Applying To University: The Five Point Plan

​ Should you decide it's something you want to do, the process of applying to university is a very long, challenging, rewarding but ultimately worthwhile process. In your first year of sixth form, you may begin the process of thinking about what you want to do with your life, and where you want to go to study (should you decide that is what you want). You may even have a strong idea of what you want to do with your career; this can only further inform your decision. Should you decide it's something you want to do, the process of applying to university is a very long, challenging, rewarding but ultimately worthwhile process. In your first year of sixth form, you may begin the process of thinking about what you want to do, and where you want to go. You may even have a strong idea of what you want to do with your career; this can only further inform your decision. From planning and starting your application, to (hopefully) starting your freshers' week, there will be a lot of thinking, a lot of writing, a lot of fretting and a lot of dreaming. Check out our step by step guide with some handy web links to get you through the process; we start with the process of shopping for a course and campus that suits you and take you all the way through to your first week of university (assuming all goes to plan) The Five Steps Step One: Choosing a University Step Two: Applications Interviews Step Three - Making a decision Step Four - After the exams Step Five - Planning for university Step One: Choosing a University The process of choosing a university can be a massive, daunting task when you first think about it. After all, you don't yet know what your grades are going to be, and you may not have any idea what course you want to do. Choosing a university will also depend on your personality - do you think you will be more comfortable at a campus university, where you are more likely to feel like part of a smaller community, or a city university, where you are in more of the position to blend in to a wider culture.University: what I wish I knew at the start Help! I don't know which university to pick How to make the most of university open days Step Two: Applications InterviewsOnce you have made your decision, it's of course time to get started on your UCAS application. It's a fairly long and involved process that can take up a lot of your time and concentration. The most important thing to remember is that you are going to need to provide potential admissions tutors with a compelling and truthful application which shows why you want to study the course you have chosen. This means that the personal statement section of your application needs to be written and then re-written. And then re-written again. Writing a personal statement 10 odd university interview questions and why admissions tutors ask them Interview questions to look out for 10 steps to better express yourself in writing The worst UCAS mistakes you can makeStep Three - Making a decisionOnce you have sent your applications off, all you can do is wait. This can be the most nerve-wracking part, as you wait for that letter to drop through the post. As the replies roll in, you will become better placed to make an informed decision. Here is the first opportunity for re-evaluation. You may have had a complete change of heart between first application and the point at which the first replies arrive. You may get several offers and be spoilt for choice. You may get no offers at all, at which point it's time to turn the first disappointment into opportunity, and decide what you're going to do next. How to decide between offers What to do if you've changed your mind What to do when you get no offersStep Four - After the examsSo it's Results Day, and you're holding that piece of paper with those much-anticipated grades printed on them. Here's the point where you are either on your way to the university of your dreams, or once again having to do some serious thinking. If you haven't got the grades you needed, don't worry, it's not the end of the world. It can often feel as though A-levels will define your entire life. They won't. You can always take some time, reconsider and then re-apply.What to do on A-level results day 5 steps to surviving clearing What if I just miss my grades? 9 reasons why A-level results day shouldn't terrify you Step Five - Planning for universityLet's say everything's gone to plan, and now you're off to university. The final step (or first depending on your point of view) is to start to make plans for what you're going to do when you're there. This ranges from sorting out your accommodation, opening a student bank account and buying any books or textbooks you will need before you start the course. You may even be thinking about how you are going to make friends, and whether you will fit in.Top tips for surviving your first term Choosing your student bank account ​How to make friends at college or university Is your first year of university really that important?

Biography of Mary Leakey

Biography of Mary Leakey Mary Leakey was a very important Anthropologist. She was born February 6, 1913 in London, England. Since her father painted, her family moved from town to town on many occasions. She grew up in places such as England, France and Italy. At age eleven, when she lived in Dorgogne, she became interested in prehistory after meeting Abbe Lemozi. Mary's life was very good until 1926 when her father died and she was shipped off to a Catholic convent school. She was expelled many times from the school. Mary later went on to receive a degree in prehistory. She was very determined and usually attended lectures on prehistory at the University of London.Her first career opportunity happened when her artistic abilities were discovered by Dr. Thompson. She asked Mary to illustrate her book, The Desert Fayoum. Then, Dr. Thompson invited Mary to meet Louis Leakey while he was speaking at the Royal Anthropologist Institute.Olduvai Gorge, February 2006He was very impressed by her drawings and asked her to illustrate a book of his, Adam's Ancestors. Louis then left his wife and two children for Tanzania in 1934. Mary and Louis married Christmas Eve 1936. Mary then started to work on excavating Hyrax Hill. She then moved onto the Naivasha Railway Rock. However, she took a break when her first son was born in 1940. Then she took another break in 1943 to give birth to their daughter who died three months later. Again, in 1944 another child was born, Richard Leakey. Another son was also born later in 1949.In 1948, Mary made an exciting discovery. She found the skull and jaw of an apelike creature called Proconsul Africanus. It is dated at 18 million-years-old. Most of the 1950's were interrupted by political problems in Kenya. Although, in 1959, Mary discovered the Australopithecus...

International and Members of the International Court Essay

International and Members of the International Court - Essay Example The provision for the law is such that any culpable individual cannot escape the wrath. It is therefore still better if the US wants to take the initiative of subjecting the suspects to a trial. The sentiment of the Saudi government through their minister for defence can be lawfully interpreted as giving the suspects a feeling that either they are not responsible for the alleged crimes or that in the event that they are, then the US government has moral and legal authority to adjudicate on the matter. There may be no established structures within the US and Saudi government which clearly indicates the channel that should be pursued in such a case, and that it entirely depends on the goodwill of the Saudi government to surrender the suspect which in this case are their citizens to be tried in a foreign land. The prosecution in pursuit of the American system become appreciated on grounds that they are the complainant, just on this fact, they have the moral authority to try the suspects using their jury. On the other hand, the Saudi government may be right as giving another country a leeway to try citizens of your country is an act of surrendering sovereignty to foreigners. In the light of sovereignty, the Saudi government are legally in order to avert possible extradition of her citizens for a trial through a system they cast sufficient doubt in. the fact is even accentuated by the fact that no legal extradition arrangement exists between the two countries. In the event of extradition, it is legally proper that there should be a formal and effective arrangement that provides for a course of action in the event that such is necessary (Stanbrook, Ivor, and Clive 97).

