Coastal and Marine Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Coastal and Marine Management - Assignment Example From this paper it is clear that  individuals mostly from the coastal communities have a platform to undertake diverse economic activities. They essentially stand to benefit from the large number of people visiting the waterfront at any given time. Some of the economic activities that have been inspired by the presence of the waterfront include marine construction, collection of offshore minerals and precious stones for sale, ship and boat building and repair, marine transportation, selling ornaments and corals to visiting groups. These economic activities have made many youths who were idling in the streets find something of economic significance to do. Consequently, the economic activities have led to the growth of market centers and towns in regions with actively working waterfronts. Furthermore, such activities have promoted the long-term prosperity of coastal communities and their working waterfronts.This essay stresses that in light of strengths, the working waterfront has a steady flow of visitors throughout the year. This makes it a viable economic ground for any business venture. Furthermore, it provides a platform that attracts investors from both the local and foreign market hence is self-sustaining. Its future prospects are high given those visitors at the site keep on growing exponentially.  Given the large numbers of visitors coming in at any given time, there is need for regular maintenance to keep the waterfront working in season and out of season.

The Ivory Coast Essay Example for Free

The Ivory Coast Essay Giving money for a positive cause is always a good thing especially when they create favorable long term effects. There are numerous countries suffering for several different reasons all around the world, one of these countries being The Ivory Coast. The Ivory Coast is failing in different aspects because of certain social, economic and political issues. One of the biggest problems to date is the poor education system. We plan to repair the countries damaged education system by rebuilding schools and supplying people with the necessary resources needed to pursue a decent education. With help from the World Bank, Oprah Winfrey and any others willing to contribute to our cause, we are confident that the Ivory Coast can be put on a steady path to success. The Ivory Coast is located on the South coast of West Africa. Surrounding countries include Guinea, Liberia, Burkina Faso and Ghana. The country is about 322,463 sq. Kilometers. Today, there are over 20 million people living in the Ivory Coast. There are about 39 people per sq. Kilometer. There is a pretty even number of males to females, 51% males, to 49 % females. The life expectancy age is approximately 59 years old. People of the Ivory Coast practice many different religions. These religions include traditional beliefs practiced and developed in certain varying villages, Christianity, Roman Catholicism and Islam. The current president is Alassane Ouattara. The official language of the Ivory Coast is French, but there are multiple languages spoken in the country including Dioula, Baloule, Dan, Anyin and Cebaara Senufo. The capital of the country is Yamoussoukro and Abidjan serves as the administrative center. The flag of the country is composed of three bold, vertical strips all different colors. The orange color on the flag represents the rich and generous land, it also is a symbol for the blood of young people who fought for emancipation. The white strip represents peace, and the green exemplifies hope for a better future. Common Cuisine consists of a dish called aloko, a popular snack that is served with fried banana, onions and chilies. Popular music includes Zoblazo, Zouglou and Coupà ©- Dà ©calà ©. When traveling to the Ivory Coast, All visitors require a passport and a visa is necessary, except for nationals of USA and ECOWAS countries. It is hard to determine when existence first began in the Ivory Coast due to the fact that human remains have not been well preserved. But with discovery of old weapon fragments and tools, life of the Ivory Coast seems to have begun during the upper Patheolithic period (15,000 to 10,000 BC). Research indicates that the early inhabitants of the Ivory Coast seem to be scattered, leaving historians to come to the conclusions that the ancestors of present Ivory Coast Inhabitants were displaced. The earliest recorded history of the Ivory Coast is found within the trade caravan condu cted by North African traders from early Roman times. A caravan of salt, slaves, gold etc. was conducted across the Sahara. After independence from France in 1960, the Ivory Coast economic success story was built on cocoa, and other agricultural products including coffee, cotton and fruits. But many laborers, who originally came from neighboring countries, and their descendants, increasingly felt marginalized. This contributes to a rebellion in 2002 which split Ivory Coast in two. The Ivory Coast is currently suffering due to ongoing social and economic issues. The major economic issue today in Ivory Coast is the rebuilding of Ivory Coast infrastructure, main roads, cocoa farm and reducing their deficit which is about us$2.3 million. As the political impasse persists in divided Ivory Coast, the West Africa country, which was once the region’s economic powerhouse, faces further decline. Residents and analysis are very worried about the quickly dissolving economic situation there. After the political crisis a lot of banks were shot down, cocoa farms which is one of the major resources in Ivory Coast were destroyed, shortage of cooking gas, roads were damage and the price of food raised. Socially, the health of the country is extremely poor. Malaria, a virus caused by parasites infects a high percentage of the country and is a leading cause of death in children and is the second highest cause of morbidity and mortality in the Ivory Coast. Symptoms of malaria include fever, body aches, nausea, vomiting, fatigue and sweating. Unfortunately, Malaria is not the only deadly disease which affects many in the Ivory Coast. The AIDS epidemic is preoccupying; over 3.9% of the adult population is HIV-positive. Around 500,000 persons are living with HIV. HIV/AIDS is the highest cause of morbidity and mortality in Cote dIvoire. Aside from diseases, Water pollution is an environmental problem in the Ivory Coast. Due to chemical waste from agricultural, industrial, and mining sources: about 92% of the countrys city dwellers and 72% of the rural population have safe water. Water pollution is a massive problem in the Ivory Coast that is causing struggle and delaying the process to achieve peace. Sadly, there are other issues in the Ivory Coast aside from health concerns. Poor education has not always been a problem, but the topic has become increasingly significant in recent years. Most people do not continue school after the primary level. There are multiple factors that contribute to such a low number of educated individuals. One of the main reasons that education is at such a decline now, is because of the current political crisis. The 2010 presidential election between incumbent Laurent Gbagbo and opposition member Alassane Ouattara resulted in a political standoff and violent conflict after Gbagbo refused to honor the results that declared Ouattara the winner. Two elections were held. The initial election did not yield a winner and a second electoral round was held on November 28, 2010. The polling results were released on December 2, 2010 and declared Ouattara the new president of Cà ´te d’Ivoire after he received 54.1% of the vote. The political stalemate turned violent and caused the decline of state security, threatened regional stability, and resulted in gross human rights violations and violence against civilians. The UN reported in March 2011 that over 1000 people were killed in clashes, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees stated that over 500,000 Ivorians were forcibly displaced, and 94,000 Ivorians fled to neighboring Liberia out of fear of violence. The country seemed to be divided. Forces loyal to Gbagbo and Ouattara were accused of gross human rights against civilians which could amount to crimes against humanity including enforced disappearances, sexual violence, and extrajudicial killings. After months of defying the outcome of the presidential election, Laurent Gbagbo was arrested by Ouattara forces on 11 April 2011 following an attack o n his residence in Abidjan. Alassane Ouattara immediately called for the establishment of a truth and reconciliation commission. Cà ´te d’Ivoire now faces many challenges as a result of the far reaching effects of the crisis, including the restoration of peace and security, the prevention of further human rights abuses, and the delivery of humanitarian aid. Alassane Ouattara’s government must now foster peace and reconciliation in Cà ´te d’Ivoire and insure that those responsible for gross human rights violations are held accountable. After the 2010 presidential crisis there were nearly 800,000 children out of school due to the crisis and some are still waiting to get back to learning. â€Å"We arrived at school at 7:30 a.m. as we always do on a school day. At exactly 8:30 we could hear shooting coming from the direction of a neighbouring village,† recalls Pafait Guei, a 14-year-old boy who attended primary school in the western area of Ivory Coast. Instead of being in school, youn g children are seen selling goods on road sides in attempt to earn very little money to support themselves and their family. In a venture to try and help the Ivory Coast education system we have devised a plan that will ultimately rebuild the Ivory Coast education system. Our plan is to obtain a minimum of $10,000,000 dollars from the world bank and Oprah Winfrey to help at least 100,000 children by distributing school bags filled with supplies such as textbooks, pens, pencils, eraser, pencil sharpener to support families in need. We also want to re-open/re-build many schools that were affected by the crisis. Even the ones that have re-opened have a shortage in desks, chairs, and supplies. We plan on hiring more teachers. Most of the schools have 1 teacher per 50 students. We will use all of the money to help the government pay for the teacher’s salaries and hopefully the country will move in the right direction and will be able to afford and continue our efforts once the money finishes. We feel as though Oprah would be a good choice as a financial contributor because of her stand on education, especially after building the school in South Africa, she was quoted saying: â€Å"I think the reason not just Africa but the world is in the state that it is because of a lack of leadership on all levels of government and particularly in regard to schools and schooling for poor children. The best way to effect change long term is to give children exposure and opportunity and nurture them to understand their own power and possibility.† We hope that she would be willing to aid us with a significant amount of funds to move the Ivory Coast forward in the right direction. There are many commendable reasons to donate money to the Ivory Coast. Donating money to the Ivory Coast would only result in positive effects. Only about half of the population is illiterate and many children are not enrolled in school (between the ages 6-10). By donating money to the Ivory Coast, we will be able to begin to change the statistics by creating more education opportunities. We also will make educational resources more accessible to everyone. Those who have some form of education can have the opportunity to extend their education, and those who have no or very little education would have the chance to receive one. Having better education opportunities would not only benefit those going to school, but it would also create jobs. There is usually about one teacher to every fifty children, but with the money we receive, we plan to hire more teachers. Less children in the classrooms means that the children could receive better and more direct attention. This can ensure that the material being taught is actually getting across to each student, and it will become easier to give one on one attention to those who need i t if there are more teachers available to help. Not to mention the fact that the employment rate will increase providing more individuals with a source of income. If anyone were to decide to donate or contribute money to the Ivory Coast you would be a part of our plan to help to build a stronger economy. One of the many reasons Africa is suffering as a whole is because of the lack of necessary resources needed to obtain a good paying job. If we do not invest in education, the education system will continue to fail. Majority of people in The Ivory Coast do not continue schooling after primary school because they do not have the funds for college and feel that it more important to get a job barely making ends meats. But if we can provide money for schooling and education, this can create a better future not just for the Ivory Coast but for Africa as well. If people were to have the credentials needed to land a decent job, this could slowly start to increase income in households. Donations could also help begin to restore order in the Ivory Coast. Because people were displaced, had to flee, or were forced out of their homes, many people of all ag es could not continue to go to school. If we can focus in on trying to get people of the Ivory Coast back in school, this can be a stepping stone to help the country prosper. In the 1980’s education was named one of the country’s main priorities and the plan has proven successful . Education received about one-third of the national budget. Because education was so greatly emphasized, The Ivory Coast education rate changed dramatically. An overall 43% literacy rate increase, 53% for men, and 31% for woman. Nearly 15% of the country was enrolled in some sort of educational institution. If we attempt this once again, we are confident that we can get the same, if not better results than we had in the 1980’s. The fact that a similar plan was put into effect and carried out with positive results gives us more motivation to believe that our approach will be effective. Education is extremely significant when trying to make a country prosper. If we try to make education our main focus, the things that are important become relevant again and the Ivory Coast can continue to flourish positively. Giving the children a chance at a better education can ensure a better future for the country’s entirety. The flight from JFK airlines to Abidjan through Air France i s approximately $1513. You would be staying in one of the best hotels in the Ivory Coast, The Ibis Abidjan Plateau (located in Abidjan), which is $1137 for 7 days 6 nights; it includes breakfast and a car rental. While in the Ivory Coast, there are many interesting places and landmarks to visit. The Basilica Notre Dame de la Paix, also known as Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yammousoukro is one of the greatest prides of the Ivory Coast. It is considered as the tallest and largest church in the whole world. The basilica is specifically located at Yammousoukro, Ivory Coast. Its construction started in 1985 and was finished four years later. It cost $300 million to complete the basilica. The Taà ¯ National Park is a national park in Cà ´te dIvoire containing one of the last areas of primary rainforest in West Africa. It was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1982 due to the breadth of its flora and fauna. There are a few of the animals found on the Taà ¯ National Park that are on the red list of threatened species such as the pygmy hippopotamus, leopards, and chimpanzees. The rainforest is located in Abidjan. There is also a beach called Bassam, it is about 45 minutes away from Abidjan city, so its possible to do a day trip from the city. This country has the potential to become prosperous and peaceful. All it needs is good leadership and unity within the country. Ivory Coast has good natural resources and it has been proven to have the capacity to do well economically. Hopefully now with the new president the country will continue in the good direction and he will focus on the major issues facing this country such as political stability, addressing the health issues, and most importantly, not forget the importance of an education, and all the benefits it will bring to the country as a whole if at least the literacy rate of the country goes up. Bibliography unicef.org http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/cotedivoire_59009.html http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/cotedivoire_57879.html wikipedia.org http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oprah_Winfrey_Leadership_Academy_for_Girls http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivory_coast responsibilitytoprotect.org http://www.responsibilitytoprotect.org/index.php/crises/crisis-in-ivory-coast ttp://www.voanews.com http://www.geopolitical-info.com http://traveltips.usatoday.com/famous-places-ivory-coast-58979.html http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Africa/Cote_DIvoire/Things_To_Do-Cote_DIvoire-TG-C-1.html http://www.netglobers.com/africa/cote-d-ivoire-main-health-risks-for-cote-d-ivoire.html

