Bilbo Baggins in “The Hobbit” Essay

Firstly, it is necessary to outline that Bilbo Baggins is the protagonist and title character of â€Å"The Hobbit†. He is the most important figure in the novel, because his emotions, feelings and actions shape the plot of the story. Bilbo’s appearance is rather original and even funny as he is only half the size of a man. In the beginning of the novel Bilbo appears to be comfortable and complacent like most hobbits. For example, he likes drink, food and security as well as he has his snug little hole at Bag End, Underhill. However, starting from the chapter 5, when Gandalf â€Å"enlists Bilbo’s help in Thorin’s quest for the treasure under the mountain†, Bilbo gradually changes, develops and transforms from a cautious homebody to a confident and brave hero. With novel progression, Baggins displays inner cunning, strength and, certainly, he becomes the dominant force which holds the group of hapless dwarves together. Bilbo gains their respect, because he saves them from the goblins by shouting for Gandalf and then he helps them to defeat the spider and wood elves in Mirkwood. He is respected for finding the way into the mountain and leading dwarfs to the desired treasure. Furthermore, Bilbo discovers the weak spot of Smaug and tries to thwart Thorin’s greed. Simply saying, Bilbo wants to bring peace to the feuding dwarves, elves, and humans. Chapter 8 is the turning point in hero’s development, because Bilbo kills the spider and feels like â€Å"a different person†. Further, despite dwarfs’ stubbornness and inability to make proper decisions, Bilbo develops his newfound qualities of initiative, courage, and heroism. It is necessary to underline that when other participants of the journey become corrupted with greediness, Baggins tries to maintain common sense and courage. Throughout the novel, Bilbo discovers new capabilities unknown to him earlier. Moreover, he doesn’t become arrogant and follows his principles and values. Bilbo learns how to thrive and how to draw strength from the simple source trying to stay true to himself all along. References Tolkien, J. , Gardner, P. (ed. ) & Phllips, B. (ed. ). (2002). The Hobbit. New York, NY: Spark Pub.

Education and Humanity Promotion Essay

I have been thinking of the ideas which I would choose to make the world a better place to live. One would be to get rid of racism; without racism, the world would certainly be the better place. Donation basic essentials, volunteering time to share concerns and encouraging embrace toward people with disadvantage backgrounds are other ways to build a better world. The last but not least is ending wars. Besides wasting money and human power wars destroyed cultural and moral values in the most drastic ways. Being treated fairly and respectfully no matter of race, age, religion and disabilities is one of the most ideal wish for every one of us. These are always the ideal wishes from of all of us, that we carry deep in our hearts, and have been wishing them to become true since the beginning of time. In fact, those ideas seem to be part of human nature, but wars, on the other hand also seem to be part of human nature. Many solutions were suggested, but it seemed very little of them would be applied in the reality. Perhaps the idea called â€Å"Humanity Education† could get to the root of the problems; and that would be One Thing I Would Strongly Wish to Implement to Make the World a Better Place. Recently, I listened to a speaker at an event sponsored by the National Society of Leadership and Success program. The presenter was Blake Mycoskie, who established the TOMS shoes brand. He shared with the audience about how his current business was started and how it is doing. At first no one could imagine how simple his goals were. Back in 2006, he and his commission group visited Argentina trying to help poor people, especially kids to go to school. The image of kids going to school with bare feet or with worn out shoes immediately changed his views about the real lives out there. Then, to accomplish his mission to help people, he went back to America and started his non-profit business that is TOMS (Tomorrow) now, Shoes for Tomorrow. The goal of TOMS over time is still â€Å"You buy a pair today, we give a pair away tomorrow,† and his speech that night blew the audience’s minds with his way of making a better world. How a much better this world could be if we had mo re TOMS!

Industrial Revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Industrial Revolution - Essay Example The success of the whole process depended on the ability to access products and services readily and the reduction of time wastage because of increased accessibility (Kiely, 2003, p. 56). Increased product and service visibility is directly linked with improve livelihoods because it reduces the amount of time and allow citizens to solve issues faster than before the revolution. Actually, industrial revolution simplified the living condition and improved the status of American citizens. As the focus changed from subsistence production to commercial production, several changes occurred and affected the citizens positively. The increase in competition led to drive to change the production methods and need for expansion due to increasing demand. Therefore, industrialization led to change in transportation and technology (Kiely, 2003, p. 57). New production systems were invented in order to reduce cost of production and increase the number of units produced. Consequently, the infrastructure was upgraded in order to improve connection between suppliers and consumers. The change was effective because it improved the citizen’s access to cities and essential products and services. The development of highways, canals, and turnpikes improved connection in the society which affected the society positively. Industrial revolution led to increased job creation within the society thereby increasing per capita earning of the country. The development of factories as a result of increased competition and revolution was in tandem with the demand for labor. The demand for labor created an opportunity for American citizens to get employment in the companies (Kiely, 2003, p. 89). The demand for labour attracted immigrants which led to more immigrants crossing the border in search for jobs. The entry of immigrants changed the countries perspective and led to the development of new approaches in the society including integration of different cultures and production systems. The immigrants shaped the landscape of the country by improving the understanding of the rights of the citizens and outsiders. In fact, the immigration led to awareness on human rights infringement and the need to develop the bill of rights. Therefore, it led to improved societal awareness. Challenges of the industrial revolutio n Despite the positives associated with the industrial revolution, it also brought several challenges as a result of change in population and production. One main issue highlighted by environmentalist is environmental damage as a result of the increased damage. During the industrialization era, few rules existed that protected the environment. In fact, there was no guidance in relation to environmental protection. As a result, companies polluted the environment seriously. The most affected sector was air because of the use of coal, wood and fossil fuel in the production process (Kiely,

My Future Leisure and Sustainability of Northern California Ocean and Term Paper

My Future Leisure and Sustainability of Northern California Ocean and River - Term Paper Example Passive leisure does not involve the use of extreme energy while active leisure needs a person to utilize full mental and physical energy. Examples of passive leisure can be going to the cinema and watching television. Examples of active leisure can be swimming, fishing and dancing (Joffre, 1960). The North California Ocean and rivers provide a good environment for leisure activities such as swimming and fishing. The leisure activities are important for several reasons that will be discussed in the paper for people of north California. From my own experience, there is a surety of leisure engagement to reduce among the people of North California in the future. This is so because life is expensive. The cost of spending on very important things like food, clothes and leisure is very high. Most of the people concentrate on making money to meet there basic needs only. For students who are working and living alone, it is worse. There is no time for leisure because one requires having two jobs to meet there daily needs and wants. As an individual's rate in leisure engagement reduces, the more stressed they become. Leisure gives people a sense of freedom. Neulinger 1974 came up with two psychological functions of leisure. The main one was perceived freedom where he asserts that leisure depends on freedom from any internal or external constraints. The fact that an individual has the capability to choose what he or she is to do, the time and place gives them intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is the second psycholog ical concept where there is no payment after one engages in the leisure activity. The moment one engages in an activity and at the end of the day they are being paid for it, then there is extrinsic motivation. At the same time it can lead to intrinsic motivation. The leisure activities are a great motivation for individuals because of self actualization that everyone needs to build there self esteem (Neulinger, 1974). In addition, Mihaly 1996 contributes to the benefits of engaging in leisure by using the theory of flow. The flow theory states that an individual has full involvement in and activity they engage in that is, there is full mental focus to the activity and the individuals feel energized by the focus. The flow contains a lot of variables: setting clear goals, high rates of focus and concentration, loosing self-consciousness, lose sense of time, feedback should be direct and immediate, level and challenge ability should be balanced, feeling of personal control over an activity, intrinsic reward of the activity and complete immersion in the activity. He went on to suggest the activities one can engage in to ensure that there is extrinsic benefit but other theorists have come up with those that lead to intrinsic benefits or motivation. The activities that lead to extrinsic motivation can be music, design, education and different sports. Intrinsic motivation involves the feeling of improvem ent, spirituality, self help and performance (Mihaly, 1996). The second reason for the diminishing rates of leisure engagement can be due to the pollution of the ocean and rivers especially the Sacramento River. Fishing and swimming are the major recreational activities that the people of North California engage in. this is due to the abundance of the rivers and the ocean. The ocean and the rivers are dirty. For fear of contracting infections due to the dirty water, people rarely

Work of Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Work of Art - Essay Example Next what the viewer sees is the man struggling under water to release his hands from the rope tied around, a life and death struggle in which he finally succeeds, and then daring the firing squad that pours bullets at him from above, he swims to the shore safely. The entire sequence is fraught with breath-stopping tension as at one moment, the man seems to be going to die and the next moment, he is again seen to be surviving some how in this race against death. The moment in which the man arrives at the shore of the river, totally exhausted and breathless, yet living and happy to be alive, he sees a small wild flower just near to where he was lying half-conscious. And he is in divine ecstasy seeing that beautiful manifestation of life, especially because the same life a moment before was slipping away from him. Thus the flower becomes a metaphor of his own survival and hope. The film next depicts the firing squad once again closing in on him and he running for life like a amad man. The hunter and the hunted become engaged in a intense saga of killer instinct and survival instinct. Then the film shows the viewer a gate which opens before the running man, and for a moment, it seems that his trial by fire is over and he has safely arrived at his house. The visuals of a woman and a child happily welcoming him reinforces this impression. He is seen running towards them in relief and immense joy. But, suddenly, something invisible seems to be pulling him back at one stroke and the next shot that the viewer sees is the man hanging on the bridge. It is only at this moment that the viewer realizes that the rope-breaking and escape sequence that he/she saw earlier was unreal and was just a last thought, vision or wishful thinking of the man being hanged. There was no escape possible and he died. The film ends here. While watching the film, I have been finding it difficult to even breath as the struggle of the

Firestone in liberia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Firestone in liberia - Research Paper Example Although such practices are quite apparent in Firestone, there is a conflict on whether the company alone should take full accountability for such inhumane act, or other organizations, such as the government, is also responsible. When one hears the word Liberia, freedom from servitude will automatically plays to mind. Liberia, as Pailey pointed out, is the â€Å"land of exile for repatriated American slaves ... a proverbial refuge from dehumanising, deplorable conditions of chattel slavery in United States† (77). It is in this place that the dark-skinned Americans are given the privilege to move in the community with less regard for social class. They are given the autonomy to cultivate the land, a choice that had been denied from them for generations, all because their looks and skin color are much different from the Caucasian groups they had served. Due to the lushness of their homeland, particular foreign investors took interest in one of the in-demand product in the market--rubber. This is where the Firestone had taken severe advantage. During the early 1990’s, Firestone struck up a deal with Liberia’s government, which had given them the right to a vast quantity of land for an annua l compensation of US$60,000 (Pailey 77). The deal had been reasonable for the government’s side, since they lack the resources to fully cultivate the land on the international level--giving more work opportunity for the Liberian citizens. Despite the promise of greater glory, Firestone did not go off in a rapid pace, as predicted. Several crises had been encountered by the company, resulting to a few dilemmas on revenue delays and loan problems. In the later part, problems seemed to have piled up, leading to military outbreak and involvement in civil war (Lee and Lee 123-125). The warring political parties in Liberia not only managed to destroy the colony, in the process, it also ruined the

