Arnolfini Wedding Portrai

In 1434, Flemish artist Jan van Eyck painted, signed, and dated his piece, the â€Å"Arnolfini Wedding Portrait. † This painting is believed to be of Giovanni di Arrigo Arnolflnl, an Italian merchant, and his wife Giovanna Cenaml and Is thought to stand as documentation of their marriage. While It may seem Ilke a simple dual-portrait, there are many subtle symbols Incorporated In the scene that enhance the portrayal of this couple. use of symbolism within the painting explains Its purpose, shows what this Renaissance couple values, displays social norms of the era, and relates to universal ymbols and basic human nature.The artwork hints towards its purpose through intricate symbolic meaning to be found within the details of the scene. A quite plausible interpretation of the painting is that it is an image of a wedding ceremony and it serves as verification of said marriage. In fifteenth century Flanders, marriages could easily have taken place in private locations, instead of in a church with an elaborate ceremony, and van Eycks signature on the painting is more than his name, it reads â€Å"Jan van Eyck was present† with the date of the painting, which indicates he ook the extra step to ensure that his presence was known.The eloquent handwriting of the signature, usually seen on formal documents, In addltlon to the fact that there Is an unnamed man accompanying van Eyck In the mirror's reflection whom Is likely the other, more official witness to this marriage which further proves this interpretation. Secondly, in the bottom left corner is a pair of shoes that have been slipped off, probably out of respect for being in a holy place or in the presence of a holy event, such as a wedding ceremony.Furthermore, the companion dog was not n there by accident, but instead represents faithfulness, fidelity, and love which are 3 immensely important qualities of a successful marriage. Lastly, on the intricate chandelier there burns only one solitary candle. A single flame burning in bright daylight symbolizes a bridal or possibly a devotional candle, a part of marriage ceremonies. The artist used symbols in the painting to subtly explain the purpose of the portrait, Just as other parts of this piece of artwork reflect the general era of the Renaissance.The style of the art and the way this painting was created embodies arts of the artlstlc Renaissance In Europe. Renaissance usually refers to the renewed interest in the classical arts and culture that sprouted from Italy. However, the Northern Renaissance (which van Eyck was a part of) was characterized by people's interest in observing the nature of our world and humans fit within that world. Northern artists had more focus on detail and this is very evident in van Eyck's painting. There is intense detail in this picture, from the scruff of the dog's fur to the flame of the candle.Another characteristic of the Northern Renaissance art was that there was emphasis on religious intensity . Within this painting, there are several religious symbols such as; the removed shoes (representing sanctity), the crystal prayer beads on the wall, and the Image of Saint Margaret (protector of women In childbirth) carved Into a high back chair near the bedside. These things skillfully represent the piety of the couple and Incorporate religious undertones Into a simple portrait. This portrait also contains details that allude to the fifteenth century ideas concerning marriage.Just the placement of the two figures within the room says sometnlng aoout tne value 0T gender roles aurlng tnls era. I ne woman, positioned slightly further into the room, towards the bed, symbolizes her role as a caretaker of the household. Ideas of women's rights during the this time were that the wives should support their husbands, while still living domestic, demure, stay-at- home lives. With the placement of Giovanni near an open window, the painting represents how a man's duties are outside the home, working and living with more freedom than women were allowed.Even their hand position gives information on their relationship. His hand being raised vertically represents a commanding position f authority, whilst she has her hand in a lower, horizontal pose which shows her as more submissive. However, the wife looks directly towards her husband, rather than down at the floor as lower class women would have. In the court life system that they are a part of, she is his equal, not his subordinate, and she displays it with her confident gaze. The man looks directly out at the viewer, stoic and calm, displaying his control.As a wealthy merchant, Arnolflni had the ability to have symbols of his wealth placed within the portrait; this allows people to understand the attitude of the ealthy and the part of the economic state during the Renaissance. Placed under the window is an orange which, without context, could mean nothing at all. However, fruit was expensive at this time and oranges wer e especially uncommon in the Netherlands, the setting of this portrait. The orange was likely placed there to be a symbol of this couple's wealth.Furthermore, the small dog, while also representing loyalty and faithfulness, is also an extremely rare breed of dog. It must have cost a fair amount for them to purchase that dog and placing it in their painting is practically showing it off. In addition, both people are dressed lavishly, even though the painting was done during the summer time, as indicated by cherry fruit on the tree outside. Despite the season both of their outer garments, Giovanni's thick tabard and his wife's a long flowing dress, are trimmed and fully lined with expensive furs.Having commissioned art in general displays a great amount of wealth. Here, they have taken things a step further by donning their most regal outfits and placing other symbols of their wealth and status within their portrait to enhance it further. The attitude of this merchant is really to dis play as much of his money as he possibly ould because your economic security at this time affected your social standing. The idea that money is a sense of power, and that displaying your wealth is important to your social standing is still present in modern society.The size of your house, what car you drive, what clothes you wear, what devices you own are the things people will base your social status upon. A celebrity with millions of dollars and a beautiful mansion can be Just as idolized as a strong political leader or national hero and people with spend their money however they need to in order to gain social standing. Another ideology is the social norm of growing up, getting married, and starting a family.Symbols within the painting representing loyalty, faithfulness, and most of all hope for fertility, show the couple's intent on staying together and having children. Most children grow up to believe that the socially acceptable thing to do is find someone you love and start a family. Even though it is perfectly accepted in todays society for a woman to remained unmarried, it is almost expected for people to want to have a family. One could argue that it is human nature for people to want to be married.Instinctively, humans' main goal is to survive and thrive, and in order for tnat to nappen It Is Key tnat people reproduce. It Is commonly Dellevea you snou10 D married before you have children so, logically; it is a part of human nature to want to have a successful marriage and for the woman to be fertile. The â€Å"Arnolflni Wedding Portrait† is a complicated and insightful piece of artwork that allows for people to observe details of the Renaissance era as well as discover parallels between that time and ours. Jan van Eyck effectively uses symbolism to tell a story about the couple without a single word.