Argument Against a National Identification System Essay -- ID Identifi

Argument Against a National Identification System The concept of a national ID card has been debated in the United States for over three decades. In the past, the opposition as well as its allies has been strong. As a result of the September 11th terrorist attacks there has been new interest in the concept of national ID cards. While this idea is not all a new, it is closer to becoming more of a reality than ever, gaining the approval by the key members of congress. Currently the Bush Administration objects this renewed idea, however due to the intense emotion from the recent terrorist attacks the nation is closer to the idea than ever before. The idea of a national identity (ID) card seems simple enough. Take the photographic and alpha-numerical information on our birth certificates, Social Security cards, driver s licenses, and voter registration card; add a bar code, fingerprint, microchip, or other biometric identifier; and display all that information on a neat plastic card no bigger than a credit card. But beneath this smooth surface hides a complex issues and perhaps the greatest threat to personal freedom Americans have ever confronted. A national ID system will Require Americans to obtain federal government authorization to travel, work, rent or buy housing, obtain medical care, use financial services, and make many purchases.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This federal authorization could be denied for many reasons, including database errors, a suspicious transaction profile, being a deadbeat parent, failure to pay taxes or fines, and any other social control measures Congress wishes to hang on the system.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     The system will almost certainly create an outlaw class--as large as 10 to 20% of the population--cut off from "normal" life in America. This outlaw class will sustain the underground economy for the use of future terrorists (and ordinary criminals). (Dority Barbara, p10)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The general questions about national ID cards and concepts involved in the debates, found on the Privacy International website at www.privacy.org/pi/activities/idcard/idcard_faq.html. Can be summarized as below: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Who uses ID cards now? About a hundred countries currently utilize official, compulsory, national IDs for various purposes. These include Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, and Spain. Among the developed countries that don't have such a card are Australia, Canad... ... promote new forms of discrimination and harassment of anyone who looks or sounds "foreign." Failure to carry a national I.D. card would likely come to be viewed as a reason for search, detention or arrest of minorities. The disgrace and humiliation of constantly having to prove that they are Americans or legal immigrants would ponder heavily on such groups.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There I strongly believe that national ID system is not the solution for the problems we are facing today. We have seen before that technological solutions involve risks that should be identified and understood in advance of its use to the greatest extent possible. These risks should be discussed and understood in detail before any decisions regarding its adoption is any form should be made. Work Cited   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dority, Barbara. ?Halt and show your paper!? Humanist. 1 March.2002, Vol.62 Issue 2   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mohl, Jeff. ?How public is personal information?? Communications & Mass Media Complete, 1 September 2003, Vol. 91, Issue 7   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Safire, William. ?The Threat of National ID.? Kirszner and Mandell 586-88.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.aclu.org   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Privacy International www.privacy.org/pi/activities/idcard/idcard_faq.html.

Ethics in an Academic Environment Essay

Teachers hold the power and responsibility for building the foundations of intellectually and morally great minds. Since people spend a large chunk of their class and their entire formative years in school, their position and contact with young children and adolescents allows they shape and mold what these young people’s potentials and capabilities. Teachers have the opportunity to influence and inspire the future generations. As such, it is imperative that teachers become rightful role models of ethics for their students. Karl Menninger believed that â€Å"What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches† (cited in Hunter, 2006). Menninger’s statement stress that teachers should always be a good ethical example for their students to look up to and learn from. A teacher must show tact, tolerance and morally-charge decision-making; he or she has to refrain from preferring one student over the other and from demonstrating disrespect or irritation for any of his or her students (Hunter, 2006). In a nutshell, for a teacher to be an ethical one, he or she has to always depict professionalism. Teacher professionalism manifests as both an internal, personal practice and an explicit expression. Professionalism starts from the inside. A teacher needs to make a fundamental commitment to teaching and to all the people that his or her teaching will touch (Phelps, 2003). This commitment is actualized by a teacher’s shown competency in his or her field and his or her capacity for following the teachers’ manual or code of ethics. It is essential that teachers recognize that their accountability should lie first, foremost and only with the students they teach. Therefore, a teacher shows his or her professionalism in how he or she prepares and plans how he or she could impart knowledge to the students in best way possible. Apart from making sure students understand what he or she is teaching to them now will have a high, enduring quality and will have more than just academic significance to students’ lives. To motivate and help them give their best effort every single day and to every single student, Phelps (2003) believes that teachers ought to accept and embrace all the challenges and hardships the journey of educating and aiding the youth’s learning may possess. In doing so, teaching is elevated to more than just a job for teachers but a calling. Professionalism requires teachers to invest themselves physically, mentally and emotionally in the process of the student’s education. This act allows teachers to make personal connections with students. Personal connections, relationships and bonds with one’s students are generally positive and helpful qualities. However, heavy emotional investments can also pave the way for the loss of professionalism, for which personal sentiments were invested in the first place. Emotional investments and personal connections can destroy professionalism and lead to a bending of the credibility of teacher-student ethics when they become the main object of teacher-student relationships instead of one of its reinforcements. When a teacher forms personal opinions or connections with one or a few particular students, it leads to a closeness or familiarity that can affect a teacher’s ethical conduct and professionalism. Examples would be developing a romantic relationship with a student or creating a hierarchy of student’s value based on a personal favoritism. Apart from creating partialities in favor of a student, personal opinions could further cloud a teacher’s judgment and create bias against a student or certain students. In both aspects, the founding of personal opinion can seriously hamper a teacher’s potential to be at his or her most professional best. Teachers are therefore reminded to abide by the code of ethics and ensure the protection of the rights of students, each and every single student (University of Iowa [UI], 2008). Teachers are encouraged to build rapport and make students comfortable in their presence enough for the students to liberally and honestly participate and contribute to class discussions. However, teachers are responsible for ensuring that there is still a professional boundary between them and student to prevent their relationship from getting too casual (UI, 2008). Teachers should instill and model fairness for all students of all racial, ethnical and economic background. Overall, ethics between teachers and students depend on the level of professionalism the teacher has. Teachers’ positions or social roles emphasize respect for one’s profession and the people they encounter. Teachers should direct all of their efforts and prioritize above all how they have contributed to students’ learning and development. References Hunter, D. (2006, Oct. 18). Teacher’s ethics. Articles Base. Retrieved March 13, 2009 from http://www. articlesbase. com/article-marketing-articles/teachers-ethics-64131. html Phelps, P. (2003). Teacher Professionalism. In Find Articles. Retrieved March 13, 2009 from http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_qa4009/is_200310/ai_n9335958 University of Iowa. (2008). The importance of teacher ethics. Retrieved March 13, 2009 from http://www. education. uiowa. edu/resources/tep/eportfolio/07e170folder/Ethics. htm

