UK Music Retailers Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

UK Music Retailers - Assignment Example Businesses operating in any industry are bound to experience changing fortunes in so far as trade is concerned. There are several forces that play in the economy thus influencing the fate of each of the entities in a given sector. With this in mind, it is the sole responsibility for individual business organizations to examine factors within their environment and identify the interventions to keep it competitive. I further use interaction matrix to analyze how the business has changed over time. Finally, I conclude by comparing two players in this music sector and offer some appropriate recommendations. Just like in any other economy of the world, the UK economy also suffers from quite a number of challenges. Being an important component of the economy, UK retailers have not been spared from the difficult moments that occasionally characterize the economy. Therefore, some traditional UK retailers such as music retailers who deal with the selling of music CD and VCD have been critically affected. In the past few years, some famous music retailers went bankrupt one after another. Cases in point include the Towers, KPS, and Virgin. Whilst some of the aforementioned retailers were troubled by the market changes, the likes of Find-CD, which is an online music company, were flourishing (Traynor, 2013). According to the findings of Traynor (2013) in his research, nearly 140 music retailers are prone to the perilous economic period in the near future. A case in point is the HMV music retailer. HMV is credited for having been one of the longest-serving players in the music industry with a history of music retailing of approximately 91 years. It deals with the sale of CDs/DVDs containing music, movies, or video games.  

Multiple Intelligence Essay Example for Free

Multiple Intelligence Essay 1) How would you compare and contrast constructs of intelligence and achievement? Though often linked with each other, intelligence and achievements are neither the same thing nor does possessing intelligence automatically results in a person being an achiever. Intelligence is only a part of the entire package and process that allows one to reach his or her goals. Success or achievements are met with the mixture of intelligence, hard work, and the right opportunities. At the same time, a person may have the passion and the willingness to work for a particular goal, but still not make it. One still needs the inborn talent that will enable him or her to do the work needed. Thus, intelligence is one of the many yet essential factors for achieving. It may be inborn, but it still needs to be developed to its full extent. If intelligence goes un-nurtured, then it is useless. One’s environment and learning are interdependent with one’s genes for the development of his or her intelligence, and ultimately with his or her capability to achieve. 2) How would you describe Gardner’s theory of intelligence? Do you agree with Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences? Why or why not? Gardner believed that intelligence is multi-faceted and flexible. He attacked the idea that intelligence is a single immutable entity created by just one source and is easily measurable with math and language IQ tests (Smith, 2008; Benson, 2003). Gardner proposed humans have seven types of intelligence: â€Å"linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, and intrapersonal kinds of intelligence† (Smith, 2008, n.p.). I agree with Gardner that there is no single, accurate way of measuring people’s intelligence because people have different talents or intelligence. Humans have their own unique mix of intelligence; they may excel in areas where others do not and vice versa. Gardner’s theory does not limit intelligence into a single box. I believe that to be true since it is unfair to judge a kind of talent as better as or more rewarding than others. People ought to know that there are different realms of intelligence. They ought to realize theirs for the sake of forming their personality, building up confidence, and nurturing their competence. Gardner wrote that people need to know what they can do to understand themselves and live productively and effectively (cited in Smith, 2008). In conclusion, Gardner recognizes that there is no single construct of intelligence. Intelligence goes beyond classrooms and report cards, and this, I think, is the most important for people to understand.

With Regret and Hope :: Love Letters Dating Email Relationships

Dear Anthony, It has taken me awhile to write this letter. Please read it with care and understand that much thought went into it. I miss the way we used to be. I wish with all my heart that there was some way we could go back to the days where your eyes beheld me as the most beautiful woman you had ever seen, when your heart felt more alive in my presence, when the thought of me kept you warm on a cold night. I still feel that way about you. I know that I am the one to blame for letting us die and for letting you down. I know that I messed up, the things that I did were wrong, and I wish that there were something that I could do to go back in time and undo them. I know what it's like to be hurt the way that I hurt you. It hurt me to see the pain that I caused you and not be able to do anything to make it better. Now here we are, together again, but it doesn't feel the same. I know you still care for me, and love me, but I wonder if you are ever going to forgive me. How do we get past the hurt? What can I do for you to forgive me, to let me into your heart again, to earn back your trust and once again feel the fullness of your love? I look back on all that I took for granted, and I wish that I had appreciated everything you offered me, and I know that if I had that back, I would work to keep it for forever. I wouldn't push it away like I did then. I would bask in every moment of your love. I want a chance to love you the right way, but I need you to let me in. The distance between us pulls at my heart. It is there even when I am in your arms. Yes, I have suffered for my sins, the greatest suffering I have ever known: feeling as if I have lost you and your love. I am asking that you forgive me. I remember a time when we kissed and touched each other for the sheer pleasure of it. How we loved to be next to each other and had to be next to each other. We couldn't wait until we could be together again.

Lionel Messi

Alex Bello Writing 2 Mrs. Chavez 1/17/13 Soccer I decided to write about soccer because it is something I love and have passion for. I have been playing soccer all my life since I started walking and haven’t stopped playing. I play soccer here at MCC and I was the leading scorer and I was selected for the 2nd team all-region as a freshmen. I was the only freshmen on the team to get this award. It is a privilege for me to have soccer in my life. I am so thankful that I am able to do something I love. I have an idol. A mentor and someone I look up to in soccer.His name is Lionel Messi. He is known as the best player in the world today, and some people say that he is the best ever. To my opinion, he is the best ever. He has done things in soccer that no one has ever done in the history of the sport. He scored 92 goals in one calendar year. The previous record was 86 goals in the 1980’s. That is an unbelievable record. Messi is only 5’6 but he is very strong for a sh ort guy. He was in born in Rosario, Argentina. He moved to Spain when he was only 7 years old and he has Spanish citizenship.When he became a pro, he decided to come play for his native country. Another part of soccer that really motivates me to play better, is watching the team FC Barcelona play. They are known as the best team In the world today. They are smooth and have a great touch with the ball. No other team in the world keeps up with their fast pace. Messi also plays for this team. This is where he set the record. In 2010, Barcelona set the record for winning every tournament of that year. I love to watch this team play. I learn a lot from them.Lionel Messi has played in 2 world cups, and by record, he doesn’t usually perform at his best. People say he is more lazy when he is playing for his country. Messi says that he always gives his 100% when he is out in the pitch. He also said that he is more nervous, but he promised that in the world cup of 2014 he will perform at a successful level. I am very excited to watch the 2014 world. It will be held in Brazil. It should be a very exciting event, also because it is the biggest sports tournament of the world.

Jalan Ampang Muslim Cemetery Essay

Everyone have their own idol. An idol defined as someone that we admired and respected very much. We proud with his achievement and his attitude towards everyone besides idol can be a good role model to us. The person that we can take them as our example to succeed in our life. P.Ramlee is one of artise who successful and achieve many awards in his career. Let’s talk about his background first. The real name of P.Ramlee is Teuku Zakaria Bin Teuku Nyak Puteh. As known as P.Ramlee since 1947. He was born in Penang at his grandmother’s house on 22nd of March 1929, on the Wednesday morning of Aidilfitri for that year. P.Ramlee’s father is Teuku Nyak Puteh Bin Teuku Karim who was an immigrant, a sailor from Lhoksemauwe in Acheh, Indonesia while his mother’s name was Che Mah Hussein, originated from Kubang Buaya, Seberang Perai, Penang. For our information, P. Ramlee had a step brother who is Sheikh Ali Mohamad who shared a same mother with P.Ramlee, who was Che Mah Hussein. P.Ramlee received his early schooling at the Malay School in Kampung Jawa and later at the Francis Light School until standard five. He subsequently continued his education at the Penang Free School. During the Japanese Occupation of Malaya, he was unable to continue with his schooling. In order to make a living, he worked as an office boy at a tine mine. At the same time, he also enrolled at the Japanese Army School and had brief opportunity to acquaint himself with the Japanese language and music. His hardworking and friendly disposition made him popular with the Japanese soldiers. When World War II ended, P. Ramlee continued his schooling at the Penang Free School, up to standard seven. He was active in sports and had a liking for football and sepak raga in 1939, he represented his school in the football team. Moreover, P. Ramlee had a great love for the arts. He was born with an artistic flair. That was an undeniable fact and it was obvious even in his early youth. Starting his familiarization in the musical arts at the age of around 13, the Ukelele and Violin were among the early instruments he took up.He displayed his musical talents with contemporary songs and melodious ‘Keroncong’ tunes together with his friends. It was through this that he received his first commission from Radio Malaya to entertain at social gatherings and events around Penang. P. Ramlee’s affinity for singing and music overshadowed his academic studies at school, this is widely attested to by the teachers who taught him. While singing at official functions, P. Ramlee would often be accompanied by a band, such as the Pancaragam Teruna Sekampung (All Kampung Youth Orchestra) and the Bintang Sore. His melodies voice soon became the talk of the town and soon many wanted to know more about his new star, a thin and pimple faced teenager. Besides became a singer, P.Ramlee also involved in directorate films. The beggining of this career where when he was in Singapore, his voice was initially used in background songs for Malay films. P.Ramlee was also a clapper boy and camera assistant. Noticing his interest and affinity for acting, his superiors auditioned him and eventually gave him small parts in films. The first film in which P. Ramlee had a role in was Chinta, released in 1948. Consequently, after acting in some 20 films, P.Ramlee eventually ventured into film direction, with his first effort Penarik Beca which was released in 1955. P.Ramlee is a great guy. He can be a singer, actor, composer and a director. His song and his voice very popular in Singapore. He is a abilities guy and a kind man. He loved to help people who asks his help. Although he is a well known guy, he never arrogant with his achievement. Many people liked with his behaviour towards anyone around him. On 1950, P.Ramlee married a woman who is Junaidah Daeng Harris , daughter of actor, Daeng Harris. Married in the early 50’s after the film Bakti, their relationship fell apart even though they had a child, Nasir. In February 1955, he get married for the second time with a woman who is Norizan. Unfortunately, his marriage failed for the second time and ended in divorce. Failure in a marriage does not discourage his spirit. Later on, P.Ramlee met a singer named Salmah Ismail whose stage name was Saloma. They got married in November 1961 in Tembeling Road, Singapore. Nevertheless, this third marriage was considered an ideal match because they were so right and suitable for each other, even in their duets. Moreover, P.Ramlee had gave many contribution to this country. Even after his death, we celebrate and appreciate his effort, and his achievement. For sure, P.Ramlee really deserved to be an idol to everyone. He had prove that, if we have a spirit to successful in our life and give effort on it, for sure, we can make it become a reality. Our teenagers should followed P.Ramlee’s step. What he doing untill he success in his life. Last but not least, we should remember his duty to our country.