Cognitive Effects of Early Bilingualism Essay

The American educational system has fallen behind other leading nations in the world in many respects, one of which is in bilingual instruction. This has traditionally been overlooked in the United States until the high school level. Children in today’s society should be made more prepared for the growing globalism and technological advances throughout the world instead of losing educational opportunities due to economic downfall and lack of resources. This includes a second language acquisition introduced earlier in the program. On top of political reasons, the positive effects to the cognitive development of the brain when introduced to a second language are many. The age of acquisition is crucial due to the plasticity of the brain which, according to the critical period hypothesis, begins to plateau after five years of age. The current policy in early education limits greatly the amount of extracurricular lessons provided in accordance with government policies such as No Ch ild Left Behind, which restricts school funding based on standardized testing only in certain subject areas. School programs, realistically beginning in elementary education, should include foreign language study due to the strong evidence that bilingualism in children can develop higher cognitive abilities which can be enhanced with proficiency and positively influence skills in other areas. Old arguments suggest that, â€Å"children who are instructed bilingually from an early age will suffer cognitive or intellectual retardation in comparison with their monolingually instructed counterparts† (Diaz 24). Much of the research from the past supporting this argument focused on older bilinguals, mostly adults who may have shown competent abilities in a second language but who had much later ages of acquisition and who usually acquired the second language outside of the home. Many early studies in this field worked with children of immigrants who showed lower abilities in cognitive tasks most likely because of the lack of proficiency in the second language (L2) and lack of proper schooli ng in relation to this deficiency (Kovà ¡cs 307). In correlation with poorly chosen test subjects, the studies were typically done with orthographic representations of words that would have been more difficult for younger test subjects to work with. For example, a study done by Ton Dijkstra, Professor of Psycholinguistics and Multilingualism at the Donders Institute, which focused only on adult English/Dutch bilinguals–the youngest being fifteen years old, all of whom studied their L2 in a middle or high school level. This study included only written examples of words and had the subjects determine if the word was English or Dutch. The results were able to somewhat prove Dijkstra’s theory of Bilingual interactive activation (BIA) which underlines the effects orthography has on L1 and L2 word retrieval that is â€Å"assuming, of course, that the same orthography is used in the input† (Dijkstra 217). If this study were done on younger children, it is sure they would not have performed as well since children are typically less familiar with the written language than with the spoken. Older language learners would make more use of the written approach to learning, such as a textbook, while younger learners typica lly learn more from a speech-based approach, like conversationally in the home. The textbook approach is a symbolic processing which differs from the more embedded cognitive retrieval of the speech-based learning approach utilized by younger children to understand the two languages. There have been many studies over the past few years that have proven the opposite of these older arguments. Many of the studies have tested the cognitive abilities of young children, usually aged six and under in accordance with the critical period hypothesis, with both monolingual and bilingual proficiency. These experiments are concerned with cognitive tasks including false-belief tasks and grammar testing to determine the ability to hold abstract thought in the L2 as well as phonemic testing in order to find if there is an ability to distinguish between the phonemes of the different languages. The majority of these studies have tested subjects using visual representations and vocal experiments with proctors who have experience working with children and are trained in both languag es being tested. The more useful subjects are usually taught implicitly, or passively in the home. Although some make use of explicitly taught subjects, meaning they learned actively in a class setting. It has been proven that an infant of four months has the incredible linguistic discrimination abilities to distinguish languages with different prosody and phonemes (Kovà ¡cs 303). An infant is then better equipped to attain more native-like proficiency later in life when exposed this early to the sounds and rhythm of the L2. Doctor in Communication Sciences, Karsten Steinhauer explains, â€Å"that late L2 learners stabilize at some point short of native-like attainment [which] most recently has been discussed in terms of phonological/prosodic interference from L1† (Steinhauer 15). When a young child is introduced to two separate languages, the mechanisms of attention, selection, and inhibition become more fine-tuned due to the experience of attending to one language and ignoring the other (Kovà ¡cs 303, 308). The training in encoding and the association of two correspondi ng words with a common concept underlines the superior representational abilities a bilingual retains especially when the L2 is entrenched in the brain the way early acquisition allows. Linguist à gnes Melinda Kovà ¡cs presents research proving that monolinguals typically attain these abilities at the age of four years while young bilinguals gain these skills much earlier (Kovà ¡cs 316). The brain’s plasticity allows the young child to hold and use the two languages without interference and with continued usage the child will be more likely to attain full native-like proficiency in both languages. Kovà ¡cs also explains that since the brain remains active during demanding tasks, the brain may take on the extra load of two languages as a constructive challenge. The young, malleable brain may possibly â€Å"greatly adapt to [the challenge], for example, by changing its morphology† (Kovà ¡cs 308). A type of adaptation has been proven in studies done by neuroscientist Andrea Mechelli, which were concerned with the grey matter surrounding the left inferior parietal cortex, the general area associated with language use containing the Broca’s are a. These studies confirmed that the grey matter in this area is denser in early-acquired bilinguals. The density decreases in correlation with proficiency in the L2 with monolinguals having the least dense matter (Mechelli 757). This may be the case because a later acquired L2 is held at a more surface level of the brain and requires the use of the declarative memory instead of the procedural memory. Many tests have been done to determine the amount of brain activity associated with language in the left inferior parietal cortex through the use of event-related brain potential, or ERPs. Dr. Steinhauer describes ERPs as â€Å"reflecting the real-time electrophysiological brain dynamics of cognitive processes with an excellent time resolution in the range of milliseconds,† and that ERPs â€Å"have been hypothesized to be linked to rule-based automatic parsing† (Steinhauer 16). Measurements of ERPs are taken while subjects perform syntactically poignant tasks. Since it is thought that syntactic processes are generally automatic or a part of â€Å"implicit grammar processi ng† (Steinhauer 17), the ERP components would be more difficult to elicit in later acquired bilinguals. Steinhauer et al. performed several studies in this area, working with many real and one artificial language labeled BROCANTO 2. In each case, the subjects were given grammaticality judgment tasks in the given language, such as subject-verb agreement violations and lexical anomalies. For each group, the early acquired or implicitly taught subjects educed the same type of ERP responses as native speakers. Late-acquired or explicitly instructed subjects showed more shallow responses, if any at all in this area. These findings show that â€Å"syntactic processes appear to be sensitive to delays in L2 acquisition† (Steinhauer 19). One of the most prominent issues in L2 proficiency is attaining the phonemic boundary between the two languages. Monolinguals are usually unable to distinguish the sounds of a language other than their own. The more proficient a bilingual is in their L2, the more able they are to perceive the two types of phonemes and to determine which is correct in a given phonological circumstance. The phonemic boundary is the least likely area to be fossilized in a late-acquired bilingual. There have been several studies done which have proven this, including a 2008 study done by Adrian Garcia-Sierra, professor of Communications at the University of Texas. In this study, the voice onset time, or VOT, of thirty college students was tested. Half of the students were English monolinguals while the other half were English/Spanish bilinguals who described themselves as fluent speakers of both languages and who learned their L2 at home. This study was done in Austin, Texas where some Spanish is integrated into the daily culture. The results showed that the more fluent bilinguals were more apt to â€Å"a perceptual shift†¦associated with high level of confidence in English and Spanish†¦[and] that highly confident L2 bilinguals are more likely to possess a double phonemic boundary† (Garcia-Sierra 378). This shows that more proficient bilinguals will have a stronger ability to determine different phonemes, which also underlines the effects bilingualism has on a dvanced discrimination and attention skills. Another recent study performed on early bilinguals was done by a group of psychologists headed by Michael Siegal. The experiments tested the pragmatic skills of 41 children in northeastern Italy. All were between the ages of three and six years old, with 19 Italian monolinguals and 22 Italian/Slovenian bilinguals who attended the same preschool taught only in Italian. The children were tested on the Gricean maxims of conversational understanding. These are four basic rules which provide a foundation for pragmatic competence including quality, quantity, relevance, and politeness. The groups of children were shown cartoons with characters having conversations that contained one response created in order to break one of the maxims. The children were then asked which of the characters said something strange or rude and to provide a more appropriate response when the statement was positively identified. The main thesis in this study was that bilingualism requires â€Å"the capacity for flexibility in the representation of language and objects [which] suggests that early bilingualism should be accomp anied by advanced meta-pragmatic skills† (Siegal 115). This theory was upheld by the results of these tests in which the bilingual children outperformed the monolinguals by much more than a chance margin, especially in the maxims of politeness and quality even though many bilinguals had a delayed vocabulary in their L2. The psychologists behind this study suggest that bilingualism can be â€Å"accompanied by an enhanced ability to appreciate effective communicative responses† (Siegal 115). The results of this research seem to highlight the idea that the acquisition of a second language allows a child to remove themselves from the comfortable context of their native language and to realize that it is more necessary to provide useful information and use polite tones for more a successful exchange in both languages. Recently, studies have been performed concerning the effects and importance of early-acquired bilingualism in patients with neuropsychiatric disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. Research in this area shows that it is less likely for a bilingual individual to be affected by these types of diseases. The majority of the hypotheses behind this statistic pertain to the activity in the brain that is needed to think and speak bilingually. This constant activity exercises the brain in a way that is counterintuitive to the deterioration involved with these disorders (Paradis 216). The research behind Parkinson’s disease explains that the procedural memory is affected greatly sometimes causing a loss of the L1. This is partnered with a tendency to â€Å"produce a smaller portion of grammatical sentences†¦and exhibit deficits in comprehension of complex syntactic forms† (Paradis 217). This is likely linked to the deterioration of the left inferior parietal cortex, the same area in the brain discussed earlier, which is associated with syntactic processes and holding the L1. On the other hand, bilingual patients with Alzheimer’s show a loss in t heir L2 as well as in semantic abilities and a gradual loss of pragmatic, phonological, and syntactic structures. More common in this type of dementia is a puzzlingly inappropriate mixture of the two languages (Paradis 222). This is due to the break down of the declarative memory caused by the dementia. The declarative memory is involved with metacognition, which is why it affects such things as the less familiar language, pragmatic skills, and the selective attention abilities of bilinguals. The major finding in these studies is that â€Å"the differences observed in psychotic conditions as well as in dementias are caused by the increased reliance on declarative-memory-based (and hence consciously controlled) explicit metalinguistic knowledge† (Paradis 222). The advances made in early bilingual research have been great over the past few decades. Through these studies and so many more, it has been made clear that bilinguals with early ages of acquisition not only achieve more native-like proficiency but also tend to have more advanced cognitive abilities than their monolingual peers. These include but are not exclusive to increased analytical, representational, selective, and control abilities. Bilingualism also implies more developed metalingustic awareness and mental flexibility. Early bilinguals have also shown greater abilities in pragmatics and phonemic discrimination. In opposition to old arguments, Kovà ¡cs writes, â€Å"The bilingual condition could be stimulating for the highly plastic developing mind of the child, and induces specific changes in the brain and cognitive systems† (Kovà ¡cs 317). The higher development has been seen in ERP testing and in the density of grey matter involved in the linguistically apt area of the brain. Educators and policy makers should consider this information when planning early education programs. Those enriched with the benefits of a bilingual education are not only better off cognitively, but in the modern world, would be more prepared for the global society and workplace. Works Cited Diaz, R â€Å"Thought and Two Languages: The Impact of Bilingualism on Cognitive Development.† Review of Research in Education 10 (1983): 23-54 Dijkstra, Ton. â€Å"Task and Context Effects in Bilingual Lexical Processing.† Cognitive Aspects of Bilingualism (2007): 213-235. Garcia-Sierra, Adrian, Randy L. Diehl, and Craig Champlin. â€Å"Testing the double phonemic boundary in bilinguals.† Speech Communication 51 (2009): 369-378. Kovacs, Agnes Melinda. â€Å"Beyond Language: Childhood Bilingualism Enhances High- level Cognitive Functions.† Cognitive Aspects of Bilingualism (2007): 301-323. Mechelli, A., Crinion, J. T., Noppeney, U., O’Doherty, J., Ashburner, J., Frackowiak, R. S., and Price, C.J. 2004. Structural plasticity in the bilingual brain. Nature. 431: 754. Siegal, Michael, Laura Iozzi, and Luca Surian. â€Å"Bilingualism and conversational understanding in young children.† Cognition 110 (2009): 115-122.

Mims V Starbucks Case

LAW 150 Mims v. Starbucks Corp. Fact: * Kevin Keevican, Kathleen Mims, and other former managers filed a suit against Starbucks seeking unpaid overtime and other amounts. * In Starbucks Corp. Stores the manager’s responsibilities include supervising and motivating six to thirty employees including supervisors and assistant managers, overseeing customer service and processes employee records, payrolls, and inventory counts. * He or she also develops strategies to increase revenues, control costs, and comply with corporate policies. As a manager Kevin worked seventy hours a week for $650 to $800, a 10 to 20 percent bonus, and fringe benefits that were not available to baristas, such as paid sick leave. * An employee’s primary duty is usually what the employee does that is of principal value to the employer, not the collateral tasks that she may also perform, even if they consume more than half their time. * The Plaintiffs argued that they spent less than 50 percent of the ir time on managing and therefore they should be entitled to unpaid overtime and other amounts. Issue:Are the managers non-exempt from the FLSA’s overtime provisions?Decision: NO Rationale: The court began by stating the even when an employee spends less than 50% of his time on management, as the plaintiffs claim they did, management might still be the employee’s primary duty if certain factors support that conclusion. The factors were 1) the relative importance of managerial duties compared to other duties; 2) the frequency with which the employee makes discretionary decisions; 3) the employee’s relative freedom from supervision; and 4) the relationship between the employee’s salary and the wages paid to employees who perform relevant non-exempt work.The record showed that the managerial duties were more critical to success than other duties. The reasoning behind this was that if the managers of stores that made more than $1 million annually in sales wer e able to spend the majority of their time doing chores that other employees which they hired also perform, it’s still obvious that those activities of the manager were not as importance compared to the significant management responsibilities performed during the lesser part of their time.In other words even though the managers spent more time doing less significant work, it still is not as significant as the management activities that they perform even though they do the management activities with 20 to 30 percent of their time. It was apparent that the plaintiffs were the highest paid being that they were the managers and given the significance of their activities they had to make many decisions such as inventory control and whom to deploy in certain positions.A part of these activities was as the highest-ranking employees in their stores to choose who to hire when to discipline employees etc. This applies to the second factor. They argued that because the district managers had the authority to hire more senior employees and set rates of pay, that they did not have the full power to make discretionary decisions however this does not change that management was their primary duty because the discretion may be limited to the company and its desires for uniformity.The third factor in determining if management was the employee’s primary duty was the employee’s relative freedom from supervision. The plaintiffs had claimed that this factor was not conclusive since the district managers were always coming into their stores. They had claimed that since the district managers came on a frequent basis they did not have the freedom from supervision. The court found that the managers still had enough discretionary power and freedom from supervision to qualify for the executive exemption.In other words even though the district managers spent substantial amounts of time in the Plaintiffs’ stores they still had the responsibility of maintaining th e store and its operations and had enough freedom from supervision according to the courts. The fourth factor was the relationship between the employee’s salary and the wages paid to employees who perform relevant non exempt work. Basically here the court said that there was no evidence that their compensation was close to that of some assistant managers which was the Plaintiffs argument on the matter.And it was without a doubt that they had nearly twice the total annual compensation received by their highest-paid supervisors. And they also received bonuses that were not available to everyone. Thus after looking at all the factors the court decided in favor of Starbucks and dismissed the claims, who were exempt from the FLSA’s overtime provisions as executive employees. The court also said that the plaintiffs’ primary duty was management.

