism and Daoism disfavored a harsh government. Both thought systems consider it mostly as a mystery that the human mind cannot fully comprehend or alter. In Confucianism, they urged to lead the people with virtue and rituals as opposed to government policies and punishments. Confucianism believed that the ruler should gain respect through his deeds rather than achieving it through his status and authority. Likewise, Daoism disliked the emphasis of status being displayed in the political realm. Both beliefs also agree that individuals should foster compassion, humility and moderation for a successful society. Legalism was far different in its ideals and approach unlike its predecessors. While Confucianism tried to gain total harmony with social order and Daoism searched for the same result in nature, Legalist believed that a strong political structure was the answer. While the previous two believed that politics should be very basic, Legalism asked for a strict code of law and a distinct enforcement of it. They believed a strong rule with a strict hand was necessary in order to keep the citizens from growing lazy and disrespecting the authority. Out of the three different thought systems, Legalism was a success in the sense that it achieved what the other two systems desperately strove for – the unification of China. Many of the Legalist ideas were quite thought harsh and praiseworthy; they believed in equality for all and government  according to merit. However, the system gained a rotten reputation according to the ruthless rule of the First Emperor. Confucianism thus became the official Philosophy, gaining wide acceptance in China.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Change in Russia

The state of Russian individuals, particularly those of the working class, known as the proliferates, like the ranchers and the production line laborers were extremely woeful as contrasted with other European nations. It was principally because of the despotic legislature of the Czar Nicholas II who threatened these individuals step by step by his degenerate and abusive arrangements. The state of the plant specialists was woeful. They couldn't structure any exchange unions and political gatherings to express their grievance.They misused the specialists for their narrow minded finishes. Commonly these specialists completed not getting even the base settled wages. Their conditions were miserable to the point that they had not political rights or any trust of picking up any changes until the start of the Russian Revolution of 1917. The conditions in Russia after the upset were no superior to conditions some time recently. Deficiencies of nourishment and produced merchandise really expan ded as generation diminished.Laborer ranchers were compelled to offer their yields to the glistered under Linen's â€Å"war socialism† arrangement abandoning them with scarcely enough to survive. Workers soon lost motivation to develop more products or stored what they did develop. Workers who did this and were figured out were ousted, detained or executed. Mechanical yield really fell underneath the levels they had been at under the Tsar. Lenin distinguished this and expecting that the Russian individuals might rebel against him and the Bolsheviks, organized the New Economic Policy. It finished almost no assistance.Anybody voicing resistance or feedback of the way the Bolsheviks were running things was marked a counterrevolutionary and likewise banished, Imprisoned or executed. All things considered, the predicament of the workers and workers deteriorated. The Russians where experiencing, to a great degree of harsh times. For example, starvation, Issues In law enforcement an d requirements that the law hadn't met. A couple of capable Individuals saw this as a chance to seize power. They shaped the Soviet Union Intended to get once more on the world for what It had done to them.The union was structured not too long after World War II had begun. Their tradition became deceased, hence leaving Russia a communist country. The revolution had quite a few short term and long term effects. All of which Include, murder of the Czar and the royal family, along with Russia dropping out of World War 1 . A few long term effects were, Russia becoming the world's first communist country and thus the spread of communism. Not to mention Russia becoming a superpower. Change in Russia By drinkable likewise banished, imprisoned or executed.All things considered, the predicament of starvation, issues in law enforcement and requirements that the law hadn't met. A couple of capable individuals saw this as a chance to seize power. They shaped the Soviet Union intended to get onc e more on the world for what it had done to them. The union was structured not too long after World War II had begun. Their tradition quite a few short term and long term effects. All of which include, murder of the Czar and the royal family, along with Russia dropping out of World War 1. A few long term

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Education of People with Exceptionalities

Education of People with Exceptionalities Organizations are increasingly revolutionizing their management styles to meet the demands of the changing society. One of the concepts that have continued to gain currency is systems thinking. Systems thinking is the â€Å"process of understanding how things, regarded as systems, influence one another within a whole† (Hardman, Drew, Egan, 2012, p. 162). The principle is that each organization is a system of interdependent parts that work in harmony to achieve the desired goals and objectives (Meadows, 2008).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Education of People with Exceptionalities specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In an organization that comprises people, processes and structures that work in harmony in the whole organization, problems that arise are solved by viewing them as part of the entire system. The functioning of one part of the system can best be understood by looking at it in the context of other p arts (Hardman, Drew, Egan, 2012). The United Methodist Church can be used to illustrate how the concept of systems thinking is applied in church organizations. The United Methodist Church believes that the church as a system, as much as God created the world as a system, with both internal and external components. As an open system, the church draws its members from the external environment, processes them through various training programs, and then releases them back to the environment where they will preach and win more church members for the growth of the church. When new members come from the environment, they are ignorant about the regulations that guide behavior in the church. These people come in after being converted, while others come in out of their own volition. Outreach and evangelistic ministries are responsible for bringing in new members. Once they get to the church, the converts are socialized in the ways of the church. Among the church programs in place include Bib le study, new believers’ classes, intercession groups, baptismal rituals and practices, among others (Hardman, Drew, Egan, 2012). Some are given vocational training as a way of developing them as useful members of the church and the outside word. Conversely, the church relies on the members for revenue in terms of tithes and offerings. These are the funds that are used to maintain the preachers and other church workers. After being equipped with skills and the ability to conform to the ways of the church, the members gain the competence needed to go out and preach to others who get converted and join the church. The cycle of events continues. Some of the converts, upon reaching maturity and with a calling from God, opt to set up other United Methodist Churches in other parts of the world, leading to the expansion of the church.Advertising Looking for report on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More From t he foregoing, it is evident that the United Methodist Church espouses system thinking in its operations. If any part of then system malfunctions, the entire system will grind to a halt (Hardman, Drew, Egan, 2012). If the evangelist component of the system fails to effectively evangelize and bring in more members, the church will fail to grow, and may eventually collapse. If the pastoral or apostolic department fails to teach the new converts to be grounded in the doctrines and practice of the church, the result will be weak church members who cannot be relied upon to evangelize for the growth of the church. The church as a system carries out periodic evaluation exercises to determine the effectiveness of its programs, and take corrective measures where need be. System thinking in the United Methodist Church has been made possible by the kind of structure that has been put in place. The Episcopal polity ensures stability of the entire church. There are sub organs charged with the re sponsibility of managing certain aspects of the church. All these sub-organs work together to achieve efficiency and communication plays an important part in coordinating their activities. The Bishops are in charge of the conferences, but do not operate independently. Components of the United Methodist Church can, therefore, be seen to be highly interdependent. Reference Hardman, M.L., Drew, C.J., Egan, M.W. (2012). Human exceptionality: School, community, and family (11th ed.). Boston: Cengage Learning.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Forgiveness is For Life essays

Forgiveness is For Life essays This is the first time I read the Bible. Even though I ¡Ã‚ ¯ve never seen it before, it also gives me a very deep impression. The story  ¡Ã‚ ° The Parable of Prodigal Son ¡ reminds me of one person, who ever was my best friend but hadn ¡Ã‚ ¯t met for a long time. Maybe we were both so young at that time that we couldn ¡Ã‚ ¯t forgive each other. But when I am growing up, I do miss her. If I asked for her forgiveness before, I wouldn ¡Ã‚ ¯t lose her friendship. Just like the father how to treat his younger son in the story, I believe forgiveness is very important in our life. I have realized that tolerance is significant for our peaceful action with each other. Forgive what has happened in the past and no longer let it have an influence on the present and future. Why forgiveness is so important? Here are three reasons. The first reason why forgiveness is important is that it is one of the ways we can express love. Love is a deep and tender feeling of affection for, or devotion to a person, or one person for another. Like the father said to his servant when his son came back,  ¡Ã‚ ° Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him ¡Ã‚ ­bring hither the fatted calf and kill it. ¡  ¡Ã‚ °He was lost, and is found ¡(233) From these words, we can know the father forgave his son and gave him enough warmth. But in real life, many people refuse to forgive. Forgiving somebody whom you have a reason to hate is certainly not easy. Indeed we can say that it is one of the most difficult things to do in our life, like I did before. But once we decide to forgive someone wrongfully harming us, we will love him or her unconditionally. Secondly, I think it is because we ¡Ã‚ ¯ve all got faults and we often make mistakes that not only affect ourselves, but the people around us. It is possible that the person you don ¡Ã‚ ¯t forgive today will be the one you're asking for forgiveness tomorrow. So if we would rather choose revenge or punishment, it will ...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