Pantheon Essays - Domes, Pantheon, Rome, Ancient Roman Architecture

Pantheon Essays - Domes, Pantheon, Rome, Ancient Roman Architecture Pantheon Introduction I chose to report on the pantheon because Ive seen pictures and I am also very fascinated by all the Roman monuments. I looked all around the internet and libraries. The Pantheon was very hard to find information about. It was very challenging but I found enough information to complete this report. This famous building stands in the business district of Romemuch as it was built some 18 centuries ago. Amazingly, it has withstood the ravages of both the elements and war permitting a firsthand view of a unique product constructed by Roman hands. Now, it is exposed to acid rain and fumes from passing automobiles and overshadowed by buildings of inferior taste; but, with trust in the future, the Pantheon will survive. Unrecognized, the design of this ancient concrete building reveals unparalleled features not encountered in modern design standards. Recent studies reveal several major cracks in the dome, but it still functions unimpaired. This condition will surely excite the curiosity of our structural engineers. The building was built entirely without steel reinforcing rods to resist tensile cracking, so necessary in concrete members, and for this concrete dome with a long span to last centuries is incredible. Today, no engineer would dare build this structure without steel rods! Modern codes of engineering practice would not permit such mischief. No investor with knowledge of concrete design would provide the funding. Additional constraints when attempting to build a structure as large as the Pantheon will be discussed later, but briefly they include the use of inadequate hand tools and unsafe lifting devices. I believe we can learn from this activity. Workers can build from a plan and can successfully use their proven practices only if construction quality controls are maintained. History tells us that the Pantheon is a Greek word meaning to honor all Gods (particularly the Olympian divinities). It is ironic that our building has existed throughout m any wars while being dedicated to all Gods; one can readily perceive this to be a temple for our one God. And, the Church has claimed this holy structure as a resting place for its most famous Popes, so we continue to honor its magnificent divinity. The first incarnation of this ancient temple was built by Agrippa, the son-in-law of the Roman Emperor Augustus, about 27 B.C. Today, above the entrance carved in stone are the words M. AGRIPPA L. F. COS. TERTIUM FECIT which is translated, Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, in his third consulate, made it. Indeed, it is worth mentioning that Agrippa's engineering talents were used in building the famous Pont de Gard aqueduct in France. As with many cities, tragedy in the form of large fires such as those of 60, 64, 79, 100 and 110 A.D. seemed to strike Rome. Originally, many Roman buildings contained travertine (limestone rock) which easily cracked in fires. The first Pantheon was severely damaged and required replacement except for some par ts of the lower porch section and foundation. The Pantheon was rebuilt by the Emperor Hadrian during the period 118 to 128 A.D. (a time given by Ward-Perkins).2 But the Ward-Perkins's period is disputed by, Lugli who said the building was started sometime after 123 A.D. and was finished by Emperor Pius about 140 A.D.3 However, most of the bricks were made and placed in the Pantheon in 123 A.D., a date that the maker stamped on his bricks. This was discovered in 1892 by the French archaeologist, George Chedanne. It appears the construction of the rotunda walls took a period of 4 to 5 years, and the dome required a like period because of its height and the meager tools the Romans used. This long construction period was fortunate as it gave this pozzolan concrete ample time to cure and gain strength. Was the second temple like the first? Yes, the fundamental principle of the old Roman religion required that the temples be rebuilt without changes in original form. Tradition required tha t the main entrance face north, and thus the whole building was oriented on the north-south axis of the building. A description of its structural features is separated into the configuration, foundation ring, circular walls, and dome to more clearly define various

Once Upon a Psychological Theory essays

Once Upon a Psychological Theory essays Many parents read fairy tales to their children. Young people are able to use their imaginations while listening to these fantastical stories. Filled with dragons, witches, damsels in distress, and heroes, these tales stay in the mind children for years to come. However, these young listeners are getting much more than a happy ending. Fairy tales such as The Goose Girl, The Three Little Pigs, Cinderella, and Snow White one can find theories of psychology. Erik Eriksons theories of social development as well as Sigmund Freuds theory of the map of the mind and his controversial Oedipal complex can be found in many fairy tales. Within every fairy tale there lies a hidden lesson in psychology. In 1963, psychoanalyst Erik Erikson developed one of the most comprehensive theories of social development. The theory centers around eight stages of psychological development. One of the stages, autonomy versus shame and doubt, occurs between the ages of one and a half and three years old. In this stage toddlers develop independence if freedom and exploration are encouraged. Autonomy itself means having control over oneself. At any given moment, our behavior, including this sense [autonomy], is influenced by the outer environment and our inner psychological state (Restak 268). If they are overly restricted and protected they develop shame. Shame is the estrangement of being exposed and conscious of being looked at disapprovingly, of wishing to bury ones face or sink into the ground. (Blake 115). The key to developing autonomy over shame and doubt lies in the amount of control. If parents control their children too much the children will not be able to develop their own se nse of control in the environment around them. However, if the parents provide too little control the children will become overly demanding. Gain...

Independence Day (The Language of the Declaration of Independence)

Independence Day (The Language of the Declaration of Independence) Independence Day (The Language of the Declaration of Independence) Happy Fourth of July! 240 years ago today, America’s founding fathers agreed to adopt the Declaration of Independence (it wasn’t signed until August). Traditionally, we mark this occasion with food, flags, and fireworks. All while saluting the American Eagle of Freedom. [Photo: Therightclicks/wikimedia]However, we’re proofreaders, and there’s only one way we know how to celebrate: pointing out grammatical and spelling mistakes. Today, then, we shall turn our pedantry towards the Declaration of Independence to see how our language has changed since 1776. Capitalization Anyone who reads the Declaration of Independence will notice that some words are capitalized when you wouldnt expect them to be. Sure, there are some comparisons with modern English, like capitalizing â€Å"Government† when referring to a specific government. But others, like in â€Å"Safety and Happiness,† are less familiar. However, this capitalization was a common way to emphasize particular words at the time, so it only seems odd to modern eyes. Peculiar capitalization and a typo or, possibly, quill-o? American vs. British English American and British English have since developed in different ways. In 1776, though, British spellings were dominant in America. We can see this in the Declaration of Independence with the spelling of â€Å"neighbourhood.† Another example is the use of â€Å"which† and â€Å"that.† The British still use these terms interchangeably, but American English uses â€Å"that† for clauses that change the meaning of a sentence (restrictive relative clauses) and saves â€Å"which† for clauses that simply add more detail (non-restrictive relative clauses). But the Declaration of Independence uses the British model. An interesting exception is the last word of the document, â€Å"honor,† which uses the modern American spelling rather than the British version (â€Å"honour†). Other Spelling Issues There are also some unusual spellings that we can’t blame on the English, like â€Å"compleat,† â€Å"hath shewn† and â€Å"Brittish.† And don’t even get us started on the inalienable/unalienable thing. That one is just confusing. Can we not just accept that unalienable and inalienable mean the same thing? In reality, we can’t call these â€Å"mistakes,† since it’s only recently that many spellings have been standardized. But they still look strange to our eyes. Gendered Language That â€Å"all men are created equal† is one of the most famous lines in the English language. But the fact it says â€Å"men† reflects how women were excluded from public discourse. Nowadays, we’d probably pick a more inclusive term. We imagine Abigail Adams was particularly annoyed. We’d hopefully also reconsider the reference to â€Å"merciless Indian Savages,† which could sound ever-so-slightly insensitive these days. A Very Important Period We won’t go into depth, but some scholars think we’ve been reading the Declaration of Independence wrong. And this is all because of a misplaced period after â€Å"the pursuit of Happiness.† Period or comma? You decide! Put simply, the use of â€Å"That† at the start of the next sentence suggests it was supposed to run on from the previous part, while the period is also missing in some versions of the document. The issue at stake is whether the following passage – related to how governments are instituted to protect the rights of citizens – counts as one of the â€Å"self-evident† truths that precede it. If nothing else, it’s definitely a good example of why proofreading is important!