A 2000 word review of Mark Deuzes Media Work and 2000 word self Essay

A 2000 word review of Mark Deuzes Media Work and 2000 word self evaluation - Essay Example His remarks here refer to conditions and setting of liquid life. Among the conditions Deuze is referring to include the challenge and opportunities of precarious labour, contingent employment, and a structural sense of authentic or perceived job insecurity. The first liquid life condition that Deuze refers to is the challenges and opportunities that are resultant of the current contingent or reliant employment environment. This situation, as noted by Ulrich Beck, reflects the fundamental hesitant prospects of the current work-styles throughout the society which are marked by uncertainty, inconsistency and risks (Deuze, 2006). Deuze notes that it is the nature of contemporary freedom that manifests itself most openly in the noteworthy change of people’s career from a chain of more or less expected achievements. Such is a result of an enduring contract to a continuous reshuffling of job bits and pieces in what has been heralded as portfolio work life (Deuze, 2006). Such reshuffle makes life liquid in nature. Another condition of liquid life that referred by Deuze is that precarious labour environment in the contemporary transition from life to work and the overall present employment patterns. Using Zygmunt Bauman’s sketch, Deuze notes that stability and solidity, which were at one-time major hallmarks of a health organisation have also become signs of organisation’s weakness. This is a liquid life because such global integration introduces a deep-seated aspect of unpredictability of work, leading to failure or success of the local production process becoming entirely dependent on the fluctuations in the worldwide network. Consequently, Deuzes’s reference to liquid life is relevant to the perceived job insecurity as it reflects the contemporary workforce behaviours. He notes that such patterns include adaptive response, permanent change, and continual innovation, all expressed as the exclusive philosophies of workforce flexibility.

Please write a short report on the strategy and organization of Assignment

Please write a short report on the strategy and organization of Hutchison Whampoa Ltd - Assignment Example The Company, Hutchison Whampoa Limited, was founded in the year 1861 in Hong Kong; in the year 1880, the then John Hutchison developed Hutchison International with the soul purpose of importing wholesale products basically for consumption. Later, in the year 1960’s the Company gained a great interest in the A.S Watson which was a major dealer in operating drug stores as well as supermarkets (Leung 2002). Additionally, in the late 1977’s, the Company acquired some of the remaining stokes that were left in Whampoa Dock and incorporated into Hutchison to develop the Current Hutchison Whampoa Limited Company. In the year, 1978, the Company made its operations public and listed its shares in the Hong Kong business stock exchange (Leung 2002). Hutchison Whampoa Limited is an extensive conglomerate located in the City of Hong Kong; it majorly deals with provision of real estate, infrastructure service provision, manufacturing of various consumer products, retail services as well as energy service provision and telecommunication services (Leung 2002). Currently, it offers various services in fifty four countries with its main head offices located in Hong Kong. It major are goals are inclusive of; the provision of advanced technologies to the society through enhanced opportunities in research and innovation and the promotion of accountability, quality and responsibility in service provision. The modus operandi of the Hutchison Whampoa Limited basically relies on its strength from diverse modes of service provision together with the fact that, it offers services that covers an extensive geographical location. To begin with, its major strategic facet of operation emerges from the fact that it is a conglomerate. In 1977, it merged with the then Whampoa Dock Company, a scenario that led to the increase of its market share (expanded it operation). This has led to the increase of its competitive advantage owing to the fact that it offers a wide

Price Elasticity of Demand Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Price Elasticity of Demand - Coursework Example   For example, if the price of fuel increase by 20%, the reaction would be that the demand for new Vehicles that are fuel inefficient will reduce by 40% and therefore cross elasticity of demand will Be -2 (-) cross elasticity represents two commodities that are complementary, while (+) cross elasticity represent two substitute commodities. In above example, the two commodities, fuel and vehicle are complements to mean that one commodity is used by the other. In such a case, cross elasticity of demand is (-) as evidenced by a reduction in demand for vehicles when fuel price is raised. Everybody needs salt in food and nothing else can substitute salt. Therefore, when the price of salt goes high, then more is spent on it. Also, the same case would be for people who want to build stronger and permanent stone buildings. They must need cement and therefore if the price of cement increases, more will be spent on it rather than thinking of adjusting to another product. Two commodities are substitutes when the cross elasticity of demand is (+) to mean that when the price of one commodity increases, the demands of the other commodities rise. For instance, if the company that makes Rhino matches increase their prices significantly, then the customers are most likely to adjust to other types of matches rather than paying more for the same Rhino match at an increased price. The same would apply if the Sony Company that manufactures electronics increases the prices of their products, customers will opt for similar products manufactured by different companies and which are sold at a fair price. This is because the other companies can produce substitutes that meet the customers’ demands. Elasticity determinants: the availability of substitutes, substitutability, and time has to be put into consideration because even with the increase in prices and the customers turning to substitutes, every business will continue running. Hence, for the commodities with many substitut es, the merchant will have to create special offers from time to time to attract the customers unlike the commodities with inelastic demand. Then some products like salt signify a minute portion of the customer’s financial plan resulting in reduced concentration being given to its price. Also if a commodity is the only option in the market, then its substitutability becomes very minimal. e.g roller skates. If they are the only skating gadgets then the customers will not be very perceptive to its price variations since, after all, they require them for skating.

Reading Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Reading Reflection - Essay Example Indeed, Gatsby is able to reinvent himself as an epitome of affluence and a typical American success story. However, the self reinvention secured by Gatsby is lacking in substance and integrity and he comes out as a love sick young lad who manages to somehow accumulate the patina of the great American dream, managing to shimmer monetarily on the surface of the social scene of the New York of the 20s, and then fading away unsung and least mourned. If evaluated within the scope of reinvention in the light of the American dream, the self reinvention wrought out by Gatsby comes out as being merely skin deep. It is an irony that the popular notions regarding the American Dream mostly tend to hover around pecuniary considerations, while in reality; American Dream is a concept that is too substantial in its scope and ramifications. In the light of this fact, Class does play an important role in the life of Gatsby, especially more so in his early life, when being an ordinary boy from a humbl e background; he falls in love with Daisy, a girl endowed with means and status. The tragedy of Gatsby was that instead of building his reinvention on integrity and substance, he chooses to opt for the easy way out, to seek a short cut promising an easy and early class shift. In that context the reinvention of Gatsby needs to be analyzed in the light of the times he is placed that is the early 20s. That era was an era of affluence when the social barriers and considerations had become quiet lax (Gross & Gross 23). Besides, the accompanying prohibition offered an easy chance to any daring and willing young man to be a millionaire through shady means. Placed amongst such times, Gatsby, a poor, hurt and dropped young man gets attracted to an idea of reinvention that happened to be purely materialistic, exhibitionist and questionable with regards to the means that it adhered to, to emerge as a success. The other thing that needs to be noticed regarding the reinvention of Gatsby is that till the very end he is evasive of his humble family background. No doubt, Gatsby affiliated to a poor family. In the light of this fact Daisy emerged in his life not only as an object of love, but also as symbol of affluence, status and riches, a kind of life that in a way mocked the humble family background of Gatsby (Bloom 140). Placed in such circumstances it was but quiet natural for a young man to evade his family background out of shame, to enamor his love with pretentions of richness and plenty out of passion, and to aspire to be rich out a belief in one’s potential and sense of daring. Yet, the war spoiled Gatsby’s chances with Daisy and stung by it he somehow felt that it was his humble background and limited means that were really responsible for this. So the young man somehow prepared himself to vehemently reinvent himself to appropriate all that the society of his times associated with status and class. The actual talent and potential of Gatsby eventually gets lost in the din of popular aspirations and pretentions as the writer reveals, â€Å"The truth was that Jay Gatsby, of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself. †¦ So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen year old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful till the end (Fitzgerald Chapter 6).†

Business Related Topic (see page 9 on attachment) Case Study

Business Related Topic (see page 9 on attachment) - Case Study Example Recognizing that the financial analysis will be maximized by more data, it uses 2005 as a comparative year for 2006. Lastly, this paper will also compare the financial data and ratios of British Airways Plc, its key competitors, and industry through a benchmarking analysis. The report concludes with the identification of the airline's financial strengths and weakness. The British airline is rapidly evolving due to external environmental forces. The industry has been faced with a dismal outlook with the onset of economic downturn in the world led by the business cycle in the United States (Sorensen 2006). Furthermore, the emergence of low cost carriers in the European airline industry is a living example of how the strategic directions of business organisations are strongly affected by the changes, trends, and developments and their external environment. It is apparent that the European airline industry has progressed from being dominated by large, business class air carriers to one which is increasingly controlled by the proliferation of low cost airlines (Sorensen 2006). The wide popularity and acceptance of budget air travel puts pressure on large carriers like British Airways (BA) Plc. to implement more aggressive market strategies in order to compete in the marketplace. With this backdrop, it has been expected that the performance of business class air carriers like BA have declined while budget airlines take center stage. This, in turn, is expected to be reflected in the financial performance of the business organization. Financial analysis has become one of the most popular techniques utilized in order to ascertain the health and well being of a business organization. Financial analysis enables decision makers to uncover trends in business performance and compare different business organizations (Keown, et. al 2005). In line with this, it becomes important to analyse the financial situation of the BA in order to understand how it copes with its weaknesses and faces various threats. 2.1. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES Based on its annual reports, its key competitors, and the whole airline industry, this report generally intends to examine the financial situation of British Airways Plc. This report aims to accomplish the following objectives: 1. Determine the trend of growth of BA's key income statement and balance sheet accounts; 2. Evaluate the performance of BA in terms of profitability, liquidity, solvency, and financial leverage through the use of financial ratio analysis; 3. Compare the performance of BA with its main competitor by benchmarking; and 4. Reveal the business organization's areas of financial strengths and weakness. 2.2. RESEARCH QUESTION Based on the aforementioned research aims and objectives, the research question in consideration can be adequately stated as follows: What is the general assessment on British Airways

