The Royal British Legion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Royal British Legion - Essay Example It was this royal charter which gives the Legion the prefix 'Royal' in its title. Till date, the Legion is principally a campaigning organization which promotes the wellbeing and welfare of presently serving and retired members of the British Armed Forces. The first campaign of the Royal British Legion pertained to the campaigning for War Disablement Pension cases for war veterans. At present, campaigns of Royal British Legion which are ongoing include advocating for increased research into psychological conditions of  Gulf War syndrome  and for enhanced compensation for the victims of the war. Other campaigns by the organization include upgrading of War Pensions; the expansion of endowment mortgage payment for British military personnel that are serving outside the country. The key objective of the organization is better provision for support of British military personnel that are facing difficulties in resettling back into civilian life. One of the most successful campaigns of the organization is the one in which the Legion organized a fund-raising drive weeks before  Remembrance Sunday. During the course of this campaign supporters of the war veterans were required to wear artificial  red poppies on clothing. It was announced that the proceeds from the sales of the artificial poppy flowers will be donated to charity. Appeals for Charity The organization can use a number of appeals for raising charity. Two forms of marketing objectives can be relevant to this organization. The first one relates to recruitment of volunteers, the second one relates to collection of charity for the objectives of the organization. To increase inflows of charity funds to the organization, the Royal British Legion can organize a festival to commemorate celebrate war veterans. It is proposed that most parts of this festival should be composed of formal. The event can generate revenue for the organization through sale of the attendance tickets or sale of items related to cele brated wars. These wars can depict civilian life during wartime or based on similar themes. Such an event is likely to generate high attention of the prospective target market because it will enable viewers belonging generations that were born after these historic wars – for instance, the World War II – to benefit from the affirmative engagements of those people who want to relive glorified history of the nation. Another appeal for charity which can be used by The Royal British Legion is the support for foreign troops of United Kingdom who are engaged in military combat. The organization can launch an ‘Honor’ campaign which can call on the citizens of United Kingdom both within country and abroad to honor the  military men protecting country’s interest in foreign lands like Afghanistan (Beamish and Ashford, 2009). The objective of the campaign would be gather public support for the issues recognized by the Legion and to promote interests of milita ry men abroad. The same campaign can be used to create support of the federal government, as well, for the troops and to influence government to create laws which are beneficial for the interest of these men. One aspect of this campaign can be seeking priority treatment for military men in hospitals rather than having them to wait for treatment in national institutions. ‘Online Assistance of Military Men’ can be a campaign which can

Authority in One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest Essay Example for Free

Authority in One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest Essay On the surface, Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest seem like two very different films. Loneliness is filmed in black and white and takes place in an English borstal school; Cuckoo’s Nest takes place in an American psychiatric ward and is presented in color. Dig a little deeper, however, and it is clear that these films are actually quite similar. Each film depicts the rebellious protaganists—Colin and McMurphy—attempting to overcome the oppressive figures of authority—the Governor and Nurse Ratched. Because of the nature of the films, viewers are lead to consider Colin and McMurphy heroes and to despise the authorities. While it is hard to deny that the Governor and Nurse Ratched don’t at times take advantage of their jurisdiction, it is also unfair to argue against the fact that they are just two people doing their jobs. Both Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest depict rebels who are doomed. The authorities at the psychiatric ward and the borstal have strict rules and expect Randle Patick McMurphy and Colin Smith to conform to these rules, just as every other patient or student has done. The differences between the tone and outcome of these two films are a result of the differences between the types of characters who represent authority. In Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, authorities are shown to be invasive and aggressive. As Colin mentions in the opening line of the film, his family is always running from the police. Further into the film, a flashback shows a detective tracking Colin down at his house after he steals from a bakery. Before finally catching him, the detective is very persistent in his efforts to catch Colin. This surly man provides a search warrant but is unsuccessful in his attempts to locate the stolen money, so he tells Colin that he will be watching him. The true authority figure in Loneliness, though, is the Governor at Ruxton Towers. The Governor is a nice man with absolute power. At the borstal he runs everything by the book. He holds the boys to very strict rules and standards, from having to wear uniforms to having a monitored sleeping schedule. With the boys living and going to school in the same place, there is really no way of escaping the watch of the Governor. In fact, he even comes into the locker room and has conversations with the boys while they are in the shower. Throughout the film, there are also several religious undertones present in the representation of authority, shown primarily in the singing of the English hymn â€Å"Jerusalem. † The Governor uses conformity as a tool to strengthen his school. His main goal is recognition for the school and for himself. In Cuckoo’s Nest, Nurse Ratched is depicted as a very cold figure. She runs the psychiatric ward with an iron fist. Yes, she answers to the head doctors and has a large staff to help her, but she runs the place. The nurse takes advantage of the vulnerability of her patients. In group ‘therapy’ sessions, she often pushes the men to talk about experiences that they are unwilling to talk about. She uses her friendship with Billy’s mother as a threat in order to get him to cooperate with her. Instead of listening to what McMurphy and the other patients want to do, she pushes her own agenda. When McMurphy and the others want to watch a game of baseball, she won’t let them for the sole purpose of not giving McMurphy what he wants. It seems as though the head doctors (the people who should really be the authority) are oblivious to the actions of Nurse Ratched. In fact, they praise her work and there is no one capable of arguing with them. It is interesting to note that in terms of authority, there is no religious imagery in thie film like in Loneliness. Instead, it is McMurphy who appears Christ-like and takes on ‘disciples. ’ Nurse Ratched uses conformity to get her patients to do as she says. Her goal is to try to ‘fix’ each of them. The Governor is mostly respected by the boys. He’s a nice man, but everyone is afraid of him because of his power, just as employees fear their bosses. They don’t mess with him because they know they can only get so far. He has total control over them because they eat, sleep, and go to school all under his watch. Ruxton Towers is the type of place a teenage boy would want to escape from, but the Governor has made the boys feel as though escape is beyond reality. Nurse Ratched, on the other hand, is not respected by her patients. This is a direct result of her concern with getting people to do as she says rather than gaining their respect. Though she demands to be taken seriously, she rarely is. Her patients are all tired of her oppression but lack the physical and mental capacity to do anything about it. Also, like in Loneliness, her authority is not challenged simply because her subjects are afraid of her. Randle McMurphy and Colin Smith are game-changers. Their arrivals empower their cohorts to act out against the system. We see the authority of the Governor challenged in the food fight scene and the authority of Nurse Ratched challenged in the fishing scene. However, Colin and Randle doom themselves in their final acts of defiance. Colin throwing the race results in his contemptment by the borstal; Randle throwing a party and chocking Nurse Ratched results in his lobotomy. In going against authority, these protagonists are left worse off than they were before. Nurse Ratched and the Governor each bring down the antihero. But does that warrant them heroes? No. It doesn’t make them good or bad. Yes, Nurse Ratched seems evil and the Governor seems overbearing, but we are only viewing them through a lens. They lead a system bad enough for people to want to rebel against it, but maybe that rebellion is against the system and not the characters. These are two characters merely doing their jobs. Their borstal and psychiatric ward are not ones that I would want to be in, but I wouldn’t want to be in any borstal or psychiatric ward. Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest contain similar themes and represent similar figures of authority. Nurse Ratched and the Governor are not the most likeable characters. They desire order and take advantage of their power, and that makes us dislike them. But none of their actions are unprovoked. They have tough jobs and they made mistakes. They’re human.

The History of Writing :: Literature Language Essays

The History of Writing Language existed long before writing, emerging probably simultaneously with sapience, abstract thought and the Genus Homo. In my opinion, the signature event that separated the emergence of palaeohumans from their anthropoid progenitors was not tool-making but a rudimentary oral communication that replaced the hoots and gestures still used by lower primates. The transfer of more complex information, ideas and concepts from one individual to another, or to a group, was the single most advantageous evolutionary adaptation for species preservation. As long ago as 25,000-30,000 years BP, humans were painting pictures on cave walls. Whether these pictures were telling a "story" or represented some type of "spirit house" or ritual exercise is not known. The advent of a writing system, however, seems to coincide with the transition from hunter-gatherer societies to more permanent agrarian encampments when it became necessary to count ones property, whether it be parcels of land, animals or measures of grain or to transfer that property to another individual or another settlement. We see the first evidence for this with incised "counting tokens" about 9,000 years ago in the neolithic fertile crescent. Around 4100-3800 BCE, the tokens began to be symbols that could be impressed or inscribed in clay to represent a record of land, grain or cattle and a written language was beginning to develop. One of the earliest examples was found in the excavations of Uruk in Mesopotamia at a level representing the time of the crystallization of the Sumerian culture.

Lion king

The Lion King was first made in 1994 directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff. The original Disney cartoon of a lion cub blamed for his father's death has been remade into a Broadway musical acclaimed all over the world. The Lion King is a musical based on the 1994 Disney animated film of the same name with music by Elton John. Directed by Julie Taymor, the musical features actors in animal costumes as well as giant, hollow puppets. The show is produced by Disney Theatrical.The director works closely with the performers in the theatre, guiding them in sharping their performance. The director also works closely with the playwright, and is responsible, as well, for coordinating other aspects of the production. When Julie Taymor the director was faced with a problem of whether to create humans or animals playing the part and she decided to make masks that show the animal face, as well as, show the human face giving the character his or her personality.The costumes have a value of their own, adding color, shape, texture, and symbolism to overall effect. Other element such as; make up, hairstyles, mask and personal items like bracelets and necklaces and also very important. As for expressing other animals that are not part of the main cast or to express a certain theme, 2 different kinds of puppetry were used to express an African theme. Masks are considered â€Å"functional works of art† and play a social purpose in Africa.They are used in storytelling and ceremonies and are made to be worn over the head rather than cover the face. This technique is also used in The Lion King so that the human facial expression is not lost and to support the beadwork, corsets and armor used to show the human qualities of a lion. The costumes on the other hand are made of silk cloth to hide the human form, break the shoulder line and to enhance the powerful Joints and thighs. Lion king The Lion King was first made in 1994 directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff. The original Disney cartoon of a lion cub blamed for his father's death has been remade into a Broadway musical acclaimed all over the world. The Lion King is a musical based on the 1994 Disney animated film of the same name with music by Elton John. Directed by Julie Taymor, the musical features actors in animal costumes as well as giant, hollow puppets. The show is produced by Disney Theatrical.The director works closely with the performers in the theatre, guiding them in sharping their performance. The director also works closely with the playwright, and is responsible, as well, for coordinating other aspects of the production. When Julie Taymor the director was faced with a problem of whether to create humans or animals playing the part and she decided to make masks that show the animal face, as well as, show the human face giving the character his or her personality.The costumes have a value of their own, adding color, shape, texture, and symbolism to overall effect. Other element such as; make up, hairstyles, mask and personal items like bracelets and necklaces and also very important. As for expressing other animals that are not part of the main cast or to express a certain theme, 2 different kinds of puppetry were used to express an African theme. Masks are considered â€Å"functional works of art† and play a social purpose in Africa.They are used in storytelling and ceremonies and are made to be worn over the head rather than cover the face. This technique is also used in The Lion King so that the human facial expression is not lost and to support the beadwork, corsets and armor used to show the human qualities of a lion. The costumes on the other hand are made of silk cloth to hide the human form, break the shoulder line and to enhance the powerful Joints and thighs.