American Civil War and Black Political Power

Although the victory of the North resulted in the end of slavery, that was not the stated aim of either President Abraham Lincoln or the industrial argosies that was the dominant social class in the North when the war commenced. The war began only as a result of the decision by most of the slave states to secede from the Union in 1861. Lincoln refused to end slavery, assuring all slave owners who cooperated with the federal government that they would maintain their property. His eventual decision to issue the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, which decreed the end of legal slavery, was fundamentally a military decision.Without the enlistment of thousands of escaping slaves into the Northern army, the defeat of the Confederate army seemed remote. These newly enlisted Black soldiers, with their incredible resolve, determination and self- sacrifice, turned the tide. It was a case of law following reality: Slaves were deserting or refusing to work on the plantations in growing numbers, and they were demanding the right to join the battle. The military exigencies of the day overcame the white supremacist policy of the Northern army and the federal government, which had refused to abolish slavery until that time.The Emancipation Proclamation had the effect of drawing into the struggle the Black masses-?and it proved decisive. African Americans comprised a social class rooted in the slave system itself, and ultimately determined the outcome of the Civil War. After the proclamation, some 180,000 freed slaves enlisted in the Union Army and became fearless fighters against the army of their former masters. When Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered in 1865, the question of how to reintegrate the Southern states into the Union was sharply posed. This was the basis for the period of Reconstruction.It represented a contain caution of the conflicts of the Civil War, but under new circumstances determining the direction of the life-and-death struggle between the overthrown and the overthrowing classes. Suppressing counterrevolution Like every revolution, the military conflict of the Civil War was followed by a period in which the remnants of the previous order were suppressed, both by political means and by force. The French Revolution, the 191 7 Russian Revolution, the 1959 Cuban Revolution and others all relied upon extraordinary measures to survive and fight off the attempts of the former ruling classes to regain political power. How to suppress these forces had been the subject of debate in the Northern political circles throughout the war. On the one hand were moderates like Lincoln who wanted to incorporate as many elements of the old slave-owning class into a new pro-logion government. On the other hand, Radical Republicans like Thatched Stevens and Charles Sumner favored harsh repression and exclusion of Confederate society from political power. The Radical Republicans were the political driving force of Reconstruction. They were in an objective sense the revolutionary, unwavering and determined wing of the divided capitalist class.Their political base was in Congress, where they held a majority that grew in the years immediately allowing the end of the war. They understood that the freed slaves were the most solid base of support for the Union. African Americans rejoiced at the military defeat of the Confederacy. Across the South, ex-slaves organized meetings and political organizations to take advantage of their new freedom. Social gains of Reconstruction In March 1865, just weeks before Lee?s surrender, the federal government created the Freedmans Bureau.Ledger the military protection of Union troops, Black and white, the Bureau organized a vast education project for former slaves-?a project which laid the foundation for public education sanctioned. It was even authorized to carry out a land redistribution program, although such radical measures were never widely implemented. The decrees following emancipation challenged racist notions and recognized former slaves as human beings. The formerly enslaved and property-less Black masses looked forward to a new beginning free from racist violence and with compensation for everything they had endured. But differences emerged almost immediately over how to reconcile the interests of the freed slaves with the needs of the victorious Northern capitalist class. The tenuous political alliance of the anti-slavery forces during the Civil War soon broke apart. The Radical Republicans understood the strategically important role of African Americans in smashing the former slave-owning class. The moderates, however, sought to rely on a partnership with the old ruling class as opposed to the revolutionary momentum of the Black masses.Johnnys Black Codes President Andrew Johnson, who had assumed the presidency after Lincoln assassination, had postured as a Radical during the war. But he quickly emerged as the leading force of political reaction within the national Republican Party. After the defeat of the Confederacy, Johnson installed new governments in the Southern states made up wholly or primarily of pardoned ex- Confederates. In late 1 865, several of these Johnson-installed state legislatures passed laws known as Black Codes. These laws set up the terms for the newly freed Black population to participate in Reconstruction.They were in many ways precursors to the Jim Crow laws, creating a separate and unequal system for African Americans. The Black Codes varied from state to state, but they had common features. They provided for labor contracts for Black laborers-?often with terms not much different than slavery. They prohibited Blacks from migrating from one state to another unless they possessed papers specifying that he or she was bonded by contract to labor for an employer. They limited African Americans participation in politics with educational or property restrictions. Former slaves were generally described by the laws as servants, while the description used for employers was master. Economically, the main thrust of the Black Codes was to reinstitution the plantation system. For example, Blacks were restricted from choosing where they worked and the type of work they did. In many parts of the South they were forbidden to work in towns and cities. In some areas, skilled Black workers were required to receive a license or certificate in order to get employment in occupations other than in agriculture or domestic work.In the eyes of many, both former slaves and Northerners, the power of the former Slavonic was being restored. Johnnys Presidential Reconstruction was seen as selling out the gains of the Civil War. Further inflaming Radical imminent, in 1866 Johnson vetoed an extension of the Freedmans Bureau and a Civil Rights bill that would extend citizenship to African Americans. Radical Reconstruction and Black political power New elections to the House of Representatives took place in 1866.With the southern states not yet readmitted to the union, Radical Republicans made big gains, winning enough seats to override Johnnys vetoes. The ID-year period beginning in 1867 is what is known as Radical Reconstruction and was a period of the most far-reaching social change seen in Lignite States history. A Civil Rights Act was passed over Johnnys veto in March 1866. The Congress passed the Reconstruction Act, which put the whole former Confederacy under military control and forced the creation of new state governments in accord with voting rights for African Americans.African Americans organized into Union Leagues to exert their new political power. Over 600-?a majority former slaves-?were elected to state office during this period. A wide variety of social programs were introduced: widening public education, funding for health care for the poor in South Carolina, free legal aid for the poor in Alabama. Racist violence But each step forward for the newly emancipated African Americans was met by violent resistance by the former rulers. White Southern politicians colluded to undermine Reconstruction. As early as May 1 866, Gene.Nathan Bedford Forrest rallied a group of ex-Confederate soldiers in Pulaski, Teen. , to form the infamous UK Klux Klan. The Klan spread quickly throughout the Southern states. The Auks primary objective was to crush the new manipulation of African Americans. Knowing that the African American people had the will and numerical advantage to create the South in their own interests, the ASK targeted the families of outspoken Black leaders in twilight-hour raids of their homes. The terrorist organization also attacked progressive Northern whites who were serving the purposes of Reconstruction.Throughout Reconstruction, political debates in Congress or in state legislatures were accompanied by violent massacres committed by organized white racist groups. Such massacres took place in New Orleans in 1866, Memphis, Teen. In 1866, Pulaski, Teen. In 1868, Epilogues, La. In 1868, Camilla, ca. In 1868, Meridian, Miss. N 1870, Tutee, Ala. In 1870, Laurels, S. C. In 1870, New York City in 1870 and again in 1871 and in Collar and Southeast, La. In 1873. The list of these atrocities continues for the duration of Reconstruction, setting the precedent for the lynchings and apartheid terror for African Americans into the 20th century.African Americans defended themselves and the gains of emancipation through mass campaigns and with arms in hand. Regiments of Black soldiers patrolled streets throughout the South. But the weight of the racist whites organizations proved to be too powerful for the African American community o overcome-?especially as support for Reconstruction waned in the North. Racists sought to disarm the Black masses. Throughout the Southern states and neighboring regions, gun control laws were introduced-?but selectively applied only to African Americans, who relied on their guns to defend themselves. At the same time, economic depression in the 1 sass along with corporate corruption scandals led to the emergence of a growing anti-Reconstruction coalition in the federal government. Federal troops were removed in one state after another, each time resulting in the reversal of political and economic gains for African Americans. In 1 877, Republican president-elect Rutherford B. Hayes-?having lost the popular vote in the 1876 elections and with the election outcome uncertain in the electoral college-? agreed to what became known as the Compromise of 1876, or in the Black community as the Great Betrayal of 1876. Hayes and the Republicans agreed to remove all remaining federal troops from the South in exchange for the Republicans retaining the White House. A reign of ASK terror and lynching enveloped the South as the Northern troops were removed. The dictatorship of the Reconstruction period-?with the Old slave owners repressed and the ex-slaves living in a semi- democracy-?was replace d by the reintroduction of the old dictatorship of the Slavonic. The former slave owners could no longer possess human beings as their property, but they reemerged as junior partners of the Northern industrial bourgeoisie. In the southern part of the United States, this dictatorship of the Southern and Northern capitalists continued the legacy of unmatched cruelty and oppression of an entire people. The period known as Reconstruction was officially over. The first real experience of Black political power-?coming after centuries of attempted slave insurrections and resistance-?was ultimately defeated. Capitalist consolidation vs..Black liberation The Civil War that was led by the Northern industrial bourgeoisie, uprooting the slave-owning class in the South, opened the door for the exploited Black masses to organize and make real social gains. During the period of Radical Reconstruction, the interests of this oppressed class dovetailed with the Northern capitalists short-term interests in crushing their former rivals. This was despite the fact that the African American masses class interests were hostile to both Northern capital and Southern chattel slavery. The most important task for the U. S. Fatalist class was increased centralization and consolidation. It was in the midst of the genocidal campaign against the Native peoples in the west. Life-and-death battles with the newly emerging industrial working class were taking place in railroads, mines and factories across the country. The capitalists were within 20 years of joining the worldwide race for colonial plunder. The industrial capitalists made peace with the defeated Slavonic at the cost of many concessions-?the easiest for them being the aspirations of the exploited African American working classes.Although subjected to renewed and constant terrorism from the forces of white supremacy, who had all the institutional threads to political power in the form of control over local and state police forces, the freedom movement of the African American community could not be extinguished. Generation after generation found new methods of struggle. Between the mid-sass and the 1 9705, this freedom struggle culminated in he emergence of the broadest and most militant social movement in the history of the United States.It was this movement that would eventually force the U. S. Government to formally outlaw the apartheid system that replaced the Reconstruction era following its overthrow in 1877. The passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1 965 Voting Rights Act restored the legal rights that had been violently suppressed 90 years earlier. The democratic aspirations of African Americans were betrayed by the capitalist class precisely because the interests of the bourgeoisie as an exploiting class could not be reconciled with the social interests of the exploited.