Marketing Plan Role And Structure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marketing Plan Role And Structure - Essay Example This paper will therefore, discuss the role that a marketing plan plays in enabling the product position itself in the market. It will also discuss different elements of a marketing plan and importance of each element in enabling the marketer market the product. In addition, it will provide an appropriate structure of a marketing plan and distinctive features between a marketing plan and business plan. Also, the paper will look at how each element in a marketing plan enhances the marker’s understanding of the market. Different assumptions made when drafting a marketing plan will also be discussed and their relevance in accordance with the marketer’s objective. Lastly, different marketers use marketing plan for different purposes. These purposes will be analysed and select the most appropriate use of a marketing plan. This will help in coming up with a detailed conclusion on the effectiveness of a marketing plan in helping the business to increase its overall profits (Bu rrow & Bosiljevac 2011). Role and nature of marketing plan A marketing plan can be defined as a product or companywide plan that describes all functions involved in achieving marketing objectives in a certain timeframe. A business plan provides a general platform that a business needs to follow in order to achieve its goals. Marketing plan is a part of business plan that goes deeper in discussing the sales and marketing planning. It also offers market analysis, expense budget; sales forecast and even different milestone tables. On the other hand, business plan covers the overall expenditure to be covered with a business. Therefore a market plan plays a great role in setting up an appropriate business plan (Cohen, 2005). A marketing plan defines the firm’s long-term mission. Every business has its mission that it wants to achieve. This cannot be possible if the business does not have an appropriate strategy to be followed. Marketing plan therefore, provides the appropriate str ategy that a business must follow in order to achieve its mission. It also analyses all the risks and uncertainties that may face a business or a product in the market and provide the possible solutions. The mission is mainly based on an understanding the target consumers and all prospective competitors that might hinder the mission from being achieved (Cohen, 2005). Marketing plan helps in environment assessment. The plan summarizes the firm’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and provides a way on how to manipulate these aspects in order for the company to increase its overall revenue. It mainly provides a way forward on how to take advantage of the available opportunities in order to strengthen the business position in the market. It also defines business strength and how to use them to increase the business competitiveness in the market. In addition, it defines all weaknesses that a business faces and how they can be eradicated or improved to fit the busine ss mission. It also analyses the possible threats that faces the business and how to evade them (Cohen, 2005). A comprehensive marketing plan assesses the current status of the marketing effort in regard to pricing, distribution, product and promotional strategies. It assesses the relationship that exists between the business and other external factors such as competition, and target market. This help the marketer develops appropriate and measurable sales objectives.

Workplace drug testing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Workplace drug testing - Assignment Example According to the SAMSHA Office of Applied Studies, 8.4 % of the US workforce in 2007 were users of drugs and almost the same percent were reported heavy users of alcohol (cited in US DOL, 2010, p.2). The bottomline impact of such statistics is that the employee, his/ her co-workers and the business itself sustains losses as a result of a poor performance by a drug dependent. Therefore, there is a compelling reason to do drug testing like urinalysis or blood tests in order to deter and prevent substance abuse in workers, not just in public institutions but in all private and public businesses. Today, the law mandates that all companies dealing with the government should have a drug-free workplace (US DHHS, SAMSHA, 1994, p.1). Some states also have their own laws on drug testing, but the focus is on companies that deal with the State. I believe that a drug-free workplace program, i.e., urinalysis drug tests and blood tests, should be enforced on all workplaces regardless of public or private transactions with the government. Where substance abuse is deterred, employees who truly are under the influence will seek employment where such behaviour can be tolerated. Thus, the program will not be effective if there will be companies left that can tolerate substance abuse. According to Larson, et al. (2007), 90% of workers that are elicit drug users or alcohol abusers work for small and medium-sized businesses (cited in US DOL, 2010, p.2). Yet most of these businesses are not mandated, not organized and resourced enough to have a sustainable drug-free workplace programs. Since sm all businesses make up a significant part of the society, they should get all the help they can from the government, more so on the aspect of drug abuse enforcement. There is already an existing law on drug applicable to public institutions and to effectively combat drug abuse in society, this existing law on drug testing should just be expanded to

Relience Insurance Essay Example for Free

Relience Insurance Essay Reliance Insurance Company, now officially known as Reliance Insurance Company [in Liquidation], was founded in Philadelphia in 1817. In October 2005, Reliance Insurance Company had taken place in India. Reliance Life Insurance Company Limited is an associate company of reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group. Reliance Capital Limited is one of India’s leading private sectors. Reliance capital has interests in an asset management and mutual funds, stock broking, life and general insurance’ proprietary investments’ private equity and other activities in financials service. Reliance Group also has presence in Communications, Energy, Natural + interests. Reliance General Insurance Co. Ltd. is fast emerging as one of the biggest general insurance companies in India. The company offers over 95 insurance products for both corporate and individual customers. The distribution network of Reliance General Insurance Co. Ltd. extends 200 branch offices spread across 172 cities in 22 states in India. Automobileindia.com furnishes information on Reliance General Insurance Co. Ltd. Risks Covered by Reliance General Insurance Co. Ltd.: Reliance General Insurance offers coverage for all the accidental happenings, producing monetary loss or loss of life. It also includes risks of an individual, or a group. Reliance General Insurance offers coverage in case of: †¢Financial loss of the insured †¢Measurable or tangible monetary loss †¢Legal object of the insurance contract Advantages of Insuring with Reliance General Insurance Co. Ltd.: Reliance General Insurance Co. Ltd offers you a number of advantages. Automobileindia.com furnishes information on Reliance General Insurance Co. Ltd. Some of the advantages of using Reliance General Insurance Co. Ltd are †¢Speedy claims settlement through country wide reach †¢Free towing facility for insured vehicles in case of an accident in all metropolitan cities in India †¢Cashless claims settlement in preferred garages of the policy holder. †¢Reliance General Insurance Reliance General Insurance Co. Ltd has tie-ups with leading TPAs and hospitals offering cashless facilities, ensuring hassle free returns †¢Easy and prompt E intimation facility Claim Procedure in Reliance General Insurance: The policy holder needs to know the claim process and the different kinds of insurance. Automobileindia.com furnishes information on Reliance General Insurance Co. Ltd. Claim Procedure in Reliance General Insurance falls into three broad categories: * Theft claims * Own damage claims * Third party claim Information Required for Claiming Policy at Reliance General Insurance: The insurer or policy holder needs to provide the following details, when he or she is claiming for insurance. * Full name of the Insured * the contact details of the policy holder * Policy number * Nature of loss * Place of loss or accident site (in case of accident) * Contact details of insured person (if in case the person intimating the claim is not insured) WHAT IS INSURANCE? Insurance is a specialized type of contract. It is an agreement between two parties one party is insurance company who takes the insurance of other party known as insured party. Premium is consideration of Contract of the insurance. The insurer issues a document in writing in the name of the insured which is called policy. It includes terms and conditions of the insurance contract. The insurer has to pay a certain amount to the insured, if uncertain event takes place after taking the insurance and before the expiry of the policy NEEDS FOR INSURANCE:- Human life is a full of uncertainty and therefore ,there is a need for insurance if there no uncertainty there is no need for insurance .If one can predict the forthcoming dangers ,he can take a proper action and face the crisis . However, death, disaster and  dangers cannot be predicted and hence the insurance is needed. Insurance does not protect the assets. It also does not prevent the losses due to the perils. The perils cannot be avoided by taking the insurance ,but it compensate the losses caused due to the perils which are uncertain . The insurance companies play an important role of implementing the concept of insurance. They collect the premium in advance and create the fund out of which the losses incurred by few a insured people are compensated . Thus the variable need of life insurance can be: (a) Protection of the interest of the family members. (b)Provision for education and marriage of children. (c) Post-retirement income for self and family members. The general insurance helps to protect capital employed in industry and economic activity. Life insurance has become the main vehicle for carrying the social security to the public and the weaker section. Life insurance business is complimentary to the government efforts in social management. LIFE INSURANCE:- Life insurance business was entirely in the hands of LIC till 1999. In late 1999, the government of India allowed the opening up of the insurance sector to private parties by passing the insurance regulatory and development authority (IRDA).foreign companies are also allowed to invest up to 26 percent of equity stake in the insurance sector in the India. The market share of reliance insurance company is 0.47%. Following are the basic types of policies:- (a) Term assurance (b)Endowment product (c)Whole life insurance (d)Money- back policies (e)Annuity plan GENERAL INSURANCE :- General insurance evolved with the evolution of business and the lifestyle of the human beings. Today general insurance cover everything from space expenditure to the voice of the famous singer. general insurance business in India can be traced its roots to the Triton insurance company limited , the first general insurance company established in the year 1850 in Calcutta by the Britishers. The India mercantile insurance ltd. Was set up in 1907. In 1968 the insurance act was amended to regulate investment and set minimum solvency margins and the Tariff advisory committee was set up. Insurance act , 1938 and the general insurance business ( nationalize ) act ,1972 regulate the insurance business. Inter-regulatory committee set up to fix norms on insurance firms Paving the way for guidelines for listing by insurance companies, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) has set up a committee to finalize the norms. This committee, appointed recently, would look at the level of disinvestment that a company could undertake through the stock market. Apart from IRDA officials, the committee also consists of members from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). The committee is headed by IRDA Member. The move would pave the way for the likes of Reliance Life Insurance to list on stock exchanges. The government is set to ease the norms to allow companies to list after five years of operation, instead of the Current 10-year norm. Reliance, which had sought a relaxation, could be the first beneficiary. The sources said that the matter had also been examined by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) and it was decided that SEBI would issue the norms. Apart from Reliance, a host of other life insurers such as HDFC Standard Life and SBI Life could also tap the market. In the run-up to the listing norms, IRDA would issue guidelines related to valuation. The insurance regulator has already issued the disclosure norms for companies. In the past, the government and the market regulator have provided a special dispensation for various sectors, such as information technology, to help companies list. COMPETITORS OF RELIANCE INSURANCE:- 1) LIFE INSURANCE CORPORATION IN INDIA THAT IS (LIC). 2) BAJAJ ALLIANZ GENERAL INSURANCE. 3) ICICI PRUDENTIAL LIFE INSURANCE. 4) ICICI LOMBARD GENERAL INSURANCE. 5) BIRLA SUN LIFE INSURANCE. 6) TATA AIG GENERAL INSURANCE. 7) NEW INDIA ASSURANCE COMPANY. 8) IFFCO TOKIO GENERAL INSURANCE. SOME ONLINE POLICIES PROVIDED BY RELIANCE INSURANCE COMPANY:- CAR INSURANCE: Reliance General Insurance offers an online car insurance portal which is quick and fast and one can purchase the automobile Insurance policy in ten minutes if one has all the information about his/her vehicle. Some of the advantages of the reliance private car Insurance policy are: The online policy is issued within 10 minutes. The online policy eliminates the process of paper work. It gives you complete Insurance cover on and off the road. It covers your car against accidents, theft, natural calamities, etc. Cashless facility is provided. In case of claim, the survey of the vehicle is arranged within 24 hours. TRAVEL INSURANCE: Travel insurance or visitor insurance also known as overseas medical insurance can cover your medical expenses, personal accident, trip delay, loss of passport and many more risk while you travel abroad. At insurance Pandit, we offer a convenient way to compare travel insurance plans offered by reliance insurance company. Not only you can compare plans but also buy and print your travel insurance policy online. Individual Overseas Medical Insurance HEALTH INSURANCE: Health and medical insurance is a recent origin in India. Health insurance covers two types of benefits. One is reimbursement of medical expenses related to specific diseases and the other is related to hospitalization. Health insurance cover operates in two ways- cashless and cash reimbursable ones. The health insurance has changed the way medicine is dispensed and sold in most of the parts of the world. In India, the introduction of the new famous policy â€Å"MEDICLAIM† has made a huge difference to an ordinary citizen’s usage of insurance for medical cover purpose. The mediclaim covers the following expenses: PROFESSIONAL INDEMNITY: General insurance evolved with the evolution of business and life style of living beings. It took shape in the sea going vessels of the early centuries. Today expeditions to the voice of famous singers. General insurance forms the lifeline of several commerce and trade activities.