Rikki Tikki Tavi Essay

When Ricketier hears Nag and Angina plotting to harm his family, he immediately begins to think of a way to help out, â€Å"Now, if kill him here, Nag an will know; and if I fight him on the open floor, the odds are in his favor. † (Para 54) . This proves bravery because Ricketier is thinking about the wellbeing of his family before he's thinking about his wellbeing and the consequences. Courage is demonstrate dated here because it shows even though that most individuals may think of a moon goose as a small creature, Ricketier demolishes that idea by being brave when it matter the most.While Ricketier is talking with Nag, a slight wave of anger washes over h â€Å"Well,† said Ricketier, and his tail began to fluff up again, â€Å"marks or no marks, do you think it is right for you to eat fledglings out of a nest? † (Para 25). Ricketier stop d up for a friend even though he was unsure about what might happen next. Ricketier w as kind enough to help out somebody he didn't know well. If Ricketier decided to go o n the â€Å"renouncement† path, then he wouldn't have been as willing to step up. These w re just a few examples Of Ricketier showing daring and friendly behavior.In the story, Angina IS determined and protective. In paragraph 88, Angina states that she wants to bite Teddy and his family to get rid of Ricketier. She made a plan and stuck to it. This acknowledges the fact that Angina didn't let her fee r of Ricketier stop her from doing what she wanted to do. Even though people HTH ink of snakes as tough creatures, they do get scared sometimes. The fact that Nag an didn't let fear stop her proves that the size of a person doesn't indicate the size of the argue. Angina is similar to Rollicking because Ricketier kept on trying until reached his goal.As Ricketier tells Angina that he has possession of one of h ere eggs she â€Å"spun clear round, forgetting everything for the sake of the one egg,† (par a 95). The character tr ait, protectiveness, is shown because Angina was willing to Stop important task to save her family. She was brave enough to turn her back in a dangerous situation and was willing to risk herself to save one of her eggs. Risk kiting has a similarity to Angina because he saved his family multiple times even w en it meant danger for him.

Karlas Ghost its a narrative essay

Karlas Ghost its a narrative essay The bell rang, it's the end of fourth period in Lincoln School; just as I'm rushing out of room 206, I bump into a garbage can right in the middle of the hallway! Someone must have been cleaning his or her locker. I'm going through the hallway as if I was being tackle by a football team. As I pass a window I see its sunny and that I will have a nice walk home.Finally I get out of the building, I'm free for about five hoursbut then I notice that my best friend Karla is not here. Everyday we leave together but today she wouldn't be next to me, " I wonder why?" On the weekends we sleep at each other's house, watch the scariest ghost movies and even wear blankets over ourselves with flashlights under them, to pretend we are the ghost, the best, and the greatest ones.karla (alternate head)Even though Karla and I don't believe in ghosts or any other abnormal thing, we still play it. Then on the weekdays we switch clothing styles so our friends will think we buy the same outfits; sometimes we come to school so alike that it's as if we spoke through our thoughts. I decide to take the trip to her house, but she lives to the right of the school, the fastest way is going around the school building.As I walk I see that the trees are calm, I feel being watch but with a comfort of safety, and there is no wind but a breeze now in then. It's the perfect temperature not too hot or too cold, its spring. The little flowers next to the huge rocks are starting to blossom their way to the sun. They seem to open wide and develop a quick fluorescent...

Palenque Aqueduct Systems - Ancient Maya Water Control

Palenque Aqueduct Systems - Ancient Maya Water Control Palenque is a famous Classic Maya archaeological site located in the lush tropical forest at the foothills of the Chiapas highlands of Mexico. It is perhaps best known for the lovely architecture of its royal palace and temples, as well as for being the site of the tomb of Palenques most important ruler, king Pakal the Great (ruled A.D. 615-683), discovered in 1952 by the Mexican archaeologist Alberto Ruz Luhillier. A casual visitor at Palenque today always notices the rushing mountain stream nearby, but that is just a hint that Palenque has one of the best preserved and sophisticated systems of underground water control in the Maya region. Palenque Aqueducts Palenque is located on a narrow limestone shelf about 150 meters (500 feet) above the plains of Tabasco. The high escarpment was an excellent defensive position, important in Classic times when warfare was increasingly frequent; but it also a place with many natural springs. Nine separate watercourses arising from 56 recorded mountain springs bring water into the city. Palenque is called the land where the waters flow out of the mountains in the Popol Vuh, and the presence of constant water even in times of drought was very attractive to its residents. However, with so many streams within a limited shelf area, there isnt a lot of space to put houses and temples. And, according to the archaeologist A.P. Maudsley who worked at Palenque between 1889-1902 when the aqueducts had long since stopped functioning, the water level rose and flooded the plaza and residential areas even in the dry season. So, during the Classic period, the Maya responded to the conditions by constructing a unique water control system, channeling the water beneath plazas, thereby reducing floods and erosion, and increasing living space all at the same time. Palenques Water Control The water control system at Palenque includes aqueducts, bridges, dams, drains, walled channels, and pools; much of it recently discovered as a result of three years of intensive archaeological survey called the Palenque Mapping Project, led by American archaeologist Edwin Barnhart. Although water control was a characteristic of most Maya sites, Palenques system is unique: other Maya sites worked to keep water stored during the dry season; Palenque worked to harness the water by constructing elaborate subterranean aqueducts that guided the stream beneath the plaza floors. The Palace Aqueduct Todays visitor entering the archaeological area of Palenque from its north side is guided on a path that leads her from the main entrance to the central plaza, the heart of this Classic Maya site. The main aqueduct built by the Maya to channel the water of the Otulum River runs through this plaza and a length of it has been exposed, a result of the collapse of its vault. A visitor walking down from the Cross Group, on the hilly southeastern side of the plaza, and toward the Palace, will have the opportunity to admire the stonework of the aqueducts walled channel and, especially during the rainy season, to experience the roaring sound of the river flowing under her feet. Variances in building materials made researchers count at least four construction phases, with the earliest one probably contemporaneous to the construction of the Pakals Royal Palace. A Fountain at Palenque? Archaeologist Kirk French and colleagues (2010) have recorded evidence that the Maya not only knew about water control, they knew all about creating and controlling water pressure, the first evidence of prehispanic knowledge of this science. The spring-fed Piedras Bolas aqueduct has a subterranean channel of about 66 m (216 ft) in length. For most of that length, the channel measures 1.2x.8 m (4x2.6 ft) in cross-section, and it follows a topographic slope of about 5:100. Where the Piedras Bolas meets the plateau, there is an abrupt decrease in channel size to a much smaller section (20x20 cm or 7.8x7.8 in) and that pinched-in section runs for about 2 m (6.5 ft) before it reemerges in an adjacent channel. Assuming the channel was plastered when it was in use, even relatively small discharges could maintain a quite significant hydraulic head of nearly 6 m (3.25 ft). French and colleagues suggest that manufactured increase in water pressure may have had a number of different purposes, including maintaining a water supply during drought, but it is possible that there may well have been a fountain springing upward and outward in a display in Pakals city. Water Symbolism at Palenque The Otulum  River that runs from the hills south of the plaza was not only carefully managed by the ancient inhabitants of Palenque, but it was also part of the sacred symbolism used by the city rulers. The spring of the Otulum is in fact next to a temple whose inscriptions talk about rituals associated with this water source. The ancient Maya name of Palenque, known from many inscriptions, is Lakam-h which means great water. It is not a coincidence, then, that so much effort was put by its rulers in connecting their power to the sacred value of this natural resource. Before leaving the plaza and continuing toward the eastern portion of the site, the attention of the visitors is attracted to another element that symbolizes the ritual importance of the river. A huge carved stone with the image of an alligator is posed on the eastern side at the end of the aqueducts walled channel. Researchers link this symbol to the Maya belief that caimans, along with other amphibian creatures, were guardians of the continuous flow of water. At high water, this caiman sculpture would have appeared to have floated on the top of the water, an effect that still is seen today when the water is high. Fending Off Droughts Although American archaeologist Lisa Lucero has argued that a widespread drought may have caused great disruption at many Maya sites at the end of the 800s, French and colleagues think that when the drought came to Palenque, the below-ground aqueducts could have stored adequate amounts of water to keep the city sufficiently watered even during the severest droughts. After being channeled and running under the surface of the plaza, the water of the Otulum flows down the slope of the hill, forming cascades and beautiful water pools. One of the most famous of these spots is called The Queen Bath (Baà ±o de la Reina, in Spanish). Importance The Otulum aqueduct is not the only aqueduct in Palenque. At least other two sectors of the site have aqueducts and constructions related to water management. These are areas not open to the public and located almost 1 km away from the sites core. The history of the construction of the Otulums aqueduct in the main plaza of Palenque offers us a window into the functional and symbolic meaning of space for the ancient Maya. It also represents one of the most evocative places of this famous archaeological site. Sources Edited and updated by K. Kris Hirst French KD. 2007. Creating space through water management at the Classic Maya site of Palenque, Chiapas. In: Marken DB, editor. Palenque: Recent Investigations at the Classic Maya Center. Lanham, Massachusetts: Altamira Press. p 123-132.French KD, and Duffy CJ. 2010. Prehispanic water pressure: A New World first. Journal of Archaeological Science 37(5):1027-1032.French KD, Duffy CJ, and Bhatt G. 2012. The hydroarchaeological method: a case study at the Maya site of Palenque. Latin American Antiquity 23(1):29-50.French KD, Duffy CJ, and Bhatt G. 2013. The urban hydrology and hydraulic engineering at the Classic Maya site of Palenque. Water History 5(1):43-69.Lucero LJ. 2002. The collapse of the Classic Maya: A case for the role of water control. American Anthropologist 104(3):814-826.Lucero LJ, and Fash BW. 2006. Precolumbian Water Management. The University of Arizona Press, Tucson.