Low Voltage Scanning Electron Microscopy Research Paper

Low Voltage Scanning Electron Microscopy - Research Paper Example Working Principles of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) Scanning electron microscopes (SEMs) are microscopes, which produce sample images by scanning the samples using a beam of focused electrons. The focused beam of electrons interacts with electrons within the sample to produce differing signal strengths that can be detected by a secondary electron detector. The focused electrons hit the sample surface, where they either get reflected as back-scattered electrons (BSE) due to inelastic scattering or cause an emission of electrons from the sample surface as secondary electrons (SE) due to elastic scattering (Lyman, 1990). The SE are emitted from the k-orbitals of the sample once the electrons in the beam hit them in a strong enough way that displaces them from the orbital. Both BSE and SE show different properties of the sample material, which commonly includes composition and topography (Boyes, 2000). The focused beam of electrons is scanned by raster scanning and position of the b eam is combined with the signal from the BSE and SE to develop an image. This type of microscopic observation can attain resolutions that are better than a nanometer. The focused beam used in SEM is produced by thermionic means from an electron gun consisting of a cathode made of tungsten. Tungsten is preferable because of its relatively lower vapor pressure and high melting point. Additionally, it is cost-effective because it is relatively cheap. The produced beam passes through two lenses that focus it onto the specimen. The energy of the beam ranges from 0.2 keV to 40 keV depending on the design of the microscope. The focus offers a spot diameter of approximately 0.4 nanometers to 5 nanometers (Joy & Carolyn, 1996). On reaching the final lenses in the column the beam is deflected by a pair of deflecting plates, which deflect it in two planes (X, Y planes) so as to create a raster scan area that is rectangular over the sample’s surface (Asmar et al., 2004). The interaction of beam electrons and the sample make the electrons lose energy through repeated random scattering, which occurs near the surface or much deeper depending on the projection energy in keV. This interaction volume from which energy is released in form of electrons to create the image is known as the interaction volume. The interaction volume is determined by the landing energy of the electrons from the projected beam as well as density and atomic number of the material under observation as the sample. Technically, the differences between HVEM and LVEM are a result of differences in landing energy determined by the electron accelerating voltage. The acquired signals are detected and amplified to develop images. The differences of detected signals are represented by variations in brightness on the visual display. The resultant image is thus a representative of electron energy emitted from the sample’s surface through inelastic and elastic scattering. The Unique Nature of Low volt age scanning electron microscopy (LVSEM) According to Joy and Carolyn (1996), even prior to practical use of scanning electron microscopes, it had been recognized that scanning at low electron accelerating voltage (

Knowledge of Legal rules and Regulations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Knowledge of Legal rules and Regulations - Essay Example From criteria set by employers alone, it is clear that those in the geomatics profession are expected to be knowledgeable of legal rules and regulations relative to their work, and institutes of higher learning are taking notice. The curriculum design for the Geomatic Engineering Education at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) in Ghana includes among others Land Law, Law of Contract and Tort.2 On the other hand, survey law, legal surveys procedures, and property rights systems are marked as field skills for geomatics by the Canadian Geomatics Industry, one considered as historically very strong technologically.3. The land surveyors and land survey technicians may have the local land laws as their guide in their work, and student surveyors, their special knowledge of relevant subjects including law.4 Unquestionably, education in geomatics is evolving and developing.5 Geomatics empl II. Geomatics as service Geomatics employs techniques used in land surveying, remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), global positioning system (GPS), and related forms of earth mapping.6 Said to be coined by B. Dubuisson in 1969, the term "geomatics" has its exact definition still shifting. Among so many names, the University of Calgary's web page refers to it as "geomatics engineering." 7 The term, "geomatics," however, has been adopted by the International Organization for Standardization, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, and other authorities, while some countries like the United States prefer the term, "geospatial technology.." Geomatics is actually a union of geography and information technology, with the purpose of improving business and policy decision-making, 8 A report of the Federation Internationale des Geometres (FIG) Commission 7 of 1998 reflects the overriding weaknesses of the then-existing cadastral systems as having limited computerization, with inefficient linkage between land registration and cadastral mapping, with incomplete legal framework, sporting little map accuracy, with slow updating, slow customer service, and unsuitable financing model, among other things.9 Advances in computer technology, however, has enabled the rapid progress of geomatics since the 1990s.10 Due to the ease in procuring and working on spatial referenced data, changes have been rapid in geomatics with forceful impact.11 The geomatician's role of surveying in the 1980's has shifted dramatically from acquiring data to today's total information management.12 With various surveying or mapping disciplines involved in different levels of geo-information, geomatics has become a must in almost all courses all over the globe.13. Geomatics

Marketing at Walmart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing at Walmart - Essay Example Many of the items were brand names and appeared to be of quality. Nevertheless, the prices were exceptionally low. They also offered a guarantee to match any competitor's prices. This seemed like a successful way to bring shoppers into the store. The store was full of customers even though it was late in the evening. I should stress that prices were exceptionally low. Even at a large hardware or grocery store the prices would probably have been about 20 per cent higher. The store was laid out in an intuitive manner. Similar items were grouped together. Electronics were in one clearly marked area. Food was in a separate corner of the store, as were the gardening supplies. Large signs directed customers to the appropriate sections of the store where they could find the items they required. No one appeared to be lost or confused. It took a few minutes to orient oneself in a store that enormous but it was relatively simple to find items. There were multiple displays which drew the custom er's eye to the excellent deal available. Clearly the manager had chosen attractive, useful products to discount and had set them aside to advertise to customers. The sales items were obvious and fit in well with the idea of the store as a general retailer where anything was available. These sales made sense. Most of the sales approach was laid-back.

MGT WK3 GROUP ASSIGNMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MGT WK3 GROUP ASSIGNMENT - Essay Example This task is sub-divided into various duties and responsibilities pertaining to the corporation’s workforce. Stewart and Brown (2010) states that the human resource department usually plays a critical role in the organisation, which reflects on the bottom line of the organisation and it even contributes towards that achievement of the organisation strategic goals and missions. Mathis and Jackson (2010) further ads that the human resource management within an organisation can as well contribute to the competitive advantages of an organisation. In regards to the organising function of Microsoft Corporation’s human resource department it can be stated that the department organizes the workforce of the corporation by first ensuring that at all times the corporation has the right staff at the right place in all of its branches across the world. In this regard Stewart and Brown (2010), states that the department organises the recruitment and selection of best-qualified candidates who will work for the corporation in various capacities and who have the potential to help the corporation in achieving is strategic goals and objectives. Secondly, while organising the human resource of the corporation the department undertakes jobs analysis and descriptions in order to ensure that every member of the staff has a clear role in the corporation and that there is no collusion or replication of roles. Equally, during the job analysis, the department clearly outlines the requirements or qualifications that are required from employees in order to be able to perform certain duties and responsibilities as stipulated (Stewart and Brown, 2010)). According to Mathis and Jackson (2010), the human resource department is also tasked with the mandate of organising how each member of the staff will be compensated and they normally organize this

World War II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

World War II - Essay Example The main story is a fiction but it revolves around the attack on Pearl Harbor and some of the incidents shown in the movie relate to what we have learned in the course. The aspect in the movie that impressed me the most in the movie is that how the attack was a big surprise to the Americans and how it lead to America’s official entry into the World War II. Also the re-creation of the war scenes was very impressive as some of the scenes were exactly as photographed on the unfortunate day on December 7, 1941. We have learnt in our courses that at the time of the attack, Japan was still in peace talks with America. And the attack was a complete surprise. This is very well depicted in the movie. The president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, emphasizes on the Nazi Germany as the main enemy and how America needs to support Winston Churchill (Britain) and Stalin (Russia) by sending men and weapons. Japan is not treated as a threat at all and Europe is seen as the main danger. Also it is depi cted in the movie how the American strategists believe that Pearl Harbor can not be attacked due to its geographical isolation. One scene that stands out with this context is when a soldier states that he did not even know that Japan was sore against the US.

Diabetes Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Diabetes - Assignment Example Metabolism is the functionality of the body cells to convert the food and its constituents to attain energy. It helps the cells to grow and divide. The food that our body digests is converted to most simple type of sugar that is glucose. Glucose is entered into our blood stream by our digestive system. Blood transports the glucose to the cells. Insulin is the hormone that helps the glucose to enter the cells. Without insulin our cells are unable to absorb the glucose. Pancreas produces insulin and maintains the level of insulin in the blood. The hormonal system distinguishes how much insulin should be produced to absorb the glucose. It also stabilizes the amount of glucose that is present in the body by producing different amount of insulin according to the diet we intake. Diabetes is a condition in which either body is unable to produce set level of insulin or produce no insulin or the cells of the body do not respond to wards the insulin. The condition may also occur if the pancreas fails due to imbalance hormonal system or any other condition. Without the insulin, the body is unable to convert the glucose into energy. The blood has increased level of glucose. Some glucose is expelled out of the body through urine. The cells are unable to gain the glucose. Besides polyphagia (frequent urination), polydipsia (increased thrust) and polyuria (increased hunger) are the common symptoms of the diabetes, diabetes may cause immense damage to other systems of the body. Following complication may occur as the result of untreated diabetes. Eye complications (eyesight got affected due to diabetes),  Foot complications (foot muscles are unable to heal and foot wounds are unable to heal and take more time to heal),  Skin complications (skin lacks the sensitivity),  Heart problems,  Hypertension (lack of energy and glucose to the cells may bring the condition of hypertension), Mental health (The

World War II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

World War II - Essay Example The main story is a fiction but it revolves around the attack on Pearl Harbor and some of the incidents shown in the movie relate to what we have learned in the course. The aspect in the movie that impressed me the most in the movie is that how the attack was a big surprise to the Americans and how it lead to America’s official entry into the World War II. Also the re-creation of the war scenes was very impressive as some of the scenes were exactly as photographed on the unfortunate day on December 7, 1941. We have learnt in our courses that at the time of the attack, Japan was still in peace talks with America. And the attack was a complete surprise. This is very well depicted in the movie. The president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, emphasizes on the Nazi Germany as the main enemy and how America needs to support Winston Churchill (Britain) and Stalin (Russia) by sending men and weapons. Japan is not treated as a threat at all and Europe is seen as the main danger. Also it is depi cted in the movie how the American strategists believe that Pearl Harbor can not be attacked due to its geographical isolation. One scene that stands out with this context is when a soldier states that he did not even know that Japan was sore against the US.