Video game research coms 472 Essay Example for Free

Video game research coms 472 Essay Video Game and Harassment: The medium that will be used is through video. The narrative format will resemble half way between a TED talk and a report. This will enable me to criticize the current state of online gaming and the constant harassment that occurs for women gamer. I am attempting to schedule some interviews from women gamer in order to receive feedback on the topic. At the same time, I’ve organized a couple of interviews of friends that easily fit in the higher percentage of ‘hardcore’ gamers (+ 10hrs of gaming a week), that were testers for different genre of gaming. I will also utilize documentary footage and videos from various youtube channels in regards to state real statistics about gaming, as well as my own research when applicable. Segment I: Video Game Industry at a glimpse (~2-3mins) The aim in this section is to present the importance of gaming as an industry. Doing so will further the importance of female harassment that occurs within the medium. The origin of video games is highly debated among gamers. Some consider the birth of video games in 1961, when MIT students created Spacewar! Others believe the birth of video games, through the creation of an actual video game company, placing Atari and Pong as the soul founder of video game culture, in 1972. Regardless who stemmed the culture, the success of theses few games snowballed into the arcade age, where many arcade games such as Pac-Man, Asteroids, and Space Invaders were seen in malls, movie theaters, and even grocery stores. Unfortunately, Atari made a fundamental mistake. Believing they had struck a gold mine by creating a new market, they quickly produced multiple games with no regards to the quality of the individual games. Though gamers created a viable business for companies, they also were picky about what they wanted to play. Most of theses games did not create a turnover and forced Atari to go Bankrupt. In 1985, Nintendo came out with the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and moved the arcade to home entertainment system. It was bundled with Super Mario Bros and quickly became a huge success (Herz 20). During the 1980s, the video- game market became more and more popular, and the budget for the creation of video games increased as well, as more and more publishers and fans bought into the craze. It is at this time that the first console war occurred. Indeed, in 1989, Sega came out with the Sega Genesis, and Nintendo responded with the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Next came the Sega Saturn, and the Sony PlayStation in 1994 and 1995. Then came the Nintendo 64, in 1996 selling more than 1. 5 million units in just 3 months. By the end of this era, Sony had become a leader in the video-game market, while Sega had fallen behind and was not doing very well. Today video games (across all platforms) are a 101 billion-dollar industry, almost more then film and music combined (= 88. 3 +15). The GTA V from the Rockstar franchise has surpassed 1 billion dollars in revenue, and will most likely keep growing with a new release on recent platforms (PS4, XBOX 1). The budget for the recent Activision shooter title Destiny was near the 500 Million dollar mark. Nearly half of all US homes own one game entertainment system, and 23 percent own more than three, according to Nielsen Entertainment. Furthermore, the average age of the gamer is now 30 years old. It is not simply a hobby, but a clear culture, with different levels of gamers within it. Segment II: Who are the gamers? Where do women stand/rank? (5 mins) This segment will enable me to explain the importance of the female demographic and where they stand as a group. This segment will introduce certain interviews or comments I will capture during the 5 a 7 at the Concordia TAG center. (All stats from entertainment software association) Today from the way video games are marketed, anyone could think that the majority of gamers are men. Recent studies have debunked this myth by presenting an impressive 40% to 47% of the gaming population are actually women. Typically, the common response to this statement is quickly pushed aside; stereotyping girls to only certain genre of gaming, including limited relaxation/board games and cell phone games. Within that mindset it could legitimize the reason why certain games are only catered to men. But once again certain instances prove otherwise; in 2009 the most popular xbox game for boys/men was Halo 3, also the favourite among women! Furthermore, the top 8 favourite games on PC that year were the same among men and women! Women do play theses games, in fact there is close to 84 Million female gamer in the US alone. The issue not being addressed here is the way theses women are being treated within that culture. Segment III: Dark side of the gaming culture (5mins) This segment will enable me tackle head on the biggest issue that occurs within the gaming culture. It is not the sexist representation of women, it is not the violence depicted through different games. The biggest issue, and it solely could explain the gender divide among hard-core gamers (ratio is 1 to 7), is the recurring harassment. In this segment I will include small interviews of close friends that have been testing games for a while, and will have a critical view of the industry based on their experience. Out of all female gamers 68% of them have revealed to experience harassment from playing video games. It is a constant experience that is easily catalogued through different blogs. This is why women hide whom they are playing online, just to be able to indulge in North America new favourite pass time. There are many instances of theses accidents reported, and even gaming celebrities (Aris Bakhtanians) have shrugged the issue, explaining that it is what the culture has been built on and will not change. (â€Å"Sexual harassment is part of this culture†). Another instant is reporter Anita Sarkeesian who was harassed about her comments on the portrayal of women in video game and fundraiser attempts to raise awarness. She was forced to shut down all social media accounts due to recurring threats and phone calls threatening her. (A game was created with the simple purpose to beat this woman up). What we have here is a fundamental problem across all levels of the video game culture.