Friday, October 18, 2019

HEALTH COMMUNICATION OBJECTIVES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

HEALTH COMMUNICATION OBJECTIVES - Essay Example Among the objectives that I deemed fit for this paper include improving the health literacy of the population, increase the number of health practitioners with satisfactory communication kills and thirdly is to enlarge figure of patients who report that their health care providers contently involved them in their health care decisions. (Phase 1 report, 2008) The first goal is increasing health literacy among the general population. In an era where many of the rising diseases that is taking a tremendous toll on the world’s population are bad lifestyle habits, there is need to increase health literacy especially in such occasions where disease causes are cumulative persistence of bad habits. Increased awareness of healthy lifestyles that I should uphold has played an enormous part in the lifestyles decision that I make. Secondly, increasing health care practitioners with sufficient communication skills would in a huge way improve the freedom that most patients feel limited when talking to a healthcare provider. In addition, such skills have in the past enhanced the health care process since there was sufficient understanding between me and my health care providers, and between the respective health practitioners. Thirdly, the information involved with patient care technologies is highly involved in making sure that patients or thei r custodians make the wisest decision concerning their health problems. Through the objective, the United States government hopes to liberate the health sector in such a way that expert opinions can be incorporated with patients beliefs as well as the patient’s guardian views to form a single all rounded wise decision about the health care of the respective patient. This I think is most important since I feel a high level of freedom of will and satisfaction having taken decisions concerning my health care that my health care providers adhered to in my

Regressing Japans economic growth Literature review

Regressing Japans economic growth - Literature review Example This article is therefore relevant because it addresses the key points related to the yen/$ exchange rate and points to the prolonged stagnation in Japan. Hamada and Okada, in this article argue that in the 1980s, Japanese economy was marked by a phase of a speculative bubble. In the course of the 1980s, the state had a large commercial surplus with the U.S, exporting far much than its imports. Japan gained from a devalued currency, meaning that its exports became cheaper for the United States. Japans exports really flourished during this era till the leading American policy elites got concerned about the â€Å"disruptive force† of Japan in American economic living. To get a solution to this commercial imbalance, the Japanese regime permitted the yen to appreciate alongside the dollar in early 1986. This shortly led to an economic contraction and a decrease in the export-based electronics, automobile, and steel industry. The Central Bank of Japan made an effort to alleviate a weakening economy by lowering the official interest, which resulted in the historical documentation of high stock prices that were at the peak in 1989. The article further suggests that the large commercial surpluses, the low interest rates, and the strong yen swelled Japan’s monetary supply. The auto industry, which was the countries stronghold in industrial economy had dominated the markets, and wanted speculative outlets for their huge savings. On the other hand, banks were enthusiastic to lend money to people to purchase real estates. In 1987, when the gross national product (GNP) in Japan was 345 trillion yen, monetary assets went up by 382 trillion yen, as the land assets increased at 374 trillion yen. In addition, the banks... Even though Japan went through a crisis especially the worldwide recession in 2008, its present depression can be traced back to late 1980s and early 1990s as well as the collapse of the Equity markets and its housing. Many economists have researched on the â€Å"lost decade†, developing arguments about the causes and suitable policy responses that explain the issue. According to Schaltegger, C. A., & Weder, M, 2013, the monetary policy of the Bank of Japan at the end of 1980s is similar to the Federal Reserve’s strategy before the global financial catastrophe. Interest rates had been maintained at uniquely low levels for some good time even though the economic growth was strong and robust price increases in a number of financial assets were present. Interest rates then went up decisively and repeatedly from 2.5% to 6% in a period of 16 months. In the same way, the US learned the most important lessons as a result of the great depression; that monetary policy was too procyclical and restrictive, resulting to a downward spiral and deflation in economic activity. The federal reserve in America has committed itself to maintain interest rates close to zero till it reaches mid 2015 even if it means economic activities might be stronger than it is expected at present. On the other hand, Japan reduced interest rates more gradually from six to three percent within the foremost 15 months of the crisis. In connection to this, the impact was that persistent problems in the monetary field, slow growth, and deflation led Japans bank to lessen interest rates further to approximately 0.5% in September 1995.

Large Scale Software Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Large Scale Software Development - Essay Example The ensuing violence has led to the destruction of thousands of homes and farms and has forced nearly 170,000 people to settle in the makeshift camps (IRIN, 2008). The political situation in this province is certainly volatile and has attracted the attention and concern of the International Community. The biggest victim of this ethnic violence has been the education system in the Rift Valley province. The schools are sans any qualified teachers owing to the large scale migration of the teachers hailing from the ethnic communities to the safer regions (KEPNW, 2008). Most of the students have been uprooted from the areas where their schools are located. Those who are left behind are too scared to attend the local schools out of the fear of violence and bloodshed. Hence a large scale displacement of the teachers and the students and the prevailing levels of insecurity in the region call for an urgent customization of the education system so as to meet the special needs of the students staying in the camps. The Kenyan Ministry of Education is collaborating with the NGOs and the world organizations like UNICEF and Red Cross, to chalk out a 'response and recovery' plan to revive the primary and secondary education system in the region (KEPNW, 2008). The scarcity of the qualified teachers and the disinclination of the students to go to schools has manifold enhanced the relevance of computer aided instruction in the given scenario. Customized computer software can not only provide the students staying in the camps with an easy access to education, but can take care of all the important aspects of secondary education like, classification of students, preparation of time-table, allocation of learning resources, maintenance of progress reports, ensuring direct interaction, providing immediate feedback, developing problem solving and creative assignments, supplementing laboratory and practical work, revision, evaluation and guidance. Since ensuring an unhampered access to internet could prove to be a problem in the region under consideration, so it is imperative that the software used for educational purposes in the area offers ample control over layouts, users and bandwidth (WiredRed.com, 2008). Besides, the software to be used for educational purposes in the Rift Valley will have to be something much more then any ordinary video or web conferencing software. It will have to be amply self contained and aught to be loaded with relevant self learning modules that must include the set of activities intended to facilitate the students' achievement of a specific objective.Such self learning modules will have to be essentially self teaching and must be oriented to individuals working alone or in small groups. These modules will have to be such as to ensure easy usage by the students even in the absence of a teacher or any information giver. The software under consideration must also extend varying alternatives to the students in terms of language, mental ability and availability of resources and must aim at

