Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee - 1103 Words

Being an 9 year girl living in the year of 1930 along with being said that your father is a â€Å"Nigger lover† How would that make a child feel? In Harper Lee’s Novel,To Kill a Mockingbird, Two young children from Maycomb county in the late 1930’s experience trail which in involves their father defending an African American in an injustice court.Throughout theses events the children interact with society.Society displays these universal themes.Harper Lee’s Novel explores the 3 most important themes to kill a MockingBird: Evils of racism, females roles and growing up-pain or pleasures. The evils of racism have affected the children. This problem of racism is a huge deal.During court Dill is overwhelmed with many emotions, as starts to realize the full extent of racism in Maycomb. Scout responds in this particular way.†Well Dill, after all he s just a negro†(Lee 266.)Scout is 9 years old within this age juveniles are easily inf luenced also look up to their elders. Scout isn’t raised the same way as Dill she’s been hearing all theses racist things and is being surrounded by many racist people all her life. Not only has Scout been followed by the topic of racism with Dill it remains to follow her to school.Affecting her social life.†Cecil Jacobs made me forget.He had announced in the schoolyard the day before that Scout†s daddy defended niggers. I denied it ,but told Jem.†(Lee 99.)The case that her father is taken seems to give a negative feeling .As for herShow MoreRelatedKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1049 Words   |  5 PagesTo Kill a Mockingbird: How a Story could be based on True Events in Everyday LifeDaisy GaskinsCoastal Pines Technical Collegeâ€Æ'Harper Lee was born in Monroeville, Alabama. Her father was a former newspaper editor and proprietor, who had served as a state senator and practiced as a lawyer in Monroeville. Also Finch was known as the maiden name of Lee’s mother. With that being said Harper Lee became a writer like her father, but she became a American writer, famous for her race relations novel â€Å"ToRead MoreTo Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee1000 Words   |  4 Pagesworld-wide recognition to the many faces of prejudice is an accomplishment of its own. Author Harper Lee has had the honor to accomplish just that through her novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, a moving and inspirational story about a young girl learning the difference between the good and the bad of the world. In the small town of Monroeville, Alabama, Nelle Harper Lee was born on April 28, 1926. Growing up, Harper Lee had three siblings: two sisters and an older brother. She and her siblings grew up modestlyRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1290 Words   |  6 PagesHarper Lee published To Kill a Mockingbird during a rough period in American history, also known as the Civil Rights Movement. This plot dives into the social issues faced by Afri can-Americans in the south, like Tom Robinson. Lee felt that the unfair treatment towards blacks were persistent, not coming to an end any time in the foreseeable future. This dark movement drove her to publish this novel hopeful that it would encourage the society to realize that the harsh racism must stop. Lee effectivelyRead MoreHarper Lee and to Kill a Mockingbird931 Words   |  4 PagesHarper Lee and her Works Harper Lee knew first hand about the life in the south in the 1930s. She was born in Monroeville, Alabama in 1926 (Castleman 2). Harper Lee was described by one of her friends as Queen of the Tomboys (Castleman 3). Scout Finch, the main character of Lees Novel, To Kill a Mockinbird, was also a tomboy. Many aspects of To Kill a Mockingbird are autobiographical (Castleman 3). Harper Lees parents were Amasa Coleman Lee and Frances Finch Lee. She was the youngestRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee873 Words   |  4 PagesIn the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee illustrates that â€Å"it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird† throughout the novel by writing innocent characters that have been harmed by evil. Tom Robinson’s persecution is a symbol for the death of a mockingbird. The hunters shooting the bird would in this case be the Maycomb County folk. Lee sets the time in the story in the early 1950s, when the Great Depression was going on and there was pov erty everywhere. The mindset of people back then was that blackRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee963 Words   |  4 Pagesgrowing up, when older characters give advice to children or siblings.Growing up is used frequently in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Harper Lee uses the theme growing up in To Kill a Mockingbird to change characters opinion, develop characters through their world, and utilizes prejudice to reveal growing up. One major cause growing up is used in To Kill a Mockingbird is to represent a change of opinion. One part growing up was shown in is through the trial in part two of the novelRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1052 Words   |  5 PagesTo Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee takes place in Maycomb County, Alabama in the late 30s early 40s , after the great depression when poverty and unemployment were widespread throughout the United States. Why is the preconception of racism, discrimination, and antagonism so highly related to some of the characters in this book? People often have a preconceived idea or are biased about one’s decision to live, dress, or talk. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee examines the preconceptionRead MoreKill A Mockingbird, By Harper Lee1197 Words   |  5 Pagessuch as crops, houses, and land, and money was awfully limited. These conflicts construct Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mocking Bird. In To Kill a Mocking Bird, Lee establ ishes the concurrence of good and evil, meaning whether people are naturally good or naturally evil. Lee uses symbolism, characterization, and plot to portray the instinctive of good and evil. To Kill a Mocking Bird, a novel by Harper Lee takes place during the 1930s in the Southern United States. The protagonist, Scout Finch,Read MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1695 Words   |  7 PagesIn To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee presents as a ‘tired old town’ where the inhabitants have ‘nowhere to go’ it is set in the 1930s when prejudices and racism were at a peak. Lee uses Maycomb town to highlight prejudices, racism, poverty and social inequality. In chapter 2 Lee presents the town of Maycomb to be poverty stricken, emphasised through the characterisation of Walter Cunningham. When it is discovered he has no lunch on the first day of school, Scout tries to explain the situation to MissRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1876 Words   |  8 PagesThough Harper Lee only published two novels, her accomplishments are abundant. Throughout her career Lee claimed: the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Goodreads Choice Awards Best Fiction, and Quill Award for Audio Book. Lee was also inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. This honor society is a huge accomplishment and is considered the highest recognition for artistic talent and accomplishment in the United States. Along with these accomplishments, her

The Influences of Family Communication Patterns on Adult Children Free Essays

The Influences of Family Communication Patterns on Adult Children’s Perceptions of Romantic Behaviors by Michael Fowler, MS, Judy C. Pearson, Ph. D. We will write a custom essay sample on The Influences of Family Communication Patterns on Adult Children or any similar topic only for you Order Now , Stephenson J. Beck, Ph. D. PART A SUMMARY The study of the researchers is to explore how family communication patterns influence the use of interpersonal behaviors for maintaining a committed romantic relationship for example dating, engaged or married. Specifically, the study examined the relationship between family communication pattern, rituals, and relational maintenance in adult children’s romantic relationships. The results of the study showed that co orientation and couple-time rituals were related. Conversation orientation was related to all seven relational maintenance behaviors. Finally, conformity orientation was related to conflict management. The research concludes that the family is considered the pinnacle relationship in the human experience (Floyd Mikkelson, Judd, 2006). The family is where most communicative behaviors are learned and developed (Bruner, 1990; Fitzpatrick Caughlin, 2002). In addition, early family experiences affect later perceptions of behavior (Pecchioni et al. , 2006; Whitton et al. , 2008). This study demonstrates that family patterns may extend into both ritualized activities and to maintenance behaviors of adult children. Mundane behaviors that couples experience in their daily lives may contribute to the health of a relationship by providing a foundation for major couple events (Driver Gottman, 2004). Part C According to the author, the family may well be the most important context for understanding communication since the family environment is where most communicative behaviors are learned and developed. Thus, it would seem plausible that communication patterns among family-of-origin members influence future relational behaviors. I agreed with the author as the family is the core of every children growing process where we observe what our parents do and we tend to follow. As Koerner and Fitzpatrick (1997) state, â€Å"Families are children’s primary socialization agents† which family is the one who socialize with the children from the beginning as teaches them how to behave and their attitude which may influence future spousal interactions. As Huang (1999) points out, research has shown that family communication patterns and styles in? uence children’s attitudes and behaviors in a number of areas. In which it influence the family members on understanding of the social environment. How to cite The Influences of Family Communication Patterns on Adult Children, Essay examples