Hamlet Essay

What have you come to understand about the intense human relationships of Hamlet? How has this understanding been affected by the perspectives of others? In you response you should focus on 3 scenes in the play and a range of perspectives. The intense human relationships of Hamlet have been viewed through numerous perspectives yet all have reached the same conclusions. With the exception of just one, the friendship of Hamlet and Horatio, all the relationships are dishonourable, dysfunctional and destined to fail. Being a revenge tragedy it is immediately clear this play is filled with lies, deceit and treachery. The exact time of Hamlet’s composition is unknown, however it is assumed to be between 1599 and 1602. This was a dark, melancholy time in Shakespeare’s life with the death of his father in 1601 and the death of his only son, Hamnet aged 11, in 1596. It is believed that these events had a significant impact on the writing of Hamlet as the play is heavy with death and has a great similarity with this son’s name. Some perspectives that have been adopted to view and understand the intense human relationships of Hamlet are a religious, psychoanalytic and feminist perspective. When Shakespeare first wrote Hamlet he lived in a strongly religious society where people could be fined for not attending church. Therefore, at this time in history many people had a religious attitude and perspective on the play. The psychoanalytical perspective focuses on the unconscious mind and how it dictates behaviour. This perspective became popular when Sigmund Freud, a well-known psychologist, began developing his psychoanalytic theory, The Oedipus Complex, in 1897. The feminist perspective is often centred around strong women and became particularly popular in the 1950’s being a post world war 2 period. Women were involved in many aspects of the war and made ground in their equality with men. However, when the war ended, women were encouraged to return to their household duties and this sparked much controversy. The family relationship between Hamlet and Gertrude is one of the most intense in the entire play. Their relationship reaches a climax in act 3 scene 4 when Hamlet confronts his mother about her relationship with Claudius and her involvement in the murder of King Hamlet, â€Å"mother, you have my father much offended†. Hamlet sees Gertrude as an adulteress for marrying her husband’s brother two months after his death and believes she is aware that Claudius killed King Hamlet, â€Å"Almost as bad, good mother, As kill a king and marry with his brother†. When exploring this scene from a feminist perspective it can be seen that Gertrude cares deeply for her son yet he scorns her for her recent actions, â€Å"You go not till I set you up a glass where you may see the inmost part of you†. Despite there being no evidence that Gertrude is aware of Claudius’s deed, Hamlet does not trust his mother and this consequently results in his inability to trust other women. The Oedipus Complex comes to the fore when the relationship of these two characters is examined with a psychoanalytical perspective. Freud’s complex suggests that every boy from the age of 3-4 years begins to have unconscious sexual desires for his mother and regards his father as his rival. Through studying this scene from a psychoanalytical perspective it is prominent that Hamlet has an obsession with his mothers sexual relationship with Claudius. He claims that she lives â€Å"In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed†. The scene takes place in Gertrude’s bedroom, which is important as its privacy and intimacy allows Hamlet to express himself fully to his mother and being a place where sexual activity occurs, suggests Hamlets repressed sexual desires. The scene ends with Hamlet possessively demanding her â€Å"but go not to my uncle’s bed† and uses multiple sexual references when he tells her to not let Claudius â€Å"Pinch wanton on your cheek, call you his mouse†. Relating this to the Oedipus complex, Hamlet appears to be more like a jealous lover than a concerned son. Examining act 3 scene 4 from different perspectives gives varied insights into Gertrude and Hamlet’s relationship, yet each perspective deduces that it is a dishonourable relationship with no mutual trust or respect. Another dishonourable family relationship in Hamlet is that between Ophelia and her father Polonius. Polonius manipulates Ophelia for his own benefit, treating her like a tool rather than a person. Their relationships becomes pitiful when she receives orders from her father and responds with â€Å"I shall bey, my lord†, implying that she is at the service of her father. Through the analysis of act 4 scene 5 a deeper understanding can be reached about Ophelia’s relationship with her late father. Following the death of Polonius, Ophelia’s mind becomes unhinged as she drifts into insanity, speaking in songs and rhymes. Considering this scene from a feminists perspective it can be thought that Ophelia went mad with guilt having her desire for Hamlet to kill her father so that they can be together fulfilled. This theory strongly supports the idea that the relationship between Ophelia and Polonius was dysfunctional as she felt she’d never be free to make her own choices until her father was dead. The friendship between Hamlet and Horatio is the only admirable one. Horatio is the one character that Hamlet speaks to openly and confides in. He remains loyal and swears himself to secrecy about the ghost and the pretence of Hamlets madness. He conspires with Hamlet to prove Claudius killed King Hamlet and he stands by him through Ophelia’s death. It is the final scene of the play when the true extent of their friendship is confirmed. Act 5 scene 2 begins with Hamlet confiding in Horatio and reciting the fate of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to him. This further validates their friendship and Hamlets trust in his loyal friend. The scene draws to a close with Horatio wishing to join Hamlet in death. This selfless declaration and his final words to Hamlet before he dies â€Å"good night sweet Prince, and flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest† convey his everlasting faithfulness to Hamlet. Through examining the friendship of Hamlet and Horatio from the beginning of the play to the end, it is clear that, unlike all the other relationships, there is never a doubt about the sincerity of their friendship. Through the close and critical analysis of Hamlet, you can come to the understanding that all but one of the intense human relationships within the play are dishonourable, dysfunctional and destined to fail. Considering this interpretation in the light of other perspectives the same conclusion can be drawn about the relationships.

Free Essays on Lucky Kid

Today Bill Gates is synonymous with money (it’s hard not to be when one is worth, give or take, 60 billion dollars), but it wasn’t always that way. On October 28, 1955 William Henry Gates II was just a regular newborn; his mother counted all his toes and fingers to make sure they were all there and thanked whatever higher powers are up there for this gift from heaven. His life proceeded as normally as one’s can when one is fated to be the richest man in the world. Bill started his schooling in the public school system, but he soon surpassed the best that the government had to offer so his parents, perhaps sensing his great future, enrolled him in a private school by the name of Lakeside. This was to be a momentous decision, for at Lakeside little William was first introduced to computers. The school, understanding that computers were to be integral parts of the future world, decided to purchase one of the machines, or at least access to one. Being as this was 1968, computers were large and quite expensive so the school purchased time on a computer from GE. For Bill Gates and a handful of other students the allure of the computer was irresistible; they spent all day and night huddled around the computer, and when they were not actually at the computer they were reading books about the machines. A problem arose: the students, who would someday become the founders of the largest computer cooperation in the world, had used up all the computer time their school had money for. The dilemma was soon remedied by an altruistic man who owned a computer company. Ah, but our young hackers were not nearly finished with their mischief, they had much fun exploring the new computer system and were in fact too smart for it. They wiggled their way in and out of files they should never have seen and even altered data. When the computer children were banned from the machine for several weeks they formed the Lakeside Programmers Group, some kids set ... Free Essays on Lucky Kid Free Essays on Lucky Kid Today Bill Gates is synonymous with money (it’s hard not to be when one is worth, give or take, 60 billion dollars), but it wasn’t always that way. On October 28, 1955 William Henry Gates II was just a regular newborn; his mother counted all his toes and fingers to make sure they were all there and thanked whatever higher powers are up there for this gift from heaven. His life proceeded as normally as one’s can when one is fated to be the richest man in the world. Bill started his schooling in the public school system, but he soon surpassed the best that the government had to offer so his parents, perhaps sensing his great future, enrolled him in a private school by the name of Lakeside. This was to be a momentous decision, for at Lakeside little William was first introduced to computers. The school, understanding that computers were to be integral parts of the future world, decided to purchase one of the machines, or at least access to one. Being as this was 1968, computers were large and quite expensive so the school purchased time on a computer from GE. For Bill Gates and a handful of other students the allure of the computer was irresistible; they spent all day and night huddled around the computer, and when they were not actually at the computer they were reading books about the machines. A problem arose: the students, who would someday become the founders of the largest computer cooperation in the world, had used up all the computer time their school had money for. The dilemma was soon remedied by an altruistic man who owned a computer company. Ah, but our young hackers were not nearly finished with their mischief, they had much fun exploring the new computer system and were in fact too smart for it. They wiggled their way in and out of files they should never have seen and even altered data. When the computer children were banned from the machine for several weeks they formed the Lakeside Programmers Group, some kids set ...

Free Essays on Rule Of The Bone

The Transformations of Chappie In the beginning of â€Å"The Rule of the Bone†, Chappie was living with his mother and his stepfather. It was obvious that his mother her husband more then her own son. This was the first problem. The other problem was that Chappie’s stepfather was an alcoholic and abusive. He used to sexually assault Chappie and abuse his wife. In this situation, Chappie was dependant on his mother and stepfather for; shelter, food and clothing. He was getting himself in trouble constantly and was heavy into weed, which led to him leaving his mother’s house and moving in with his friend Russ. Chappie’s friend Russ rented out an apartment above a video store where he worked with this other guy Bruce who was a biker. Chappie didn’t have a room at Russ’s apartment; instead he used the couch like it was a bed. Chappie was able to cut a deal with Bruce and his biker gang who crashed at the place that he was able to stay there as long as he kept them supplied with weed. This worked out pretty good for a while; Chappie 30 was independent and had a job (so to speak). After the bikers got into robbing electronics from the mall, things got pretty complicated for Chappie. His friend Russ informed his that he was thinking about stealing some electronics from the bikers stash and selling it for himself. For weeks, Russ stole a VCR here, a TV there and soon Bruce realized that the piles weren’t as high as they should have been. Bruce also realized that Russ was missing that was unusual, so he went after Chappie. Bruce tied him up and put him in Russ’s room almost all day. Then, out of nowhere, Russ came in the room through the window like he usually does and untied Chappie. Chappie quickly filled him in on what happened. What Russ and Chappie didn’t notice was that Chappie accidentally knocked over the space heater and the place caught on fire. The Bikers, Russ and Chappie escaped safely, however, B... Free Essays on Rule Of The Bone Free Essays on Rule Of The Bone The Transformations of Chappie In the beginning of â€Å"The Rule of the Bone†, Chappie was living with his mother and his stepfather. It was obvious that his mother her husband more then her own son. This was the first problem. The other problem was that Chappie’s stepfather was an alcoholic and abusive. He used to sexually assault Chappie and abuse his wife. In this situation, Chappie was dependant on his mother and stepfather for; shelter, food and clothing. He was getting himself in trouble constantly and was heavy into weed, which led to him leaving his mother’s house and moving in with his friend Russ. Chappie’s friend Russ rented out an apartment above a video store where he worked with this other guy Bruce who was a biker. Chappie didn’t have a room at Russ’s apartment; instead he used the couch like it was a bed. Chappie was able to cut a deal with Bruce and his biker gang who crashed at the place that he was able to stay there as long as he kept them supplied with weed. This worked out pretty good for a while; Chappie 30 was independent and had a job (so to speak). After the bikers got into robbing electronics from the mall, things got pretty complicated for Chappie. His friend Russ informed his that he was thinking about stealing some electronics from the bikers stash and selling it for himself. For weeks, Russ stole a VCR here, a TV there and soon Bruce realized that the piles weren’t as high as they should have been. Bruce also realized that Russ was missing that was unusual, so he went after Chappie. Bruce tied him up and put him in Russ’s room almost all day. Then, out of nowhere, Russ came in the room through the window like he usually does and untied Chappie. Chappie quickly filled him in on what happened. What Russ and Chappie didn’t notice was that Chappie accidentally knocked over the space heater and the place caught on fire. The Bikers, Russ and Chappie escaped safely, however, B...