Bait-ul-Maal. Creation, Functions and Resources of Bait-ul-Maal Essay

Bait-ul-Maal. Creation, Functions and Resources of Bait-ul-Maal - Essay Example The Islamic financial system is among the most autonomous and righteous systems in our society. The Holy Qur'an states this truth in Surah al-Hashr [59:7], "In order that it may not (merely) make a circuit between the wealthy among you." For that reason, the Islamic society focuses on the required circulation of wealth among all citizens and not just those who are affluent, as this may carets humiliation to the Muslim society and raise social class culture (Tamer, p. 102, 2005). Definition of Bait-ul-Maal Bait-ul-Maal is an Arabic expression, which means ‘House of wealth’ or ‘House of money’ (Ayub, pp. 23-25, 2008). Traditionally, it was a financial institution in charge for the management of taxes in Islamic nations, mainly during the early Islamic Caliphate. It provided as a noble reserve for the Caliphs and Sultans, controlling personal finances as well as government expenses. Additionally, it managed circulations of Zakat revenues for community efforts. Contemporary Islamic economists believe the institutional structure suitable for modern Islamic nations (USA International Business Publications, p. 187, 2009). Creation of Bait-ul-Maal The Muslims began establishing Bayt al-Mal from the time of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). He (PBUH) is accustomed to choose the administrators as well as the commanders for the different areas. Each commander was in charge for gathering Zakah, Jizyah in addition to the fifths of the booty and Kharaj. Every now and then, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) inured to employ somebody in charge just for the financial dealings to gather the owing cash for the State together with, Kharaj, Jizyah, Tenths (Zakat on lands, assets and the fruits) and donations and give them to Bait-ul-Maal (Ayub, pp. 31-37, 2008). The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did the same with Mu`adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) when he sent him to Yemen to gather the funds of Zakat from its representatives and with `U baydah ibn al-Jarrah (may Allah be pleased with him) (Kettell, pp. 56-60, 2010) when he sent him to al-Bahrain to gather the Jizyah. The beginning of Bayt al-Mal from the time of Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) reign is an obvious proof on the accuracy of the Islamic financial structures since this early time. As a result, it is usual that Bayt al-Mal extends in accordance with the different ages (USA International Business Publications, p. 76, 2009). Functions of Bait-ul-Maal The authority of Bait-ul-Maal consists of the wealth due for Muslims as a group not possessed by one of them and the wealth used for the gain of Muslims. For that reason, Bait-ul-Maal is among the key establishments of the Islamic society as it is the single power entitled to paying money on the different Muslim benefit. It has the influence of a Ministry of Finance and a Central Bank during the present days (Tamer, p. 76, 2005).   Divisions in other Countries of Bait-ul-Maal During the reign of the Umayyad Caliphate, finances get better. The sum of money was very big without doubt, as it came from just one Muslim state, that is Egypt, let alone other finances that made their way to the Bayt al-Mal from other Islamic states (Kettell, pp. 56-60, 2010). There is no uncertainty that such enormous sum of funds accentuated the significance of the Bait-ul-Maal during the period of the Umayyads, and consequently the prominence of this caliphate. It is obvious from the report of Ibn `Abdul-Hakam that there was a middle management for the Bait-ul-Maal in the Islamic caliphate's centre of Damascus as well as sub-managements in every state independently. The

Research Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 3

Research Methods - Essay Example Opposite relationships hold for net asset positions, which are denominated in an FC. As a result of the cash flow impact of transaction exposures and the requirements of Financial Accounting Standards Board Statement no. 52, Foreign Currency Translation, to include foreign exchange transaction gains and losses in the determination of net income, most companies are hedging these exposures. In fact, a 1986 FASB research report, Foreign Exchange Risk Management under Statement 52, revealed that 84% of 162 company treasurers engaged in foreign trade regularly or selectively hedge foreign transaction exposures. The research of the problem of the foreign currency risk is important because the globalization of the world economy and the devaluation of the U.S. dollar have allowed more American companies to enter the export/import markets. Additionally, many managers who previously avoided these markets are finding that international transactions can make their companies more competitive in marketing products and procuring parts and/materials. As new companies are exposed to foreign exchange risk, managers will necessarily be concerned with the development of an effective hedging program. While the task of managing financial risks generally falls to the CFO or treasurer, it is often others in the accounting department who are asked to evaluate the bottom line impact of these risks. The proposed research paper will introduce several of the most widely practiced hedging policies and strategies that will add a new knowledge to the field of foreign exchange currency trading risk and management thr ough the research within a number of multinational companies that face the risk. Besides providing a real organizational case, the research focuses on the modern risk management strategies that include applying foreign exchange derivatives. Employing the sample of firms for the