Stress and Its Impact on Body and Human Behavior

Question: Discuss about theStress and Its Impact on Body and Human Behavior. Answer: Introduction Stress can be considered as a particular type of mental tension and worry which is caused by problems in life, work etc. It is actually something that causes strong feeling of worry or anxiety. It is quite common and natural human response to pressure, it is caused when the people face with challenging and dangerous situations in life. Stress can be caused not only the external factors, also by internal factors like the demands which we face on ourselves. Stress also contribute to the increase in our conscious level and will increase our alertness and energy to meet the challenging situations. Stress is helpful when it leaves us feeling fatigues, tense, anxious, burnt out or overwhelmed. Stress can be both positive as well as negative. It do possess effect on both the body and the mind. Stress stimulates the body and the mind and will release in hormones and adrenaline to cope with the increases pressure and the prevailing external conditions (Vanderkolk, 2012). Whenever the body is under the stress, there will be response in the form of release of hormones as well as in the form of increasing the heart and the breathing rates. Whenever stressed, the brain will get more oxygen and will give you an edge and higher conscious to deal with the situation. If the chronic stress persists, the person will be subjected to the irritability, anxiety as well as depression. It is also possible that the person may suffer from headaches as well as insomnia when subjected to prolonged stress. Sometimes stress in a person will result in some behaviors such as overeating in the human beings, also it will result in symptoms like not eating at all. Problems such as alcohol usage, drug abuse and social with drawl are also some of the consequences of the human beings getting subjected to stress (Lovallo, 2015). Figure 1 Impact of stress on human body Effect of stress and the subsequent symptoms that which evolve in people will change from time to time. Some of the symptoms may be more impactive and other symptoms may be less impactive however more or less most of the stress related ailments in human beings will result in adverse health effects like head aches, high blood pressure, heart related problems, diabetes and skin conditional problems as well as breathing related ailments like asthma, arthritis depression and anxiety (Glaser, 2014). Central nervous system (CNS) is in charge of your fight or flight response. When a human body is subjected to stress, CNS will inform the body what to do, marshalling all the resources to the cause. Typical reaction of the CNS can be to let the adrenal glands to release adrenaline and cortisol. CNS facilitates normal operation of the systems, once the perceived stress is complete. If a human body is chronically exposed to the stress, it is more likely that there can be irritability, anxiety and depression to the subject. Respiratory system will get excited when exposed to the severe stress conditions. The breathing rate will increase due to the stress. Also it is possible that the heart will pump the blood at much faster rate. Stress hormones will cause your blood vessels to constrict and will result in hike in blood pressure. This will let the brain to get more oxygen to provide more strength and energy to the body to take an action. Digestive system will provide extra blood sugar t o give a boost of energy to the body. Chronic stress is also responsible for the cause of diabetes II in human beings, due to surge of glucose in the blood (Fisher, 2013). Chronic stresses will result in muscle contraction and subsequent problems like head ache, body and stomach pains. Excess stress exposure will elevate the male hormone release in men, chronic release of excess male hormones will result in erectile dysfunction and even impotence in men. For women more painful menstrual cycle may result in. Immune system will become weakened in people subjected to frequent stress and it will result in making them more prone to contagious diseases and infections (Thoits, 2013). Figure 2 Stress and its effect on body- behavior- emotions -mind Stress do have intensive effect on the human emotions, which will possess effect on the human behavior as well (Carlson, 2016). Typical problems which the person faces with emotions are loss of positive outlook, results in losing confidence, Individual will become highly susceptible to irritation, there will be accompanying depression for the person all the time, Individual will be apathetic towards external happenings. Always livers in detachment and will show derogated interest in the surrounding happenings, Also there will be remarked alienation and continuous apprehension. Whatever may be the causes of the stresses in individuals the impact of the stresses on human emotions is same. The immediate consequence of excess stress exposure is loss of healthy relations in the family and the surroundings and which will further contribute to the increase in the stress levels in the individuals (Lovallo, 2015). Stress will impact human beings behavior considerably. It will result in overeating or under-eating of human beings. Frequent exposure to the stress will result in angry outburst of the people. People may succumb to the drug or alcohol abuse with chronic stress exposure. Also there are fair chances for people to succumb to the tobacco usage. Psychologically people will get depressed and they will succumb to the social withdrawal. Other behavioral changes include reduction in the frequency of the exercises in daily life (Wilson, 2013). Long term exposure to the stress will have visibly distinct changes in the patterns of the human behavior, people will start feeling worrying and anxious, they often feel themselves out of control and overwhelmed, they may experience frequent changes in the mood, difficulties in concentration, unrest as well irritability, defensiveness, irrationality, sometimes unnecessary overreaction all are results of the long term stress exposure in human beings. Sometimes human beings develop irrational fears like physical illness, natural disasters like thunderstorms, earth quakes and even feel terrified of ordinary situations like heights and small spaces (Seaword, 2013). Chronic stress exposure in human beings will result in bipolar disorder. This is also a type of manic depression or bipolar affective disorder, which will result in dramatic shifts in the moods of the people, results in the variation of the energy levels and enthusiasm from time to time. This will also result in the changes in the behavior of the people from the highs of mania (one pole) to the lows of major depression (the opposite pole). Bipolar mood disorder in the people with increase with time and the intensity also increase with time becoming more and more severe. Chronically stressed people will experience loss of concentration, trouble in learning and understanding new information as well they will also possess problems in making decisions (Selve, 2013). Some of the other general characteristic traits of the stressed people are, decreased interest in the appearance, decreased concern with the punctuality, obsessive or compulsive behavior, reduced work efficiency and productivity, unnecessary defensiveness or suspicious ness in human beings, problems in communication, frequent isolation and social withdrawal, impulsive characteristics like impulse buying, gambling, sexual behavior etc. all symptoms of mentally stressed human beings(Koslowski,2013). Modern lifestyle and associated pressures in human beings calling upon consistent exposure to the physical and mental stresses in the human beings. Actually the stress in human beings will result in several physical and mental ailments to the human beings. People if they are alert towards the physical and mental symptoms of the human beings then naturally then necessary precautions need to be taken to reduce unwanted stress on the mental and physical conditions of the human beings. For example aches and pains in the human beings, diarrhea or constipation, nausea and dizziness, chest pain, rapid heartbeat, loss of sex drive, frequent cold or flu are some of the several physical symptoms which the people will be subjected to and necessary precautionary steps need to be taken in that regard. Once evidently if is clear that you are exposed to stress, the first and the immediately necessary step that we need to take is stress management. There are spectrum of techniques and psychotherapie s possible to control the level of stress in people particularly the chronic stresses. As a tool for stress managing, one should involve in more moving activities, moving of the bodies, limbs will increase the blood circulation and will result in better capability to the human beings to face the stress (Driskell, 2013). Being socially involved with people will result in better social IQ as well will contribute to the emotional health, adapt to the stressor, adapt to the things that cannot or will not be changed, take time for outgoing and fun and happiness are some of the several things which one should consider to cope themselves with the stress. Health lifestyle with minimum usage of caffeine, sugar, no to tobacco, drugs and alcohol coupled with healthy diet will result in better capabilities for human beings to face the stress. Apart from better physical routines and emotional betterment exercises, there are several other techniques. References: Carlson, N. R. (2016). Physiology of behavior. Pearson. Driskell, J. E., Salas, E. (Eds.). (2013). Stress and human performance. Psychology Press. Fisher, S. (2015). Stress and strategy. Routledge. Glaser, R., Kiecolt-Glaser, J. K. (Eds.). (2014). Handbook of human stress and immunity. Academic Press. Lovallo, W. R. (2015). Stress and health: Biological and psychological interactions.Sage publications. M., Kluger, A. N., Reich, M. (2013). Commuting stress: Causes, effects, and methods of coping. Springer Science Business Media. Selye, H. (2013). Stress in health and disease. Butterworth-Heinemann. Seaward, B. L. (2013). Managing stress. Jones Bartlett Publishers. Thoits, P. A. (2013). Self, identity, stress, and mental health. In Handbook of the sociology of mental health (pp. 357-377). Springer Netherlands. Van der Kolk, B. A., McFarlane, A. C. (Eds.). (2012). Traumatic stress: The effects of overwhelming experience on mind, body, and society. Guilford Press. Wilson, J. P., Raphael, B. (Eds.). (2013). International handbook of traumatic stress syndromes. Springer Science Business Media.

