Wednesday, October 30, 2019

The Genesis of Faith Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Genesis of Faith - Essay Example Noah is depicted as a righteous and blameless man. He loved God wholeheartedly and practiced obedience. In his life, he had stable faith only in God. Out of faith, Noah built a large boat and did so by obeying God’s warning to him about mysterious floods that were to happen. Noah rebuked the whole world, and from the faith he became righteous. Abraham and Sarah: Abraham is depicted as an obedient and faithful servant of God. God commanded him to take with him his only beloved son Isaac and offer him as a burnt sacrifice. When he was about to sacrifice him, God intervened and provided a ram for the sacrifice. Out of faith, Sarah Abraham’s wife was able to have a child despite being barren and too old to conceive. However, she doubted faith in God just like any other human being but God fulfilled His promise of giving her a child. Sarah’s faith inspires every person who easily loses hope in life.Isaac is known as the miracle child of Abraham and Sarah and a man of faith. Faith reigned in Isaac’s entire life and he practiced it in his marriage with Rebekah. By faith, he promised his sons Jacob and Esau future blessings.Jacob was liar and manipulator but he knew God and he was renamed Israel. Out of faith, despite being old he blessed each of Joseph’s sons and worshiped while leaning on his staff. Leaning is of significance in this context because Jacob had spent his entire life limping after wrestling with God and being broken. He then gave his life to God who took control over it.

Monday, October 28, 2019

Slavery in America Essay Example for Free

Slavery in America Essay Short Lecture on the Origins of Slavery in America During the century and a half between the arrival of twenty blacks in Jamestown in 1619 and the beginning of the American Revolution in 1776, slavery—something that had never existed in England itself—spread throughout the English colonies, from Virginia it would make its way south into the Carolinas and then out to the frontier, and it would also make its way north into the midAtlantic states and into the farthest reaches of New England. It grew slowly, almost imperceptibly, until it had become so embedded into the American way of life and commerce that colonists eager for wealth imported hundreds of thousands of Africans to work in their fields. During the eighteenth century, slavery became an entrenched and for many colonies, central component of society. But slaves were brought to America to work. First and foremost, it was a system of labor. Colonial America was overwhelmingly agricultural. Many early English colonists had hoped to become fabulously wealth without having to work—much like the Spanish conquistadors who came a century before them, they had great hopes of finding gold, or if not that, then perhaps they would discover the Northwest Passage to the Pacific Ocean, thereby gaining access to the riches of the East Indies. It soon became quite clear that forget about wealth, survival itself was going to be a challenge, and was going to depend on working the land. The New World may not have held the abundant riches colonist dreamed of, but one thing was abundant: land. For the first generation of settlers, feeding themselves took up most of their energy, but in 1617, it was discovered that tobacco seeds, transported from the West Indies, thrived in the soil of the Chesapeake region. (Incidentally, it was Pocahontas’ husband, John Rolfe who successfully planted the first tobacco crop.) Over the course of the seventeenth century, tobacco became a major commodity fad, and would rival tea and alcohol in popularity throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Initial inflated prices for the tobacco would help fuel the development of Virginia. But first, the settlers faced a problem: they had a crop (tobacco), and there was plenty of land to grow it, but what was missing? Labor. Labor is THE problem of colonial America. Who does the labor? Conditions were so dismal in the colony that planters realized the only way they could get people to work for them would  be to force them. That may seem like a less than obvious choice. But these colonists came from a society in England that was highly stratified—the rich and powerful took it as their right to exploit the poor and powerless. In many ways, the early colonists came from a world that was pre-modern—without concepts of cruel and unusual punishment, equal rights, exploitation. In fact, it was a world that took inequality for granted. So there was nothing particularly problematic about the idea of forced labor. And the colonists didn’t particularly care what this forced labor looked like. They needed labor, period. Some seventeenth century colonists were willing to pay freely hired workers, but they also experimented with two sources of unfree labor: Indians and Europeans, before it occurred to them to import Africans on a widespread scale. For a variety of reasons, Indian slavery was never successful. Many Indians simply refused to perform agricultural labor, which they viewed as women’s work. Indians also happened to know the terrain a lot better than the Europeans did, and there was always the risk of Indians escaping and conspiring against their captors. Finally, as we have talked about this semester, the Indians had already disastrously encountered Europeans before the English ever got there, and by the early seventeenth century, there simply were not enough Indians left to meet the labor needs of the colonists—between the outright killing of Indians, and the massive epidemics of Europeans diseases like smallpox and measles, that killed many, and in some areas most, of the Indian population. For these reasons, it was far more common to try to find European laborers. In fact the basis of the seventeenth-century workforce in the southern part of the English colonies were European laborers. Most came as indentured servants. The practice of indenturing, or apprenticing, children and teenagers, and less often adults, to masters was widely practiced in seventeenth-century England as a form of welfare for the poor and way to provide job training. In the colonies however, indentured servitude was primarily used as a way to help European immigrants who wanted to come to  America but couldn’t afford it. By selling themselves into a sort of temporary slavery, in exchange they got a free trip across the Atlantic. For the many indentured servants who ended up in the South where they basically represented cheap labor for eager planters, they found themselves in a form of labor that looked radically different from England—it was much harsher, and much more exploitative. Further, while most servants came to American voluntarily, some arrived after being kidnapped or sentenced for criminal behavior. Most adults would be indentured for four or five years, but children often served seven years or more. During their indenture, servants were essentially slaves, under the complete and unchallenged authority of their masters. Masters could whip their servants, could prevent them from marrying, and even sell them to others. Initially, indentured servitude boomed in the colonies because it met the needs of planters as well as the needs of Europeans eager to migrate to the colonies. One of the great advantages for landowners was that they were granted land based on how many servants they held, thereby increasing their landholdings—fifty acres for every person they transported to the colonies. So for example, when Virginia planter John Carter imported eighty indentured servants in 1665 to work for him, he received four thousand acres. For the growing class of colonial landowners, indentured servitude was a win-win situation—cheap labor, more land, and an elevated social status by virtue of the fact that they had authority over other human beings. Of course, we have to ask what was in it for the indentured servants. During this time in England, a civil war had disrupted the whole social and economic order. Indentured servitude provided a way out of hardship—an escape from poverty, hunger, unemployment, prison—and a chance to start over in a new place, and perhaps even prosper. The people who volunteered to ship out were overwhelming young and male—they came from the bottom half of society, and had little hope of anything if they stayed in England. For roughly ten-percent of those who came to America as indentured servants, things worked out basically as they had anticipated—they were able to work off their indenture, and managed to find some economic prosperity of their own. But for that other ninety-percent, things turned out pretty badly. Most  indentured servants ended up working in the tobacco fields of Virginia and Maryland. They worked for men who were desperate for wealth, and were going to get as much work out of their servants as possible before their terms of service were up. Many servants ran away—if they were caught, they faced whippings, or brandings or even physical mutilation, and their terms of service would often be extended. Many others died—as many as half of all servants in the seventeenth century Chesapeake died while in service. Some who survived might become independent craftsmen or even landowners, but that was rare. Add to this that there were far fewer women in these colonies than men, most male servants were unable to find wives and so they remained single. You ended up with a very large class of men who had no family, no roots, no stability, no money, a sort of permanent underclass of discontent laborers. Black slaves had been introduced to the Chesapeake region in 1619, when a Dutch captain sold twenty Africans in Virginia. But it was not entirely clear at first that the status of black laborers in America would be fundamentally different from that of white indentured servants. In the rugged conditions of the seventeenth century south, it was often difficult for Europeans and Africans to maintain strictly separate roles. In some areas—South Carolina for example, where the number of African arrivals increased more quickly than anywhere else—whites and blacks lived and worked together on terms of relative equality. Some blacks were treated much like white hired servants, and some were freed after a set term of service. A few Africans themselves became landowners, and some apparently owned slaves of their own. But as a whole, in these early days of the American colonies, the cost of African slaves remained out of reach for most people. Not only did slaves cost more money u p front than did indentured servants, there was always the risk of a slave dying, and then your entire investment would be lost. So, although blacks continued to trickle into the colonies throughout the seventeenth century, up until the 1680s, the non-Indian population of the British colonies remained overwhelmingly white. As long as a steady supply of indentured labor continued to come, colonists saw little reason to go to  the expense and trouble of importing large numbers of Africans, who, unlike English laborers, would have to go through a longer period of adjustment—to a new culture, a new language, new customs—before they would become productive members of the workforce. But everything changed in the 1680s.   The problem with indentured labor was that it was temporary—at some point, servants had to be freed. That meant not only did you continually lose your workforce, but as the population increased in the colonies, there was a greater and greater demand for labor. You would need more and more indentured immigrants to meet this growing need. But as it happened, in the 1680s, there was a sharp decline in the number of English migrants arriving in America under indenture. Part of the reason is that the political situation in England had stabilized, and the economy was improving, so there was less of an incentive to leave. At the same time, as immigrants looked across the ocean at America, it didn’t seem quite as attractive as it once did. With more people settling in the colonies, it became harder and harder to get land. And since land was the way to get rich in early America, without land you had little hope of climbing the economic la dder. So for these reasons, fewer ships arrived carrying new immigrant laborers. By the end of the century, it became clear that indentured Europeans could no longer meet the labor needs in the Southern colonies. In another twist of history, at the same time that the number of new indentured Europeans arrivals declined, the price of African slaves suddenly dropped. Colonial planters didn’t care where the labor came from, or what the laborers looked like, they were simply desperate for it. Indians slave labor obviously hadn’t panned out, European indentured servants were harder to come by. But by the mid to late seventeenth century, some colonists, especially those in the Virginia and Maryland colonies, were becoming enormously wealthy off of the tobacco trade, and as the prices of African slaves dropped, these wealthier colonists started thinking that perhaps African slaves were the answer to their labor problem. Another turn of events sealed the fate of slavery in America. As we noted,  the problem with indentured servants is that at some point, you had to free them. These ex-servants were often male, young, poor, without roots, without much hope of ever owning land or practicing a trade. So as terms of service came up, a growing class of young, rowdy, unskilled, impoverished men were let loose into a society that had no place for them. And this made these young men angry, and violent. So they led rebellions in 1663. And in 1675. And 1683. People were killed, chaos ensued. And this of course troubled the planters. How do you stop ex-servants from running amok in the countryside and causing trouble? Well, one solution is that you don’t let them go free. But the idea of holding European servants in permanent bondage was inconceivable. As unjust, and at times horrific, as things might have been for indentured servants, they were still protected by certain legal rights that the English government had ensured. Among those rights of course, is that they could not be held in permanent bondage. Here again, African slaves provided an answer to the problem. As captives from a foreign land, they had no rights, no protection. As slaves, they would expect to be held in permanent bondage. What other advantages might African slaves provide? Compared to Indian slaves or European servants, they posed a greatly reduced risk of successful escape. They often did not know the geography of the region, and would have had little knowledge of where to go. Further, and most obviously, their skin color gave them away. It was a lot more difficult for a black runaway slave to blend into the population than it was for a white indentured servant, or an Indian slave. By the end of the seventeenth century, only about one in ten of the residents of the colonies was African. But because Africans were so heavily concentrated in a few southern colonies, they were already beginning to outnumber Europeans in some areas. The high ratio of men to women among African immigrants (two men for every one woman in most areas) impeded the natural increase of the black population. But in the Chesapeake at least, more new slaves were being born by 1700 than were being imported from Africa. In South Carolina, by contrast, the difficult conditions of rice  cultivation—and the high death rates of those who worked in the rice fields—ensured that the black population would barely be able to sustain itself through natural increase until much later. Between 1700 and 1760, the number of Africans in the colonies increased ten times to about a 250,000. A relatively small number lived in New England; there were slightly more in the middle colonies. The vast m ajority, however, continue to live in the south. By then the flow of white laborers to that region had all but stopped, and Africans had becomes securely established as the basis of the southern work force. But the most important thing to note about the shift from indentured labor to slave labor is that American colonists first turned to African slavery not because of any particular idea about race, or some kind of ideological desire to enslave black people, but for a very practical reason: the flow of indentured white labor had dried up. English people already had certain stereotypes of Africans that helped them feel more comfortable with their enslavement. First, Africans were â€Å"black† in contrast to the English people’s own sense of themselves as white. Europeans had numerous word associations with colors—white was associated with purity, cleanliness, godliness, while black could mean anything from dirty to evil. Secondly, English people perceived Africans as savage and uncivilized. English people saw African culture as very different from their own, and if it was different, it must also be inferior. Finally, English people saw Africans as heathens—and at a time in Europe when wars were being fought over exactly what kind of Christian you were, to be not Christian at all was deeply suspect. Unquestionably, English people definitely saw themselves as very different from Africans, and no doubt their negative stereotypes of Africans helped to shape ideas of race during the early years of slavery. But as much as the English were struck by differences between themselves and Africans, throughout much of the seventeenth century, enslaved black laborers were treated nearly the same as other lower class laborers. There were few lines between blacks and lower-class whites during the first decades of  settlement. Indentured servants had many of the same constraints as slaves, and the two groups often lived together, worked together, played together, sometimes slept together, and ran away together. In terms of our idea of slavery and racism in America, seventeenth-century race relations were remarkably flexible. There were no impenetrable barriers that separated races. Although almost all blacks came to the colonies as slaves, most whites came as unfree laborers as well, and the two groups had a lot in common. But two things separated white unfree laborers from blacks. First, white laborers could eventually earn their freedom, while for the most part, black slaves served for life. But more importantly, the majority of white laborers came to America voluntarily. None of the Africans did. Involuntary would become the most important thing that would lead to a permanent separation between white and black workers. Desire to attract white immigration put limits on how harshly indentured servants could be treated. Gradually, the status and treatment of European migrants improved. An increasing number of new immigrants were literate and possessed skills that enabled them to take advantage of opportunities that the growing colonial economy offered. By the beginning of the eighteenth century, very few white servants in the South still worked in agricultural labor. Agricultural labor was left almost entirely to blacks, who as involuntary migrants could not be lured away by the same economic opportunities offered to whites. The status of white migrants rose in inverse proportion to the status of black laborers, whose own status became more clearly defined. By the eighteenth century a rigid distinction had become established between black and white. Colonial assemblies began to pass â€Å"slave codes† limiting the rights of blacks in law and ensuring almost absolute authority to white masters. One factor, and one factor only determined whether a person was subject to the slave codes: color. In contrast to the colonial societies of Spanish America, where people of mixed race had a different and higher status than pure Africans, English America recognized no such distinctions. Any African ancestry was enough to classify a person as black. Over the next century, white Americans would come to the conclusion that black people were biologically and inherently suited for slavery. By the  middle of the eighteenth century, racism would become hardened, whites and blacks sharply separated, slavery entrenched as THE labor system of the southern colonies, as well as legally established in the northern colonies. Whether slave or free, blacks would be kept at the bottom of society for generations to come. In the decades preceding the American Revolution, slavery spread throughout all of the colonies. In the North, where labor was less dependent on slaves, slavery became a luxury more than anything else. But in the Chesapeake colonies, slavery formed the backbone of an economy that became almost entirely based on tobacco. Throughout the colonial period, Virginia had the highest population of the colonies, and more importantly, the highest value of exports. On the eve of the American Revolution, slaves made up about two-fifths of the entire population in Virginia, but in the tobacco-producing areas along the Chesapeake, they made up at least half the population. In South Carolina, they constituted a majority of the population. In Georgia they made up close to half of that colony’s population. At the same time, demand for slaves in the North began to decline. And as the Revolution approached, many northerners began to sense a disconnect between the language of liberty and democracy on the one hand, and the practice of slavery on the other. Although only faint at the end of the eighteenth century, a line began to be emerge between the South, where slavery was solidly entrenched, and the North, where it was not.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Old Chinatown of Los Angeles Essay examples -- Chinese China History E