American Government Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

American Government - Coursework Example The problem becomes the Federal Law of racial profiling. It is illegal to racial profile. The illegal immigrants that Arizona are targeting come from south of the border. The illegal immigrants are Hispanic looking. In order for the police to do their jobs they would have to racial profile under the state law, or ignoring the state law. The Federal law should rule on this subject. Since the Civil War Federal law has overrode state law. If we do not have a unified code of law than each state might as well be a country by itself. Secondly, racial profiling is wrong. If Arizona profiles Hispanics, the south would be able to profile blacks. Finally Federal law should prevail because every state, including Arizona, had representation when the Civil Rights Movement and racial profiling laws were passed. Majority rules in the United States. Federal law should rule over state law due to history and representation. Since the Civil War, Federal law has superseded state law. Every state sends representation to Congress, thus laws created are made by all states. In order to have a whole country, states must work together. Federal law should take precedent over state law in this case. If states want to have singular law, succession is another

Charles Dickens Essay Example for Free

Charles Dickens Essay One lesson we witness in A Kestrel for a Knave also aims to teach the pupils about facts. However this lesson is taught by Farthing who is caring and a more fatherly teacher and this is communicated by his name. Mr Farthing has used his kind personality to gain some respect from the boys in the class. Although the lesson has the same content as the lesson in Hard Times during the lesson it becomes obvious that Farthings teaching is different. He manages to involve Billy, who is normally quite shy and lacking motivation, positively in the lesson. Farthing teaches in a more relaxed way and lets the lesson flow as well as welcoming input from the boys. He encourages Billy to participate and makes him feel special as he has something interesting to share. Farthing lets Billys thought tumble out and does not cut him short. Billy tells all about his bird, which he has raised and trained, and Farthing seems genuinely interested Jesses, how do you spell that? He writes words on the board, allowing the whole class to learn about Billys unusual talent. Billy becomes the teacher for a while and as Farthing is not controlling like Gradgrind he allows this to happen. The lesson becomes full of individuality as Billy shares his unusual hobby and his confidence grows. This would never have happened in a lesson taught by Gradgrind, he would never encourage a pupil to take over his position and would think a pastime like Billys ridiculous. The way in which Farthing nurtures Billys thoughts reflect the way in which Billy has nurtured Kes. The time and devotion that Billy has shown the bird is matched, although on a smaller level, by the way Farthing waits for Billy to talk and persist to question him gently as if he knows Billy has a lot to share. Another contrast between the two schools is the way in which Billy and his classmates behaviour changes depending on the teacher, whereas Gradgrinds pupils are always the same. The different methods of teaching present at Billys school become obvious when the PE teacher Sugden is introduced. Sugden is a bully and again Hines has highlighted the teachers personality with his name, as Sugden is a thug. Billy dislikes PE and does not have a PE kit, as his family cannot afford to buy him one. He arrives late to the lesson as he has been talking to Farthing. Instead of discreetly giving him a kit to wear Sugden mocks Billy in front of the other boys. The way in which Billy is treated provokes him to answer back and be cheeky. Sugdens verbal bullying brings out the negative aspects of Billys personality. Not only does Sugden verbally bully his pupils but as a big man he does not hesitate to physically abuse them too. He hit Billy twice with the ball, holding it between both hands as though he was murdering him with a boulder. The whole lesson is a bullying game for Sugden. There is an absence of skills taught and so the lesson consists of a game of football in which Sugden is the captain of one of the teams as well as being the referee. He bullies the opposing team as well as his own teammates if they make mistakes. His attitude is immature and shows no sportsmanship or fairness, two lessons which should always be reinforced in PE lessons. His negative attitude has a clear affect on the boys, who leave the lesson cold and uninspired. The education system presented by Charles Dickens is extreme and unnecessarily harsh. However the title Hard Times makes it seem like Dickens is writing honestly about a time which lead to harsh methods of education. He highlights the naivety of the people as now teaching methods have improved and young people are encouraged to be themselves and achieve the best that they can. Satire is used by Dickens to emphasize the mistakes of the system. Charles Dickens could of attended a school like the one in Hard Times and so I think he aims to make the problems obvious to people who otherwise might not notice the wrongs in society. Barry Hines also writes the truth about the education system in his era and I think he also aims to highlight the incorrectness of the organization. However Barry Hines writes more realistically as the book is more recent and therefore easier to relate to. Both authors present systems, which now seem very wrong but at the time they were thought of as acceptable. Both books probably contain memories of the authors school days and particularly in A Kestrel for a Knave the scenes seem very believable. I could conclude that neither system would be justifiable now but in their time the schools seemed fair.