Operation Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 17000 words

Operation Management - Assignment Example gy, Infrastructure, Globalization: 35 Chapter 3: Existing Problems and Weaknesses of Operations Management in the Company: 36 Part 1: Reduced Earnings in the Recent Years: 36 Part 2: Independent Franchise Dealers Being Weaknesses: 38 Part 3: Weaknesses of Operations Management Leadership Program: 39 Part 4: Problems with Plant Applications Production Management: 40 Chapter 4: Need for Re-orientation: 41 Part 1: Overcoming the Problems with Operations and Reorient towards More Cost Effective Operations Management: 42 Part 2: GE Invests Over EUR 85 Million In Germany For Operations Reorientation: 43 Part 3: Improving the Entry Level Leadership Programs for Better Management: 45 Conclusion and Recommendations: 46 References 50 Introduction: Operations management of any business organization deals with the management and operations of products and processes, and supply and delivery of products and services from the company to its end consumers (What is Operations Management? 2013). Thus it involves optimized utilization of available resources towards effective production and delivery of products and services. There are different levels of operations followed in an organization depending on which strategies and tactics are planned (What is Operations Management? 2013). Areas of business concerned with management of production and distribution of products: Logistics and supply chain management are essential parts of the operations management of a business organization that is concerned with the administration of production and distribution of products. Logistics enables a planned structure for the flow of production and information throughout the business (Sekhar 2009). Thus the different processes of operations are linked with the help of logistics. Supply chain management is in charge of the entire responsibility of production of products and services and passing them to the end consumers without causing delay in the processes. The basic functions concerned by the supply chain include design of the products, procurement, production, management of demand, and distribution (Sekhar 2009). Product design is concerned with generating products that can satisfy the needs of consumers. It involves design of the product, its engineering and packaging as well. Procurement refers to gathering the necessary materials in order to produce the actual products (Sekhar 2009). Production is the process that transforms the raw materials into finished products to be offered to the customers. Demand management involves managing the flow of the demand from the market with the ability of the company to meet the demands (Sekhar 2009). Distribution is the

Organization psychology and Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organization psychology and Behavior - Essay Example Organizational learning has become highly important in understanding the world of modern business. Due to rapid advancement in technology, new managerial styles, quick transfer of information and dynamically changing environment; it has become highly imperative for the companies to adapt the changes. In such a scenario, only the most flexible companies will be able to sustain themselves till the last. For organizations, it is equally important to learn from their past in order to excel successfully in the future. According to Peter Senge (1990), an organization should be a place where people should be given a chance to excel in order to acquire the desired results, where they should be encouraged to think out-of-the-box, where people should be given an opportunity to learn from their environment and where they should be transformed into role models for others to derive an inspiration. To fulfill his statement; Peter Senge has developed five basic disciplines of a learning organization. These five disciplines enable people to become more productive and more participative in their organization and also, it enables them to understand the reality of their present and shape their future in a more organized manner. It is considered as the conceptual foundation stone of Senge’s approach. This discipline provides a connection between the different parts that constitutes the entire structure of an organization. It enables the managers and the key staff to understand the different components of a system that builds up the entire infrastructure of an organization. Managers should focus on understanding that how these key components interacts with each other in order to attain long term success and goals. They should give importance on how these key components can impact on the system on long term basis. This discipline refers to an individual’s ability to expand and

Socrates said,The unexamined life is not worth living What did he mean Essay

Socrates said,The unexamined life is not worth living What did he mean - Essay Example 2). In Billy Eliot, the main character, Billy seems to live an unexamined life in terms of manifesting ambivalence in pursuing his dream. With his father restricting him to become a ballet dancer, his life exemplifies that led by Socrates: being prevented from exploring and maximizing his potentials to make it worth living. Again, from the film, one character that definitely examined her life and regarded it then as worth living was Mrs. Wilkinson, the ballet teacher. Her character was determined and strong as she knew that teaching ballet was the career for her. Likewise, she recognized the predicament that Billy was in and was therefore determined to give her support to make Billy realize the need to examine his life in terms of pursuing what he really wants and not what his father wants for him. Works Cited Mathoda.com. Philosophers are wrong to state the unexamined life is not worth living. 27 April 2008. Web. 30 June 2011 .

Compare the Techniques Of My First Sonne and Limbo Essay Example for Free

Compare the Techniques Of My First Sonne and Limbo Essay When looking at the two poems it is clear that On my First Sonne is composed to deal with a father losing his seven year old son. While in comparison the poet Brathwaite is highlighting the topic of slavery. When comparing the two poems it is quite noticeable that they deal with life issues of death and sadness. However, once studying the two poems it is quite noticeable that both poems distinguish and highlight religion. This is highlighted in Limbo as it says in the last line on the burning ground. Which can be clearly suggested that it is portraying the Christian image of Hell. Which can be defined as a place where youre in torture, which relates to the life of an African Slave where there struggling for life in places e.g. the sugar plantations. In On My First Sonne its communicating to the reader about religion like Limbo. However, instead of comparing religion to torture, it is discussing can people envy his son because hes going to heaven? This is particularly shown in the following line where he leaves a question mark Will man lament the state he should envie? Looking at both the poems theres a huge contrast in there individuality and uniqueness. This is clearly shown through the way that both the poems are written. For example, Limbo is presented in free verse which is probably suggesting that the slaves once had an identity. The word Limbo emphasises that the free verse is trying to show that the slaves were his ancestors with an African past. However, Brathwaite is presenting that the slave dealers stripped his ancestors of an identity for example the dumb Gods are raising me. Showing that the poet has no knowledge of Africans Gods or culture. While in contrast, the techniques used in On My First Sonne shows a traditional English poem about his love to his son. It is also writing about the English tradition of the Church of England and an identity about what it is to be English. Which during its time was to believe in the old tradition of religion and heaven. Which when comparing the two it is noticeable that On My First Sonne shows identity and Limbo conveys lost identity. On My First Sonne it uses Trochaic pentameter in order to create the feeling of sadness by the use of a stressed and then a unstressed syllable. By using this technique it creates a feeling that the author is clueless which is shown through sentences like Will man lament the state he should envie? Limbo also uses Trochaic pentameter in order to create the feeling of sadness as the poem is talking about the struggle of slavery long dark deck and the water surrounding me. When looking at the tenses of On My First Sonne it uses past, present and future. For example in the first four lines there is a use of past. This is shown as he talks about his seven year old child and uses in the last sentence on the just day. It then changes to present, as the poet talks about in the next four lines Will man lament the state he should envie? suggesting he should envy his son because he is in heaven. This quote also shows that he has accepted the death of his son. It then goes to future as the poet mentions in soft peace. This poem shows to the reader that the poet wrote this poem over a long period of time. Showing to the reader the past represents that his child died, the present in between lines is mentioning the childs burial and the future is that the child is buried and now in heaven. In Limbo there is a use of only present tense and repetition of the title limbo. This technique is used to make the poem capture the audience and get into the character of a slave. Furthermore, the use of repetition creates a tempo and the beat is indicated as it uses the word drummers. However, in On My First Sonne there is a use of punctuation to create the tempo meaning the audience are less involved with the poem. In conclusion this essay shows to the reader the background of the poems one to do with slavery and another to do with England and the Church of England of faith. Furthermore, Im showing how both poems contrast and how language is used to show tempo and contrast.

