Thursday, October 31, 2019
Non verbal assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Non verbal assignment - Essay Example ck sharp glance at me without a word and conveyed a reaction of unease by dropping one of her books with such force as to create a heavy slapping sound against the table. When I started to fidget and project some annoying movements, I heard her mumble something I could barely comprehend as she quickly, shall I say nastily, leafed through the book pages as if to almost rip off the sheets. On another occasion, I went as far as touching the surface of a notebook of a guy I believe is a sophomore who happened to make a sudden jerk getting up and took the thing away by impulse. To me, it seemed ambiguous to decide whether he meant to warn me of a possible trouble or if he merely intended to exhibit a nonverbal ââ¬Å"blockâ⬠to protect his property from my seemingly illogical act. Instead of proceeding to invade his territory by taking up part of his area, I unwrapped a candy which produced some scratchy noise especially when I bit on it in the manner that would make a louder disturbing sound. In a span of a minute, no verbal nor non-verbal reaction registered from his side but after a few minutes of biting the candy with the same degree of noise, the student motioned to sigh a few times as though he wanted to deliver a message that he could not concentrate on his reading. About the same findings resulted from the few other individuals in the library and the park. Perhaps my worst case of invasion was the time I stepped into the food court and literally occupied the seat which was obviously reserved for two ladies. Eventually, I got confronted with a scenario of being told that the place is already taken and I felt that I really got into their nerves as one of them spoke with raised volume and nasty inflections. Based on the aforementioned experiences, I could well imagine and sense the hard feelings each of the seven people went through in the process of having their right to territory stolen for a moment. Each of them demonstrated mostly unpleasant responses in return
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
COMMUNITY HEALTH & POPULATION-FOCUSED NURSING Research Paper
COMMUNITY HEALTH & POPULATION-FOCUSED NURSING - Research Paper Example These and many other distinguishing attributes of community health nursing have evolved in the framework of philosophical and historical contexts on the preventive health care, health as well as professionalization of the nursing industry (Allender & Rector, 2010). More specifically, these roles involve many partnerships and collaboration within populations and communities in order to address the social and health conditions as well as any arising challenges. It is important to realize that community health nursing has developed in the recent past as a special nursing specialty in the time when much expansion in scientific knowledge has been taking place. Additionally, the field has developed because of the public objectives aimed at improving the standards and quality of life in urban environments, giving rise to various aspects of preventive health care that is population oriented. For a long time, public nurses had been viewed as playing a significant role towards achievements in improvements of the social and health conditions of most of the vulnerable populations. This paper examines the aspect of community health nursing in Alameda city of Alameda, focusing on how it has been used in improving the health standards of the inhabitants in the region. In Alameda, community health nursing has been responsible for the improved health and social conditions according to research findings. In this community just like in other places, community health nursing has been applied in various setting, not being limited to centres in charge of community nursing , health agencies in homes, housing developments, neighboring centres among many others. In Alameda, the most vulnerable and high-risk populations, in most cases become the centre of focus when it comes to caring and includes the elderly persons that are frail, homeless
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Case Study On Eastman Kodak
Case Study On Eastman Kodak Eastman Kodak is in most certainty the story of an organization that has failed to correctly manage and implement change. The company which was enjoying sales of around US$10 billion in 1981 has a net income of only US$139 million in 2005. Kodaks brand value also slipped down dramatically. An estimated US$2.6 billion was lost owing to the decrease in organizations brand value. A number of factors played an important role in Eastman Kodaks tragic decline. The most important factor that contributed to Kodaks demise was the rigid thinking on part of its management that stopped them from taking timely initiative towards adoption of digital technology in digital communications segment of the company. Another important letdown related to change implementation occurred when Kodaks management failed to realize that it needs to continuously monitor the changes occurring in the environment and then take small continuous steps towards complete adoption of a particular change if analysis reveals that it is good for the overall organizational well being. In the ensuing paragraphs a detailed discussion will be carried out examining what went wrong at Eastman Kodak and what are the possible remedial steps that can be taken. Problem 1: Kodak missing the information age The biggest strategic blunder committed by the management of Eastman Kodak was that it failed to correctly anticipate the needs of changing time. While the competitors around them were constantly innovating and coming up with new products in line with the changing needs of the market, the management at Kodak was happy being stuck with the old products and ways of thinking. A big factor contributing to the amazing collapse of Kodak was managements approach towards finding solutions to strategic problems being faced by the organization. The Rational Thinking Perspective (RTP) was successfully utilized by Kodak in its infancy when RTP was the main perspective being used by leading businesses around the globe but, as time passed and fierce competition started emerging Kodak ignored the need to change its core business technology from silver-halide film technology to the digital technology. This failure to foresee change and sticking to RTP was a huge strategic blunder on part of Kodaks m anagement and could well have been avoided had the management at Eastman Kodak used Generative Thinking Perspective (GTP) to solve the strategic problems being faced by the organization. Rational Thinking Perspective (RTP) versus Generative Thinking Perspective (GTP) The followers of Rational Thinking Perspective (RTP) notably Kenneth Andrews argue that the strategy analysis and formulation stages should be carried out with due diligence and with extreme care (Erasmus Schenk, 2008). The proponents of RTP believe that the issues being faced by organizations are adequately clear and a thorough analysis of relevant data will reveal the future course of direction that should be chosen (Oliver, 2009). The RTP can easily be broken down into four main stages starting from data analysis and setting of strategic objectives followed by planning stage to carrying out the implementation of the defined objectives (Wit Meyer, 2010). The followers of generative perspective school of thought (GTP) reject the RTP by saying that in the fast paced world of today the rational and systematic logic cannot be used for decision making (Paauwe, 2004). GTP argues that enterprise problems can only be solved by interactive actions. GTP believes that strategy making is a p rocess of reflecting, envisioning, experimenting and learning that can never be neatly organized, programmed or conceptualized (Hoogervorst, 2009). Strategies to resolve the problem Kodak totally depended on the strictly logical Rational Thinking perspective (RTP) in the production and sales of cameras and films which allowed competitors to slowly snatch the market share of Eastman Kodak in the camera industry it previously dominated. Kodak could easily have avoided the losses in revenues at the hand of fierce competition from rival organizations had the management used Generative Thinking Perspective (GTP) to tackle the changing environment needs. GTP, with its emphasis on using intuitive approaches to meet emerging challenges in the marketplace, would have helped Kodaks management in foreseeing that it needs to move from the traditional film camera to the digital camera in order to keep in line with changing consumer needs. Problem 2: Extreme times need extreme measures Kodaks lack of initiative to adapt to changing needs of the market was another reason for the organizations gradually faded into oblivion. The management of the organization, led by Daniel Carp failed to realize the looming danger in the forms of innovative product offering by rival organization. The introduction of Mavica, a filmless digital camera by Sony Corporation as early as 1981 should have served as a warning signal for Kodaks management, but the top management failed to foresee the looming signs of a disaster. A provocative management team would have adopted the Continuous Renewal Perspective (CRP) as early as the 1980s to gradually start making progress towards complete adoption of digital technology solutions. The strategy to use CRP would have immensely helped Kodak in maintaining its crown as the undisputed market leader in the camera industry. The Kodaks management woes dont stop here, years later when the digital technology totally rule the camera manufacturing industr y, the management is still confused as to whether it should or should not go for DRP as it entails the management to assume the level of risk it is simply not used. Discontinuous Renewal Perspective (DRP) versus Continuous Renewal Perspective (CRP) There are two main perspectives that describe how change is brought about in an organization. The first perspective i.e. the discontinuous renewal perspective (DRP) argues that change should be rapid and radical (Cummings Worley, 2009). The DRP involves a rapid change in the structure, technology, people and strategy pursued by the organization (Lussier, 2008). The supporters of DRP believe it is an excellent process to follow in case an organization has to make a transformational change since it will help the organization to quickly respond to external disruptions and quickly reach a period of smooth growth (Daft, 2009). The other perspective i.e. the continuous renewal perspective (CRP) argues that introducing change in an organization should be a process of continuous improvement (Crowthe Green, 2004). The proponents of CRP argue that it is a very profitable process to follow for the entire organization, since these changes can be carried out with the accepted organizational fra mework and value systems without making unnecessary changes to organizational structure (Weick Quinn, 1999). Strategies to resolve the problem In the early 1980s the management of Eastman Kodak should have started the process of slow transforming their key resources from silver-halide film technology to digital technology, but they did not take any concrete step in this regard. Years later, with the rivals now possessing state-of-the-art digital technologies Eastman Kodak is now left with no choice and solution but to undergo a radical revolutionary change towards adopting the digital technology in all stages of the post-digital photography value chain. The management of Kodak must however by very careful in making the transition as any mistake at this point would spell serious trouble for the future of the firm. Problem 3: Dilemma of choosing between MBV and RBV Film, paper, chemicals and photo processing were the four areas where Kodak traditionally held supremacy over its rivals but, with the advent of new age of digital technology Kodak could no longer reap benefits out of the old sources of competitive advantage. The fundamental problem being faced by Kodaks management is that Kodak does not hold any advantage over its rival organizations when it comes to possessing new age photography resources such as digitization technology along with storage, retrieval, transmission, manipulation and projection solutions. The advent of digital age has put Kodak in a serious dilemma, in order to compete with its rivals it has to move into the digital printing medium, an area where Eastman Kodak naturally has no experience in. In order to move into the digital printing medium Kodak has to compete with organizations such as Sony, Mitsubishi, and Canon who have their core competency oriented towards the digital technology. Resource Based View (RBV) versus Market Based View (MBV) The Resource Based View (RBV) opines that each firm should within its boundaries to find out that precious blend of resources that are valuable, costly and are rare to imitate (Sanchez, 2008). Once an organizations key resources are identified the management should then mount a search to discover for the markets where those resources can be utilized (Matlay, 2005). The RBP is also known as an inside-out approach to organizational decision making whereby an organizations core competency is defined by the way it leverages and exploits its resources (Schwenker Spremann, 2009). As compared to the RBV, the Market Based View (MBV) emphasis that an organization can only gain crucial advantage over its competitors if it looks towards the threats and opportunities existing in the marketplace (Enders, 2004). The MBV has an outside-in perspective which emphasizes that a firms position in the marketplace is an extremely important determinant of its success or failure (Woodside, 2008). Strategies to resolve the problem In order to compete with the changing business scenario a new strategy was announced in September 2003 in which Kodaks management aimed to pay complete attention on display and inkjet segments of the market. This change in Kodaks strategy comes with the change in the needs of the target market with customers moving away from the film based cameras to digital cameras. The supreme focus of firms in the photography business is on capturing the customers who believe in printing hard copies of digital images by offering them various options such as desktop