Old Chinatown of Los Angeles Chinese first established their community in Los Angeles at today's El Pueblo Historical Monument. About two hundred settled by the year 1870. This number gradually increased over the years when the Southern Pacific began to construct a railroad from San Francisco in the 1870s. They were farm laborers, servants, road builders and small shopkeepers. Even with heavy discrimination during this time, Chinese held a dominant economic position in the Los Angeles laundry and produce industries for several years. Due to this old Chinatown explained its' boundaries eastward from the Plaza across from Alameda Street and grew to a population of over three thousand. The Chinese never owned major land or property but, were lessees, subleases or tenants. Laws were in place preventing them from becoming citizens and in turn property owners. The Chinese settled mostly on land owned by Juan Apablasa and controlled by his widow. This inability to own land would latter come back to haunt them. One of the most serious incidents of racial violence that has ever occurred in Los Angeles happened in October of 1871. Nineteen Chinese men and boys were murdered in a racial violence by a mob of five hundred locals. This riot was triggered when a fight broke out between two Chinese men over a Chinese girl. A Caucasian man was accidental slayed while caught in the crossfire. This was fueled by the growing movement of anti-Chinese discrimination in California, which would climax in the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882. This would be known as the infamous Chinese Massacre. Old Chinatown's heyday was between the years of 1890-1910. It could count 15 or so streets and alleys, and perhaps 200 building units. I... ...arge of their needs and problems. The local property owners joined together to build a legal group, BID, to help them realize common goals for their properties and surrounding areas. BID, which stands for Business Improvement District, has goals that include creating a clean, safe and friendly environment, increasing visitors to the area and enhancing property values. This is to help secure their place as a huge tourism site in Los Angeles. Bibliography BID. http://www.chinatownla.com/bid_main.htm Chinese Americans in Los Angeles. http://www.camla.org/history.htm Chinatown Walking Tour. http://www.chinatownla.com/walkingtour.htm History of Old Chinatown Los Angeles. http://oldchinatownla.com/history.html 1871 Los Angeles Chinese Massacre: A Statement of Remembrance. http://www.camla.org/history/massacre.htm See, Lisa. On Gold Mountain. Old Chinatown of Los Angeles Essay examples -- Chinese China History E Old Chinatown of Los Angeles Chinese first established their community in Los Angeles at today's El Pueblo Historical Monument. About two hundred settled by the year 1870. This number gradually increased over the years when the Southern Pacific began to construct a railroad from San Francisco in the 1870s. They were farm laborers, servants, road builders and small shopkeepers. Even with heavy discrimination during this time, Chinese held a dominant economic position in the Los Angeles laundry and produce industries for several years. Due to this old Chinatown explained its' boundaries eastward from the Plaza across from Alameda Street and grew to a population of over three thousand. The Chinese never owned major land or property but, were lessees, subleases or tenants. Laws were in place preventing them from becoming citizens and in turn property owners. The Chinese settled mostly on land owned by Juan Apablasa and controlled by his widow. This inability to own land would latter come back to haunt them. One of the most serious incidents of racial violence that has ever occurred in Los Angeles happened in October of 1871. Nineteen Chinese men and boys were murdered in a racial violence by a mob of five hundred locals. This riot was triggered when a fight broke out between two Chinese men over a Chinese girl. A Caucasian man was accidental slayed while caught in the crossfire. This was fueled by the growing movement of anti-Chinese discrimination in California, which would climax in the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882. This would be known as the infamous Chinese Massacre. Old Chinatown's heyday was between the years of 1890-1910. It could count 15 or so streets and alleys, and perhaps 200 building units. I... ...arge of their needs and problems. The local property owners joined together to build a legal group, BID, to help them realize common goals for their properties and surrounding areas. BID, which stands for Business Improvement District, has goals that include creating a clean, safe and friendly environment, increasing visitors to the area and enhancing property values. This is to help secure their place as a huge tourism site in Los Angeles. Bibliography BID. http://www.chinatownla.com/bid_main.htm Chinese Americans in Los Angeles. http://www.camla.org/history.htm Chinatown Walking Tour. http://www.chinatownla.com/walkingtour.htm History of Old Chinatown Los Angeles. http://oldchinatownla.com/history.html 1871 Los Angeles Chinese Massacre: A Statement of Remembrance. http://www.camla.org/history/massacre.htm See, Lisa. On Gold Mountain.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Kath Walker’s We Are Gloing

Basically the theme of the poem is the Aboriginals oppression. The fact they have had to give up on their old way of life and let go of the world that used to be theirs. The Aboriginals knew â€Å"We belong here, we are of the old ways† but eventually through white civilisation and development this life is â€Å"Gone and scattered,† everything is gone and now they had to leave. In summary, the theme of this poem is the oppression experienced by the Indigenous population that resulted in a loss of culture and life for the Indigenous now â€Å"gone and scattered. One example of a technique in the poem includes repetition such as that of the word ‘gone. ‘ The word gone typifies the themes of loss and it's repetition enforces this concept. Other techniques include alliteration such as ‘silent and subdued,' similes such as â€Å"Where now the many white men hurry about like ants,† capitalisation of the word Thunder, six stanza structure, first perso n narration etc. Good luck! The obvious technique is slow deliberate repetition. This reinforces the ancient sigh of a people dispossessed. All that is sacred has been violated. A history is being expunged. Alliteration: subdued and silent ( we even faintly hear the shush) Simile: white men hurry about like ants There are metaphors used by the naive speaker in this poem. They are the land, the elements, the fauna, the flora and the history. The warning is all this heart will be gone if the white man has his way. Kath Walker was right. Her warning was not heard. And they are gone! 1. Explain why they are â€Å"silent and subdued†. 2. How are white men represented? Why? 3. What is a bora ring and explain why it is so central to this poem. 4. Explain their reaction in line 8. 5. Lines 9-17 begin a ‘litany’. What is the effect produced? 6. Comment on the significance of metaphors used in the poem. 7. Comment on the structure and form of this poem. 8. Why does Thunder have a capital letter? 9. Comment on the mood and atmosphere created here. 10. Combine comments on its theme, title and conclusion. Answers 1. They were silent and subdued because little remained of their tribe and many strangers were busy at work like ants. 2. The white men were represented as ants because they were busy at work and hurrying around. 3. A bora ring is where an initiation is performed and is hardened earth done by foot which is surrounded by raised embankments in a formation of a circle and it is central because the bora ring is not being respected as a sign says, â€Å"Rubbish maybe tipped here†. 4. Their reaction meant that to the white men they are strangers and are treated like they don’t belong in Australia but the Aboriginals feel that the white men are the strangers and are in their land. 5. It gives an effect of showing their side of really saying that they are the real natives of Australia and not the white men and that now that they are the past. 6. It compares and shows how the Aboriginals feel. 7. It has six stanzas and has no rhyming pattern. 8. The emphasis the word as thunder is really the loud terrifying sound as a result of lightning. 9. They are in the fresh air of Australia near the Bora Ring and the mood is of sadness and subduedness because of how the Bora Ring is being mistreated. 10. ‘We are going’ are the three words in the title, conclusion and theme and portrays how the life of the Aboriginals would be as the Aboriginals are not welcome to their own homeland therefore they are saying that they will leave their old ways and be cast upon a low unwanted class forever.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Landforms on the earth’s surface