Benefits Of Staying With Parents After Marriage Young People Essay

Benefits Of Staying With Parents After Marriage Young People Essay Every time you get off work and walk into that the community where your home is, you must overhear a lot of juicy news while you walk past those full-time housewives, sitting together and gossiping what happened recently in their neighbors home. It is true that the contents are mostly about the tough relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Even though you may not be interested about this, you cannot deny those things have happened to you, or, unfortunately, you are coping with it now. Well, to be honest, that is also the main reason why so many couples choose to live away from their parents-in-law. But, is that the right way to solve all the problems? And is that a good choice? For me, actually, to solve all these complicated problems are just staying with parents after married. Living with parents can make the relationship more stable, benefit childrens education and slow down the process of aging of parents. Firstly, living with parents leads to a happy marriage. I think it is not a solution but an excuse that living away from parents is for a harmony relationship with parents-in-law. Mostly, this kind of decision is made by young couples. There are some brides who insist on not living with her husbands parents. They dont want to change their own, as well as protecting their own living space from parents. Too many of them have already tired of the fierce competition from their career. All they want to do is just go back home to have a good rest instead of racking their brains to do something to please parents. Therefore getting away from parents-in-law can make it easier. That is what they say distance helps. We can see so many words, such as we, own, want. They just turn out to be nothing but selfish. Is that so bad as the couples describe ¼Ã… ¸ How can young people say that they are too tired to make effort to make an improvement? Family is the most important thing to everyone. People who care about us most are parents. Most of us can bear with the defects of others. However, when it comes to parents, they behave differently. It is like putting the cart before the horse. It is said that the divorce rate in China has increased by almost 20% over past year, with 1.4m couples filing for separation during 2007 (see the news published on Friday, 25 January 2008). It is also said that since Chinas one-child policy was established, in 1973. The number of people getting divorce has quadrupled. That policy has produced a generation of adults focused on their own needs and unable to sustain a relationship. To build a harmonious family relationship, living with parents-in-law can make sense, because the older generation can deal with problems much better. The new couples will learn from them, learn to compromise and cooperate to make a marriage work well. Obviously, the relationship will be more stable. Secondly, it can benefit childrens education to live with parents. So busy the young couples are, it is almost impossible for them to set aside more time for their own children. As a result, these children are sent to their grandparents. However, grandparents always spoil children more than childrens parents do, which cause the children to be selfish and moody. Moreover, for the lack of time with parents, it can be even worse after children grow up. Parents will not be able to communicate with their children well when there has been a barrier between them. If children can live with both parents and grandparents, doting grandparents will have the awareness of being strict to children, and children will enjoy more time with their parents. Being around by eldership and their children, couples will think twice before doing anything, which, at the same time, avoids being unfaithful to their partner. Growing up in a family with such a harmonious atmosphere, these children will be more like ly to get a happy marriage contributed by easygoing, optimistic, and responsible personalities. The last but not least, living with parents can also slow down their aging process. The rapid decrease in the birth rate, combined with improving life expectancy, has led to an increasing proportion of elderly people and an increase in the ratio between elderly parents and adult children. In China, the percentage of the population over the age of 65 years was 5 percent in 1982 and now stands at 7.5percent but is expected to rise to more than 15 percent by 2025(The Effect of Chinas One-Child Family Policy after 25 Years Therese Hesketh, Ph.D., Li Lu, M.D., and Zhu Wei Xing, M.P.H.). The mental health of senior is increasingly important. Company from families is the best doctor for them avoiding the feeling of loneliness. Living together can not only decrease the speed of being slow reaction but also let the young couples have a good knowledge of their parents condition. As a result, parents will gain a longer lifespan which is also a gift to couples. In return, taking good care of the old parents is a good example to their children. They will learn that from young couples on their own. Parents are always the best teacher to children. Even so, many newly married wives still get along well with their parents-in-law. That is reasonable. They dont have same living habit. Everyone in family will adjust themselves to the new situation. It must need time. Everybody knows that family is a cell of the whole society. We are obliged to make it work well. Marriage is not only about couples themselves. Trust me, rainbow comes after storm. A better understanding can be got after living with parents. To sum up, it can only have good results by living with parents, for it can lead to a happy marriage, benefit childrens education and slow down the process of aging of parents. Outline I. Topic: Talking about whether the couples should live with their parents or parents-in-law after married. II Thesis Statement: Living with parents can make the relationship more stable, benefit childrens education and slow down the process of aging of parents. III Antithesis: It is better for them to live separated with their parents 1. Couples do not have their own living space. 2. They have to make efforts to please parents after get off work. 3. Get away from parents can avoid misunderstanding. IV Reasons: 1. living with parents leads to a happy marriage. i. Now young couples are more selfish than before so that they dont know how to get along well with each other ii.The divorce rate are increasing rapidly because of the one-child policy. 2. it can benefit childrens education to live with parents. i. The young couples sent children to parents. The old always spoil their grandchildren. ii.Children can have more time with parents if family members live together. iii.Growing in a happy family, children will be more positive and responsible than others. 3. living with parents can also slow down their aging process. i. Living with children and grandchildren can make them feel they are younger. ii.Children can know the condition of old parents very well. iii.It is a good way to teach children how to be good children. Strategies: Use Tactful, Courteous Language; Point Out Common Ground; Acknowledge Differing Viewpoints. Introduction: For me, actually, to solve all these complicated problems are just staying with parents after married. Living with parents can make the relationship more stable, benefit childrens education and slow down the process of aging of parents. Conclusion: To sum up, it can only have good results by living with parents, for it can lead to a happy marriage, benefit childrens education and slow down the process of aging of parents Body: Firstly, living with parents leads to a happy marriage. I think it is not a solution but an excuse that living away from parents is for a harmony relationship with parents-in-law. Mostly, this kind of decision is made by young couples. There are some brides who insist on not living with her husbands parents. They dont want to change their own, as well as protecting their own living space from parents. Too many of them have already tired of the fierce competition from their career. All they want to do is just go back home to have a good rest instead of racking their brains to do something to please parents. Therefore getting away from parents-in-law can make it easier. That is what they say distance helps. We can see so many words, such as we, own, want. They just turn out to be nothing but selfish. Is that so bad as the couples describe ¼Ã… ¸ How can young people say that they are too tired to make effort to make an improvement? Family is the most important thing to everyone. People who care about us most are parents. Most of us can bear with the defects of others. However, when it comes to parents, they behave differently. It is like putting the cart before the horse. It is said that the divorce rate in China has increased by almost 20% over past year, with 1.4m couples filing for separation during 2007 (see the news published on Friday, 25 January 2008). It is also said that since Chinas one-child policy was established, in 1973. The number of people getting divorce has quadrupled. That policy has produced a generation of adults focused on their own needs and unable to sustain a relationship. To build a harmonious family relationship, living with parents-in-law can make sense, because the older generation can deal with problems much better. The new couples will learn from them, learn to compromise and cooperate to make a marriage work well. Obviously, the relationship will be more stable. Secondly, it can benefit childrens education to live with parents. So busy the young couples are, it is almost impossible for them to set aside more time for their own children. As a result, these children are sent to their grandparents. However, grandparents always spoil children more than childrens parents do, which cause the children to be selfish and moody. Moreover, for the lack of time with parents, it can be even worse after children grow up. Parents will not be able to communicate with their children well when there has been a barrier between them. If children can live with both parents and grandparents, doting grandparents will have the awareness of being strict to children, and children will enjoy more time with their parents. Being around by eldership and their children, couples will think twice before doing anything, which, at the same time, avoids being unfaithful to their partner. Growing up in a family with such a harmonious atmosphere, these children will be more like ly to get a happy marriage contributed by easygoing, optimistic, and responsible personalities. The last but not least, living with parents can also slow down their aging process. The rapid decrease in the birth rate, combined with improving life expectancy, has led to an increasing proportion of elderly people and an increase in the ratio between elderly parents and adult children. In China, the percentage of the population over the age of 65 years was 5 percent in 1982 and now stands at 7.5percent but is expected to rise to more than 15 percent by 2025(The Effect of Chinas One-Child Family Policy after 25 Years Therese Hesketh, Ph.D., Li Lu, M.D., and Zhu Wei Xing, M.P.H.). The mental health of senior is increasingly important. Company from families is the best doctor for them avoiding the feeling of loneliness. Living together can not only decrease the speed of being slow reaction but also let the young couples have a good knowledge of their parents condition. As a result, parents will gain a longer lifespan which is also a gift to couples. In return, taking good care of the old parents is a good example to their children. They will learn that from young couples on their own. Parents are always the best teacher to children. Even so, many newly married wives still get along well with their parents-in-law. That is reasonable. They dont have same living habit. Everyone in family will adjust themselves to the new situation. It must need time. Family is a cell of the whole society. We are obliged to make it work well. Marriage is not only about couples themselves. Trust me, rainbow comes after storm. A better understanding can be got after living with parents. Prewriting Every time people get off work and walk into that residence community, we must overhear much juicy news when you pass by those full-time housewife sitting together talking about the things happened recently in their families. It seems that they know everything there. However, most of them are the tough relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Even you may not be interested in that, but you can not deny those things have happened to you, or, unfortunately, you are in that now. Well, to be honest, that is also the reason why so many couples choose to live separated with their parents-in-law. I always think that is not a solution but an excuse to live alone for a good relationship with parents-in-law. Living separated with parents-in-law is a choice made by young couples. There are some new wives who insist not live with her husband parents. They dont want to make a change to their own, as well as protecting their own living space from parents. To many of them, they are t ired of the fierce competition of their career. All they want to do is just go back home to have a good rest. They dont want to rack their brains to do something to please parents. So getting away from parents-in-law can make it easier. Distance helps. We can see so many words, such as we, own, want à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦They just turn out to be nothing but selfish. Is that so bad as the couples describe? How can young people say that thing they are too tired to make effort to make a improvement? Family is the most important thing to everyoneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦The people who care us most are families. Most of us can bear with defects of others, but when it comes to parents, it is another thing. It is putting the cart before the horse. Divorce rate in China has increased much. The number of people getting a divorce has quadrupled. That policy has produced a generation of adults focused on their own needs and unable to sustain a relationship. To build a harmonious family relationship, living with parents-in-law can make sense, because the preceding generation can deal with problems much better than them. The new couples will learn from that, even do as their parents do. Obviously, the relationship will be more stable. It is difficult for them t o set aside more time for their children. As a result, these children are sent to their grandparents. However, grandparents always spoil children more than childrens parents do. And the lack of time with parents will make problems after they grow up. If children can live with both parents and grandparents, the parents can reduce that spoiling, and children will get more happiness with their parents. Growing up in a family with such a harmonious atmosphere, children will have a great advantage to have a happy marriage depending on their optimistic and responsible personality. Marriage does not only involve two people. It influences almost everything. Living with parents after married can be a good solution to many problems we face today.

Jacksonian Era Bound By Morality Essay -- Religion

Religion is the substance that produced social morality which bound all elements of society in the Jacksonian Era. Religion produced the moral code all men adhered to. Church leaders were so vocal in pastoring patriotism and loyalty to one's God and country. Church members received the message of liberation and promoted the common man to seek social and political equality. The concept of divine morality in the early-19th century held accountable the behavior of all who were at least partially active in their social environment. Religious services bridged the elite with under-classmen as well as the government with the common man. Quite often divine will was debated on the issues of slavery, social reform, abolishment, and the roles in which men and women were to play. The fact that these issues were debated illuminated the dark-gray areas in which morality first penetrated. Through the veins of morality come a fairness doctrine that is all too consuming when applied to one's self. No one wanted to be cheated out of their freedom and access to it. Social morality was the driving force of cooperation and debate during the Jacksonian Era. Old Hickory himself, President Andrew Jackson, knew the importance of having the common man behind him in a democracy; even if in reality he was not behind the common man. Jackson, who sought divine intervention, used the loyalties of believers to push through his agenda against the banks. The banks became â€Å"the evil giant† (the Goliath) that sought to destroy this new country along with its citizens. Jackson used his knowledge of religion to gain support and public opinion as he convinced them that his motives were righteous. In Harry L. Watson’s book, Liberty and Power, he wrote; Jackson's me... ...od and that they were upholders of the law through their moral convictions. Many churches were the center of their community in the early-1800s. The church was a place to bind closer relationships with others in the community to include businesses and other social venues. Many public figures had this one thing in common, that is their will of self-perception be defined in the public view as one with character and high moral convictions. Religion produced social morality which became the substance that bound all elements of society in the Jacksonian Era. Works Cited Earle, Johnathan H. Jacksonian Antislavery and the Politics of Free Soil 1824-1854. The University of North Carolina Press, 2004. Johnson, Paul E. A Shopkeeper's Millennium. New York: Hill and Wang, 1978. Larkin, Jack. The Reshaping of Everyday Life 1790-1840. New York: Harper & Row, 1988.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Essay -- American History

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass In learning about the history of America from the colonization to the reconstruction I decided to read The Narrative Life of Frederick Douglass. Frederick was one of the very few literate slaves. He was an incredibly important character in American and African-American history. Though he was blessed with intelligence most slaves were not, he still lived the same kind of life of the typical slave. Fredrick Douglas was born in Maryland; he does not know the date of his birth, as did most slaves. He never really had a chance to know his mother, only having seen her four or five times. Fredrick taught himself how to read and write despite it being against his slave-owners wishes. He could not let his knowledge be known to anyone except for other slaves. Fredrick saw his knowledge of words both as a blessing and a curse. White men were given supreme power over their black slaves and it corrupted their character. Most African Americans of the early to mid-nineteenth century experienced slavery on plantations similar to the experiences described by Frederick Douglass; the majority of slaves lived on units owned by planters who had twenty or more slaves. The planters and the white masters of these agrarian communities sought to ensure their personal safety and the profitability of their enterprises by using all the tactics-physical and psychological-at their command to make slaves obedient. Even Christianity was manipulated in a way that masters communicated to their slaves that God had commanded them to obey their masters. People like Frederick Douglass who preached abolition of slavery, only had to nurture the already existing spirit within slaves to strive for freedom. Only a tiny fraction of all slaves ever took part in organized acts of violent resistance against white power. Most realized as Frederick Douglass did that the odds against a successful revolt were very high, and bitter experience had shown them that the usual outcome was death to the rebels. Consequently, they devised safer ways to resist white dominance. For Frederick Douglass, it was clear that his way of fighting the power was to become educated so that he may better understand his situation. However, he described that knowing that: "wit†¦[was] the pathway from slavery to freedom." (Pg. 20) "†¦Reading†¦ enabled me to utter my thoughts, and... ...obey his master-to do as he is told to do." (Pg. 57) He was referring to the wrongfulness of his wife's attempt to educate Frederick Douglass. This was the view held by most whites toward African Americans. Consequently, other adjectives such as: lazy, irresponsible, childlike, and simple-minded were used by whites to describe the African American character. This portrayal stole the African American sense of independence and created the false image of black childlike dependence on their white masters. That combined with the fact that most African Americans were born into slavery disallowed them any experience of freedom or of Africa by which they may make comparisons to their situation of total bondage. The slave owners struggle to control the slave brought out an evil in them that cannot be brought out by any things. The slaves’ struggle for freedom and the suppression by their masters broke their spirit, which is a large part of human character. America would not have grown to be so great in such a short time without slavery, because of the economic value of it. But, it would not have been such a violent society then or such a violent society now if slavery had never existed.