Thursday, October 17, 2019

The classical economists Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The classical economists - Essay Example He does make a clear explanation of how the market system does dictate the nature of the prices to maintain the competition. When the demands of any product are high, the price will always escalate. The tight competition nature of any partaker in the market prevents any society from being exploited by the sellers, as they have to maintain a relatively reasonable price. Market laws also provide a clear regulation of the producers’ incomes. A business that is fetching immense profits will tend to attract a large number of people. When there is an overproduction of the same product, the cost goes down. Adam also did foresee two critical laws that act to curb greed in the market, the law of accumulation and the law of productivity. Accumulating profits are useful in purchasing new labor and machinery. Profits may subside due to labor and machinery demands. Increasing the population of the workers again is likely to lead to shoot out of the profits again. All these laws were illustrative of the kind of life that did exist in England in 1776 (Heilbroner,

WITH REFERENCE TO NATIONAL ASTHMA GUIDELINES, DISCUSS THE IMMEDIATE Essay

WITH REFERENCE TO NATIONAL ASTHMA GUIDELINES, DISCUSS THE IMMEDIATE TRETAMENT OPTIONS AND LONGER TERM ISSUES FOR A 15 YEAR OLD FEMALE PRESENTING WITH AN ACUTE A - Essay Example Once the wheezing is controlled and the patient is brought home from the hospital, she must have follow up visits on a regular basis in order to minotor her condition. Since Jane has been admitted on an emergency basis with severe difficulty in breathing, the first step is to dilate the airways. The lack of oxygen can be corrected through the use of high concentrations of inspired oxygen (40-60%) using a high flow mask such as the Hudson mask(BTS:6.3.1). ABG and PEF levels must be maintained at above 92% and 50% respectively. If PEF levels are not rising fast enough, continuous nebulisation may also be considered using B2 agonists (BTS:6.3.2). To provide instant relief in breathing the use of ipratropium in association with salbutamol or terbutaline may also be considered. This helps to release blocked airways and bring the asthma attack under control(Plotnick and Duchrame 2003). The combination of ipratropium with salbutamol or tetrabuline works faster since they go straight to the lungs (National Institute 2001:1-13). Once Jane is stabilized and out of the hospital, there is no need to continue the use of ipratropium, since it will not be beneficial. (Stoodley et al 1999:8-18). The main aim of the long term treatment is to bring some measure of control over the wheezing attacks, so that Jane can sleep well at night and engage in moderate levels of activity without getting an attack. Since anxiety also brings about an attack, the aim of long term treatment must be to provide a supportive psychological environment for Jane, so that she does not get easily stressed. Jane must be reassured that her condition is curable, even though she has had it for so long. Because of her long history with asthma, Jane is likely to consider herself as a sick child who cannot play or be active. But she must first be counseled that she can also lead a fairly normal life, with a proper regimen of

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Large Scale Software Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Large Scale Software Development - Essay Example The ensuing violence has led to the destruction of thousands of homes and farms and has forced nearly 170,000 people to settle in the makeshift camps (IRIN, 2008). The political situation in this province is certainly volatile and has attracted the attention and concern of the International Community. The biggest victim of this ethnic violence has been the education system in the Rift Valley province. The schools are sans any qualified teachers owing to the large scale migration of the teachers hailing from the ethnic communities to the safer regions (KEPNW, 2008). Most of the students have been uprooted from the areas where their schools are located. Those who are left behind are too scared to attend the local schools out of the fear of violence and bloodshed. Hence a large scale displacement of the teachers and the students and the prevailing levels of insecurity in the region call for an urgent customization of the education system so as to meet the special needs of the students staying in the camps. The Kenyan Ministry of Education is collaborating with the NGOs and the world organizations like UNICEF and Red Cross, to chalk out a 'response and recovery' plan to revive the primary and secondary education system in the region (KEPNW, 2008). The scarcity of the qualified teachers and the disinclination of the students to go to schools has manifold enhanced the relevance of computer aided instruction in the given scenario. Customized computer software can not only provide the students staying in the camps with an easy access to education, but can take care of all the important aspects of secondary education like, classification of students, preparation of time-table, allocation of learning resources, maintenance of progress reports, ensuring direct interaction, providing immediate feedback, developing problem solving and creative assignments, supplementing laboratory and practical work, revision, evaluation and guidance. Since ensuring an unhampered access to internet could prove to be a problem in the region under consideration, so it is imperative that the software used for educational purposes in the area offers ample control over layouts, users and bandwidth (WiredRed.com, 2008). Besides, the software to be used for educational purposes in the Rift Valley will have to be something much more then any ordinary video or web conferencing software. It will have to be amply self contained and aught to be loaded with relevant self learning modules that must include the set of activities intended to facilitate the students' achievement of a specific objective.Such self learning modules will have to be essentially self teaching and must be oriented to individuals working alone or in small groups. These modules will have to be such as to ensure easy usage by the students even in the absence of a teacher or any information giver. The software under consideration must also extend varying alternatives to the students in terms of language, mental ability and availability of resources and must aim at

WITH REFERENCE TO NATIONAL ASTHMA GUIDELINES, DISCUSS THE IMMEDIATE Essay

WITH REFERENCE TO NATIONAL ASTHMA GUIDELINES, DISCUSS THE IMMEDIATE TRETAMENT OPTIONS AND LONGER TERM ISSUES FOR A 15 YEAR OLD FEMALE PRESENTING WITH AN ACUTE A - Essay Example Once the wheezing is controlled and the patient is brought home from the hospital, she must have follow up visits on a regular basis in order to minotor her condition. Since Jane has been admitted on an emergency basis with severe difficulty in breathing, the first step is to dilate the airways. The lack of oxygen can be corrected through the use of high concentrations of inspired oxygen (40-60%) using a high flow mask such as the Hudson mask(BTS:6.3.1). ABG and PEF levels must be maintained at above 92% and 50% respectively. If PEF levels are not rising fast enough, continuous nebulisation may also be considered using B2 agonists (BTS:6.3.2). To provide instant relief in breathing the use of ipratropium in association with salbutamol or terbutaline may also be considered. This helps to release blocked airways and bring the asthma attack under control(Plotnick and Duchrame 2003). The combination of ipratropium with salbutamol or tetrabuline works faster since they go straight to the lungs (National Institute 2001:1-13). Once Jane is stabilized and out of the hospital, there is no need to continue the use of ipratropium, since it will not be beneficial. (Stoodley et al 1999:8-18). The main aim of the long term treatment is to bring some measure of control over the wheezing attacks, so that Jane can sleep well at night and engage in moderate levels of activity without getting an attack. Since anxiety also brings about an attack, the aim of long term treatment must be to provide a supportive psychological environment for Jane, so that she does not get easily stressed. Jane must be reassured that her condition is curable, even though she has had it for so long. Because of her long history with asthma, Jane is likely to consider herself as a sick child who cannot play or be active. But she must first be counseled that she can also lead a fairly normal life, with a proper regimen of

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Website Review Assignment Essay Example for Free

Website Review Assignment Essay The website www. ancientgreece. com is an interactive web location that serves as a reference point for the history and philosophy behind Greek contributions in the various art forms used in the rituals of basic everyday living to sacred cultural convention. The homepage incorporates quotes from famous scholars, such as, Aristotle and Archimedes, and a menu of thumbnail pictures that link to indepth summaries, examples, and pictures of Greek art, architecture, history, the Olympic Games, wars, geography, mythology, people, culture, and society. The Forum is a message board to share and discuss Greek related scholastic topics and issues, and to meet and talk to other students and professors. The Essays section allows the user to browse ancient Greek essays in the topics listed above. It is also possible for anyone to upload an essay to discuss it with the other users. Help Build the Foundations is the place to contribute shared knowledge, photos, and comments on articles or essays, discuss topics, or submit essays. The photo gallery holds pictures and information on famous artifacts, marble sculptures, and paintings. The course directory can be utilized to put people in touch with universities that offer Ancient Greek studies. The website also offers a glossary, and a bookstore with DVDs, posters, and books for purchase. For full access to the site you must register. Ancient Greece is considered the center of art and intellect. Religion dominated Greek life and that is exposed through their art and architecture. Statues were used to enlighten the communities about the stories about the Gods. Many statues that have survived are actually Roman copies of the originals. The Olympic Games were created and held to honor the Gods, complete with animal sacrifices. Theater was a main source of entertainment. Tragedies and comedies revolved around politics and the Gods. Some of the most influential playwrights, philosophers, historians, epic poets, mathematicians, and sculptors came out of ancient Greece. This website is a complex site with extensive information about Greece and their achievements and contributions, stretching from the Neolithic Age to the Classical Period. In terms of art, this website has pictures of artifacts, sculptors, mosaics, and paintings, but never mentions music. Music was an integral part of ancient Greek life and tradition. This site needs to include a section summarizing the variety of music the Greeks listened to, famous musicians, pictures and facts about instruments, and the purposes music served in daily ritual and cultural tradition.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Hardys Use Of Nature English Literature Essay