Motivating factors for sports tourism

Motivating factors for sports tourism SPORT TOURISM: FACTORS INFLUENCING MOTIVATION FOR SPORT TOURISM. OVERVIEW AND BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY Introduction.3 Purpose of the Study .3 Aims and Objectives.3/4 LITERATURE REVIEW.. Defining Sport Tourism4 Event Sport Tourism..4/5 Motivation Theory.5 Fan Motivations..5/6 METHODOLOGY.. Questionnaire based interviews6 Street Surveys..6/7 Focus Groups.7 Introduction purpose of study The purpose of this study is to provide an insight into visitor motivation for sport tourism. The proposal will investigate the importance of sport to individuals and the motivation to travel for sporting purposes. Sport tourism is an ever growing industry which has continued to thrive in all aspects, particularly of late. This is highlighted by Gibson (1998) who states that â€Å"the concept of sport-related tourism has become more prominent in the last few years as both an academic field of study and an increasingly popular tourism product†. The definitions of sport vary between authors with â€Å"some critics insisting that an all-embracing definition is impossible because sport is a socially constructed activity that has varied across historical eras, societies and cultures† (Ritchie Adair, 2004). Others have suggested that â€Å"sport has specific and timeless characteristics, such as being goal-oriented, competitive and a forum for the creation of winners and lo sers (Rader, 1979, Paddick 1975,Goodman, 1976)†. Furthermore, it is evident that like various other topic areas, sport tourism has a vast and broad research base. Sport and tourism are currently two of the most important industries, with a significant increase in tourists travelling for sport related purposes in recent years. However, researchers such as Delphy (1998) and Gibson (1998) have recognized that people have been travelling to participate or watch sports for centuries. Furthermore, Hall (1992) postulates that â€Å"sport tourism falls into two different categories, travel to participate in sport and travel to observe sport†. Sport tourists choose to travel to either participate or spectate. With regard to this, particular focus of this study will be placed on spectators and what motivates them to travel, attend and observe at various sporting events. Visitor motivation is a significant topic area which will be investigated rigorously within this study. The research will focus on the factors which influence motivation for sport event tourism. According to Mullins (2008) motivation is a force which drives any person to show a specific behaviour towards any condition or situation or things. Motivation is perceived by various authors as being either Intrinsic or Extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is widely regarded as a self generated procedure which encourages an individual to act in a particular way. Extrinsic motivation on the other hand is perceived as an external influence which encourages an individual to act in a certain way. In other words something is done for an individual to motivate them to behave in a specific way. Specific examples of motivation within businesses include freedom to act and responsibility (Intrinsic) and also promotion and praise from others (Extrinsic). Visitor motivation will look at tourist’s beh aviour, profiles and the motivation they have to attend various sporting events. Aims Objectives The main research question will be to ascertain what motivates individuals to travel for sporting events. The following aims and objectives will be pursued throughout the study in order to critically examine the topic area. To analyse visitor motivation theory To discuss the importance understanding of Sport Tourism To discuss factors of influence on travel motivations for spectators To attend numerous sporting events in order to get a feel of the influences on travel motivation The scope of research will be primarily focused on the relationship between motivation and sport tourism. In order to meet the aims of the study the following objectives will be set to enable a successful investigation into the research area: Assess the concepts, theories and models related to motivation Sport Tourism Examine previous studies related to sport event travel motivation Conduct primary and secondary research to understand the spectator experience Critical Literature Review The following literature review will provide an introduction on sport tourism, highlight the key authors related to the field and also provide a deeper understanding of the factors influencing people to conduct sport related tourism. Sports tourism is defined by Gibson (2006) as leisure based travel that takes individuals outside of their home communities to participate in physical activities (Active Sport Tourism), to watch physical activities (Event Sport Tourism) or to venerate attractions associated with physical activities (Nostalgia Sport Tourism).On the other hand, Standevan and De Knop (1999) define sport tourism as all forms of active and passive involvement in sporting activity, participated in casually or in an organised way for non-commercial or business/ commercial reasons, that necessitate travel away from home and work. The key authors related to this field of study include Heather Gibson, James Higham, Mike Weed and Thomas Hinch to name a few. Notable academic books and journals include Sport Tourism: Concepts and Theories (Gibson, 2006), Sport Tourism – Interrelationships, Impacts and Issues (Ritchie, B. Adair, D. 2004) and also The Journal of Sport Tourism. Although both definitions mentioned are very similar it is interesting to note that Gibson (2006) has separated sport tourism into three different segments. This includes Active Sport Tourism, Event Sport Tourism and also Nostalgia Sport Tourism. However, Standevan and De Knop (1999) have opted on a more broad definition stating that sport tourism is all forms of active and passive involvement in sporting activity. The definition provided by Gibson (2006) illustrates a clear and concise understanding of what sport tourism is whilst also depicting the different types of sport tourism specifically. Robinson and Gammon (2004) like Gibson (2006) have also separated sport tourists into different segments. They depicted that sport tourism could firstly be divided into two areas of focus, differentiating between those who travel primarily for sport (sport tourists) and those where sport is perceived as a secondary consideration (tourism sport). This study however, will focus on what Gibson (2006) describes as Event Sport Tourism. This refers to tourists who travel to spectate physical activities or events. Event tourism includes travelling to attend a range of different events although it is interesting to note that sporting events have had the most significant impact on the industry. This is backed up by authors Chalip and McGuirty (2004), Turco (2003) and Saayman and Uys (2003) who state that Although event tourism includes arts festivals and cultural activities as well as sport events, the latter have played a key role in the growth of the event industry. One reason for this is that sport events have been seen to make an effective contribution to the economic development mix of cities and regions. Furthermore, this study will aim to ascertain what motivates tourists to travel to watch sporting events. In order to determine this successfully the literature related to motivation theory will need to be critically discussed. According to the Journal of Sport (2004) The motivation(s) of the sport tourist has been a regular source of discussion within much of the sport tourism literature (Gammon and Robinson, 1997; Gibson, 1998a; Hinch and Higham, 2004; Kurtzman and Zauhar, 1995a; Standeven and De Knop, 1999). Every year there are numerous events taking place with increased numbers of tourists travelling. Tourism is conducted domestically as well as outbound in order to actively take part or spectate at sporting events. Hollyforde Widdett (2002) postulate that motivational theory â€Å"outlines a researchers answers to questions such as â€Å"why do people make the choices they make? Or what makes someone persist at one activity and yet quickly give up another â€Å". Abraham Maslow is a renowned psychologist who proposed the motivational theory the hierarchy of needs. This theory has been an important framework related to motivation and assumes that human motivations proceed through various stages of needs. The hierarchy of needs starts off with the more primary basic needs such as physiological and safety needs at the foundation further leading to belongingness love and esteem needs and lastly ending with self-actualisation. According to Gibson (2006) psychologists such Maslow and also Murray have long postulated that behaviour is a function of needs, indeed, much of their work has provided the theoretical foundation for studies that have investigated the relationship between leisure or tourism and need satisfaction. Fan motivations are an important aspect when determining the reasoning behind â€Å"Event Sport Tourism†. Tourists love for the game/sport provides a big influence in them wanting to travel in order to watch their favorite team/player or event live rather than from a television set. A good example of this would be Football, where individuals purchase season tickets in order to watch their team play on a regular basis. This includes home games only but first option on away games is usually provided. Tourists will also be motivated to attend the away games especially on the big European nights away from home in order to support their team. This relates to Simon Hudson’s theory that â€Å"sport events away from can have an appeal based on their uniqueness or their quality that, when combined with escaping from the familiar and routine, generates personal and interpersonal benefits which make it a worthwhile expenditure of time and resources. Sport event tourism also provide a range of positive impacts for the consumer, destination and also the events. This is backed up by Hudson (2003) who states that, Special events can attract more tourists than regularly scheduled games. Sport events attract corporate sponsors. When sport facilities are built, they become permanent event venues. Major sport events can be catalysts for new facilities and new or improved infrastructure. Sport events can assist in destination branding by providing powerful, active lifestyle images and making cultural themes come alive. (Hudson, 2003) It is envisaged that this study will further strengthen the current body of literature related to sport tourism. A conceptual framework will be used in order to meet the aims and objectives of the research, placing particular focus on â€Å"Event Sport Tourism†. Methodology The following section will provide details of how the planned research will be conducted, what method(s) will be used and how long it may take to obtain relevant data. According to the research methods workbook â€Å"the research process or methodology is the approach to the entire study – it is the master plan. It is the blueprint for achieving objectives, one of which is the production of the dissertation† (Workbook, 2014). There are generally two main processes of conducting research, the qualitative approach and the quantitative approach. Quantitative data is primarily concerned with assessing numerical data and conducting statistical tests. Conversely, qualitative data focuses on descriptions that can be observed and includes methods such as participant observation and unstructured interviews. In simple terms the main difference between the two approaches is that quantitative data collection deals with ‘quantity’ of research whereas ‘qualitative’ data collection emphasise quality research. The methodology section will emphasise how the research will be conducted in order to attain relevant information regarding sport tourism and motivational theory. Within this study it is envisaged that the research process will consist of questionnaire based interviews with tourists that attend sporting events. This will be completed in order to determine the factors which influence their decision/desire to attend. It is believed that interviews can have a number of positives including â€Å"the encouragement of participation, clarification of any confusion regarding questions and also the inclusion of people who are incapable of reading (Long, 2007)†. By mixing the two concepts of questionnaire and interview it will in a sense provide the â€Å"best of both worlds† and enable the researcher to gather sufficient data. Authors such as Kendall (2008) postulate that â€Å"while questionnaires can provide evidence of patterns amongst large populations, qualitative intervi ew data often gather more in-depth insights on participant attitudes, thoughts, and actions†. Furthermore, alternative research methods will also be taken into consideration in order to determine the most efficient and effective way of obtaining information. Street surveys and focus groups will be the other two approaches in question, they will be looked at in detail as potential research methods. Street surveys are a quantitative research method whereas focus groups provide a qualitative approach to data collection. Street surveys are a tempting research method considering it is an efficient way of gathering data from individuals. According to Long (2007) â€Å"street surveys are a quick and cheap route to gathering survey data. The ‘street’ in this may represent any convenient location for ‘capturing’ respondents (e.g. the mall or refectory/canteen). Street surveys will be conducted outside specific sporting events in order to receive data from relevant sport tourists. However, there are disadvantages like any other method, including relatively low response rates due to the typical locations in which surveys are conducted. The lack of quality of data gathered and the overall amount of data collected are also negatives of using this method. Conversely, surveys can also have various positives including the ease and efficiency of conducting the process. According to March (1982: 147) â€Å"Surveys have a lot to offer†¦.since experimentation cannot be used to inves tigate a wide range of macro-social processes, there is often no alternative to considering variation across cases in a systematic fashion†. Focus groups will also be taken into consideration when depicting the ideal research method to use in order to conduct research for this study. Focus groups are a traditionalist method of research, enabling the researcher to obtain information on a face to face and personal basis. Therefore, the researcher is able to obtain descriptive answers rather than numerical or statistical data. It is envisaged that â€Å"Qualitative research is generally based on the belief that the people personally involved in a particular (leisure or tourism) situation are best placed to describe and explain their experiences or feelings in their own words. They should be allowed to speak without the intermediary of the researcher and without being overly constrained by the framework imposed by the researcher† (Veal,2006) . With regard to this, focus groups should be high on the list of potential research methods. However, there are also disadvantages of using this method like any other. Focus grou ps can become difficult to control, analyse and conduct. It is easy to get a group of people together but it is not as easy to avoid disagreements, conflicts between individuals and irrelevant discussions. Transcribing a focus group is also a very time consuming process due to the amount of people involved within the discussion. Participants may also feel under pressure to follow the lead of a dominant individual within the group therefore succumbing to peer pressure and holding back their own views. Regardless of which research approach will be used, significant methods will need to be included within the process of obtaining information. This includes personally attending various sporting events in order to get an idea of the â€Å"spectator experience†. It is interesting to note that Weed (2008) postulates that in order to ascertain ‘why’ sport tourists travel, researchers need to focus on participation experiences underpinned by ontological research. Furthermore, significant library based research will need to be conducted as well as the visitation of numerous libraries and archives. Fieldwork will also be conducted during event visitations in order to broaden knowledge in relation to the topic area. The subjects of research will include randomly selected individuals with an interest in Event Sport Tourism. Conversely, small groups may be required if focus groups are chosen as the most suitable research method. The timeframe for the research to be conduct ed is yet to be finalised however, it is understood that the following research will take several months to complete in order to obtain the relevant data required. Bibliography Books Altinay, L and Paraskevas, A (2008) Planning Research in Hospitality and Tourism, Butterworth Heinemann, London Clark, M et al (1998) Researching and Writing Dissertations in Hospitality and Tourism, International Thomson Business Press, London Delpy, L. (2003). An introduction to sport and adventure tourism. In Hudson, S, Sport and Adventure Tourism (pp. 1-25). Haworth Hospitality Press Inc: Binghamton Gibson, H. (1998a). Active sport tourism: Who participates? Leisure Studies, 17, 155-170. Gibson, H. (1998b). Sport tourism: A critical analysis of research. Sport Management Review, 1, 45-76. Gibson, H (2006) Sport Tourism: Concepts and Theories, Oxon: Routledge Hall, C. (1992) Hallmark tourist events: Impacts, management and planning, London: Bellhaven Press Higham, J. and Hinch, T (2011). Sport Tourism Development. Bristol: Channel View Publications Hinch, T. Higham, J. (2008). Sport tourism: A framework for research. In Weed, M, Sport and Tourism: A Reader (pp. 40-56). New York, NY: Routledge. Hollyforde, S Widdett, S (2002) The Motivation Handbook. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development Hudson, S (2003) Sport and Adventure Tourism. New York: Haworth Hospitality Press. Hudson, S. Ritchie, B. (2001). Cross-cultural tourist behaviour: An analysis of tourist attitudes towards the environment. Journal of Travel Tourism Marketing, 10(2), 1-22. Long, J (2007) Researching Leisure, Sport and Tourism: The Essential Guide, London, SAGE Publications. Maslow, A. (1954). Motivation and personality. New York: Harper Ritchie, B. Adair, D. (2004) Sport Tourism – Interrelationships, Impacts and Issues, London: Cromwell Press Robinson, T. Gammon, S. (2004). A question of primary and secondary motives: Revisiting and applying the sport tourism framework. Journal of Sport Tourism, 9(3), 221-233 Standeven, J. De Knop, P. (1999). Sport Tourism. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Vernon, M.D (1969) Humanmotivation.London : Cambridge U.P Veal, A (2011) Research Methods for Leisure and Tourism: A Practical Guide, Longman, Essex (4th edition) Weed, M (2008). Sport Tourism. Oxon: Routledge. Weed, M and Bull, C (2012). Sports Tourism. 2nd ed. Oxford: Elsevier Journals Harris, Lois R. Brown, Gavin T.L. (2010). Mixing interview and questionnaire methods: Practical problems in aligning data . Practical Assessment, Research Evaluation, 15(1). Available online: http://pareonline.net/getvn.asp?v=15n=1. International Journal of Sport Management, Recreation and Tourism Journal of Sport Tourism-Abingdon Taylor Francis Ltd Kotze, N (2006). Urban Forum.Cape Town and the Two Oceans Marathon: The Impact of Sport Tourism. 17 (3) 1 | Page