Pedaling vs. Peddling

Pedaling vs. Peddling Pedaling vs. Peddling Pedaling vs. Peddling By Maeve Maddox A reader has asked for a post about the confusion between pedaling and peddling. The only errors I found related to the use of two idioms: â€Å"influence peddling† and â€Å"go pedal your papers†: Incorrect: All I had to do was get close to the power brokers in these foreign countries and report on any  influence pedalling  without compromising my clients confidentiality. Correct : All I had to do was get close to the power brokers in these foreign countries and report on any  influence peddling without compromising my clients confidentiality. Incorrect: She should be in jail for corruption and  influence pedalling.   Correct : She should be in jail for corruption and  influence peddling.   Incorrect: After we  told him  to go  pedal his papers  elsewhere,  he  got on  his  cell phone.   Correct : After we  told him  to go  peddle his papers  elsewhere,  he  got on  his  cell phone. â€Å"To peddle† is â€Å"to sell.† â€Å"To pedal† is â€Å"to push with the foot against a pedal.† influence peddling: the practice of using the influence of wealth or authority to bestow favors or obtain preferential treatment. go peddle your papers: go somewhere else with whatever you are trying to sell. The verb peddle is a backformation from pedlar: â€Å"An itinerant trader or dealer in small goods.† Because a pedlar sells items of insignificant value, the verb peddle connotes disparagement and contempt. Note: The US spelling of pedlar is peddler. The noun pedal, referring to a foot-operated lever on an organ, entered English in the 17th century. The verb pedal, with the meaning â€Å"to push a pedal,† came into use in the late 19th century. When bicycles were invented, the foot levers were named pedals. Two figurative expressions based on the word pedal- soft-pedal and backpedal- derive from two different activities. â€Å"To soft-pedal† comes from music. A piano’s pedals enable the player to soften or muffle the sound produced by the keys. Figuratively, â€Å"to soft-pedal† means â€Å"to reduce in force or effect; to tone down, play down, go easy on.† Here are some examples from the Web: After getting retailers and consumers excited by its commitment to closing the online GST loophole, the Government is again soft pedalling on the issue.   A 1960s movie starring Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty will resurrect the groundless legend of Bonnie Clyde, part Romeo Juliet and part Robin Hood, soft-pedalling the fact that they killed at least 13 police officers and citizens.   The mob-fueled extremism of the Cultural Revolution has been thoroughly rejected by peasant and plutocrat, alike despite propagandistic soft-pedaling in official media. â€Å"To backpedal† comes from cycling. Back-pedaling is the action of pressing down and back on the pedal as it rises, in order to check the movement of the wheel. Figuratively, â€Å"to back-pedal† is to back down from a previous position. Here are some examples: After likening welfare recipients to stray animals, Andre Bauer, the embattled lieutenant governor, is hastily back-pedalling from remarks his rivals have called immoral. In a Rolling Stone interview, Sienna Miller made disparaging remarks about Pittsburg. She has been back-pedalling ever since. Spelling notes: 1. Although pedaling is US spelling and pedalling is British spelling, I noticed the double-l spelling frequently in US publications. 2. The OED shows the verbs as soft-pedal and back-pedal. M-W shows backpedal and soft-pedal. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:12 Signs and Symbols You Should KnowHow to Punctuate Descriptions of Colors35 Synonyms for Rain and Snow

Top Girls by Caryl Churchill Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Top Girls by Caryl Churchill - Essay Example My general thought of the production is that the director did an excellent job in explaining the challenges facing tough women. The play commences in the cafà © where Marlene waits for her friends to arrive to celebrate her success as the boss of the employment agency (Churchill 1982). The women guests explain their experiences prior to attaining their goals. Scene one in Act 2 displays Marlene at the agency working while Scene 2 shows Angie and Kit playing. Angie says that she would kill her mother as she had been sleeping around (Churchill 1982). In Scene 3 Marlene arrives, Nell and Win gossip about the latest in the office. Angie arrives; but is shy in Marlene’s presence. Mrs. Kidd interrupts and requests Marlene to step down from the â€Å"man’s job† for her desperate husband, Howard. Marlene declines Mrs. Kidd’s offer. Nell then arrives with the news that Howard had had a heart attack but Marlene is not moved (Churchill 1982). The final act takes place in Joyce’s kitchen, where Marlene, Joyce and Angie share experiences. Joyce and Marlene are wary that Angie may not m ake much of herself. Joyce is skeptical of her success, but Marlene insists that she will be a successful woman, just like her mother who is revealed to be Marlene (Churchill 1982). The setting played  a more active role in  my experience of the film by crafting a completely simulated world on my understanding of the film. The setting is in Britain where the success of women is regarded stylish and fashionable (Churchill

The Arab Spring Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The Arab Spring - Research Paper Example The Arab Spring came into existence as a response to the lack of political freedom in the various countries in which it has occurred. At first, they were peaceful protests some of which became armed struggles whose aim was to topple the autocratic regimes ruling over these countries. According to Ben-Meir , the rebellion against such governments was due to the fact that instead of taking into consideration the calls of their people to allow them freedom that is more political. These autocratic regimes responded with violence against peaceful protesters, a move that may have been spurred by their conception that their authority was being threatened and that there was a need for them to reclaim such authority by using brute force. The use of force against unarmed civilians led to the discrediting of the legitimacy of such governments and calls for the stepping down of these leaders were made from many international organizations and governments. Moreover, in cases such as Libya and Syr ia, the peaceful protests suddenly became fierce armed rebellions against the government that attacked the unarmed civilians.Jones   states that protesters in the Arab Spring made very good use of modern technology such as social networks in order to organize protests as well as making people outside their countries aware of what was really going on because of the media blackout that had been created by the autocratic regimes. Many of these regimes had banned and continue to ban international journalists from having access.

Liberal Capitalism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Liberal Capitalism - Assignment Example According to Kovel (pp. 45) the shift in business governs, the trend shifted from the usual state capitalism to liberal capitalism. State capitalism refers to when the market and business environments are dominated by the government. It is also characterised by government business emerging in the market and influencing the market structure. In another scenario, state capitalism is whereby the private owned businesses are having their operations fully controlled by the government (Feenberg, pp.98). Some of the operations controlled by the government include credit allocation and investment ventures. Generally state capitalism can be described as a system where the state influences the economic environment to serve its own interest. On the other hand liberal capitalism refers to the market freedom of citizens. This is where individuals in the market environment are given the freedom to make their own decisions, make their own mistakes and chose their own investors. According to Steele (pp, 134) liberalism tends to oppose any government interference in the corporate environment. It advocates for economic liberty to choices and decisions. However, in some scenarios governments give funds to private business people but it does not give them the liberty to control the business persons. In this paper I will focus on proving that liberal capitalism is better than state capitalism. It will also focus on the advantages liberal capitalism has over state capitalism. Liberal capitalism is usually referred to a system which enables creation of wealth. In this case, wealth refers to private property with sole decisions making regarding the wealth. Prior to the establishment of liberal capitalism, many people in the economic environment used to make wealth, but in this case the government was the beneficiary. The government enjoyed and exploited the effort invested in the economic front. All individuals with companies were heavily taxed and had decisions made by the government . The government chose their investors and who to transact business with. This hindered most people from being successful (Kovel, pp.76). Their wealth was a crumb of the cake the government was getting. However, this tendency has taken a major shift. In the modern business environment, entrepreneurs are given the liberty to make wealth and to control their wealth in the corporate environment. The only government interference is based on the taxation basis. This has enabled private owned companies to rise to the limits of the state owned companies. For example, Electronics giant Hauwei has evidence of the growth in private owned companies. Private owned companies have been able to reach the standards of state owned organisation, a trend that has been promoted by liberal capitalism (Feenberg, pp.19). Liberal capitalism stops the government interference and manipulation in the business ventures. For instance, in Bulgaria a business person had to acquire seventeen business permits so th at he could start a business. Bulgarian prime minister was shocked by the events and ordered simplified mode of acquiring business permits (Kovel, pp.213). After the simplified business permit procedure was implemented, many investors and entrepreneurs ventured into the Bulgarian market. This not only promotes local entrepreneurship but also gives back to the growth of economy. In modern day business environm