inkjet printers, printing at kiosks etc. Kodak has taken up the challenge by setting up minilabs and kiosks where customers can come and easily get a hard copy of their digital photos. Kodak needs to carefully present its offering to its intended target market as it has to compete with a number of settled players with extensive technical expertise in the digital photo-finishing market. Problem 4: Dilemma between choosing competition or cooperation in strategy Kodak, facing the daunting challenge of competing with technologically superior organizations launched an aggressive campaign of acquiring companies and latest technologies in order to address the ever changing needs of the consumer market. From the acquisition of Scitex Digital Printing to forming strategic partnership with Verizon Wireless and buying a 50% stake in Nexpress Solutions, Kodak embarked upon a massive strategic partnership making mission that resulted in depressed cash flows for the organization and created disinterest among the investment community. Kodaks decision to aggressively pursue Embedded Organization Perspective (EOP) was seen as a desperate attempt by the organization to build its resource base in the imaging industry, an area where it hardly gives any competition to its rival technologically superior organizations. Discrete Organization Perspective (DOP) versus Embedded Organization Perspective (EOP) The Discrete Organization Perspective (DOP) views organizations as autonomous units that compete with other organizations in an extremely hostile external environment (Wit Meyer, 2010). According to this perspective each organization is taken as being detached from its environment and having a sharply defined boundary that sets it apart from the external world (Ostroff Judge, 2012). The managers having DOP believe that relationship with other organizations should be kept formal and too much dependency on outside organizations should be avoided since it can lead to the rival firm taking undue advantage of the organization (English, 2011). The Embedded Organization Perspective (EOP) believes that business is not all about being at war with other organizations in the marketplace. According to EOP the main aim of business is value creation and organizations can only maximize value when they work together to achieve a common goal (Wit Meyer, 2010). Strategies to resolve the problem The management of Eastman Kodak should make sure that they do not take hasty merger and acquisition decision as it would send wrong signals both to the investment community and the customers alike. At this crucial juncture in the history of Kodak, each and every decision should be taken keeping the best interests of the organization in mind and in order to do so the management must first thoroughly examine if a merger and acquisition decision will be profitable for the organization and what effect it will produce on potential customers and investors of the firm. The management at Eastman Kodak must first clearly define its intended target market and then develop partnership with organizations which can help Kodak in offering highest quality products and services armed with latest technology to the consumers. Problem 5: Dilemma between choosing competition or cooperation in strategy Eastman Kodak faces the dilemma between choosing a globalization or localization strategy. The old and outdated model of sales based on the traditional analogue technology has proved to be successful in some of the emerging Eastern markets predominantly the Chinese market but, in the competitive Western market where the competition is much more severe and rival organizations have developed their core competencies strictly on the more advanced digital technology Kodak needs to quickly get its core technology in line with their competitors. Global Convergence Perspective (GCP) versus International Diversity Perspective (IDP) The Global Convergence Perspective (GCP) puts forward the argument of a boundary less world in which people with similar mindset see eye-to-eye. The opponents of GCP argue that imposition of foreign norms, values, behaviours and habits in their home country harms national culture and hurts the feelings of national sovereignty (Wit Meyer, 2010). As compared to the GCP, the International Diversity Perspective (IDP) argues that world must be kept a diverse place where national cultures are retained and local autonomy is given the highest value (Wit Meyer, 2010). It is a generally observed phenomenon that in countries where people have strong nationalistic views the International Diversity Perspective (IDP) can be successfully used by multinational organizations in promotion of their products and services while in countries with where nationalistic feelings are far less pronounced the Global Convergence Perspective (GCP can be successfully used for product and service promotion (Wit M eyer, 2010). Strategies to resolve the problem The management of Eastman Kodak needs to realize that while the old and outdated analogue technology may succeed in the emerging Eastern market, there are no bright prospects for the use of this obsolete technology in the more developed Western markets. It is right time now that the management of Kodak build-up a global strategy using the GCP which can help the organization to make use of its silver-halide technology in the emerging markets while at the same time incorporating the much more developed digital technology for producing and marketing its products and services in the Western market. Conclusion The management of Eastman Kodak committed a number of mistakes in running the business operation including its complete reliance on internal organizational competencies for an extended period of time and then abruptly changing the strategy to merge with and acquire a huge number of organizations sending wrong signals to the investment community. Although Kodak faces a number of challenges posed by the technologically superior rival organizations but, if it correctly uses management strategies aimed at constantly changing the organizational policies in line with industry benchmarks there are bright chances that Kodak can win back its lost position.
Friday, October 25, 2019
Metaphors For War :: essays research papers
The use of metaphors are an important factor with any piece of literature. Metaphors add color to creative writings, also establishing depth. A story without metaphors is lifeless, unable to compose another way to view it. The term for a metaphor is a figure of speech in which term is transferred to something it does not literally apply to, this helps the brain create a mental picture which the person might easily understand what the character is feeling. When a person finally makes the connection between the metaphor and the idea, the story takes a deeper meaning. In the story by E.M. Remarque, 'All Quiet on the Western Front', you see a vast quantity of metaphors to connect the characters thoughts together. While reading this book, you may decide to ignore the metaphors, by not truly understanding the meaning they portray. In this, you fail to grasp the emotions that the author relates to you in the tale of the soldiers of the book. If you take the time to appreciate what the author writes by using metaphors the story will be more enjoyable. Understanding metaphors is not always easy, many people get similes and metaphors mixed up. A simile is nothing more then a baby metaphor. You must be able to pick out a metaphor in the story, no matter how minuscule. For even though it may appear small, it might be a lead to another far bigger metaphor. Through this, the intended meaning will appear. When Paul the main character, refers to the front as a whirlpool, this is quite a large metaphor, with a deeply rooted meaning. "To me the front is a mysterious whirlpool. Though I am in still water far away from its centre, I feel the whirl of the vortex sucking me slowly, irresistibly, inescapably into itself" (Ch.4,Pg55) This is saying that though he is not even close to the front, he still feels the effects from his position. It creates the mental picture that Paul is a boat in a large ocean, and far in the distance the whirlpool is barely seen on the horizon. Though slowly, maybe without him even realizing it, he is being pulled towards the whirlpool. This is an example of a metaphor and the mental images it creates to help people understand the book. The author also has a cage represent the front, "The front is a cage in which we must await fearfully
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Bibliography of Famous Authors Essay
In this article by Robert Scholes, it talks about the hope and memory in My Antonia. He says the characters find themselves by looking back at the past. He said ââ¬Å"we are reminded of this past constantly: by the Bohemian customs and culinary practices of the Shimerdas; by the observations of Otto Fuch on the relationship of Austrians and Bohemians I the old country; and especially by the Catholic religion of the Bohemians, which is their strongest link with the past, and which serves to bind them together and to separate them from the protestant society of their adopted andâ⬠¦Antonia cherishes her connection with the pastâ⬠it talks about the characters and their past and how it has impacted their lives. I will use this to tie back into my thesis because this is basically what my whole paper is about. My paper based on the characterââ¬â¢s past and how it impacts them later in life. The article talks a lot of the past memories that I can use in my research paper. Lucenti, Lisa Marie. ââ¬Å"Willa Cathers My Antonia: Haunting the Houses of Memory.â⬠Twentieth Century à Literature 46 (2000): Literary Reference Center, Galileo. MPHS Library, 18 April 2011 (#33 a work from an online service to which your library subscribes) This article analyzes My Antonia and itââ¬â¢s theme of memory and how it haunts some of the characters. It talks about the story of the wolves and how its haunted Peter and Pavel and how that brings gothic to the story. It also tells why Cather included some of the memories that she did in the novel. It tells the importance of those memories to the characters. I will talk about the memories it mentions and how they are important to the story and to the characters lives. Their past is what makes them who they are and it is important to mention why they are so important to them. This article analyzes the theme and I can use some of that information to help with my argument. Meeker, Joseph W. ââ¬Å"Willa Cather: The Plow and The Penâ⬠Willa Catherââ¬â¢s Ecological Imagination. Ed. Susan Rosowski. Volume 5. Lincoln: U of Nebraska, 1986. (#18 a selection from an anthropology) In this article, Meeker talks about the symbols mentioned in Catherââ¬â¢s novels. It talks about the plow and the landscape in My Antonia. It also talks about how some of the symbols represent the past. The article mentioned imagery throughout the novel and how the Nebraska plains had an impact on Jim. It also mentioned some of the imagery in O Pioneers! and other novels by Cather. I will use the information to help support my thesis on the symbols and theme and how it impacts the characters in the novel. In the article when it talks about the land and how it ties back to the past, I will use that to help my thesis. It has very good detail on everything represented in the novel and it will help me develop my paragraphs on symbolism. Gross, Jonathan D. ââ¬Å"Recollecting Emotion in Tranquility: Wordsworth and Byron in Catherââ¬â¢s My à ntonia à and Lucy Gayheartâ⬠Cather Studies 7 (2007): Literary Reference Center, Galileo. MPHS Library 18 April 2011 (#33 a work from an online service to which your library subscribes) This article compares My Antonia with novels from Wordsworth and Byron. They all share similar qualities in their writings. In this article it talks about theme and symbols in My Antonia. In both My Antonia and in ââ¬Å"Lines Written a Few Miles above Tintern Abbeyâ⬠, they talk about the theme of nature and how it impacts the characters. This whole article compares My Antonia to other works by Cather, Wordsworth, and Byron. I will use the information about the theme of nature and symbols mentioned in the article. Thereââ¬â¢s not a whole lot I can use on My Antonia but it has good information about theme and symbols throughout out the novel. It talks about how Cather focused on landscape and sensitivity of the reader to relate the past. Hallgarth, Susan A. ââ¬Å"Archetypal Patterns in Shadows on the Rockâ⬠. Colby Quarterly 24 (1988): 2-4. (#22 An article in a journal with continuous pagination throughout the annual volume) In this article, it talks about symbols and how they represent something in the novel. It talks about how shadows are a repeated pattern in My Antonia and how Antonia breaking away from her mother is a symbol of her going through a new beginning. It compared symbols in My Antonia to some in Death Comes for the Archbishop and how they relate to one another. In the article it says ââ¬Å" Burdenââ¬â¢s discovery of pastness in the present allows him to see Antonia as all the ââ¬Ëimageââ¬â¢ which do not fade and herself, a ââ¬Ëbattered womanââ¬â¢ (MA, 352, 353). So I will use that in the paragraph I will have talking about how the past still reminds him of Antonia because his childhood is basically Antonia. All of his memories remind Jim of her because she is a big part in his past.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Internet Cafe Feasibility