Beowulf Characters :: Epic of Beowulf Essays

Beowulf Characters Schyld Scefing: He is the first great king of the Danes, and upon his death he is given a remarkable burial at sea. He eventually becomes the great-grandfather of Hrothgar who is king during Grendel's attacks upon the Danes. Beowulf: A thane of the Geat king Hygelac and eventually becomes King of the Geats. Hrothgar: King of the Danes at the time of Grendel's constant attacks. During is reign as king he builds the hall (Heorot) as a tribute to his people and his peaceful reign. Heorot: The great hall that Hrothgar builds in celebration of his reign. Grendel: A descendant of Cain and a man/monster, Grendel attacks Heorot after Beowulf's arrival. Beowulf eventually kills him, with his severed arm hung as a trophy in Heorot. Wulfgar: A loyal thans of Hrothgar, Wiglaf is a watchman for the Danes and the first to greet Beowulf and his men to the land of the Danes. He also deems the Geat visitors as people worthy enough to meet with Hrothgar. Ecgtheow: He is Beowulf's father. He is a Waegmunding by birth and a Geat by marriage. When he was younger. Unferth: Unferth's name means "discord". He is a thane of Hrothgar's who taunts Beowulf in the hall about his swimming contest with Breca. However, Beowulf shames him in the boasting match. Wealhtheow: She is Hrothgar's queen and the mother of his two sons. Her name comes from the Anglo-Saxon words for "treasure bearer." She actually has the duty of presenting necklaces and mead-cups at court. Sigemund: Known as a famous dragon slayer, he is an ancient Germanic hero whose story is recounted after the fight with Grendel. Heremond: An ancient Danish king who fell from grace and became ruthlessly evil king. He is used by Hrothgar as a bad example of bad kingship for Beowulf. Hildeburh: She is an ancient Danish princess who was married into the Frisian royalty. Her story is recounted during the second feast for Beowulf at Heorot. Her brother and her son were both killed in a war with the Frisians at Finnesburh. Hrothulf: Hrothulf is Hrothgar's younger brother. Wealhtheow calls upon him to protect her young sons if it necessary to do so. Grendel's Mother: The of the man/monster Grendel she comes to Heorot seeking vengeance for the death of her son, and is killed by Beowulf. Aeschere: He is one of Hrothgar's important officials and trusted thanes.

Free Hamlet Essays: The Foils :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Foils of Hamlet  Ã‚   Hamlet is a play about a young man who is seeking revenge for his father's death. In the process of doing so, different things happen and it becomes more and more of a complex plot. Throughout the play, we are introduced to many different foils. One of which is Laertes. Shakespeare chooses to portray Hamlet and Laertes differently although they are both so similar. Hamlet and Laertes are all in basically the same position. Both of their fathers have been killed and they are both looking to avenge those fathers' deaths. However, we see when we are reading that some characters are set up so that they gain more sympathy and such than others from the reader. For example, Shakespeare makes Laertes look like a "bad guy" because he wants to kill Hamlet but in essence, Hamlet is doing the same exact thing to Claudius. It is as if Shakespeare is saying that it is okay for Hamlet to kill but it isn't ok for Laertes to feel the need for revenge. Hamlet begins a soliloquy with the line, "How all occasions do inform against me and spur my dull revenge!" (Act IV, sc. IV, li. 32-33) It is like Shakespeare is trying to make it look like it is such a shame the Hamlet's plans aren't working out so well and that he isn't as stable as he wants to be. It is almost like Shakespeare wants to reader to take pity on Hamlet who is not such a genuine person. He has killed Polonius and some say he has killed Ophelia. Should people really pity him because his plans to kill his uncle aren't falling correctly into place? Shakespeare is almost trying to get the reader to do so. On the other hand, there is Laertes who is Hamlet's position. His father was killed, actually by Hamlet, and he is out to avenge that death. He is furious and passionate about it just like Hamlet is but it almost seems that when one is reading the play, they should think of Laertes as a "bad guy" and as the antagonist. Laertes says "It warms the very sickness in my heart that I shall live and tell him to his teeth, "thus did'st thou." (Act. IV sc.VII. li. 55-57) He is basically saying that he would make him so happy to kill Hamlet and to show his what he really did.

Drug Use Among Teenagers :: essays research papers

Drug Use Among Teenagers While I was conducting my research, I located the actual survey results and decided to include them with this essay. (I included them at the end of my essay). ~~~ The three main drugs that are used among teenagers are Marijuana, LSD, and a variety of inhalants. The use of these drugs seem to be of an astronomical amount according to the survey conducted by the University of Michigan. Marijuana is a green, brown, or gray mixture of dried, shredded flowers and leaves of the hemp plant (Cannabis Sativa). You may hear marijuana called by street names such as pot, herb, weed, boom, Mary Jane, gangster, or chronic. There are more than 200 slang terms for marijuana. Sinsemilla (sin-seh-me-yah; it's a Spanish word), hashish ("hash" for short), and hash oil are stronger forms of marijuana. All forms of marijuana are mind-altering. This means they change how the brain works. They all contain THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), the main active chemical in marijuana. But there are also 400 other chemicals in the marijuana plant. LSD LSD is very potent: the effective dose is measured in micrograms (ug) -- however, the lethal dose is literally thousands of times that, making the drug essentially non-toxic. LSD can be administered a number of ways, the most common: orally through paper, sugar cubes, on a piece of gelatin, or by pill; intravenously; or intramuscularly. A standard dose with noticeable hallucinogenic effects is about 100-200 ug. The intensity of the trip is proportional to the size of the dose -- it is interesting to note, though, that the duration of the trip seems to stay the same at higher doses (Freedman, 1984). The initial effects begin 20-40 minutes with a sense of euphoria and dizziness. Hallucinations then begin to occur, with the trip peaking for 4-5 hours after about an hour since the drug is taken. Inhalants People use certain inhalants to obtain a "high." These inhalants could be anything from glue to certain fumes. Inhalation of dangerous and toxic substance is extremely dangerous and can cause serious health problems or death. The Reasons for Drug Use To Climb Among Teenagers Stupidity is one reason! There are many reasons why drug use continues to climb. The laws are not strict enough for teenage offenders. When a teenager, or any other person, is caught possessing Marijuana they receive a "slap on the wrist." They receive a fine or some sort of community service punishment and that is it. Another reason would be the idea that, "everyone else does it and nothing bad happens to them, I might as well do it too!" Teenagers see other people using

Venezuela

There have been many current events that have violated human rights, one of them is that Venezuela is suffering from lack of food and medicine they are given and their leader isn't doing anything about this but other leaders are trying to help out Venezuela , there are many things that are being done in order to Prevent future events like this, because this can't start happening around the world, Colombia, Cuba, and Argentina are already starting to have problems like this and this could get out of control. Venezuela use to be one the the wealthiest countries until the 19th century, that's when they started to have economic and political crisis. Venezuela's president, Nicolas Maduro is denying the fact that Venezuela people are staring and not having access to good health care. Many people are starving and others are in the hospital, and not having enough medicine for everyone because the hospitals are getting filled with injured people. Since the hospital doesn't have enough supplies for everyone they ask patients to bring their own medicine and which most patients can't afford. According to † Venezuela's health care crisis † the video states that even when their own patients bring in their own medicine, they are stolen inside the hospital.This Hospital use to have staff 24/7 working on surgerys and helping other patients while now there are people that have been waiting to have surgery for days. The Violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is Article 7 which is â€Å"You have the right to be treated by the law in the same way as everyone else.Everyone has the right protection against violation of their human rights† and Article 8 â€Å"If your rights under law are violated , you have the right to see justice done in court or tribunal.† This is saying that every person in Venezuela should be treated the same and have the same health care. People in venezuela are dying and starving because of the lack of food and medicine and health care they are given. According to CNN, this crisis that is happening in Venezuela had started around 2015 where people were having less than one meal a day. It's sad to see that newborns are being put in cardboard boxes after their mother give birth. According to FP people have been use to having one meal a day while others are hunting for dogs pigeons and cats. People In Latin America would feel rich with just one dollar or maybe some clean water while people here in America are wasting food and aren't grateful for one dollar. This rich Country is suffering because of one person which is their leader Nicolas Maduro. We can start helping Venezuela by just donating one dollar, because that would mean a lot to them. Donald Trump is also helping out with this situation.According to U.S.NEWS president Donald Trump he states that he promises â€Å"strong and swift economic actions† to counter Maduro's antidemocratic measures.† What Donald Trump is doing is he is restricting the revenue that Nicolas Maduro planned and benefit from oils form the United States. In Conclusion, Venezuela is struggling in food and health care because of their bad Leader Nicolas Maduro. People are dying faster and families are starving because they don't have food. This is a huge crisis, this was one of the wealthiest countries but now is the one leaving in poverty, people are eating pets and birds which is not usual. President Donald Trump and other leaders in Latin America for example Mexico they are trying their best to help out venezuela because everyone is supposed to be treated the same way, and in a way people in America can be helping out by donating one dollar which to them means a lot .