Reading programs for learning disabled children Research Paper

Reading programs for learning disabled children - Research Paper Example Article # 1 The first article, which I have selected for discussion, is Repeated Reading Intervention for Students with Learning Disabilities: Status of the Evidence. The authors of this article have focused on the need of repetition of the reading intervention for the children. â€Å"For students with or at risk for learning disabilities, developing fluency with reading connected texts remains a formidable challenge† (Chard, Ketterlin-Geller, Baker, Doabler, & Apichatabutra, 2009). The authors have stressed on the use of repeated reading practices that should be designed to provide the children with multiple exposures to the same words. Repeated reading facilitates the students in reading and rereading the same text multiple times (Chard et al., 2009). According to the article, decoding difficulties should also be removed because they make learning process difficult for the students. â€Å"Decoding difficulties limit students' opportunities to read texts, decrease students' exposure to words, limit vocabulary learning, and hamper the development of content-area expertise through reading comprehension† (Chard et al., 2009, p. 263-281). Repeated reading can also be labeled as evidence-based for the students with learning disabilities. The findings of this article show that the repeated reading interventions can play an important role in improving the learning abilities of the children because the children can learn different words and their meanings quickly if they are shown those words repeatedly. The exposure to the same word through different ways can enhance the ability of the brain to capture the image and meaning of that word. The teachers of the learning-disabled children can determine the efficacy of repeated reading approaches in order to bring some improvement in the learning and comprehension skills of the children. For most students, oral reading can be associated with improved fluency and comprehension skills (Chard et al., 2009). The teachers can make great use of repeated reading interventions in the classrooms of the learning-disabled children by creating their lesson plans accordingly. The teachers can use the same words in different scenarios making the children familiar with those words. Chard et al. (2009) state, â€Å"As students repeatedly read the same content, it is likely that they will practice the same words multiple times, increasing the likelihood they'll be able to automatically retrieve those same words in future exposures† (p. 263-281). So, if the teachers give repeated exposure to the same words, the children will be able to understand those words in a very quick manner. Article # 2 The second article, which I have selected for discussion is, Evidence-Based Strategies for Reading Instruction of Older Students with Learning Disabilities. In this article, the authors have found that over a quarter of students from the 8th grade and more than one-third students belonging to the 4th grade a re not able to read well. These students cannot understand their lessons properly and find it difficult to acquire some new knowledge or information from grade-level text. â€Å"For students with lea

In Vitro Fertilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

In Vitro Fertilization - Essay Example It is noteworthy that infertility is a problem affecting both parties in a relationship-male and female. There has been misconception that infertility is only a problem of females alone but this is not the case. Infertility is major problem affecting couples and individuals across the globe in both developed and underdeveloped world as a people have failed to get pregnant or sire because of one reason or another. For instance, it is estimated that at least 10 percent of men and women of reproductive age in the United States cannot conceive as per the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistics (Vorvick). Infertility in both male and female may occur in number of incidences. For instance, infertility in female occurs when the eggs are blocked in ovaries and as such cannot move to the womb. Other incidences occur when the ovaries are incapable of producing eggs, inability of the fertilized egg to survive once it sticks on uterus and finally inability of the embryo to stick on the lining of the uterus. Infertility in a male on the other hand may occur when there is a decrease in the sperm count, sperm is blocked from being released and finally when the sperm released is immatur e and weak. Infertility in both male and female is caused by a number of factors some of which are common while other unique to a particular gender. Key among the factors that cause infertility in female include but not limited to growth in the uterus such fibroids, cancer, autoimmune disorder, excessive exercising, certain medication, obesity, old age, pelvic inflammatory disease, excessive drinking of alcohol, scarring from STI, thyroid disease, hormonal imbalance, pelvic infection and or clotting disorder (Vorvick). Male infertility on the other hand is caused by a number of factors that include but not limited to birth defects, old age, hormonal imbalance, excessive

Photosynthesis Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Photosynthesis - Lab Report Example Leaf discs used in this experiment have chloroplasts and contain the green coloring matter, chlorophyll; therefore photosynthesis takes place in the given leaves under favorable conditions. In this experiment, effects of different colors of light on the rate of photosynthesis will be investigated. The experiment will determine the effects of blue and green light on the rate of photosynthesis in leaf discs of English ivy (Hedera Helix). Energy levels recorded in different colors (wavelengths) of light and absorption of light by a leaf are correlated to the rate of photosynthesis. Blue light has been identified to have a higher absorbance by pigments of photosynthesis in plants and it also has a higher energy wavelength compared to green light. Therefore, leaf disks of English ivy placed in blue light will be expected to have a higher rate of photosynthesis compared to leaf disks of English ivy placed in green light. In the first experiment, we measured the rate of photosynthesis under blue and green lights. For each sample, the rate of photosynthesis was monitored to demonstrate that each color had an effect on the rate with which the discs of English ivy will photosynthesize. Discs under the green light photosynthesized faster than leaf discs under the blue light in this first experiment. Results obtained were believed not to be correct since photosynthesis is supposed to be faster under the blue light. A possible explanation for these results could be that the foils that were used to cover the beakers could have reflected some light therefore making leaf discs under green light to photosynthesize faster compared to those under blue light. A second experiment was conducted since data obtained from the first experiment was not accurate according to hypothesis. Only two beakers were used, one for green light and the other for blue light. The beakers were covered by green and blue circular filters.

In Vitro Fertilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

In Vitro Fertilization - Essay Example It is noteworthy that infertility is a problem affecting both parties in a relationship-male and female. There has been misconception that infertility is only a problem of females alone but this is not the case. Infertility is major problem affecting couples and individuals across the globe in both developed and underdeveloped world as a people have failed to get pregnant or sire because of one reason or another. For instance, it is estimated that at least 10 percent of men and women of reproductive age in the United States cannot conceive as per the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistics (Vorvick). Infertility in both male and female may occur in number of incidences. For instance, infertility in female occurs when the eggs are blocked in ovaries and as such cannot move to the womb. Other incidences occur when the ovaries are incapable of producing eggs, inability of the fertilized egg to survive once it sticks on uterus and finally inability of the embryo to stick on the lining of the uterus. Infertility in a male on the other hand may occur when there is a decrease in the sperm count, sperm is blocked from being released and finally when the sperm released is immatur e and weak. Infertility in both male and female is caused by a number of factors some of which are common while other unique to a particular gender. Key among the factors that cause infertility in female include but not limited to growth in the uterus such fibroids, cancer, autoimmune disorder, excessive exercising, certain medication, obesity, old age, pelvic inflammatory disease, excessive drinking of alcohol, scarring from STI, thyroid disease, hormonal imbalance, pelvic infection and or clotting disorder (Vorvick). Male infertility on the other hand is caused by a number of factors that include but not limited to birth defects, old age, hormonal imbalance, excessive

Competitiveness between both Developing and Developed Nations Research Paper

Competitiveness between both Developing and Developed Nations - Research Paper Example Despite the forces of globalisation, national advantage and locality are among the key factors that determine competitiveness. This paper looks at the evidence from trans-national corporations and specific industries in various nations. Nations like China, Japan, US, UK and Germany. Research shows that global competition has really gone high tech. The competition is very stiff. (Porter, 1998) It is very clear that the factors that determine the competitiveness of nations are quite numerous. When public finances in a nation are mismanaged, and inflation occurs, this highly affects the business environment a great deal. This results in the undermining of incentives that are necessary for investment in the business sector. Other factors include having a quality judicial system within a nation. Training and education within a nation are among the factors that drive competitiveness. Nations that ensure that their labour force is trained and has access to the latest technologies and new kn owledge are normally very competitive. (Peng, 2006) Just as the factors are numerous, they matter quite differently in different nations. This also depends on the nation's stage of development. According to the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI), there are various driving factors that influence the competitiveness in a nation.  The world economic forum has over the years measured the competitiveness of nations in an international environment. The Growth competitiveness index is used to assess the competitiveness of nations. Research reveals that Poland still remains the worst performing nations among European Union nations. It actually ranks forty-eight behind Greece that ranks forty-seven. The Czech Republic ranks twenty-nine while Estonia ranks twenty-five. Poland has got weaknesses in its labour market that is quite rigid. Research shows that unemployment in this nation.

Human right issues Essay Example for Free

Human right issues Essay Indias earliest settlements are believed to have developed in the culture hearths of the Indus Valley around 2600 B.C.E. and in the Ganges Valley around 1500 B.C.E. These societies were mainly composed of ethnic Dravidians who had an economy based on commerce and agricultural trade. Aryan tribes are believed to have then invaded the area after they migrated into the Indian subcontinent from the northwest. It is thought that they introduced the caste system which is still common in many parts of India today. During the 4th century B.C.E, Alexander the Greatintroduced Greek practices into the region when he expanded across Central Asia. During the 3rd century B.C.E, the Mauryan Empire came into power in India and was most successful under its emperor, Ashoka. Throughout subsequent periods Arab, Turkish and Mongol peoples entered India and in 1526, a Mongol Empire was established there, which later expanded throughout most of northern India. During this time, such landmarks as the Taj Mahal were also constructed. Much of Indias history after the 1500s was then dominated by British influences. The first British colony was in 1619 with English East India Company at Surat. Shortly thereafter, permanent trading stations opened in present-day Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata. British influence then continued to expand from these initial trading stations and by the 1850s, most of India and other countries such as Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh were controlled by Britain. By the late 1800s, India began working toward independence from Britain but it did not come until the 1940s however when Indian citizens began to unite and British Labor Prime Minister Clement Attlee began to push for Indias independence. On August 15, 1947, India officially became a dominion within the Commonwealth and Jawaharlal Nehru was named Indias Prime Minister. Indias first constitution was written shortly thereafter on January 26, 1950 and at that time, it officially became a member of the British Commonwealth. Since gaining its independence, India has undergone significant growth in terms of its population and economy however, there were periods of instability in the country and much of its population today lives extreme poverty. Government of India Today Indias government is a federal republic with two legislative bodies. The legislative bodies consist of the Council of States, also called Rajya Sabha, and the Peoples Assembly, which is called the Lok Sabha. Indias executive branch has a chief of state and a head of government. There are also 28 states and seven union territories in India. Economics Land Use in India Indias economy today is a varied mix of small village farming, modern large scale agriculture as well as modern industries. The service sector is also an incredibly large part of Indias economy as many foreign companies such places as call centers located in the country. In addition to the service sector, Indias largest industries are textiles, food processing, steel, cement, mining equipment, petroleum, chemicals and computer software. Indias agricultural products include rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, tea, sugarcane, dairy products and livestock. Geography and Climate of India The geography of India is diverse and can be divided into three main regions. The first is the rugged, mountainous Himalayan region in the northern part of the country, while the second is called the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It is in this region that most of Indias large-scale agriculture takes place. The third geographic region in India is the plateau region in the southern and  central portions of the country. India also has three major river systems which have large deltas that take over a large portion of the land. These are the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers. Indias climate is also varied but is tropical in the south and mainly temperate in the north. The country also has a pronounced monsoon season from June to September in it southern portion. More Facts about India †¢ Indias people are 80% Hindu, 13% Muslim and 2% Christian. These divisions have historically caused tensions between different religious groups. †¢ Hindi and English are Indias official languages, but there are also 17 regional languages that are considered official. †¢ India has several cities that have undergone place name changes such as Bombay being renamed Mumbai. These changes were mainly done in an effort to return the city names to local dialects, as opposed to British translations.