The Earth's surface can be described as being rough or smooth. Various geological processes constantly remodel the earth’s surface. Some geological processes, such as those that make mountains or wear them down, typically take place at imperceptible rates. Sudden events, however, can change the landscape in a minute. Rates of these geological processes vary. Each continent has its individual arrangement of landforms, though similarities do exist. For example, high mountain ranges are located along the western sides of both North and South America, since the two continents make up basically one land mass. A landform comprises a geomorphologic unit. Landforms are categorised by characteristics such as elevation, slope, orientation, stratification, rock exposure, and soil type. Landforms by name include mounds, hills, cliffs, valleys, and so forth. A number of factors, ranging from plate tectonics to erosion and deposition can generate and affect landforms. In this article, I have chosen Rift Valley. A rift valley is a valley created by the formation of a rift. Rift valleys are produced by tensional tectonic forces, which occur at divergent plate boundaries. Uninhabitable desert and fertile farmland, flat arid plains and steep escarpments characterize today’s Rift Valley. Some 20 million years ago, the earth's crust weakened and tore itself apart creating a jagged rift, thousands of kilometres long, across the African continent. The land on either side erupted creating great volcanic mountains, while the valley floor gradually sank into a low flat plain. This geologic phenomenon, dubbed the Great Rift Valley by the Scottish explorer John Walter Gregory, divides Kenya neatly down the length of the country essentially separating east from west. Africa's Great Rift Valley is a 6,000-mile crack (fissure) in the earth's crust, stretching from Lebanon to Mozambique. Geologists know that violent subterranean forces that tore apart the earth’s crust formed the Rift Valley. These forces caused huge chunks of the crust to sink between parallel fault lines and force up molten rock in volcanic eruptions. Evidence that this process, called rifting, is still in progress comes from the many active and semi-active volcanoes, located along the Rift. The Cenozoic rift system of Eastern Africa extends from the Afar Depression in the north to beyond Lake Malawi in the south, a distance of about 5600 km. Close to the Equator it is made up of eastern and western rifts to either side of the Lake Victoria Basin. The most extensive rift valley is located along the crest of the mid-ocean ridge system and is the result of seafloor spreading. Existing continental rift valleys are usually the result of a failed arm (aulacogen) of a triple junction. Examples besides the Great Rift Valley include the Mississippi embayment and the Rio Grande Rift in North America. In some places this natural divide is up to 100 km (60 miles) wide, while it reaches its narrowest point just north of Nairobi at 45 km wide. The valley floor is at its lowest near Lake Turkana where there is virtually no distinction between the Great Rift and the surrounding desert. As it heads south, however, the valley walls form sheer cliffs rising to 1,900 km (6,232 ft) at Lake Naivasha. After Naivasha, the valley descends again to 580 meters (1,902 feet) at the Tanzanian border. Subterranean movement is common today as the Rift Valley is home to thirty active and semi-active volcanoes and countless hot springs along its length. This string of alkaline lakes and boiling springs northwest of Nairobi includes Lake Baringo, Lake Bogoria, Lake Nakuru, Lake Elementaita, Lake Naivasha, and Lake Magadi in the south. These lakes are unique because their water is highly concentrated sodium carbonate. This situation is caused by the high alkalinity from the surrounding volcanic rocks coupled with poor drainage outlets due to the steep sides of the valley. The high evaporation of the surface lake water results in sodium carbonate, which, in turn, creates an ideal breeding ground for algae. Several species of fish, tilapia in particular, thrives in this environment. As a result, millions of birds flock to these soda lakes to feast on the abundant food supply of algae and fish. Each of the lakes in the Rift Valley string has a slightly different water composition ranging. The formation of the Rift Valley continues, probably driven by mantle plumes and ultimately a result of the African supers well. The associated geothermal activity and spreading at the rift has caused the lithosphere to thin from a typical 100 km thickness for continents to a mere 20 km. Within a few million years, the lithosphere may rupture and eastern Africa will split off to form a new landmass. If spreading continues, this will lead to the formation of a new mid-ocean ridge. The Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano remains active, and is currently the only natrocarbonatite volcano in the world. The Rift Valley has been a rich source of anthropological discovery, especially in an area known as Piedmont. Because the rapidly eroding highlands have filled the valley with sediments, a favourable environment for the preservation of remains has been created. The bones of several hominid ancestors of modern humans have been found there, including those of â€Å"Lucy†, a nearly complete australopithecine skeleton, which was discovered by anthropologist Donald Johanson. Richard and Meave Leakey have also done significant work in this region. References: 1)Geography. (2006). In Britannica Student Encyclopaedia. Retrieved July 4, 2006, from Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica Premium Service: http://www.britannica.com/ebi/article-201425. 2)The Physical Geography of Africa.W. M. Adams – editor, A. S. Goudie – editor, A. R. Orme – editor. Publisher: Oxford University Press. Place of Publication: Oxford. Publication Year: 1999. Page Number: 18. 3)Population and Energy: A Systems Analysis of Resource Utilization in the Dominican Republic. Contributors: Gustavo A. Antonini – author, Katherine Carter Ewel – author, Howard M. Tupper – author. Publisher: Florida Presses. Place of Publication: Gainesville. Publication Year: 1975.               

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

selena essays

selena essays On April 16, 1971, Easter Sunday, one of the greatest remembered singers was born, Selena Quintanilla-Perez. She was born into family that was gifted in music and instruments. Her brother and sister, Abraham III and Suzette, played instruments. Abraham in the late 50s and early 60s was part of group called Los Dinos(The Guys), and Selena was wondering why she was left out of music. They said she was to young, but right then she showed them that she was not by using her outstanding voice. By the age of six she what already singing like a professional. When she was nine, her father started the group Selena Y Los Dinos(Selena and The Guys). They mainly played at the family restaurant, but it fell and went bankrupt, and they had no place to go. So they moved to Corpus Christi, Texas where they played everywhere they could: Weddings, streets, etc. Soon enough out of all the rough Selena recorded her first album in 1984 under Freddie Label. Her album was not released just then, but releas ed in 1995 titled Mis Primeras Grabaciones. In 1986, her career began to take off, and she was taken out of school by her father Abraham Jr in 8th grade. Selena did get a High School Degree from a correspondence school in Chicago. She then released her second album, Alpha. At the Tejano Awards she took the award for Female Vocalist of the year. In 1988, two more of her albums were releases, Preciosa and Dulce Amor. She also met a guitarist named Chris Perez, who was hired in the band and became married Selena on April 3, 1992. In 1989, she got her biggest break by signing a contract with Capitol/EMI Latin label. By this time her concerts were bringing thousands of people. In 1990, A fan, Yolanda Saldivar, came up to Abraham with the idea of a fan club. Her and Selena cam close, but later she was Selenas worst enemies. Also, her album Ven Conmigo was released. In 1992, Entre A Mi Mundo was released. In 1 ...

Monday, October 21, 2019

President Bush and the Economy essays

President Bush and the Economy essays After September 11th, 2001, the American economy went into a recession. Thousands of people lost jobs in the wake of the devastating attacks. The stock market took a major hit which also caused people to lose money. Today, Americas economy is recovering and showing signs of growth. This can be attributed to the fact that President Bush is improving the American economy. Over the last two years, the American economy has been weak. The national and state economies have suffered great losses and therefore so have working families. Almost every economic measurement is looking down while job loss, unemployment, health care costs, poverty and personal bankruptcies are all up. One year after the end of the recession, millions of unemployed U.S. workers still cannot find jobs. Last year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that Americas workers were facing the biggest job crisis since the Great Depression. Employment has been the main concern among Americans since September 11th. The fact that many people are without jobs has caused many individuals to retire at an early age. It also means that many Americans had to find other ways of supporting their families. Since the beginning of his administration, the President has made many changes that would decrease unemployment and improve many other economic problems in America. Some have succeeded, some have not. The most recent proposal made by the President is an example of one that succeeded. On January 7th, 2003, President Bush announced a growth and jobs plan which was enacted into law immediately. According to the President, this plan would encourage job-creating investment in Americas businesses by ending the double taxation of dividends and giving small businesses incentives to grow. The President also said that the plan would provide help for unemployed Americans, including extending unemployment benefits and creating new re-employment account...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

God Bless America! The 8 Weirdest College Majors in the US

God Bless America! The 8 Weirdest College Majors in the US God Bless America! The 8 Weirdest College Majors in the US America has a long tradition as the land of the free and home of the brave. Does this include the freedom to study whatever you darn well like? And the bravery to dedicate yourself to a college course that will confuse your friends and family? You bet it does! To prove it, we’ve found seven of the weirdest college majors currently available in the USA, as well as another that (sadly) is even more unique. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Booze Studies! If you want to make your own beer, you could always study for a degree in Fermentation Sciences from the Appalachian State University. More into wine than beer? Try Cornell University’s Viticulture and Enology degree instead! 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Masters of Packaging For more than sixty years, Michigan State University has â€Å"been a leader in teaching, research and outreach focused on packaging containers, materials, their functionality and improvement.† We never knew so much thought went into packaging, but we’ll definitely remember next time we can’t get a pickle jar open. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Decision Sciences Unable to pick your major? Why not try a course in Decision Sciences? It’s not actually designed to help you make decisions, but it does cover statistics, information systems and operation management, so it sounds quite useful. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Become a Professional Adventurer! Ok, so a degree in Adventure Education won’t make you an adventurer in the same way Indiana Jones is an adventurer, but it’s definitely a start. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Truth is Out There†¦ Meet my PhD project Do people look at you funny when you say you’ve dedicated your life to discovering aliens? They might take you more seriously if you introduce yourself as a qualified astrobiologist! 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Shoeing Horses Horses across the country are glad that farriers are trained professionals, as no one would want to have strips of metal nailed to their feet by an amateur. 7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mortuary Science If you find busy office environments a little stressful, you might enjoy the peace and solitude of the mortuary instead (as long as you don’t mind all the dead bodies). 8.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Enigmatology According to its inventor, enigmatology is the study of puzzles. Why haven’t you heard of it until now? Because only one person has ever earned a degree in enigmatology: Will Shortz, who designed his own major program at Indiana University in 1974. This makes Will Shortz the world’s only college-accredited â€Å"puzzle master,† which sounds a bit like the name of a crossword-based superhero. For this reason alone, we salute him.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Comparison of the Figure of Achilles with Odysseus and Gilgamesh Research Paper

Comparison of the Figure of Achilles with Odysseus and Gilgamesh - Research Paper Example In Edel’s view, the definition of self-sufficiency cannot be limited with a mere reference to the 'self' of a man. It also involves the society in which he lives that comprises his parents, children, wife, friends and fellow citizens, "since man is by nature a social and political being" (Johnston par. 8). This paper is an attempt to compare and analyze the heroic figures Achilles and Odysseus, in the light of Aristotle’s statement. The thesis statement of this paper is that Achilles is a self-sufficient god-like figure, when compared to Odysseus, who constantly fights to reach his homeland and reclaim his family and home. Homer is the author of the 'Iliad' and the 'Odyssey', the two major Greek epic poems that form a significant part of ancient history and classic literature. The Iliad deals with the incidents that take place in the tenth year of the Trojan War, with special emphasis to the famous Greek warrior Achilles.Odyssey, on the other hand, deals with the return of Odysseus, the King of Ithaca, in post-Trojan War. Achilles and Odysseus are considered as the greatest Achaean heroes of Trojan War. Odysseus is a great leader, orator, and tactician; whereas Achilles is a daring warrior, who is proud of his abilities. Homer does not portray Achilles and Odysseus in generic human forms. His heroes are men who are warriors, consistently indulging in activities that require unique traits and qualities, beyond the deeds of normal human forms. Homer portrays Achilles and Odysseus as men possessing different distinguishing qualities that make them absolutely fit for the ancient Greek notion of 'heroes'. According to Lash, a hero possesses "a consistent capacity for action that surpasses the norm of man or woman" (Lash 5). Lash also states that a hero is not superior to human norms. A man is defined 'hero' with regard to his â€Å"traits and unique style of action [that]mark him as having 'arete', excellence. In excelling and exceeding himself, the h ero becomes a model of higher potential for his clan, his race, his nation, and even for humanity at large" (Lash 5). Homer’s heroes are therefore males of exceptional abilities, with a great potential to excel a range of activities, and in doing so, become a source of inspiration to others. Achilles, the son of Peleus and Nereid Thetis, is a mighty warrior with god-like rage, which is uncommon among human forms. Homer mentions Achilles as god-like many a times and attributes the appearance of a God to him. Achilles is a self-sufficient man, as explained by Aristotle, except for his need for women. He is aware of his destiny that the city of Troy cannot be taken without his help, as prophesied by the seer Calchas. Achilles also knows that he is destined to die in the Trojan War. When Agamemnon offers material benefits for his participation in the Trojan War, Achilles replies that his life is more worth than these benefits. The sole aim of Achilles is to become an excellent wa rrior. He prefers death to dishonor, and yearns for a glorious death in the battlefield. When Agamemnon, takes away Achilles’ war-prize Briseis from him, Achilles turns against Agamemnon and refuses to fight for the Greeks. Achilles of The Iliad, on the other hand, is an archetypal hero who is in charge of the Myrmidons. He becomes arrogant and selfish, and turns against Greek forces. He asks Thetis to plead with Zeus, to bring failure to the Greeks, so that Agamemnon would realize his value. When Briseis is returned to Achilles, he with draws from fighting. Later, he is filled with rage, when Hector kills Patroclus, his friend, who fights in his place. Achilles returns to the fight and kills Hector. In rage, he desecrates the body of