Relationship between knowledge and emotion Essay Example

Relationship between knowledge and emotion Essay There can be no knowledge without emotion until we have felt the force of the knowledge, it is not ours. (adapted from Arnold Bennett). Discuss this vision of the relationship between knowledge and emotion.  The role of emotion has, for a long time, been downplayed in majority of our societies; people try to distinguish and thus diminish its significance by attempting to separate it distinctively from other aspects like reasoning. This is possibly due to the fact that peoples emotions do tend to fog our perception and perspective of things at that very moment it is experienced. We know better than to expect an outraged, angry man to reason very well and take right decisions at the heat of the moment. We are more than often advised to be reasonable and to control our emotions rather than be emotional. Being emotional is even taken in a negative way as an insult most of the times. More than often, all our emotions do is unnecssarily obstruct our attempt to make reasonable decisions when in a complicated situation, or prevent us from thinking clearly when making a choice. We will write a custom essay sample on Relationship between knowledge and emotion specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Relationship between knowledge and emotion specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Relationship between knowledge and emotion specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer However, despite our underestimation of emotions, it may strike us as unusual and inconsistent to know that emotion, along with language, reason and perception is regarded as one of the four principle ways of knowing. It is close to impossible for us to deny the fact that our feelings and/or our emotions mean a great deal to us and our daily lives. It is something that we were born with and live with everyday, a significantly integral part of ourselves that we cant possibly ignore. And that is why we feel so naturally inclined to consult our emotions whenever there is a problem or a decision to be made, despite all the dubious concerns we have about it. Regarding the statement by Bennett which says, There can be no knowledge without emotion until we have felt the force of the knowledge, it is not ours, it seemingly suggests that emotion plays a crucial part in the acquiring and the absolute sense of knowledge. But it can be pointed out that the first part of the statement is quite blatantly incorrect. We know all four angles of a square are ninety degrees, which becomes knowledge, and it does not involve or require our emotions at all to know it. But it can be said that in certain cases, such as the justification of something in order for it to be called knowledge, our emotions do guide and influence us in perceiving how we perceive what we hear or see. Nevertheless, it is important for us to control our emotions as well, for we know that if we let our emotions get the better of us and let it roam free, it can delude us, diminishing our power to reason and thus transform the knowledge we obtain. Our emotion is always there, it is difficult to imagine our life devoid any emotions. We describe some people as being cold and lacking emotions, but there is no such thing as a person having no emotions at all. It may be that they prefer not to expose them, have fewer of them or even that they are in complete control of them. But as recent psychological studies have suggested, if a person did not have any emotions, then his/her life would eventually be ruined. Antonio Damasio, a psychologist and the author of Descartes Error, did a case study on a patient whose emotional centers in his brain had been damaged due to an accident. It was later concluded that although the patient mostly appeared normal and remembered things he had learnt prior to the accident, he had lost the ability to make decisions since he had emotions to guide him to do it. Thus he made his decisions on the basis of reason alone and suffered from mental breakdowns. This study tells us how one patients emotions largely determine his ability to make able decisions, and thus the same could apply to more of us as well. It could mean that this sort of impulse comes to us so naturally that we completely take it for granted until something happens and we lose, like Damasios patient. According to Arnold Bennetts statement, he suggests that our emotions control reason, our obtaining of knowledge, or that it fuels reason. It is true that emotions serve as an incentive to pursuit knowledge in an individual. It acts as some sort of drive for us to acquire certain knowledge, so that we long to know and find truth. With passion, knowledge becomes more achievable and desirable. Take for instance, Sir Thomas Edison; his invention has literally brought light to our world, but he failed countless number of times while carrying on his experiment. Yet, he never succumbed to failure and that eventually paid off and the world saw the greatest breakthrough of the century. But what could have been the reason behind Edisons strong determination, his unfaltering resolution on producing what he set out to produce? It couldnt possibly have been the laborious work which he had to develop time and again over a hundred times. No, it was the passion he had behind what he was doing, the emotional drive that motivated him to set out on this never-ending search for knowledge. As he quoted, Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety nine percent perspiration, the one percent of emotional energy, the passion and will preserved his dedication to his work. It provided the patience and perseverance for him to steadfastly hold on to his determination. The one percent inspiration, however minute that may seem instilled in him the passion and patience to labor hard; ninety nine percent perspiration. So this suggests a parallelism with Bennetts statement. However, Bennett has said, until we have felt the force of knowledge, it is not ours. By ours, could he mean that knowledge can be owned? Can one possess knowledge as ones own? And would it suggest that knowledge without the emotional force felt is not knowledge? Bennetts statement could be argued as being flawed in itself since it suggests that all our knowledge has some sort of an emotive origin, that it is subjective. And subjectivism, as we all know, cannot be justifiable when it comes to acquiring knowledge. However, in the matter of ethics and morals, Bennetts assertion could be held true, for do we really know of any ethical issues that do not involve the human emotion? Most, if not all, ethical situations have an emotive base and thus, give rise to controversial issues such as biasness, etc. We can even take an example in one of the areas of knowledge, for instance, history; history is knowledge that is supposed to be absolutely factual, that is supposed to provide us with the correct information of the past that we can all collectively agree on. However, we humans have always found it hard to detach our emotions with the events of the past. Our emotions and our nature of favoritism influences our decision to believe what event in a history is true, and what is not and should thus be omitted. If we take for example the issue of the Tibetan independence to be more specific, it is believed a lot of events in the history of Tibet have been altered in order to find parallelism with what the Chinese assert is true. However, it should be considered that what a Tibetan believes to have happened in the past greatly differs from what a Chinese would most probably believe because of the emotional attachment the former, as refugees stripped from their country, have with this particular issue. I, myself, being a Tibetan can name several events and happenings that greatly involve my feelings of loyalty to my country and disrespect for the one that took it away. And thus, as is very evident, emotions give rise to biasness and favoritism which intrude in our obtaining of knowledge. But again, if we talk about the Mathematics, we know solving equations involve no such emotions, unless one is working on a monumental theory or maybe simply finding a problem difficult to solve. Ultimately, in studying emotions, even though we tend to and are encouraged to think of it and reason as two separate aspects, in reality we will find that they are so closely related to one another that it is almost impossible to differentiate them as two distinct things. Hence, most believe that reason and emotion work together as one, although at times one may take over more control. Emotion adds and strengthens ones attainment of knowledge, and has an indestructible relationship with it. And despite the many controversial arguments brought up, like the Stoics idea of attaining self-control and pure knowledge by freeing ones self from all destructive emotions, we know our ability to reason would most likely be obsolete. Thus, however much we are discouraged to involve our emotions in our decisions and act of reasoning, the undeniable fact is that it an innate, integral part of ourselves and therefore, will always either be there to help or to intrude.

How to stay focused at work during the holidays

How to stay focused at work during the holidays Every year, as the weather gets colder and holiday shopping ads start appearing on TV (though admittedly those start showing up around Labor Day now), even the most diligent and focused employees find their attention wandering a bit. There’s a lot going on- travel plans, potluck food appearing like magic in the office, everyone feeling a little more festive and social- and the daily grind can get lost in all of that. So how do you keep on top of your actual job, despite holiday disruptions? Be prepared to shut out distractions.This doesn’t mean you have to hunch over your desk like Ebenezer Scrooge, frowning disapprovingly at your cheerful slacker colleagues. It just means finding ways to keep your own attention focused on the daily tasks you need to accomplish. For some, that means wearing noise-canceling headphones while working on a project or setting blocks of â€Å"head down† time where you don’t allow yourself to be distracted by things like online s hopping, social media, or extracurricular conversations with coworkers. It’s time to be honest with yourself and figure out what works best at keeping you on-task. If that means setting calendar reminders for everything, do it. If it involves using an app to keep you from wandering to particular distracting websites, go for it.Try to avoid multitasking, because that can lead to†¦flexible attention span. If you’re giving all of your effort to a particular task, you’re more likely to get it done. Even if you’re usually an A+ multitasker, try to limit the number of things you’re doing at once.Lean in to (some of) the distractions.This may seem counterintuitive to #1, but it’s also important to embrace the non-work stuff as part of your day. It’s far more realistic to plan for small bursts of non-work activity than to think you’ll be able to shut it out completely. Be sure to schedule some breaks when you can check those fligh t prices or stop and grab a cookie with a colleague. If you start making the down time part of your workday (in small chunks), it’ll be easier to move from â€Å"holiday mode† back to â€Å"work beast mode.† Moderation is key here- it’s not an â€Å"hour of work, hour of goofing off† proposition. Think of it as more like a standard coffee break, but instead you’re taking a few minutes to check out your Facebook friends’ pets in various holiday sweaters.Come up with a â€Å"rest of year† plan.Chances are, your workload has a combination of things that will need to be accomplished either now or in the near future, and things that can reasonably wait until January. It’s time to sit down and make a comprehensive list of must-dos, should-dos, and can-do-laters. Your to-do list should be realistic and have milestones/deadlines included wherever possible so that you can plan your time. If you need to, talk through your end of y ear priorities with your boss to make sure you’re hitting everything you need to do before everyone checks out. This has the added benefit of showing your boss how organized and driven you are, even as everyone else might already be starting to slip a little.While you’re making the list, also make note of what you’ll need from other people. This time of year people can be in and out of the office, so if there’s something important that you’ll need from Andy by mid-December, start thinking (and talking) about it now in case Andy’s planning on taking time off. If you’ve waited until the last minute and then you’re faced with Andy’s â€Å"Bye, see you next year!† Out of Office message, it’s too late.Reset your work-life boundaries.Setting a clear line between your work day and your personal time can help you stay focused at work if you know you can get all the fun stuff or personal logistics accomplished later . If you’re usually a â€Å"stay late† kind of person, start leaving at a set time every day. If you’re usually a â€Å"wander in a little late in the morning† kind of person, start putting in extra effort to get to work on time. And whenever possible, you should avoid taking work home- instead, set a realistic workload and to-do list for the official workday. That way, family/friend/personal time gets its own spotlight in your day, separate from work, and you’ll feel less inclined to â€Å"catch up† on the outside stuff while you’re at work.Don’t forget to take care of yourself.The time leading up to the holidays can often take a physical toll as well, if you’re indulging in special food, more drinks than usual, and/or later bedtimes to account for social activities. All of those can set you up for failure at work and make you feel lousy, so try to set up some extra healthy habits to compensate this time of year.Take sh ort walks and exercise breaks instead of coffee breaks.Stay hydrated (and not with egg nog).Practice some desk yoga.Aim for half an hour more sleep.Bring a healthy lunch so you can sneak in some extra calories later.These can all help you feel better during the workday and more ready to devote your time and mental sharpness to accomplishing what needs to be done.No matter what the distractions are between Thanksgiving and the New Year, staying organized is not a lost cause. It’s all about being realistic and developing some extra coping mechanisms to defeat those â€Å"it’s the holidays, woo!† impulses and stay productive. Fully embrace the good cheer of the season- just make sure it’s on your to-do list, next to all the other things you want to get done.