Introduction Nowadays, internet cafe is really in demand because of the fast changing technology that the people embraced. It continues to play a larger role in all aspects of life, people and especially student's needs to have knowledge to navigate the genealogical world with skill and knowing their responsibilities.An internet cafe is an area that provides internet access to the public that has time rate. Internet cafe is known as one method of communication, we use it for reading news headlines, searching, play electronic games, chatting with family and friends, watching, and etc,. It is recorded that the world's first Internet cafe belongs to Cafe Siberia which opened in London, England in September 1, 1994. It was founded by Eva Papoose who got the business idea of serving coffee to customers who are surfing the web while tinting at a coffee shop near the City University of London where she was taking her PHD degree.She started Cafe Siberia with six HP computers which are connec ted to the Internet through dial-up modems that were able to transfer rate of 9. 6 kilobits of data per second. The proposed business plan named ââ¬Å"HIGH FIVE INTERNET CAFEâ⬠since the business primary role is to provide high quality service and the implementing unit is composed of five members. Rationale Providing internet cafe is a project we come up to suffice the demand of computer shop in different places has. With the heave of population every year, less computer shop is not sufficient for the future demands of community.This project is very additional and appropriate to be used. It is also comprises of stored different application and software that suitable to the people and especially for student needed. This place will also fully air conditioned and very secure to maintain good service and qualities of the computers. Project Description The computer units in the Internet cafe are consists of different applications and software like Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft O ffice Power Point, Microsoft Office Excel, and etc. Every unit has installed mainly needed software, applications and games. We proposed this project for the following reasons: To provide high quality and high standard computers for the future demands of customers. For customers' needs especially for the students. Allows people to communicate to their love one. Objectives To be able to acquire the computer system that will meet the expectation and needs of the computer users. To be able to prove that the proposed business will provide benefits to people. Significance of the StudyThe significance of this project is to help the society specifically to those where interests lies in the computers area. This area will be renting near schools, were our target customers are mainly students and nearby neighborhood especially those people whose relatives or loved ones are on abroad and find it very convenient communicating with them through chat and email. We make our customer comfortable, g ood music is well provided, the PC's is all well organized and arrange properly according to their rows for the convenience of our customer.Each computer has their own games, internet and surfing to be chosen by our customer, and it should be accessible to all users. Implementing Schedule Major Activities Project Proposal Strategies Time Frame Submission and approval of the Pro- April 5-6, 2014 eject Finding Equipments and Assurance for high quality equipment April 7-12, 2014 Location Construction and Set-up Preparation for the necessity of the April 14-30, 2014 equipments customers Submission of the Preparation and presentation of the April 31, 2014 Proposal Project 5 by 5 Square Meters Topology
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
This is a term paper on hippies.
This is a term paper on hippies. Lessons from a Hippie SocietyThe hippie movement, positive or negative, brought an abundance of changes to mainstream society, affecting every generation since. The influences of the time brought an open-minded change in lifestyle and love and a mind-bending trip through rock-n-roll and drugs. We saw political, spiritual, literary, and musical leaders rise and fall, leaving a lifetime of lessons behind them. According to Webster Dictionary in 1965, the definition for the word hippie was "a usually young person who rejects the mores of established society and advocates a nonviolent ethic; broadly: a long haired unconventionally dressed young person".The Vietnam War was something that affected everyone in America, if you didn't get drafted then you knew someone who did. We were drafting men as young as nineteen, the youngest age in history. By February 1967, there were four hundred and twenty seven thousand soldiers in Vietnam. Over 1,750 U.English: Haight Street, San Francisco, Califo rnia,...S. planes had been lost and six thousand six hundred American soldiers had been killed ( ). By the time it ended, over two million Americans were involved in the war, and more than sixty thousand didn't return alive.The anti-war protest was beginning to spread across America. The first large peace march was called "Vietnam Day" and was organized by Jerry Rubin ( ). On April 15th, 1967, three hundred people gathered in New York's Central Park to protest. Thousand of picket signs raised in the air with statements such as "Hey, hey, LBJ, how many kids did you kill today" ( ), in protest against sending men as young as nineteen. Young men burned their draft cards in a large bonfire in a defiant protest to the war. After burning his, Dan Baty hid in a Methodist church, protected by a Reverend who refused to turn him over...
Monday, October 21, 2019
Planting Trees on Bloor Avenue in Downtown Toronto
Planting Trees on Bloor Avenue in Downtown Toronto Summary The report is based on a case study on the tree planting project along the Bloor Avenue in Bloor-Yorkville. It covers the aspects of rezoning this area so as to ensure that it has residential areas as well instead of the usual office apartments and retail stores. This has necessitated the planting of trees in the area. The rezoning of the area is also meant to eliminate throughway passages across the residential areas.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Planting Trees on Bloor Avenue in Downtown Toronto specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The report analyses the zoning of the area and looks into the appropriate amendments made on the zoning bylaws. There has been need to amend the Toronto zoning by-laws so as to allow the restructuring of Bloor Avenue. This is supposed to affect the construction of new structures, readjusting the packing zone as well as ensure order in the development of the area. Background W ith the constructions of multipurpose storey buildings that have offices, commercial and residential units, there has been a move to amend the zoning laws so as to ensure that trees are planted on Bloor Avenue. Efforts have been made to allow for larger parking spaces meant to serve the office/commercial units as well as the residential units and increase the size of the pedestriansââ¬â¢ sidewalks. The Site and the Surroundings Bloor-Yorkville is between Church Street and Avenue Road. The area has been divided various section which include; institutional areas, open space areas, apartment neighborhoods and residential neighborhoods, like the Yorkville Triangle. To maintain the forest cover and keep a healthy ecosystem, especially at the residential areas, there has been a push to plant trees on Bloor Avenue. This has particularly been taken up by non-profit making organizations, individuals and the city council. Discussion Bloor Avenue Transformation Project Bloor-Yorkville is am ong the best shopping and entertainment districts in Canada. This was particularly one of the reasons for the Bloor Avenue transformation project. The project was aimed at ensuring that the center has beautiful plane trees in sustainable soil cell systems. This is meant to ensure optimal growth for the trees. The project was also aimed at ensuring wider pedestrian sub-ways and maintaining beautiful seasonal flowerbeds as well as attractive lighting for the trees.Advertising Looking for case study on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The transformation has made Bloor Avenue a preferred shopping center for the local and international tourists. This project might have taken more time but the efforts were worth. In the 1990ââ¬â¢s, for instance, there was an advice from the City of Toronto concerning the overhaul of a water system that was serving Bloor-Yorkvilleââ¬â¢s Bloor Street from Church S treet to Avenue road. The corridor was then to be transformed with interesting upgrades. The transformation was done in phases and was completed in 2010. The upgrades made Bloor Avenue to be among the most preferred shopping streets in Canada and hence among the most expensive. Boor Street has some of the most expensive residential units and hotels. It also has one of the largest museums in Toronto, which is at the Bloor and Avenue Road intersection. The transformation project was started with the aim of ensuring wider sidewalks, mature trees, beautiful flower gardens, well lit streets and public artwork. Picturesque gardens and quiet residential units have characterized the suburbs in this area. Construction of Bloor Street implied the conversion of most residential units into commercial units and offices. There has been a significant rise in the prices of these units. Bloor-Yorkville BIA is a non profit making organization which aims at bringing more traffic and investment to the area. It is composed of 700 members and it organizes various events annually so as to ensure that its objectives are met. Due to this, Bloor-Yorkville has continued to blossom as a shopping center. The area has major name brand retailers like Prada and Gucci. The transformation project for Bloor Avenue had been planned for a long time and it commenced in 2008. It was aimed at ensuring that the street is at per with other renowned streets and avenues like Park Avenue in New York and Michigan Avenue in Chicago. The revitalization of the avenue continued at a slow pace due to a number of challenges that were encountered. For instance, there were logistical problems due to the poor infrastructure. At that time, Toronto was grappling with economic difficulties due to the economic recession that was being witnessed across the globe. The expenditure on this project, therefore, met with a lot of opposition from different groups.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Planting Trees on Bloor Avenue in Downtown Toronto specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, the project continued to its completion. By then, trees were planted on the avenue and new flower gardens installed. This turned the old Bloor Avenue into a new beautiful and vibrant area. Upon the completion of this project, besides the announcement, the Bloor-Yorkville BIA organization had to change the perception among the people that the project was a waste of money. A red carpet event was therefore held and the area between the Church Street and Avenue Road was covered with a red carpet. The event was advertised in the media and on the internet and it was a great success. The prime goal of restoring Bloor Avenue to its beauty and glory had been achieved. The transformation of Bloor-Avenue has made Bloor-Yorkville to be among the most attractive areas to the local and international tourists and even those who search for residential units. Parks The area adjacent to the Bloor Avenue has several parks that portray the scenic beauty of the town. A good example is the Village of Yorkville Park. It is composed of unique gardens that were designed with the aim of bringing out the diversity of Bloor-Yorkvilleââ¬â¢s landscape and the wider Canadian region. The park has been well designed with attractive pine trees that grow outside circular benches. It also has well groomed crabapple trees and a waterfall. Its design has resulted in the park receiving recognition as being among the best parks in Toronto. Other parks included the Frank Strollery Parkette, which is an urban park, the Jesse Ketchum Park that has a playing ground and it is next to Jesse Ketchum School. There is also the Town Hall Square which is situated near the Toronto Public Library. It is an urban oasis that has benches and pathways between the well maintained hedges, trees and large pots. Tree Bylaws Even though most trees grow on private property, they are pe rceived as an important part of the urban forest. For this reason, it is upon the Urban Forest Service to nurture and protect them. They are protected by the urban municipal laws. In 2004, the city of Toronto municipality came up with a municipality code that regulates the damaging or removal of trees from private property.Advertising Looking for case study on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The code is aimed at protecting the urban forest hence ensuring a healthy ecosystem. To destroy or remove a tree on private property, a person is supposed to acquire a permit from the Urban Forest Service and he/she is expected to pay some application fee. To remove a dead, diseased or a hazardous tree, a permit is not required but a report from an arborist is to be sent to the Urban Forest Service. The zoning bylaws are aimed at ensuring that the area remains within a healthy and attractive environment. They also ensure that the multi-use areas for pedestrians are protected from encroachment and hence are open and easily accessibility. The bylaws were also enacted so as to protect residential areas from intensive commercial projects or developments. They help protect historical artifacts and buildings as well. They are also aimed at ensuring that any developments are in line with the required standards. Conclusion The Bloor-Yorkville is known to be a commercial as well as a residen tial town. It is among the well designed cities in Northern America. This has made it a tourist attraction site. The area has well kept parks that add to the scenic beauty of the town, with a good example being the Village of Yorkville Park. Planting trees along Bloor Avenue has been quite crucial in protecting the residential units. The area has some multipurpose storey buildings that have both the offices/commercial units and residential units especially on the upper floors. The planting of trees on Bloor Avenue has particularly been vital in protecting the pedestrian sidewalks hence ensuring that these sections are not encroached. The transformation project for Bloor Avenue was supposed to ensure that all the construction and development projects are done in accordance with the appropriate set standards. Azure Publishing. Planting Trees on Bloor Avenue in Downtown Toronto. Azure 2 March 2010: 154-156. Print. Hodge, Gerald. The Need for Community Planning. Planning Canadian Comm unitiesà (2007): 3-10. Print. Oberlander, Cornelia. Trees in the city. Oxford: Pergamon Press, 2011. Print. Reed, Frederick. Construction. A Journal for the Architectural, Engineering andà Contracting Interests of Canada (2009): 5-10. Print. Warkentin, John. Creating Memory: A Guide to Outdoor Public Sculpture in Toronto.à Toronto: Becker Associates, 2009. Print.