Develop a case study that analyzes the competitive position of an

Develop a that analyzes the competitive position of an actual business organization in a technologically-oriented ind - Case Study Example It is cited that iPhone gets the highest rate of press and the iPod sales in the market is of relatively large quantities. Even though it can be generally said that the company enjoys success courtesy of the products that it offers to the market, Apple Inc. pegs most of its success to Macintosh. According to the report from IDC the worldwide market for the company grew from 2.4% up to 2.9% from the year 2006 to the year 2007 (Miller, 2009). The consumer market on the other hand where Apple does compete effectively accounts for 10% of the worldwide market although the market command in the United States of America is relatively higher at 21%. In the year 2010, Apple continued to face stiff competition from its rivals for the very same market. In terms of the sales from the PCs, Apple ranked fifth in the year 2010. It is estimated that during that particular year, the first quarter was marked by shipment of 1.398 million Macs. The sales levels meant that Apple was only behind the main distributors of PCs which are: Dell, HP, Acer and Toshiba. It is therefore more than convincing that in the year 2010, Apple had its sales in PCs generally surge as negative sales trends were recorded as indicated above (Miller, 2009). In terms of the iPhone production, it is very true that Apple has been one of the most consistent companies in using the iPhone technology to develop very effective and modern mobile phones that are trendy in as far as technology is concerned. It is as a consequence of this that Apple still remains one of the most committed companies in producing the latest technology that can easily be used by virtually all the generations. The high levels of agility and commitment that Apple has towards producing the most competitive products in the market explains to a large extent why the company has continued to record steady rates of growth in the globe today. Strengths and weaknesses Apple Company is considered as one of the strongest companies in as far as inf ormation technology is concerned. The strengths of Apple Company have been very supportive in its market domination as will be seen in the later stages of the paper. Some of the strategic strengths are inclusive of product development that it has already established. Apple Company has already set high standards in the market in as far as the product it offers in the market is concerned. It is because of this strength that Apple has in the market, that it does not spend resources in inventing the market. The second strength about Apple Inc. is that it has established itself as a company that is oriented towards creating not only design but also utility (Miller, 2009). The products that are made by the company are very much easy to use and are also intuitive. The phones by the company are easy to use and also feel very nice in the hands given that they do not have many buttons. The marketing that is done by Apple Inc. is also a plus the company. It has clever marketing which strategic ally addresses the solutions to the problems that people do encounter with the use of other hardware form the main competitors of the company. Finally, the company enjoys a lot of strength in the fact that it trades on a very common and strong brand in the technology market. The brand name in apple has been very effective in promoting the commodities produced and

Friday, October 18, 2019

Cult Cinema Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Cult Cinema - Dissertation Example The content is often offbeat or even transgressive, besides being aberrant or challenging. The central themes tend to be far-fetched and uncanny, but still become the centre of audience’s attention. Thus, cult cinema tends to be categorically different from the mainstream cinema; this dissimilarity is revealed by lack of highfalutin artistic exclusiveness, mass consumerism, and political correctness in cult movies. This dissertation will provide a context for defining cult cinema, by delineating the peculiar characteristics that distinguish it from other genres. This dissertation is based upon information accumulated from a vast array of primary and secondary research sources dealing with cult cinema. The chief source was literature comprising of books, journal articles, articles in periodicals specifically aimed at identifying the underlying factors that drive audience towards cult cinema. Since the dissertation is aimed at exposing the factors that have developed a fan following, so analysis of the narrative, literary techniques, characters, and plot is relevant to this study. In addition to that, secondary methods shall also encompass analysis of box office success and commercial business of the top fifty cult films. Secondary resources such as statistical data concerning commercial revenue reveal that cult films were box office hits. Similarly, reviews of most successful movies based on the viewers’ ability to recall showed that many cult films such as Blade Runner, The Shawshank Redemption, Godzilla, Star Wars, Jaws, Scary Movie were the most favourites of all times. Other literature such as journal articles and books define the textual attributes and enigmatic signifiers that appeal to young and middle aged fans. Furthermore, analysis of movies made during the last two decades revealed how audiences’ demand has accelerated the trend of making of the cult films. In the ultimate analysis, the information contained in the following pages will shed light on how cult cinema, despite being bizarre and farfetched has produced some groundbreaking films and developed a huge fan following. Increasingly, audiences are fascinated by the aesthetic elements of cult movies such as enigmatic sig nifiers: mysterious puzzles that provoke thought and engage audiences throughout the film. Lastly, the process of narrative and characters go under an unexpected transformation to deliver ontological shock to audience’s leaves a mark on the audience. Undoubtedly, these aspects make cult movies the centre of fan debate and discussion. Chapter I: Introduction Although motion pictures have fundamentally

Cirque du Soleil Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Cirque du Soleil - Case Study Example (Cascio, W. (1998) Modes of communications are extremely open and the authorities that certain hierarchical titles could impose are practically imaginary. And a Cirque du Soleil core value is respect for cultural diversity. Inspite of the incessant growth that the company has experienced, it has always known how to ensure solidity among employees and maintain a strong sense of belonging. Cirque had tried decentralizing management into three regional divisions The management at Cirque Du Soleil aims at providing "presenting a unique blend of creation and the performing arts, of architecture and the arts in general." the company had only one goal with respect to the customer: "When a customer enters the big top, he will have an experience he will never forget." the management by creating an employee newsletter, la boule, composed of employee submissions that were uncensored. The company's basic objective is to provide an affordable form of entertainment to the audience. Basically, by reinventing the concept of circus. By employing new and innovative individuals with unique skills in the business , companies can expect profits to rise . Payne, T. (2000) The casting director for Cirque, said it was a constant challenge to find the right artists Cantin tried to select artists to fit into the currently conceived productions, she also looked for their potential contributions to future productions at Cirque. Recruiting sources are methods used by organizations to transmit information about open positions to potential applicants (Breaugh 1992). Traditionally trained artists learned, often for the first time, to perform in an intensely multicultural background (A.R. (2002). When hiring artists from different countries, Cantin took into consideration what their no artistic needs were. During auditions, Cantin tried to measure two key dimensions besides pure talent: "Can they continue to develop" and "Can they be generous in the show" The paradox of hiring people, who were really good at what they did, for what they did have to be aligned with the primary work of the organization. Management Level: This can actually get pretty complex and in order to carry this out the Staff at human resource department need to carry out staffing activities. This can be done through the training of employees, recruitment of new employees, rotation of the current employees, lying of f of any staff that can be deemed extra. The bottom line is to get the right staff, with the right skills at the right place.' Management is about coping with complexity' (Gabarro, 1992) Thus, it can be concluded that the Strategic staffing process are easy to use and implement and

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Business Transformation of Moevenpick Hotels and Resorts using VRINE, Essay

Business Transformation of Moevenpick Hotels and Resorts using VRINE, CAGE and Corporate Entity (Diversification) Frameworks - Essay Example MÃ ¶venpick Hotels and Resorts AG has focused on expanding into its traditional regions of Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia. Such diversified presence in various regions of the world therefore indicates that it has been able to successfully expand in different markets. In this paper I will be concentrating on the MÃ ¶venpick Hotels and Resorts AG to seek the possibility of transforming the company using the VRINE model, CAGE as well as Corporate Entity (Diversification) models for better opportunities and higher market share. MÃ ¶venpick Hotels and Resorts AG manages 70 hotels of a total of 17,646 rooms in 24 countries in the market of upscale business hotels, holiday resorts and residences. Business hotels are 57% of the company’s managed hotels; resorts are 32% of the company’s managed hotels and 11% cruises. MÃ ¶venpick Hotels and Resorts AG has five regional offices in; Zurich acting as the corporate office for MÃ ¶venpick Hotels and Resorts AG and managing the region of Europe, Thailand, managing the region of Asia Pacific, United Arab Emirates, managing the region of the Middle East and India, Shanghai, Managing the region of China and Cairo, Managing the region of Africa. It is an analytical framework suggesting that an organization with resources and capabilities which are Valuable, Rare, Inimitable, Non-substitutable and Exploitable will gain a competitive advantage in the market. (Quizlet, 2012). It is however, critical to understand what actually resources and capabilities are and how they can actually provide a firm its overall competitive advantage over other firms in the industry. Barney (Cited in Peng and South-Western, 2008:3) defined the resources as ‘The tangible and intangible assets a firm uses to choose and implement its strategies’ while capability is a firm’s ability to make use of its resources in a highly productive way. (Santiago, 2003) Resources can be either tangible such as land and

Why the World Should Turn to Nuclear Energy Research Paper

Why the World Should Turn to Nuclear Energy - Research Paper Example On top of that the demand for fossil fuels will increase along with an increase in the prices and lesser supplies. The only alternative to solve the problem of energy crisis in a manner that it does not affect the environment and also does not result in economic stagnation might be nuclear energy (Wolfe; Pearson and Goodwin). It is gradually being accepted all over the world as an energy efficient and alternative source of fuel. Countries like France generate 75 percent of their power and have cleaner air quality (Walton). Nuclear energy is cheap, safe and produces minimum waste. This paper argues in favor of increasing adoption of nuclear energy to meet future needs. Arguments for Nuclear Energy For most of the developing countries such as France and Japan, and other developing countries such as China and India, nuclear energy has remained a topic of major debates and energy policies. China plans to add 30 nuclear plants by 2020, whereas India plans to generate 25 percent of its ene rgy from nuclear plants. Why the countries have laid emphasis on nuclear energy is summed up below (Holton). Environmental concerns due to rising greenhouse emissions As the worldwide demand for electricity rises, increasing amounts of fossils fuels have been used, and have led to the heightening of carbon emissions and the greenhouse effect. Most countries all over the world have a major concern as to how to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions. Most of the developing countries have increased industrial production and hence the requirement for energy is high. The Kyoto Protocol in 2005 has raised the issue of nuclear energy as an alternative, solar and wind energy being also debated, but the latter two have problems of huge space requirements. Prominent environmentalists have supported nuclear energy and scientists predict that it can reduce the carbon emissions by 25 percent by tripling nuclear generating capacity worldwide (Holton). Low cost of nuclear energy production Due to pot ential climate change, carbon emissions are have been capped and thus become expensive due to imposition of carbon taxes. Alternative carbon free energy is needed, that will be compliant with the emission needs and also cater to the demand. Nuclear power is currently the cheapest, low-carbon option for generating electricity. In the US, hydroelectric power plants are regulated so as to allow salmon fish to regain their habitat, and ability of biomass and geothermal sources producing electricity is limited. Nuclear power will increase the cost competitiveness, and studies my MIT scientists reveal that it can bring the prices down to $5 per 15 tons (Arm). Minimal waste generated by nuclear plants Nuclear waste is radioactive and remains radioactive for a long period of time, and can be potentially dangerous to human health (Dupea and Morley). The advantage in nuclear waste is that it is not directly released into the atmosphere unlike coal and oil emissions. This radioactive waste can be safely buried in underground repositories without harm to the environment. The feasibility of such a disposal technique has been studies and supported by scientists (Wolfe). Another way to even reduce the volume of waste is to generate power by processing this waste to recover unused uranium and other fissile material. This optimizes waste disposal, increasing economic viability and considerably increasing sustainability by not relying on such waste repositories (Arm). Nuclear waste, if reprocessed, is small in volume, and limited uranium supplies can be extended through it. Nuclear waste takes up very little space, and nuclear powers per capita lifetime waste could be fitted into a can of soda

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Business Transformation of Moevenpick Hotels and Resorts using VRINE, Essay

Business Transformation of Moevenpick Hotels and Resorts using VRINE, CAGE and Corporate Entity (Diversification) Frameworks - Essay Example MÃ ¶venpick Hotels and Resorts AG has focused on expanding into its traditional regions of Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia. Such diversified presence in various regions of the world therefore indicates that it has been able to successfully expand in different markets. In this paper I will be concentrating on the MÃ ¶venpick Hotels and Resorts AG to seek the possibility of transforming the company using the VRINE model, CAGE as well as Corporate Entity (Diversification) models for better opportunities and higher market share. MÃ ¶venpick Hotels and Resorts AG manages 70 hotels of a total of 17,646 rooms in 24 countries in the market of upscale business hotels, holiday resorts and residences. Business hotels are 57% of the company’s managed hotels; resorts are 32% of the company’s managed hotels and 11% cruises. MÃ ¶venpick Hotels and Resorts AG has five regional offices in; Zurich acting as the corporate office for MÃ ¶venpick Hotels and Resorts AG and managing the region of Europe, Thailand, managing the region of Asia Pacific, United Arab Emirates, managing the region of the Middle East and India, Shanghai, Managing the region of China and Cairo, Managing the region of Africa. It is an analytical framework suggesting that an organization with resources and capabilities which are Valuable, Rare, Inimitable, Non-substitutable and Exploitable will gain a competitive advantage in the market. (Quizlet, 2012). It is however, critical to understand what actually resources and capabilities are and how they can actually provide a firm its overall competitive advantage over other firms in the industry. Barney (Cited in Peng and South-Western, 2008:3) defined the resources as ‘The tangible and intangible assets a firm uses to choose and implement its strategies’ while capability is a firm’s ability to make use of its resources in a highly productive way. (Santiago, 2003) Resources can be either tangible such as land and