Hardys Use Of Nature English Literature Essay Throughout the novel, Hardy uses various aspects of nature in different ways in order to help tell the story. In Tess of the DUrbervilles, Hardy has written it so that Tesss life simply gets worse and worse until her death at the end. Nature does not help her, with Hardy portraying it as being unsympathetic, uncaring, and unforgiving. Hardy uses seasons, and setting of location in the novel to portray the passing of time; phases in Tesss life and new emotions associated with these new phases. At the start of the novel in chapters I and II, the location is set in Marlott, where the character of Tess lives. It is the spring, in May; Marlott is described by Hardy as though being almost flawless, as a fertile and sheltered tract of country. This description is used to portray early on, the purity and sexual innocence of Tess which will be degraded throughout the novel When Tess travels to visit Alec, Hardy transforms her surroundings, making The Slopes appear out of place and unnatural. This gives the reader a sense of uncertainty about what is about to happen to Tess. This is shown as Hardy writes how the house is of the same rich crimson colour that formed such a contrast with the evergreens of the lodge This colour, crimson, is evidently very out of place in a green forest setting. Tess also says I thought we were an old family; but this is all new! This shows her naivety and her own worry for the situation she is about to encounter. Also, she is surrounded by Druidical mistletoe while at The Slopes. This relates to how people are often seduced under mistletoe, therefore foreshadowing how she is going to be seduced there later by Alec in the autumn. At the start of phase the third, Hardy writes about Tesss finding of work in Talbothays dairy in the summer. He describes this setting in a more positive way, because this is a happy time for Tess, as she meets Angel. Talbothays is described as the verdant plain so well watered by the river Var or Froom. Verdant makes it seem as though it is a green, healthy and luxurious place which is the impression that Hardy is trying to set in. Hardy begins to describe normal things in a more sexual way, to reflect what is going to happen in Talbothays. For example, ..the milk oozed forth and fell in drops to the ground. In complete contrast to Talbothays, in chapter XLII, Hardy describes Flintcombe-Ash as a barren land, and it is now winter. Tess is now very miserable and lonely. This pathetic fallacy is made to help us feel sorry for Tesss now considerably less fortunate circumstances. Here the air was dry and cold à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ hedges mercilessly plashed down. The use of the word mercilessly describes how everything around Tess appears to be against her, including nature. Hardy specifically expresses this in chapter XIV, that bastard gift of shameless Nature who respects not the civil law.This describes how nature does not care that she was raped, unlike the civil law, which would. Hardy uses animal imagery within the novel to perhaps foreshadow the hidden themes and to metaphorically represent Tess. For example, in chapter IX Tess goes to work for Mrs DUrberville in her poultry house. This means that right at this point of the novel, we are already associating her with an animal which is trapped in captivity. Mrs dUrberville asks Tess, Can you whistle?' She cannot, so Alec has to teach her. For birds in the wild, whistling is a way of a bird trying to attract or seduce a mate, therefore the fact that Alec has to teach Tess to whistle means that his seducing has already started. On the other hand, the fact that Tess cannot whistle yet may also be implying that she is too young and not ready for sex. In the novel, Hardy has written it so it is as though Tess is accompanied by birds frequently, and so reflects her similarities to the animal about how she is trapped like a bird in a cage, and cannot escape her fate at the end of the novel. This is perhaps subtly foreshadowed in chapter XIX. Tess, like a fascinated bird, could not leave the spot. This implies that she cannot control the fact that she is listening to Angels music, and the fact that she will be trapped by fate is inevitable. Birds also appear at various points in the novel. For example, in chapter XLI, when Tess finds some injured birds. Her first thought was to put the still-living birds out of their torture she broke the necks of as many as she could find. This act perhaps foreshadows her own death which is inescapable. On the other hand, it may also be interpreted as though Tess can feel the birds pain, so kills them to put them out of their misery; as she has experienced similar pain that they have. They have be en hurt by causes beyond their control like Tesss rape. In the novel, Hardy uses weather, among other aspects of nature in a way that will reflect the storys events. For example, when Tess is first raped by Alec in chapter XI, The Chase is surrounded by a thick fog. Alec says, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦owing to this fog, which so disguises everythingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ It is made to seem as though the fog, and therefore nature itself is uncaring. It is made to seem as though nature cares not for common morals, but only for itself, as it is happy for Tess to become pregnant, caring not that it is through rape. Hardy also personifies nature, for example at the start of chapter XXIII, The hot weather of July had crept upon themà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the use of the word crept is effective as it describes how quickly time has passed for her, and how such unexpected events have happened so quickly. Hardy effectively uses pathetic fallacy within the novel in order to portray certain events to help the reader to empathise with the character of Tess. The best example of this is in chapter XIV when Tess is trying to baptise her baby before she knows it will die. Darkness is often associated with sad feelings and thoughts. Chapter XIV contains very sad and discomforting themes so Hardy uses dark colours and night time to help increase the atmosphere. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦shone in the gloom surrounding her. As the story goes on, the character of Tess matures, and it is as though nature around her also matures and changes accordingly to how she does. This is shown effectively in chapter XX. In this chapter, the development of Tess and Angels love is described, and this is reflected in Hardys description of nature in the first few lines. The season developed and matured. Another years instalment of flowers, leaves, nightingales took up their positions where only a year ago others had stood in their place The use of the word instalment portrays how the life of nature, and also Tess works in cycles, and each generation of nature is somewhat unimportant, only coming in instalments. Unimportance and insignificance is a common theme throughout the novel. This is also depicted in chapter XI when Tess is raped. Already at that hour some sons of the forest were stirring and striking lights It is as though nature is uncaring and goes on as normal around the awful events that are happening at the same time. In the novel, nature is meant to come across as being amoral and uncaring. This is most reflected in the passage about her baby Sorrow being a bastard gift from nature, which does not care as to how it came about, in contrast to the law which would have punished Alec. But also, nature is portrayed as though it doesnt judge Tess for what has happened, thus also meaning it does not judge Alec.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Schizophrenics and Schizophrenia: Drugs are NOT the Solution :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Schizophrenics and Schizophrenia: Drugs are NOT the Solution Last month, I shadowed a physician for four days. When I arrived at her office on the first day, she said to me, "Prepare yourself, we are going to the Provident." The Provident is a nursing home for the severely mentally ill. Many of the patients living there are under fifty years old, some are as young as thirty. None of the residents have any money. All are receiving welfare and are on Medicare. We entered the building into a room where approximately 15 people were sitting in chairs. Most were staring straight ahead, eyes glazed. Some were chattering quietly to themselves, some were walking around with an awkward gait. As I walked further through the floor looking into rooms, I saw many people sleeping in their beds. I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if the people living at the Provident were suddenly not taking any medication. Would they be out of control? Was it possible that beneath all of the drug-induced stares, shakes and speech impediments that an alert person existed? Perhaps their diseases had prevented them from interacting with other people in what would be considered a "normal" way. But are they better off now that they are too drug-altered and often depressed to interact at all? As a society, we try to get rid of things we are afraid of, things which make us nervous and things we don't understand. Perhaps mental illness is not so much a problem for the mentally ill, but for their communities who can not and will not empathize with them. I wonder if people suffering from a mental illness are not really suffering at all, but are simply a behavioral minority. Their behavior prevents them from being accepted by the majority. They can not find work or often even a place to live, as these things are controlled by the majority. Instead, for those that are ironically considered lucky, the majority gives them medication and often sends them away to a locked facility. For this second web-paper, I will try to explore these questions by learning about schizophrenia, a common diagnosis at the Provident. Some have argued that people "afflicted" with schizophrenia have a damaged I-function. That is, schizophrenics are not capable of responding appropriately to their environment because their I-function is not fully grown or as well-developed as a "healthy" person. Schizophrenics and Schizophrenia: Drugs are NOT the Solution :: Biology Essays Research Papers Schizophrenics and Schizophrenia: Drugs are NOT the Solution Last month, I shadowed a physician for four days. When I arrived at her office on the first day, she said to me, "Prepare yourself, we are going to the Provident." The Provident is a nursing home for the severely mentally ill. Many of the patients living there are under fifty years old, some are as young as thirty. None of the residents have any money. All are receiving welfare and are on Medicare. We entered the building into a room where approximately 15 people were sitting in chairs. Most were staring straight ahead, eyes glazed. Some were chattering quietly to themselves, some were walking around with an awkward gait. As I walked further through the floor looking into rooms, I saw many people sleeping in their beds. I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if the people living at the Provident were suddenly not taking any medication. Would they be out of control? Was it possible that beneath all of the drug-induced stares, shakes and speech impediments that an alert person existed? Perhaps their diseases had prevented them from interacting with other people in what would be considered a "normal" way. But are they better off now that they are too drug-altered and often depressed to interact at all? As a society, we try to get rid of things we are afraid of, things which make us nervous and things we don't understand. Perhaps mental illness is not so much a problem for the mentally ill, but for their communities who can not and will not empathize with them. I wonder if people suffering from a mental illness are not really suffering at all, but are simply a behavioral minority. Their behavior prevents them from being accepted by the majority. They can not find work or often even a place to live, as these things are controlled by the majority. Instead, for those that are ironically considered lucky, the majority gives them medication and often sends them away to a locked facility. For this second web-paper, I will try to explore these questions by learning about schizophrenia, a common diagnosis at the Provident. Some have argued that people "afflicted" with schizophrenia have a damaged I-function. That is, schizophrenics are not capable of responding appropriately to their environment because their I-function is not fully grown or as well-developed as a "healthy" person.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Mobile Phones :: Technology, Marketing