The concept of national identity

The concept of national identity In recent years, due to the expansion of modernism and modernisation on a global scale, there have been developments at cultural and structural levels, resulting in a change in national identity and making the study of nationalism and national identity an important topic in social science. These studies are often concerned with the complex and contradictory nature of cultural identities and the role of communications media in the development and reconfiguration of those identities. This essay will attempt to define the terms nation and national identity and discuss how far these concepts relate directly to geographical location and/or political boundaries. It will look at the relationship between the media and national identity and explore its extensiveness and what it means for the concept of national identity itself. Additionally, the issue of whether national identities are real or perceived will be addressed as well as whether the concept, or indeed, the experience of national identity is a media-dependent phenomenon. Other issues that will be discusses include the elements that may contribute to an individuals sense of national identity and what an absence of (national) media would mean for the concept of national identity and the sense of belonging to a particular nation. Many scholars would agree that the concepts of nation, nationality and nationalism have all proved difficult to define and analyse. Anderson (1991) notes that while nationalism has had significant influence on the modern world, plausible theory about it is conspicuously meagre (p.54). Seton-Watson (1997) concludes that while no scientific definition of the nation can be devised, the phenomenon has existed and exists (p.5). Even Nairn (1975) remarks that the theory of nationalism represents Marxisms great historical failure. But even this confession is somewhat misleading, in so far as it can be taken to imply the regrettable outcome of a long, self-conscious search for theoretical clarity (p. 3). Although there is little consensus regarding the forces responsible for its manifestation, most theorists on nationalism believe it to be an essentially modern phenomenon, appearing in the late eighteenth century in Europe and North America. Three theorists stand out in the genealogical debate over nationalism. Hobsbawm (1990) defined nationalism as the popular realisation of political rights in a sovereign state. A populace linked itself to a limited national territory and was embodied through a centralised government, an event he believed first occurred during the French Revolution. If nationalism was a modern invention, so were nations: the nation-state was the result, rather than the origin, of a nationalist discourse (Hobsbawm, 1990, p.28). Gellner (1983) adopted an economically reductionist approach, deeming nationalism a necessary function of industrialisation. He argued that because industry required skilled labour, a common vernacular, and high rates of literacy, the need developed for a national high culture promoted by a state run educational system. Simultaneously, the old agrarian order faded away and societal anonymity replaced provincial distinctness, facilitating the creation of a homogeneous national cul ture. Like Hobsbawm, Gellner sought to dispel teleological notions of the nation as eternal and reiterated that national was a modern invention, created in response to the needs of a new economic system, even it represented itself as a natural, historical phenomenon. The theory of the nation as invention was taken further by Anderson (1983), who saw nationalism as a process of imagining communities. Nation-states are imagined because members of even the smallest nation will never know most of their fellow-members, or even hear of them, yet in the minds of each live the image of their communion (Anderson, 1983, p.15). He argued that the decline of universal religious paradigms and the rise in print capitalism allowed for this cultural construction to flourish in eighteenth century. The mass consumption of newspapers and novels enforced a common vernacular, linked a populace to urban centres, and encouraged common participation in a shared imagined culture. Anderson (1983) implied that the reformation of the printing press did more to encourage nationalism than did the advent of industrialisation. Despite their differences, all three of these prominent theoreticians identified nationalism, and by association the nation-state, as a phenomenon of the last few centuries. It has therefore been suggested that time, is not the most useful tool for categorising nationalism or national identity. While nationalism is dependent on a variety of historical factors, it has been noted that national identity cannot be labelled as embryonic nationalism because not all national identities function within nations. Estel (2002) describes national identity as a special case of collective identity: This does not mean an objective, i.e. systemic, connection built by human beings, but its interpretation by the members of that collective hence it must be socially shared, the binding knowledge being the key factor. National identity then means a socially shared and binding knowledge in the form of an officially prevailing conception of itself in a certain nation being imparted through certain institutions (p.108). As many have asserted to, the concept of national identity is complex, and its intensity, character and origins vary with time and place. Smith (1991) argues that identity operates on two levels, the individual and the collective which are often confused in discussions of ethnic and national identity. Collective identities are composed of individual members they are not reducible to an aggregate of individuals sharing a particular cultural trait. Similarly, from a description of the elements one cannot read off the probable actions and dispositions of individual members, only the kinds of contexts and constraints within which they operate (p.130). He adds that the broadest subtype of collective cultural identities is the ethnie or ethnic community. Connor (1993) agrees: If we look at todays countries, many of them seem to build their perceived internal similarity on a premise of shared ethnicity. A subconscious belief in the groups separate origin and evolution is an important ingredient of national psychology. This belief in the groups separate origin and evolution is the basis of ethnic identity, and ethnic identity seems to constitute the core of nations (p.377). Ethnic communities are characterised by a perception of similarity among members, stemming from a perception of kinship (a blood relationship), and a simultaneous perception of difference from other ethnic communities (Eriksen, 1993, p.12). They have a common collective name, a collective historical memory, common cultural traits, a homeland, a myth of common descent, and a strong sense of internal solidarity. This element of fictive kinship, which is at the heart of ethnic affiliation, is also at the heart of feelings of nationhood (Smith, 1991, pp. 21-22). As Connor (1993) suggests, it is not what is but what people perceive as is which determines the extent of national feeling. The nation-as-a-family metaphor is not a rational feeling, but rather an emotive one; it is a bond beyond reason appealing not to the brain but to the blood (Connor, 1993, p.384). Das and Harindranath (2006) suggests that even in the absence of an ethnically homogenous population, nations rely on the idea o f an over arching ethnic bond to emphasise the difference from non-members and to join all members into a national community (p.11). National identity, to whatever degree it exists, is constituted by the interlacing forces of history and collective choice (Parekh, 1994). It is a dynamic structure of affiliation, with strong foundations in the past but susceptible to change in the future. Nations base their claim to statehood on assumptions of a shared cultural heritage, which are in turn most often based on assumptions of shared ethnicity. The latter assumption has less to do with a reality of common ethnicity than with a myth of common ethnicity which is cast over multi-ethnic communities to turn them into politicised national communities (Das and Harindranath, 2006, p.12). Most modern nation states are multi-ethic, making it difficult to define one unified conception of national identity among all members. Throughout the early modern period, the character and intensity of national identity varied widely from place to place. The idea of the unity of a nation-state could come either from its cultural or political unity. Sixteenth and seventeenth century Europe was the location of the formation of nation states. In England, France, Spain and Sweden, the dominant ethnic community incorporated outlaying regions and ethnicities into a dominant ethnic culture through the use of bureaucratic, centralised state machinery. Employing fiscal, judicial, military and administrative processes it welded together often disparate populations into a single ethnic community based on the cultural heritage of the dominant core (Smith, 1991, p.68). This is what Smith (1991) identifies the dominant ethnie model which is present in countries like Burma where the dominant Burmese ethnic community has heavily influenced the formation and the nature of the state of Burma (now known as Myanmar), rather than the Ka ren, Shan or Mon ethnic groups. Other cultures continue to flourish but the identity of the emerging political community is shaped by the historic culture of its dominant ethnie. The construction of the nation here becomes a process of reconstructing the ethnic core and integrating the culture with the requirements of the modern state and with the aspirations of minority communities. Non-dominant cultures are then relegated to the position of minority cultures (Smith, 1991, pp.110-111). Smith (1991) also notes that there are some multi-ethnic states where discrepancy in inter-ethnic power is marginal enough to allow for a state along the lines of the supra-ethnic model, where the emphasis is on political rather cultural unity (p. 112). However, Das and Harindranath (2006) states the success of this model is debatable as representative examples are few and far between (p.13). Such cases might include the Nigerian case, where the attempt to build a supra-ethnic state resulted in the concentration of power in the hands of three major ethic groups (out of the existing 250 groups) rather than any one. As Connor (1993, p.375) argues, a people who are politically and culturally pre-eminent in a state (even though other groups are present in significant numbers) tend to equate the entire country with their own ethnic homeland, and to perceive the state as an extension of their particular ethnic group. Oommen (1990) suggests that once a multi-ethnic or poly-ethnic state emer ges it becomes a reality-in-itself. The coexistence and interaction between the different nations or ethnic groups produce certain emergent properties which give a new meaning and a collective self-identification to the constituent units (p.35). This collective self-identification of a people with a nation-state according to Das and Harindranath (2006) is their national identity. Tying a nation together is a deep network of common institutions: a military, a common economy, a common legal system, a common administrative infrastructure, and a variety of shared institutions transport, communications, public utilities and banks among others. At a more visible level are the overt makers of national identity, the political symbols that set one nation-state apart from others: a name, flag, national emblem, national language, common currency (p. 16). These are invented traditions which soon acquire the feel of antiquity but are in fact usually of recent origin (Hobsbawn and Ranger, 1983). The formation of such identification involves dimensions of unity and permanence (Melucci, in Schlesinger, 1991, p.154). The latter suggests that the nation has to be seen as persisting through time, well into the past and future; it has to be seen as beyond time (Connor, 1993, p.382). Such an imagining of the nation as beyond time, according to Das and Harindranath (2006) takes