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

CCI - Capturing the benefits of innovation Essay

CCI - Capturing the benefits of innovation - Essay Example It opened doors for â€Å"green innovation† that extorted the companies to learn about the new technologies on the concepts of recycling, minimizing noise and water pollution and carve innovative useful ideas for the betterment of humanity. This gave rise to ravishing inventions, for example Scandinavian automobile company came up with the idea of â€Å"electric cars† when they tried to sought out this problem and their company got a huge boost in the market and got profitable. Similarly BMW started working on land fill gas stations in their plant at Spartanburg (USA), the results were depicted very soon and BMW gained huge economic gains having â€Å"good will† being the top most. Joint solutions limited (JSL) is a spectacular case study regarding effect of knowledge on companies. JSL has been using pre defined techniques in the field of Orthopedics for many years but they are making serious researches about the new evolution of â€Å"tissue engineering† that will positively enhance their market value.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Love, Death and the Changing of the Seasons Essay Example for Free

Love, Death and the Changing of the Seasons Essay The majority of poems and sonnets we have read, starting back from the first sonnet to today’s modern writers. They can be said to describe as a moment’s monument. As they describe a time of hurt, happiness or a memory in that was once enjoyed that has been put into words. I am going to discuss the meaning behind, what a moment’s monument is. I am also going to find out between two sonnets, The Forge and Love deaths and the changing of the season. Weather they answer the question â€Å"the sonnet has been described as a moment’s monument’. What is the meaning of a moment, it can mean so many things. Mainly it is described as a setting to a time in someone’s life. A moment in time that has been remembered, it could be happy, sad moment or an event that you have remember such a wedding day. Putting it into a sonnet, it can be a moment of a lost one someone is explaining. A monument is a statue, gravestone or a piece of history that can act as a record or memory for someone. For an example a gravestone is a record of a person’s death and the time they spent alive, it’s their record for people who loved them and also a way of saying â€Å"I was here. The sonnet Love deaths and the changing of the season by Marilyn Hacker can be described as a moment’s monument. The speaker of the sonnet is speaking about herself and about a moment in her life. The moment in her life that she is talking about is her loss of a lover. She is explaining the pain she has to face with letting go. The monument is the record of the tears she cried over her loss of this lover who was once there with her. This is shown in line thirteen and fourteen when she says â€Å"I drank our one year out in brine instead of honey. These lines mean she is describing the one year as drinking brine which is salt water which would cause dehydration and then sickness and eventually death, she has nothing left. When she compares brine to honey it is showing us, her life has gone from something sweet like honey, to something bitter like brine. The monument which can also be linked in this sonnet is that the death of the lover, will give them a gravestone as the record. The structure of the sonnet consists of fourteen line . The rhyme pattern can be debated of being either an Italian sonnet which the pattern the lines are divided into eight and six or English/Shakespearean which consists of the lines of three quatrains and two couplets. If it is an Italian version sonnet can be broken down the first eight lines. The first eight lines are her explaining her wanting him back. Then lines nine to fourteen is her accepting his gone and letting him go. If it is an English version sonnet it can be read as line one to four is her pain. Line five to eight is he realizing his not coming back and line nine to fourteen is her bitterness of crying over her loss. Hacker’s sonnet also allows the reader to get a language image. Some examples of this is, when she says â€Å"flood gates. † This is meaning that she is opening up her heart and letting the grief pouring out. She also says of a â€Å"gift† he left her behind, which is her way of saying bitterly he has left her with nothing but tears. Another language image is â€Å"season,† also mentioned as part of the title and mentioned in the sonnet. This can be used as she also mentions in the sonnet â€Å"winter,† which is a cold and comfortless and empty season, meaning this is how she feels with only have memories now. The metre of the poem is the standard iambic pentameter, but it is used to a good strong effect for the read as it emphasizes the main words such as in line three â€Å"stomach ache, headache and heartache, which is a good effect. As is emphasizes on the main word ache, which is another word for pain. The sonnet The Forge by Seamus Heaney can be described as a moment’s monument. The speaker in the sonnet is speaking from observation, watching the Black smith it could be someone who regularly passes by or an apprentice working with the blacksmith. The moment in time which the person watching is describing is the Blacksmith in the Forge and his every day routine of making horse shoes. This is shown in line nine when it is said â€Å"where he expends himself in shape and music†, we know this as he references to the guy as ‘he’ not ‘I’. The monument within this sonnet could also be considered a moment the lines twelve and thirteen shows a good example when it says â€Å"recalls a clatter of hoofs where traffic is flashing in rows. Demonstrating it’s a memory that a moment in time that he recorded of when the streets where once surrounded with horse and remembering the sound of their shoes clattering on the roads, but now it is taken over by car and traffic lights. The structure of the sonnet is a fourteen line sonnet. The rhyme pattern of this sonnet is an Italian sonnet. The Italian sonnets are in the pattern of lines that are divided into eight and six. It can be put lines one to eight is the person watching the daily routine completed by the Blacksmith and him going about his everyday activities. Then line nine to fourteen is the person watching the Blacksmith reminisce on the past and then getting upset and returning to his work. The poem is the normal iambic pentameter, but it is used responsively, for a good outcome. For example in the very first line we already get words like dark, which is a powerful word on its own Both The Forge and Love, Death and the changing of the seasons are sonnets that are a moment’s monument. The both describe a moment in time. Weather it is a loss of a lover or a working day. They both describe a monument a memory, traffic replacing horses or the way he use to take her in his arms.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Free Scarlet Letter Essays: Hester and the Puritan Society :: Scarlet Letter essays

Hester and the Puritan Society of The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel, The Scarlet Letter, focuses on the Puritan society. The Puritan society molded itself and created a government based upon the Bible and implemented it with force. The crime of adultery committed by Hester generated rage, and was qualified for serious punishment according to Puritan beliefs. Ultimately the town of Boston became intensely involved with Hester's life and her crime of adultery, and saw to it that she be publicly punished and tortured. Based upon the religious, governmental, and social design of the Puritan society, Hester's entire existence revolved around her sin and the Puritan perception. Therefore it is evident within The Scarlet Letter that the Puritan community to some degree has constructed Hester's character. In the novel The Scarlet Letter it is evident that the base of their social framework was that of the Church. The Church and beliefs of Protestantism became all encompassing within the town of Boston; meaning that the Church would be directly involved in the running of the community and its regime. The Enforcing of laws were established by scripture read from the Bible, as the Puritans considered the Bible as the "true law" of God that provided guidelines for church and government. Those who disagreed or committed crimes against the government, were not only criminals but also sinners, and they were sought to be punished severely. The Puritans stressed grace, devotion, prayer, and self-examination to achieve religious virtue while including a basic knowledge of unacceptable actions of the time; this was expected to secure order and peace within the Puritan community. The Puritan culture is one that recognizes Protestantism, a sect of Christianity. Though a fundamental of Christianity is forgiveness for one's sins, this seems to have been forgotten amongst the women of the community: "Morally, as well as materially, there was a coarser fiber in those wives and maidens of old English birth and breeding, than in their fair descendants." As read between the lines we can notice a concern in Hester's acceptance within the Puritan community. More so, Hester senses a lack of acceptance within the circle of woman in the community. The use of the term "coarser fiber" intertwines the relationship that she once had, and what it has become within the woman of the community. It has also come to my attention that when Hester compares the women of the community to their descendants, she clarifies that the women of the community have become deviant, and or immoral to their religious past.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Health Care Reform in the United States Essay -- health care reform, P

â€Å"We will pass reform that lowers cost, promotes choice, and provides coverage that every American can count on. And we will do it this year.† The preceding is a powerful statement from the newly elected President Barak Obama. One of the main aspects of both political campaigns was health care reform. The above quote shows passion and encouragement, but the quotes about health care do not end there. Georgian republican gubernatorial candidate and health care policy maker John Oxendine expressed: â€Å"Their proposal would virtually devastate the private healthcare sector in this country along with competition and patient choice, by replacing it with bureaucratic planning and government control. The result of this plan and its one trillion dollar price tag will bring harm to those the president and Congress are ostensibly trying to help.† Furthermore, another powerful statement was issued by the speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi: â€Å"I th ink it is pretty clear that we want a strong public option in the legislation. Insurance company’s full force carpet-bombing and shock and awe against the public option — so much so that the American people doubt the plan or are uncertain about it, until you tell them what is in it.† These three powerfully worded quotes embody the argument that is being derived on Capitol Hill. It is almost hard to conceive that one document can be perceived in such a wide variety of ways. This pending reform is important to every United States Citizen. As the debate climaxes over the next few months, words will be put into votes. It’s clear that everyone has an opinion about how health care reform should or should not work, but the real question is who will be the loudest in the end. The ... ...and generous health care to a people that are fed up! With already partisan action in the House of Representatives that passed the first ever health care reform legislation to the Senate, Americans are closer than ever to having safe and affordable health care. As the college age population enters the work force and starts a family, there is still that uncertainty of where all this talk will lead. Will they be faced with insurmountable debt by big business pleasing deputies of our government, or will they finally wake up one day health care cost free, healthy individuals and look back on the greatest fight in American politics since the drawing of the actual constitution itself. America needs the public option and more control over the health care industry! Over the coming weeks, that dream will turn more and more from the â€Å"Yes we can† to finally, â€Å"Yes we did!†

Friday, October 11, 2019

How does Steinbeck use characters in the novel Essay

â€Å"Of Mice and Men† is a novel about two migrant workers, George and Lennie and their travels to a ranch and their time spent there. The novel is set in Soledad during the 1930s Depression. Steinbeck presents the theme loneliness through the use of the characters. The men at the ranch are lonely because they spend the majority of their time travelling from one ranch to another therefore they don’t have time to settle and build friendships. At the time the novel was set the US was suffering from the Great Depression, this was caused by the Stock Market crash in 1929 and this crippled that nation’s economy. These economic problems aggravated a host of social problems, including, unemployment, poverty; Breakdown of families and homelessness, resulting in an increase in loneliness. George one of the novels main protagonist travels around with Lennie as his companion, George is still lonely because Lennie is mentally handicapped therefore George cannot have conversation and devotes the majority of his energy in looking after Lennie and keeping him out of trouble, â€Å"But he gets into trouble alla time because he’s so God damn dumb.†. This clearly shows George’s frustration towards Lennie for continually getting into trouble. â€Å"George fell silent. He wanted to talk. Slim neither encouraged or discouraged him.† This displays George’s desperation to talk to someone as he as gone so long without a normal conversation. Candy is an old swamper with one hand; he has an old blind dog which is his last possession and only companion. This shows that Candy was dependent on the dog for company and the dog was dependent on Candy to survive as the dog was unable to do anything for itself. Candy was already lonely and on his own and he knew that as soon as he became unable to clean the ranch he would be sacked because he would have become useless. â€Å"Jus’ as soon as I can’t swamp out no bunk houses they’ll put me on the county.† This explains what he feels will happen to him when he can no longer clean and he believes that he will be sacked and kicked out. He feels this way before his dog is killed, once his dog has been shot his whole world crashed down in front of him, and he wants to be shot just like his dog. â€Å"When they can me here I wisht somebody’d shoot me.† He believes that he no longer has a purpose in life. I think Steinbeck included the shooting of candy’s dog in the novel because it shows how candy’s life deteriorates after the painful loss of his only companion. The shooting symbolises how people during that time became dependent on possessions such as dogs for companionship, and how when these things are taken away peoples lives are destroyed, because they have become reliant on their dogs for such a long time, due to the depression they have been unable to build friendships because of the endless travelling from job to job. And this is reflected in the novel because George and Lennie have been moving from job to job. Crooks is a black stable-buck, he is extremely lonely because he is segregated from the other workers and has no choice but to live alone in the stable. â€Å"Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black.† This shows his loneliness, because he is not allowed to interact with the white workers because he is black. Steinbeck has presented Crooks as a character with a crooked back. â€Å"His body was bent down to the left.† This makes him appear as if he is bowing to every one else in the play, this shows his lower status which could suggest a lower class, which increases his loneliness. At the time the novel was written black people were segregated from white members of society and could be arrested for insignificant things, also the KKK (Klu Klux Klan) were known to kill black people frequently, for no reasons at all. I believe that Steinbeck has used characters effectively to explore how migrant workers in this time were lonely and desperate for companionship. He incorporates cultural factors in the novel through the different characters to explore loneliness from different perspectives.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Customer Service Provided

Customer service provided by Co-operative travel and Thomas Cook * Individuals * Groups * People of different cultures * Non-English speakers * People with specific needs * Business men and women. * Internal Thomas Cook: Individuals Thomas Cook needs to provide excellent customer service to a wide range of customers with different expectations and needs, by providing the right holiday for all customers. They also arrange singles holidays where individuals can enjoy the company of many other individuals on their holiday.Most of the customers that book individual holidays are business men and women who may require accommodation with services such as telephone/modem link, wake up calls and newspapers. Groups Thomas Cook provides discounts for group holidays if a group has 9 or more travelling. This discount is normally provided by the tour operators therefore the holiday must be booked directly with the organisers of that particular holiday.Any holidays booked for a group that consists of families will have to take into consideration the different ages and gender of the people travelling because they will require a range of activities to suite everyone. Thomas Cook have to make sure they are meeting the individual needs as well as the needs of the group. Group discounts will also be given to educational bookings e. g. euro Disney provide educational weekends which can be booked through travel agents. People of different culturesThomas Cook have to make sure they accommodate for people of all cultures e. g. some religions don't eat beef, so for their in-flight meals they will have to make sure the food contains no beef at all. Also they have to make sure that they do not use any offensive or inappropriate language, attitude and moral behaviour. It is also the responsibility of Thomas cook to tell customers about the culture of the country that the customer is travelling to e. g. when my auntie went to Egypt she was told to cover her body, as in some parts of Egypt she may be harassed.