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Analysing The Impact Of Terrorism On Kenya Tourism Essay
Analysing The Impact Of Terrorism On Kenya Tourism Essay The U.S. Department of State defines terrorism as ââ¬Å"premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience.â⬠Likewise, as terrorism against tourists often involves international citizens, international terrorism is defined as ââ¬Å"terrorism involving citizens or the territory of more than one country.â⬠WHY DO TERRORISTS TARGET KENYA? Geographic location, poverty and unstable neighbours are some key elements that have contributed to past terrorist attacks faced by Kenya. Kenyaââ¬â¢s unique geographic location acts as a passageway from the Middle East and South Asia to East Africa and beyond. Therefore, Kenya had to cater for the many activities that would now exist because of this pathway so an extensive seaport was constructed as well as two international airports, one in Mombassa and one in Nairobi along with rail, road and communication infr astructure. With these additions, travel and entry into and around Kenya is quite easy and usually obscure due to its penetrable borders coupled with its surrounding neighbours and unmonitored coastline. In particular, the Arabs in Kenya that occupy the coastal areas are closely linked to the Arabs in the Middle East as they both share a common religion and language. This has made it quite convenient for terrorist to blend into the community. For these reasons, Kenya is a preferred choice for terrorist to strike. DISCUSSION ON TERRORISMââ¬â¢S IMPACT ON THE HOSPITALITY all of the 330 staff had their salaries reduced, including Dunford the chairman (National Geographic 2010).
Friday, October 18, 2019
Character analysis of Christian Darling in The Eighty-Yard Run short Essay - 1
Character analysis of Christian Darling in The Eighty-Yard Run short story - Essay Example from them, watching the other backs heading him off toward the sideline, the whole picture, the men closing in on him, the blockers fighting for position, the ground he had to cross, all suddenly clear in his head, for the first time in his life not a meaningless confusion of men, sounds, speed. He smiled a little to himself as he ran, holding the ball lightly in front of him with his two hands, his knees pumping high, his hips twisting in the almost girlish run of a back in a broken field. The first halfback came at him and he fed him his leg, then swung at the last moment, took the shock of the mans shoulders without breaking stride, ran right through him, his cleats biting securely into the turf. There was only the safety man now, coming warily at him, his arms crooked, hands spread. Darling tucked the ball in, spurted at him, driving hard, hurling himself along, all two hundred pounds bunched into controlled attack. He was sure he was going to get past the safety man. Without tho ught, his arms and legs working beautifully together, he headed right for the safety man, stiff-armed him, feeling blood spurt instantaneously from the mans nose onto his hand, seeing his face go awry, head turned, mouth pulled to one side. He pivoted away, keeping the arm locked, dropping the safety man as he ran easily toward the goal line, with the drumming of cleats diminishing behind him. How long ago? It was autumn then, and the ground was getting hard because the nights were cold and leaves from the maples around the stadium blew across the practice fields in gusts of wind, and the girls were beginning to put polo coats over their sweaters when they came to watch practice in the afternoon. . . . Fifteen years. Darling walked slowly over the same ground in the spring twilight, in his neat shoes, a man of thirty-five dressed in a double breasted suit, ten pounds heavier in the fifteen years, but not fat, with the years between 1925 and 1940 showing in his face. The coach was
Sign language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Sign language - Essay Example Sometimes, sign is confused with the practice of pantomime, but sign language does not include its environment. This paper aims to review sign language in general. Firstly, the nature of signs will be described. Secondly, the similarities and differences between sign and spoken language will be presented. Finally, a conclusion shall synthesize the main points of the paper. Sign takes place in 3-D space also known as "signing space," which is usually close to the trunk of the body and the head. Signs can be wither one or two-handed. When only one-handed a dominant hand performs the sign, and in two-handed signing, the non-dominant hand comes into play. It has only lately been realized that the non-manual forms of sign are able to effectively express the feelings of the signer (Weaver and Pentland 1). This is similar to verbal speaker's ability to transmit meaning through non-verbal means. However, for signers, non-manual channels are also critical to communicate the grammar of the language. Unfortunately, not much is known as yet about non-manual forms as compared to manual forms, however current research interests into this topic may change this. It is not unusual for a child to learn sign from... Studies have implicated many equivalent learning processes between sign and spoken language learning. Primarily for sign, inflection is of more importance than word positioning. Using a visual-gestic mode for the arrangement of inflexion, sign is very similar to Navajo or Latin language. The hand configuration used in signs means that each sign has numerous parts consisting of; the configuration, place of articulation, orientation, path of movement and non-sign components that include facial expressions (Braem 1). Some sign languages have up to 18-19 handshapes, 24 movements and 12 locations. Visual and kinetic aspects of sign make it difficult or can make it impossible for a person from learning the language from a book, such as its movement aspects. As such, a teacher is required who is more proficient in the language. Hence, a model is required to be observed by the learner, and as it is some of the best teachers are those who originated this language, that is the "deaf and dumb" (Braem 4). There are many common linguistical features to sign languages; these include the extensive use of classifiers, a high level of use of inflection and a topic-comment syntax. Mostly, the linguistical characteristics of sign language are its ability to produce meaning in different areas of the visual field simultaneously. That is, the receiver of the communication may be able to read the meaning of the signs that the hands make, whilst reading the facial expression and the positioning of the body. This is in stark contrast to oral languages, wherein sounds that make up words tend to spoken sequentially, although the use of tone takes exception to this.The body and facial expressions are essential to communication in sign. The
Tourism is becoming increasingly important as a source of income to Research Paper
Tourism is becoming increasingly important as a source of income to many countries but its disadvantages should not be overlooked - Research Paper Example Imported influence facilitates adoption of imported systems that deny the local promotion of local contents, for instance local music. Tourism is associated with shifts in population hence creating imported character behaviors. Tourism is sought to be a cause of immoral behavior and crime (Morgan, 2013). Tourism create deep influences in many ways, for example, the manner in which people dress is in many occasions influenced by the way tourists dress. The traditional or national manners in which people used to dress is slowly fading away to the tourism manners of dressing. Tourism also influences the spoken languages in many places (Morgan, 2013). Certain vocabularies of a nation end up being corroded by the influences introduced by tourists in different parts. The tourists create dents in the manner in which people address each other or speak to each other. They create different versions of words that are adopted in the communities. The adoption of heavy words that are insulting and abusive or disrespectful are adopted in the normal speeches of people making them part of the today culture (Morgan, 2013). Tourists are attributed for causing environmental damage especially in terms of wild fires in forests. The same tourists are responsible for the destruction of certain facilities such as the sand dunes in desert attractions. Tourism has also brought environmental pollution causing contamination of the environment. Tourism also undermines different cultures in different ways. One of the ways is commercializing culture which increases the level of litter, graffiti and vandalism. Tourism also comes with noise pollution and disrespect of local culture (Morgan,
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Business Plan Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Business Plan - Case Study Example The owner of the park with (state no of years) years of experience in buying and selling mobile homes has absolute knowledge of the local market conditions. The park in the best of its condition will serve the housing needs for many citizens. Market analysis: The Park situated half a mile from the lake is a prime occupancy place. The lead time for occupancy is a maximum of two months. The place is mostly rented by couples 80% of whom are young and 20% retired. Tenkiller has 70.8 % of the population over 15 years that are under the now married category according to Onboard Informatics 2008. In addition the park is situated in geography with extremely high floating population. The North Eastern state university has 6500 students in its campus and about 400,000 annually visit the Illinois River and 2,000,000 annually visit Lake Tenkiller.The current rent rates for mobile homes range from $325 to $475 this includes single and double wides. Placement: The Park is situated within half a mile from the lake making proximity to the lake and water sports viable and this will be a unique selling point for the park. In addition to this Lake Tenkiller being a major tourist attraction and place for camping will keep the homes at a 90% occupancy. The promotional act Product: The Park after renovation and new homes with a children's play area and storage units will definitely prove money's worth for tenants and prospects. Promotion: The promotional activity for the mobile park will take place in all the leading camping sites and water sport areas where tourist flood in addition to electronic and mailing channels. The park will also be advertised in the North eastern State University and in the neighbouring towns. Below is a business plan for a Mobile Home Park in the state of Oklahoma. The proposal states the viability of the business in alliance with the financials which includes the start up accounts and the projected Profit and loss statements for the first 3 years. Start up expenses Legal $300 Stationery Brochures Consultants Insurance $200 Rent Research and Development Expensed Equipment Other Total Start up expenses $500 Start up assets Cash Required $6,000 Other current assets $0 long term assets $91,000 Total assets $97,000 Total requirements $97,500 Start up Funding Start up expenses to fund $500 Start up assets to fund $97,000 Total Funding required $97,500 Assets Non cash assets from start up $91,000 Cash requirements from start up $6,000 Additional cash raised 0 Cash balance on starting date $6,000 Total assets $97,000 Liabilities and capital Liablities Current borrowing 0 Long term liabilities $87,000 Accounts payable 0 Other current liabilities 0 Total liabilities $87,000 Capital Planned investment $10,000 Other 0 Additional Investment required $87,000 Total planned investment $97,000 loss at start up $6,500 Total capital $90,500 Total capital and liabilities $97,000 Total funding $97,500 Proforma Profit and Loss Pro Forma Profit and Loss FY 2009 FY 2010 FY 2011 Sales $28,080 $32,160 $36,240 Direct Cost
Human Resources Google culture paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