History of Animation Essay

The zoetrope is a device which creates the image of a moving picture. The earliest elementary zoetrope was created in China around 180 AD by the prolific inventor Ting Huan Made from translucent paper or mica panels, Huan hung the device over a lamp. The rising air turned vanes at the top from which hung the pictures painted on the panels would appear to move if the device is spun at the right speed. Magic Lantern (1600) The magic lantern is the predecessor of the modern day projector. It consisted of a translucent oil painting and a simple lamp. When put together in a darkened room, the image would appear larger on a flat surface. Athanasius Kircher spoke about this originating from China in the 16th century but it was developed in the late 1650’s by Christian Huygens. Some slides for the lanterns contained parts that could be mechanically actuated to present limited movement on the screen. Thaumatrope (1824) A thaumatrope was a simple toy used in the Victorian era. A thaumatrope is a small circular disk or card with two different pictures on each side that was attached to a piece of string or a pair of strings running through the centre. When the string is twirled quickly between the fingers, the two pictures appear to combine into a single image. The thaumatrope demonstrates the Phi phenomenon, the brain’s ability to persistently perceive an image. Its invention is variously credited to Charles Babbage, Peter Roget, or John Ayrton Paris, but Paris is known to have used one to illustrate the Phi phenomenon in 1824 to the Royal College of Physicians. Flip book (1868) The first flip book was patented in 1868 by John Barnes Linnet. Flip books were yet another development that brought us closer to modern animation. Like the Zoetrope, the Flip Book creates the illusion of motion. A set of sequential pictures flipped at a high speed creates this effect. The Mutoscope (1894) is basically a flip book in a box with a crank handle to flip the pages. Praxinoscope (1877) The Praxinoscope, invented by French scientist Charles-Émile Reynaud, was a more sophisticated version of the zoetrope. It used the same basic mechanism of a strip of images placed on the inside of a spinning cylinder, but instead of viewing it through slits, it was viewed in a series of small, stationary mirrors around the inside of the cylinder, so that the animation would stay in place, and provide a clearer image and better quality. Reynaud also developed a larger version of the Praxinoscope that could be projected onto a screen, called the Theater Optique. Information on the Present Traditional Animation Are the oldest and historically the most popular form of animation. In a traditionally-animated cartoon, each frame is drawn by hand. Timing is important for the animators drawing these frames; each frame must match exactly what is going on in the soundtrack at the moment the frame will appear, or else the discrepancy between sound and visual will be distracting to the audience. For example, in high-budget productions, extensive effort is given in making sure a speaking character’s mouth matches in shape the sound that character’s actor is producing as he or she speaks. Feature-length films The first animated feature film was El Apà ³stol, made in 1917 by Quirino Cristiani from Argentina. He also directed two other animated feature films, including 1931’s Peludopolis, the first to use synchronized sound. None of these, however, survive to the present day. The earliest-surviving animated feature, which used colour-tinted scenes, is the silhouette-animated Adventures of Prince Achmed directed by German Lotte Reiniger and French/Hungarian Berthold Bartosch. Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs are often considered to be the first animated feature when in fact at least eight were previously released. However, Snow White was the first to become successful and well-known within the English-speaking world and the first to use cell animation. Stop Motion Stop motion is used for many animation productions using physical objects rather than images of people, as with traditional animation. An object will be photographed, moved slightly, and then photographed again. When the pictures are played back in normal speed the object will appear to move by itself. The first example of object manipulation and stop-motion animation was the 1899 short film by Albert E. Smith and J. Stuart Blackton called The Humpty Dumpty Circus. A European stop motion pioneer was Wladyslaw Starewicz who animated The Beautiful Lukanida .The Battle of the Stag Beetles and The Ant and the Grasshopper. CGI animation Computer-generated imagery (CGI) revolutionized animation. The first film done completely in CGI was Toy Story, produced by Pixar. The process of CGI animation is still very tedious and similar in that sense to traditional animation and it still adheres to many of the same principles. A principal difference of CGI Animation compared to traditional animation is that drawing is replaced by 3D modelling, almost like a virtual version of stop-motion, though a form of animation that combines the two worlds can be considered to be computer aided animation but on 2D computer drawing (which can be considered close to traditional drawing and sometimes based on it). Cell-shaded animation A type of non-photorealistic rendering designed to make computer graphics appear to be hand-drawn. Cell-shading is often used to mimic the style of a comic book or cartoon. It is a somewhat recent addition to computer graphics, most commonly turning up in console video games. Though the end result of cell-shading has a very simplistic feel like that of hand-drawn animation, the process is complex. The name comes from the clear sheets of acetate, called cells, which are painted on for use in traditional 2D animation. It may be considered a 2.5D form of animation. True real-time cell-shading was first introduced in 2000 by Sega’s Jet Set Radio for their Dreamcast console. Besides video games, a number of anime have also used this style of animation, such as Freedom Project in 2006. CGI Animated humans Most CGI created films are based on animal characters, monsters, machines or cartoon-like humans. Animation studios are now trying to develop ways of creating realistic-looking humans. Films that have attempted this include Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within in 2001, Final Fantasy: Advent Children in 2005, The Polar Express in 2004, Beowulf in 2007 and Resident Evil: Degeneration in 2009. However, due to the complexity of human body functions, emotions and interactions, this method of animation is rarely used. The more realistic a CG character becomes, the more difficult it is to create the nuances and details of a living person. The creation of hair and clothing that move convincingly with the animated human character is another area of difficulty. The Incredibles and Up both have humans as protagonists, while films like Avatar combine animation with live action to create humanoid creatures.

Emily Martin: The Egg and the Sperm Essay

It is human nature to place confidence into science because it is heavily researched and perceived as the truth. However, Emily Martin shows that the female role in the reproductive process is not thoroughly depicted. Martin said, â€Å"part of my goal in writing this article is to shine a bright light on the gender stereotypes hidden within the scientific language of biology. † This article demonstrates how the female role in the reproductive cycle is just as insistent, if not more, as the male’s role. Emily Martin proposes that science defines women as having a non-active and less significant role in the reproductive process. The role in which women play in the cycle of life is depicted through science as far more passive function than that of the male. The egg is seen as passive. It does not move and is transported along the fallopian tube. In contrast, sperm are seen as active. They deliver their genes to the egg and development starts. Martin quotes Gerald Schatten and Helen Schatten in that the egg acts as a Sleeping Beauty, â€Å"a dormant bride awaiting her mate’s magic kiss, which instills spirit that brings her to life†, while the sperm is on a â€Å"mission† to â€Å"move through the female genital tract in quest of the ovum. However, through recent research, scientist concluded that the egg performs several functions and is quite active itself in the reproductive process. Before this research it was thought that sperm were powerful penetrators capable of thrusting itself through the inner vestments of the egg. After much research, scientists in biophysics labs at Johns Hopkins University determined that the propelling force of the sperm is very weak, and that only through the adhesive molecules on the egg and sperm do the two stick. The zona acts as a â€Å"sperm catcher† and has to â€Å"capture and tether† the sperm before it can penetrate. But the most active and interesting roll the egg plays is that it â€Å"serves as a sophisticated biological security system that screens incoming sperm, selects only those compatible with fertilization and development, prepares sperm for fusion with the egg and later protects the resulting embryo from polyspermy. † Here the egg plays three vital roles in the developmental process of the embryo. It chooses which sperm is well-suited, sets up the fertilization process, and protects the sperm through the whole process. The author was effective in providing textual examples of the scientific language that wrongly represents the female role in the reproductive cycle. She quotes medical textbooks as referring to the menstrual cycle as â€Å"†debris† of the uterine lining, the result of necrosis, or death of tissue. † Martin goes on to counter this quote with an example of the positive language used to describe the sperm in saying, â€Å"Whereas the female sheds only a single gamete each month, the seminiferous tubules produce hundreds of millions of sperm each day. Both quotes provide strong examples of the scientific language used. Quoting such language not only provides the audience with examples to better prove her point, but that because this information is coming from a medical textbook provides the reader with confidence in the cited source. One way in which this scientific discrepancy can be improved is by teaching it at a young age. This could be done by implementing a new curriculum in sexual educational classes in public schools. It is important that the new curriculum use different language and metaphors to deter from the stereotypical view of the reproduction process. This may at least curb the sexual bias of this subject to future generations. This article reveals how scientific language can create misconceptions about the truth about the sperm and the egg. Martin cautions us about metaphors in science. While many of us believe science to be undoubtedly true, bias can be lurking.