Understanding The Russian Sphere Of Influence Politics Essay

Understanding The Russian Sphere Of Influence Politics Essay The aim of this chapter is to bring out the elements behind Russias quest to maintain a sphere of influence around itself. In doing this, one should not just look at present Russian politics and recent attempts by Russia to restore its former sphere of influence. One has to look briefly into the history of Russia from the time of the Tsars and during the Communist regime. The Tsars had always desired to create a sphere of influence which would act as a belt of protection for Russia. One has to look at Russias geography to understand this key element in Russian foreign policymaking throughout the centuries. In 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed and Russia lost various regions which were the ex-Soviet Republics. Since then, Russia has retreated progressively. NATO expanded eastward in Europe since 1994 causing Russia to be suspicious and resentful. After the September 11 attacks, the USA established military bases in Central Asian countries to support its military operations against the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and initially Russian President Vladimir Putin gave his support, though he would resent long-term American military presence in what Russia perceives its sphere of influence. In the Far East, Russia faces a rapidly rising China as a potential superpower. So, it is understandable that Russian foreign policymakers have to counterbalance all these factors. Russia is not just a European power but also an Asian power. All these factors contribute to the multivector characteristic in Russian foreign policymaking. One must not forget that Russia also has its economic interests i n the Central Asian region and not just military and political interests. The setting-up of the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) and the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) show how Russia is trying to adapt to its loss of empire. One must not forget that the collapse of the Soviet Union took place twenty years ago and that Russia is still going through what is called its imperial syndrome. This chapter has the aim of demonstrating the change and continuity in Russian foreign policy through its history to the present day. 2.1 The Tsarist roots When Russia began to expand as an empire, the Tsars always had the intention to use to newly conquered lands as belts of protection around Russia. This can be traced back to the time of Ivan III, also known as Ivan the Great. He started by what historian call the collecting of the Russian lands which was followed by wars with Poland in the West (Donaldson and Nogee, pg 18). Ivan IV, known as Ivan the Terrible, conquered lands from the Tatars and Russia reached the Caspian Sea (Donaldson and Nogee, pg 19). In 1613, Mikhail Romanov was elected Tsar, hence starting the 304-year Romanov dynasty. Under his reign and his sons reign, Russia fought eight wars with Poland and it retook Kiev, which had the capital city of the first Russian state, the Kievan Rus (Donaldson and Nogee, pg 19). So, in this time frame, one can see Muscovy expanding its territory and sphere of influence. The ascension of Peter I, known as Peter the Great and his subsequent reign (1689-1725) had a lasting effect on Russian foreign policy. He is known for his secularization and modernization of the Russian Empire along European lines (Hosking, pg 76). He too focused on expanding Russian territory and had one of his first successes when he captured the fort of Azov from the Turks, thus giving Russia access to the Black Sea (Hosking, pg 76). He then proceeded to war with Sweden and the victories he attained there such as the capture of the river Neva in 1703, Narva and Dorpat in 1704, gave Russia access to the Baltic (Freeze, pg 114). The Treaty of Nystad with Sweden in 1721 crowned Russias achievements in the Baltic and Sweden lost its place as a European great power to Russia (Donaldson and Nogee, pg 20). With these conquests, Peter the Great brought Russia closer to Europe as he had always desired and Russian foreign policy took a new dimension from then on. In 1689, there was the Nerchinsk Treaty between the Russian Empire and China where the two powers agreed to divide their spheres of influence which led to China keeping Mongolia under its dominion and Russia keeping land north of the Amur river (Donaldson and Nogee, pg 20). After the death of Peter the Great, there was the Kyakhta where Russia and China agreed to set up formal diplomatic relations and paved the way for trade between the two powers (Donaldson and Nogee, pg 20). Under Catherine the Great, Russia continued to expand its territory and this is seen in the partitions of Poland which brought Belarus (White Russia), Lithuania and Western Ukraine under the Russian realm (Donaldson and Nogee, pg 20). Russias military forays southwards resulted in two wars with Turkey and these culminated in the treaties of Kutchuk Kainardji (1774) and the Treaty of Jassy (1792) which gave Russia control of the north Black sea coastline from Azov to Odessa (Donaldson and Nogee, pg 20). After the victory against Napoleon in 1815 and the Congress, Russias Tsar Alexander I was able to demonstrate Russian power to Europe (Donaldson and Nogee, pg 21) and Russia added Finland and lands in the south and Central Asia to its dominion. Nicholas Is reign (1825-1855) saw Russia turning its attention on the Ottoman Empire which was referred to as the sick man of Europe and this is seen in the Russian ambition to take Constantinople and get naval access to the Mediterranean Sea and the base at Sevastopol (Donaldson and Nogee, pg 21). However, one can see the role of ideology behind Russias expansionism such using the protection of Orthodox Christians in the Ottoman Empire to justify its wars with Turkey, which one of them resulted in the independence of Greece (Donaldson and Nogee, pg 21). In the second half of the 19th century, Russia began looking eastwards again and started to violate the Treaty of Nerchinsk by penetrating deeper into Chinas territory. In 1860, Vladivostok was founded and in 1860, the two powers signed the Treaty of Peking where Russias new gains in the Amur region (legalized since 1858) were consolidated and China and Russia agreed on the new border along the Ussuri river (Donaldson and Nogee, pg 24). In Central Asia, Russia took Tashkent in Uzbekistan in 1865 and Merv in Turkmenistan in 1884 (Donaldson and Nogee, pg 24). To reassure Britain that it was not going to pursue its conquests south to India, Russia signed an agreement with Britain that it was going to limit itself to northern borders of Afghanistan (Donaldson and Nogee, pg 24). One must not exclude the ideology of Pan-Slavism from Russian foreign policymaking during the time of the Tsars which had considered Moscow as the Third Rome and the Tsar as the protector of all Orthodox Christians (Donaldson and Nogee, pg 25). This led to tensions with the Ottoman Empire resulting in a war in 1878. In the early twentieth century, Russia had tension with Japan over territories in the Far East and this culminated in a Russo-Japanese war in 1904-1905, which to Russias humiliation, Japan won (Donaldson and Nogee, pg 27). So, Russias ambitions in the Far East were limited to the northern part of Manchuria, the northern half of Sakhalin island and had to accept Koreas incorporation in the Japanese sphere of influence (Donaldson and Nogee, pg 27). What was the motivation behind the Tsars aim of expanding their realm? Robert H. Donaldson and Joseph L. Nogee give a variety of reasons. The geography of Eurasia may be one of the explanations for Tsarist Russia to acquire all those land to create a protective barrier around itself. Russia also wanted ice-free harbours which led to its ambitions to take harbours in the Black Sea and the Baltic as well as Pusan in modern South Korea culminating in the war with Japan in 1904-1905 (Donaldson and Nogee, pg 29). The autocratic ideology of the Tsarist system is also listed as a reason. The Tsars expressed their autocratic character by pushing for conquering of new lands and military expeditions (Donaldson and Nogee, pg 30). Even Henry Kissinger, in his book, Diplomacy, agrees with the view that Tsarist autocracy led Russia to behave in that way in the international relations of the time (Kissinger, pg 140) 2.2 Continuity under the USSR The continuity with the Tsars thinking was most clear under Joseph Stalins rule. In August 1939, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany signed an agreement known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact where they agreed to share Eastern Europe between their spheres of influence. Through the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, Russia regained those lands such as Eastern Poland, the Baltic states, Bessarabia and northern Bukovina (Kenez, pg 135). The motivation to expand Russias territory could not be clearer. In October1944, there was the Percentage Agreement between British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin to divide spheres of influences of their states in Eastern Europe (Dunbabin, pg 87). The element of continuity with the Tsars thinking of expansionism is clear. After the Second World War, the USSR did not make it a secret that it wanted to keep Eastern Europe under its orbit as well as export its Communist ideology throughout the world. The USSR was using the banner of Communism and proletarian internationalism to spread its influence around the globe. The West responded by the enactment of the Truman Doctrine which had the intention of containment (Best, Hanhimaki, Maiolo, Schulze, pg 220). In June 1947, the European Recovery Program, better known as the Marshall Plan was launched in order to help Europe recover and stem the tide of Communism (Best, Hanhimaki, Maiolo, Schulze, pg 222). This was part of the containment policy. On the 4th of April 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) was set up to challenge Soviet hegemony (Best, Hanhimaki, Maiolo, Schulze, pg 223-224). The Soviet response was to create the Council of Mutual Economic Assistance, COMECON in 1949 to create sociaist planned economies in Eastern Europe (Best, Hanh imaki, Maiolo, Schulze, pg 219). In 1948, the USSR expelled Yugoslavia of Jozip Broz Tito because Tito did not want to have Stalin dictating to him how to govern the country (Best, Hanhimaki, Maiolo, Schulze, pg 219). In May 1955, the USSR set up the Warsaw Pact as a response to NATO as Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev said we wanted to make an impression on the West (Dunbabin, pg 221). In 1956, Hungary under Imre Nagy rebelled because it did not want to remain under Soviet domination and left the Warsaw and the Soviets response was to send tanks to crush the uprising (McCauley, pg 340). In 1968, Czechoslavakia, under the leadership of Alexander Dubcek, attempted to create socialism with a human face, unlike the rigid Soviet communism which is known as the Prague Spring. Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev was alarmed by this since he feared it could spread and create a domino effect and the USSR would lose its sphere of influence in East-Central Europe. The USSR tried to exert pressure on Dubcek (Dunbabin, pg 568) but when it saw that it was not enough, it launched a military invasion on 20th August 1968 to crush the Prague Spring and remove Dubcek from power (Dunbabin, pg 569). This showed that the Sov iet Union feared that different interpretations of Marxism among its satellites would lead to collapse of Communism and lose its strategic sphere of influence. Due to the upheavals that took place, the Brezhnev leadership came up with the Brezhnev Doctrine which claimed that it was the sole right of the USSR and the Warsaw Pact to take action against socialist countries which deviated from Soviet Communism (Best, Hanhimaki, Maiolo, Schulze, pg 274). The message the USSR sent to the rest of the world was that it will not tolerate any changes to the political-economic system it had created in East Europe, its sphere of influence. This was because it felt highly threatened by those changes. The West gave its response in the Helsinki Final Act in 1975 where it accepted the Soviet sphere of influence in Eastern Europe but the USSR agreed to accept the human rights basket, which would have serious consequences for the USSR in the 1980s (Dunbabin, pg 571). 2.3 Post-Communist Russia and Sphere of Influence Thinking in Current Russian Foreign Policy At the collapse of the Soviet Union, many former Soviet Republics which were also part of the Tsarist Empire became independent. Russia had lost those lands which had provided a belt of protection for Russia for centuries. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991and up to the late 1990s, the newly constituted Russia began to use the term near abroad for its former Soviet republics (Donaldson and Nogee, pg 163). In this part, the setting up of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC), Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) and Russias participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and their usefulness to Russia in maintaining its sphere of influence will be analyzed. This part aims to put under focus Russias aims and aspirations behind the setup of these organisations. The interests Russia has in keeping Central Asian states, Ukraine, Belarus and other ex-Soviet states will be analyzed. Russia has and still claims that it uses multilateralism to achieve its aims of maintaining its sphere of influence and checking other powers such as China in the East. To analyze this in more detail, the focus will be on Russias behavior both in the institutions it is part of and leads and its behavior towards the smaller ex-Soviet republics. Russias activities in the CSTO and SCO will also be analyzed as well as its successes and failures in preserving its sphere of influence. 