national identity partly into the realm of non-rational, making it an emotional identification rather than an intellectual one. The issue of creating certain uniformity within nation-states and the process of nation-building then comes to the forefront and most nations look to the media to play its part in the construct of a national culture and a national community. Why the media? Das and Harindranath (2006) explains that considering how much of our knowledge of the world comes from mediated communication, either through people or through the mass media, this is likely to be a primary source of influence on our structures of identification since we cannot accomplish very abstract levels of identification (as with a nation-state) by exclusive reliance on our own direct lived experience or face to face communication of others (p.18). Media have typically been institutional products of nations and, as such, play a fundamental role in their maintenance (Anderson, 1983, pp. 24-25). In most countries national broadcasting in the early forms (especially before its commercialisation, when it could not afford the str atification of its audience), has made possible the transformations of individual activities (dramas, performances, etc) into fictions of collective national life for millions of individuals who may never interact with one another. It is a fact that nation-states must have a measure of common culture and civic ideology, a set of common understandings and aspirations, sentiments and ideas that bind the population together in their homeland. The major agencies through which this socialisation is carried out are the mass education system and the mass media (Smith, 1991, p.11). Das and Harindranath (2006) notes: National identity has been an underlying theme in communications research since the 1950s, when new technologies were linking the world with their ever-increasing reach into diverse global populations. At that time, these technologies were held up as a panacea for the ills of underdevelopment researchers such as Schramm and Lerner eagerly endorsed the view that judicious deployment of Western media products in the Third World would help bring to them the benefits of western progress and development (p.18). Sreberny (2008) points out, this idea and model of development was criticised for equating development with the West. The media/cultural imperialism theory, which gained impetus from such criticism, argues that the excessive flow of media products from West to East of from North to South leads to the erosion of national cultures in the non-Western world, resulting eventually in a homogenised world in the image of the west. Melucci (1989) disagreed with this theory as well: To simply be aware of something is not to identify with it; identification comes from the making of an emotional investment, an investment which enables a group of people to recognise themselves in each other, and to feel a similarity with other members of a group. In addition to being aware of the existence of nation-states therefore, I must also be aware that there are many of them, that the one I live in is different from the others, and that I belong to a particular one because of my similarity with others of that nation-state. I can then be said to possess a national identity. My identity is therefore not just Indian but equally not French, not Thai (p.17). Today, national media are participating in the two processes of national identity building. Firstly, as tellers of national myths, (especially in times of crises, rapid social change or external threat), as engravers of national symbols upon the nations memory, and presenters of national rituals (elections, celebrations, etc), they work in the direction of emphasising the similarities among the group members. For media producers, the prominence of national identity in the media content is encouraged by the knowledge that they are constructing news for a national audience with which they share national membership (Entman, 1991; Rivenburgh, 1999). Secondly, as a primary domain of the public sphere, the media produce and reinforce the relational opposition of us and the others. One of the areas of media content to which such nationalist discourse today is very high, is news and especially the coverage of foreign affairs. Comparative international news research shows the significant role of the media in perpetuating a world view that consistently favours the home nation perspective on world affairs (Rivenburgh, 1999). Discrepant perceptions of world affairs largely emanate from different cultural and political values held by groups with different national identities enhanced by national media coverage (Rivenburgh, 1991, p.1). The media play a significant role in collapsing the experience of distance by creating a global simultaneity, rendering events across the world into nightly news broadcast into our living rooms. Media coverage of crisis events may not only affect public opinion but may increasingly provide policy makers with vital information to determine lines of foreign policy and diplomatic initiatives (Sreberny, 2008). Additionally, At the start of the 21st century, more and more people lived in mediatised societies where our understanding of local, national and international political, economic and cultural issues is framed by and through the media and other cultural industries. While we need to be wary of collapsing cultural issues into technological developments, it is nonetheless true that the global spread of media has raised a host of new questions about our identities, about our relations with others and about our understanding of the world (Sreberny, 2008, p.10). One prominent pattern that emerges in the images of nationhood is the definition of national and anti-national by the media, the normal and abnormal, the good and the bad. Such delineation is important especially in nation states characterised by diversity (Das and Harindranath, 2006, p.19). Scannell and Cardiff (1991) illustrate such a definition in the British case showing how the BBC treated British music as essentially synonymous with English music while the music of Scotland, Wales and Ireland was marginalised. This case clearly illustrated how the media contribute to the articulation of the identity of the dominant ethnic group in a multi-ethnic nation-state. New forms of communications and media such as the internet have made it possible for those individuals living outside of their respective nations to still maintain a sense of national identity. The internet can be a very important vehicle for the transmission of ideas concerning a national identity, particularly for those people who have lost or left their homeland. The internet provides a special type of community with a very strong common feeling national communities without a nation. People scattered all over the world regardless of they are from still have succeeded in maintaining a national identity without a nation state. While this used to take place in physical places, the internet and other forms of new media offers different possibilities for these communities, for they can now organise worldwide, reach new members and communicate with these members more often. The websites visited and used by these communities form more than a virtual nation. Their aim is to construct a true nation and it is done by presenting users with sites that are as complete and historic as possible as all varieties of news and information can be found on the internet. The mass media thus engender a we-feeling, a feeling of family, among the community, providing continual opportunities for identification with the na tion. The media enable entire populations to participate in the everyday life of a country-wide community, uniting individual members of the national family into a shared political and cultural rubric (Chaney, 1998, p. 249). It is equally important to note that agencies of socialisation such as the media can also be harnessed to divisive purposes which might have the consequence of impeding the construction of a national identity or of undermining the force of one or more elements of the symbolic repertoire of nationalistic ideology (Das and Harindranath, 2006, p.19). In some cases, nationalist views and provocative views have provoked some of the worlds worst massacres. One such example is when RTLM (the Hutu radio/television station in Rwanda) played an inciting and aggravating role in the massacre of the Tutsis by repeatedly broadcasting messages in which Tutsis were slandered and ridiculed and depicted as despicable. On another continent, media in former Yugoslavia have played a significant role in creating an environment of ethnic hate and xenophobia that contributed towards the pre-conditions for savage ethnic wars. While these may be extreme cases, the simple fact of establishing the homogenising tendency of national media is not an adequate base from which to conclude that audiences are homogenised and that advocacy does not always med acceptance. In cases where the national image promoted by the media is not accepted it does meet with resistance from sections of the populations. While some resistance is severe as in the cases of Rwanda and Yugoslavia other populations use organised forms of resistance where the groups in a nation state who are not part of mainstream culture find peaceful ways of asserting their own identities. One such example is the Ernabella Video and Television (EVTV) project in Australia. It was established by leaders of the Ernabella aboriginal community in 1983 as a video project intended to record the local culture, which was fading away with the decline of their previously nomadic lifestyle. It was also a reaction to outside media which local leaders saw as a negative influence on their community. EVTV developed into a television channel by which aboriginals recorded and rediscovered their culture, and it simultaneously enabled them to construct a pan-aboriginal identity among the dispersed aboriginal populations of Australia. It was the discovery and assertion of ethnic aboriginal identity which they actively used to reduce the pote ntial homogenisation influence of mainstream Australian culture depicted on national television (Batty, 1993). Another form of resistance is through readings where the argument here is that media audiences interact with media texts in extremely complex ways. Studies have uncovered significant differences in the way audiences from different backgrounds produce diverse readings of an episode of a soap opera, suggesting that social identities affect interpretation of media messages (Ang, 1990). Media texts can therefore no longer be thought of as binding each member of the audience evenly into a particular interpretation; the meaning of the text, rather, is open to negotiation between the text and the viewer. Differences in interpretation are not, however, the result of a failure of communication, but are rather the results of differences in the lived experiences and mental words of audiences. Where cultural realities are different, there is a likelihood of different interpretations (Jensen, 1987, p.31). In conclusion, although the established literature lacks firm evidence of individual level media effects it nevertheless suggests with some confidence that there is a strong, positive tie between media consumption and individual level national belonging. Drawing largely on historical and textual analysis methods, the claim has been established that the media have been foundational over the past three centuries in the shaping, distribution and institutionalisation of identities. The classic texts on nationalism repeatedly argue that the media have played a key role in nation building and that the idea of a one-culture-for-all does not work and attempts at enculturation of diverse people into a mainstream culture are inevitably resisted through social movements at the peripheries of the mainstream (Das and Harindranath, 2006, p.21). Martin- Barbero (1993) further suggests that communication is a field in which these battles over identity are fought out. The media is therefore the site where states explore routes to uniformity within their nations and are simultaneously the site which assists non-mainstream groups to explore and announce their distinctiveness.