Time Bank

Time bank is a unique organisation that holds vast amount of knowledge and skills belonging to its customer. The way time bank operates is by allowing individuals to exchange their knowledge, skills with others. The concept of the Time Bank is based on the fact that people are all individually different, we all have different types of knowledge and we all have different set of skills, no one is good at everything, the typical situation is that we only have the capacity to be good at certain things and not all things.In a world without Time Bank, we have to pay for things we can’t do, for example I am not an expert with computers, if my computer breaks down then I would have to pay for someone to fix it. However, with the existence of Time Bank, I can exchange a skill which I am good at for someone else’s help with the repair of my computer. To illustrate this example more specifically, If a member of the Time Bank has spent two hours repairing my computer then that pers on would have banked two hours worth of time with the Bank, in another word, that person will have two hours worth of credit.When that person needs help with something he has difficulty with, he is entitled to two hours free help from another individual. So individuals can build up their credit by helping others with things that they are good at. This way, people can save time and money in dealing with difficult tasks. It is clear that Time Bank offers a service that many needs, but no such provider exists in the current market in Colchester. However, as Time Bank is such a new concept promotion of the Bank is vital. Effective promotional method needs to be used to introduce people to this new concept.I shall look into these methods in the rest of this essay, but before doing so, it is important to assess who would use Time Bank, i. e. its target audience. 2. Target Audience: One of the key reason that people will want to use Time Bank will be because that they can save money, from this it follows that Time Bank is unlikely to attract very wealthy individuals. Further, it is likely that only people who can offer knowledge or skill in return will use the Bank, this will mean that the younger and older groups are probably excluded from the target audience, as they are likely to be limited with the help they can offer.So, main target group of Time Bank is likely to be working individuals and possibly students. So, we have to have this in mind when selecting the promotion methods for the Bank. 3. Advertising: Placing adverts on local newspapers, radios and internet, magazines and possibly on television may be a good way to build the awareness of the Bank’s presence. Yellow pages is another idea, however, with the expansion of the internet Yellow pages is not as much used by people as before. So, instead, it may be a better idea to place advert on the internet, for example, Yell Colchester.With newspapers and radios it will be a good idea to place the advert on popular Colchester local papers and local radio stations such as BBC Essex and Heart Essex. In terms of magazines, if possible, it would be a good idea to select magazines that our target audience is most likely to read, something like magazines advising on money matters or D. I. Y. magazines (as it is likely that people who are interested in D. I. Y will find it more enjoyable to exchange their skills and bank their time with the Time Bank). Putting up adverts on the internet is also a good idea, an excellent website to place advert is www. sk. com, as people who go on to ask. com will normally be in the need for some kind of help, so an advert on this website will capture some of our key audiences. It may be a better idea to take advantage of free advertising, such as placing adverts on Gumtree Colchester. Putting up posters in University campus may also be a good idea, students are likely to be a key user of the Time Bank, the reason being that students do not earn any income as a result they are likely to prefer to save money by using the Time Bank.Sponsoring a University newsletter or website is another idea to build awareness in the student market, the sponsorship will enable Time Bank’s logo to appear and be seen by students. In terms of working individuals, it may be a good idea to put up posters in job searching agencies such as Reed, or paying for an advertising space on job searching websites. Distributing leaflets is another possible idea, we could position few leaflet distributors on busy locations in Colchester, such as city centre during busy times such as weekends. 4. Publicity:Publicity is a great way to promote the Time Bank, as most publicity can be done for free and more details of the Time Bank can be exposed compared to the advertising option. Writing articles on topic related to the Time Bank: The Time Bank can write an article relating to saving time and money and try to place it on to publications that our target audience mi ght read, as mentioned before, magazine relating to money matters or D. I. Y. magazines are possible options. To target students it may be a good idea to write articles for school newsletters.However, the problem that we may encounter with this promotion method is that there is no guarantee that the article we write will be accepted and published by our preferred magazines. So, to enhance the chance of our article being published it is a good idea to provide a well written article. Magazines, tends to have a long lead time, writing articles for internet magazines might be a better option, as there are higher demand for articles with internet magazines. Newspaper is another source we can supply our articles to.Newspapers have a much shorter lead time than magazines and they are often looking for materials. So, it may be a good idea looking to writing an article to local Colchester newspapers. Press releases: Sending out press releases to local newspapers is another effective promotio nal tool. However, the press release must be newsworthy in order for it to be published by local newspapers. The fact that there is no other organisation that is providing the same type of service as the Time Bank will make the press release newsworthy. Online Forums:Posting message on online forums is a cost effective way of promotion. There will be tons of D. I. Y forums, money savings forums, student forums etc on the net, posting messages or answering queries posted by other people will promote the Time Bank. When answering queries, we can post a link of the time bank’s website or/ and explain the workings of the Time Bank in the process of answering. www. Ask. com is another great internet place to get free advertising; free advertising can be gained by answering queries posted by people on the Q & A page.Try to get an interview slot on local radio shows: It will be ideal is a interview slot can be secured on either Heart Essex or BBC Essex, as these two stations are quite popular stations it will mean that they will reach out to a wide rage of audience. An interview discussing the how the Time Bank works will not only give Time Bank free advertising but also can enable people a better understanding of what Time Ban is and how it works. And this is important due to the fact that the Time Bank is such a new concept. 5. Conclusion – evaluation of the promotional methods:In the above sections I have discussed many possible promotional methods for the Time Bank. Each method have its pros and cons; advertising on the television, radio, newspapers, internet and magazines are an effective way of reaching a wide audience and is a good way of building brand awareness of Time Bank. But, such way of advertising can be costly. It was mentioned that it is possible to get free advertising from certain websites such as Gumtree Colchester, it is suggested that free advertising offered by websites should be taken full advantage of.I then looked into ways of promotion by gaining free publicity on magazines, local newspapers, local radios and internets. I think that emphasis should be placed on these types of promotion, the reason being that such methods are cost effective and it will enable people to get a better understanding of the Time Bank. Time Bank, being a new thing in the market will mean that careful explanations on the concept and workings will be needed for people to fully understand. With the advertising methods, only limited information can be displayed, but with publicity much more detail can be introduced.So, the best way to promote in my view is to select a few paid advertising methods that can target our key audiences, such as putting a paid advert on ask. com and on yell. Colchester and take advantage of free online advertising as much as possible to build Time Bank’s brand awareness. A big part of the promotion should be based on publicity, efforts should be devoted to try to get articles and press releases published in relevant magazines, and newspapers etc and get interview slots on popular local radio stations such as Heat Essex and BBC Essex.

Action Learning and Governance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Action Learning and Governance - Essay Example He must be a person who can understand the need of the hour, possesses insight for the future, can plan rationally and can get the work done by the subordinates satisfactorily. He is no more an authoritative director who was supposed to give orders and merely direct subordinates as in the past. Today's fast growing world has new and revolutionary demands for leaders. A leader today has to be a charismatic being who does not shy away from doing work himself, rather enjoys putting valuable effort in the teamwork. Action Learning helps in producing such leaders. The practical approach of the Action Learning motivates the leaders to indulge in the work themselves to better perceive the situation. It makes them realize that they cannot win a war by standing on the edge. They will have to step into the arena to understand the demands of particular events and to decide and direct their subordinates accordingly. They will have to observe their own actions, analyze their motives and scrutiniz e their own experiences in order to find out the ways to improve their performances further. Thus, action learning teaches men to use their insight along with their knowledge and intelligence to perform better. And these very attributes have let Action Learning emerged as one of the most influential and valuable tools that is used worldwide for developing leaders nowadays. Now the question arises, which leadership style is to be followed that is most compatible with Action Learning (Gold, Thorpe, & Mumford, 2010). Let us first analyze the classical Leadership Styles offered by Kurt Lewin in 1939. According to Lewin, â€Å"there are three basic leadership styles: Authoritarian, Participative and Delegative†. The Authoritarian style asks the leaders to be autocratic and solely decide the course of action. Being the lone task master, such a leader shows less creativity and has to take the full accountability of entire group’s future prospects. Delegative style asks the le aders to let the workers do as they wish and offer no guidance. On the other hand, Participative style of leadership supports an environment with close collaboration of the leader and the workers. It is a productive situation where the actions are mutually analyzed and where the decisions are made together. The leader uses his intelligence and superior knowledge whereas the workers use their experience to find out the solution of every problem. Action learning only conforms to the Participative style of leadership to some extent unless the leader does not back away from the work himself and contributes his share willingly (Marquardt, 2004). . Today, there are numerous leadership styles in use that give rather detailed specifications of the duties and responsibilities of the leaders and the subordinates. One of these is Situational Leadership Style proposed in 1950 that supports the use of a style alterable according to the situation. The Emergent Style believes in the rise of a lead er from the subordinates who can comprehend their problems easily. The Transactional Style lays emphasis on the strict follow of the rules and regulations whereas the Transformational Style focuses the change in four variables: our self, others, groups and organizations. This style believes on the charisma of the workers and the vision of the leaders to be the road to success. Strategic leadership supports the notion of creating an atmosphere of competition among the subordinates to urge them to work harder. Team Leadership Style is a newly emerging style that lays stress on the importance of team work. 'Faceless Boss' is also a newly proposed style that diminishes the need of a prominent leader among a group to make the members feel comfortable in sharing their

Unit II non specific topic (Intercultural Management) Essay

Unit II non specific topic (Intercultural Management) - Essay Example In most cases, the parent company owns majority of stocks in the subsidiary companies (Deresky, 2011). Consequently, the host countries have minimal control over the MNC. Moreover, the host countries have minimal benefits from the corporation’s income. The MNC also reserve key managerial and technical positions to expatriate from their countries. Thus, the MNC are accused of failing to contribute to the development of human recourses in the host countries. In addition, MNCs do not contribute to the development of technologies and production capacity of the host country. The MNCs are mostly concerned with profits and in so doing they neglect their development obligations. MNCs also dominate the manufacturing industry thereby giving unnecessary competition to the local companies. In most case, the companies take advantage of corruption and mismanagements in the host countries to establish their interests. Thus, failure to meet corporate social responsibilities is the main source of complaints against the MNC. Question 2: What processes do MNCs need to establish in order to reduce prosecution risk? Many MNCs have decided to confront concerns about ethical behavior by developing worldwide practices that represent the companys policy. What are four policies used to address this issue? How would you implement these four policies in your business strategy? Multinational companies are faced with prosecution risks arising mismanagement and poor international relations. In order to reduce prosecution risks, MNCs needs to establish various processes. Firstly, MNCs need to ensure high level of integrity and accountability (Thomas, 2008). This will enable the corporations to avoid being drawn into unnecessary corruptions and scandals. However, some prosecutions are driven by business interests and, therefore the MNCs have minimal control over such occurrences. International business ethics are business

Not sure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Not sure - Essay Example However, although rituals were important to Confucius, he had a very strict sense of duty. Confucius viewed rituals as one of the duties an individual must always do, and emphasized this particularly when he would be appointed by a duke or a king as an advisor. In analyzing the Confucian analects, Slingerland (67) states that â€Å"Confucius felt the rituals (even if they were being enacted by someone else), and remained profoundly affected by the emotions they evoked.† In the contemporary Chinese society, there were different powerful countries and tribes who wished to identify themselves distinctly from each other. Rituals thus became means to assert one’s identity and sometimes, they were very elaborate and strict. However, these elaborate and sometimes, magnificent rituals would be observed superficially. People might ignore the inner meaning and zest of the rituals they practiced. Confucius was not one among them. Likewise, he instructed his followers to practice the traditional rituals with not only extravagance but sincerity too. Therefore, in his lifetime, Confucius remained a source of inspiration and information for those who wished to follow the different contemporary rituals correctly and sincerely. Translating the Book Seventeen from the Analects of Confucius, Slingerland (209) notes that in one of the accounts from the Record of Rituals, Confucius used to give ritual instructions to guide his disciples and emphasize the antiquity of Chinese culture. There were different kinds of rituals in the Chinese society about which the researchers obtain considerable information from Confucius’s teachings. For example, there were certain funerary rituals. Some rituals were supposed to mark certain life events like reaching adulthood. Other rituals included strict methods for doing worship, making sacrifices, going to warfare, etc. However, Confucius did not pressurize his contemporaries to accept his doctrine of sincere and if necessary extravagant