The Myths of the Founding of Rome

The Myths of the Founding of Rome By tradition, the city of Rome was founded in 753 B.C.* The stories  about the founding of Rome are conflicting, but there are two main founding figures to look out for: Romulus (after whom the city may have been named) and Aeneas. It is also possible that Evander of Arcadia founded Rome. Much of the information on the founding of Rome comes from the first book of Livys history of Rome. Aeneas as Founder of Rome The Trojan prince Aeneas, an important figure linking the Romans with the Trojans and the goddess Venus, is sometimes credited with the founding of Rome as the culmination of his post-Trojan War adventures, but the version of the Roman foundation myth that is most familiar is that of Romulus, the first king of Rome.   The Romulus and Remus Myth Romulus and Remus were twin brothers, the sons of a vestal virgin named Rhea Silvia (also called Ilia) and the god Mars, according to legend. Since vestal virgins could be buried alive if they violated their chastity vows, whoever forced Rhea Silvia to enter the equivalent of an ancient convent assumed that Rhea Silvia would remain childless. The grandfather and great-uncle of the twins were Numitor and Amulius, who between them divided the wealth and kingdom of Alba Longa (a city founded by Aeneas son Ascanius), but then Amulius seized Numitors share and became sole ruler. To prevent retaliation by the offspring of his brother, Amulius made his niece a vestal virgin. When Rhea became pregnant, her life was spared because of the special pleading of Amulius daughter Antho. Although she kept her life, Rhea was imprisoned. Contrary to plan, the virgin Rhea was impregnated by the god Mars. When the twin boys were born, Amulius wished to have them killed, and so bid someone, perhaps Faustulus, a swineherd, expose the boys. Faustulus left the twins on the river bank where a she-wolf nursed them, and a woodpecker fed and guarded them until Faustulus took them into his care again. The two boys were well educated by Faustulus and his wife, Acca Larentia. They grew up to be strong and attractive. They say that his name was Faustulus; and that they were carried by him to his homestead and given to his wife Larentia to be brought up. Some are of the opinion that Larentia was called Lupa among the shepherds from her being a common prostitute, and hence an opening was afforded for the marvellous story.- Livy Book I As adults, Remus found himself imprisoned, and in the presence of Numitor, who determined from his age that Remus and his twin brother could be his grandsons. Learning of Remus predicament, Faustulus told Romulus the truth of his birth and sent him off to rescue his brother. Amulius was despised, and so Romulus drew a crowd of supporters as he approached Alba Longa to kill the king. The twins re-installed their grandfather Numitor on the throne and freed their mother who had been imprisoned for her crime. The Establishment of Rome Since Numitor now ruled Alba Longa, the boys needed their own kingdom and settled in the area in which they had been raised, but the two young men couldnt decide on the exact site and started building separate sets of walls around different hills: Romulus, around the Palatine; Remus, around the Aventine. There they took auguries to see which area the gods favored. On the basis of conflicting omens, each twin claimed his was the site of the city. An angry Remus jumped over Romulus wall and Romulus killed him. Rome was therefore named after Romulus: A more common account is that Remus, in derision of his brother, leaped over the newly-erected walls, and was thereupon slain by Romulus in a fit of passion, who, mocking him, added words to this effect: So perish every one hereafter, who shall leap over my walls. Thus Romulus obtained possession of supreme power for himself alone. The city, when built, was called after the name of its founder.- Livy Book I Aeneas and Alba Longa Aeneas, son of the goddess Venus and the mortal Anchises, left the burning city of Troy at the end of the Trojan War, with his son Ascanius. After many adventures, which the Roman poet Vergil or Virgil describes in the Aeneid, Aeneas and his son arrived at the city of Laurentum on the west coast of Italy. Aeneas married Lavinia, the daughter of a local king, Latinus, and founded the town of Lavinium in honor of his wife. Ascanius, son of Aeneas, decided to build a new city, which he named Alba Longa, under the Alban mountain. Alba Longa was the hometown of Romulus and Remus, who were separated from Aeneas by about a dozen generations. Aeneas was hospitably entertained at the house of Latinus; there Latinus, in the presence of his household gods, cemented the public league by a family one, by giving Aeneas his daughter in marriage. This event fully confirmed the Trojans in the hope of at length terminating their wanderings by a lasting and permanent settlement. They built a town, which Aeneas called Lavinium after the name of his wife. Shortly afterward also, a son was the issue of the recently concluded marriage, to whom his parents gave the name of Ascanius.- Livy Book I Plutarch on Possible Founders of Rome ... Roma, from whom this city was so called, was the daughter of Italus and Leucaria; or, by another account, of Telephus, Herculess son, and that she was married to Aeneas, or ... to Ascanius, Aeneass son. Some tell us that Romanus, the son of Ulysses and Circe, built it; some, Romus the son of Emathion, Diomede having sent him from Troy; and others, Romus, king of the Latins, after driving out the Tyrrhenians, who had come from Thessaly into Lydia, and from thence into Italy.- Plutarch Isidore of Seville on Evander and the Founding of Rome There is a line (313) in the 8th book of the Aeneid that suggests Evander of Arcadia founded Rome. Isidore of Seville reports this as one of the stories told about the founding of Rome.   A banishd band,Drivn with Evander from th Arcadian land,Have planted here, and placd on high their walls;Their town the founder Pallanteum calls,Derivd from Pallas, his great-grandsires name:But the fierce Latians old possession claim,With war infesting the new colony.These make thy friends, and on their aid rely.- Dryden translation from Book 8 of the Aeneid. Points to Note About the Roman Founding Legend Rome was founded on 21 April 753 B.C., according to tradition. It was celebrated in Rome with the festival of Parilia.Because a woodpecker tended to the twins, the woodpecker was sacred to Rome.In some versions of the story, Rhea was drowned and then married the river god Tiber.When Faustulus first let the twins go, they floated into the river and then washed ashore at the base of a fig tree. This was the site where they built their city.In some versions, Acca Larentalia was a prostitute.The stories of the founding of Rome are just that, stories. The legends, as a whole, are not confirmed by tangible evidence although they can be used to help interpret some bits of archaeological data. * 753 B.C. is an important year to know since some Romans reckoned their years from this beginning time (ab urbe condita), although the names of the consuls were more commonly used to pinpoint a year. When viewing Roman dates you may see them listed as xyz year A.U.C., which means xyz years from (after) the founding of the city. You might write the year 44 B.C. as 710 A.U.C. and the year A.D. 2010 as 2763 A.U.C.; the latter, in other words, 2763 years from the founding of Rome.

One of a Kind Experience Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

One of a Kind Experience - Personal Statement Example The purpose of writing this essay is to narrate this unforgettable experience in the researcher's life, once if a person achieves something big in life, he/she obviously feels like telling the people about it, so that the researcher have written this with the very same feeling. After reading the essay the researcher wants the people to feel that so many things may happen for the first time in the life of an individual, but with planning the risks of the future can be reduced. Like the researcher had a good plan, which was of course plan B, but it’s always good to have a backup, so that if a person does not pull off what he/she is trying to achieve, he/she should at least have a backup which can help that particular individual. Planning is imperative and can reduce the risk to a great extent. Eliminating various risks, that were discussed in the essay entirely is just not possible, but the best thing which can be done is planning. The researcher also states that the most diffic ult part of the paper was putting the experience into words or in other words, finding the suitable words to put across the experience because many a time the right words just eludes a person and it's very difficult to narrate an experience because that experience can be taken in some other sense because of the words used in the experience this goes to show the importance of the words used in the experience. The strengths of the paper is basically how interesting the story is, its a dream come true for many young kids.... The trail began and it was a very fine day for me and I quickly adjusted myself to the conditions and ended up scoring two goals and with it I also secured a place in the squad of the Club. The purpose of writing this essay is to narrate this unforgettable experience in my life, once if a person achieves something big in life, he/she obviously feels like telling the people about it and I have written this with the very same feeling. After reading the essay I want the people to feel that so many things happen for the first time in the life of an individual but with planning the risks of the future can be reduced. Like I had a good plan, which was off course planB but it's always good to have a backup so that if a person does not pull off what he/she is trying to achieve, he/she should at least have a backup which can help that particular individual. Planning is imperative and can reduce the risk to a great extent. Eliminating various risks entirely is just not possible but the best thing which can be done is planning. The most difficult part of the paper was putting the experience into words or in other words finding the suitable words to put across the experience because many a time the right words just eludes a person and its very difficult to narrate an experience because that experience can be taken in some other sense because of the words used in the experience this goes to show the importance of the words used in the experience. Words decide what impact the same will have on readers and careful and appropriate use of the words can make an experience a treat to read. The same goes to show the importance of appropriate words. The strengths of the paper is basically how interesting the story is, its a one of a kind