Student Essay -- essays research papers

The current advertising for Target’s CE department is not helping sales. In fact in some cases, it may be hurting sales. This section will address Target’s current advertising strategy and the problems associated with it. Then alternative methods of promoting Target as a credible CE department with large variety of products will be proposed. Target’s commercials are currently showing clips of music videos for approximately 20 seconds, followed by less than a 10 second advertisement announcing that Target carries that particular artist’s CD. This advertisement may be hurting your CE sales. The viewer is made aware of this popular artist’s recent album release, and the consumer’s first thought is not who is carrying it, but which retailer is closest him/her because that popular artist will be sold everywhere. This is ineffective advertisement. Another Target commercial flashes a multitude of Target trademark symbols, a few CE products, current selection of seasonal clothes, and our current spokes dog. This commercial is also ineffective. This current advertisement strategy does not give the viewer something to focus on, and it does not create a need to buy products from Target. Instead, it is advertising on behalf of all major retailers. It is essential that Target starts advertising Target, not just the products it carries. Commercial advertisements need to stress customer service, product variety, and product quality. The first step is finding a representative for commerc...

Black Bart :: essays research papers

Black Bart On August 3 of 1877, a stage was making its way over the low hills between Point Arenas and Duncan’s Mills on the Russian River when a lone figure suddenly appeared in the middle of the road. Wearing a duster and a mask made from a flour sack, the bandit pointed a double- barreled shotgun at the driver and said, " Throw down the box!" "I’ve labored long and hard for bread, For honor and for riches, But on my corns too long you’ve tred You fine-haired sons of bitches." When the posse arrived later, all they found was a waybill with the above verse painstakingly written on its back, each line in a different hand. Almost a year later, on July 25 of 1878, the PO8 struck again. A stage from Quincy to Oroville slowed to make a difficult turn a long the Feather River, the masked man stepped out of the bushes and asked that the box be thrown down. His soils included $379 in coins, a silver watch, and a diamond ring. Once again, when the posse reached the scene, all they found was a poem: "Here I lay me down to sleep To wait the coming morrow, Perhaps success, perhaps defeat, And everlasting sorrow. Let come what will I’ll try it on, My condition can’t be worse; And if there’s money in that box ‘Tis munny in my purse!" Once again the lines were written in varying hands and the work signed "Black Bart, the PO8." In order to make the highways safe once again, Governor William Irwin posted a $300 reward for the capture of the bandit, to which Wells Fargo & Co. added another $300. Another $20 contributed by the postal authorities. The reward went unclaimed for five years, during which Black Bart seemingly robbed at will. Often laying low for several months, Bart would suddenly go on a spree and rob three or four stages in as many weeks, and then vanish without a trace. Black Bart’s talent for covering great distances on foot in impossibly short times was no doubt a great asset in his life as a highwayman. In another, and it turned out to be his last, stage robbery McConnell (the stage driver) turned his head to find the muzzle of a double-barreled shotgun looking at him. You see, Bart knew that this stage was carrying gold coins and gold amalgam with it. What Bart didn’t know is that in the woods following the stage was a young hunter that had gotten off a few miles back to do some hunting.

Feminist Theories on Sexuality

Feminist theorists Camille Paglia and Foucault give opposing views on the topic of women and their sexuality as they addressed topics such as homosexuality and pornography as ways of expressing sexual desires and the role a woman plays in society in reference to her sexuality. Camille Paglia, a graduate of the University of Arts in Philadelphia, America, has strong feminist views in relation to women’s sexual preferences. Paglia is a bi-sexual female, who came from an Italian, Catholic household with an overprotective and strict family. While watching an interview with Paglia, she stated that through her years growing up, as a girl she was expected to follow certain rules and was (like many girls) led to think in a certain manner for situations such as rape, prostitution and sexual desires. Paglia was opposed to this, as was seen in her countless numbers of affairs which she had with women, despite being married to a man. This shows that Camille Paglia is pro-homosexuality. She allowed herself to explore and believed that the dignity and freedom of women could not be gained through the overprotective barriers parents and society puts up. By her supporting lesbianism, it also shows her strong views on her personality and disregard for what society thinks of her. Another point Paglia brought up was that women are never straight forward when it comes to sexual desires. She made reference to this when she discussed the numerous reports on accused rape. Paglia said that many women are provocative, and send wrong â€Å"signals† to guys. They are the cause of the accused â€Å"rape†, yet they are quick to blame the man who simply acts on the woman’s actions. Women report cases of rape for simple hand contact, which is mostly due to the woman’s lead. Women need to express their desires and not feel ashamed of it. Paglia says that women want sex as much as man, whether with a female or male, they should be upfront. Camille also discussed women in pornography. Many women see pornography as a disgrace and disrespectful view towards a woman and her body through these videos, pictures and other forms of porn; however Camille believes that a woman should have the right to portray herself and her sexual desires through any source of media and angle she wants. A woman has full rights to her body and sexual desires and should not be stopped from expressing it. She is against modern feminism because she believes that women have a right to these things, and that women need to stop blaming men and become self reliant, independent and accept that they are differences between men and women that cannot be changed. Women also have pornographic minds, and whilst other feminists will be opposed to women expressing themselves and being involved in prostitution and pornography, she disagrees. Throughout an interview with Camille, she made it very clear that she was pro-pornography, as she mentioned this numerous times to emphasized that women need to be strong on their desires and not be judged on their preferences. (female-female; male-female; male-male). This proves her point that women must be able to accept who they are and have the ability to show it, and not be restricted because of gender barriers and expectations of society. The role of women and their sexual preferences and desires are based on the current situations in society. This point is shown through the theories by Foucault. Through history, culture determined how sexuality was originated. Foucault believed that as time progresses, the idea of lesbianism and bi-sexual relations are growing. These desires are only present because of the new cultures and society that is present now. For example, in the 1800s, women were not allowed to choose their own mates or express their sexuality, and this is still present even now in the 21st century in some areas. The change in this tradition only occurred through time and what was seen as the new norm and custom in the society. The episteme of society determined the sexual desires and preferences in a particular era and the way they think. (Episteme is the way a specific culture approaches the world). Foucault believes that as society transitions, their thoughts and views also change due to the ideology itself shifting. Another point Foucault made was related to sex and women’s role in sex. Sex is seen as a social construct that is constructed through the exercise of power relations. Sexual nature is produced through society. Foucault stated that before, in previous generations, there was never a big focus on sex, whereas now, the desire for sex is increasing and will continue to increase in years to come. The world is culturally constituted and the body is seen materially through the eyes of man. Men use women for sex, and whilst women may think they are equal, men view them as sex objects. Feminists, as mentioned previously, deny having sexual tendencies and sexual preferences, and unlike Camille Paglia, who believes this is false, Foucault agrees with this statement. He relates this statement to his theory that sexual tendencies and desires are based on society’s ideology, rather than natural desires. Like Paglia, Foucault mentioned the role of women through pornography as well. However his views differed from Camille’s as he believes that pornography is an invention by man used to de-humanize women and socially constructs her oppression. He does not believe that women have a desire to produce porn, but instead they are manipulated into thinking that is what they want and they only please men, rather than expressing themselves and pleasing their own self. Foucault’s approach to a woman’s sexuality is based on the views of society and the manipulation in each era, mostly endorsed by man upon women. Camille Paglia believes that men and women have natural qualities and that they should not base their choices on what men demand of them, but on what their desire is whereas Foucault believes a woman’s sexuality is determined on society and the manipulation of men on women in reference to sex and sexual activities and preferences. I agree with Camille Paglia’s theory that women are different from men and must become their own individual, independent and free from reliance on man. A woman must take charge of her body and her sexual desires and not be expected to pretend that they are not naturally inclined towards sex. Camille expresses a pro-pornography mind and I agree that a woman should not be degraded for expressing her desires through pictures, videos or sex itself. Women should be allowed to freely express themselves without being restricted and judged by society and men. Also, as Camille Paglia stated, men should not be blamed for everything, and women should stand up for themselves and show everyone what they want. Camille is also pro-prostitution. A woman has full rights to her body and only a woman can determine what she wants to do with her body. A woman has the right to participate in any sexual act she desires, because it is only her decision. Women are categorized, according to Paglia, as having more emotional and sexual desires than men, but are not able to show it. Paglia’s point of this categorization is to show that women do not express their sexual desires freely because they are not allowed to show it. Whether it is true or not, I agree that a woman should have the freedom of being able to share their â€Å"wants† and â€Å"needs† without having to feel ashamed or self-conscious. Paglia says that the only way for this to happen, is if women begin to stop waiting, and start acting on becoming independent and taking personal responsibility, without blaming other people for your problems or your limitations. Feminist theories on sexuality show the rights of a woman in their ability to express and have sexual desires and preferences, and how they portray these elements. On one hand, Camille Paglia argues that women should take the initiative to become independent and not rely on man, and be free to express their natural sexual desires. On the other hand, Foucault believes that men control women, and a woman’s sexuality is determined on the stage of society and the transitions in the ideology of the culture and society. The both theorists contrast each other in theories in their views on a woman’s sex life. The belief that men construct society is supported by Foucault and opposed by Paglia. Homosexuality is supported by both theorists in different ways. Foucault believes it is due to the transitions in society, where as Paglia believes that it is due to natural inclinations. Their different approaches to women’s sexuality were well analyzed and represent the two different views from feminists. Feminist theories on sexuality vary according to the theorist, and each person has a different view on whether a woman has a right to express her sexuality or whether certain acts are frowned upon when done by a woman because of a woman’s expectations and stereotype.