Seamus Heaney Clearances Poems

The â€Å"Clearances† collection is an insight into Seamus Heaney and his mother’s relationship, it deals with his mother who is deceased , sonnet 3 is set in the past, it deals with distant past and the author’s link to his mother’s family history which he is not directly part of. The sonnet is relatively staright forward, In the first eight lines we are given a simile describing the potatoes peeled: †¦ let fall one by one Like solder weeping off the soldering iron:Next is a metaphor describing the peeled potatoes sitting in a bucket of clean water: Cold comforts set between us, things to share / Gleaming in a bucket of clean water In â€Å"When all the others were away at Mass† Heaney moves from the distant past of the first two quatrains, through a telling break in lines, the into a place nearer the present in the final quatrain. But this present reality is too much to bear, and he retreats again to the past in the final couplet.In this way memory serves as a shield to protect him from his mother's death. Onomatopoeia is used with little pleasant splashes. There is a pivotal shift found at the beginning of the ninth line, where the scene changes in the writer's memory, to fast forward to his dying mother's bedside. A metaphor (and idiom) is used with: â€Å"Went hammer and tongs at the prayers for the dying,† indicating that the priest is working energetically administering the late rites.In line thirteen, beautiful imagery is used in remembering how they peeled the potatoes together â€Å"†¦ our fluent dipping knives. † Also, in this last section (known as the â€Å"sestet†), we hear end rhyme used twice, where it has not been used before, perhaps providing an auditory focus for the listener to tie the â€Å"before† memory with the â€Å"last† memory: â€Å"dying†¦ crying,† and â€Å"knives†¦ lives. † The pace of the first sonnet is maddening, while the r hythms of the third sonnet are warm, inviting and endearing.The poem possesses a power that portrays the haze of his memory whilst presenting darker imagery of his mother’s death. Despite this the true reveal of the close bond shared by both mother and son is seen most apparent in sonnet 3, whereby Heaney describes the activities shared between them on times where it was just ther two of them alone. In sonnet 3, he mentions himself and his mother preparing Sunday Dinner ‘I was all hers as we peeled potatoes’. ‘They broke the silence, let fall one by one’.The close bond between them is easily spotted here as peeling potatoes is seen as a feminine image, yet Heany is eager to help and share quality time with his mother, emphasising the importane she has in his life. The fact there is silence also indicates their loving relationship, as neither feel the need to speak and are bothe just enjoying each others company. ‘From each other’s work w ould bring us to our senses’, this yet again shows the unifying element between the both of them, almost as if part of one another, showing how alike they are.The change in the mood in the second stanza emphasises Heaney’s great pain at the loss of his mother. Yet, despite this they are still as united as they were in the first stanza , ‘her breath is mine’ once again highlighting the love shared between the two of them. The final line is a confirmation of the bond between Heaney and his mother as he feels the closest he has ever felt at a time when he should feel distanced by her death, ‘never closer the whole rest of our lives’

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Module 3 - SLP Biotechnology and Reproductive Rights Essay

Module 3 - SLP Biotechnology and Reproductive Rights - Essay Example ncy on medical grounds when the pregnancy will certainly cause grave mental and physical health problems to the mother or when the child will suffer from similar consequences (Greenwood, 2001). The main ethical considerations taken into account by physicians before performing an abortion is the well-being of the mother as well as the child. If the continuation of the pregnancy possesses increased physical as well as mental risk to the mother which is also confirmed through concrete medical diagnosis physicians would consider abortion as a viable option (Hewson, 2001; Trupin, 2012). There are several maternal illnesses that when diagnosed during pregnancy can affect the health of the mother if the pregnancy is carried to term. Malignant diseases such as cancer could pose a significant health risk to both the mother and the developing fetus (Trupin, 2012). In the Abortion Act of many countries such conditions are deemed to be ethical for performing an abortion. Conditions such as untre ated eclampsia might give rise to significant health risks to both the mother and the child. In such cases a late abortion could be considered by the treating physicians. The environmental conditions of the women and her family will also be considered by physicians before making a decision. Apart from maternal factors congenital abnormalities of the child is also often considered for performing abortions. When such anomalies are detected during routine prenatal tests a decision on whether to perform an abortion could be made based on the religious and personal views of the parents (Hewson, 2001; Trupin, 2012). Studies estimate that about 3-5% of all newborns have some form of birth defects and most of which can be detected during prenatal testing. These include chromosomal or genetic disorders, developmental problems due to fetal or maternal infections, and drug effects that could be to the growth of the child (Trupin, 2012). More recently people from the medical and legal fraternit y

Monday, October 7, 2019

Exporing the properties of gases Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Exporing the properties of gases - Lab Report Example ain objectives of these experiments were to develop skills in performing simple gas phase experiment, determine the effects of variations in the three variables of an ideal gas and test the formulated hypothesis. Our first hypothesis was that the pressure of a given volume of gas increases with a decrease in the gas volume at a constant temperature. Our second hypothesis was that increase in temperature of an enclosed gas sample increases the pressure exerted by the gas at a constant volume. Our final hypothesis stated that the volume of any gas increases with an increase in temperature at a constant pressure (Daniel et al 275). Boyle’s law experiment was done to study the relationship between volume of a given gas and its pressure at a constant temperature. The syringe plunger was pressed to increase the pressure as the volume decreased. The pressure was recorded using the pressure sensor. Charles law experiment was done to study the relationship between volume of a given gas sample and its temperature on a constant pressure. Gay-Lussac’s law experiment was done to study the relationship between the temperature of an enclosed gas sample and the pressure exerted at a constant volume (Daniel et al 275). Test of our hypothesis gave positive results hence our hypothesis were adopted. It was discovered that decrease in volume of a given gas increase the gas pressure at a constant temperature Increase in temperature led to increase in volume of a given gas at constant pressure and pressure increase with increase (Daniel et al 275). Gas is one of the states of matter besides liquids and solids. There are very many types of gases some of which are poisonous while others are not. A gas like Hydrogen Sulphide is very poisonous while oxygen gas is not poisonous. All the gases have varying pH values whereby some are acidic, neutral or basic but not both. Gases like CO2, O2, H2 and N2 among others are found naturally on the environment (Daniel et al 275). The ideal gas

Sunday, October 6, 2019

Boys N the Hood Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Boys N the Hood - Movie Review Example Explanation Problems in getting jobs, provocative behaviors in the society and lawless constitutional processes can have detrimental effects on the lives of youth especially of the black people in the American society. This phenomenon is increasing and flourishing in America and it is named as â€Å"America Blaxploitation† in the article Ghettos and Barrios. The movie named â€Å"Boys n the hood† always depicts the same issues taking place in Lon Angeles by showing a boy who got stuck in the criminal gangs of the streets which have nothing to do except for street robberies and fights with the thugs and taking revenge. The theme of the movie is to show that there is no end to the violence and street fighting. The swift ghettoization of the American society is giving emergence to cities within cities and there a lack of write of government. Many of the youth are compelled to join the street clubs as depicted in the movie. In the movie, the child who left her mother and ca me to the father with an intention of a good prospect and future was unable to do so initially because of the bad company. The company compelled him to join the fighting clubs and criminal gangs in the name of â€Å"negro rights†. There is an increasing feeling of deprivation among the black community in America because the governments are not working according to the constitution and the racism is increasingly getting effective day by day. The criminal gangs are making â€Å"city within a city† and he gives the root cause behind this problem as jobless communities and young people who are in search of fame and good career but unable to do so. The movie reflects the urban ghetto cultures which are filled with violence, drugs gentrification due to many problems in real life and anxieties in the society. It was an effort to surface the problem of grave magnitude on the big screen in order to gain the attention of the masses and show them the real happenings in the main s tream cities of America like Los Angeles. It does not only portray the problems of the black rather it also gave a solution to the problem. At the end of the movie, it is shown that if any person wants to avoid the violence and fight, he can do that by simply educating himself in the alignment of the contextual backgrounds of the society. Statements on the big screen of the movie as â€Å"one out of twenty black American gets murdered† and Doughboy (a character in the movie who is into excessive violence and drugs) saw his brother being buried in front of his eyes and he also gets murdered some days ago tries to magnify the effects of mass murdering and negro problems in the American society. According to William Julius Wilson, in the post war scenario, the exodus of the white non poor population from the neighborhoods of the African American people caused great segregations and classification among the society and there were no efforts from the governments to bridge this gap . As a result, the ghetto places felt a feeling of deprivation and they took the method of getting the needs by force rather than by debate and knowledge (McWhorter, 73). Conclusion The segregation and racism can only be depleted in the American s

Saturday, October 5, 2019

WILL THE NEW ARCHITECTURAL ICONS CARRY THE SAME INTRINSIC ROLE IN Essay

WILL THE NEW ARCHITECTURAL ICONS CARRY THE SAME INTRINSIC ROLE IN DEFINING CITIES - Essay Example 11-12, 2007) Moreover, since antiquity until present, humans have advanced significantly in every sector, and so, humans have achieved pinnacle by the advancement in architectural designs, which can be noted by observing existing modern architectural icons, as well as, designs and plans of future architectural icons that are being built in different parts of the globe. It is observed that technology has become an important tool of humans, which is being used intellectually and imaginatively by ingenious and inspiring architects around the globe. As time is passing by, more and more improvement is being made in technological sector, as well as, in the architectural sector. On the other hand, environmental resources are reducing rapidly due to excessive utilization of humans for their personal purposes. (Ford, pp. 34-37, 2004) In this regard, it is a debatable topic whether new architectural icons will be able to carry the same intrinsic and natural role that was carried by historical architecture in the absence of technological tools and tactics. Studies have indicated that a number of factors are affecting the architectural discourse, such as technology, economy, and especially, culture. All these factors are shaping the contemporary modes and designs of architectural outcomes, and this paper will discuss whether new architectural icons that will be outcome of these factors will be able to acquire an intrinsic value, or natural relation will eliminate in few years. Experts have indicated that culture plays a significant role in the creation of any architectural icon, as it facilitates the specific place in expressing its cultural identity to other parts of the globe. In this regard, it is very essential for an architect to relate with the historical architectural icons, in order to continue the relation according to some experts. On the other hand, some other experts argue that it is not essential to relate with historical architectural icons, and a new

Friday, October 4, 2019

Critique of the play OEDIPUS REX Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critique of the play OEDIPUS REX - Essay Example It is the prophecy on which, the story is based. It is linked to the topic of the paper, as it is the main prophecy. According to the prophecy told to Laius, the child who was born in Laius’s home was to kill his father at maturity and will regard this act as an accomplishment. Jocasta treated this prophecy as a lie told by the soothsayer as according to her knowledge, robbers killed her husband. This is again the prophecy that Oedipus listened before but Jocasta is not aware of the truth. This relates to the topic, as it is again a prophecy told a long time ago and matches Teiresias’s prophecy. Oedipus informs Jocasta about his wretchedness as according to a prophecy, it was in his fortune to be banished from his native land and stay away from his parents. He has to leave his beloved ones only because of a prophecy that told him that he would kill his father and marry his mother. This quotation is linked to the topic because it is again a prophecy due to which, Oedipus has to travel to another land by leaving his parents who have fostered him. It is this fear due to which, the prophecy comes out to be true. Oedipus laments on listening to the truth and speaks about his worsened state. He says that everything told to him is true and he is a cursed creature because his birth, his kingdom and his wedding, all were for his ill fate. He took birth with bad luck, killed his father and was involved in an incestuous relationship with his mother due to which, he thought that he is cursed trice. This quote is important for the story as it proves the prophecy to be true. This is related to the topic, as the prophecy mentioned earlier is proved true