10 Tips About How to Write a Caption

10 Tips About How to Write a Caption 10 Tips About How to Write a Caption 10 Tips About How to Write a Caption By Mark Nichol If you contribute to production of a print or online publication that includes photographs or illustrations, you’re likely, at some point, to write captions. Here’s some advice about how to write good ones. 1. Caption copy must match the tone of the running text (the general written content, as opposed to display type such as headlines and captions). Determine whether captions should be formal or informal, or serious or humorous, or whether the tone can vary depending on circumstances. 2. Caption format will depend on various factors. Portraits (often referred to as headshots), or images of places or products can simply be captioned with a name: â€Å"John Smith,† for example, or â€Å"Deluxe Dual-Purpose Widget,† without terminal punctuation. (If the product caption is a description rather than an official product name, capitalize only the first word and proper names.) Captions for photos or other images showing events or occurrences can consist of incomplete sentences (â€Å"Taking the Inchworm personal-transportation device for a test drive†), but it’s generally better to use one or more complete sentences. (â€Å"John Smith takes the Inchworm personal-transportation device for a test drive.†) Avoid eliding words, as in â€Å"John Smith takes Inchworm personal-transportation device for test drive†; write the caption as if you were speaking it aloud, not as if you were writing a headline or dictating a telegram. Some publications use a lead-in phrase to establish the caption; these are either straightforward or may be conceptual and might be humorous and/or alliterative as well. They are often formatted in boldface and followed by a colon, and they generally are capitalized like headlines. (â€Å"Wiggle Wagon: John Smith takes the Inchworm personal-transportation device for a test drive.†) 3. A brief article can be formatted as a caption; it’s best to distinguish such special features with a box around the photo and caption and/or a different font treatment. (A headline is optional.) The extent of the block of type shouldn’t be less than the space taken up by the photo, and the caption should be broken up into paragraphs if it’s more than a few lines long, and perhaps divided into columns if the image is more than one column wide. 4. Use context to determine how thoroughly to identify photographic subjects. Because a person, place, or thing shown in a photo is almost invariably identified in accompanying running text, titles, affiliations, and other additional information, for example, are rarely required in captions. Subsequent photos of the same subject can be simplified (as when a person’s full name is used only in the first of several captions for photos featuring that person). 5. Avoid replicating content from the running text in a caption. The caption should allude to the running text’s topic, but the specific wording should at most paraphrase the running text. 6. Captions should not use judgmental or facetious language or make assumptions about, for example, a subject’s state of mind. (Of course, a publication that features humorous or satirical content is an exception.) 7. If more than one person is featured in the photo, use directional or other targeting terms (for example, â€Å"left,† â€Å"standing,† or â€Å"holding aardvark†) only if the distinction between the photo’s subjects is not obvious. If you must use such wording, be consistent about style and format. Here are some alternatives (the first of which trusts readers to assume left-to-right orientation): â€Å"Security guards Winken, Blinken, and Nod stand watch.† â€Å"Security guards Winken (left), Blinken, and Nod stand watch.† â€Å"Security guards Winken, left, Blinken, and Nod stand watch.† â€Å"Security guards (from left) Winken, Blinken, and Nod stand watch.† â€Å"Security guards (left to right) Winken, Blinken, and Nod stand watch.† 8. Avoid tired terminology. If, in a photo accompanying an article about a cash donation, a person is pictured pointing at an oversized mockup of a check, don’t write, â€Å"Charity Goodheart gestures at a giant check as Greedco chairman Rich Moneybags looks on.† (And ask yourself why your company or organization is publishing such a tired visual clichà © in the first place.) Simply write, â€Å"Charity Goodheart acknowledges a donation from Greedco chairman Rich Moneybags.† 9. Fact-check all quantitative information such as spelling, names (of people, places, and things) and titles, and data, and double-check that you describe action or procedures accurately. 10. Don’t forget to include credits, and be consistent in style and format. Acknowledge the photographer or stock-photography source with the name alone; there’s no need to write â€Å"photo by† or the like. (However, if a photo is provided without charge by another source, credit, for example, â€Å"Courtesy Lookatthis.com.†) Distinguish the credit from the caption by using another font or point size and/or placing it vertically along the right-hand edge of the image. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to Use â€Å"That,† â€Å"Which,† and â€Å"Who†Driver License vs. Driver’s License150 Foreign Expressions to Inspire You

International diversification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

International diversification - Essay Example The United States and the two European countries i.e. Germany and Poland. If we suppose that an investor from the UK diversifies his portfolio of investments in the stock market of these three international countries. The differences in the statistics shown in the Fig1 propose that the level of risk and return would certainly vary from country to country that will ensure maximum returns for investors.  International portfolio diversification is highly beneficial in a situation where the stock exchanges, economic condition and political environment of international countries are highly different from each other. Syriopoulos also says that â€Å"if returns from investments in different national stock markets are not perfectly correlated and the correlation structure is stable, there are potential gains from international portfolio diversification.† (2004, p1254) It is so because the diversification would not yield the desired results if the conditions and environment in intern ational countries vary in the same manner as in domestic economy. If the international countries included in the portfolio have an economic, political and investment environment that differs from that of the domestic environs, the international portfolio diversification will reap significant benefits.The Capital Asset Pricing Model is an effective tool for portfolio management. Because of the model’s efficiency in pricing assets, it is considered to be useful in evaluating risk and return on various assets in a given portfolio.... rnational portfolio diversification." (2004, p1254) It is so because the diversification would not yield the desired results if the conditions and environment in international countries vary in the same manner as in domestic economy. If the international countries included in the portfolio have an economic, political and investment environment that differs from that of the domestic environs, the international portfolio diversification will reap significant benefits. Question 2: The Capital Asset Pricing Model is an effective tool for portfolio management. Because of the model's efficiency in pricing assets, it is considered to be useful in evaluating risk and return on various assets in a given portfolio. The most significant usefulness of the CAPM in portfolio analysis is its effectiveness in illuminating the risk factor involved in a portfolio investment. Andre explores that "the CAPM tells us that investors pay a price for being undiversified in that they are taking risks for whic h they are not being compensated." (2004, p19) For un-diversifiable or systematic risk, this model uses Beta as a means to identify the rate of risk involved in investment. CAPM can thus be useful for investors in portfolio management by providing relevant information concerning the risk factor involved in a particular investment with respect to the whole market and also lead the investors to improve their portfolio. With the help of the Capital Asset Pricing Model, the investors can easily determine the required rate of return with respect to different assets in the portfolio according to their risk without any efforts to estimate revenues and cash flows. Andre illuminates that in order "to find the expected return of a company's shares, it is thus not necessary to carry out an