ANALYSE OFCANDIDEGULLIVERS TRAVEL AND SORROWS OF YOUNG WERTHER FROM Essay

ANALYSE OFCANDIDEGULLIVERS TRAVEL AND SORROWS OF YOUNG WERTHER FROM NEOCLASSIC AND ROMANTIC POINT OF VIEW - Essay Example There was an emphasis on classical conventions and style. The restoration of the monarchy to Charles II of England in 1660 marks the beginning of the Neoclassical period in English literature, with its emphasis on restraint, logic and rationalism. It lasted from 1660 to 1798, when the Romantic Movement with its emphasis on imagination and nature began . Written in the latter part of the eighteenth century, â€Å"Gulliver’s Travels† by Jonathan Swift and â€Å"Candide† by Voltaire are examples of Neoclassicism in English and French literature respectively, exhibiting elements of Neoclassicism such as reason , restraint and clarity While â€Å"Gulliver’s Travels† portrays Neoclassical elements of clarity, superiority of reason and experimentation,, at the same time digressing from Neoclassicism by giving vent to imagination., .†Candide† exhibits the typical Neoclassical reaction against optimism and exuberance .In his iconoclastic ideas about God and the Church, Voltaire strays from Neoclassical Theory. â€Å"The Sorrows of Young Werther â€Å"written by Goethe exhibits elements of Romanticism like love of nature, imagination and emotion, as well as some elements of Neoclassicism like form and structure and â€Å"correctness†.. â€Å"Gulliver’s Travels† by Jonathan Swift is an enduring classic beloved by both young and old. Although when he wrote the book in 1789, Swift meant it to be a satire on the existing society of the time, the book became instantly popular as a children’s book, which it has continued to be to the present times. Like â€Å"Gulliver’s Travels†, Voltaire’s Candide was also written during the same period. Both the books describe the fantastic adventures of the protagonists who travel to different parts of the world and encounter unforeseen problems. On the other hand, â€Å"The Sorrows of Young Werther† by Goethe, written in the same period of late eighteenth

Ernest Hemingway Hills Like White Elephants Essay - 1

Ernest Hemingway Hills Like White Elephants - Essay Example They enjoyed movement, freedom and fun, but as soon as the lady is pregnant, the man can not stand the fact that now he must settle down like the stable hills. The Bamboo Bead Curtain is another symbol. It makes us think about boundaries or borders. The apparent divide between Jig and the man is their difference of opinion. Jig wants to keep the baby while the man is not ready for fatherhood, especially because they don’t seem to have been married at the moment. The pregnancy itself is a curtain that precludes communication between the two. At the end of the story the ‘curtain’ of difference turns to be an unbreakable wall. The frequent orders for beer and the beer itself also represent the use of a substance to obstruct smooth communication. Instead of discussing the important issue that has come up, they keep on asking for beer just to obstruct the communication between them. The beer also represents an element to quench their thirst for unanswered questions: These questions never seem to be satisfactorily answered and Jig is extremely thirsty for the answer. And in the event that they have no answer, the beer seems to act as a quenching element although liquid is not exactly her craving. These symbols make us involve intellectually into the story for, it is often difficult to understand them. Once we understand what those symbols represent, they also involve us emotionally into the story especially while sympathizing with

The Contamination of Dirty Bomb Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Contamination of Dirty Bomb - Case Study Example The presence of low-level nuclear materials cannot be disputed. The places where low-level nuclear materials are produced are everywhere in the world, and that means that the materials are found everywhere. Â  After a dirty bomb has exploded, it is necessary to clean up and decontaminate the affected area. All the materials in the place which have been contaminated should be removed from the place of explosion. When a dirty bomb explodes, there are procedures to be followed to decontaminate and clean up the place. Masks should be provided to rescuers to protect them from inhaling dust and other particulates. The relevant authority should observe and monitor the area for possible hazards. There should be equipment in operation to evaluate the oxygen levels, toxic gasses, and flammable gasses. Once the rescue team gets to the point of explosion, they should remove all exploded materials especially cars as these are assumed to be dirty. The personnel should determine the extent area with toxics and should immediately start to evacuate people to safe places. Â  Large uninjured populations should evacuate themselves. The personnel should provide safe exit routes in conjunction with building managers. The victims should be screened for dose rate, and establish those that need decontamination. The victims should avoid eating or drinking but should go and shower with water and soap. The structures and cars contaminated should not be decontaminated during the initial response process. The contaminated water should be allowed to flow into the drainage systems of the municipal. If possible, the water should be redirected to other channels. The people needing immediate attention should be separated from seriously injured people (Benjamin, 2011). These people should be examined for physical contamination and evacuated.

Exploring the Bible Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Exploring the Bible - Essay Example Exodus 3 depicts that God drew the attention of Moses out of the middle of the bush and calls him with name Moses. It can be stated from the above statement that God is aware of the name of every individual. Moreover, God said, â€Å"I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob†. It can be postulated from the Exodus 3 that Moses was afraid to explore the God and obscured his face (BibleGateway.com, â€Å"Exodus 3 (American Standard Version)†). From Exodus 3 God’s ability to observe the affliction and misery of His people can be reflected upon. Furthermore, the Exodus reveals the God’s inclination to save people from the Egyptians and bring them to a virtuous and broad land. Accordingly, it can be reflected that God is aware of the hardship and pain suffered by the people and He is firmly determined to eliminate those sufferings and to provide relief to them from the burden of affliction. God intends to take His people to virtuous land which has been described as â€Å"land flowing with milk and honey† (BibleGateway.com, â€Å"Exodus 3 (American Standard Version)†. God said to Moses, He would take them to the dwelling of â€Å"the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites† (BibleGateway.com, â€Å"Exodus 3 (American Standard Version)†. The God reveals His concern against the oppression experienced by Israelites. From the above passage, th e God’s nature can be identified to be extremely patient, merciful and sovereign over all the facets (BibleGateway.com, â€Å"Exodus 3 (American Standard Version)†; People’s Church Partington, â€Å"EXODUS 3 – 4:17†). In this regard, God can be identified to be patient as He being aware of the sufferings of His people and His invincible power to relief His people at a single instance, does not haste in His action to bring His people out of the oppression by Egyptians. Moreover, nature of God can be termed as merciful because He is concerned about the hardship and affliction of His people. Last but not the least, God can be considered as sovereign over all the facets as He has the power to perform any action without any fear or objection. 2. ACCORDING TO THIS SECTION OF EXODUS (ESPECIALLY CHAPTERS 5-12), WHY DOES GOD BRING THE VARIOUS â€Å"PLAGUES† UPON THE EGYPTIANS? CITE SPECIFIC PASSAGES THAT EXPLAIN THE PURPOSE FOR THESE PLAGUES (TAKEN T OGETHER). ACCORDING TO THE BIBLICAL AUTHOR, DO THE PLAGUES ACCOMPLISH THEIR PURPOSES? WHY OR WHY NOT? FINALLY, DEVELOP A RESPONSE: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS? When Moses and Aaron departed to Pharaoh of Egypt and said that the God of Israel has said to release the Israelites so that they are able to hold veneration to God in the wilderness then Pharaoh denies and said, â€Å"who is the Lord and why should I obey him† (BibleGateway.com, â€Å"Exodus 3 (American Standard Version)†; People’s Church Partington, â€Å"EXODUS 3 – 4:17†). Pharaoh further declared that he does not know the God and he would not allow the people belonging to Israel to go. On hearing this, Moses returned to the God and said, â€Å"

History of Musical Films Essay Example for Free

History of Musical Films Essay By 1928, Hollywood was invaded by sound theater. Silent films made an honorable exit. Vaudeville was also being wiped out. It signaled a phenomenon Tinseltown was not quite prepared for. It was the time of sound facilities and infrastructures. Later on Broadway composers were hired to write screen musicals (â€Å"History of Musical Film†, 2004). The first picture to make a transition from silent film to sound was Warner Bros. ’ 1927 The Jazz Singer starring Al Jolson who mostly did the singing in the movie (â€Å"Musical Film†, 2006). One MGM musical hit opened the doors to the musical film genre. This was the 1929 Broadway Melody with a score by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed. The story was about two sisters fighting over their love of a song and dance man. It cost $379,000. 00 and grossed for $1. 6 million in its first release. Its title tune is â€Å"You Were Meant for Me. † It was the first sound film to win an Academy Award for Best Picture. MGM’s production chief Irving Thalberg was credited for bringing in a string of musical hits since Broadway Melody. (â€Å"History of Musical Film 1927-1930 Part II†, 2004). Love Parade from Paramount followed on the same year by silent screen director Ernst Lubitch. It is a lighthearted operetta inspired by Broadway to fit the screen starring soprano Jean Macdonald as a young royalty and Maurice Chevalier as the French playboy diplomat. (â€Å"History of Musical Film 1927-1930 Part II†, 2004). The 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s were considered the golden age of musical films. Following are some of the popular musical films: Hollywood Revue of 1929 with Joan Crawford from MGM, Cecil B. Demille’s Madam Satan (1930). 932 mid-Depression saw the making of Love Me Tonight, a collaboration of Richard Rogers, Lorenz Hart, and director Rouben Mamoulian. Rogers and Hart continued with Hallelujah, I’m a Bum (1933) with Al Jolson. (â€Å"History of Musical Film 1930s: Part I†, 2003). Forty Second Street by dance Broadway director Busby Berkeley choreographed the dance sequences while composer Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dublin created the score. It was a million dollar hit for a $400,000 production. It was followed by Footlight Parade (1933), The Gold Diggers (1933) and Hollywood Hotel (1937). â€Å"History of Musical Film 1930s Part II† 2004). Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers entered the musical scene in 1933 through Flying Down to Rio, The Gay Divorcee (1934), Top Hat (1935) with a score by Irving Berlin. It was also the time of Shirley Temple in movies such as Stand Up and Cheer (1934), The Little Colonel (1935), among others. Disney produced Fantasia (1940). MGM revived its musical genre with the release of The Merry Widow (1934) (â€Å"History of Musical Film 1930s Part IV† 2004). The 1940s saw Warner Brothers’ Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) with James Cagney in his Oscar-winning performance. Then independent producer Samuel Goldwyn found Danny Kaye and made Up in Arms (1944, Wonder Man (1945), among others. It was also the time of Bing Crosby (Road Series, Going My Way, Holiday Inn) and Bob Hope (â€Å"History of Musical Film Screen 1940s: Part I† 2003). Judy Garland starred in Little Nellie Kelly (1940), Ziegfeld Girl (1941), Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) directed by Vincente Minneli, her future husband. She appeared in sixteen MGM musicals. Gene Kelley also was a big MGM star in musical movies like For Me and My Gal (1942), On the Town (1949), among others (â€Å"History of Musical Film 1940s Part III† 2004). The 1950s was the decline of the musical film genre and the emergence of television. Some of the musicals produced from 20th Century Fox were Richard Rodgers Oscar Hammerstein IIs. Oklahoma (1955), Carousel (1956), King and I (1956). South Pacific (1958). Warner Brothers released some Doris Day films, Love Me or Leave Me (1955), The Pajama Game (1957). Paramount produced What Christmas (1954) while Walt Disney released musical animations such as Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty. MGM released Kiss Me Kate (1953) and High Society (1956) (â€Å"History of Musical Film Screen 1950s†, 2003).