Impact of Society in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman Essay

Impact of Society in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman      Ã‚  Ã‚   Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman examines outside influences on the individual.   These influences include society as a whole, the family as a societal unit and beliefs which the individual thinks he should espouse. In order to understand Willy Loman and the struggles with which he is dealing, the society in which he exists must first be understood.   He is relying upon a slightly different set of values and motivations than everyone else seems to be, and this sets him apart.   A prime example of the rest of society is Willy’s brother, Ben. In sociological terms, Ben is a classic representative of the old, 19th century middle class, while Willy represents the new, dependent, salaried, pathetically other-directed middle class.   Ben’s character is clearly inner-directed†¦ While Willy stresses the importance of personality, of being ‘well-liked’ and acceptable to the world, of pleasing others, while insisting on proper form, dress, manner, and style, Ben ignores all of this.   (Martin 56) Willy is looking to the rest of society for guidance, to see how he needs to act in order to be successful by their terms.   Yet he cannot fully let go of the belief that his way of trying to â€Å"please all of the people all of the time† is right. Society is made up of people like Ben who are focused on getting ahead.   It is an industrial society which is quickly expanding; people have to move quickly to stay on top.   They do not have time for the old ways anymore.   Willy has been working for many years, but he has not been able to keep up.   Ultimately, this is why he is let go from his job.   His boss, Howard explains it to him. Howard: I don’t want you to represent us.   I’ve ... ...4) While there is some disagreement as to what the effect of Willy’s actions ultimately will be on Biff after the curtain goes down, it is clear that Willy’s behavior destroyed the family unit as the Loman’s knew it and destroyed Willy as well.   The play does, however, end with the focus on the remaining member of the Loman family.   They are still a societal unit, and they must continue to live in the material modern world as best they can. Works Cited Baym, Franklin, Gottesman, Holland, et al., eds.   The Norton Anthology of American Literature.   4th ed.   New York: Norton, 1994. Costello, Donald P. â€Å"Arthur Miller’s Circles of Responsibility: A View From a Bridgeand Beyond.† Modern Drama. 36 (1993): 443-453. Martin, Robert A., ed. Arthur Miller.   Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1982. ---.   Eight Plays.   New York:   Nelson Doubleday, 1981.