Human Resources Google culture paper - Essay Example developed in consultation with both internal and external stakeholders and all the latest global, economic, social and environmental challenges were taken into consideration. Maerskââ¬â¢s vision is to ââ¬Å"To be the undisputed leader of liner shipping companiesâ⬠Previously they had a vision to create opportunities in global commerce. Maersk makes sure to fulfill its vision by the help of following mission: Maersk shares some fundamental values with all its 108,000 employees all over the world. These values are deeply engraved in every employee and they are guided by these values regularly. Letââ¬â¢s have a look at each of these 5 core values: 1- ââ¬Å"Constant Care ââ¬â Take care of today, actively prepare for tomorrow.â⬠Maersk employees believe in preparing for tomorrow beforehand. They work for today and are pro-active rather than reactive. 2- ââ¬Å"Humbleness ââ¬â Listen, learn, share, give space to others.â⬠Maersk has a very friendly environment for its employees. The employees work closely with each other on projects and try to uplift each other. Every employee at Maersk is respectful towards others, listen to their opinions, and most importantly give them their personal space. 4- ââ¬Å"Our Employees ââ¬â The right environment for the right people.â⬠Employees are given great importance at Maersk as they are the people behind its great success. Employees are given a challenging and exciting environment to work in. They are supported for great career opportunities all over the world at Maersk. Maersk also is one of the highest salary givers. These values have determined how they interact with employees, customers, and society for more than 100 years. The values continue to serve as an integrated part of the way Maersk carries its business. Their Group CEO embraces the values and sees them as an important part of driving a performance culture and helping the company win in its market places. Maersk faces a few problems in its business that creates big challenges
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Global Strategic Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2
Global Strategic Management - Assignment Example The latter entails using similar and confusing trademarks or service marks on a similar, not fake, product or service. Counterfeit goods are sold around the world. However, the vice is more prevalent in developing countries where it is relatively cheaper to produce a product (Sullivan & Chermak, 2013). For instance, Taiwan and China in Asia are exceptionally prone to counterfeiting. The practice is also found in developed economies, albeit to a lesser degree. Counterfeiting is not only illegal, but also unethical. It is unethical because it involves profiting from another personââ¬â¢s sweat, so to speak. The producers of counterfeit goods are not prepared to introduce their brands and grow them. Instead, they cut corners and try to profit from established brands behind the backs of their owners. The world over, business organizations adopt a variety of measures to address counterfeiting. These can be business, legal or technological. An example of a legal measure is an organization registering their trademarks. Today, it is common for large multinational corporations to have the various components of their manufactured in different jurisdictions then ship them to the assembly plant. Usually, this mode of operation is designed to take advantage of the advantages that various jurisdictions have to offer. For example, a manufacturer of smartphones located in Singapore may have their battery manufacturing plant situated in Finland. Under these circumstances, the smartphone manufacturer will do well to have all their trademarks registered in all the jurisdictions where parts of the smartphone are made. This is in addition to registering those trademarks in all the countries where the finished phones are sold. Some of the business measures that organizations take to combat counterfeiting include creating and maintaining an anti-counterfeiting department (Spink & Fejes, 2012). The key role of the department to initiate and implement measures to prevent the
Human Resources Google culture paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
Human Resources Google culture paper - Essay Example developed in consultation with both internal and external stakeholders and all the latest global, economic, social and environmental challenges were taken into consideration. Maerskââ¬â¢s vision is to ââ¬Å"To be the undisputed leader of liner shipping companiesâ⬠Previously they had a vision to create opportunities in global commerce. Maersk makes sure to fulfill its vision by the help of following mission: Maersk shares some fundamental values with all its 108,000 employees all over the world. These values are deeply engraved in every employee and they are guided by these values regularly. Letââ¬â¢s have a look at each of these 5 core values: 1- ââ¬Å"Constant Care ââ¬â Take care of today, actively prepare for tomorrow.â⬠Maersk employees believe in preparing for tomorrow beforehand. They work for today and are pro-active rather than reactive. 2- ââ¬Å"Humbleness ââ¬â Listen, learn, share, give space to others.â⬠Maersk has a very friendly environment for its employees. The employees work closely with each other on projects and try to uplift each other. Every employee at Maersk is respectful towards others, listen to their opinions, and most importantly give them their personal space. 4- ââ¬Å"Our Employees ââ¬â The right environment for the right people.â⬠Employees are given great importance at Maersk as they are the people behind its great success. Employees are given a challenging and exciting environment to work in. They are supported for great career opportunities all over the world at Maersk. Maersk also is one of the highest salary givers. These values have determined how they interact with employees, customers, and society for more than 100 years. The values continue to serve as an integrated part of the way Maersk carries its business. Their Group CEO embraces the values and sees them as an important part of driving a performance culture and helping the company win in its market places. Maersk faces a few problems in its business that creates big challenges
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
The French Headscarf Affair Essay Example for Free
The French Headscarf Affair Essay The Headscarf affair which took place in France during the 1990s is a clear representation of the French refusal to revise their national identity. As the rate of post-colonial migration rose, so did the population of Muslims living in France. This rise of Muslim population spurred the start of the Headscarf affair which was used as a tool, against Muslims, to prevent the revision of the French national identity. The affair was justified by three main reasons, 1) to protect the idea of Secularism, 2) to achieve a ââ¬Å"visible integrationâ⬠and 3) to prevent the inevitable Islamic invasion of France. These three justifications, when considered in conjunction with each other, are able to show how the Headscarf affair in France is representative of a French refusal to revise their national identity and incorporate their new post-colonial migrants into their society. The French held high the ideology of Republic Universalism, a notion that aimed to decrease traces of difference between people, resulting in a national ââ¬Ësamenessââ¬â¢. From this, the idea of Secularism was formed which aimed to provide a clear barrier between the State and religion. If the French could succeed in executing the idea of Secularism, they could separate the state from religious practices which would in turn remove any ââ¬Å"religious divides that exist in societyâ⬠which would lead to a religious sameness which in turn would add to the national identity of France and would prevent a revision of this identity. The Headscarf affair became the French governmentââ¬â¢s tool to the protection of Secularism in France. In 1989 the affair began when headmaster Ernest Cheniere refused to let three girls, each wearing an Islamic Headscarf into school ââ¬Ëon the grounds that it would contravene with the principle of Secularism. The affair continued to gain momentum until in 1994 Francois Bayrou, the Minister for Education, put a ban on the wearing of any ââ¬Å"Overtâ⬠religious symbols to school, with the aim of removing any religious divides and promoting equality and sameness. This rapid growth of the affair from the point of a refused entry to a ban on the Headscarf not only shows the French dislike towards the Muslim community but also indicates how the Headscarf affair, through the implementation of Secularism, represents the French refusal to revise their national identity. To the French it seems that appearance is more than reality when it comes to the idea of national identity. It can be argued that the French, with consideration to the post-colonial influx of Muslims, were only after a ââ¬Å"visual integrationâ⬠. It did not matter if the nation was actually unified and could be identified on a deeper more patriotic level; the focus was on the appearance of the nation. If the citizens of France appeared to have one identity, an identity that promoted the idea of sameness, as discussed earlier, then the national identity of the country was upheld. In order, however, for the French to retain this identity of visual integration and sameness, something had to be done about the Muslim women who were ââ¬Å"emphasising religious differencesâ⬠by wearing the headscarf. Action was taken against visual setbacks to national identity in 1994 when, as previously stated, Francois Bayrou placed ban on the wearing of all ââ¬Å"overt and ostentatiousâ⬠religious symbols. His justification was that the wearing of such symbols ââ¬Ëseparated studentsââ¬â¢ by causing visible ââ¬Å"barriers to assimilationâ⬠, integration and unification. Clearly, the aim of Bayrou was to demolish any visible differences between the citizens of France and retain this visible unification that was deemed to be the French national identity. Ironically however, excluded from this ban were the Christian Crucifix and the Jewish Kippa, both being deemed ââ¬Å"discreet. â⬠Had Bayrou been consistent in his ban of visible and ââ¬Ëovertââ¬â¢ religious symbols, his justification of the separation of children may have been plausible. With this ironic exclusion in mind we are now in a position to examine the real underlying factor as to why the Headscarf affair began in the first place and why the French used it to protect a potential revision of their National Identity. The primary and underlying factor contributing to the French Headscarf Affair during the 1990s is the French paranoia of the ââ¬Å"phenomenon of Islamicization. â⬠The French were convinced that with the mass influx of post-colonial Muslims, an Islamic invasion of France would come and with this invasion would come the rapid demise of the already established French national identity. As the wearing of the headscarf became more apparent on Islamic women in France, the French paranoia grew stronger with the Front National party going as far as proclaiming that the Muslims were ââ¬Å"implanting themselves symbolically by the wearing of the headscarf. â⬠In an attempt to protect their country from Islamic invasion and a potential revision of their national identity, the French implemented the ban on Islamic Headscarves and recruited support for this ban from the French community. The government used the media as their main source of recruitment; often portraying Muslim girls as tools used by the Islamââ¬â¢s to infiltrate France. Newspapers began to sprout exaggerated and bias headlines such as ââ¬Å"Headscarves, the plot: how are Islamists infiltrating usâ⬠and articles declaring that ââ¬Å"the fact that Muslim girls wished to wear a headscarf was a clear sign of Invasion. â⬠With the support of the majority of the citizens in France, the French began executing the headscarf ban around the country in a desperate attempt to defend their nation from ââ¬Å"the invasion by a troubling stranger and the fear of losing supremacyâ⬠and in turn prevent themselves from having to completely reconstruct their national identity. As we can see by examining the French Headscarf Affair and its three primary reasons of justification, the protection of Secularism, the achievement of ââ¬Å"Visible Integrationâ⬠and the prevention of an Islamic invasion, the Headscarf affair of the 1990s does in fact represent a French refusal to revise their national identity and incorporate their new post-colonial migrants into their society.