Tisse pathology dissertation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Tisse pathology dissertation - Essay Example Once there is a failed system through the natural functioning of the immune system, doctors and pharmacists try to intervene through diagnosis and pharmacology (quote). It is important to state however that in order for the roles of the medical professionals to be successful, an important component of the disease they have to consider is the pathology of the disease. This paper is therefore dedicated to finding the pathologic processes involved in the disease of Crohns Disease. Crohns disease is one of the inflammatory bowel diseases that mainly affect the gastrointestinal tract of a person (quote). There are other known inflammatory bowel diseases but in the case of Crohns disease, the target of infection has often been the gastrointestinal area from the mouth to the anus and comes with several imploratory symptoms. Due to the fact that there may be other diseases with similar description as the Crohns disease, it is very important that the forthcoming symptoms of the disease are critically examined to be sure if it is really Crohns disease. Symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss and vomiting, with some outward symptomatic complications outside of the gastrointestinal including arthritis, tiredness and skin rashes should commonly be looked out for (quote). Because of the target area of the disease, it has often been called the regional enteritis, referring to the fact that gastrointestinal (GI) tract with common emphasis on the end part of the small intestine is the worse target point. In the figure below, the specific organ within the human system that Crohns disease attacks, making it have the name of regional enteritis is exhibited. Medically, Crohns disease presents a perfect case of what may be called no respecter of persons as it affects men equally as it affects women. Both men and women may therefore get Crohns disease on the same probability basis. The disease has also been recorded in almost people of every age

Observation Report On Special Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Observation Report On Special Education - Essay Example This essay covers on actual status of a special education environment. It extrapolates on observations made during learning hours within a special needs school. In order to ascertain functionality of theoretical concepts in practical settings, we will relate attributes learned in class with those observed in the field. These will include a description of physical elements of the environment, evaluation on teaching strategies employed by teachers, understanding of daily routine within the school and finally a personal reflection based on observations made within the practical context. Description of Classroom Setting The classroom is located at ground floor level together with the mainstream building, with a specially designed exit and entry doors for wheelchairs. Inside the building, I realized that it was a self-contained room with the washroom situated at the back of the room. With a population of thirteen students, one teacher and two aid workers were ready to address any kind of need required by each student. At all times, the two aids Mrs. Francisco and Mrs. Adams arrive in class on time, actually by 11 AM. The teacher, Mr. Molesan, is tasked with delivering class content to the students, who belonged to 5th and 6th grade. On the other hand, Mrs. Francisco and Mrs. Adams assist the challenged students in pushing their wheel chairs or in managing any difficulty related to their disabilities. In order to minimize disruption and inconvenience created by movements, the students are only pulled out of the classroom when necessary, for example during lunch break. Inside the class are seven learning centers each located at strategic positions. With these centers, students can conveniently move from the computers section to the arts and craft center. All the 13 students in the class have various forms of disabilities which include communication impairment, auditory impairment, mild physical challenges and a few with multiple disabilities. Based on the appearance of the classroom setting, I would say that the school has been successful in achieving the underlying objective of delivering special education. According to Smith and Tyler (2010), locating the classroom together with the mainstream building enhances inclusiveness, thus fostering a sense of acceptance among the handicapped students. In addition, locating different learning centers within a single classroom serves as an indication that teachers are committed towards enhancing learning through special approaches. As if those provisions were not enough, timely availability of the two aid workers indicates commitment towards efficiency in assisting learners with special needs. Physical Environment It is undeniable that learners with special needs require a supportive environment that will increase convenience during learning. Based on my observations, such supportive attributes were installed in various parts of the room. Students using wheelchairs were not required to use staircases but enjoyed gently sloping wheelchair case. Additionally, another physical attribute of the class involved vastness of the working space. A class which on normal occasion could accommodate 40 students only had 13 students. According to Boyle (2009), this enables creation of enough space which would allow special maneuvering of physically handicapped members of the class. Students were

Gender Portrayal in the Film Bad Guy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Gender Portrayal in the Film Bad Guy - Essay Example It starts by a guy (Han-Ki) spotting a young lady (Sun-Hwa) sited on a bench across the street and decides to sit beside her. His constant glare towards her makes her uncomfortable and she sees it as rude. She moves away from her and runs to greet her boyfriend. The man grabs her and forcefully kisses her, the witnessing soldiers intervene beats up this guy. She demands an apology, but the guy remains adamant. It leads to her spitting on him, introducing the hidden desire for obsession and vengeance in motion. It is revealed later that the impetuous, quiet gangster is a pimp. Later, the young girl in the street is implicated in a cash theft which lands her in a brothel. It would be unwise to assume that the theme of Bad Guy is about revenge; the plot revolves around the escapades between captor and captive and the director Kim seems not to be arriving at a particular theme. The beguilingly and controversial climax of the film leaves viewers with hard questions to ponder. Therefore, Bad Guy can be termed as an enigmatic piece of work displaying the common issues affecting the society inclusive of race and gender themes. Kim Ki-duk is known as one of the prolific directors in Korea. He is majorly recognized as a remarkable movie producer outside Korea with his movies receiving a number of international awards. For example, the film Samaritan Girl (2004) has gotten him a prestigious international award for best director in the Silver Bear awards. It is fascinating that despite Kim Ki-duk’s international identification as a leading movie director in Korea, back in South Korea his reputation is mixed with many controversies. He has many discontented detractors and a small flock of enthusiastic supporters. He is well reckoned for his unreserved and painterly images.

GAP INC Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

GAP INC - Case Study Example The paper will later do a CSR audit as well as make recommendation to the company. Gap Inc. has experienced tremendous growth since its inception in 1969. Its expansion has led it to be among the top selling brands in the U.S. and abroad. Through its organization and ability to meet customer needs, Gap Inc. grew from single store in U.S. to over 3500 outlets distributed in United States, Canada, United Kingdom, German, and Japan. This expansion came with a number of issues that were environment associated thus leading the management to make decisions based on how to handle the issues. The first issue that Gap Inc. had to deal with was the decreasing sales of Levi’s products. This motivated the company to venture into private-labeled products that has been the main sale in the company to date. The company invested in strengthening brand royalty by enhancing advertising and marketing of the company products. When private labeled products suffered low sales, Old Navy products were invented as a way of attracting customers back to the company’s products. Old Navy products were low cost products yet similar merchandise to Gap stores. Changing fashion trends is one of the major issues experienced by every apparel company (Hines & Bruce 64). The company’s inventory is affected since retailers must order merchandise in advance. The preparation for peak selling calls for higher inventory levels that have to happen before the season. To manage such huge inventory, Gap is faced by an issue that expose it to price shifts and demand that are related to timing of merchandise purchases. Such issues expose the company especially when production is from foreign countries meaning currency differences may check in. Japan market is highly traditional. Gap’s consideration of establishing long-term business relationships is one way of ensuring that the

Questions for Senior Bible Seminar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Questions for Senior Bible Seminar - Essay Example In contrast, costly grace implies something that Christians will often struggle to obtain. It refers to the gospel that one has to seek severally, a gift which should be sought and a door that man must knock to enter. Costly grace demands that man follows the teaching of the Jesus Christ. The grace depicts God’s sanctuary that Christians have to adhere to. The name cheap is used to imply grace that is not true to the living expectations of a Christian while costly is used to imply true grace that is practiced by Christians. Cheap grace is seen among Christians that pretend and preach water while drinking wine. Costly grace is seen among Christians that act according to their word. Question 2 Bonhoeffer was indicating that faith is something that Christians cannot ignore. There are different ways of expressing Christian faith. However, it is only the Christians who are true followers of Christ and uphold the concept of discipleship that have the ability of depicting true faith. Faith makes Christians to be obedient to the teachings of the Christ. Therefore, people who are not obedient to Christ teachings cannot have the ability of trusting on the word of God. ... In this, the phrase illustrated how Jesus regarded himself as a close to God. Son of Man is also used to depict the divinity of Jesus. This includes an illustration of the human nature of Jesus. Jesus was born through the Virgin Mary and this phrase was used to indicate this humane nature of Jesus. Son of Man phrase is also used to refer to ordinary man in the Bible. The phrase also refers to the savior of people. This is through the sacrificial death of Jesus where Son of Man depicts Jesus role as a ruler of human beings in God’s Kingdom. Finally, Son of Man shows Lord’s Sabbath. Question 4 According to Ferguson, obedience to God’s call is a key trait of Christian faith. This is because one cannot be able to attest of having faith when he or she cannot obey on what the teachings of the law indicate with reference to having faith in Christ. Discipleship is another characteristic of faith. People have to uphold discipleship teachings as a means of indicating their faith. Believing is a characteristic that Christians who have faith have to show in modern society. Failure to do so leads to questioning of the strength of faith for such Christians. Finally, Christian faith means one has to follow the teachings of Jesus. Question 5 This is because one cannot be saved without having faith in Jesus Christ. Faith enables people to forgive sins and their sins are forgiven, which makes them to be saved. Commentators interpret this differently because faith is not supposed to focus on saving of people, but on their obedience, believe and discipleship to Christ teachings. Question 6 A God does not deny people the ability of speaking in tongues. This is based on the spiritual manifestation of