2.3.1 What are Russias interests and motivations, and how does it view itself and the countries surrounding it? The best way to start the subject is to look into Russias interests. Historically, the ex-Soviet republics were part of the USSR and before the October Revolution of 1917. It is not restricted to this reason though. Russia has economic interests as well as competing new powers for influence. This is most felt in the Central Asian region. For Russian political analyst Dmitri Trenin, this is sphere of interest rather than sphere of influence, as he points out in his article in The Washington Quarterly. Trenin outlines three types of interests that Russia has the ex-Soviet states. The first includes the military and security reasons, secondly, Russias economic interests and thirdly, the cultural aspect. Regarding Russias security and military interests, Trenin mentions the CSTO as a way for Russia to maintain its influence and dominance in most of the ex-Soviet republics and also to combat Islamic extremist movements (The Washington Quarterly, October 2009). Trenin goes on to refer to t he fact Russia would like the CSTO to on the same level with NATO and that this would create the new European security architecture thus leading to the legitimization of the primacy of Russia in its former Imperial and Soviet subjects (The Washington Quarterly, October 2009). Trenin maintains that Russias intention is halt US and NATO encroachment in its perceived zone of responsibility and he refers to the August 2008 war with Georgia. By taking a heavy-handed attitude towards Georgia, Trenin suggests, Russia was sending a clear message to NATO that it would accept anymore intrusion in the ex-Soviet space (The Washington Quarterly, October 2009). So, the real reason behind the war was Mikhail Saakashvilis explicit intention to get NATO membership for Georgia. Russia also thinks that the USA is using democracy encouragement in order to draw the ex-Soviet states away from Russias influence (The Washington Quarterly, October 2009). The second reason, the economic interests of Russia, also cannot be ignored. Russia has millions of foreign workers who come from the CIS member states, a factor which gives Russia an upper hand in dealing with its neighbours (The Washington Quarterly, October 2009). Another important economic factor is energy. The ex-Soviet states around the Caspian Sea are rich in energy resources and Russian energy companies such as Gazprom, the Russian state-owned gas corporation, would like to be the ones that have control over these resources especially oil and natural gas (The Washington Quarterly, October 2009). Russia has also worked towards economic integration in Eurasia and this is seen in the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) and Russia has made no secret of its wish to have a customs union with Kazakhstan and Belarus (The Washington Quarterly, October 2009). So Russia also uses economic means to preserve its influence and its interests. In the aftermath of the 2008 economic crisis, Russia has forked out billions in funds to help the economies of the former Soviet Republics to recover (The Washington Quarterly). Thirdly, there is the cultural aspect. Dmitri Trenin makes a reference towards the presence of millions of Russian inhabitants in post-Soviet countries and how the Kremlin tries to use the case of Russian minorities for its political advantage. This has been listed as one of the objectives of Russian foreign policy in the Russian Foreign Policy Concept of 2008 signed by President Dmitri Medvedev (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, 12th July 2008). This objective of Russia protecting ethnic Russians in the neighboring countries has also one been one of the first objectives of Vladimir Putin since he first came to power as Russian President in 2000, as outlined by Ingmar Oldberg in his article for the Swedish Institute of International Affairs (The Swedish Institute of International Affairs, 2010). Russia has been taking advantage of its cultural predominance to use the Russian minoriti es in the neighboring countries to preserve its influence and has used many methods to try to achieve its objective such as the media, issuing of passports and backing pro-Russian political parties in these states (The Swedish Institute of International Affairs, 2010). One has to appreciate the fact that Russian culture, especially the language is a very strong factor. 2.3.2 Organisations which Russia uses as part of its objective of preserving its sphere of influence In this section, the focus is on organisations such as the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). The aim of this part of the chapter is to give a short history of each of these organisations and more importantly, Russias role in them and what Russia hopes to achieve by being active in these organisations. Is Russia using these organisations as a new way to portray itself as upholding the principles of multilateralism while at the same times keeping the post-Soviet republics under its influence? Does Russia behave as an equal partner or is it the dominant member due to its military strength? The best way to answer these questions is to analyse these organisations and Russias role in them. 2.3.2.1 Commonwealth of Independent States The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was born out of the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union. After the Soviet Union collapsed, 15 newly independent states emerged. Russia wanted to use the CIS in order for it to be able to maintain its influence in the newly independent states (Nogee and Donaldson, pg 165). It wanted to create The Baltic states kept away from joining and Georgia left the organisation after its August 2008 war with Russia. Ukraine, which in the early 1990s was under the leadership of Leonid Kravchuk did not want much integration in the CIS in order to preserve Ukraines independence (Donaldson and Nogee, pg 166). As a sign of continuity with the Tsarist and Soviet foreign policy thinking, Russia placed huge importance to the CIS as way of protecting itself with friendly countries, and this was mentioned in the 1993 Russian Foreign Policy Concept (Wilson Rowe and Torjesen, pg 154). With the establishment of the CIS, Russia was aiming for a common econ omic space, a common market, co-ordinated customs policies, cooperation in the environmental protection, developing communication and transport systems and combating organized crime (Wilson Rowe and Torjesen, pg 154). Much of these ambitions aims were not achieved and in 2005, President Vladimir Putin himself complained that the CIS did not achieve what Russia envisioned a decade earlier (Wilson Rowe and Torjesen, pg 154). Stina Torjesen, in a contribution to the book The Multilateral Dimension of Russian Foreign Policy, lists some reasons why Russia did not achieve as much as it hoped for in the 1990s regarding the CIS and CIS integration. Torjesen mentions reasons such as that coordination was not executed well, that when it came to implementing policies, Russia was either slow or didnt implement them at all, causing the other partners to be irritated, Russia in the 1990s was going through economic hardship which led to difficulty in implementing proposals and that Russias behavio r was still zero-sum instead of being a multilateral partner (Wilson Rowe and Torjesen, pg 155). Russia still sought to be the dominating party and sought primacy over other partners. So Russia deserves part of the blame for the failure to achieve the earlier objectives behind the creation of the CIS. Lilia Shevtsova, in her book Lonely Power, believes that Russia does not treat its neighbours as equals and cares about its primacy (Shevtsova, pg 90). Shevtsova makes a reference to a speech by President Dmitry Medvedev at the Council of Foreign Relations where the Russian President stated that Russia had a sphere of privileged interests (Shevtsova, pg 89). There were attempts by some post-Soviet republics to try to lessen their dependence on Russia and this is seen in organisations they set up such as GU(U)AM (Mankoff, pg 247). This consisted of Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan (which left the organisation), Azerbaijan and Moldova. GUAM as organisation was first set up in October 1997 (Tsygankov, pg 126). Uzbekistan left the organisation in May 2005 (Wilson Rowe and Torjesen, pg 173). After the summit in Kiev on 23rd May 2006, GUAM had a new name: Organisation for Democracy and Economic Development GUAM (Organisation for Democracy and Economic Development GUAM). The August 2008 war with Georgia also spoke volumes about Russias efforts to preserve its sphere of influence. Moreover in May 2009, Russia sent in extra 1,800 troops into Abkhazia and South Ossetia which inflamed suspicions in the West that Russia was up to its tricks again, that pursuing its domination of its neighbours as well as punishing Georgia for the pro-Western path it had taken (The Jamestown Foundation, 6th May 2009). After all, President Medvedev had made no secret of Russia wanting to be responsible for what he described as Russias privileged sphere of influence (The New York Times, 31st August 2008). US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and US President Barack Obama did not agree with Dmitry Medvedevs position (OpenDemocracy, 20th April 2009). Russias cutting of the gas supply due to a crisis with Ukraine was interpreted as Russia using its energy resources to punish those countries which took positions against Russia such as Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, claims which Russia denied and Russia counter-attacked by claiming it was a quarrel over payments (Valdai Club, 13th January 2009). Lately, Russia has had problems over gas with Belaruss President Alexander Lukashenko but analysts claim that Russia uses its position of energy supplier to bend its neighbours to its will. This was the case with Belarus in June 2010 since Russia had been very irritated with Lukashenkos lack of recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states and retaliated by banning milk from Belarus (The Economist, 24th June 2010). 2.3.2.2 Collective Security Treaty Organisation The Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) is the military organisation Russia uses in order to maintain its influence in the post-Soviet states. One has to remember that out of all the former Soviet states, Russia is the most militarily and economically powerful and these factors do give it primacy in the CSTO. From the beginning, Russia intended that the CSTO will be used to create protection and security for Russia by having an organisation which included the former Soviet states (Wilson Rowe and Torjesen, pg 182). Before the CSTO was established in 2002, there was an agreement, the Collective Security Treaty (CST), signed in May 1992 at Tashkent by Russia, Armenia and the former Central Asian Soviet republics but Turkmenistan remained out (Wilson Rowe and Torjesen, pg 183). After the fall of the USSR, Russia and the former Soviet states began discussing how to have a single military space under the CIS (Wilson Rowe and Torjesen, pg 183). So the CST, and later the CSTO, was to work under the CIS. The objective of a creating one military structure was not achieved because each state chose to have its national army but the CST helped to bring the new states armies to cooperate when a threat emerged (Wilson Rowe and Torjesen, pg 183). Throughout the 1990s, there were discussions on what type of military organisation the CST members national armies were going to set up (Wilson Rowe and Torjesen, pg 183). The discussions were between whether there should be a decision-making structure similar to the one of NATO, which the majority of CST members wanted, or having a hierarchical structure, as Russia and Uzbekistan wanted (Wilson Rowe and Torjesen, pg 183-184). In the end a mixture of both was chosen. One can remark that the fact that Russia wanted a hierarchical structure tells much about what its role in the CST was going to be. It sought to be the leader and not an equal with the other partners. By the mid-1990s, the CST had been successful in dealing with many challenges and Russia, through its military advantage, played a central role in helping Central Asian states to safeguard their borders and training their armies (Wilson Rowe and Torjesen, pg 184). But there was still no proper organisation of a supranational nature and this was seen in the civil war in Tajikistan in 1992, when the CST members did not work together and Russia and Uzbekistan helped the Tajik government (Wilson Rowe and Torjesen, pg 184). In 1993, peacekeeping troops from CST and CIS states Russia, Kazak hstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan did come to Tajikistan aid, but Russia was the dominant partner and its actions, such as supporting militarily the Tajik government of the day, were not multilateral (Wilson Rowe and Torjesen, pg 185). In this incident, one can see Russia acting as the dominant partner and this is something which the other states took note of. So Russia had some part of the blame for the failure to develop a fully-fledged multilateral military organisation. Its actions contradicted its objective of collective action. The maintenance of its sphere of influence was what mattered most. However, in the late 1990s, there was military cooperation between the CST members which was led by Russia such as military exercises in 1999 and 2000 (Wilson Rowe and Torjesen, pg 185). In October 2000, the CST members proceeded to cooperate on the issue of terrorism and this culminated in an agreement in Bishkek between Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to create an anti-terrorist center where they could share intelligence on terrorists (Wilson Rowe and Torjesen, pg 185). On May 25th 2001, cooperation increased and this led to the creation of the Rapid Deployment Forces to deal with security in the region (Eurasianet, 25th May 2001). This increase in cooperation led to the creation of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) in May 2002 with Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus and Armenia being the members (Wilson Rowe and Torjesen, pg 185). In October 2002, the Charter of the CSTO was signed and it came into effect from the 18th September 2003 (CSTO Official Website). In 2003, Russia began to improve on the already existing facilities at the airbase at Kant in Kyrgyzstan, and in 2006 added more personnel at the base (Mankoff, pg 268). After the 2005 Tulip revolution, the USA had to pay $200,000,000 yearly to keep its airbase at Manas while Russia did not have pay any rent, though it did provide military hardware to Kyrgyzstan (Mankoff, pg 268). In August 2008, after the war with Georgia, Russia asked the CSTO members to recognize South Ossetia (The Times, 30th August 2008) after China and four Central Asian countries had refused to recognize South Ossetia. This is another proof of how Russia wants to use the CSTO to be on par with NATO and trying to stop NATO from encroaching in its neighbourhood. In 2009, the Kyrgyz government announced to the USA that it was going to close down Manas airbase and this was soon after Russia promised more than $2 billion in aid to Kyrgyzstan on condition that the Kyrgyz government tells the US to leave the Manas Airbase (San Francisco Chronicle, 22nd February 2009). The Russia aim to keep Kyrgyzstan under its sphere of influence could not be clearer. On February 4th 2009, at a CSTO summit in Moscow, Russia and the other member states set up the Collective Rapid Reaction Force (CRRF) and it must be pointed out that Russia was once again the dominant player because it had the greater military power and it provided all the weapons, as Aleksei Malashenko from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (Moscow) argued (Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty, 4th February 2009). This shows again how Russia uses the CSTO for its central objective of maintaining its sphere of influence. It claims that the CSTO is there to fight terrorism but Russia uses the war on terrorism to make the CSTO one of its foreign policy tools. In fact, one can see this when in the same summit, Uzbekistan demanded special concessions for itself as a condition to join the CSTO (RIA Novosti, 4th February 2009). In May 2010, Belarus decided to contribute over 2,000 personnel to the CRRF after its ratification of the Moscow agreement (RIA Novosti, 26th May 2010). Si nce then, the CRRF members have practiced military exercises in October 2010 (RIA Novosti, 22nd October 2010). However, there were some disappointments and the latest one has been during the political upheaval in Kyrgyzstan when President Kurmanbek Bakiyev was overthrown. Russia did not send peacekeeping troops as Medvedev said that Russia and the CSTO would not participate in Kyrgyzstans domestic unrest (Global Post, 15th June 2010). Russia caused disappointment by its behavior because it showed a lack of consistency and did not act with its CSTO partners to send a peacekeeping mission to Kyrgyzstan. This shows that Russia uses organisations such as the CSTO to give an image that it is working multilaterally with its partners, but in reality it does the opposite. 2.3.2.3 Using economic means to protect interests and maintain sphere of influence The Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) Russia does not only create military organisations to preserve its sphere of influence, but it also uses economic means. Since the collapse of the USSR, Russia has tried hard to create customs union and foster economic integration in the CIS and recently it seems to have had some successes. Russia wants to follow the example of European integration and apply it to the CIS. The Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) is Russias tool to achieve this objective. Some of the objectives behind creating the CIS were to create a common economic space and a common market and deepening cooperat