How bad leadership affects organization Essay

Jean Lipman-Blumen defined bad leadership as, â€Å"A toxic leader is one who engages in numerous destructive behaviors and who exhibits certain dysfunctional personal characteristics that inflict some degree of serious harm on either individuals or the organization. † (Bad Leadership: Antecedents and Prescriptions) Where there is a bad leadership present in the organization and workplace, this could lead to harmful consequences. For example, accidents, loss of productivity, cost ineffectiveness, low quality of product, communication gab, employees’ absences, industrial sabotage, etc. However, reasons for poor leadership could take place from a number of reasons such as leaders who possess poor leadership skills. And this could affect employees, co-workers and not surprisingly, leaders as well. In addition to this, leaders with insufficient skills may be worried with their own problems and may slow down any business activity within an individuality or group. A research study has revealed the fact that inadequate leadership skill significantly affects on other coworkers and inexperience member of the organizations. Because of poor leadership skills of a leader, an organization may suffer from pessimistic work views, lack of vision towards the company’s future goal, shortage of qualities to motivate workers, lack of social skills, and lack of inspiration. Obviously, leaders are paid to solve problems and not just to hold them. Thus, leaders are paid to provide good leadership which results in the achievement of a company’s goals. Kevin Dwyer, Poor Leadership; Poor Results 2006, said that, â€Å"Leaders must take it upon themselves to make â€Å"it† happen. Shuffling off responsibility for action to committees, subordinates, government departments and forever bemoaning the lack of action is not good enough. Leaders are in the position of being able to both diagnose the ailment and treat the ailment of an organization. If they won’t do it, who will? † (Dwyer, n. d. ) Communication is considered the life blood of every organization. Hence, lack of communication leads to negative outputs. Besides this, a leader who possesses poor communication and social skills can be harmful for a company. Because of poor leadership, communication often fails and this leads to several work mistakes and unwanted business expenses. For successful business operations, it is important that leaders should be equipped with great communication skills which can be applied in the organization in order to achieve a company’s desired objectives. In other words, Robert Hogan, Gordon Curphey, and Joyce Hogan wrote in American Psychologist that â€Å"abusive and incompetent management create billions of dollars of lost productivity each year. † (Stanford Business Magazine May 2006). More than 290 professionals were taken into consideration in a survey conducted in the period from 2004 to 2005. This survey revealed what seemed to be a murky spot among best planners and their own management & leadership skills. It is a fact that planners spend most of their work time in planning and summarizing things for future. In the study, they found that in most of the cases, poor leadership dumps a company’s overall planning. Or sometimes even worse, poor leadership hinders planners for producing new ways of problem solving. In addition, Business Corporations seldom get success where leaders do not know how to solve a particular problem. According to one survey, â€Å"if an organization pays an average leader $80,000 a year, that leader should bring back at least that amount of value to the organization; otherwise, the person could be considered a losing investment. Ideally, leaders return more than what they are paid, thus producing profit. Past studies have shown that there is about a 40 percent deviation in performance for a given role. So, an average leader might be worth $80,000, a great leader worth $112,000 (+ 40%), and a poor leader worth $48,000 (- 40%)†. (Cost of Poor Leadership Calculator) Psychologically speaking, workers and employees who perceive their leaders abusive, experience psychological distress, boredom, increased work conflicts, lower levels of commitment towards the company’s goals and objectives, depression, lower production outputs, low levels of job satisfaction, decreased individual working capabilities, and so forth. And consequently, in the presence of these above mentioned findings among employees, it seems very difficult to achieve organizational goals in a timely manner. According to another study conducted in the UK about retail banks, the average high street bank could increase sales by ? 65 million per year by improving employee satisfaction by just 10 per cent and almost half of the 44,000 people surveyed said that poor leadership was adversely affecting their organization’s performance. Steve Young, Project Director at ISR said that, â€Å"Leadership is an area that is really letting organizations down when it comes to employee commitment, while a quarter of employees blamed either a bad working climate or low work enablers, a half blamed poor leadership. † (Poor leadership pushes down banking profits) In poor leadership, employees’ morale declines and they feel less committed towards the company and its mission. In this dilemma situation, projects are completed slowly and hastily. In addition, when employees’ morale is down, they experience boredom. Some Suggestions for Good Leadership In order to run the organization in an effective and competitive way, management makes an outline about the leadership strategies. Moreover, they should not also watch poor leadership but also eradicate the roots of poor leadership. In this regard, the following are some points that can be used by any management to improve a leader’s qualities. 1) Quietly undermine the leader 2) link with others to confront the leader 3) link with others to overthrow the leader 4) Avoid entrapment by friends and family members 5) bound the term of leadership 6) enhance the selection process 7) Create good exit options for leaders 8) Hold directors in charge make them act 9) make a system of checks and balances 10) Protect whistle blowers. Despite all these facts, a poor leader should evaluate him or her and determine his weakness and pitfalls in each and every respect of the leadership. And following are guidelines for it 1) know your power and how to use it 2) welcome the worth of leaders and cherish the assistance they make 3) recognize the seductiveness and drawback of the power of leaders 4) Study bad leadership to learn from the mistakes of bad leaders. Conclusion As I discussed above and gave several examples about good and bad leadership, it makes very clear that a company’s success and failure depends upon the fact that how leaders can lead a team to achieve an organization’s motives. Historically speaking, leaders have a significant effect on the overall business and group performance of an organization. Besides this, good leaders can apply their superior leadership skills to make things better and to turn organizational goals in the right direction. On the contrary, bad leadership affects a company’s performance negatively in terms of production, employees’ morale, ethics, communication and many other things. So, it is the responsibility of the management and the director to keep a check on the leader’s role in the organization for the sake of that organization’s success. Hence, a good leader makes a significant difference in the successful operation of any organization regardless of the scope of that organization. However, we must not forget that superior leadership is not just confined to the business sector. Effective leaders are also necessary for the peace of the whole world in every sense. References A good leader offers reality check, thank yous – The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area: http://www. bizjournals. com/triad/stories/2004/04/26/smallb3. html Accessed, April 9, 2007. Bad Leadership: Antecedents and Prescriptions http://72. 14. 253. 104/search? q=cache:nBXXeIOGawEJ:www. koreagsis. ac. kr/bbs/pds/Bad%2520Leadership%2520Colloquium_1. ppt+bad+leadership+effects+organisation&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=20&gl=pk Accessed, April 9, 2007 Cost of Poor Leadership Calculator http://www. ddiworld. com/imex/greatleadervalue. asp Dana Hinders, (Published June 21 2005) Michael Useem’s Leading Up: Upward Leadership In Action How To Lead Your Boss So Your Both Win Journal Article Dwyer Kevin , Journal article Poor Leadership; Poor Results. Emcc – Transforming organisations – the importance of leadership and culture in managing change http://eurofound. europa. eu/emcc/content/source/eu04006a. html? p1=reports&p2=null Accessed, April 9, 2007 Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert I Sutton, (2000), journal article, The Half-Truth of Leadership. Stanford Business Magazine May 2006 http://www. gsb. stanford. edu/news/bmag/sbsm0605/feature_leadership. html Accessed, April 9, 2007 McLean Cari, October 18, 2005, journal article, strategic leadership: A superior state of mind. Tsun-yan Hsieh and Sara Yik, Journal article, Leadership as the Starting Point of Strategy Poor leadership pushes down banking profits http://www. management-issues. com/2006/8/24/research/poor-leadership-pushes-down-banking-profits. asp Accessed, April 9, 2007 What is Leadership? http://72. 14. 253. 104/search? q=cache:q_XTVWqb68QJ:www. med. umich. edu/csp/Course%2520materials/Fall%25202005/Thorson_What%2520is%2520Leadership. ppt+definition:+leadership&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=6&gl=pk. Accessed, April 9, 2007.