Mobile phones are reaching whole around the world and will dramatically change to express the new lifestyle of people (Friedrich et al 2009; Xinze, 2008). Such technology has made more and more everybody be reachable (Marez et al. 2007). The mobile penetration and adoption are almost 100% in western countries and several Asian countries (Netsize, 2007; The Economist, 2005). This phenomenon is the ubiquitous revolutionary helped in the adoption and distribution of mobile commerce since it allows marketing activities tailored to actual customer needs and tastes (Barutà §u, 2007), and more precisely targeting customers by using face-to- marketing communications person compared with impersonal and mass media (Carter, 2009;. Shaw et al 2001). An incredible number of innovations introduced annually, and the rapid technological developments (Easingwood and Koustelos, 2000), is also changing the advertising philosophy (Barwise & Farley, 2005), leading businesses to accept mobile marketing s trategy as a way to their advertising messages broke through the clutters (Zhang and Mao, 2008). Once students complete mobile marketing provides marketers with a real chance to get a high response rate compared with traditional media (e.g. Wood and SONI, 1991). The justification for this is that people within the mobile telephone network marketing as customers, firms, advertising agencies, marketers and brands to interact with each other in the more creative and fashionable way unlike before (Hanley and Becker, 2009). Recent statistics show that mobile marketing budgets, specifically and more than 11 billion by 2011 mobile advertising rising from nearly 1 billion in 2007 (Leek and Christodoulides, 2009; O'Shea, 2007), since both expected to mobile subscribers will surpass 4 billion by 2011 (Higginbotham, 2009). Other research results show that about 22% of businesses using online advertising as a tool to promote the real efforts has to do mobile marketing (Ask, 2006). In the Middle East, especially in Jordan, there are four mobile service providers, and the number of subscribers more than 6 million, slightly more than the population numbers. In percentage terms, the mobile penetration in Jordan 101% compared to the population (The Times Jordan, 2009). In addition, according to the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, the internet penetration in Jordan reached around 30% in 2009 and is expected to more than 50% by 2010 (The Times Jordan, 2009). However, although the market is rapidly maturing mobile in many Western European countries, the infant is still in many Asian countries and the Middle East. In addition, most of the previous studies examining marketing in mobile western context, and little attention are paid to the investigation of this strategy in the Arab world.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Executive and managerial planning for Bosch-Kazakhstan Essay

The founder of the Bosch Group, Robert Bosch , described an important value of the HR philosophy of the company:† It is my intention, apart from the alleviation of all kinds of suffering, to promote the moral, physical and intellectual development of the people† which is greatly integrated into the employee development in the Bosch. Based on the company international executive and managerial planning and country-specific situation, this article will plan and reason the number in a chart for the future eight-year executive and managerial planning in Kazakhstan. An action plan related to the managerial staffing target will be provided. The EMP of the Bosch Group for Kazakhstan, a country with relatively small population and only 4 percent of the population holds a university degree, met four main problems. 1) The labor market for qualified and specialists is very small. 2) The production sites are located in rural places which are hardly attractive to qualified employees. 3) There is growing demand of expatriates for the diesel site. 4) Russian is used in everyday business by most of the people in Kazakhstan. In order to resolve these problems, the human resource manager has to make a plan according to the Bosch employee development scheme. In Bosch, the first typical staffing policy is that the managerial promotion of employees is mainly from within Bosch rather than from outside. For this principal, most of the employees of the manager level in Kazakhstan should be expatriates. Second, the Bosch headquarter constructed a complete and functional promotion procedure for the development of employees called â€Å"manager development plan† (MDP). Employees with outstanding performance in Kazakhstan will be systematically prepared for the next management level. Third, the promotion is directly connected with mobility potential as well as willingness to take on international assignment. This means the work experience in Kazakhstan will be helpful to career advancement. As a result, in spite of the tough work condition in Kazakhstan, these international HR management policies facilitates not only on company business side but also on employees’ development side. Based on the policies and Kazakhstan specific situation, I develop an executive and managerial planning chart for future eight years. Executive and Managerial Planning Kazakhstan This chart is separated into two periods. The first four years from 2007 to 2010 which focus on the input stemming from growing business planning of the diesel division. The second four years from 2011 to 2014 is more stable and more succession planning. So you may see in the chart that staffing needs 2011-2014 are mainly due to replacement rather than further growth. Staffing sources, as a result, are mostly expatriates and local MDP members but not new hire from outside the company. For example, the middle managers 2011-2014 are mainly comprised of expatriates from headquarter or cross-division assignments and the local MDP members who are promoted from lower managers in 2007-2010 and no external hires for middle management because of no growth 2011-2014. Then I will analyze the staffing sources in detail for four main reasons: 1. External hires are mainly from qualified local people who meet the requirement of the lower management level, are familiar with local condition and have language strengths. At the same time, compare with the other sources, they are low cost. However, the qualified and specialists in Kazakhstan is very small, external hires are limited and not as many as expatriates in low management level. In order to solve this problem, we can hire people from Russia, located close to Kazakhstan and share the same business language. I set a few external hires in the middle management level 2007-2010 because there still has a few local talented people who have the same international managerial experience and more familiar with Kazakhstan’s culture and situations. 2. All of junior managers  (JUMP) are set in lower management level. Since the case mentioned that the goal of the program is to recruit junior managers with the potential to assume a middle management position in 6-8 years. They stay in Kazakhstan for about six-month (short-term) to train a common set of worldwide standards, experiences and activities and then go back to Germany. 3. For local MDP members who show an above-average development potential and have already been familiar with both local environment and company cores are more likely to get the position of middle and upper management level than of lower management level. The target of the MDP candidates is to promote into the next management level in no more than four years (long-term). Some of the local MDP members in middle management level 2011-2014 are from those of lower management level 2007-2010. For upper management level, local MDP members are the ideal choices for all aspects such as capability, experience and environment familiarity. 4. Because labor market for qualified and specialists in Kazakhstan is very small and the rural locations hardly attract local employees, more expatriates are needed than other sources in lower management level. For example, it is a good opportunity for associates and supervisors who performed well from headquarter and divisions to gain managerial experience outside. In addition, expatriates show more loyalty to the company which is good for organizational control. Expatriates stay in Kazakhstan at least eighteen-month (middle-term) to meet the demand of technical shortage. However, they are not the best person for upper level because of the language and familiarity concerns. Action plan 1) External hires: qualified employees from local and neighbor states In order to attract local employees as many as possible, the Bosch can offer them higher compensation compared with local companies. Local candidates can also attend training with other expatriates to broaden their vision. In addition, due to the little mobility, local employees are more suitable for long-term work in their home country. Personnel exchange to other country is not necessary. 2) Programs (JUMP): According to talent management policy, the target for junior managers’ work in Kazakhstan is to increase their managerial skills and experience. Six-month rotation arrangement for each batch of JUMP is preferred. In my  plan, about two to three junior managers will be transferred to Kazakhstan semi-annually within future eight years. Training focusing on managerial practice and work under middle managers should be provided for the purpose of worldwide standards. 3) Local MDP members: Most of local MDP members are from Germany who had outstanding performances in headquarter and worked in Kazakhstan for couple of years. They need to stay in Kazakhstan for about four years (long-term) in order to promote into the next management level. Culture awareness programs and language training are necessary before the international assignment. 4) Expatriates: employees and managers from headquarter and divisions A majority of these expatriates are assigned due to technical, process expertise and management experience. For the first four years, part of the personnel needs is due to the fast growth of diesel division. Expatriates have to stay in Kazakhstan for 3 years. For the smooth transition, new expatriates to Kazakhstan should be separated into small batches to match the expatriates’ return and retirement. After assignment’s completion, they will go back to headquarter or their home countries. Culture awareness programs and language training are provided in advance.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Handling the Dilemma over Community vs Institutional Corrections Essay