The Cycles of International Conflict Essay -- International Conflict

Wars have been waged for decades creating the world we live in today. Charles Tilly observed, â€Å"the state made war and war made the state† (qtd in Sernau, 2009, 147). However, these battles have been destructive and bloody resulting in the deaths of countless individuals. These grave consequences lead us to ask the ever problematic question, what could possibly motivate a state to engage in warfare? Fundamentally, some believe war is linked to a conflict of political and economic interests rooted in power struggles ranging from territorial and humanitarian to ideological and ethnic while others argue that war has become ingrained in our societies and economies resulting in this tenacious cycle of confrontation. Territories are the bases of states. Accordingly, Joshua Goldstein and Jon Pevehouse explain that â€Å"Most of today’s borders are the result of past wars (in which winners took territory from losers) or were imposed arbitrarily by colonizers† (Goldstein and Pevehouse, 2009, 25). Territory is precious to states and is rarely yielded voluntarily for any incentive and lost territory is not quickly forgotten (Goldstein and Pevehouse, 2009, 133). For example, disputes were the consequences of the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after World War I and the Middle Eastern region being colonized by England and France through the Sykes Picot agreement (Singh, 2003). Eventually these colonies gained their freedom but several territory disputes arose the most prominent being the Israeli-Palestinian conflict linked to the Oslo Accords (Singh, 2003). The concept of irredentism which is â€Å"The goal of regaining territory lost to another state† (Goldstein and Pevehouse, 200 9, 133) is a problematic result of this dispute with Palestinians belie... ...tions." Bint Jbeil. 1993. Web. 9 Apr. 2012. . Kent, John. "Cold War and the Periphery." History in Focus. Institute of Historical Research, 2006. Web. 9 Apr. 2012. . Nikitin, Alexander. "Political and Economic Causes of War." Proc. of 50th Pugwash Conference On Science and World Affairs: Eliminating the Causes of War, Queen's College, Cambridge. 2000. Print. Sanchez, Peter. Class Lecture. International Politics. Loyola University, Chicago, IL. 26 Mar 2012. Sernau, Scott. Global Problems: The Search for Equity, Peace, and Sustainability. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon, 2009. Print. Singh, K. G. "Treating the Symptoms Instead of the Cause." Asia Times Online. 31 July 2003. Web. 5 Apr. 2012. .

Factors Affecting Food Selection Essay

1. Introduction The purpose of this report is to analyse the 4 main types factors that affect the food selection of adolescents and how each of these factors affect their diets. As a result of examining various internet websites and books about this topic, this report describes the 4 types of factors that affect food selection and the factors that influence the food selection of teenagers the most. Consuming food is vital for adolescents since they aren’t fully developed yet, and what they eat is influenced by various factors. The main types of factors are psychological, physiological, social, and economic factors, and each of them influence what choices people make when it comes to food. Over the past 20 years, teenagers have adopted the habit of consuming a lot of junk food, due to the influence of many economic, psychological, physiological and social factors. As time goes on, the factors that affect the food choices of adolescents may change. Overview of social factors Social factors that affect food selection refer to the cultures and societies that adolescents live in, along with how the interaction with other people greatly influence the food choices that they make. One of the reasons why social factors has a significant influence on adolescents is because their attitudes and habits relating to food usually develop through the interaction with their peers, friends and families. Social factors that have a great impact on the food selection of adolescents are the media, and their peers. Read more:Â  Factors that influence child development essay 2.1 Peer Influences A peer is a person that has the same social status, and is around the same age as another person. The influence of peers is the greatest in adolescence. the reason for this is because like fashion, trends come and go in the food industry. For adolescents, being ‘cool’ and being accepted among their peers is vital, so they usually follow the food trends that the majority of the group follow for that sake. Although, this causes them to disregard their parent’s influence on what they should and should not eat. In today’s society, teenagers are influenced by their peers to eat at popular fast food outlets such as Mcdonalds, since it’s a popular food trend among them. This affects them in a negative way since the food that is sold at these outlets can have poor nutritional values. This causes an increase in diet related diseases in teenagers such as type 2 diabetes, and according to the Department of Health and Aging, type 2 diabetes i s becoming more common in younger age groups. 2.2 Media In affluent societies, the media plays a significant role in food selection for adolescents. This is because they are exposed to the thousands of food advertisements on a daily basis. There are advertisements nearly everywhere they go, such as on television, the internet, school buses, radios, and magazines, so adolescents will be tempted to eat the product that is being advertised. The negative effect of these advertisements is that they are advertising food that is high in sugar, salt, and fat so they aren’t ideal for meeting their nutritional requirements. The media is one of the many factors responsible for the unhealthy lifestyles in teenagers and according to the Department of Health and Aging, 25% of children and adolescents were either overweight or obese in 2007-08, and to this day, this percentage has increased. 2.3 Education Education about food and nutrients is essential for adolescents, since it helps them to become more knowledgeable and educated about their options when it comes to food selection and the nutritional requirements of their age group. Also, teenagers that are informed about this will most likely make better and wiser food choices than those who don’t, although this all depends on whether the person is able to apply the knowledge into their everyday lives. Furthermore, adolescents that have the knowledge and skills to prepare their own food are also more likely to make better and wiser food choices. The reason for this is because making a meal from scratch can prevent buying prepared meals from fast food outlets, and home-cooked meals have a higher nutritional value than preprepared meals. Overview of psychological factors Psychological factors are linked with an individual’s emotions, and their thoughts. The psychological factors that affect a person’s food selection vary from individual to individual, since they are based on their lifestyle and childhood. They are also hard to describe and some factors even have a continuous influence on an individual (E.g. Beliefs, values.) while others can change each day. (E.g. Attitudes, self esteem). Psychological factors that are significant in the food selection of adolescents are beliefs, experiences and self-concept. 3.1 Self concept Self concept is how individuals feel about themselves (Also known as self esteem) and the way the see their body image. Self concept can change over time, or even a few times a day. E.g. A compliment can boost your self esteem. Over the past few years, people as young as 11 have started to become dissatisfied with their body image, especially females. The reason for this is because the media has presented teenagers with the beautiful, and talented people who have the ‘ideal’ body type, which has caused a decrease in self esteem, and the dissatisfaction with their body image. As a result of this, many teenagers have tried to get the ‘ideal’ body image by dieting, and the Department of Education and Child Development stated that ‘68% of 15 year old females are on a diet, of these, 8% are severely dieting’. Self concept is a reason why people diet, and it has a huge impact on food selection since it can influence teenagers to eat f ood that have a high nutritional values. Despite this, it can also lead to them eating next to nothing, which can potentially lead to life threatening eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa. 3.2 Beliefs A belief is an opinion that isn’t based on scientific proof, and they are often based on religion and cultural heritage. Many religious communities have placed restrictions on what their people can eat. (E.g. Hindu’s cannot eat beef because cows are sacred in their religion.) The reason why there are restrictions is because in the past, people believed that it would protect others from diseases, and poor hygiene. Beliefs are very significant, since they can influence eating habits. The reason for this is because adolescents usually follow the food beliefs of their own parents, so the food that they choose to eat would depend on that. For example, a teenager will most likely be a vegetarian if their parents are vegetarian. 3.3 Emotions Even though it may not seem like it, emotions play an important role in food selection, especially during adolescence. The strongest desire for food happens when people are emotionally sensitive, and most are not even aware of it. Emotional eating is when people consume food as a way to deal with their emotions, and teenagers usually use it as a way to suppress negative emotions, such as grief, sadness, anger, and stress. It can be caused when they go through depressing events in life, such as the loss of a loved one, boyfriend/girlfriend breakups, divorce of parents etc. When this happens, ‘comfort foods’ are consumed, which are foods that are usually high in fat, sugar, salt (For example, ice-cream, chocolate, candy, potato chips) and are generally not good for the health of teenagers if it’s constantly happening. Overview of physiological factors Physiological factors affect the body’s craving (appetite), and need for food (hunger). The body needs a certain amount of nutrients from food in order for it to function properly, and to be healthy. The amount of nutrients required vary from person to person, and they are based on their age, gender, build, activity level and health. Even though teenagers should eat according to their nutritional requirements because they are still developing. Over the past few years, they usually eat according to what satisfies them. 4.1 Nutritional Requirements Nutritional requirements are the amount of minerals/vitamins an individual has to take in order to have a healthy lifestyle. The nutritional requirements of an individual depends on their life stage (Infant, child, adolescent, etc.), since each stage requires a different amount of nutrients. As adolescents, they are still developing so they need to have a higher calcium and protein intake (for bone and tissue growth), and carbohydrates (For energy). Gender plays in an important role in the nutritional requirements of adolescents. Females start to go through their menstrual period at this stage in life, so they require more iron to counter the blood loss during that time. They also need folate, because it decrease the chance of brain and spinal birth defects by 50-70% if they get pregnant at a later stage. Males on the other hand, they require more zinc in order to protect their prostate gland and more protein to maintain their muscle tissues, since they h ave a higher proportion of muscle tissue than females. 4.2 Aroma and Taste Aroma and taste are closely related. Plenty of food gives off a scent that can be tasted before the food is actually eaten.The taste and aroma of food is one of the most important factors when it comes to food selection. The reason for this is because it’s what determines what food is appetising, and what isn’t. For example, people wouldn’t eat something that has a bad odour. Adolescents tend to `choose the food they eat based on it’s taste, regardless of nutritional value and since junk food tends to be tastier than healthy food, the majority of teenagers eat junk on a daily basis. 4.3 Allergies/Food intolerance A food allergy is when the immune system reacts to a certain type of food and rejects it, where as a food intolerance is the inability to digest a certain type of food. If a teenager has a food allergy or intolerance, then it would affect their food choices, since they would have to ensure that the food they consume doesn’t contain the food that they’re allergic/intolerant to. When a person has If they were to consume food that they are allergic to, they would suffer from symptoms such as diarrhea, eczema,and asthma. Similarly, if a person were to consume food that they were intolerant to, it would cause symptoms such as migraines, breathing problems and diarrhea. 5. Overview of economic factors Economic factors relate to the food market and the costs. It is significant to food selection since the type of food that a person eats usually depends the cost, the market and the resources that are available to the person. Economic factors also determines whether people are able to eat the food they want, or the only the food that they can afford. For adolescents, they only can eat what their parents are able to afford and what they can afford while they’re not at home. 5.1 Cost of Food The cost of food is an important factor to consider. As an adolescent, what they eat at home relies on the income of their parents, since that determines the quality and type of the food that is bought. Also, teenagers usually don’t have a lot of money to spend on food while they’re out with friends. As a result of this, they usually have a habit of constantly eating at fast food outlets such as Mcdonalds because the food is cheap. Although this is convenient, it’s a bad habit because if junk food is constantly being consumed, they’re not meeting their nutritional requirements and can cause diet related diseases later on. It is estimated that roughly 9 in 10 teenagers eat junk food everyday. 6. Conclusion There are various factors that affect the food selection of adolescents. These factors are divided into four categories- Social, economic, psychological and physiological. They all affect adolescents in various ways, and are some affect them negatively (E.g. the media), by influencing them to take on bad eating habits. Despite this, there are also that affect them positively (E.g. Education) by encouraging them to have healthy eating habits.