Monday, October 14, 2019
Production of Mutant Based Epsilon Toxin (ETK) Vaccines
Production of Mutant Based Epsilon Toxin (ETK) Vaccines Vaccines improve the immune system of an animal or human by stimulating the production of antibodies to fight and combat bacteria, protozoan or viruses effectively creating immunity against disease (Salisbury 1997). Vaccines commonly contain weakened or dead strains of a virus, bacteria or protozoan which elicits the bodyââ¬â¢s immune system upon recognition to respond by producing antibodies to fight against the invading antigen. In effect, the vaccine introduces the disease or its causative agent into the body to gain a defence response; as a result if the disease enters the body in the future the body can produce the requisite antibodies to fight the disease faster, as it remembers measures taken to fight against the disease previously. Consequently, the time taken to recognize the disease, provide active measure against the disease and minimize any possible signs or symptoms associated with the causative virus, bacteria or protozoan. Building on this function of vaccines this essay critiques the study and subsequent paper of Li et. al. investigation into the production of mutant based epsilon toxin (ETK) vaccines which can provide protection against intoxication. Costridium perfringes a Gram positive spore forming bacterium, is ubiquitously found in the environment and the intestines of humans and animals. Furthermore, it is commonly found in raw meat and poultry and is also linked to foodborne illnesses and food poisoning (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2014). Presently, there are five known strains of C. perfringes which produce a minimum of twelve known protein toxins (The Centre for Food Security and Public Health 2004). To this end, the epsilon toxin (ETX) is produced by the type B and D strains (The Centre for Food Security and Public Health 2004). Moreover, ETX is a pore forming protein which damages cell walls leading to potassium and fluid leakage from cells and it increases the permeability of the cell membrane resulting in ion imbalance; as such ETX has been suggested as a possible biological weapon (Stiles, et al. 2013). Arizona Department of Health (2004) speculates that in the event of a biological attack the epsilon toxin can be spread through food, water or by aerosolization. While all five strains have the capacity to infect wounds in any species; type B and type D have the ability to cause severe enteritis, in young foals, lambs and piglets, and enterotoxemia in young calves, lambs, goats, sheep and foals just to mention a few (Arizona Department of Health Services 2004). The toxin is also known to cause pulmonary edema and neurological symptoms including recumbence hyperesthesia, convulsions, paddling, dyspnea and loss of conciseness when intravenously injected into animals. They are few reported cases on the toxicity of ETX in humans as the type B and D strains rarely infect humans. However, evidence suggest that it can affect the G-402 and ACHN cell lines of the human kidney highlighting its possible toxicity to humans (Li, et al. 2013). The epsilon toxin is secreted as an inactive prototoxin from the cytosol into the environment as a result of a 32 amino acid residue leader sequence. It is then activated by extracellular serine type proteases of the host such as trypsin or chymotrypsin; which subsequently results in the loss 10-13 amino terminal and 22 or 29 carboxy terminal residues depending on the protease used (Stiles, et al. 2013). Moreover, maximal activation results in the loss of 13N-terminal residues and 29 C-terminal residues producing the third most potent toxin of the clostridia class, loss of these two terminals results in the formation of a more acidic protein which possibly favours more productive receptor interactions (Hunter, et al. 1992). Bokori-Brown et al. (2011) states that the prototoxin can also become activated by C. perfringens à » ââ¬â protease. When activated the toxin becomes relatively resistant to proteases in the gastrointestinal tracts of mammals (Stiles, et al. 2013).The effects of the toxin on the cell membranes lead to cell dysfunction, cell death and suffering in the host which can sometimes be fatal. Proteolysis induces a conformational change in the toxin facilitating homo-oligomerization of the activated toxin on the external surface of the cell (Stiles, et al. 2013). After binding to a cell ETX acts quickly. Two groups of pore forming toxins exist, to this effect ETX is a beta pore forming toxin as it forms a beta-hairpin structure to facilitate membrane insertion (Stiles, et al. 2013). Moreover, the toxin has three domains with implications in the function of the toxin. The first domain, domain I-amino terminus, functions in receptor binding, the central domain or domain II functions in membrane insertion and channel formation (Stiles, et al. 2013). The final domain, domain III located at the carboxy terminus functions in proteolysis activation and act as monomer to monomer interaction sites. Subsequent to the loss of the C terminal peptide from the protoxin monomer-monomer interactions leads to homo-heptamer formation. ETX cause pore formation in cell membranes by detergent-resistant, cholesterol-rich membrane domains that promote aggregation of toxin monomers in homo-heptamers (Stiles, et al. 2013). Evidence from research highlights ETX forms transmembrane pores less than two nanometr e in diameter that facilitates the passage of molecule 1kDa in size, increase intracellular chloride and sodium levels and decreased intracellular potassium levels. Furthermore, secondary effects of the toxin include cytoskeletal dysfunction which affects the integrity of cell monolayers (Stiles, et al. 2013). The general layout and presentation of the paper was good and easy for readers to follow. However, the materials and methods should have occurred before the results and discussion to familiarise the readers with the methods used in the experiment. In doing this readers would have an idea of the type of results to be presented or expected. Furthermore, if presented earlier the procedure could be borne in mind in order to help readers understand the information presented in the results and discussion sections and the relevance of the information to the aim of the research. Additionally, if the methodology is placed earlier in the paper it helps readers to determine the extent of the internal validity of the study, as readers can determine for themselves the extent to which results can be interpreted accurately and with confidence with regards to the methods used to obtain the presented findings. Reliability, a necessary condition for validity, is related to consistency of results and t he extent to which the research can be independently replicated by other researchers (Leacock, Warrican and Rose 2009). Based on the information provided the study is reliable and can be replicated independently by researchers with the relevant resources. In addition the use of graphs, tables and photographs of the gels used in the experiment are good means of presenting information. To this end, it presents data in a concise format allowing readers to easily identify pertinent information and reduces the possibility of readers being overwhelmed if this information was to be fully present using only text. It is also important to note that the use of the photos form the SDS-PAGE and the immunoblotting aids in reader visualisation and acts as a point of reference for readers when examining the results and discussion. The introduction presents a good base for the readers but would have benefited from more in depth explanation on the mode of action and structure of ETX and more background information on mutant based vaccinations. Also a proper comparison of the proposed mutant based vaccine and how it would essentially function in contrast to the existing vaccine which only protects against enterotoxemia caused by the disease would have increased the readerââ¬â¢s knowledge about the topic and reinforce the importance of find a viable vaccine with low toxicity. It is important to note that the introduction provided supportive information from previous research about the amino acid residues present in the structure of ETX and their function. By extension the introduction also highlights the chosen sites for mutation in the toxin based and evidence also presented in the paper. A brief synopsis of the methods used with reference to article presented by Li et al. are as follows; sited directed mutagenesis of ETX in the pTIG-trx plasmid, with the obtained sequence being confirmed using nucleotide sequence analysis. Following this the pTIG-mETXs were transformed into competent E. coli for expression which was also driven with a T7 promoter. The bacteria was then collected and purified through a combination of centrifugation, buffer washes, resuspension, sonification, chelation and elution. The purified protein were subsequently analysed using SDS-PAGE, with the highly purified proteins undergoing dialysis and concentration. The next step employed ELISA to identify the antigenicity of the mETXs and rETX using anti-rETX monoclonal antibodies. After electrophoresis the purified mETX protein were transfer from the SDS-PAGE gel using the western blot technique. The ELISA and western blot steps served to illicit the antigenicity of the mETX which both involving the use of goat anti-mouse IgG during incubation periods. A cell culture and cytotoxicity assay was conducted to determine rETX activity by defining its effects on MDCK cells. Three dimensional structure of two mETXs, mETXF199E and mETXH106P, were generated for structural analysis. The two mentioned not-toxic mETXs were used to vaccinate six week old female mice with the same dosage of antigen being given on days 17 and 38 a week later the mice were injected with active recombinant mETX and observed for 72hours. The following step involved the measurement of sera antibody titers. The final step of the experiment tested mice for passive protection against rETX. The use of ELISA is a good means of detecting the presence of ETX and is one of the assays highlighted by the Arizona Department of Health Services for detection of the toxin due to its high detection rates (Stiles, et al. 2013). ELISA combines the specificity of antibodies with the sensitivity of simple enzyme assay by coupling the two, in the experiment it was us to detect the presence of antibodies which recognize ETX (Sino Biological Inc 2014). Additionally, the use of coloured tags indicate a positive reaction when the substrate interacts with the enzyme which also gives visual confirmation of the presence of the antigen or antibody which would have useful implications for this study. Furthermore, it is effective as it produces relatively fast results, which is especially relevant as samples can degrade over time, deterioration may also have implications for the levels of antibodies present. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry uses inmmunoaffinity beads to concentrate ETX or prototoxin from a complex matrix and is also a method commonly used to determine the presence of ETX and may be given consideration if the study is replicated (Stiles, et al. 2013). While ELISA and mass spectrometry are commonly used in the detection they do not determine if the toxin is biologically active. The use of titration was effective as it determined the amount and levels of antibodies required to neutralize the toxin. Random assignment to treatment groups is good as it gives each mouse the same change of being assigned to a group and reduces possibility of bias. However, as only three mice there were used in each group there are possible implications for the analysis of the results, as for experimental research the minimum recommended number is 15 participants for each group, as a sufficiently large sample size is required to produce results among variables that are significantly different (Leacock, Warrican and Rose 2009). A bigger sample size may also be effective in gi ving better credence to the obtained results for each treatment. The use of only female rats can have implications for the generalization of the results and by extension the validity of the study. Furthermore, all of the mice used in the experiment were six weeks in age this does not provide variation and as such does not account for the possible effects age can have on the function of the vaccine and results of the rETX challenge. Validity applies to the generalization of research and the vaccines is aimed for use in animals and humans and these populations contain both males and females, thus the use of one sex in the experiment have implications for generalization of results. The study may have also benefited from longer observation period after the mice were injected with the rETX. Despite the potential market for the vaccine including humans the research was conducted using mice due to ethical considerations. Additionally, the creation of pharmaceutical therapies require severa l animal experiments to be conducted using the treatment under before the ability for a clinical study using humans and the vaccine being offered to the public. The result section has sub headings corresponding to the methods used which aids in easy identification for readers. Some of the significant findings of the research include the yield of six mETXs and up to 98% purity was obtained after purification measures. Additionally, the results showed that the toxin mutants retained the same antigenicity as the rETX. Four of the toxin mutants showed decreased cytotoxicity, while mETXS111Y and mETXS111YF199E showed a slight decrease in toxicity and higher toxicity when compared to rETX thus the researchers excluded the latter two from further analysis. Also of importance is immunization and the subsequent ELISA results of the anti-mETX antibody titres highlighted mETXH106P and mETXF199E showed similar titres and there was no significant difference between the two; but antibody titers also increased after booster immunization. The most significant results demonstrated that mice when challenged with active rETX with dosages up to 100 x LD50 survi ved. In contrast all with dosage of 500 x LD50 or 1000 x LD50 died which have implications for use of the vaccine and provides grounds for further research to obtain vaccines which have a better response to higher dosage of rETX. Investigation into passive protection showed anti-mETXH106P or anit-mETXF199E can completely neutralize a 10 x LD50 dose of activated rETX. The discussion highlighted supporting facts from various sources but there was limited discussion to certain findings of the paper. A possible suggestion is that the authors provide a more in depth discussion about their findings instead of a synopsis. The discussion may have also benefited from a comparison of the mutant based vaccine with the effectiveness of current ETX related treatments. Furthermore in depth explanations of the findings would help readers understand the significance of the findings and implication for future production and use of the tested vaccine. A significant finding highlighted in the discuss ion is that modifications of various amino acid residues result in varying cytotoxicity of the ETX. To this end, the researchers should have discussed why all of the obtained mETX were not tested in the immunization phase. A recommendation is the use of all of the obtained mETXs in the vaccination section of the experiment to determine the possibility of its use as a vaccine to provide immunity against the epsilon toxin. The study did record some success in meeting its aims as two of the mETXs, mETXsH106P and mETXF199E as possible candidates for vaccines against the toxin as they showed strong immunogenicity and safety. However, mETXF199E still has toxicity, as a consequence the researchers have made a possible suggestion to improve the vaccination and lower toxicity. In concluding this article has led to the advancement of the body of knowledge pertaining to protection against ETX. The information from the study despite some limitations is a good read for persons interested in the topic. To this effect, it also provides a theoretical and empirical basis for further study about therapeutic measures to combat the epsilon toxin. It is important to note that it provides a preventative method against the toxin where as other treatments tend to target the ETX related diseases and related symptoms of the toxicity of the toxin, which some treatments delaying the onset of the toxinââ¬â¢s effects or delayi ng or preventing death (The Centre for Food Security and Public Health 2004). References Arizona Department of Health Services. 2004. Epsilon Toxin of Clostridium perfringens Bioterrorism Agent Profiles for Health Care Workers. August. Accessed March 20, 2015. http://www.azdhs.gov/phs/emergency-preparedness/documents/zebra-manual/zm-s5-epsilon-toxin.pdf. Bokori-Brown, M, C G Savva, S P Ferandes da Costa, C E Naylor, A K Basak, and R W Titball. 2011. Molecular basis of toxicity of Clostridium perfringens epsilon toxin. The FEBS Journal 278 (23): 4589-4601. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2014. CDC- Clostridium perfrines Food Safety. January 29. Accessed March 20, 2015. http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/clostridium-perfingens.html. Hunter, S E, I N Clarke, D C Kelly, and R W Titball. 1992. Cloning and nucleotide sequencing of the Clostridium perfringens epsilon-toxin gene and its expression in Escherichia coli. Infection and Immunity 60 (1): 102-110. Leacock, C J, S J Warrican, and G Rose. 2009. Research Methods for Inexperienced Researchers. Kingston: Ian Randle Publisher. Li, Qing, Wenwen Xin, Shan Gao, Lin Kang, and Jinglin Wang. 2013. A low-toxic site-directed mutant of Clostridium perfringens Ãâ°Ã¢â¬ º-toxin as a potential candidate vaccine against enterotoxemia. Human Vaccines Immunotherapeutics 9 (11): 2386-2392. Salisbury, David M. 1997. Some Issues Related to the Practice of Immunization. International Journal of Infectious Diseases 1 (3): 119-124. Sino Biological Inc. 2014. ELISA Principle. Accessed March 20, 2015. http://www.elisa-antibody.com/ELISA-Introduction/ELISA-Principle. Stiles, G Bradley, Gillian Bartg, Holger Barth, and Michel R Popoff. 2013. Clostridium perfringens Epsilon Toxin: A Malevolent Molecule for Animals and Man? Toxins (Basel) 5 (11): 2138-2160. The Centre for Food Security and Public Health. 2004. Epsilon Toxin of Clostridium perfringens. January. Accessed March 20, 23015. http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Factsheets/pdfs/epsilon_toxin_clostridium.pdf.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
The Apocalypse of Adam Essay -- Philosophy Religion Essays
à à à à "He received glory and power there. / And thus he came upon the water." This refrain is a common motif throughout the most analyzed section of The Apocalypse of Adam. This section is that of the 13 kingdoms, in which each kingdom explains where the illuminator came from. Each ends with a common form of the refrain above. The meaning of these 13 kingdoms will be discussed later. In this paper, many different aspects of The Apocalypse of Adam will be looked at in an attempt to better understand the implications this text has for its readers. This text is the fifth and last tractate in Nag Hammadi Codex V. The Nag Hammadi library was found in August 1945 in Egypt. When looked at in comparison with other texts found, The Apocalypse of Adam more closely follows the traditions of Jewish apocalyptic literature (Parrott, 67). There has been much debate about the effect of redactors on this text, so there has been a claim that the 13 kingdoms section was added in later by an editor (ibid). The text recovered is in Coptic, the common language around Nag Hammadi, Egypt at that time. However, much of the text is not readable, with tops or bottoms of pages missing. Therefore, there has been a lot of reconstruction of the text, but there are still places in which lacunae have been inserted because it is not clear what the author intended to say. The text can be broken down into three sections that are identifiable by a change in topic. The first section ([67],22-[76],7) talks about a special race of men that come "from the knowledge of the great eons and the angels" (Hedrick, 29). This part also discusses their "conflict" with god. God then tries to wipe them out, and their survival is ensured by "divine intervention" (ibid). The second... ...ebates about its intended audience, it's intended purpose, and the significance of the hymnic or 13 Kingdom section. The Apocalypse of Adam is a most interesting piece of literature that leaves itself open to many different interpretations. à Works Cited Carroll, Scott T. "The Apocalypse of Adam and pre-Christian Gnosticism [dating of tractate by analysis of Solomonic legend]." Vigiliae Christianae: A Review of Early Christian Life and Language 44 (1990): 263-279. Hedrick, Charles W. The Apocalypse of Adam: a literary and source analy[s]is. Chico, Calif: Scholars Press, 1980. Linder, Per-Arne. The Apocalypse of Adam: Nag Hammadi Codex V,5 considered from its Egyptian background. Loberod: Plus Ultra, 1991. Parrott, Douglas. "The 13 Kingdoms of the Apocalypse of Adam: origin, meaning and significance." Novum Testament 31 (Jan 1989): 67-87. à The Apocalypse of Adam Essay -- Philosophy Religion Essays à à à à "He received glory and power there. / And thus he came upon the water." This refrain is a common motif throughout the most analyzed section of The Apocalypse of Adam. This section is that of the 13 kingdoms, in which each kingdom explains where the illuminator came from. Each ends with a common form of the refrain above. The meaning of these 13 kingdoms will be discussed later. In this paper, many different aspects of The Apocalypse of Adam will be looked at in an attempt to better understand the implications this text has for its readers. This text is the fifth and last tractate in Nag Hammadi Codex V. The Nag Hammadi library was found in August 1945 in Egypt. When looked at in comparison with other texts found, The Apocalypse of Adam more closely follows the traditions of Jewish apocalyptic literature (Parrott, 67). There has been much debate about the effect of redactors on this text, so there has been a claim that the 13 kingdoms section was added in later by an editor (ibid). The text recovered is in Coptic, the common language around Nag Hammadi, Egypt at that time. However, much of the text is not readable, with tops or bottoms of pages missing. Therefore, there has been a lot of reconstruction of the text, but there are still places in which lacunae have been inserted because it is not clear what the author intended to say. The text can be broken down into three sections that are identifiable by a change in topic. The first section ([67],22-[76],7) talks about a special race of men that come "from the knowledge of the great eons and the angels" (Hedrick, 29). This part also discusses their "conflict" with god. God then tries to wipe them out, and their survival is ensured by "divine intervention" (ibid). The second... ...ebates about its intended audience, it's intended purpose, and the significance of the hymnic or 13 Kingdom section. The Apocalypse of Adam is a most interesting piece of literature that leaves itself open to many different interpretations. à Works Cited Carroll, Scott T. "The Apocalypse of Adam and pre-Christian Gnosticism [dating of tractate by analysis of Solomonic legend]." Vigiliae Christianae: A Review of Early Christian Life and Language 44 (1990): 263-279. Hedrick, Charles W. The Apocalypse of Adam: a literary and source analy[s]is. Chico, Calif: Scholars Press, 1980. Linder, Per-Arne. The Apocalypse of Adam: Nag Hammadi Codex V,5 considered from its Egyptian background. Loberod: Plus Ultra, 1991. Parrott, Douglas. "The 13 Kingdoms of the Apocalypse of Adam: origin, meaning and significance." Novum Testament 31 (Jan 1989): 67-87. Ã
Saturday, October 12, 2019
A Photographers Focus Essays -- Pictures Violence Ireland British Ess