It is the first day of break and Jimmy wants to have a good time with his friends. Long story short, Jimmy decided to drive home drunk and crashed into another car. The driver of the other car passed away.What kind of punishment should Jimmy receive? It seems fair for him to spend time in prison. Should he see probation after the jail time? How much? This scenario helps introduce the dilemma we have today as a society about institutional vs. community corrections. Punishment for crime has always been an issue for debate. With the growth of the American colonies, the colonists needed a system of punishment for lawbreakers. Many methods developed in Europe meant to bring shame to those offenders were adopted. Around this time, the world saw a change in punishment ideology; some began to stress that humans are not perfect and make mistakes. Thus, there should be more reform as well as punish. In 1682, William Penn made a push for change. He limited the death penalty to cases of murder only and called for fines and imprisonment for most offenses. This is widely considered the beginnings of the prison system in the U.S. He also helped start the creation of jails, like the High Street Jail. The first federal prisons were established in 1891. Before this date, prisons were organized by states and territories. The establishment of parole and probation, or community corrections, began in the 1870s. There has always been and most likely always will be a huge social dilemma on what types and to what extent punishment should be laid out. Both institutional and community corrections have their pros and cons. One thing is for certain, however, that we do need a mixture of both. The current prison system has a number of advantages. Incarceration keeps criminals away from the public theoretically making the public safer. Imprisonment also punishes the convicted criminal by taking away, in a sense, their life at least for a short period. This type of punishment should have the effect of deterring the offender from repeat crimes as well as others from committing crimes. Current prison systems are meant to be rehabilitative. Structure and discipline is provided by the prisons so as to educate and provide therapy for inmates. With the good also comes the bad. Housing a large population of criminals together can lead to networking and an anti-social encouragement to continue crime. Probably the biggest knock on imprisonment is that there is a huge cost associated with housing an inmate. The public and law-abiding citizens essentially pay for the living accommodations of a criminal. The financial toll hits those families directly associated with the criminal. It is harder for a family to get by if an income is removed. If a family ends up needing government aid, the public is again paying for that. It can also be said that prisons lack the necessary resources to properly rehabilitate and to address the issues of how they got to prison. One last disadvantage is that every prisoner is treated the same. A murderer would be treated the same as a thief. This may not necessarily be fair. Community-based corrections, on the other hand, also have a number of advantages. It is usually said that community corrections are practical and less expensive alternatives to imprisonment. Keeping an offender convicted of a minor crime in the community and out of a jail filled with hardened criminals would theoretically do a better job at rehabilitating the person and keep them functioning socially. Community corrections mainly offer the solution to the tendency of inmates to learn anti-social behaviors. Families will largely stay intact. Supervision and restrictions can help the person learn to be a more highly functioning member of society. Training programs and job placement work along these same lines. Community corrections may also have negative outcomes. For one, criminals will still be walking the streets. If an offender is set to live in a halfway house, the community around the house could become undesirable. Nearby residents may feel threatened. Community corrections are not totally free either. Systems like halfway houses do cost money, although the overall cost of community corrections is appealing in comparison to institutional corrections. Many believe that â€Å"prisonization is tantamount to socialization into a criminal culture. Therefore, being in a prison is thought equivalent to being in a school for crime (Tittle, 263).† Research has shown that inmates will often grow loyalty each other and can develop a hostility towards prison officials. The society in a prison is largely based on putting value in things not as valuable otherwise. The overall effect is not one conducive to rehabilitation into society. Some do say, however, that attitudes and behaviors such as this â€Å"become less salient as the time nears for return to the outside (Tittle, 264)† This ins ight can show how many might simply adapt to prison culture and can readjust once freed. Still, the risk of anti-socialization is there. The argument can be made that prisons are not the greatest device for rehabilitation but that community corrections are not currently adequate. A push for improvements is being made. Prohibitive costs of constructing and operating jails make it impossible to get out of this corrections crisis even if the public wants toughness on crime (Rosenthal, 1). Policymakers are making a push towards more effective transition and community supervision. One large problem with this changing corrections climate, is that rehabilitation is being overshadowed by protection of the public and promotion of justice (Rosenthal, 1). One last important point to make about a need for more effective community corrections is that there is an increase in the number of drug and alcohol abusers and prisons are not the best place for these offenders. Innovations have been made in community corrections such as intensive supervision probation/parole (ISP), home confinement with or without electronic monitoring, and residential options in community corrections. It is encouraging to see developments but the system in general is ineffective.†Unlike some countries, we have no national probation service to provide service uniformly across all parts of the country (Burrell, xv).† There are federal, state, county, and even municipal level providers. It is hard to be efficient and effective with such a non-standardized system. A Canadian study showed that â€Å"well-designed and well-implemented correctional treatment programs can produce significant reduction in recidivism (Burrell, xvii).† The overarching factor in the correctional dilemma is that we should attempt to do what is best for society. Justice does need to be served and prisons are a necessary evil, but not always best at rehabilitation. Without proper rehabilitation, we will see repeat offenders. Community corrections offer better opportunities at re-entry but, of course, this is not always feasible or fair. An often overlooked portion of this dilemma is the families. Not only will the criminal be a lost cause if rehabilitation is a failure but often the families may fall into a state of failure as well. A study shows that two thirds of family members of incarcerated persons see substantial financial decline, general health decline, and damage to relationships with children and other family members (Arditti, 199-200). This certainly is not beneficial for society. In my opinion, there is a trend to be seen in this correctional dilemma. This trend appears to be that the main issue is a lack of effectiveness in rehabilitation. It is also very clear that institutional corrections is not usually conducive to widespread rehabilitation. This lends the idea that community corrections and the community in general provide the real hope. We also now know that the community system is fragmented and decentralized and needs improvement. This is not to say that we need to completely stray away from prisons. Surely, that is out of the question. It is a necessary evil. To better society as a whole, community corrections need to be improved. I believe that we should move towards a system where only the most severe of offenders see true hard jail time. Further, a focus and monetary support should be put towards a unified community corrections system that is more apt at rehabilitating offenders. This is no small task. My opinions can be expounded upon as such: For all violent offenders and those committing crimes with wide-ranging effects should see times behind bars without question. Data shows that there are large numbers of non violent offenders behind bars. Being that it is extremely costly to house a prisoner it would be beneficial to attempt to cut down on non violent offenders behind bars. The push would then be to turn to more social and community based ways of punishment. It would seem that this would be more conducive of rehabilitation. This group of offenders having committed non violent crimes may have more hope of becoming productive members of society once again. There is a certain level of toleration to be had. We must understand that there will always be criminals and some will never be fixed. Further, any system will never work perfectly. In my opinion, though, it seems there needs to a slight shift in momentum towards community corrections for economic, societal, and rehabilitative reasons. Works Cited Arditti, Joyce A., Jennifer Lambert-Shute, and Karen Joest. â€Å"Saturday Morning at the Jail: Implications of Incarceration for Families and Children.† Family Relations 52.3 (2003): 195-204. JSTOR. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. This scholarly article was originally published in the journal, Family Relations. This article is meant to explore the implications of criminal sanction policies on the families of felony offenders. More specifically, the article focused on the social, health, and economic characteristics of parents and children to these offenders under incarceration. I found the article to be interesting and thorough overall, but much of it was more than what I needed for the purposes of this paper. Still, I found the article to be helpful in my research and proved to be useful for anecdotes. As such, this source was used mainly for supplemental information. Burrell, William D. â€Å"Community Corrections Management.† Civic Research Institute (n.d.): n. pag. JSTOR. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. This article is part of the Civic Research Institute. The article is intent on discussing the Community-Based Corrections System in general. The author takes the point of view that it is a decentralized and fragmented system. The article further discusses probation and parole along with developments in these areas. Finally, it explores the future of the system. I found the article to be helpful to my understanding of the community corrections system and to see where it might be heading. I used this article mainly for informational purposes and general understanding. Inciardi, James A. Criminal Justice. 8th ed. Orlando: Academic, 1984. Print. This source is the textbook for our Introduction to Criminal Justice course. It is meant to provide an overview of the structure, processes, and problems of the criminal justice system in the United States. The book provides lots of basic and some in depth information and accompanying support, data, and analysis. I find the book to be helpful and capable ox offering explanations easy to comprehend. I have used this book mainly as a guide and a source for general information on the topic and not for more in depth purposes. Rosenthal, C. S. â€Å"Opportunities in Community Corrections.† National Criminal Justice Reference Service. National Council on Crime and Delinquency, 1989. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. . This article published in the National Criminal Justice Reference Service is focused on why there would be community based corrections, what they are, how effective they have been, and what is the future looking like. Similar to another article I have cited, this scholarly journal article does a good job of painting the big picture of community corrections. I particularly liked how this article was thorough in starting off with the basics and going into developments and then finally int o some analysis. This proved to be a helpful article in the formation of my opinion. Tittle, Charles R. â€Å"Institutional Living and Rehabilitation.† Journal of Health & Social Behavior 13 (1972): 263-73. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. This source is an article published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior on the topic of Institutional Corrections. The author of this article seeks to provide information and research on the extent to which incarceration is or can be rehabilitative. He finds and explains three characteristics thought to have anti-rehabilitative consequences. I found this journal article to be helpful at providing a detailed analysis of institutional corrections, both the presumed advantages and disadvantages. I used this mainly for more in depth conclusion drawing.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Battle of Marathon Essay