On Some Motifs in Baudelaire

Seminar Questions 1. Modernism- Benjamin, Walter â€Å"On some Motifs in Baudelaire† Question 1: In â€Å"On some Motifs in Baudelaire† Walter Benjamin argues that extended exposure to stimuli, or shocks, in the environment alters the human experience of our world and creates a conditioned reaction within the crowd. How does this overstimulation shape our current society and was Benjamin correct in warning against it? Walter Benjamin implied that our minds are not equipped with the facilities to handle these shocks.These develop into environmental stressors and thus our decision-making skills are weakened and we just follow the person in front of us. While over stimulation is an epidemic in current times I do not believe it has created mindless hordes of people. The biggest effect of over stimulation is an individual’s continuous partial attention. Not being able to focus on one thing means focusing on multiple tasks and then not doing any of them completely. Our minds rapidly switch between a variety of separate channels.Initially, this may lead to fatigue. However, the mind can build off of this and become stronger. This is why current culture deems louder, brighter, faster, and shocking media as â€Å"better†. For society to notice anything it needs to be an attention grabber, and when society is constantly focusing on a variety of media you are bombarded with I do not agree that these shocks create a conditioned reaction within the crowd but I do believe they create them within the individual.An individual’s need to process multiple channels of information at once allows information that isn’t sold as the biggest, brightest, and best to fall through the cracks. ? Question 2: Walter Benjamin’s description of a flaneur as a â€Å"detached observer† describes a spectator who seems to maintain their individuality from the crowd. One that can break free from rationalized understandings while being opened up to new perspectives and experiences. Do modern cities and their architecture embrace the idea of the flaneur? Modern architecture embraces the alienating nature of modernity.It creates cities that encourage crowds and a fast-paced way of life. Commercial typologies like malls, subway systems, and high-rise office buildings create a certain environment that do not encourage individual reactions. When something is designed to garner a similar reaction from different types of people it lessens the chance for chaos and also allows a behavioural expectation to be set within a certain environment. When people are expected to react in similar ways it allows the people in charge to be better prepared for distinctive instances.Police can work better, government can create more effect universal policies and transportation can run smoother. Therefore, it benefits the rulers of a city to for modern architecture to follow the same instances. Perhaps the flaneur is the architect, but the vision and idiosyncrasies that the architect tries to instill within each project get syphoned out through different real world factors. Factors that include: budgets, client’s tastes, feasibility, and materiality. These factors chip away at truly city changing architecture and create an environment where the same projects continue to get churned out.

Booker T. Washington VS. WEB DuBois Essay

Booker T. Washington VS. WEB DuBois In the days when segregation was not uncommon, there were two men that played a huge part in the fight for equality in the United States. Booker T. Washington and WEB DuBois were great leaders, who supporterted civil rights, yet also disagreed on various issues related to reconstruction, poverty, racism, and discrimination. Both Washington and DuBois worked on reforming education as well as eliminating discrimination towards Blacks, but their strategies of achieving said change varied greatly. The first leader that came along was Booker T. Washington. He believed that african americans would not make it any where in society if they focused on just equality. He told blacks to target education, trade, and financial progress in order to get an economic foothold in society as well as becoming better individuals. Washington felt that blacks could not be a in a position to improve their standing in communities until they withdrew from poverty and evolved into something that could not be denied as equals. It was understood that blacks would never be completely equal to whites and that there would always be some form of segregation and discrimination. Instead of fighting with it,Washington encouraged blacks to accept it, embrace it, and work around it. The next main leader was WEB DuBois. Contrary to Washingtons beliefs, DuBois deemed that blacks should be like whites, in the aspect of having an organized education and the same political rights. DuBois felt that blacks should not approach this indirectly like Washington, but face it head on and demand the rights that they considered to be theirs. He took the more assertive stance that african a mericans should press for full equality and use agitating, passive-aggressive tactics in hopes that the whites would reluctantly comply. In the â€Å"Declaration of the Principles of the Niagara Movement† he and other Black intellectuals outlined a list of demands in which they desired to meet the needs and interests of all African Americans. Dubois asserted that economic security was not nearly enough and blacks should become just as educated as the whites. Mainly he considered Booker T. Washington’s ideas and took them a step further, if not more. At the time, the most reasonable leader would be none other than Booker T. Washington. His understanding that blacks would never be equal and that not being his main focus, gave him the upperhand on WEB Dubois. Du Bois urged blacks to attempt to uplift themselves through educational advancement and  political rights. Although his ideas had potential, Washington’s gradualism stance gives him wide spread appeal among both blacks and whites. In today’s day and age, there are people who are still racist and don’t accept blacks because of their color/culture, but todays blacks understand that and tolerate it. In conclusion, the rivalry between Booker T. Washington and W.E.B DuBois is one well known to scholars and historians of the United States. Washington and Dubois were two great segregation leaders who offered different strategies for dealing with the problems of poverty and discrimination facing Black Americans. They both brought enthralling ideas to the table and in short, Booker T. Washington believed in civil rights through evolution whereas WEB DuBois demanded more immediate black equality.

Realist Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Realist Theory - Essay Example The theory infers that the system is continually changing to create adjustments to nations such that new systems are created or older are being restored. Therefore, the balance of power theory involves a specific power distribution between states of a system such that no single nation has too much or less of the other . This paper analyses this context and provides a historic case outlay on the application of this theory, the implications of the test results for the case and identifies if the theory is applicable to the case (Marshall, 1970). Over the years, the term balance of power has been used in different areas of history, politics and science each bringing foreword a different meaning from the other. This is due to the difference in the meanings that are portrayed by various states on the term power. To some, power means the use of political force, the superiority of economy or diplomatic coercion to create a desirable outcome by a state. To others, power refers to the ability of a state to impose its will on another despite the resistance raised while others view this concept as the ability of a state to influence the behavior of one or more states through policy implementation (Stanley & Fidler, 1991). The paper seeks to compare and contrast two segments on balance of power relating to the classical and the modern era of political thought which forms the major variable. The balance of power theory is used to illustrate different cases with the major being the Persian Gulf War . Here, the U.S is unwilling to destroy and entirely dismember Iraq due to the balance of power concept which prevented the interruption of the powers of the Middle East. The two concepts raised in the theory is effective in understanding the conduct of international relations and preservation of the international nations system. My conclusion about the performance of the theory here is that it is effective in analyzing the case and that it gives a clear basis on relations amongst states. The theory has a great performance in the case as it infers the effectiveness of balancing power and how this theory is applied in solving international disputes. The theory independent variables relate to issues that constitute a state such as power, balance and sovereignty that enables a state to be independent while the dependent variables are the states and the relations based on the theories. Others may relate to the classical and modern views of politics which are harmonized by the realism concept. The link among the two variables are that they both belong with the realism school of thought. In the classical view, states are created to prevent war. It claims that the society despite the corruption shelters men from harm but only if it is established and enforced in law (Stanley & Fidler, 1991). A democratic government established though the power of the people are perceived to be legitimate . Based on this concept, the function of the government is to implement the law s formulated, promote patriotism through education and promote wealth distribution to enhance cohesion (Micheal, 2000). The classical concept maintains that the balance of power prevents nations from breaking apart . The balance ensures that no particular state or an alliance of nations is allowed by unwritten laws to obtain more power, such that it overwhelms the rest and that this balance is independent. The modern era of