Does Herodotus believe in Cultural Relativism Essay Example for Free

Does Herodotus believe in Cultural Relativism Essay For its time and place, The Histories of Herodotus is a work of remarkably expansive scope. To set the stage for the wars between Greece and Persia ( 490-479 B. C. ), Herodotus describes the geographical and cultural background and reviews the political history of Lydia, Media, Babylon, Egypt, Persia, Scythia, Libya, Ionia, and various Greek city-states in Asia Minor, on the Aegean islands, and on the European mainland. To record the results of his research (historie, in Greek) with the greatest vigor and accuracy, Herodotus traveled to many of these places and gathered firsthand data from native informants. For this type of research, in the words of a modern commentator, Herodotus merits the title not only of the father of history; he is also the father of comparative anthropology. Among the various classes of information which Herodotus seems to have emphasized, thus suggesting a pattern for later descriptions, were marriage customs, religious rites, burial practices, and food habits. The description of these four categories of traits, or social institutions, were not necessarily executed in the round for every tribe that happened to stroll across the pages of the Histories; but they were mentioned often enough to indicate the direction taken by his curiosity, and the content of the questions he probably put to informants. Herodotus, the ancient Greek, was a cheerful, inquisitive, rationalistic extrovert who traveled over his world to discover the facts, who took delight in telling a good story but usually avoided the temptation to wander very far from sober common sense. His cultural relativism is well known and much discussed, but it is particularly noteworthy that Greeks and barbarians are placed on a equal footing at the outset. Distinctions between Greek and non-Greek break down as the work progresses: the first barbarian for whom we get any detailed information is the Hellenized Lydian king, Croesus; the divisions of lands customary among the Greeks that separate Greek and non-Greek peoples are purely arbitrary; we learn of the Phoenician descent of Spartas kings; and Herodotus states that the descendants of Perseus came to be counted as Greeks. The key dichotomy is not the Hellenic-barbarian bipolarity, but rather the opposition of the ordered society based on law and the arbitrary rule of the despot. But political and social institutions are fragile structures, and Herodotus gives no guarantee that the Greek superiority at the time of the Persian Wars, which was based upon those institutions, will last. In fact his work closes on an ominous note that appears to warn imperial Athens that it is in danger of becoming, if it has not already become, the barbarian. We are presented with the gruesome picture of the crucifixion of the Persian satrap Artayctes at the command of the Athenian commander Xanthippus, father of Pericles, and a piece of wisdom from the Persian founding father, Cyrus, on the dangers of success and affluence. And it is well to remember that Herodotus wrote long after the Persian threat had passed, when Athenian imperial power was at its apogee. Herodotos interest in reciprocity is symptomatic of contemporary philosophy, not least in Ionia. Moreover, Herodotos very project, his attempt to explain and explore the Persian Wars, can be considered as a study of reciprocity in cross-cultural interaction, not least because those wars were for Herodotos a stage in a reciprocal, cross-cultural process, as he asserts in the proem. Indeed, war itself may be seen as an exchange, a reciprocal undertaking: the tactics of the Skythian Idanthyrsos allow him to wage war while explicitly rejecting the relationship that war usually entails. Herodotos origins in western Asia Minor, a key area of interface between Greek and non-Greek culture, may have led him to give particular thought to the issue of cross-cultural reciprocity, as also to the Persian Wars, for which the Ionian Revolt had been the catalyst, if not the cause. At the same time, the justice and injustice of imperialism remained a burning issue through the fifth century into the fourth, and not only Persian imperialism, but also Athenian, Spartan, and Macedonian. The Persian Wars were the great antecedents of the Peloponnesian War, in the early years of which Herodotos seems to have completed his work. The Persians themselves continued to play a major role in the politics of the Greek world: the onset of the Peloponnesian War seems to have inspired new attempts to deal with them, and with other non-Greeks, as indicated in comic style in Aristophanes Akharnians of 425 BC. 25 This is understandable, for it was to be Persian resources that would give ultimate victory to the Spartans in that war. Thus, it is quite possible that crosscultural reciprocity was a topical concern in Athens and elsewhere when Herodotos completed his work, though the issue had been close to the centre of Greek preoccupations at least since the time of the Persian Wars, Herodotos subject. The Persian Wars had reinforced a Hellenic self-image, defined by contrast with the barbarian identity, and had thereby further problematized relationships between Greek and non-Greek. In particular, Greeks (especially Athenians, perhaps) could and did use their defeat of Persia as confirmation of a broader superiority over the barbarian. In exploring the difficulties of forming relationships with the other, Herodotos Histories present readers with failures and disasters, arising primarily from ignorance, over-confidence, and cultural chauvinism. There is a definite element of pessimism in the Histories, for the inability to penetrate beyond contingent nomoi and thereby to see other as self is taken to be an observable feature of human nature, as manifested throughout the narrative. In particular, wars are seen to be the products of injustice and attendant ignorance. But there is also hope; for the author claims for himself the ability to rise above commonplace failings and offers to provide his readers with a better understanding of themselves, of others, and of reciprocity. Like Kroisos, the reader may pass into a state of deeper understanding through advice confirmed by experience. Where Kroisos had the advice of Solon and suffered personal disaster, the reader has the advice of Herodotos the author and suffers vicarious disaster, experiencing experiences. Baldry notices that Herodotos calls into question the whole dichotomy between Greek and barbarian, when he presents the Egyptian perspective, according to which barbarians are not those who do not speak Greek, but those who do not speak Egyptian. At the same time, as Laurot has shown, Herodotos displays no interest in condemning barbarians as such, nor in subordinating them to Greeks. Rather, his presentation in the Histories of nomoi of the barbarian other offers insights into the nomoi of the Greek self (or better, selves), insofar as the various Greek nomoi constitute Herodotos principal frame of reference and benchmark. However, as Rosellini and Said valuably stress, Herodotos does not present the barbarian other as a monolithic unity, any more than he presents the Greeks themselves as a unity: rather he ranges across the different nomoi that exist among barbarians and through the complexities of interaction between various barbarian peoples. The Histories are not so much a mirror, as Hartog would have it, but a hall of mirrors with multiple reflections. The key point is that in the Histories cultural differences, however profound they may be, are presented as secondary to a common human nature and a common human condition: in that sense too Greek is barbarian, self is other. The categories of Greek and barbarian are familiar to Herodotos, but on his view, as the proem indicates, they need not entail the subordination of the barbarian, whose achievements are to be celebrated also. For Herodotos, it is humanness that is the natural identity and the group identity that matters, and man-made variations are merely contingent, for all their exotic character and interest. Confirmation of such a view of Herodotos may be found in the condemnatory response of Plutarch, for whom Herodotos is far too positive about barbarians. The ferocity of Plutarchs response (indeed, his very decision to write a response at all) further indicates the strength of the challenge that Herodotos case presented to the smug asseverations of Greek specialness that seem to have developed through the fifth century and which Plutarch in his day assumed to be right and proper. Cross-cultural interaction was central to Herodotos project in the Histories. At the same time, the problematic nature of reciprocity the uncertainty that arises from its under-negotiation is particularly apparent in interaction across cultures. Indeed, Herodotos concern with the problematics of reciprocity as a phenomenon can be seen as intimately bound up with his concern with cross-cultural interaction. Of course, Herodotos starting-point is a matter of mere speculation. But we can and should observe the organic relationship between cross-cultural interaction, crosscultural reciprocity, and the problematics of reciprocity as a phenomenon. It is precisely within the problematics of cross-cultural reciprocity that the appreciation of cultural relativism is particularly necessary. Therefore, if we move from the claim, already mentioned, that there is a strong sense in which the Histories are about reciprocity to ask why Herodotos should be so interested in the phenomenon, I would suggest that an answer is to be found not in the topicality of reciprocity as a theme in the later fifth century, but in the rationale of Herodotos very undertaking. A broadlybased treatment of the Persian Wars by its very nature invites a simultaneous and inherent treatment of reciprocity as a phenomenon. To examine societies is to explore forms of reciprocities. All the more so, when societies invite comparisons through their It also seems clear that Herodotus approached the task of describing manners and customs with a fairly definite idea of what constituted a culture, and a fairly specific set of questions for evoking details from informants. The criteria which separated one group from another and gave individuality to his descriptive portraits were common descent, common language, common religion, and the observance of like manners in the smaller details of living, such as dress, diet, and dwellings. The Argippeans, who lived at the foot of the Ural Mountains, were presented vividly as being bald from birth, speaking a language of their own, using no weapons, dispensing justice in the quarrels of their neighbors, and dressing after the manner of the Scythians. They lived on the juice of a species of cherry, making the lees into a solid cake which they ate instead of meat. They dwell each man, he said, under a tree, covering it in winter with a white felt cloth, but using no felt in summer. For each group, in other words, seven categories of cultural fact are given. We are told their geographical location and something of their environment. We are told of their language, their dress, their food, their dwellings, their form of self-defense, or their lack of it, their prestige as judges among other peoples. On the other hand, concerning Egypt, one of the more important culture areas, Herodotus says at the outset that he will have to extend his remarks to some length. This countryits climate, its people and animalswas a constant surprise and challenge to the observer, very much as Japan with its customs and Australia with its fauna have challenged the modern traveller. For the Egyptians the number of cultural categories evoked far exceeds the seven used in describing the Argippeans. As for history, Bodins belief in its power to confer knowledge concerning the ways of mankind was unfaltering; and much of both the Methodus and the Republique is devoted to the assemblage of documentation to support this contention. Never before perhaps had a writer on politics or ethnography amassed so large a body of dated materials or laid so large a literature under tribute. He was well-read, not only in the law and the Bible, but in the Talmud and the Cabala; in the ancients, including Herodotus, Strabo, Cicero, Tacitus, and Caesar; in the modern historians, such as Joinville, Froissart, Monstrelet, Commines; and in the travelers, Marco Polo, Leo Africanus, and Las Casas. As they err, said he, who study the maps of regions before they have learned accurately the relation of the whole universe and the separate parts to each other and to the whole, so they are not less mistaken who think they can understand particular histories before they have judged the order and sequence of universal history and of all times, set forth as it were in a table.