Anthroplogy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Anthroplogy - Essay Example There was occasional flooding occasioned by the melting glaciers. Most of the mountains in Idaho still have evidence of these Pleistocene glaciers (Digital Geology of Idaho 1). During this period, many animals roamed the plains and mountains of Idaho. Animals such as mammoth, giant sloths, and Smilodon amongst others roamed the earth. My favorite animal that roamed the world during this time was the mammoth. From the remains I saw at the Museum, the mammoth seemed such a huge animal. It is its mere sight that fascinates me more than scares me. All of these mammoths lived and died during the ice age (IMNH 1). As far as diet is concerned, the mammoth fed on grass, bushes, and sedges. Other foods that the mammoth ate included blue spruce, cactus and fruits amongst others. This implies that the Pleistocene period in Idaho was marked by rich vegetation since the mammoth also browsed. Another factor that makes me conclude that the Pleistocene period was marked by rich vegetation is the fact that the mammoth was much bigger than the present elephant yet it survived. In terms of physical appearance, the mammoth also had long tusks as the modern elephant. It must h ave been furry to that it adapted to extreme cold temperatures when the cold season and glaciers swept down the lowlands. However, it later became extinct due to reduced food availability and the ice age that greatly reduced its food sources. Human activity during this age was just beginning to take shape. The fact that this period was also marked by warm temperatures during certain seasons explains the origin of the early man. Archeological evidence point to the fact that man lived during this age and later migrated out of Africa. The early man during this period was the Neanderthal man, whom is said to have evolved after the Home erectus man. The early man had attained an upright posture during this time. He hunted wild animals, gathered food and learned how to make fire. Essentially, culture

Former president of South Africa Essay Example for Free

Former president of South Africa Essay My friends and I had joined and have been a member of the African National Congress for a long time. Our non-stop mission is to remove apartheid. Since 1944, when I had just joined the antiapartheid organization ANC, we have been trying to talk with the government officials about the unfairness and the disadvantages of apartheid. Our non-violent mission to get rid of apartheid seems to go nowhere. The United Nations and the United States, too, is backing us up with our couple of hundred black colored folks. Since the government is mostly white dominated, they wouldnt listen to our concerns because removing apartheid would be a great disadvantage for them. Most factory or company owners are white. Removing apartheid would mean that they would have to pay the blacks and the colored folks the same money since right now white people get more paid than us. This is just one of the many things the whites would suffer if an antiapartheid nation was formed. In the footsteps of Mohandas Gandhi we pursue a non-violent protest. I was not a messiah, but an ordinary man who had become a leader because of extraordinary circumstances. Clearly, one could draw the point on how miserable our lives were and under these circumstances you suffer greatly or stand up for your culture, stand up for your country and the meaning of our tribes. A changing world demands redefinition of old concepts. Africa, first step where humans took on this planet and we follow the biblical rules. I detest racialism, because I regard it as a barbaric thing, whether it comes from a black man or a white man. Dear Journal: November 1962 This is my first night in prison. I do not write to you in shame since I believe to be lucky enough to escape hanging. I am currently imprisoned at Robben Island with some of my colleagues for protesting against the true Africans not having any democratic rights, which wiped out the possibility of bringing peace to South Africa. We Africans do not even have any of the Basic Human Rights. We are born with these rights and unless we give them up  for a certain type of government they are ours to keep. Us not having any human rights was an unarguable point since at Sharpeville in March of 1960 the police fired at an African crowd and killing 67. Most of them were shot in the back. No one in his right senses would choose such a life, but there comes a time when a man is denied the right to live a normal life, when he can only live the life of an outlaw because the government had so decreed to use the law. I could have continued with my life with what I was taught to do in life; fight, and since I was almost considerably a professional boxer I could have made good money and have a high-social life. But I chose to fight for our Basic Human rights, bring peace and end apartheid. And is this what I get for trying to get equal rights? I have been sentenced for life in this forbidding, desolate place. This was my home. It was so big at the time. I dont know why it is so small now. I am treated harshly in this place. We do not receive healthy food and we have to work in a lime quarry. I can only write letters no longer than 500 words every six months and eventually I was able to talk with Winnie my dearest wife. We were not allowed to read books nor newspapers so the only way I could get information about what is going outside was through Winnie and her letters. Dear Journal:December 27, 1988 You could say Im getting used to my imprisonment. Since December, I was moved to a cottage at Victor Verster Prison. The reason I believe why the government moved me to this comfortable prison is because; back in August, when I became very ill the government was afraid that if I died there would be a massive revolt. Because of my enormous popular support, I was taken to one of the best medical centers in the country. When in October I felt better, I was moved here. I feel much safer and more comfortable. This was just a prison farm even with a swimming pool. At least I do not have to work on fixing roads and collecting seaweed on hot summer days. During the winter, back at Robben Island, we worked at Limestone Quarry and after 10 years of labor my doctor told me that I shouldnt lift so hard. The South African Government published my photos to show how much comfort I was living in. After all the restrictions I have received, these were the first photos of myself since 1966. In the name of the law, I found myself treated as a  criminalnot because of what I had done, but because of what I stood for, because of my conscience. After all I did expect them to treat me harshly, I was the one of few man who stood up for my country and because of what I was trying to accomplish made it so unbearable towards the government. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal, which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die. The United Nations Article states that all men shall have the basic human right, independence and equal treatment. So I shall receive that right. Dear Journal:August 17, 1984 I have been telling you about in how horrible living conditions that black people live in. But maybe you dont exactly know what they are. Well let me tell you a broad definition of apartheid. Apartheid was a law unfair to black people in South Africa and it was made even before I was born. It limited our civil rights. We couldnt vote nor have proper jobs. We endured bad housing such as slums with no electricity or pluming. Black people were arrested most of the time for no major particular reason and put into really bad prisons. So now you know why it is so important for me to end apartheid. A man who takes away another mans freedom is a prisoner of hatred, he is locked behind bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness.The oppressed and the oppressor alike are robbed of their humanity. After 20 years at Robben Island, the states most guarded prison, my people were asking for my independence. In my isolation section, I was secretly able to keep track of what was going on at the outside world. According to the information I received, newspapers started writing headlines such as FREE MANDELA and LET MANDELA GO. I was so respected and recognized that the whole world started to notice how much the people wanted to free me. What I dont understand is why they waited so long. It was hard to know what was going on but I made it my business to keep track of what was happening in my nation and in the world. The United States and Great Britain were naming streets and parks after me. I didnt realize till today how people looked up to me  and considered me important, for what I have tried to do and will still try; end apartheid. Human rights groups and Universities gave me honors and awards but it was impossible for them to ever reach me. Its not like theyre papers which could be sneaked in, well I will just have to wait till I receive my independence. Dear Journal:May 11, 1994 Yesterday was one the happiest days of my life. I was the president of South America. After 27 years if suffering in prisons. After the next 4 years of my release I had been involved in rebels against the government, beside my followers. These last 4 years chaotic and violent. My supporters fought viciously with the Inkatha Party of the Zulu chief Gatsha Buthelezi. Many were killed on their side but unfortunately so did many on our side. When in 1986 I started to make negotiations with Botha I had refused his deal to give me my freedom under such conditions where I had to live in Transkei, reject violence and many other things. If I accepted these conditions just for my freedom, it would be a violation of what I stand for in my spot at the ANC. I kept it a secret till when I had to tell my friends so they could help me get my freedom and I could do well for my nation. The new President of South Africa and leader of the National Party, F.W. de Klerk, in the end decided to release myself and the other political prisoners. He also made ANC legal so I when I asked him for my freedom he released me. On February, 1990 I was released. But my joyful days werent over yet. A general election was held in April, 1994. And about a year after the elections, yesterday I became the new and first black president of South America. Never, never, and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another. The sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement. Let freedom reign. God bless Africa! The people were dependant on me because they knew that I would spare a civil war and follow whatever the ANC says to do so. As the people saw me end apartheid along F.W. de Klerk back in 1993 and received the Nobel Peace price, they expected me to bring many other good reforms. I promise to change the whole perception towards black people.