Nat Turners Confessions and Frederick Douglass The Heroic Slave Essay

Nat Turner's Confessions and Frederick Douglass' The Heroic Slave The names of Nat Turner and Frederick Douglass are remembered because of the fame that they earned as black Americans during pre-Civil War slave period. However, their names color the pages of history books for widely different reasons: Nat Turner led one of the greatest slave revolts in almost 150 years of slavery, while Frederick Douglass obtained his freedom and education, going on to become a renowned speaker, author, and public leader. Nat Turner's insurrection in Southampton, Virginia in 1831 was a massacre of over sixty slaveholders and subsequently many slaves as Turner and his alliance of slaves joined together in protest of their enslavement. The story of the revolt, complete with its motives and facts, is recorded in a published document called Nat Turner's Confessions, written by a white lawyer upon interviewing Turner in prison after the insurrection. It is the most accurate and detailed document available on the revolt. Frederick Douglass, on the other hand, after gaining his freedom, published literary works that include his own narrative of his life and some short stories. One of his short stories is a fictional account of a slave revolt called The Heroic Slave. Although it is based on a real life slave revolt, Douglass' work is mostly literary creativity glorifying a strong black leader. By examining the non-fiction document on Turner's revolt and the fiction story written by Douglass, along with variou s aspects of the authors backgrounds, conditions under slavery, and education, this page compares and contrasts the fiction versus non-fiction characteristics of slave revolts. We only know about the childhoods of Douglass and Turner through a... ... a white man, I would have followed willingly and gladly in any honorable enterprise. Our difference of color was the only ground for difference of action." (The Heroic Slave-77) This reveals to the reader the importance to the white mans, the idea of being white and of racial purity. Although this man reveals that Madison was a smart and admirable man, he can not respect him because he is black. References Douglass, Frederick. The Heroic Slave. In Violence In the Black Imagination. Ed, Ronald T. Takaki. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993. Greenberg, Kenneth S., ed.The Confessions Of Nat Turner. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1996. Sale, Maggie. "To Make The Past Useful: Frederick Douglass' Politics of Solidarity." Arizona Quarterly 52.3 (Autumn 1995):25-60. Online. Internet. 12 Nov 1998. Available: http://itech.fgcu.edu/faculty/wohlpart/alra/douglass.htm.

“Naming of parts” by Henry Reed, and “War is Kind” by Stephen Crane Essay

â€Å"War†¦ouhh†¦.What is it good for†¦absolutely nothing!† sang Edwin Starr in 1965. He felt the same vibe that both Henry Reed and Stephen Crane felt in their poems, â€Å"Naming of Parts† and â€Å"War is Kind.† Although these authors may not have said it as straightforward as Starr did in his hit single â€Å"War,† they still had just as much hatred of war. Both Reed and Crane have developed their perspectives on war through their writing styles, their usage of figurative language, and their attitudes toward war in general. Henry Reed and Stephen Crane both have very different writing styles. Reed’s style in â€Å"Naming of Parts† is built upon juxtaposition. Guns and gardens, soldiers and bees: the poem relates the unrelated in order to draw a clear line between the horrors of war and the fruits of nature. However, the poem goes further than just contrasting opposites. The structure and language of the poem combine to show how one should become the other in hopes that the harmonious image of this Eden transforms the unnatural feat of war. His overall structure also serves to make nature better. Each stanza is split between the dry, unimaginative language of the first speaker, probably the drill sergeant, and the poetic language used by the second speaker to describe nature. In every stanza, the gentle and peaceful language of the second speaker is quite dominant over the monotone voice of the drill instructor. This shows that war disturbs the balance of nature. Stephen Crane, in â€Å"War is Kind,† develops his style by using vivid imagery and irony. Through doing this, he leads the reader directly to his perspective of war. He feels war is a horrible way to solve problems and uses irony to tell us that war is blatantly stupid. Nothing good has ever come from it and nothing ever will. The American flag, â€Å"The unexplained glory, flies above them† to symbolize that the glory they were fighting for was not earned righteously, it was stolen by â€Å"these little men†¦born to drill and die.† Both authors also heavily use figurative language to help create a picture of what they saw in their minds as they wrote these poems. Henry Reed’s entire poem is entangled in figurative language. He shows us a perfect balance of the world of nature in the sections of the poem that describe the garden. The garden is a symbol of life and beauty: a magical place, â€Å"silent† and â€Å"eloquent.† In the garden, we see the personification of branches which  Ã¢â‚¬Å"hold in the gardens their silent, eloquent gestures.† We are told of blossoms that â€Å"are fragile and motionless, never letting anyone see / any of them using their finger.† We also witness bees â€Å"assaulting and fumbling the flowers.† These examples of figurative language create a picture in our mind to which Reed can build his theme upon. Crane uses more subtle figurative language to get his point across in â€Å"War is Kind.† The excellent use of irony draws us to his imagery and metaphors. The metaphor in the middle of the second stanza helps point in the direction of the true meaning of the poem. â€Å"And his Kingdom – a field where a thousand corpses lie,† proves that all of the dead bodies after the war do not belong there. This world is God’s creation and war was not part of His plan. In â€Å"War is Kind† and â€Å"Naming of the Parts,† both authors’ attitudes toward war are similar but only on the basic level. They both believe war is a tremendous waste of time for it solves nothing at all. For Stephen Crane, this deeply ironic poem is not only an attack on war and all of its horror but also a statement against violence of any kind. This includes the violence that we observe daily, mans inhumanity to man, and the rage and fury within our own hearts, which are equally as destructive. The poem comments on â€Å"those little souls who thirst for fight†, who find virtue in something as horrifying as slaughter and excellence in a field of a thousand corpses. In â€Å"Naming of the Parts,† Reed tells of the instructor that insists that the men â€Å"not let [him] / see anyone using his finger†. At the end of the same stanza, the blossoms are seen â€Å"never letting anyone see / any one of them using their finger†. Alth ough not directly stated in the poem, perhaps the soldiers should take a cue from the blossoms, and in turn nature, not to use their fingers, especially on the trigger. This contributes to his negative view of war. He structures nature to be more powerful than these soldiers and in turn society. Nature’s â€Å"silent† and â€Å"eloquent† state of being show that war should never be used as a solution to a problem. Although both of these poems were in some way about the topic of war, each author has developed their own way of conveying how they feels through their unique writing styles, how they use figurative language, and their own  attitudes about war. Imagine what the world would be like if only we stopped and actually thought what we were doing. Maybe then we would realize, like Edwin Starr and these two authors did, that war is not the solution to the problem, but instead the root.