What is NATO for?

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is some 1949 alliance involving 26 North America and Europe nations. It objectives are to protect the se4curity and freedom of member states though military and political means. NATO is the principal security association within Europe. The alliance helps shield allies have modernized their shared strategic theory, upheld NATO’s amalgamated military organization, and carry on conducting mutual military scheduling, exercises and training. The allies have generated fresh fora and policies for boosting dialogue with previously communist nations of eastern and central Europe. Most importantly, NATO has had a major contribution in the enforcement of UN Security Council deliberations within what was once called Yugoslavia (Kaplan, 2004, 22). NATO has some significant function in controlling and containing militarized disputes within eastern and central Europe. It even strives to evade such conflicts by vigorously encouraging stability in what was once the Soviet community. NATO aided in stabilizing Western Europe, the states of which were formerly usually bitter enemies. Through solving the dilemma regarding security as well as offering some institutional system for building of shared security strategies, the alliance has had a contribution in rendering utilization of forceful modes as regards the relationships of the nations within such a region almost inconceivable (Duffeld, 1995). NATO persists in the enhancement of member country security with regard to external hazards through a number of methods. Firstly, NATO upholds the tactical balance within Europe by counterbalancing the lingering danger emanating from the Russian military strength. Secondly, is assists to tackle emerging fresh dangers, encompassing the intricate dangers that could result from the disputes among and within the nations of eastern and central Europe. Thirdly, it obstructs such dangers from occurring by working towards nurturing stability within what was once the soviet community (Churchill, 2006). Western European countries strive to uphold some counterbalance to former Soviet Union’s residual armed forces power, particularly the nuclear ability of Russia. Another post-cold war function of NATO is shielding of member states from an assortment of freshly emerging dangers. More focus has been directed to potential perils emanating out of Middle East and North Africa, partly due to the proliferation of expertise for developing missiles as well as weapons of mass destruction within such areas. The most prominent among fresh external dangers are however, territorial, ethnic as well as national disputes among and within the eastern and central European nations. These disputes are able to produce many immigrants or as well overflow into neighboring nations’ territories, NATO member states included. In the most extreme of cases, outside nations could sense the compulsion to get involved, thus stoking broadening of enmity, as happened at the start of World War II. Despite the fact that NATO has not been able to terminate such conflicts so far, the alliance assists in tackling the issues emanating from the disputes through a number of modes. Firstly, NATO shield member nations from probable overflow of armed forces hostilities. Although none of NATO member nations has ever received serious threats in such a way, the alliance’s extensive experience in arranging member nation defenses ensures NATO is adequately ready to handle such emergencies (Sandler, Hartley, 1999, 16). NATO as well assists other nations to avoid being inducted into such conflicts. NATO’s existence assures member nations located near such a zone that they will receive assistance in tackling nearby conflicts in the event that such conflicts shoot up and overflow, thus minimizing the motivation to unilaterally get involved. Instead, the presence of NATO assists in ensuring that military participation of western nations in these disputes, if at all it happens, is consensual and collective. The likelihood of some quick, coordinated response from NATO could deter other nations from interfering (http://www. nato. int/docu/speech/2003/s031103a. htm). NATO in 1992 reached a consensus to avail NATO property in the support of peacekeeping actions sanctioned by the United Nations (UN) Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE). At the beginning of 1994, NATO as well endorsed the construction of some mechanism named Combined Joint Task Forces (C JTF) which would allow member coalitions (coalitions of the willing) to utilize shared alliance possessions for particular actions outside the accord zone. Most spectacularly, NATO has acquired vital experience in what was once Yugoslavia. NATO personnel have imposed the Adriatic maritime barricade as well as a no-fly region over Bosnia. NATO as well offered defensive air authority for United Nations ground forces. They utilized the warning of air ambushes to secure seclusion regions for serious arms around the united nations-selected safe Gorazde zone and Sarajevo. Pursuant to the disintegration of socialism, numerous former soviet community nations have embarked on aggressive economic and political reforms. Europe has substantial stakes in such efforts because failure may result to mass migrations, Domestic strife, armed disputes and direct dangers to surrounding NATO member states as well. NATO encourages stability within the previous soviet community through 2 ways. Firstly, the alliance directly nurtures political restructuring success within the area. Starting in 1990, the alliance has initiated a broad spectrum of institutions and programs for consultation regarding security concerns, most conspicuously the Partnership for Peace (PfP) and the North Atlantic Cooperation Council (NACC). NATO may utilize such initiatives to aid the young regimes to restructure their security structures, planning procedures and policies (Greenwood, 1993). Such fresh arrangements may particularly strengthen democratic management of the military as well as reverence for civilian power through inducting eastern and central European heads to western civil-military associations’ models. Secondly, the alliance boosts eastern and central European security though reassuring such nations that they will be assisted in case they receive outside threats. This helps such states to abandon possibly destabilizing activities as well as to follow their aggressive domestic restructuring agendas with more confidence. Starting from 1990, NATO’S North Atlantic Council has constantly issued candid oral statements of awareness as happened during 1991’s soviet coup d'etat attempt. The NACC permits states in the former Soviet Union to state their issues as well as discuss varied issues regularly as they engage their counterparts in NATO as identical partners. The freshly approved PfP provides every member official dialogue with NATO, in the vent that such a member perceives some direct danger to their security, as well as solid military liaisons with NATO member states through contribution to several military operations and activities (http://www. ato. int/docu/speech/2003/s031103a. htm). Since its formative years, NATO has significantly worked towards normalizing relationships among member states. Extremely important among NATO’s intra-alliance roles is reassurance. NATO’s existence assures member states that they should not fear each other. The alliance minimizes the likel ihood of disputes among western European member states in 3 ways including: increasing stability; tying the US to Europe so as to guarantee the upholding of the equilibrium of authority within the area; and inhibiting re-nationalization of such nation’s security strategies. A significant likely cause of conflict between nations is misunderstanding and misperception among nations. Without reliable and detailed data, policy makers could overstate the offensive armed capacities of other nations or misconstrue foreign objectives, usually regarding them as being more antagonistic that they are in the actual sense. They as well are inclined to overlooking the safety issues their own activities could arouse abroad (Kaplan, 2004, 41). Therefore, international relationships are usually characterized by mistrust and suspicion. NATO assists in avoiding the mergence of such damaging dynamics; it instead encourages mutual self-assurance though facilitating elevated intra-alliance honesty. Contribution to NATO’s force strategizing procedure requires member states to share detailed data regarding their armed forces, defense financial statements as well as future strategies. Owing to this institutionalized transparency, member states only hide a few secret from their counterparts, and they possess minimal motivations to do likewise. NATO also nurtures reassurance for member states through undertaking integration of members’ security strategies. To different but normally significant extents, Nations formulate as well as implement their defense strategies jointly as members of NATO as opposed to on exclusively state basis. Such security strategy denationalization neutralizes the usual competition and enmity for military supremacy that could otherwise happen amongst the key European big shots, it also assists to prevent any usage of armed forces posturing to attain political clout in Europe (Churchill, 2006). In case re-nationalization happens, this could result to issues regarding internal inequities within Western Europe as well as arouse fresh competition, conflict and mistrust. NATO encourages security strategy denationalization in a number of ways. NATO’S consultative arms, force scheduling procedures as well as integrated armed systems assist to develop a shared identity amongst member states. Frequent and comprehensive dialogue results to an elevated level of common understanding. Cooperative force scheduling assists reshape member states armed forces posture in order to reflect NATO-wide, as opposed to, national concerns. Also, assignments to NATO’s military associations and civilian officialdoms socialize military personnel and state officials into some shared NATO customs. Additionally contribution to NATO’s combined military system fosters minimized military independence among member states, particularly within central Europe; because it permits members relinquish or at the minimum deemphasize several components vital for an autonomous military capacity. Numerous European nations, For instance, rely heavily upon the alliance’s multinational space early caution force as well as its combined air protection structures. Small as well as big nations have given up their capability to undertake particular missions, like the sweeping of mines and air surveillance, with the intention of husbanding security resources, after having known that counterpart allies could undertake such missions (Duffeld, 1995). International integration develops a measure of shared control through increasing the extent of joint contribution to operational and organization planning. Therefore, the persistent existence of the multinational military system imposes restraints upon the capability of numerous member states to utilize their armed personnel for purely state objectives, at any rate on the short-to-medium period, as well as assures members regarding the shared objective of their armed might. Without NATO, the likelihood of one nation’s forces raising alarm within another nation would be greater (http://www. direct. gov. uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/UKgovernment/TheUKandtheworld/DG_073420). NATO member states regard maintenance of the alliance to be mutually advantageous to them, since it carries on the performance of a number of essential security roles, both internal and external, including incorporation of Canada and the United States into European defense matters. NATO has as well adapted impressively to the dynamic European defense environment, positive example being the experience in Bosnia. Whereas the joint defense of NATO territory is the core function of the NATO alliance, the fresh NATO, through widening its key role to incorporate peacekeeping and crisis handling as well as encouraging cooperation and partnership, including some strategic association with Moscow, has emerged to be the backbone of some European joint defense regime (Sandler, Hartley, 1999, 67).