Terrorism and Airport Security Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research Pa

Terrorism and Airport Security The morning of September 11 was like any other. The sun rose from the east, and the day was full of life. People went to work as they were accustomed to, and everybody seemed safe from harms way. In airports across America: planes were taking their passengers to their destinations in record times. People went through airport security as usual, walking through the metal detector and sending their bags through the x-ray machines. Security at the airport was normal. Bags were checked for guns and explosives as they had been doing for many years. This seemingly routine day turned out to be far from normal. A group of people that belonged to Al-Qaeda had different plans for the people of the United States. On September 11th the men of Al Qaeda, a terrorist group that has been the center of attention for some time now, hijacked 4 planes and used them as guided missiles to attack the people and government of America. These attacks were not against military targets or troops, they were aimed at the innocent civilians of everyday life. These cowardly attacks are the reason that the U.S. has devoted more time to national security, specifically airport security (September, 2004). Paul Thompson has compiled a complete timeline of the events that took place, before and after 9/11. Thompson continued, " The scrambling of fighter aircraft at the first sign of trouble is a routine phenomenon. During the year 2000, there where 425 'unknowns' pilots who didn't file or diverted [sic] from flight plans or used the wrong frequency." He went on to say that " such scrambles before 9/11 were about two or three times a week. After 9/11 they went up to three or four times a day" (Thompson, 2002). Paul Bracken,... ...hannel_hsd_story.jsp?id=news/com03244.xml Terrorism. (2004, March 16) Wikipedia. Retrieved March 17, 2004 from the World Wide Web: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism Tyson, J. (2004, February 2). How Airport Security Works. How stuff works. Retrieved March 20, 2004 from the World Wide Web: http://travel.howstuffworks.com/airport-security1.htm style='font-family:Geneva'>Thompson, P. (2002 October 29). Complete 911 Timeline. Center For Corporative Research. Retrieved March 21, 2004 from the World Wide Web: http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline.jsp?timeline=complete_911_timeline&timeperiod=0:10am-11:50pm%2011%20Sept%202001 < style='font-family:Geneva'>United States Department of Homeland Security. (2004, March 16) Wikipedia. Retrieved March 17, 2004 from the World Wide Web: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_of_Homeland_Securitypan>

Legs by Post Essay

1.Who are the protagonists of this case? For what are they trying to solve / what decision are they trying to make? The protagonists of this case are Elizabeth Preis and Dickon Addis. Together they started a London-based mail-order business called Beautiful Legs by POST. They are trying to raise  £110,000 within the next month in order to mail out 20,000 catalogs each in January and February. In order to solve this, Preis and Dickon must find investors to fund the next phase of growth for their company. They need to know what the response rate would be, what the average size per order would be, and what percent of initial customers would reorder. Would they be able to rise the financing that they needed in order to stay on track? How could they get more free publicity? (Page2 of case) Answering these questions could help determine if Beautiful Legs by POST could be a feasible business. 2.Use the People-Opportunity-Context framework to evaluate this opportunity. People like Elizabeth Preis, Director of Marketing, and Dicken Addis, Director of Finance and Operations are worth being invested in. They both have experience The opportunity involved in Beautiful Legs by POST is the advantage of finding a gap in the marketplace for mail order in Europe. After market research they found that the gap was specifically in the U.K. Starting their business in this location gives them a competitive advantage of being one of the first companies in mail order. Another opportunity involved with tights is that they are a replenishment item that requires regular purchases. The analysis from Market research indicates clearly that there is a customer segment who wants to buy through mail-order, so business opportunity exists. People like Dicken Addis, Director of Finance and Elizabeth Preis, Director of Marketing are worth enough to be invested. They have valuable experience in their respective fields and also business plan shows that they understood the product. Competitive advantage being the 1st one in mail-order Break-even analysis and cash flows are convincing

Mestizaje and Its Critics

A word of many definitions and implications, mestizaje is usually associated with regions that have a history of Spanish or European colonization. It is an issue that has been concealed, denied, and debated upon in the cultural, social, and political sense in these colonized regions. Common issues related to this ideology are racism, racial discrimination, chauvinism, and the like. In this particular paper, the focus group of such ideology would be more on Latin America and the Afro-population or the black since this group mostly experienced the effects of the consequences of such prejudice.  Ariel Dulitzky’s A Region in Denial: Racial Discrimination and Racism in Latin America talks about Latin America’s refusal to tackle the issue on racism and racial discrimination. It summarizes the kinds of denials that this region executes to find their way out before or when getting into discussions about the issues mentioned earlier. These denials are categorized in three: lit eral denial, interpretive denial, and justificatory denial.Literal denial, as the name implies, is the rejection of the thought that racism exists.   The government does not acknowledge the presence of â€Å"race†, therefore making the existence of racism null. The second category, interpretive denial has four subcategories. In the first, it is not the color of the skin or the race but the social status of the person/group that is being criticized.   This denial is euphemism.   The next one, legislative, is somewhat related to the first category. It is said that there are no laws made about racial discrimination because there is no need for such for the reason that they don’t segregate the race of people.Some argue that there are very few complaints about discrimination.   Maybe because the public is not aware about laws and sanctions, if there are any, regarding acts of racial discrimination. The third category is denial of responsibility. This is when the gov ernment says that discriminating acts, or whatever they may want to call it, are due to old practices or traditions. The last category is called just isolated events.An explanation of this would be to say that these events of racism eventually happened just at this day and at this time. There is the denial that it, racism, happened in the past, therefore there can be no way that they can be called a racist region. The last category would be justificatory denial. From its root word â€Å"justify†, people who do this either rationalize things or point a finger to the victims themselves. People in control indicate that they belong to a mixed race, thus racial segregation does not exist.Despite all these denials, the Convention Against Racism or the â€Å"Convention† pulled some strings to help these regions and the victims acknowledge that racial discrimination really does exist. Luckily, the effort became an eye opener to others. For the first time, debates about racism were done and more groups were created to protect and implement the Convention’s regulations against racial discrimination.Associated with a region’s ability to discriminate is the huge question about that region’s identity. One article that talks about Latin America’s national and cultural identity is that written by Lourdes Martinez-Echazabal. She discusses the different view points of writers of the same nationality, Cubans, to be particular, pertaining to national identity and racial discrimination together with its effects on people’s actions and beliefs. In the given time, 1845-1959, the Afro-population had been identified with anything negative – the poor, the brainless, the filthy, and the barbaric.As a result of this notion, the end to slave trade was once made in an attempt to stop the multiplication of the Afro-population in Latin America since more black people implied an uncivilized and diseased region that would hinder if not s top the social and cultural development of communities in their region. Some writers thought that crossbreeding with people of lighter complexion was a step towards civilization. They were into making reforms with the colonizers.On the contrary, the other group of writers was after the independence of the region. They do this by not looking at the man’s color to judge his/her moral values or legal status. They use this argument of having a national identity, just one color regardless the mixture of race or color of the skin. Interaction and socialization among different races were encouraged in making a better and enlightened society.To be more particular, an article by Charles Hale focused on this region divided into what they call the ladinos and Mayas, ladinos being the ones with the whiter skin and European mix, and the Indians as the Mayas. As narrated in Hale’s publication, the ladinos used to be the superior group in the past decades, and the Mayas being the inf erior one. Interaction of ladinos with Mayas is prohibited by the ladino elders. As time passed by, there had been some changes in the political and social set up of Guatamela.There were Maya cultural activists that fight for their cultural rights. Some ladinos changed their perspectives about the Mayas by somehow respecting the latter’s religious belief such as the fiesta of their patron saint for a start. Racism was definitely gearing towards the Mayas, but due to the number in population with the Mayas taking up considerably the higher percentage of the population, the ladinos started to become confused if they really are the reigning race.The people interviewed by Hale were still hesitant, somehow, when asked about the cultural discrimination against the Mayans. Their answers were unsure maybe because there is no certainty on the cultural development of their region. Confused answers to simple cultural questions were provided. Confused people with confused cultural belief s would definitely result to complications in interest and one confused country.It is amazing how these writers distort ideas and beliefs. From the denial, to the national identity, to the confused region, now, we have another twist of things about mestizaje and cultural and national identity. Saldaà ±a-Portillo’s arguments, still, are about mestizaje and how particular regions react to it. In her publication, mestizaje is promoted as a step towards citizenship, towards establishment of national culture. In the past reviews, it is usually the â€Å"whites† dominating or taking over the â€Å"blacks†.However in this case, it is still true that Indians are viewed as a sign of an uncivilized community, but some things are viewed the differently. Not that these Indians literally taking over the region and the government, but these colonizers, the Spanish and the Europeans, actually being taken over by the Indians in other perspectives. It is about the women coloniz ers and the Indian men, Spanish not being the first language, and a biological trace in history.Discussion about women having their roles and rights in the community, for the first time, were mentioned and discussed upon for these â€Å"rights† might be at odds with their group’s statute. Ethnic groups were also given right to the land they lived on. Regardless these new points that might unite certain regions, mestizaje would remain to be seen as these regions accept one another regardless the race, the face, or the beliefs.I must admit that racial discrimination, despite all the efforts to avoid and fight it, still exists up to this day. There are similarities in situations in these articles. These readings are mostly about the search and battle for cultural and national identity mostly of people in the Latin American region. The Afro-population or the â€Å"black† as others would commonly label their group, is often, if not mostly deprived of access to proper ty, media, and means of production. I agree when they say that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. It’s the same with people – don’t judge a person by his color because a person is more than just the color of his skin or the details of his face. There is the spirit. There are the values.Maybe the good thing about classifying people is when they are proud to be of that race not because they are whiter or taller, but because people from their region, their race has done something good and inspiring that effect people of other race or region. It is when that person is proud to be of that race because his people have helped so many deprived others. But how often do these things happen? How often does a person become proud because he has â€Å"Indian† features? This is one proof that racial discrimination has been in existentfor so long that it has been part of our practices and to think and establish such notions.Generalization should be avoided b ecause this starts the heating debate and fight about discrimination. Every human being is different, unique. It just so happened that he/she possesses such features, that he/she was born on that region. Nevertheless, that person is no different from you and me. Mestizaje has affected so many races, if not all of them, that it actually is a part of life, of history, of the lives even of the first people on earth.. It is inevitable because it is human nature socialize, and interact.The good thing about the present is having institutions against racism, acknowledgment of the problem, and awareness that the system applies sanctions to violators because it does not tolerate such prejudice. It is good to know that with these things, we need not be afraid for our children and our children’s children because there are people to protect them and fight for them. However, when can we really say that we, our children, and the coming generations would be free from hatred? From prejudice? From undergoing the inequality we had been experiencing since time immemorial? When?Works CitedDulitzky, Ariel. A Region in Denial: Racial Discrimination and Racism in Latin America†, Neither Enemies Nor Friends: Latinos, Blacks, Afro-Latinos. Ed. A. Dziedzienyo and S. Oboler. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005. pp.39-60.Hale, Charles. â€Å"Travel Warning: Elite Appropriations of Hybridity, Mestizaje, Antiracism, Equality, and Other Progressive-sounding Discourses in High Land Guatamela.† Journal of American Folklore. 112. 445 (Summer 1999): 297-315.Martinez-Echazabal, Lourdes. â€Å"Mestizaje and the Discourse of National/Cultural Identity in Latin America, 1845-1959.† Latin American Perspectives. 100 vols. 25.3 (May 1998). 21-42.Saldaà ±a-Portillo, Josefina. â€Å"Who’s the Indian in Aztlan? Re-Writing Mestizaje, Indianism, and Chicanismo from Lacandon.† The Latin American Subaltern Studies Reader. Ed. I.Rodriguez. NC: Duke University Press, 20 01. pp.402-423.