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Prevalence of smoking and drinking Essay Example for Free

Prevalence of smoking and drinking Essay Adolescence, from Latin word adolescere which means â€Å"to grow up† is a transitional stage of physical and psychological human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood. It is most closely associated with teenage years. Adolescence is further divided into three more stages, the early (12-14 years old), middle (15-17 years old) and late adolescence (18-20/21 years old). In each stage of human development, there are physical, emotional and physiological changes that happen. This is based from the concept that humans have developmental tasks that should be accomplish per stage. In the adolescence stage, adolescents are in critical stage because teenagers are exposed to a larger environment (Macmillan Dictionary for Students, 1981). Background of the study Nowadays, teenagers that are exposed to different environment are now engaged to smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages for some reasons. The strong association between binge drinking and smoking among adolescents may be attributable, in part, to the fact that both adolescent alcohol use and tobacco use share a number of sociocultural risk factors. Researchers have found that these factors—including family and peer influences, demographics, advertising, economics, and alcohol and tobacco availability—are associated with adolescents’ initial and continued tobacco and alcohol use (Bobo, J. and Corinne Husten, 2000). According to the U. S. Surgeon General Report (1994), approximately 80% of adult smokers started smoking before the age of 18. Every day, nearly 3,000 young people under the age of 18 become regular smokers and an estimated 2. 1 million people began smoking on a daily basis in 1997. More than half of these new daily smokers were younger than age 18. This translates to more than 3,000 new youth smokers per day. The rate of youth initiation of daily smoking increased somewhat from 55. 5 to 74. 9 per 1,000 potential new users between 1991 and 1996, but remained level in 1997 (the 1998 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse). It is said that young people who come from a lowincome family and have fewer than two adults living in their household are especially at risk for becoming smokers and those with poorer grades and lower self-images are most likely to begin. using tobacco. Over the past decade, there has been virtually no decline in smoking rates among all teens. Among black adolescents, however, the prevalence of smoking has declined dramatically. Most young people who smoke are addicted to nicotine and were reported that they want to quit but are unable to do so (Statistics on Teens, 1994). In 2002, Komro and Toomey said that alcohol use by underage drinkers is a persistent public health problem in the United States, and alcohol is the most commonly used drug among adolescents. Accordingly, numerous approaches have been developed and studied that aim to prevent underage drinking. Alcohol use initiation rates for children rise quickly from age 10 up to about age 13, when they reach more than 50 percent. Subsequently, initiation rates begin to slow again (Kosterman, R. et al. , 2000). Moreover, alcohol is the most commonly used drug among adolescents. According to Epstein, J. et al. , alcohol use continues to be an important public health problem. Recent national survey data indicate that 41% of current 8th graders, 62% of 10th graders, 73% of 12th graders and 85% of college students have used alcohol. Even more troubling is that 11% of 8th graders, 22% of 10th graders, 25% of 12th graders and 40% of college students reported heavy episodic drinking. Domingo and Marquez found large gender differences in the risk-taking behaviors among Filipino adolescents and youths. Men are much more likely than women to drink, smoke, and use drugs. The large gender difference in risk-taking behavior among adolescents and youths is rather common in Asian countries but not in the U. S. In our case, The Philippines has no national law regulating smoking and sale of tobacco products. There is no minimum age requirement for the purchase of cigarettes and no law regulating the advertising and promotion of cigarettes. There is no law that requires the printing of warning labels on cigarette packages. Instead, the National Tobacco Administration (NTA) is supposed to protect and promote the â€Å"balanced and integrated growth† of the tobacco industry. Despite the results of a survey which say that 72 per cent of the polled adult population was supportive of having a legislation banning smoking advertisements. There are more restrictions on drinking than smoking especially of the minors. Those who are less than 18 years old are 2|Page prohibited from purchasing or drinking alcoholic drinks. However, the enforcement of this regulation is weak (Choe, M. and Corazon Raymundo, 2001). Objectives This study aimed to determine the prevalence of smoking and drinking of alcoholic beverages among senior high school students specifically: 1. to compare the prevalence of smoking and drinking of alcoholic beverages between senior students of public and private high school; 2. to contrast the occurrence of smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages among senior high school males and females; 3. to identify and rank the reasons why senior high school students smoke and drink alcoholic beverages; 4. to determine the awareness status of senior high school students in terms of the effects of smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages on their physiological health; and 5.to identify the effect of smoking and drinking of alcoholic beverages on the socialization of senior high school students. Review of Related Literature There are different factors affecting different behaviors of adolescents. One social theory studied by Travis Hirschi (1969) is a more general explanation of deviance than deterrence theory, but which is, in turn, primarily restricted to informal social control which comes from individuals being bonded to groups and institutions. 1236 grade 9-13 students from 62 randomly selected classrooms in 3 Canadian schools in the Borough of East York, 1 of Metropolitan Torontos 6 municipalities, were surveyed in December 1994 about their alcohol drinking beliefs and behaviors, and related lifestyle behaviors. Findings are based upon the analysis of data from 628 boys and 608 girls, of whom 799 were born in Canada. 24% of the students reported never having tasted alcohol, 22% had tasted alcohol but were not current drinkers, 39% were current moderate drinkers, 11% drank at 3|Page least 5 drinks per occasion at least once per month, and 5% did not answer. The most often stated reasons for not drinking were family upbringing and they believed adverse effects of alcohol consumption upon health, while the most often stated reasons for drinking were because it is an enjoyable experience and to get into a party mood. Respondents drinking patterns were significantly related to gender, ethnicity, grade, and the reported drinking habits of parents and friends. Older male adolescents who describe themselves as Canadian are more likely to drink heavily than are students who are younger or female, or self-identify as Asian or European. Current heavy drinkers are at greater risk than other students of engaging in other high-risk behaviors such as drinking and driving, riding with an intoxicated automobile driver, and smoking every day (Feldman et al. , 1999). In one of the surveys in US, half of respondents knew of a place near their school where kids could go to drink and get high during the school day, according to the yearly back-to-school survey, which polled 1,003 12-to-17-years old. And more than one-third said that students had ample opportunity during the school day to drug, drink and smoke without getting caught. Drug use in both public and private schools is on the rise, with 54 percent of private high school students reporting that drugs are available in their schools versus 24 percent in 2002 and 61 percent of students at public schools saying their schools are drug infected, compared with 46 percent in 2002. The researchers looked closely at the role of social media in teen substance use and found 75 percent of surveyed 12 to 17-year-olds said seeing pictures of teens partying with alcohol or marijuana on social networking sites such as Facebook or MySpace encourages them to party similarly (Gardner, 2012). Forty-five percent of teens almost 11 million said they have seen such pictures online and 47 percent of those teens said that it seems like pictured teens are having a good time. Teens who have seen these pictures were found to be four times more likely to have used marijuana, more than three times likelier to have used alcohol, and almost three times more likely to have used tobacco (CBSnews, 2012). 4|Page In the awareness of teenagers on the health risks of smoking and drinking, it was found in one of the studies that teenagers think that smoking is more dangerous than smoking. Teen smoking has declined in all three grades included in the study—grades 8, 10, and 12. Still, almost 19 percent of 12th graders reported current (past-month) cigarette use. This decline shows that more teens realize the harm smoking does to your body and are making the decision not to start. Also, teens’ attitudes about smoking have changed. They increasingly prefer to date nonsmokers and believe smoking to be a dirty habit. Likewise, among nearly all grades, trends over the past 5 years showed significant decreases in alcohol use, including first-time use, occasional use, daily use, and binge drinking. As with smoking, this decline may be the result of more teens understanding the risk of drinking alcohol and disapproving of this behavior (The Sara Bellum Blog, 2012). How teenagers feel about themselves plays a significant role in whether they choose to drink or use other drugs, according to a new report released today by SADD and Liberty Mutual Group. The Teens Today 2003 study also reveals that a teen’s Sense of Self, can influence sexual behavior, reaction to peer pressure, and, importantly, be affected by a teen’s relationships with parents (Henderson and Greenberg, 2004). Research has shown that the media over estimates smoking rates and often associates smoking with favorable attributes or situations. Given that the media plays a large role in influencing youth culture, portrayal of smoking in the media is of concern. In order to explore young people’s perceptions of smoking imagery in the media, 16 focus groups were conducted with 117 school students. Participants were asked to rate smoking images selected from audiovisual and print media, and to discuss their perceptions of these images. The results showed that young people perceived smoking in these media selections to be normal and acceptable. They identified with the stress relieving and social aspects of smoking, despite being well aware of the harmful health effects. Its acceptability as part of a ‘cool’ image was also noted. Positive images of smoking in the media have the potential to down play the serious health consequences of smoking by portraying it in a way that young people interpret as a 5|Page normal part of everyday life. They may also encourage a more neutral or tolerant attitude towards smoking among young people and therefore act to counteract other health promotion efforts to reduce teenage smoking (Watson et al., 2003). 6|Page METHODOLOGY The Participants In the study of determining the prevalence of smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages among senior students from private and public high schools, a total of forty senior high school students, twenty students comprising of ten male and ten female students from public high school and twenty students comprising of ten male and ten female students from private high school were randomly asked to answer the questionnaires provided by the group. The public school was a public national high school located in Los Banos, Laguna. On the other hand, the private school is a registered private non-sectarian high school in Los Banos, Laguna as well. The respondents have a mean age of 16 years old, ranging from 15-18, having a mode of 16. Measures The most commonly used and most frequently self devised measuring instrument, the questionnaire was used simply to obtain information directly from subject as to make a standardized list of factual information or elicited application that was generalized to a larger population. A one-shot survey questionnaire was used as the research instrument in the study of determining the prevalence of smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages among senior students from private and public high schools. It is a usual study design where a single group of individuals is selected for observation over a single, limited time period, usually because they have experienced some factor taken as important in shaping some outcome (Kelly, 2012). And according to Jupp (2012), it is akin to one-off crosssectional design. As shown in Appendix A, a letter to the respondent identifying our topic and informing our objectives were told. Moreover, see Appendix B for the complete copy of the questionnaire used in the study. 7|Page The questionnaire was divided into three parts: Personal information, Physiological status and Lifestyle, and Social Aspect. The Personal information section was used for determining the age, sex, type of school, religion, and parents’ civil status. While in the physiological status and lifestyle section, this would tell us how often the students from private and public schools smoke and drink alcoholic beverages. Also, to find out if the students were aware of the effects that these specific vices can contribute to their health condition. Lastly, the way of smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages of the students in terms of having a companion or not while smoking and/or drinking and the perceptions of parents and themselves were determined in the Social Aspect section. The Setting The researchers had entrusted the set of questionnaires to one of the respondents from public and one from private high schools. They were the ones who distributed the set questionnaires to their fellow senior high school classmates. The respondents were a given a whole day time to answer the survey questionnaire. The two entrusted students collected all the completely answered survey questionnaires at the end of the day. Data Analysis In the process of obtaining, the questionnaires were made, distributed and collected again. For a more simple analysis of the data collated, tallying was made in a tabulated manner. The data obtained were computed to get the percentage by dividing the number of score with the sum total of scores and then multiplying it by 100% using the formula: P = f / N x 100% Where: P – Percentage N – Total number of respondents F – Frequency 8|Page And lastly, for an easier glance to the data collected, it will have a graphical presentation in a form of bar graph, pie chart and other usual graphical ways to present the data. In order to identify the reasons why they smoke and what they think their parents perceive them a list of possible choices were mentioned in the questionnaire. These reasons were ranked 1 to 3 by the respondents who are smoking and/or drinking alcoholic beverages. In order to evaluate the rankings, an improvised rubric is formulated. Every number (rank) has an equivalent vote just to differentiate and identify the leading reasons. Rank 1 – 3 points Rank 2 – 2 points Rank 3 – 1 point The highest vote will be assigned as the top reason while the others will be ranked according to the accumulated votes. The tabulated rank can be found on the results and discussion. Other data, including the occurrence, prevalence, frequency, reasons, and perceptions of male and female senior students smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages among private and public high schools were tabulated and graphed in order to see the comparison. While in determining the awareness of the students if smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages had an effect on their health condition, and if they were able to gain friends were in a form of poll. 9|Page RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The prevalence of smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages among senior students of public and private high school were determined and observed. As seen in Table 1, the total number of students smoking is 3, with 2 females and 1 male in public school. While 4 students, with 3 males and 1 female in private school. Among the 40 students, 7 of them were smoking. Table 1. Number of male and female students smoking in private and public high schools Public Private Subtotal Male 1 3 4 Female 2 1 3 3 4 7 TOTAL As seen in Table 2, the total number of students drinking alcoholic beverages in public school is 6, with 4 males and 2 females. While there are 9 students drinking alcoholic beverages in private school. Among the 40 students, 15 of them were drinking alcoholic beverages. Table 2. Number of male and female students drinking alcoholic beverages in private and public high schools Public Private Subtotal Male 4 6 10 Female 2 3. 