The Train Essay Example

The Train Essay Example The Train Essay The Train Essay The blistering cold numbed my eyes as I stumbled through the biting snow, dragging a dull, faded suitcase overloaded with necessities behind me, leaving a train in the deadly, ice snow. All abroad! a man in a bright red suit, a funny red hat and an equally crimson nose called, his voice straining to be heard over the howling wind. I struggled up to him and handed over my ticket, which was faded from sweat, tears and the bitter snow. Then man, whom I safely assumed was the train conductor, glanced briefly at the ticket, then smiled at me slightly. Terrible morning isnt it? he commented. I did not reply. In for a long ride, I see! he added when he saw my ticket. I gave no response as I checked my heavy bag. He beamed wider as he said, Welcome aboard the Windows Express, maam! I tried to smile back, but my scarf was bundled around my nose and my mouth, so I nodded instead. Thank you. My voice was barely audible over the gusty breeze as I stepped off the platform and boarded the tra in. The front compartment was crowded, packed like sardines. I squeezed past the numerous bodies to get to the next train ar, which was where I was to be seated. Even though the warmth there was comforting, I hoped it was not too stuffy in my car. I finally broke free from the crowd, swinging the car door open and entering a considerably cooler car. I removed my scarf from my face. My skin was raw with cold, but I barely felt it. I glanced around. This car was deserted, the seats along its aisle empty. I checked the number of compartment I had been assigned then opened the door to it. There was a small bunk bed in the corner, with a little closed off area I guessed was the bunk. I lanced out the single window, but there was nothing to be seen through the fog and slat than plummeted so hard against the glass it felt like hail. Feeling slightly claustrophobic in the narrow compartment, I briskly threw off my jacket and exited, walking back into the aisle. I noticed a door at the back of the car and decided to check it out. I made my way down the aisle and slid the door open. It led into the next car. This one did not have seats, but little booths lined up neatly along either side. There was a bellboy near the back, tending to a little refreshment stand. His eyes were bored, even as he attempted to reet me pleasantly. Hello, maam, welcome to the lounge. Would you like anything? Some pie, perhaps, or a cup of coffee? Uninterested, I declined politely, just as another door caught my eye. Without thinking, I flung it open. There was nothing in the room except a door with a window fixed into it, and a shiny red handle. This is where youll be disembarking, the bellboy informed me. That theres the emergency brake, he added, pointing at the handle. Youre perfectly welcome to pull that at any time. Taken aback, I spluttered on my Coke. What? I wouldnt. Thats ridiculous. Then how will I get to where I am going? I demanded incredulously. The bellboy shrugged. Sometimes you cant rely on trains to get you to where you want to go. I stared openly at him. Quickly dismissing him as crazy, I turned away and hastily returned to my compartment. Once safely inside, I lay on my bed, thinking to myself about my destination, a place I had never been and a face I had not seen for so many years it hurt to think about it. Flashbacks began to attack my once- peaceful mind, invading my would be calm pondering. At four years old, my hands pressed tightly over my ears, rying in vain to block out the sounds of heated arguments over nothing. Seven years old, an empty bottle crashing over my head as I tried to escape the debris of broken plates. Thirteen years, bruises covering my face, blood on my hands, a broken ankle, pain enveloping my body. Sixteen, my broken ribs causing me to shake as I slammed the front door behind me and limped as fast as I could into the night, my mother screaming for me to come home and my fathers threats chasing after me I jerked awake, nearly falling out of bed. My head felt heavy, and my eyes groggy, as if I had not slept or days. Sluggishly, I checked my watch, which still hung from my wrist. My eyes snapped wide open as they read the time, then relaxed again. My watch had stopped at around the same time I boarded that train. I got up, feeling tired, and felt my stomach growl. I stood up, stretched, brushed my hair and hurridly with my fingers and left my compartment. I was about to go to the lounge to eat when I noticed another girl sitting on a seat in the aisle, next to the window. She was clothed very thinly for the morbid weather, and her long locks of auburn hair poured over her shoulders. I approached her slowly. Hello, I said, and she jumped in surprised. Sorry for startling you, but do you have the time? She looked up at me, and I saw a thin ragged face that would have been pretty if not for the exhaustion consuming it, and the melancholy sadness in her eyes. Oh hello, its quite alright. Let me check. She lifted her mobile phone from her pocket, glanced at it, then shook her head apologetically. Strange. It seems to have died. I couldve sworn I charged it yesterday. I thanked her anyway, and asked her where she was going. She looked even weary when I questioned her. Im going to see my long-distance partner for four years, she said, in an almost rehearsed answer. I think he may propose to me, but I doubt Im ready for such a change. She drifted off, her voice trailing away, then came to her senses and asked me where I was headed. Im going to see my father. I havent seen him for nearly a decade, I said quietly. I cant say Im looking forward to it. She agreed with me, and we made small talk for awhile longer before I excused myself and when to the lounge. The bellboy was not there anymore, and I breathed an inward sigh of relief. The batty guy had freaked me out. I saw someone sitting down in one of the lounge booths. Hidden behind stacks of paperwork and a newspaper sat a middle aged man in an impressive suit and tie, muttering to himself in what looked like disgust. I walked over to him. Hi, sorry to bother you, but do you know what time it is? He glanced up and stopped grumbling. Hmm? Oh, yes. he shot a look at his fancy wristwatch. Well, what is this? My watch isnt working! He began to mumble again. I found it strange that nobody knew the time, so I stole a glimpse of the watch, and sure enough it ceased to ick. That’s a shame, I said good-naturedly, and asked him what he was doing. Its for a case I have, he replied. I must have looked puzzled, because he elaborated. Im a lawyer, you see, and Im about to defend the biggest drug cartels of all time- then again, I probably shouldn’t have told you that. I was about to leave him in peace when he continued on. In my defense, my client is one of my oldest friends. I owe him my life and hes gotten me out tons of scraps. I really have no choice. I began to feel a little uncomfortable, and averted my gaze to rest on the window. To my surprise, evening was over-the sun was rising on another day! Had I missed my stop? I was supposed to be off the train by dusk, yet here was dawn, a new day beginning right before my eyes! Panicking, I ran back to my car and asked the girl still sitting on he seat, What time did you get on? Which state are you going to? Bewildered, she told me the details of her travel. I calculated in my head. But what would only take you a few hours! You should have arrived by now, I said, unable to keep my voice from getting louder. She seemed indifferent. Maybe we made a few stops along the way. I wasnt awake the whole time, you know. But I had it all figured out. The pieces of the puzzle were coming together, forming an unbelievable picture in my head. I ran back into the lounge, and flung open the door at the back of it, where the emergency brake ws. The lady came racing after me, asking where I was going. Look, it’s the emergency brake. If we pull it, well be able to get out of here! I exclaimed. She looked at me the same way I had looked at the bellboy- as if one of us had gone bonkers. What? Are you crazy? Why? Its ridiculous. Then how will I ever get to where Im going? I smiled at the distinct resemblance her words had to mine. Reaching over, I grasped the red handle in my right hand and pulled as hard as I could. The train screeched against the metal of the tracks. I pushed against the exit door, and it opened easily. I leaped off the train. The ground was icy and cold beneath my feet, and the cold wind cut my uncovered face like a knife. I became aware that I did not even have my jacket with me as the cold began to envelope my very being. What are you doing? Youll freeze to death! the girl cried next to me. You dont even have your suitcase with you. I vaguely recalled my stuffed baggage, filled with things I suddenly realized were of no importance to me. And just like that, suddenly, I felt free. Free of all my emotional baggage, free of everything that weigh me down, free of guilt, pain and sorrow. A sense of warmth, a beautiful feeling, filled up my body, and I no longer felt the chill. I turned ba ck to the train, smiling for the first time in years. Why don’t you come with me? I asked the girl. She shook her head, eyes wide. And then the train door slammed shut, and began to move again. Free of doubt, I turned from the sight of the train slowly resending out of sight until it vanished, and began to trudge through the snow, in the direction of my destination. Sometimes we are weighed down by the pain, grief and guilt. We go through life day by day, merely existing, not living, and time stands still. Those days we live, so burdened by emotions, are meaningless and pas by without notice of purpose. If we could just let go of it all, forget our troubles for a few seconds, and look around us, perhaps we would see the beauty we are meant to see, and the wonder we would feel if we only let go.

I heard that it started when a bloke called Archie Duke shot an ostrich because he was hungry. Essays