A Photographer's Focus On March 20, 1972 at 11:45 a.m. an anonymous phone call was made to police headquarters in Belfast, Northern Ireland warning of a bomb in crowded Church Street (Fisk 2). At 11:52 a.m. a second emergency call reached police headquarters confirming the threat of a bomb (Fisk 2). The police made efforts to evacuate the street as quickly as possible. Then, at 11:55 a.m. headquarters received a third emergency call warning of a bomb, but this time the caller gave the location of the bomb to be in the adjoining Donegall Street (Fisk 2). Three minutes later a 100-pound gelignite bomb exploded in Donegall Street killing six people and wounding 147 others (Fisk 1). The bombing was a terrorist act by the Irish Republican Army (IRA), whose mission is to drive the British out of Northern Ireland. It was in the ensuing minutes of the explosion that Derek Brind of the Press Association probably arrived at the gruesome scene: nearly a hundred young girls ââ¬Å"lay on the street or in the shattered doorways screaming with pain and shockâ⬠(Fisk 1). As he approached the site, he spotted a British paratrooper holding ââ¬Å"a young Irish girl in his arms to comfort herâ⬠(Dewar 62) and snapped this photo: What makes this, or any photograph, so unique is that the viewer actually sees what the photographer saw when he or she took the picture; we too, see the paratrooper clutching the wounded girl in his arms. What we donââ¬â¢t see, however, is what takes place around the picture. The photographer chooses where we look and in doing so, decides what deserves attention and what can be left out. This selection process is entirely subjective, and as such, it is a reflection of the photographer's perspectiveââ¬ânot just literally, but figurat... ... we too, begin to become aware of the cruel nature of mankind. This is what Derek Brind saw in the violence in Northern Ireland and this is what he tried to convey through this image. Hence, what may appear to be a photo about how loving and caring fellow man can be, is really a criticism of the inhumanity of man. This is the photographer's message as reflected through his choice of focus in the image. Works Cited: Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. Penguin Books,1972. 7-33. Dewar, Michael, Colonel. The British Army in Northern Ireland. London: Arms and Armour Press, 1996. 57-79. Fisk, Robert. ââ¬Å"Six killed, 147 injured by bomb after misleading calls.â⬠The London Times. March 21, 1972: A1-A2. Pratt, Mary Louise. "Arts of the Contact Zone." Ways of Reading. Ed. David Bartholomae and Anthony Petrosky. 5th ed. Boston: St. Martin's, 1999. 582-596.
Friday, October 11, 2019
The Role of Activist Agences in Shaping the course of Women’s History
There is no doubt that activists and activist agencies have played a role in shaping the history of women, and a large amount of the historiography of women's history has given excessive attention to the role of activists. Popular history tends to take a Rankeian view of events, focussing instead on the role of the individual, rather than the deeper underlying social, political and economic causes of history. The traditional Liberal view of the struggle to obtain the franchise is that the suffragettes, via their militant tactics and under the leadership of the Pankhursts ensured that women were granted the vote, and that this solved all the injustices between the sexes. This simplistic view of events however ignores the wider changes that were taking place in the economy and society, as well as placing a larger emphasis on certain activists, rather than looking at the broader picture. The militant activities of the suffragettes were never sufficient enough to frighten the government or the wider public into extending the franchise to women, their acts of violence towards property were often small scale and petty. It also ignores the role of the suffragists led by Millicent Fawcett, who were far more significant in obtaining the vote for women, for they were the ones who reasoned rather than fought with men and showed that women could deal with political matters. Activists continued to use similar tactics in the 1970s to demand changes in the law, such as free nursery places (as removed from local councils responsibilities under the 1980 Education Act) and better maternity benefits. The real changes came about however, not due to the prominent high profile activists, but to the grass roots campaign where women won seats on town and city councils. Historians can often look for the big story to write about, sometimes however the big story is made up of lots of little ones. Women's position in the economy changed prior to the war as well. Industrialisation brought about the end of small scale family run workshops and there has been a transition to large workshops. The sexual division of labour in mills and factories was seen as a natural occurrence and women did not object to being paid less and exploited more than male workers. Trade unions did not favour equal roles in industry for women out of the fear that it would take men's jobs from them. The benefits in industry that women gained during WWI were temporary, and as soon as men returned from the war women were forced back out of their jobs. One view of the effects of WWI is that giving the vote to women was a reward for their hard work during the war, in the munitions and armaments factories. At the same period as activists had allegedly gained a better position for women via the vote, laws such as the Restoration of Pre-war Practices Act (1919) which enacted the agreements between the government and trade unions that women's war work was only temporary. Various activist agencies organised resistance to this, however they proved futile. The changing role of women economically in the latter part of the c20 was not due to activists but due to the wider structural changes the war effected on the country by World War 2. Following the Second World War the changing nature of commerce in the UK made it uneconomical to prevent women from working and by 1947 there were more women workers than in 1939 (Bruley). The deindustrialisation of the UK between 1979-1990 saw a large increase in the numbers of women in employment. Margaret Thatcher's economic reforms created huge unemployment, although when employment levels started to recede, women were back into employment quicker than men. This was due to skilled secondary industry jobs being replaced with low skilled tertiary jobs which could get away with paying women less and reducing employees rights due to the reforms Thatcher introduced. In 1990 60% of low paid full time workers were women and Carole Buswell found that in the same year large proportions of women were earning less than the EU recommended minimum wage in tertiary industries, even in jobs such as banking and insurance 40% of the workers fitted this category. This is because even in well paid jobs, such as banking and insuarance, women were restricted from progressing high up the career ladder by having to take maternity leave to bring up children, if they were even considered for promotion in the first place as many of these companies were strongly male dominated. The Women's self image has changed a great deal since the beginning of the c20, when women saw themselves primarily as mothers and wives, though in working class environments this attitude persisted for a lot longer than in wealthier and better educated social groups. Sue Sharpe found in her 1976 book ââ¬Å"Just like a girlâ⬠that working class girls in Ealing in the 70's still expected to marry a husband who would take care of them financially and that they would be responsible for childrearing. Women's level of deference has decreased greatly from the beginning of the century when they were almost voiceless, to the present day where girls have become at least as vocal as men, if not more. Deep running social trends such as this cannot be changed over night by activists and this lack of change in the working classes could be interpreted as evidence that women's liberation movements have largely been for and by the white middle classes Many women in the 1970s though who had started to redefine their own roles started to live in new ways, such as communally with other women. A large amount of feminist activists adopted Marxist ideology and blamed the oppression of women on the capitalist exploitation of women as a labour force as well as for the unpaid labour they do domestically. In the 1980s, with its ethos of the individual, women started to appear slowly in positions of power, however their high profile was due to their unusualness. However many women were shocked and against this attitude and the 80s saw many women reject the materialist society and take up campaigns against issues like nuclear disarmament such as the women at Greenham Common. Activists continued to play a role through the 70's and 80s although as in previous times they were often the central figureheads of larger movements based on mass upheavals. As the UK became an increasingly egalitarian society into the 1960s due to the increasing levels of education and the secularisation of society, women started to realise that the restrictions on career options were chiefly the traditional roles of women and a lack of education. Large amounts of feminists were students and so they had the opportunities to study the past and see the oppression that women had faced and also how little women appeared in history. The Crowther Report (1959) released middle class grammar school girls from the ââ¬Å"domesticâ⬠curriculum, opening the door to many more job opportunities. However women were still restricted in the workplace by having to be responsible for rearing children as well as attempting to have a career. Viola Klien argued in ââ¬Å"Women's two rolesâ⬠(1956) that modern societies were unable to afford to not have women working, this capitalised on fears that the UK would fall economically behind the USSR where nearly all women worked. Although activists led the women's liberation movement and campaigned against articles such as Miss World and unequal pay, mainly the reforms came from elsewhere. Equal pay was finally made a reality when the Fawcett Society (a group of feminists) took the government to the EU court to enforce the Equal Value Amendment. How much has changed for women in the last 100 years is debateable. Certainly there have been many legal improvements and women are no longer the second class citizens they were at the beginning of the century. However according to some feminists, women are still oppressed by society as whole, being expected to take care of children and do housework as well as to have a job. Opponents to this argue that women are the natural carers of children and that there are no real obstacles in the way for women to have both a job and family if the women works hard enough and balances her time. This group of opponents is not exclusively male. Both Thatcher and Queen Victoria were against women's rights, Thatcher's attitude being that ââ¬Å"well I made it so why can't they? â⬠and latter believing in the traditional division of the sexes based upon religion and tradition. Men still continue to run the top jobs, with Angela Coyle finding in 1988 that at the very top of companies women made up only 5%. Until 1997 the maximum proportion of women MPs had been approximately 10%. This number was only increased in the 1997 election when Tony Blair supported positive discrimination by adopting an ââ¬Å"Emily's Listâ⬠policy. This meant that in safe seats women be put forward as candidates, the result was >100 women MPs, however this policy was later declared illegal. As women are still expected to take care of children, maternity leave and career breaks for the bringing up of children harm their promotion prospects, resulting in a ââ¬Å"glass ceilingâ⬠that often needs the sacrifice of family life in order to break through. Although women appeared to become visible in the media, this is often because the ones who did make it to the top were so unusual that they were worthy of media interest. Solutions to the problem are hard, some feminists argue that the only way the position of women will change is if men think differently too, however this is idealistic to say the least. Bruley reaches the conclusion that women are still disadvantaged because although women now have the franchise and careers, they still have to bear the brunt of childbearing, caring and networking.
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