GAP INC Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

GAP INC - Case Study Example The paper will later do a CSR audit as well as make recommendation to the company. Gap Inc. has experienced tremendous growth since its inception in 1969. Its expansion has led it to be among the top selling brands in the U.S. and abroad. Through its organization and ability to meet customer needs, Gap Inc. grew from single store in U.S. to over 3500 outlets distributed in United States, Canada, United Kingdom, German, and Japan. This expansion came with a number of issues that were environment associated thus leading the management to make decisions based on how to handle the issues. The first issue that Gap Inc. had to deal with was the decreasing sales of Levi’s products. This motivated the company to venture into private-labeled products that has been the main sale in the company to date. The company invested in strengthening brand royalty by enhancing advertising and marketing of the company products. When private labeled products suffered low sales, Old Navy products were invented as a way of attracting customers back to the company’s products. Old Navy products were low cost products yet similar merchandise to Gap stores. Changing fashion trends is one of the major issues experienced by every apparel company (Hines & Bruce 64). The company’s inventory is affected since retailers must order merchandise in advance. The preparation for peak selling calls for higher inventory levels that have to happen before the season. To manage such huge inventory, Gap is faced by an issue that expose it to price shifts and demand that are related to timing of merchandise purchases. Such issues expose the company especially when production is from foreign countries meaning currency differences may check in. Japan market is highly traditional. Gap’s consideration of establishing long-term business relationships is one way of ensuring that the

Khaled Mashal; The Hamas Leader Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Khaled Mashal; The Hamas Leader - Essay Example The domestic or local basis of power for Khaled Mashal is the people who support the establishment of the Palestine state and containment of Israel as per the pre-1967 border. Khaled Mashal is one of the most powerful leaders in the organization. Also, most of the middle-East countries support his cause and methods except Jordan that challenges his policies. The main adversaries of Khaled Mashal are the Israeli  leadership,  including the Prime Minister  Benjamin  Netanyahu,  who ordered his assassination in 1997.   Although the US primarily wants peace in the region, still the US is  wary  about dealing with Khaled  Mashal,  whom they consider as an extremist. Nonetheless, they are willing to negotiate with him as he is one  of the influential  leaders. The political negotiations however are not progressing smoothly for Khaled Mashal, as Israel is adamant about its position.   The international power base of Khaled Mashal is completely dependent on the support of various Middle Eastern countries. If there is some change in political opinions of these countries, it may put pressure on Khaled Mashal. Although, Khaled Mashal is cautious about the intentions of the European Union or US, as they may cause hindrance to his policies by  pressuring  Iran or  Saudi Arabia,  the main supporters. As per Khaled  Mashal,  he supports the border lines of pre-1967 between Israel, Gaza and West Bank. In addition to that, he wants a substantial amount of administrative right over the city of Jerusalem for complete peace.   Khaled  Mashal  supports the  establishment of Palestine as the sovereign  state, including all political  rights,  including the control over air space and coastlines, so that they are not dependent on Israel for issues related to logistics, transport and travel.  Khaled Mashal is not completely in favour of demilitarization of Palestine as he supports armed resistance as a part of Palestinian resistance. He rejects the suggestion of Israeli presence at