Leadership Qualities Essay

Charisma and personality are two important traits of successful leaders. Many brilliant men and women have risen to positions of power based on technical skill and knowledge base; yet, these same people typically do not fully succeed in leadership positions unless charisma and strong personality traits shine. Without charisma and likable personalities, leaders cannot survive, inspire for long durations, and become superior leaders. The job of a successful leader is to â€Å". . . ommunicate where the business is going, why, and what the benefits will be if we accomplish what we set up to achieve (Bossidy 2007). † The best leaders communicate through charisma and strong, likable personalities. Without the ability to communicate effectively and inspire, leaders are left with good visions; no followers to get the job done; and no successes on which to build successful business. While successful leadership is certainly possible without charisma, â€Å". . . sing reasoning instead takes a lot more of what global companies don’t have anymore: time (Welch 2006). † Leadership without charisma is like traveling in a â€Å"slower, more challenging lane (Welch 2006). † In today’s business world, leaders are not afforded the luxury of time to lead companies to successes. Competition is so fierce in many industries that companies cannot afford to not have charismatic leaders that can affect immediate change. A leader must realize that having skills to execute a task is not the only requirement for successful leadership. A leader’s calling starts with evoking values; using these values to forge a vision; then finally inspiring collaborative action throughout the organization (Shenkman 2005). Charisma allows leaders to follow this path in a timely fashion and to superior successes. In all, without charisma and personality, leadership is possible, but very difficult over time. In today’s business environment, charisma is an essential quality for superior leadership in order keep up with market demands and maintain business successes.

UNIT 5 DISCUSSION BOARD Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

UNIT 5 DISCUSSION BOARD - Essay Example Other government funded interests such as education, military and infrastructure will suffer greatly as well. According to the Commerce Department, the yearly payment on this debt, the deficit, reached $725.8 billion. This represents a 17.5 percent increase from 2004 (Armstrong, 2006). These figures are well past most peoples’ comprehension. If, for example, a person were to spend a million dollars a day since the birth of Christ, they would have to continue the spending spree for 700 more years to have spent one trillion dollars. Multiply that amount by eight. That still does not equal the current national debt. Started in 1791, the national debt was, by those days’ standards, an incredible $75 million. Due to President Andrew Jackson’s prudent approach to government spending, the national debt was lowered to, again adjusted to today’s standards, a much lower level – $37 thousand (Suter, 2004). The Reagan/Bush administrations of the 1980’s ran the debt up by historic proportions. When President Clinton took office in 1993, the debt stood at $2.4 tr illion. The massive increase of debt was not used for infrastructure, education, public programs or even to finance a war. As a result of Reagan’s ‘trickle down’ economic theory, the money wound up in the pockets of the rich. In the early 1990’s, Congress adopted a ‘pay-as-you-go’ policy and federal spending cuts which resulted in budget surpluses for four consecutive years. Clinton announced that the nation could pay off the debt by the year 2013 if it stayed on the present course (Schoen, 2006). That optimistic predication has long since been forgotten. Since 2000, the debt has tripled. The ‘pay-as-you-go’ policy expired in 2002 allowing Congress to cut taxes, a politically advantageous move while also increasing spending (Schoen, 2006). The current President Bush administration cut the taxes of the rich while increasing military

D7 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

D7 - Assignment Example Likewise, the war that ensued in 1941 caused â€Å"white men went off to fight in a segregated military, and women and people of color filled the jobs in the defense industry previously reserved for white males† (American Experience: People & Events par. 3). Concurrently, a group of Mexican Americans who became enthusiastic in jazz began to don zoot suits, originally defined as â€Å"an African American youth fashion, closely connected to jazz culture, the zoot suit was co-opted by a generation of Mexican American kids, who made it their own† (American Experience: Zoot Suit Culture par. 1). When military servicemen drove by the thousands in Los Angeles, seen as a leisure spot as a playground for drinking, womanizing and engaging in fight, civilians detested the behavior and stirred tensions between servicemen and Mexican Americans. The constant tension between these groups over Mexican American girls provided the impetus for the Zoot Suit Riots that took place for more than one week in June of 1943 (American Experience: People & Events par. 8; Star xxiv; American Express:The Press and the Riot). The United Farmworkers Union (UFW) was primarily envisioned as an organization to reclaim â€Å"dignity for people who were marginalized by society† (Tejada-Flores, CEZAR CHAVEZ). Eventually, the UFW was reported to have evolved as a political force spurred from growing awareness of the need for Mexican Americans to participate in deciding on economic issues, electoral activity and cultural enhancement. This organization was presided by Cesar Chavez who was also instrumental in winning the battle for the farmers’ rights. However, setbacks from these victories cased the UFW to strike, to wit: â€Å"the UFW responded with strikes that led to the jailing of thousands. Many strikers were injured by violent attacks on the picket lines, and two were killed in dreveby shootings and attacks.. But the â€Å"inter-union† battle had left the public confused and made

Oceanography Chapter 12 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Oceanography Chapter 12 - Essay Example his topic was the relation of the change in sea level to that of the coastline and the fact that it is believed that the coastlines that are present today have not yet achieved an equilibrium with the current sea levels and thus a change in the aforementioned coastlines are still expected when this equilibrium is attained. This could result in driving the coast inland when this happens should the sea levels continue to rise due to global warming (Garrison 356). Another interesting factor are the features that are formed on the coast as a result of the erosive forces that take place such as Sea Cliffs, Sea Waves and Blowholes that occur as a result of the shore being submitted to constant wave battering (Garrison 356). The process of how beaches are formed is another interesting topic in this book in relation to the transportation process of sediment onto the shore by waves (Garrison 364). The various factors that influence the transportation of the sediments have also proved to be an interesting factor with processes such as the longshore drift proving essential in the transportation of these sediment further inward thus improving the size overall size of the coast as a result (Garrison 364). The involvement of the waves as well as the currents show how different parts of nature work together to form the various features that are found on the beach. The change in the character of the shores from erosive to depositional shows the ability of nature to adapt to changing facilities in order to avoid any permanent damage. This is seen as after a while, beaches characteristics change from erosive to depositional in order to prevent any more erosion from taking place (Garrison 360). The material that beaches are made of and the relation to the various processes that form them show how not every beach is similar in nature and will depend on the location and material that is available in that region. A good example is the beaches of Hawaii that contain rare black sand

Using examples from the hospitality industry outline the triple bottom Essay

Using examples from the hospitality industry outline the triple bottom line concept of sustainable development and discuss the contradictions that are present in this model - Essay Example Sustainable development means growth and improvement in operations that last for longer periods without depreciating in value at a high rate. (flinkinghub.eselvier.com) From this, the benefits derived from the operations of the firm by the firm and societies are felt for a longer period. The economic and social developments gained open up the region for more trading opportunities through the externalities and multiplier effects. In the hospitality industry, resorts that have taken the 3Ps are such as the Sarova hotels in Kenya who sponsor sports events such as the Lewa marathon that has proceeds going to charity. Serena hotels in Kenya, sponsor youth art projects to promote the growth of young talent and reduce the level of youth unemployment in East Africa. The Mara resort employs local Maasai morans to act as tour guides and this reduces unemployment as well as increasing income for the community. Travel firms such as Kenya Airways sponsor sports activities. They have set aside 3 billion to cater for travel and sports gear and salaries for the Kenya 7s national rugby team. The airlines recruit and train their own employees from the local community. Every year, a team of 25 recruits is trained and offered fully paid aviation scholarships to South Africa. After the training, they are absorbed in Kenya Airways. In New Zealand, Air New Zealand offers discounted air fares and luxury class travel packages for t heir clients that fly frequently to certain tourism destinations. It is aimed at encouraging people to go on holidays. They have to save for their holidays. The more they travel, the better the service they get at Air New Zealand. In Arabella Western Cape Hotel, South Africa, they offer their clients chartered tours around the Cape. They encourage them to interact with the local and indulge in the rich South African culture. This is done to conserve and embrace the culture and traditions of the Africana and native South

Questions and comments on graph and starbucks Essay

Questions and comments on graph and starbucks - Essay Example Euro will definitely make it difficult for European economies to compete in the global market due to comparatively low prices offered by non-European economies. Starbucks’ understanding towards the increase in exchange rate for Euro vs Dollars has saved it from making an investment, which would have resulted in lower revenues earning; however, the other issue of tax avoidance is a considerable one, which not only focuses on the taxation policies but also increases the political risk associated with such practices. The fact that the actions of the company can affect the political risk has to be considered, which will definitely be another setback for the operations of the company in the European market (Kapil). The management of Starbucks shall be concerned about the risks associated with foreign currency translations, which may affect the profitability of the company and thereby deviate unfavourably from projected figures. In this regard, the fact that the company has started using forward contracts to cover risks associated with foreign currency translation is a positive step. The fact that there is a risk associated with such practice is still acceptable while keeping in view the greater risk associated with losses incurred in foreign currency translations