Assessing the macro- and micro- environmental forces Essay Example

Assessing the macro Assessing the macro- and micro- environmental forces Paper Assessing the macro- and micro- environmental forces Paper Assessing the macro- and micro- environmental forces that explain the success of John Lewis John Lewis is a chain of market department stores in the LIKE. In accessing its success, critically looked at the macro- and micro- environments of the organization. Here the micromanagement comprises three major sections: the economic environment, the social and demographic environment, and the technological environment. The purpose of this essay is to assess John Lexiss success, in relations to the forces within these sub-environments. Furthermore, I assess the links these forces have with John Lexiss circumvention. The Micromanagement The Economic Environment Palmer Hartley (2012) says that Businesses need to keep an eye on indications of a nations prosperity, (p. 10). This is due to the likelihood that during recessionary periods, peoples spending power on goods and services is likely to decline. This might not be the case with John Lewis, as its affluent customers have been less impacted by the economic downturn, (Donkey, 2013). However, all customers are likely to become more concerned about whom they spend their money with. Andy Street, the managing director of John Lewis says that When money is tight youre far more likely to think about who you spend it with The results are based on one word above all else, which is Trust, (Rowley, 2012). Street then talks about the success of John Lewis in this economy saying In an economic climate which continues to be volatile, to have achieved these results is testimony to the strength of the John Lewis brand, (Ruddier, 2013). Here the SUccess of John Lewis arises from two main reasons. The first is John Lexiss main target audience, which consists of the more affluent customers who have proved to be resilient in this economic climate. The organization is able to maintain its success, as their customers spending power remains constant regardless of the trends in the economy. The second reason is the John Lewis brand, which is strongly built on trust. Customers are likely to turn to their trusted brands in this economic climate regardless Of how affluent they may be. Note that trends in the economy are inevitable and organizations have to respond to these appropriately in order to succeed. John Lewis can be seen as simply benefiting from its intended target audience for the reasons I have mentioned, but I believe that their investments in rand and trust buildings are the main reasons for their success. The Social and Demographic Environments It is suggested that society is becoming Increasingly concerned about the ethical values adopted by its business organizations, (Palmer Hartley, 2012, p. 186). Hence it is important for John Lewis to act and respond appropriately to this social trend. The recent tax avoidance for numerous organizations in the UK has had a beneficial effect on John Lewis. Andy Street publicly expresses the need for the government to deal with multinational organizations, which are paying little to no tax in the country, (Batty, 2012). The publicity of this statement highlights the simple fact that John Lewis is a UK-based organization that are paying taxes, whilst the backdrop comprises other household organizations avoiding them. Street believes that the tax criticisms Amazon. Com, Inc. Has received spurred the sales of John Lewis saying, I cant prove it, but it definitely has been good, Id call it background publicity for us, (Ruddier, 2012). The increased concern about organizations ethics goes beyond the headline- worthy issues such as the tax avoidance. Speaking of John Lexiss organizational structure, Charlie Mayflies, John Lexiss chairman, says that Most shoppers will not be able to describe the chains unusual structure of the partnership but theyll say that its a good place to work, that we look after our staff well, (Clark, 2010). Palmer Hartley (2012) says that increasingly large segments of the population take into account the ethics of a firms employment practices when evaluating alternative products, (p. 81 Since John Lexiss employees are their shareholders, they benefit from annual bonuses. The organizations ethical employment practices had been publicly highlighted as Nick College encourages other organizations to adopt the John Lewis economy, (Mason, 2012). Here John Lexiss success is the result of two different responses to the social trends. Firstly, in the case of the tax avoidance crisis, John Lewis did not succeed from having to respond to any social trend, but instead benefiting from the failure for other organizations to meet them. The second is John Lexiss unusual structure and its employment practices. This garners a lot of public attention and propels the ethical brand image for the organization, contributing to its success. It is worthy to look at the demographics of the UK in relation to John Lexiss target audience. In countries such as the ASK, the older population is increasing as people are living longer. Studies have shown that older populations are more concerned about the ethics of organizations compared with the younger populations. Believe that this does not only account for more potential customers for John Lewis, but it also increases the trust values, especially due to the current economic and social environments. This ultimately contributes to the success of John Lewis, as there is strong customer retention. The Technological Environment The rapid technological developments have altered the relationship between n organization and its customers. One example is that Technological developments have allowed new methods of distributing goods and services, (Palmer Hartley, 2012, p. 10). This includes the booming online shopping as shoppers are spending 12. 8% more on the Internet last year than a year earlier, Manville, 2013). It also highlights that department stores are benefiting the most from this shift to online shopping (Manville, 2013). Initially, online shopping appeared to simply revolutionize the way goods were bought. However, Wallop (2013) reports that the concept of online shopping and livery did not work out well, as Royal Mail, DHAL, and other delivery services were not up to scratch. As of during the month of December, at least 225,000 parcels each day failed to arrive when promised. Another from Which? , found that 60 per cent of people shopping online shopping online last year had problems with delivery, (Manville, 2013). This is when John Lewis responded to this problem with the development Of Click Collect. This new scheme consists of placing and pays for an order online, then picking up the goods from the Customer Collection Point chosen by the shopper. Neil Saunders, the managing director of Consuming says that The reason click and collect took off over Christmas was because it solves the age-old problem of the final mile of delivery. People just dont like waiting in for deliveries, but most are happy to pick up from their local high street, (Manville, 2013). This has proven a success for John Lewis as orders have doubled between 201 2 and 2013, accounting for 35% of online sales, (Butler, 2013). Karen Dorado explains Customers love the fact that they are in control and can decide where and when to collect, (Knight, 2013). Here the success of John Lewis is due to its ability to spot the shift to online shopping. Furthermore, it also notices the trends in problems regarding online shopping and delivery, and successfully meet customers needs by developing Click and Collect. Technology also means that it is easier to gain exposure of unethical business practice as there is expending media availability and an increasingly intelligent audience, (Palmer Hartley, 2012, p. 86). Hence the trends in the technological environment are inextricably linked to the trends in the social and demographic environment. In this case, technology helps customers to know abduction Lexiss ethical practices and other organizations unethical practices, and thus propelling the success for John Lewis. Micromanagement Customers Customers have the utmost importance in determining the Success Of organizatio ns as no customers mean no business, (Palmer Hartley, 2012, p. 31). Hence it is vital to respond appropriately to the changing needs of customers. Indeed this is what the analysis in the micromanagement section has been trying to highlight. The Economic Environment means that customers, affluent or not, require a rand that they can trust. John Lewis succeeds by providing the customers with the trust values they are looking for in order to spend. The Social Environment means that customers prefer to shop from ethical organizations and John Lewis had gone to highlight its ethics, both implicitly and explicitly. The Technological Environment means that customers require new ways of purchasing goods and John Lexiss Click and Collect has been proven a success. Suppliers The relationship between John Lewis and its suppliers contributes to its success in a number of ways. The available technology means that goods can e made overseas, at a lower cost. Because of the customers increased concern in organizations ethics, John Lewis had improved its relationship with its suppliers. John Lewis is aiming to invest at least IEEE,O over the next three years in projects that will boost sustainability within its supply chain as well as education and employment projects, (Butler, 2012). This includes a project of providing a training program for cotton farmers in India. Palmer Hartley (2012) says that society has rising expectations for organizations to be friendly to their local communities by supporting their coal suppliers. John Lewis initially invested in these projects as the supply for cotton was becoming scarce as prices were raised. Hence by doing this, John Lewis benefits from its relationship with the suppliers in two ways. First is that there is an increased level of security in their supply of cotton. Second is that the organization also benefits from helping local suppliers, which in this case is the cotton farms in India. John Lewis benefits from meeting societys expectations and is seen as an ethical organization. Competitors In a highly competitive market, it is vital to understand you competitors. As I have mentioned, John Lewis had adopted several strategies in response to the trends in the micromanagement. These strategies are the main reason why John Lewis is ahead of its competitors. Other reasons may include the speed of adopting these strategies. One example is the shift to online shopping and John Lewis responds speedily and successfully to this, putting it in the dominant Sector in online shopping. This is a First Mover Advantage as it is one of the first organizations to successfully shift to online shopping. Hence this could be another reason for the success of John Lewis in relations o its competitors. Conclusion In summary, I have critically assessed the macro- and micro- environments of John Lewis in trying to understand its success. Within the micromanagement, have analyzed how John Lewis has successfully responded to the changing trends within: the economic environment, the social and demographic environment, and the technological environment. It is the appropriate responses to these trends that made John Lewis successful as they are all linked to what the customers need. I have also made links between the micromanagement and the micro-environmental factors: customers, appliers, and competitors. John Lewis has to also have appropriate relationships with these other organizations and individuals in order to be successful.