African Society

This study seek to highlight why some people in the case study felt that alcohol controlled behavior. This case study analysis individual unit ( e.g a person, group, or event) stressing developmental factors in relation to the study. The case study is common in social sciences and life sciences. Case studies may be descriptive or explanatory. The later type is used to explore causation in order to find underlying principles. They maybe prospective, in which criteria are established and cases fitting the criteria are included as they become available, or retrospective, in which criteria are established for selecting cases from historical records for including in the study. It also highlight how a belief in ancestors related to behavior (e.g overlooking ancestral directives, there by getting cursed and how some one blamed the behavior of some people on the names they were given from birth. The assertion that the person's behavior after which a child was named determined the behavior of the person who bore the name afterwards. And the extent theory of nature/reflection in the case study. Furthermore, this case study analyze the validity that behavior is a matter of tradition (e.g up bring of children by parents. DEFINATION According to Thomas (2011) â€Å"case studies are analyses of persons, events, decisions, periods, projects, policies, institutions, or other systems that are studied holistically by one or more methods. The case that is the subject of the inquiry will be an instance of a class of phenomena that provides an analytical frame- an object- within which the study is conducted and which the case illuminates and explicates† Silverman (2005) reveals that, rather than using samples following a rigid protocol (strict set of rules) to examine limited number of valuables, case study methods involve an in- depth, longitudinal (over a long period of time) examination of a single instance or event: a case. They provide a systematic way of looking at events, collecting data, analyzing information, and reporting the results. As a result the researcher may gain a sharpened understanding of why the instance happened as it did, and what might become important to look at more extensively in future research. Case studies lend themselves to both generating and testing hypothesis. According to Lamneck (2005) another suggestion is that case study should be defined as a research strategy, an empirical inquiry that investigates a phenomenon within it's real- life context. Case study research means single and multiple case studies, can include quantitative evidence, relies on multiple sources of evidence and benefits from the prior development of theoretical propositions. Case studies should not be confused with qualitative research and they can be based on any mix of quantitative and qualitative evidence. Single- subject research provides the statistical framework for making inferences from qualitative case- study data. This also supported and well formulated in (Lamneck, 2005): â€Å"the case study is a research approach, situated between concrete data taking techniques and methodological paradigms†. The case study is sometimes mistaken for the case method, but the two are not the same. Generalizing From case studies Kyekye (1996) states that, a critical case can be defined as having strategic importance in relation to the general problem (e.g like in Mwense district research where some people in the case study felt that alcohol controlled behavior) A critical case allows the following type of generalization, ‘if it is valid for this case, it is valid for all (or many) cases.' In it's negative form, the generalization would be, ‘if it is not valid in this case, then it is not valid for any (or only few) cases.'( Lamnek, 2005). According to Karl popper, the case study is also effective for generalizing using the type of test called falsification, which forms part of critical reflexivity. Falsification is one of the most rigorous tests to which a scientific proposition can be subjected: if just one observation does not fit with the proposition it is considered not valid generally and must therefore be either revised or rejected. Popper him self used the now famous example, â€Å"All swans are white, and proposed that just one observation of a single black swan would falsify this proposition and this way have general significance and stimulate further investigations and theory- building. The case study is well suited for identifying â€Å"black swans† because of it's in- depth approach: what appear to be â€Å"white† often turns on closer examination to be â€Å"black† By selecting cases strategically in this manner one may arrive at case studies that allow generalization (Flyrbjerg, 200 6, P. 225-6). Misunderstandings about case study Research According to Flyrbjerg (2006) identifies and corrects five prevalent misunderstanding about case study research: > General, theoretical Knowledge is more valuable than concrete, practical knowledge. > One cannot generalize on the basis of an individual case and, therefore, the case study cannot contribute to scientific development. > The case study is most useful for generating hypotheses, whereas other methods are more suitable for hypotheses testing and theory building. > The case study contains a bias towards verification, i.e, a tendency to comfirm the researcher's preconceived notions. > It is often difficult to summarize and develop general propositions and theories on the basis of specific case studies.(Osei, 1971). According to a research which was conducted in Mwense district some people in the case study felt that alcohol controlled behavior and to add value to the case study: > In the first stage of alcoholism, drinking was no longer social but became a means of emotional escape from problems, inhibitions, anxiety, and in many instances, from realities of life. Stated in another way, early in the disease problem drinkers starts to depend on the mood altering capabilities of alcohol consumption. Also at this stage of alcoholism, a gradual increase in tolerance develops, meaning that increasing amounts of alcohol are needed in order for the problem drinker to â€Å"feel the buzz† or to â€Å"get high†.(Flyvbjerg, 2006). Furthermore, it is common for people with a drinking problem in the first stage of alcoholism to quickly drink a few alcoholic beverage before attending social functions and to increase social drinking to 3 to 5 drinks per day. Obviously, it can be determined that such behavior will eventually result in a host of drinking problems. > In the second stage of alcoholism, the need to drink becomes more intense. During this stage of the disease, the individual with the drinking problem frequently starts to drink earlier in the day.(Lamnek, 2005) As tolerance increases, moreover, the person drinks because of dependence on alcohol, rather than because of emotional and psychological stress and anxiety relief. During this stage, loss of control does not yet happen on a regular basis; it is however, gradually observed by others such as neighbors, co- workers, relatives, friends, and family members. > In the third stage of alcoholism, the loss of control becomes more pronounced and more problematic. This means that the problem drinker is usually unable to drink according to his or her intentions. for example, once the person takes the first drink, he or she can no longer control what will happen, even though the intention might have been to have one or two drinks. During this stage of the disease, most problem drinkers start to experience serious alcohol- related, financial, employment, legal, and relationship problems.(Robert, 1970). > The fourth and final stage of alcoholism is characterized by a chronic loss of control. In the earlier stages of the disease, the alcoholic may have been successful in maintaining a job. Now, however, drinking starts earlier in the day and usually continues throughout the day. Few, if any, full- time work positions, however, can be maintained once an individual has reached this state of affairs.(Thomas,2011). Classic Alcoholic Behavior The term â€Å"alcoholism† means the same thing as â€Å"alcohol dependence,† â€Å"alcohol addiction, â€Å"and â€Å"alcohol dependence.† Hence, some people in the case study felt that alcohol controlled behavior in Mwense district because of the information articulated above, it is clear that the four stages of classic alcoholic behavior do not point a pretty picture of the sad realities and the drinking problems that most chronic alcoholics experience in Mwanse district. In fact, it is clear that as the disease progresses, so do the drinking problems that are experienced by the alcoholic. Perhaps the damaging and unhealthy consequences of this disease might not make much of an impact on those who are already alcohol dependant. It is hoped, however, that exposing the facts about this disease to our youth before they start abusing alcohol will prevent many of the teens from suffering the grim fate of most alcoholics. Belief In Ancestors Relates To Behavior A belief is a degree of certainty we have that something is true. Our core beliefs are often based on the beliefs of other people we unconsciously accepted as true when we were too young to decide if the person's belief really served us.(Osei, 1971). Hence, ancestral belief refers to a generalized belief about the amount of control people have over their own lives. Individuals who feel that they are very much in charge of their won destiny have an internal locus of control; those who think that events in their life are due mainly to fate/luck or powerful others have an external locus of control. Locus of control is a generalized belief, so people with an external locus can feel in control in familiar situations. (Steven L. Mcshane et al. 2005). Moreover, from the research, we have suggested that perception of people and events is organized into categories. How this is done depends partly on sensation, partly on the principles of perception, and partly on the nature of the individual. Another fact of the individual is the set of attitudes that he/she holds. Attitudes are, essentially, â€Å"feelings† towards people or things. How people feel, what they believe, what they intend to do, and whether and how they do it may all be connected, and may all be related to the process of perception. However, to try to reduce the confusion in this area over the use of words and concepts such as â€Å"feelings† and â€Å"beliefs† Fishbein (1967) put forward the following hierarchical model Beliefs What we think about people, things, relationship e.t.c Attitudes Affective responses to those people, things, relationships e.t.c Intentions Cognitive states Behavior or Action Observable events The Theory of Nature/Reflected In The Case Study The extent theory of nature/reflection in the case study refers to the personality. Personality defined as the pattern of relatively enduring ways in which a person feels, thinks and behaves. Fincham R. describes personality as the relatively enduring combination of traits which makes an individual unique and at the same time produces consistencies in his or her thought and behavior. A similar definition Rollision Derk defines personality as, ‘those relatively stable and enduring aspects of an individual that distinguish him/her from other people and at the same time form a basis for our predictors concerning his/her future behavior. (Rollison D., 1998). A complementary definition, Robbins Stephen defines personality as the sum total of ways in which an individual reacts and interacts with others. It is a relatively stable pattern of behaviors and consistent internal states that explain a person's behavioral tendencies. Hence, we say that personality explains behavioral tendencies because individuals' actions are not perfectly consistent with their personality profile in every situation. Personality traits are less evident in situations where social norms, reward systems and other conditions contrain behavior. Traits may be defined as individual characteristics of thought or feeling that result in tendencies to have in specific ways. Also traits may be defined as enduring characteristics that describe an individual's behavior. The more consistent the characteristic and the more frequently important that trait is in describing an individual. Traits can additionally be grouped to form personality types. Traits may be grouped into groups namely; surface traits and source traits. Surface traits for example assertiveness, can be observed in behavior while, source traits such as self- discipline can be inferred.(Rollinson, D. et ,1998). Behavior And Tradition According to Robert (1970) refer human behavior as a range of behaviors exhibited by humans and which are influenced by culture, attitudes, emotions, values, ethies, authority, rapport, hypnosis, persuasion, coercion and/or genetics. Hence, the behavior of people (and other organisms or even mechanisms) falls within a range with some behavior being common, some unusual, some acceptable, and some outside acceptable limits. In sociology, behavior in general is considered as having no meaning, being not directed at other people, and thus is the most basic human action. Behavior in this general sense should not be mistaken with social behavior, which is the more advanced action, as social behavior is behavior specifically directed at other people. The acceptability of behavior is evaluated relative to social norms and regulated by various means of social control. In addition, the behavior of people is studied by the academic disciplines of psychiatry, psychology, social work, sociology, economics, and anthropology. Factors affecting human behavior and actions Mcshane et al (2005) states five factors as below: * Genetics (see also evolutionary psychology) – affects and governs the individual's tendencies towards certain directions. * Attitude – the degree to which the person has a favorable or unfavorable evaluation of the behavior in question. * Social norms – the influence of social pressure that is perceived by the individual (normative beliefs) to perform or not perform a certain behavior. * Perceived behavioral control – the individual's belief concerning how easy or difficult performing the behavior will be. * Core faith – the person's set of beliefs, like religion, philosophy, e.t.c provided sometimes subconsciously, by his or her family, peers, social media, and the society where he or she lives. > Social Factors Factors that influence behavior or personality that arise from interacting with other people; early socialization, which consists in interaction with parents, siblings and peers has an effect on the way we act and think. The behaviorist school of psychology which views all human as environmentally determined refer to personality as just accumulated learning experiences (skinner, 1974). Much of personality comes through learning and so childhood experiences are paramount to the unfolding of personality. > Cultural Factors According to Kyekye (1996) a wider social beliefs, values and motives that are absorbed by an individual and guide behavior towards that which is acceptable within a particular social context; when high value is placed on achievement and individualism in a certain society, we will find that this may affect individual personality in instilling a trait of ‘the need to achieve'.(Shutte, 1993). > Situational Factors According to Osei (1971) this refers to the effect of a specific experience or situation on a person's feelings and behavior. And individual's personality, while generally stable and consistent, does change in different situations call forth different aspects of one's personality. Situations like church, tradition, a picnic in a picnic in a park do affect behavior differently. Examples here may be trauma of losing a parent or loved one. Certain situation can bring out unrecognized aspects of personality we have never been aware of. Personality development is an ongoing process, but to some degree personalities can be deemed as stable.(Senghor, 1963). According to Gyekye (1998), regard concepts of the individual and self to be almost totally dependant on and subordinate to social entities and cultural process. Kenya theology professor John S. Miti (1969 and 1992), for example, believes that individual has little latitude for self determination outside the context of the traditional African family and community. He writes: â€Å"whatever happens to the individual happens to the whole group, and whatever happens to the whole group happens to the individual. The individual can only say: â€Å"I am, because we are; and since we are, therefore I am.' This is a cardinal point in the understanding of the African view of man† (1969: 109). Furthermore, Ghanaian philosopher Gyekye (1998), the individual, although originating from and inextricably bound to his family and community, nevertheless possesses a clear concept of himself as a distinct person of volition. It is from this combined sense of personhood and communal membership that the family and community except individuals to take personality enhancing and socially responsible decisions. Although he accepts the dominant entity of African social order is the community, Gyekye believes â€Å"it would be more correct to describe that order as amphibious, for it manifests features of both community and individuality. African social thought seeks to avoid the excesses of the two exaggerated systems, while allowing for a meaningful albeit uneasy, interaction between the individual and the society (1988:31-32) According to senegales philosopher Leopold senghor (1966) regards tradition African society to be â€Å"based both on the community and on the person in which, because it was founded on dialogue and reciprocity, the group had priority over the individual without crushing him, but allowing to blossom as a person† (1966:5). According to South African philosophy professor Shutte (1993), citing the Xhosa proverb umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu (a person is a person through persons), writes: This (proverb) is the xhosa expression of a notion that is common all African languages and traditional cultures. It is concerned both with the peculiar interdependence of persons on others for the exercise, development and fulfillment of their powers that is recognized in African traditional thought, and also with the understanding of what it is to be a person that underlies this. In European philosophy of whatever kind, the self is always envisaged as something â€Å"inside† a person, or at least as a kind of container of mental properties and powers. In African thought it is seen as â€Å"outside† subsisting in relationship to what is other, the natural and social environment. According to Ghananian historian Osei (1971) believes that Africa should chart it's future from it's indigenous cultural traditions and adopt only those aspects of no- Africa cultures that are compatible with Africa's needs, goals and circumstances namely, a scientific perspective and western educational practices. Taking a broader perspective, Thairu (1975) argues for a future of greater regional integration through educational and cultural exchanges within and between African nations. This, he says, will bring into the open pan- Africa cultural similarities, promote more widespread understanding and tolerance on the continent, and contribute to greater overall African unit philosopher Gyekye (1998) shares much of Nyasani, Makgoba and Thairu concern over Africans too often for saking Indigenous African values and their wholesale and uncritical adoption. According to Gyekye (1996) abhors the fact that ancestors continue to be of paramount importance in modern and traditional African life. He also recommends that for Africa to progress scientifically and technologically, â€Å"science should be rescued from the morass of (traditional) African religious and mystical beliefs.† Gyekye insists there are main â€Å"cultural values and practices of traditional Africa that can be considered positive features of the culture and can be accommodated in the scheme of African modernity, even if they undergo some refinement and pruning to become fully harmonious with the spirit of modern culture and to function†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. satisfactorily within that culture â€Å"(ibid). he discusses these traditional African values at length under the humanity, brotherhood, communalism and individualism, morality, the family economic system, chief ship and politics, human rights, knowledge and wisdom, aesthetics. CONCLUSION It is clear from the foregoing study that behavior is affected by numerous factors as discussed in this paper. Among the factors are ancestral directives, alcohol, belief, culture, emotions values, ethics, authority, rapport, hypnosis, persuasion, coercion, genetics, attitudes, situational e.t.c.