In 490 B.C.E. the Battle of Marathon was a brief but important event in the war between the Greek city-states and The Persian Empire. The results of the battle had unforeseen effects on Athens and the future of Western Civilization. The Greek ‘Golden Age’, centred in Athens, brought about new forms of art, the foundations of future philosophy and redirected literature and drama. The achievements of the Athenians during this period were directly connected to the inspiration and prestige (which later translated into power) fuelled by the events at Marathon. How the events of a single day changed the entire course of Western Civilization is hard to fathom but obvious when one looks at the aftermath of that fateful event. The revolts of a few Greek cities of Ionia were what initially sparked the Persians interest in Athens, Attica and the Peloponnese. When Athens sent a small fleet in support of the Ionian rebels they immediately gave Persia a new target for further expansion. The failure of the revolts and the ruin of Sardis and Miletus shocked the Greek world. The Persians now thought, â€Å"if Miletus had been the glory of subject Greece, Athens was the golden gate to free Hellas. A bauble, perhaps, beside the treasures of the empire, but a tempting one.† Now not only did the Persian king Darius want revenge against the Athenians he wanted the entire Greek world to be integrated into the Persian Empire. In 490 BCE Darius finally advanced towards Greece. After the capture of Eretria, confident of their success, the Persians sailed on to Attica; and under the advice of Hippas* landed at the bay of Marathon, 26 km north east of Athens. When the Athenians received news of the Persians landing, they sent a runner (Philippides) to Sparta asking for support. They knew support would not get to them before the Persians decided to move so the Athenians then made â€Å"one of the most fateful decisions ever taken by a democratic government in ancient Greece. It was to advance and engage the Persians at their point of invasion, rather that to sit tight and try to hold the city.† . This decision was a radical one for a few reasons: the Athenians were highly outnumbered and historically, according to the historian Herodotus, the Greeks had never stood their ground against a Persian attack. Every major battle during the six years of the Ionian revolt demonstrated that the  Greeks preferred to defend their cities rather that fight out in the open. For these reasons the Persians were justifiably optimistic about their ability to defeat the Greeks. Upon the Athenian arrival at their base camp, away from the bay, they were joined by troops from the Athenian ally Plataia (about one thousand). There were 10,000 men in the Athenian army; a general represented each 1000. The ten generals of the army debated over a course of action, either to stay and meet the Persians as they advance or to attack them and try to take them by surprise. Miltiades* overcame the deadlock by appealing to the Polemarch Kallimachos who had an equal vote on the board of generals and convinced him to attack. Miltiades waited until the day of his prytaneia*, the day which he had supreme control over the entire army, to attack the Persians at their base camp. The Persians were taken by surprise and being unprepared, retreated back to their ships. While the Persians fled to their ships a point when only a narrow passage of beach separated the sea from a marsh was passed, it was here that around six thousand men from both sides were killed, the overwhelming number were Persians. Herodotus reported the casualties of the Greeks amounted to 192 Athenians, and an unrecorded number of Plataeans and slaves, the Persians lost 6400 men in total. The Greeks pursued in an attempt to capture the Persians ships but all but seven escaped. The Persians changed their course of action and sailed around to attack the now undefended city of Athens from the sea. The Athenian army was force to march the 26 km back to Athens in haste to defend the city. They reached the city and the Persian fleet seeing the defenders had returned, did not land but turned and headed back to Asia. The victory at Marathon and the successful defence of the city, gave the Athenians a sense of moral superiority and pride. In later battles of the Persian War, at Thermopylai and Salamis, the highly regarded Spartans and those of the Peloponnese were largely in control of strategic moves. Although still a major force in every battle, Athens and her allies were outnumbered and thus followed Spartan command. After the second occupation of Athens after the battle of Salamis, the Athenians gave Sparta an ultimatum due to a lack of Spartan support. â€Å"If the Peloponnesians wanted  Athens’ navy, they must save Athens’ land.† Because the Athenians had more damage to recover from it brought stronger confidence and overall pride for them once the city got back on its feet. The Spartans, Corinthians and other Peloponnesian allies now had reason to fear Athens growing naval power and its capabilities now that the city was repaired and invigorated with a renewed sense of pride. This is the point that we see the beginnings of a shift in the balance of power and influence between the city-states. When the Ionian states adopted the Athenians as leaders, as opposed to the Spartans who had been pre-eminent for a long time, the rise of the Athenian influence began to show. For the purpose of protecting all Greeks from a further Persian attack, a league was formed, of which Athens was now the leader. The league included all Aegean states in the interest of their common welfare, and was called The Delian League. At first it was as a leader that Athens lead the allies, who sent members to a general congress, in discussions of further campaigns against the Persians. But that would all change when other city-states adopted the Athenian form of government, democracy, either by force or voluntarily. Inevitably Athens became the leader of what was now an Athenian Empire. When Athens imposed their â€Å"superior† form of government onto other city-states it was no longer a league of self-governing city-states but a league ruled by one. The league, which was formed for the purpose of protection, now became the means for Athens to spread democracy. The Athenian Empire gave Athens a feeling of superiority; it felt that she had the superior form of government, superior ideals, culture and economic practices; that sense of superiority all traced back to the victory at Marathon. â€Å"Suppose, then, that we had never done anything but fight at Marathon – in point of fact we have done much besides: more than any other people of Greece – but just suppose; then Marathon alone would be enough to qualify us not only for the privilege we are claiming but for others too; for in that fight we stood alone against Persia – we dared a mighty enterprise and came out alive – we defended forty-six nations. Do we not, for this act alone, deserve the place of honour†¦Ã¢â‚¬  From the Athenian Empire and its attitude came many great things that had an unquestionable effect on the future of western civilization. Pericles, a famous name in Athenian politics, is a direct result of the Athenian Empire and all its ideals and attitudes. Pericles took advantage of Athens position of power and used money from the Delian League to fund the construction of major pieces of architecture in the city. Without Pericles there would be no Parthenon or Propylea, and Athens might now have gained the prestige it had during its Golden Age. Athens golden age was a direct result of the wealth and prestige of empire; without it Athens may not have reached the point where it became the educational and cultural centre of the Greek world. From this centre came great thinkers and playwrights; western civilization gained philosophy, Greek drama and literature, science and democracy. The Battle of Marathon, although only a single event, had an unquestionable impact on western civilization. Marathon allowed Athens to raise itself to a position of prestige and importance in the Greek world. The Athenians were given the opportunity to become culturally, politically and economically the centre of the Greek world because of the result of the battle of Marathon. Without the Athenians daring strategic move western civilization as we know it today would not be the same.