3 Dangers of ACT Practice Tests

3 Dangers of ACT Practice Tests SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Practice tests are key to good ACT prep, but just taking full-length practice tests isn’t enough to guarantee a good score. In this article, we'll go over the three major pitfalls that many students stumble into when attempting to use ACT practice tests. feature image credit: Danger Danger Danger Danger/used under CC BY 2.0/Cropped and resized from original. Danger #1: Inaccurate Practice Tests Many non-official practice tests are lower quality than the real test. The quality problems can range from materials that don't test the right things or ask about them in the right way to tests that are rife with errors. Some might argue that doing any sort of practice test is better than nothing, no matter if it's not as good as the real ACT. But using low-quality ACT practice tests is like practicing to become a ping pong champ by playing squash: it will not only waste your time but will also make your score worse because it's teaching you the wrong skills. Danger #2: Overdosing on Practice Tests Practice tests don’t help you if you mindlessly do one after another without taking the time to study in-between. It's okay to take the first few practice tests without too much reflection, just to get used to the format and the experience of taking the test. Once you get to the 4th or more practice test, though, you need to thoroughly review your mistakes if you want to see any improvement in your score. Danger #3: Underdoing Practice Tests You cannot have a good ACT study program without at least four real practice tests. If you're spending less than 10% of your ACT prep time on practice tests, things are going wrong. Preferably, you'll spend up to 30% of your total ACT prep time taking practice tests. Making room in your busy schedule for the chunk of time a realistic practice takes can be tricky, however. A good rule of thumb to follow is that out of every 40 hours you spend doing ACT prep, you should spend (at a minimum) at least 3-4 of those hours taking a realistic, full-length practice test (with breaks). Thousands compete for military university admission/used under CC BY-SA/Cropped from original. What’s Next? Running short on prep time? Follow our 20-hour prep guide to using ACT practice tests to get the most out of the time you have left. Now you know what to avoid on a high-level with planning out your ACT prep, but what about while you're taking practice tests? We've collected the top eleven mistakes students make during ACT practice tests in this article. Ready to take some practice tests, but not sure where to get them? Not to worry - we've got a collection of free official and unofficial ACT practice tests for you to use. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes your prep program to your strengths and weaknesses. We also have expert instructors who can grade every one of your practice ACT essays, giving feedback on how to improve your score. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Microeconomic of my own life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Microeconomic of my own life - Essay Example Having learnt various principles and theories in microeconomics, the objective of this paper is to relate my life experiences to some of these microeconomic aspects. Microeconomics has made me appreciate choice as a comparison of alternatives. The forgone opportunities for the next benefit alternatives would be referred to as opportunity cost as noted by Boyes and Melvin (23). Opportunity costs refer to the highly valued alternatives which have to be forgone when making a choice. Thus, in my case, the freedom to watch movies, eat the food of my choice and play with my pet would be considered as the opportunity cost as I had to forgo this for the sake of enrolling in a boarding school. The next benefit alternative would thus be joining a boarding school which was meant to make me excel academically. Despite the academic benefit that I was to realize by being in a boarding school, I found other benefits that I would not have found had I remained in my previous learning institution. My father worked in a pen manufacturing firm and hence gave me the best ball-pens to use for my writing. I made many friends in school because of these pens as many students would borrow my pens. At first, I was generous enough to give them out. Within a short period of time, students would demand to know where the pens were sourced from. Actually, the pens were available in the stores but at a high cost and thus stocked less. Remember, Boyes and Melvin (23) observe that costly goods do not elicit the urge to buy from consumers. A majority of pen users would prefer the less costly pen varieties as long as these pens served the intended purpose, quality aside. Since my father supplied these pens to me free of charge and in unlimited quantities, I started selling them to those students who demanded for it at a slightly lower cost than they fetched in the retail stores. The attractive qualities of the pens including swift gliding while writing and availability in diverse colors made the p ens popular. Word went round the school on the attributes of the pen which made the demand increase. Students drawn from various classes would look for me to supply them with these pens. Realizing the increased demand for the pens, I raised the selling price for each pen. This trend follows the microeconomic law of supply which according to Boyes and Melvin (52) dictates an increase in supply with increase in the prices of specific goods or services and a decrease in supply with a fall in price. Assuming the role of a supplier, as the students were willing to spend more to have the pens, I kept increasing the cost. Since I could not wholly satisfy the demand for these pens, I could not determine the effect of price increase on demand which according to the law of demand dictates that with such price increases, there tends to be a decrease in demand. But the trend did not last for long as I had to be careful neither to sell the pens at the cost in the stores nor to sell them at a cos t deemed exorbitant to the students. It reached a point where I could clearly see the impact of price increment on the demand for the pens from the students. As if abiding by the law of demand, the students gradually reduced their demand until I had a number of students whose demand for the pens I could satisfy at the indicated cost. In essence, this was the equilibrium according to