I heard that it started when a bloke called Archie Duke shot an ostrich because he was hungry. Essays I heard that it started when a bloke called Archie Duke shot an ostrich because he was hungry. Paper I heard that it started when a bloke called Archie Duke shot an ostrich because he was hungry. Paper There are few historical debates that have aroused such controversy as that of the causes and origins of World War One. There is an abundance of sources, both reliable and not so, and the blame for the war has been thrown around and indeed at everybody involved. Unlike the Second World War, where Germany is generally accepted as being to blame, WW1 is steeped in disagreement even to this day. Unfortunately for the historian, the blame for the war simply depends on who you ask. Britain, Germany, France, Russia, even capitalism itself have strong arguments against them. A problem one faces when investigating the crisis is that each argument does have its strong points, and, if approached unwarily, each could be accepted as the main cause of the war.Perhaps it is not surprising, then, that Baldrick should become a little confused as to the state of affairs. It accepted that at the time of the war, many Tommies and indeed civilians were unclear as to the reasons for conflict. The obvious point Baldrick is referring to is the assassination of Franz Ferdinand in June of 1914. This short term cause was accepted by many at the time to be the main cause of the war, but I believe this is only because of the events proximity to war itself, and media hype (the British popular press becoming prominent in the late eighteen hundreds).I do not question the fact that the death of Ferdinand contributed to the start of the war, but I believe that war would have broken out if the assassination had not taken place. It was, we must remember, the state of international affairs which made Ferdinands death so significant in the first place. For example, the Black Hand, the organisation to which Gavro Princip, Ferdinands killer belonged, had been formed to aid the creation of a Greater Serbia. I think that this is evidence that international diplomacy, although perhaps not so dramatic (and accessible to the masses), played the key role in the start of war.I think that, as has been refle cted in the media coverage of war in Iraq, peoples ideas of the causes and justification of war are largely influenced by the popular press. As is the same now, different newspapers had different opinions on the war. The most prominent papers, such as The Daily Mail, promoted the idea of the evil hun, skewering babies on bayonets and suchlike, and the idea was generally accepted by the British public. I think it is the presss influence which is largely responsible for the public perception of war, but with the extremely useful tool known as hindsight, we can see the whole picture.Marxist historians state Imperial rivalry and capitalism as the underlying causes of war. I agree with the idea that Imperialism significantly contributed to the war. The fact that there was a fairly hefty rivalry between nations is clear from their aggressive actions overseas, with the major powers such as Britain and Germany scrabbling to obtain and retain significant areas around the globe. The Marxist t heory, however, goes on to say that the acquisition of new territory led capitalists to look for new markets abroad, which in turn encouraged governments to obtain more and more land, adding to the tensions between states.They claim that this ultimately led to war. I disagree with this theory, one, because the hostilities in Africa and Asia never truly threatened international war, and two, because I think that business heads at the time were keen to encourage amiable relations between states, with trading between nations truly coming into is own at this time. Fritz Fischer, a prominent German historian, claimed that all of the nations international diplomacy was ruled by domestic policy. I disagree with this statement. If we look at the political circumstances of the nations at the time, I think it is clear that the general public were not adequately empowered to influence diplomacy. For example, Germany, who had more voters than any other country, parliament had no actual power ov er the government. This meant that although public opinion was probably taken into consideration, it is unlikely that her actions were actually dictated by the masses.It is my opinion that the First World War was not caused by a single event. It may be fair to say that Ferdinands assassination sparked the war, but I find it incredulous to think that this one spark was the actual cause of a world war. I think that the reasons for war are numerous and interlinked; a patchwork quilt if you will of diplomacy and economy. The treaties and agreements at the time the Franco-Russian alliance of 1892 (although it was not made public until 1918), the triple entente, the German-Habsburg alliance of 1879, and the various trade treaties at the time all set the stage for war. So was war inevitable?I believe so, although I think that the circumstances of war could have been very different. I think that the rise of Germany itself thanks to Bismarck, and the amazing acceleration of production there , was bound to lead to competition with another state. The theory of Social Darwinism; that if you are not growing you are dying (originally invented by English philosopher Herbert Spencer), could be argued to be illustrated by the actions of Germany and Britain during the naval arms race. Their expansion, both militarily and territorially, I think is fair to say was only down to competition with each other; Britain had been a clear leader in Europe, and had no real need to expand other than to prevent a rival close to home.There is an idea that if Britain had made its stance clear during the July crisis in 1914 (we must remember that the triple entente was only an informal agreement, rather than a binding alliance), then Germany would not have gone to war with France. I think that this is plausible, as Germany would certainly have been reluctant to fight such a close rival, but I retain the belief that war would have taken place, if not that month, perhaps not in 1914, but at some point in the near future.So how close was Baldrick to the truth? It could be argued that he is right in saying the war started when Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, but I think it would be wrong to say it started because of his death. The tangled web of alliances in Europe at the time ensured that if one country went down, they all went down. Because of this I believe that if Princip had not shot Ferdinand and his wife, there would have been another incident to act as a catalyst to war.

Child Obesity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Child Obesity - Essay Example Child obesity has become an epidemic extending past the United States’ borders into many other countries, particularly those with developed economies. The condition is usually caused by consuming foods rich in fats and calories, lack of exercise, genetic susceptibility, and few instances of genetic factors, medications, or illnesses. The proposed solutions for reducing childhood obesity discussed in this research paper are dieting and physical exercises. Dieting, or good nutrition, involves not only eating the recommended number of servings from all food groups, but also parents teaching children about healthy foods and ensuring the children practice what they are taught. By taking in a balanced diet, children will limit consumption of foods that contain high amounts of fats and hence reduce the likelihood of being obese. Physical exercises will result into burning of calories and hence reduce the amounts of excess fats stored in the body. If unchecked, the number of overweigh t children and adults will increase tremendously in the world. Consequently, many children growing into adulthood will be exposed to risks of developing hypertension, respiratory ailments, orthopedic problems, depression and type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and accounts for more than 80% of all cases of diabetes in the US (Mokdad et al. 78). Its cause is mainly attributed to obesity. If childhood obesity is not adequately, many children and adolescents worldwide will suffer from obesity-related complications. Overweight children have a 70 percent chance of becoming overweight or obese as they grow into adolescent and eventually adults. This value rises to 80 percent if either one or both parents are overweight or obese. Obesity in middle or old age increases the risks of diabetes, hypertension, and general poor health, hence, it is important that it is addressed at infantile or juvenile level. Solutions to Child Obesity One of the most effective w ays of reducing obesity among all age groups is physical activities and healthy eating. By engaging in physical exercise, children will be able to eliminate excess fats in the body as they are burned through the process producing energy. Researchers have found a large correlation between physical inactivity and obesity among children. Besides, children who are physically inactive have a high likelihood of being inactive as adults, implying that persons who suffer from obesity as children may continue to be obese even as adults. Failure to engage in physical exercise leaves unused carbohydrates in the body which is subsequently converted to fats and stored in the body. The excess fats accumulate in the body and eventually lead to obesity. Children fail to exercise due to a number of reasons. Most of them spend their free time watching television, playing video games or using computers. While these activities may improve cognitive abilities of the children, they also result into non-a ctivity resulting into accumulation of fats in the body and consequently leading to obesity. Children must be encouraged to partake in physical activity at an early age to reduce their chances of being obese. On the other hand, through healthy eating, a child is able to balance the intake of various minerals in the body. Basically, healthy

Week 5 Discussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week 5 Discussion - Assignment Example Changes can be made to the physical appearance of the product to appeal to the customers. Product’s design and styling are changed in order to make it more attractive. Packaging of the products in a new and innovative way also contributes in extending the lifecycle of the product (Pride and Ferrel). New innovations can be added to the product to meet the increased expectation of the customers. New and improved features will make the product more attractive and assists in ensuring that the product remains or goes back to the growth stage. Pricing is also another effective tool that can be used by the marketers. The product can be priced lower than the earlier prices to increase the sale. Even though this will reduce the profit margins but will increase the life cycle of the product. Increasing the promotional spend on the product will help to reach wider audience and lead to extending the life cycle (Pride and Ferrel). An example of this is Apple’s iPhone 4S. iPhone 4S is an extension of iPhone 4 with added features. Even though the design of the 2 are very similar, iPhone 4S has come with better features to attract the customers. iPhone 4S was released when the customers were expecting an entirely new product – iPhone 5. But iPhone 4S came out as a extended and better version of iPhone