Organic Foods Pdf Essay Example for Free

Organic Foods Pdf Essay Abstract: During the last decade, consumers’ trust in food quality has decreased drastically, mainly because of growing ecological awareness and several food scandals (e. g. BSE, dioxins, bacterial contamination). It has been found that intensive conventional agriculture can introduce contaminants into the food chain. Consumers have started to look for safer and better controlled foods produced in more environmentally friendly, authentic and local systems. Organically produced foods are widely believed to satisfy the above demands, leading to lower environmental impacts and higher nutritive values. So far, studies have partly con? rmed this opinion. Organic crops contain fewer nitrates, nitrites and pesticide residues but, as a rule, more dry matter, vitamin C, phenolic compounds, essential amino acids and total sugars than conventional crops. Organic crops also contain statistically more mineral compounds and usually have better sensory and long-term storage qualities. However, there are also some negatives: plants cultivated in organic systems generally have 20% lower yields than conventionally produced crops. Several important problems need to be addressed in the coming years: environmental, bacterial and fungal contamination of organic crops and, the most essential issue, the impact of organic food consumption on animal and human health.  © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry Keywords: organic plant crops; quality; yield; composition; nutrition; vitamins; phenolics; sugars; nitrates; nitrites; pesticides; dry matter; health; sensory qualities. FACTORS INFLUENCING THE QUALITY OF ORGANIC PLANT FOOD PRODUCTS There are several important factors in?uencing the quality of food products that also are relevant to organically produced plant products. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the basic factors are the quality of the environment (abiotic factors) and the levels of pest and pathogen damage (biotic factors) to which plants are subjected. The main components of the environment (air, water, soil) have to be unpolluted if the crops obtained are expected to be of high nutritive quality. Many environmental contaminants enter the food production chain (soil–plant–animal–human organism), causing signi? cant problems in human health. 1 These contaminants include heavy metals, pesticide residues, nitrogen compounds, mycotoxins, chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), aromatic hydrocarbons (e. g. benzo[a]pyrene), plant growth stimulators (e. g. choline chloride), antibiotics, hormones, radioactive isotopes and plastic substances (monomers). Climate and weather are also important factors, as well as soil type and pH, soil cultivation, fertilisation and conditions of crop storage after harvest. ? Biotic factors can have also a signi? cant impact on crop quality. The main biotic factors are cultivar choice, bacterial and fungal contamination (disease) and pest damage. Cultivars of the same crop species can differ signi? cantly in nutritive quality. For example, the content of ? carotene in carrots (Daucus carota L. ) can vary between 7. 19 and 13. 84 mg g? 1 depending on the cultivar. 2 The main potential source of bacterial contamination in plant crops is animal manure used in organic farming. Contamination can take place via the roots or by water splashing onto the leaf surfaces. The most important organisms are several species of facultative anaerobic bacteria (Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Campylobacter spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Clostridium botulinum, Mycobacterium paratuberculosis), protozoa (Toxoplasma gondii), tapeworms, viruses and prions. The results obtained so far are contradictory. Some studies indicate higher bacterial contamination in organic crops, while others show the opposite. 3 Mycotoxins (produced by fungi) originate mostly in the ? eld but can also develop during storage. Owing to the fact that fungicides are not used Correspondence to: Ewa Rembialkowska, Organic Foodstuffs Division, Faculty of Human Nutrition and Consumer Sciences, Warsaw Agricultural University, Nowoursynowska 159 C, PL-02-776 Warszawa, Poland E-mail: ewa [emailprotected] pl (Received 24 October 2006; revised version received 29 January 2007; accepted 8 February 2007). Figure 1. Factors in? uencing the quality of organic food products. in organic agriculture, some authors believe that organically produced foods will contain higher concentrations of mycotoxins. However, literature reviews show that mycotoxin concentrations are usually similar or reduced in organic compared with conventional products. 4 The most notorious mycotoxins are those produced by Fusarium species on cereal crops and maize. One of the reasons for lower Fusarium infections in organic grains could be the lower nitrogen concentrations in the tissues. 5 Insect pests also exert an in? uence on crop quality. Because of the ban on synthetic pesticides in organic agriculture, insects often damage fruits and vegetables, thereby diminishing their yield and harming their appearance. However, it is not clear whether they also reduce their nutritive quality. In contrast, there is evidence that organically grown plants contain more phytochemicals (which are natural insecticides) and are therefore more resistant to insect damage. 6 They can also play a positive role in human health, because several phytochemicals, being plant defence compounds, are connected with possible health bene? ts (Brandt K, oral presentation at QLIF Congress, Newcastle, 2005). Regulations on organic plant production allow actions that avoid many negative features of crop quality if they are consistently performed by producers. In order to ful? l these demands and to offer highquality products to consumers, an ef? cient and airtight certi? cation and control system must be implemented. In most countries such systems are quite ef?cient, though a rapid increase in the number of organic farms could lead to problems with a subsequent loosening of regulatory control. Therefore the main rule should be ‘trust is good, but control is better’. Moreover, the ? nal quality of organic food products is in? uenced by the effective implementation of 2758 the regulations on animal production and organic food processing. Only precise ful? lment of all these regulations can guarantee the best organic food quality (Fig. 1). IMPACT OF REGULATION ON ORGANIC PLANT PRODUCTION The regulations for organic plant production are clear and detailed. 7 The European Union (EU) regulation published in 19918 contains parts that relate directly to the composition of organic plant products. The most important aspects of this regulation include:7 †¢ a ban on genetic engineering and genetically modi? ed organisms (GMOs); †¢ lower nitrogen levels – a maximum limit for manure application of 170 kg N ha? 1 year? 1 ; †¢ a ban on synthetic pesticides; †¢ a ban on synthetic mineral fertilisers; †¢ a ban on growth promoters. Organic farmers must follow the above regulations if they want to pass the inspection procedure every year and receive a certi? cation document. If all requirements are complied with, several qualitative results can be expected. The most important conclusions from scienti? c comparisons are given below. CONTAMINANTS Nitrates and nitrites A large amount of data shows that the content of nitrates and nitrites is distinctly higher in conventionally cultivated than in organic crops. This is important, because nitrates can easily be converted into nitrites, which can cause a dangerous illness called methaemoglobinaemia in babies, infants and elderly people. 9 J Sci Food Agric 87:2757–2762 (2007) DOI: 10. 1002/jsfa Quality of organic plant products. Moreover, nitrites can react with amines to create nitrosamines, which are carcinogenic and mutagenic substances causing cancer of the digestive tract and leukaemia. 10 This process is dangerous not only for young children but also for adults of any age. Based on a large amount of data, the nitrate content of organic and conventional crops has been compared. On average, the nitrate content of organic crops was 49% that of conventional crops. 11 These and other data provide a basis for stating that organic methods lead to an approximately 50% reduction in the intake of nitrates and nitrites by humans. Pesticides Governments place legal limits, known as the Maximum Residue Level (MRL), on the level of pesticides that can be present in food. The MRL is usually estimated by testing individual pesticides on rats. Governments maintain that consumption of pesticides below the MRL is not a health risk. However, at lower levels, pesticides are known or suspected to cause many diseases and health problems, including cancer. 12 The main problem is that the MRL for pesticides is usually estimated by testing individual pesticides on rats for a relatively short period. Virtually nothing is known about the effects of consuming combinations of potentially hundreds of different pesticides over the course of a lifetime. We do not and cannot know explicitly what is causing what, so precaution is the main tool available to us (Howard V, oral presentation at QLIF Congress, Newcastle, 2005). The levels of pesticide residues found in organic crops are de? nitely lower than those present in conventional crops (Howard V, oral presentation at QLIF Congress, Newcastle, 2005). It can be expected that eating organic foods will result in lower pesticide levels in human milk and body tissues. There is some evidence con? rming this hypothesis. Researchers in France found that the level of pesticide residues in the milk of breast-feeding women decreased signi? cantly with an increase in the proportion of organic food in the daily diet (from 25 to 80%). 13 All available results show that the content of pesticide residues is signi? cantly lower in organic crops, which creates safer health conditions for consumers eating organically. Heavy metals Heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, arsenic, mercury and zinc are introduced into the food chain from various sources, including industry, transportation, communal wastes and agriculture. For example, mineral phosphoric fertilisers used in conventional agriculture can introduce cadmium into crops, but the metal industry and transportation also cause cadmium contamination of soils and crops. Therefore there are no clear results in studies comparing the levels of J Sci Food Agric 87:2757–2762 (2007) DOI: 10. 1002/jsfa heavy metals in organic and conventional crops. Some data point to higher levels in conventional crops, while others show the opposite. 11 A problem to be solved is whether organic farming (composting, increasing the organic matter in soil, pH, etc. ) can diminish the intake of heavy metals by cultivated plants. DESIRABLE COMPOUNDS IN PLANTS Vitamins, phenolic compounds and mineral compounds The nutritive value of foods depends mainly on them having the appropriate content of compounds indispensable for proper functioning of the human organism. The content of phyto-compounds in plant foods is a topic of great interest in food science nowadays. A growing body of evidence indicates that secondary plant metabolites (phytochemicals) play a critical role in human health and may be nutritionally important. 14 There are two main theories explaining the factors in? uencing the levels of compounds in plants. 15 The carbon/nitrogen (C/N) balance theory states that, when nitrogen is easily available, the plant will ? rst make compounds with high nitrogen content, e. g. proteins for growth and nitrogen-containing secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, glucosinolates and non-protein amino acids such as the Allium ? avour precursors. When nitrogen availability is limiting for growth, the metabolism changes more towards carboncontaining compounds, e. g. starch, cellulose and non-nitrogen-containing secondary metabolites such as phenolics and terpenoids. The second, newer theory is the growth/ differentiation balance hypothesis (GDBH). 15 It states that the plant will always assess the resources available to it and optimise its investment in processes directed towards growth or differentiation. The term ‘differentiation’ encompasseses increased formation of defence compounds as well as accelerated maturation and seed development. The C/N balance theory is a special and typical case of the GBDH theory, since low nitrogen availability is the most common growth-limiting condition in natural ecosystems. 15 To verify the above theories, several authors investigated the content of some vitamins and phyto-compounds in organically and conventionally produced crops. In order to summarise different data, for each organic–conventional comparison a % difference was calculated: [(organic ? conventional)/conventional] ? 100 The collected data for several desirable components are presented in Table 1. The role of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in the human organism is basic for several metabolic functions, mainly because it is one of the major cellular direct antioxidants (along with glutathione) and is a 2759 E Rembialkowska Table 1. Contents of desirable components in organic crops relative to those in conventional crops Component Vitamin C Phenolic compounds Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Mean % difference +28. 7 +119. 3 +21. 1 +29. 3 +13. 6 Range (%) ? 38 to +135. 5 ? 56. 6 to +734. 2 ? 73 to +240 ? 35 to +1206 ? 44 to +240 Number of studies 21 15 16 17 18 production and reduces carbohydrate production. Moreover, the increased protein produced in response to high nitrogen levels contains lower amounts of certain essential amino acids such as lysine and therefore has a lower quality with respect to human nutrition. Source: Ref. 17 and author’s own calculations. cofactor for certain enzymes. Vitamin C also supports detoxication and resistance of the human organism. The higher content of vitamin C in organic crops is bene? cial to health, because vitamin C inhibits the in situ formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines, thus diminishing the negative impact of nitrates on the human organism. 10 Therefore organic vegetables can play an important anticarcinogenic role. Plant-based phenolic metabolites are particularly interesting because of their potential antioxidant activity and medical properties, including anticarcinogenic activity. 15 According to Benbrook,16 organic farming has elevated antioxidant levels in about 85% of the cases studied to date and, on average, levels are about 30% higher compared with foods grown conventionally. Mineral compounds containing iron, magnesium and phosphorus are fundamental for human health. According to Worthington,17 the higher mineral content in organic crops may be connected with the higher abundance of micro-organisms in organically managed soil. These micro-organisms produce many compounds that help plants to combine with soil minerals and make them more available to plant roots. Unfortunately, there have been only a few studies on other vitamins such as ? -carotene, B1 and B2 and the results are contradictory. Therefore no general conclusions can be drawn about these compounds. Total sugars A higher total sugar content in plant crops not only improves their taste but is also an important component of their technological quality, e. g. in the case of sugar beet. Studies clearly indicate a higher content of total sugars, mainly sucrose, in organically produced vegetables and fruits such as carrots, sugar beet, red beetroot, potatoes, spinach, Savoy cabbage, cherries, redcurrants and apples. 11,18 Proteins Several studies analysed in review papers11 show that the quantity of crude protein is lower in organic than in conventional crops but that the quality is better as measured by essential amino acid content. According to Worthington,17 nitrogen from any kind of fertiliser affects the quantity and quality of protein produced by plants. Provision of a large amount of nitrogen to a plant increases protein 2760 SENSORY QUALITY OF ORGANIC FOODS Many studies have proved quite unequivocally that vegetables and fruits from organic farms have a better taste and smell. This was found for carrots and potatoes, celery and red beetroot, head cabbage and tomatoes as well as for apples, cherries and redcurrants. 11 Organic fruits contained more total sugars, which probably in?uenced the better taste perception by consumers. Better taste and smell have also been found for bread made from organic grain, which also had better crumb elasticity. 6 Interesting studies have been conducted on animal food preference in which animals were given organic or conventional fodder. Most studies have proved a clear animal preference for foods produced organically; such studies have been conducted on rats, mice, hens and rabbits. 19 Preference for organic fodder was also observed in cases where, according to chemical analyses, both organic and conventional fodder ful? lled all physiological needs of the animals tested. 20 The reason for this was probably the difference in taste between organic and conventional fodder. STORAGE QUALITY OF ORGANIC PLANT CROPS Transpiration losses and decay processes, as well as changes in nutritive value, normally take place during the storage period of potatoes and other vegetables. However, these changes can proceed at different rates and to differing degrees. Most of the available data indicate that the decay process is slower in organic crops, which therefore show better storage quality after the winter period. A review study based on many sources21 concluded that the storage quality of vegetables and fruits was better in the case of plants grown on organic farms (Table 2). The better storage quality of organic crops Table 2. Storage losses of carrots, potatoes and various fruits and vegetables from organic (ORG) and conventional (CONV) farmsa Carrots Potatoes Fruits and vegetables ORG CONV ORG CONV ORG CONV Number of quoted studies Storage loss (% of initial mass) a 15 33 15 40 22 22 22 30 53 28 53 38 Average data based on literature review. 21 J Sci Food Agric 87:2757–2762 (2007) DOI: 10. 1002/jsfa Quality of organic plant products Table 3. Positive nutritive attributes of organic plant products No. 1 2 3 4 5 Attribute Organic crops contain fewer nitrates, nitrites and pesticide residues than conventional crops. There is no clear difference in the content of heavy metals between organic and conventional crops Organic plant products contain, as a rule, more dry matter, vitamin C, phenolic compounds, essential amino acids and total sugars. However, the level of ? -carotene is often higher in conventional plant products Organic plant products contain statistically more iron, magnesium and phosphorus. They also tend to contain more chromium, iodine, molybdenum, selenium, calcium, boron, manganese, copper, potassium, sodium, vanadium and zinc Organic plant products usually have better sensory quality. They have a clearer smell and taste and are sweeter and more compact because of their higher dry matter content Preference for organic products is typical not only for humans but also for animals such as rats, rabbits and hens. This preference was also observed in cases where, according to chemical analyses, both organic and conventional fodder ful? lled all physiological needs of the animals tested Vegetables and fruits from organic production maintain better quality during winter storage, showing lower mass losses due to transpiration, decay and decomposition processes. A possible reason for this is their higher content of dry matter, minerals, sugars and other bioactive compounds 6 Table 4. Negative and unclear aspects of organic plant products No. 1 Negative aspect Plants cultivated in organic systems have, as a rule, signi?cantly (on average 20%) lower yields than conventionally produced crops. This increases their price and creates for many consumers a barrier to buying organic foods Unclear aspect Environmental contamination (heavy metals, PCBs, dioxins, aromatic hydrocarbons) can be similar in organic and conventional crops, because the impact of industrial, transport and communal sources is similar on organic and conventional farms located in the same area Bacterial (mainly Salmonella and Campylobacter) Contamination can sometimes be higher in organic produce, but scienti?c evidence of this is still not clear Mycotoxins can contaminate both organic and conventional foods, but scienti? c data are contradictory The impact of organic food consumption on human health and wellbeing remains essentially unknown in spite of some positive indications, so the subject needs further study 2 3 4 was probably associated with a higher content of dry matter in their ? esh, resulting in less extensive decay and decomposition. Lower losses in organic production have not only nutritive but also economic bene? ts. In conventional systems, high yields are produced but signi?cant losses during storage reduce the economic bene? ts. CONCLUSIONS Recent food crises (BSE, foot and mouth disease, food contamination by dioxins, toxic fungi, Salmonella and Campylobacter bacteria) have caused consumers to look for more authentic and safer foods. Organic food production is widely recognised as being more friendly to the environment, more controlled and better for animal welfare. On the other hand, many data indicate that a lot of food contaminants have their source in conventional methods of agriculture, animal production and food processing. The negative effect of the continuing enthusiastic use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides in agriculture is potentially huge. Therefore safer methods of agricultural production, mostly organic methods, are very important. Studies conducted in various countries have indicated several positive attributes of organic plant J Sci Food Agric 87:2757–2762 (2007) DOI: 10. 1002/jsfa products (Table 3) but also a few negative and unclear aspects (Table 4). To summarise the positives, organic food should be recommended for all, but especially for young babies, pregnant and breast-feeding women, elderly and chronically ill people and vegetarians. The last group obviously consumes a lot of vegetables, which can contain too high levels of carcinogenic substances when produced conventionally. The lower content of nitrates and higher content of phenolic compounds and vitamin C in organic crops are especially important for health. Nitrates are easily converted in the digestive tract into poisonous nitrites, which are the precursors of carcinogenic nitrosamines. This process is hampered by vitamin C, and carcinogenesis is retarded by phenolic compounds and other dietary phytochemicals present at higher levels in organically produced crops. Therefore organic vegetables can play an important anticarcinogenic role. REFERENCES 1 Rembialkowska E, Organic agriculture and food quality, in Ecological Agriculture and Rural Development in Central and Eastern European Countries, Vol. 44 of NATO Science Series, ed. by Filho WL. IOS Press, Amsterdam, pp. 185–204 (2004). 2761 E Rembialkowska ? ? 2 Schuphan W, Biochemische Sortenprufung an Gartenmohren ? ? als neuzeitliche Grundlage fur planvolle Zuchtungsarbeit. Z? chter 2:25–43 (1942). U 3 Franz E, van Bruggen AHC and Semenov AM, Risk-analysis of human pathogen spread in the vegetable industry: a comparison between organic and conventional production chains, in Bayesian Statistics and Quality Modelling in the AgroFood Production Chain, ed. by van Boekel MAJS, Stein A and van Bruggen AHC. Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht, pp. 81–94 (2004). 4 FAO, Food Safety as Affected by Organic Farming (Twentysecond FAO Regional Conference for Europe). [Online]. (2000). Available: www. fao. org/docrep/meeting/x4983. htm. 5 Van Bruggen AHC and Termorshuizen AJ, Integrated approaches to root disease management in organic farming systems. Aust Plant Pathol 32:141–156 (2003). 6 Bjorn G and Fruekilde AM, Cepa onions (Allium cepa L) grown conventionally and organically – similarities and differences. Gron Viden 153:1–6 (2003). (in Danish). 7 Hansen B, Alroe HF, Kristensen ES and Wier M, Assessment of food safety in organic farming. DARCOF Working Paper 52 (2002). 8 EU, Council Regulation No. 2092/91 of 24 June 1991 on organic production of agricultural products and indications referring thereto on agricultural products and foodstuffs. OJL 198, 22. 7 P. 1 (1991). ? 9 Szponar L and Kierzkowska E, Azotany i azotyny w srodowisku oraz ich wplyw na zdrowie czlowieka. Post Hig Med Do? w s 44:327–350 (1990). 10 Mirvish SS, Vitamin C inhibition of N-nitroso compounds formation. Am J Clin Nutr 57:598–599 (1993). 11 Rembialkowska E, Wholesomeness and Sensory Quality of Potatoes and Selected Vegetables from the Organic Farms. Fundacja ? Rozwoj SGGW, Warszawa (2000). 12 BMA, The BMA Guide to Pesticides, Chemicals and Health. Report of Science and Education. British Medical Association, London (1992). 13 Aubert C, Pollution du lait maternel, une enquete de terre vivante. Quatre Saisons Jardinage 42:33–39 (1987). 14 Lundeg? rdh B and M?rtensson A, Organically produced plant a a foods – evidence of health bene? ts. Acta Agric Scand B 53:3–15 (2003). 15 Brandt K and Molgaard JP, Organic agriculture: does it enhance or reduce the nutritional value of plant foods? J Sci Food Agric 81:924–931 (2001). 16 Benbrook CM, Elevating Antioxidant Levels in Food through Organic Farming and Food Processing. An Organic Center of Science Review. Organic Center for Education and Promotion (2005). 17 Worthington V, Nutritional quality of organic versus conventional fruits, vegetables, and grains. J Alternative Compl Med 7:161–173 (2001). 18 Zadoks JC, Development of Farming Systems. Pudoc, Wageningen (1989). 19 Williams CM, Nutritional quality of organic food: shades of grey or shades of green? Proc Nutr Soc 61:19–24 (2002). ? 20 Woese K, Lange D, Boess Ch and Bogl KW, A comparison of organically and conventionally grown foods – results of a review of the relevant literature. J Sci Food Agric 74:281–293 (1997). 21 Bulling W, Qualit? tsvergleich von ‘biologisch’ und ‘konventionell’ a erzeugten Feldfruchten. Regierungsprasidium, Stuttgart (1987). 2762 J Sci Food Agric 87:2757–2762 (2007) DOI: 10. 1002/jsfa.