5 6 9 15 TOTAL 10 | P a g e The occurrence of male and female students smoking in public and private high school students is shown in Fig. 1. It was observed that there’s a higher number of smoking students in male category in private school. While, there is a higher number of smoking students in female category in public school. Moreover, students from private schools are more exposed to smoking. This might be because of the accessibility and affordability. Most private school students are in middle to high class statuses. Smoking 3. 5 3 2. 5 2 Male 1. 5 Female 1 0. 5. 0 Private Public Fig. 1. Occurrence of male and female students smoking in private and public high schools Conversely, The occurrence of male and female students drinking alcoholic beverages in public and private high school students are shown in Fig. 2.. It was observed that there’s a higher number of students drinking alcoholic beverages in male category in private school. While, there is a higher number of students drinking alcoholic beverages in male category in public school. Moreover, students from private schools are more exposed to drinking alcoholic beverages. This might be because of the accessibility and affordability. Most private school students are in middle to high class statuses. 11 | P a g e Drinking 7 6 5 4 Male 3 Female 2 1 0 Private Public Fig. 2. Occurrence of male and female students drinking alcoholic beverages in private and public high schools Table 3. Frequency of male and female students smoking in private and public high schools Daily 1-2 times a week 3-5 times a week Occasionally Public Male | Female | | 2 1 Male || | Female | Subtotal 0 0 Private Subtotal 0 3 1 0 TOTAL 0 5 2 0 12 | P a g e 0%. Smoking 0% 29% Daily 1-2x a week 3-5x a week Occasionally 71% Fig. 3. Frequency of male and female students smoking in private and public high schools Table 4. Frequency of male and female students drinking alcoholic beverages in private and public high schools Daily 1-2 times a week 3-5 times a week Occasionally Public Male ||| Female | | 4 1 1 Male |||| | | Female | | | Subtotal 0 | Private Subtotal 0 5 2 2 TOTAL 0 9 3 3 13 | P a g e Figure 4. Frequency of male and female students drinking alcoholic beverages in private and public high schools 0% Drinking 20%. Daily 1-2x a week 3-5x a week 20% 60% Occasionally Students involved in smoking in private and public high schools had their own reasons why they did the vice. As seen in Table 5, the most voted reason in public high school was to experiment, and the least was because they imitated it from their parents. On the other hand, the most voted reason in private high school was to experiment also and the least was because of losing weight and media influence. 14 | P a g e Table 5. Rank of reasons of male and female students smoking in private and public high schools. Smoking Public Private Rank Votes Reason Rank Votes 6 0 Imitated from parents 2 6 2 5 Peer pressure 3 4 3 3 Media influence (advertisements) 5 0 5 1 Fashionable 4 3 5 1 Form of rebellion 4 3 4 2 Wanting to lose weight 5 0 1 6 To experiment 1 8 18 24 Table 6. Combined ranking of reasons of male and female students smoking in private and public high schools Smoking Rank Reason Votes 1 To experiment 14 2 Peer pressure 9 3 Imitated from parents 6 4 Fashionable 4 4 Form of rebellion 4 5 Media influence (advertisements) 3 6 Wanting to lose weight 2 42. 15 | P a g e Reasons for smoking 7% To experiment 5% 33% 10% Peer Pressure Imitated from parents Fashionable 10% Form of rebellion Media influence 14% 21% Figure 5. Combined ranking of reasons of male and female students smoking in private and public high schools Students involved in drinking alcoholic beverages in private and public high schools had their own reasons why they did the vice. As seen in Table 7, the most voted reason in public high school was to have good time with friends, and the least was because of boredom and form of rebellion. On the other hand, the most voted reason in private high school was to have good time with friends also and the least was because of boredom and form of rebellion also. 16 | P a g e Table 7. Rank of reasons of male and female students drinking alcoholic beverages in private and public high schools Drinking Alcoholic beverages Public Rank Vote Private Reason Rank Vote 1 13 To have good time with friends 1 17 3 5 To experiment, to see what it’s like 2 10 5 2 To feel good, get high 4 7 4 4 Because it tastes good 6 4 2 9 To relax or relieve tension 3 9 7 0 Boredom. 7 0 5 2 To get away from my problems 5 6 7 0 Form of rebellion 7 0 7 0 Influenced by alcoholic parents 8 0 6 1 To get to sleep 7 1 7 0 To fit with a group I like 8 0 7 0 Anger or frustration 8 0 36 54 17 | P a g e Table 8. Combined ranking of reasons of male and female students drinking alcoholic beverages in private and public high schools Drinking Rank Reason Votes 1 To have good time with friends 30 2 To relax or relieve tension 18 3 To experiment, to see what it’s like 15 4 To feel good, get high 9 5 Because it tastes good 8 5 To get away from my problems. 8 6 To get to sleep 2 7 Boredom 0 7 Form of rebellion 0 7 Influenced by alcoholic parents 0 7 To fit with a group I like 0 7 Anger or frustration 0 90 18 | P a g e Reasons for drinking alcoholic beverages 2% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% To have good time with friends To relax or relieve tension 9% To experiment, to see what it’s like 9% 33% To feel good, get high Because it tastes good To get away from my problems 10% To get to sleep Boredom Form of rebellion 17% Influenced by alcoholic parents 20% To fit with a group I like Anger or frustration Fig. 6. Combined ranking of reasons of male and female students drinking alcoholic beverages in private and public high schools High school students are indeed part of the society. However, that does not mean that all of them are aware on certain issues present in the status quo today. Figure7 shows us that in terms of awareness of male and female students in the effects of smoking to the health condition, 95% said that they are aware, and 5% said they are not aware. This just means that even though majority knows that this can affect health condition, there are still young students who are blindly exposed to this habit. Aware Not Aware 95% 5% Fig. 7. Awareness status of male and female students in the effects of smoking to the health condition 19 | P a g e Figure 8 shows us that in terms of awareness of male and female students in the effects of drinking alcoholic beverages to the health condition, 100% said that they are aware. Students were able to identify the negative effects of drinking to health condition. 100% Aware Not Aware Fig. 8. Awareness status of male and female students in the effects of drinking alcoholic beverages to the health condition. While it is important to know the reason why some adolescents smoke and/or drink alcoholic beverages, and after knowing if they were aware that these things affect their health conditions. We also have to look at the perceptions of people around them, and also what they think of themselves. In contrast to awareness of the respondents in the negative effects of smoking and drinking on health condition is their way of performing these vices, either alone, with friends, or both. Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 shows the way of drinking and smoking of public and private high school students respectively. It is observed that 53% or the majority of the students engage in drinking with friends, and 80% of them smoke either alone or with friends. This shows the social aspect of the students with their same age group in doing the said activities. 20 | P a g e Do you drink by yourself or with your friends? 0% Alone 47% With friends 53% Both Fig. 9. Way of drinking alcoholic beverages of male and female students among public and private high schools Do you smoke by yourself or with your friends? 0% 20% Alone With friends Both 80% Fig. 10. Way of smoking of male and female students among public and private high schools. 21 | P a g e Table 9. Perception of smokers and/or drinker of people on them Parents Cool || Friends Self 2 ||| 3 |||| 4 0 || 2 | 1 |||||-|||| 9 |||||-||| 8 |||||-| 6 |||| 4 || 2 |||| 4 Addict Good Bad As seen in Fig. 11, the majority of the students answered COOL as what they think their parents thought of them. The least vote was they thought that their parents think their children were bad. This means that even if they’re doing those kinds of vices, their parents still accept them. What your parents think of you? 9% 10% Cool Addict Good 23% 58% Bad Fig. 11. Perception of the respondents on what their parents think of them as they smoke and drink alcoholic beverages 22 | P a g e On the other hand, the Fig. 12 shows the perception of the respondents on what their friends think of them in engagement of the said vices. 54% think that their friends consider their activity in a good way because it helps them gain friends, to be able to interact, and to socialize well with other people. It is observed that what they think their friends perceive also had the same result as to how they comprehend themselves when they smoke or drink. What your friends think of you? 13% 20% Cool Addict 13% Good Bad 54% Fig. 12. Perception of the respondents on what their friends think of them as they smoke and drink alcoholic beverages It is also important that students can assess themselves even if they are doing some vices. As seen in Figure 13, majority of them still thought that they are good. However, 6% of the students thought they are addicts. Conversely, there is a consensus that 27% thought that they are cool and bad. 23 | P a g e How do you perceive youself? Cool 27% 27% Addict Good 6% Bad 40% Fig. 13. Perception of the respondents on what they perceive on themselves as they smoke and drink alcoholic beverages Perceptions are indeed important. But, it is still significant when it comes to application or reality. Are these students still gain friends after all their vices? In a poll seen in Fig. 14, 9 out of 15 said that they gained friends, and 6 out of 15 said that they did not gain friends. Meaning, there people who discriminate or dislike the vices. Or even if it’s okay for them, it is not proper to be exposed earlier. Did you gain friends? Yes No 60%. 40% 9 out of 15 6 out of 15 Fig. 14. A poll showing the effect of drinking and/or smoking on their socialization Seemingly, many committed smokers and/or drinkers showed that they gained friends after having learning how to smoke and/or drink. However, there are still some who don’t. 24 | P a g e LIMITATION AND SIGNIFICANCE Limitation There are certain problems that were encountered in the study. One of which is that the idea that honesty in answering these questionnaires have suffered. The respondents may or may not answer these questionnaires in full honesty. From here, we may have little discrepancies or percentage errors. Significance The significance of this study is for the teenagers to be aware in terms of the effects of smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages on their physiological health. This study can also help the parents of those teenagers to understand more the point of view of teenagers who are engaged to these activities. They can know the cause why teenagers are into smoking and drinking alcoholic beverage. 25 | P a g e SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS. Summary and Conclusion The study was able to conduct the research on the prevalence of smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages among senior students of public and private high school. 18% of the students in both public and private schools are engaged in smoking; however, there are students in private schools who smoke more than students in public schools. It is concluded that the social status of the students is a common factor since private school students have more access to cigarettes and could afford it than those in public schools. It is also determined that the male students in private schools and the female students in public schools are more prone to the said vice and their main reasons were: (1) to experiment; (2) peer pressure; and (3) imitated from their parents. With regards to their way of smoking, the students’ general frequency is 1-2 times a week, and they usually smoke either alone or with peers. Most likely they tend to smoke with their peers because it is their way of socialization. The students also perceive that they are also likely to gain friends when they smoke. It is concluded that the perception of the students to what their parent think of them is â€Å"in-the-trend† when they are engaged in smoking. The majority thinks that their parents consider them as â€Å"cool† or â€Å"sophisticated†. Aside from that, the respondents think that their friends refer to smoking in a good way, causing them to also perceive the same judgment. To summarize the above statements, it is evident that the students in their adolescent stage have more desire to please their peers rather than their parents because they want to have a sense of belonging and they want to socialize more with people of the same age group. Peers are the most important relationship in the teenage years. They engage in different kinds of activities, and one of those are vices. In this stage, the curiosity level of the person is prominent because he/she is able to perceive different kinds of activities from various types of people. Parents are also a factor because they are the ones who nourish their child’s well-being. What they do causes 26 | P a g e various impacts on the child, causing him/her to either imitate it or not. The social status of the students also has an effect on their engagement in vices; it depends on how well they can afford it and on what terms they could get access. On the other hand, not every student in both public and private high schools is aware that smoking can affect their health condition. 5% of the students are still blindly exposed to the effects of smoking; therefore, it is recommended that both kinds of schools should also give the students more knowledge and expose them.