ICT impact on social networks size and strengths Essay Example for Free

ICT impact on social networks size and strengths Essay Information technology has formed the backbone of socio-economic progression. It has opened the social condensation and propelled communication and business progress to higher performance and productivity levels. However there are various implications on the society that are being looked at as checks and balances in this advancement. The hypothetical position on social networks as within the dimensional and convectional implications is that, ICT has reduced the strength of social networks as well as the strengths of the social networks. The overall and the subsequent repercussion is condensation of the social integration and incubating social diversity into a less dynamic society due to lack of social networks. Overview on ICT impact on social networks A debate has come up on this hypothetical implication on the social networks and how social integration can be reconstructed and strengthened again. According to various research attributes and findings on implications of ICT diversity in the society is mainly based on disintegration of social networks. Andreina M (2002) points out that information technology has become an important tool in the society. She argues that the impacts of the internet on sociability are more diverse. People with lower social skills are negatively affected by ICT developments. These assertion project ICT as a key element social network disintegration. Social networks, according to Andreina, M. , bring together people of different sorts and helps bond society constituents. What is the impact of ICT on social networks size and strength? The hypothetical argument of ICT disintegrating size and strength of social networks is based on the diversity of ICT. Alan N, John P, R (2002) point out that ICT is revolutionary. This makes its implications on social networks vilified. Current social-economic views on social networks and ICT Alan N, John P, R (2002) further argue that ICT is a major historical event. At individual level, the revolution might be related to the social impact of IT, in terms of new ways of relating to other people and maintaining social contacts. The behavioural impacts of two-way communications formats, like the internet and the telephone, i-phone and phone messaging. They are used subtly to establish and maintain social relationships forming new infrastructures that facilitate different patterns of interaction. These implications reduce the size and strength of the social networks. There is less communication between certain social partners and groups reducing social interaction. ii- Social networks A synopsis that draws out the contentious breakage of social networks is that they are units of the people who meet and mingle freely to discuss and share their aspects of live. Social networks have incubated new types of networks which fit in to the ICT revolution. Seen in the context of Andreina M (2002), cyberspace networks and cell phone communication-video conferencing social networks have emerged as the breakaway social networks as a result of weakening of human-social networks. The emergence of ICT weakened social networks, and Andreina informs of cognitive and social digital networks are part of the more general cognitive and social networks that individuals are in and can access. Traditional and electronic social networks In her argument on diversity of social network transformation, Andriena examines the rise of technology as also a filler of the gap left by the weakened and less sizeable social network. Social networks consist of mainly friends, family and business circles that regularly meet to share ideas and merge to reach various principal objectives. According to Andreina, this is the offline outlook of social networks. She argues that, the internet cognitive and cultural space cannot be considered separated from the offline experience. If conceptual, it is particularly true when considering the diffusion of ubiquitous technology and cross-channel integrated communications on the net. Andreina M (2002) This point out the dynamism in social networks is now being transformed into a less strong position which is the cyberspace and video conferencing in phones and group messaging through mobile telephony. Earlier outlook of the social networks drew out a picture of a cohesive society where in meeting and sharing through live conversations. The picture today is different, more mobile phone calls and emailing is seen to replace meetings hence, subsequent weakening and reduction of size of the social network. How social networks have changed with emergence of technology Emergence of ICT based networking has transformed the facade of social networking, especially on issue based perspective as well as cognitive socio-economic approach. Earliest communication technologies, like simple conversations that evolved into more long distance forms illustrate the basic nature of one-to-one targeted communications. Meyer. K. , John P, R, Alan N, Anthony, A. (2002); besides, major concerns on the social transformation focus mainly on social life and personal communication and mass communication. Erstwhile, Meyer K. , John P, R, Alan N, Anthony, A. (2002) argue that the change focus is on the social networks secondary activities, social network company and the social network location. Secondary activities feature group television watching and so forth while social company looks at type of individual representation in terms of rankings in social stature. Time spent by the group’s members, by family members or by friends has become lessened. There is also a decline in level of discussion and verbal communication in live meetings due to the ICT based communication through which the persons in the groups exhaust most of their talks successively and comprehensively.

Health And Illnesses Defined By Society Sociology Essay

Health And Illnesses Defined By Society Sociology Essay Health is the general condition of a person in all aspects of life. It can be seen as the level of functional and or metabolic efficiency of an organism, often implicitly human. According to World Health Organization (WHO), health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity- (WHO 1986). It can be defined as the absence of disease, a state of health unless symptoms emerge that demonstrates a deviance from normality. Mechanic and Volkhart (1961) define illness behaviour as the way in which symptoms are perceived, evaluated and acted upon by a person who recognizes some pain, discomfort or other signs of malfunction. Coe, (1979) asserts that illness is a subjective phenomenon. Individuals perceive themselves as not feeling well and hence may deviate from usual normal behaviour. According to him, the individual may feel sick without a disease being present, (or he/she may not experience illness even though a disease is present). Two persons with the same clinical symptoms may act altogether differently in degree and kind of concern expressed, and whether and how they search for treatment Foster and Anderson (1979) posit that the state of illness comes with a time sequence. There is the beginning, an awareness of the first faint symptoms, there is a progression, the social and psychological progresses that occur, and there is a termination, through recovery or death. At many points during the course of illness, medical and social decisions must be made, roles adjusted and attitudes changed to confirm to the reality of the situations. Medical sociologist believes that illness behavior is to a large extent influenced by the individuals social class, ethnic background and culture of orientation. The definition of health and illness polarizes between those that rely upon objectives, scientific criteria at one extreme, and awareness, at the other. It has generated divergent views and understanding which is reflected in the academic debates about the nature of health and illness. Traditional Medical View The traditional medical view is that there is such a thing as a normal functioning of the body, which has a limited degree of variation. When operating within the normal boundaries of these variations, a person can be defined as healthy, and when they are outside these normal boundaries, they are ill or there organs are diseased. Health can be defined within this framework as the absence of disease. It assumes a state of health unless symptoms emerge that demonstrate a deviance from normality. The Positivist Approach The positivist approach accepts the concept of disease, but, brings out a much broader social element into the definition, suggesting that health is not just a physical state, but also a wider sense of well-being, closely linked to our social surroundings. While the Lay Models of Health perspective emerged to use the functional definition by arguing that health can be defined as the ability to perform normal daily activities (Haralambos and Holborn 2008:280-1). The functionalist approach to the sociology of health and illness derives from the work of Talcott Parsons. He explored the relationship between illness and social control. Parson (1951) put forward one of the most famous concept in the sociology of health and illness: the sick role. This is the role assumed by an individual who excuses him or her from the normal behaviour because he is sick due to injury or incapacitation. He/she then seeks compassion from colleges, friend and family members and is no longer able to carry out normal activities. The sick person has the right to be exempted from normal social obligations, such as attending employment, or fully engaging in family activities. More so, sickness is something that no person can do anything about and for which the sick should not be blamed -they therefore have the right to be looked after by others. However the obligation of the sick role entails that the sick person must accept that he/she is in a situation that is undesirable and should seek to get well a soon as possible. The sick person must seek professional help and cooperate with the medical profession to get better. To the functionalist, illness has positive adaptive function which only a critical analysis can bring out. Dysfunctionally, disease and illness are destructive of human organism attacking cells and tissues thus reducing organisms adjustment. It brings loss resources for the individual and his/her group and can engender role problems as one individual or some people are put off temporally or permanently. On manifest, illness serves to forewarn the individual about the possible collapse of his/her physical structure and to effect repair. It makes the individual, his/her group or society to mobilize for such and similar occurrence, and for the group or society to train members for multiple roles incase of incapacitation of some people. On the latent functions, illness relieves the victim of unbearable pressure, mainly from relatives and dependants. It is used to gain attention and also maybe a device to expiate sinful feelings. The Work of Foucault A Foucaultian perspective drives social constructionalism much further on, right to the heart of the natural or biological, arguing that what we know as disease are themselves fabrications of powerful discourses, rather than discoveries of truths about the body and its interaction with the social world (Bury 1986) The corpus of his major work from the 1960s to the 1980s is an attempt to write a new history of the subject as constituted through historically located disciplinary powers. Foucaults starting position is the configuration of knowledge or episteme which constitutes particular subjects during specific historical periods. For Foucault (1973) sociology was deeply implicated in the very episteme which had given rise to medicine. The discipline of medicine provided the tool whereby subjectivity could be experienced and enforced. Contemporary sociology is not against medicine or professional practice, but rather seeks to problematize the taken- for- granted categories or reality within which they operate and deploy power/knowledge. The relationship between sociology and medicine and practices has always had a major impact on the field of the sociology of health and illness. His work went further to review the changing relationship before moving on to discuss some key characteristic of a sociological account for modern medicine and the social functions of medical knowledge. Although it is inappropriate to label Foucaults work postmodern it has been an important influences upon postmodernists. Post Modernism This approach allows the analysis of the fabrication of health, illness and patient subjectivity and the effect of the inscription on the body. It is suggested that health care professionals need to be more reflexive about their own knowledge claims and to resist the discursive practices which disempower and reduce choice. There is sustained application of post-modernist ideas to the sociology of health and medicine, although there is certainly an interest among many to explore their relevance for the field. The objective of sociologists of postmodernity is to understand the nature of contemporary postmodern society. As a result of developments in medicine, the overall increase in levels of health, have created the belief that most people will live long healthy lives. There is an increasing emphasis on life planning and self-identityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.as the constraints of life-threatening diseases early death and insecurity have given way to a more predictable life course Bury (1997). The experience of chronic illness therefore threatens much of what has come to be accepted as normal in contemporary society. Bury(1982) argued that chronic illness constitutes a major disruptive force in people lives undermining the taken-for-granted assumptions they had about the world and their place in it and forcing t hem to review their lives their own bodies and their own identities. He called this process biographical disruption. Narrative reconstruction is used by people to create a sense of coherence and order-why they got the disease. Interactionist Perspective Symbolic interactionism has probably been the most influential theoretical approach in the sociology of health and illness with studies focusing on the processes involved in people arriving at the decision to seek professional help, the interaction between the ill person and the medical professional in arriving at a definition of the illness and the impact on the person of being labeled as ill. This perspective rejects the notion that illness is a direct result of some form of disease instead they perceive it as a form of social deviance. What constitutes illness is a result of social definitions. Mechanic (1968) defines illness behaviour as the way in which symptoms are perceived evaluated and acted upon by a person who recognizes some pain discomfort and other signs of organic malfunction. Feminist Approach to Health These can include liberal feminism, socialist feminism and radical feminism. Divisions are apparent in the theoretical debates on feminism within the sociology of health and illness. All of them focuses in particular on inequalities of health between male and female and has sought explanations for these differences within the different role and economic positions of men and women. It tends to sought equality of numbers of men and women in the higher status medical professions and research has been undertaken to demonstrate the smaller number of women who occupy senior medical position and also the way in which nursing is regarded as lower-status, female profession. It also points to the lack of power that women have in their relations with the medical profession and demands a greater say in womens health particularly in childbirth and conception. Soialist feminist emphasizes that it is not possible to change the role of males and females within a capitalist patriarchal society as liberal feminist seek to do. Conclusion Health and illness in contemporary societies has been subjected of discuss from centuries back. Contemporary medicine includes unofficial, unorthodox, holistic and non conventional reflects both the range of models of health which underlie these differing medicines and the ability of the more powerful biomedical profession to have them defined as somehow subservient to (complementary) or less proven (alternative than biomedicine. Although there is general acceptance of the importance of social explanation in helping to understand health and illness within sociology, there is little consensus as to the exact mechanism which links social class, gender, ethnicity, and geography to different level of health with the explanations ranging from those which stresses the wider economic structure of society, to those which stress the individual life style choice. Finally the conceptualization of health and illness in contemporary society has brought out the idea that there are areas of knowledge which are natural and can only be understood through a sociological and physiological framework.