Gender Discrimination Still Exists In Todays Era Sociology Essay

Gender Discrimination Still Exists In Todays Era Sociology Essay Women in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to drive. Husbands in Bahrain and Egypt can prevent their wives from traveling outside the country for any reason by filing a complaint at the airport. In Lebanon, abused women cannot file for divorce from their husbands on the basis of violence without the testimony of an eyewitness. The Human rights of women in the Middle East are constantly being ignored by the countries in that region. As a result, the womens political and social issues are not being addressed properly due to the cultural pressure the society demands of them. Hence, sexual discrimination exists in the Arab world. Most of the worlds poor, unhealthy and uneducated are Arab women. They are constantly absent from negotiations regarding peace and security to end conflicts. Thus, Arab women are not given a chance to show their capabilities to shape the Middle Eastern society. Arab womens voice is simply not being heard. Gender discrimination exists when a person or a group of people are treated improperly on the basis of their biological sex. In the Arab society, sexual discrimination exists due to different cultural values and attitudes between men and women. As a result, Arab society is man dominated causing women to hide behind their husbands. According to Tannen (1990), Throughout the evening, one man had been particularly talkative, frequently offering ideas and anecdotes, while his wife sat silently beside him on the couch. Toward the end of the evening, I commented that women frequently complain that their husbands dont talk to them. This man quickly concurred. He gestured toward his wife and said, Shes the talker in our family. The room burst into laughter; the man looked puzzled and hurt. Its true, he explained. When I come home from work I have nothing to say. If she didnt keep the conversation going, wed spend the whole evening in silence.(p.159). Tannen (1990) explained this paradox by s tating In the public setting of a guest lecture, he felt challenged to show his intelligence and display his understanding of the lecture. But at home, where he has nothing to prove and no one to defend against, he is free to remain silent. For his wife, being home means she is free from the worry that something she says might offend someone, or spark disagreement, or appear to be showing off; at home she is free to talk (p.163). This example shows the irony that although Arab men tend to engage more in conversation than women in public situations, they usually talk less at home. This result in, as mentioned earlier, sexual discrimination and a man dominated society in the Middle East. I was never aware that gender discrimination exists in the Arab world until recently. A month ago, I was looking for a job in the concerts being held in Abu Dhabi. I found a job that I was very interested in and matched my requirements perfectly. But to my surprise, I was not hired due to gender discrimination. Although I was eligible enough for that job, I was not hired because I am a woman. Another similar example was when I was working with my NGN 110 group on our ping pong ball sorter project. Because of my gender, the group leader decided to give me the responsibility of writing the final written report instead of working on designing and building the ping pong ball sorter with the rest of the group. Being a woman, I cannot work on constructing our project. However, the biggest example of sexual discrimination that I personally witnessed was when my aunt was pregnant with a girl. When a woman announces that she is pregnant with a boy, family and friends show great excitement and enthusiasm. Arabs act that way only when a woman is pregnant with a boy and not a girl because, in Middle Eastern societies, a son means security. The son will inherit his fathers properties and get a convenient job to help support the family. When a girl is born, however, the reaction is very different. A few women actually cry when they find out that they are expecting a girl because, to Arabs, a daughter is just another expense. Her place belongs at home, not in the world of men. Arab womens identities are formed as soon as their family and society limit their opportunities and declare them to be second place. Extreme bias against Arab women creates discrimination against them that keeps them from living up to their full potential. Personally, I cannot help but feel inferior when everything around me tells me that I am worth less than a man. Middle Eastern societies are affecting Arab women negatively by not giving them a chance to shape the Arab society and show the world their innovative ideas. For instance, although Arab girls perform better at school than boys, they have fewer educational opportunities. According to MacLeod, Lack of education and gender discrimination combine to keep the percentage of employed Arab women at only one-third, the lowest in the world (2006, para.5). Both of these factors contribute to an unhealthy lifestyle that increases the rate of disease and death related to pregnancy and childbirth. Women are not only largely excluded from political participation, but they also face domestic violence such as honor killings. Furthermore, many governmental orders are being enforced to restrict Arab womens liberties. Such as giving women less status than their husbands in divorce papers and requiring their father or husbands permission to travel, work, or borrow money from a bank. Addionally, sexual di scrimination in Arabian societies is especially obvious in the workplace. Since women are equally qualified, if not more, than men, differences in qualification between Arab men and women no longer provide a reasonable explanation for why women earn less than men for the same amount of work. Obviously, sexual discrimination is a significant contributor to the pay gap between Arab men and women. If it was not for gender discrimination, Arab women would probably be earning just as much as or even more than men. Moreover, the employment of Arab women and men in different fields is also a result of sexual discrimination. For example, occupations such as nursing and administrative assisting are usually dominated by women, while fields such as engineering and politics tend to be dominated by men. Gender is a common term meant for both sexes, whereas gender discrimination is a term meant only for women, since women are the only victims of sexual discrimination. Furthermore, gender discrimination is an ongoing problem in every country in the Middle East that we face in our daily lives. Females are nearly fifty percent of the total world population but their presentation in public life and their contribution to the society is extremely low. Recognizing Arab womens rights and believing in their abilities are essential for womens empowerment and development. A Middle Eastern nation, without the participation of both genders cannot achieve evolution. If we eliminate sexual discrimination and merge the two voices together, Arab women will deliver all the potentials, skills, and knowledge to develop the Middle Eastern societies.