Strategic management. read article then answer questions Essay

Strategic management. read article then answer questions - Essay Example This confounding hinders the fact that resource-based concept is only one of the various strategic logics within heterogeneous firms that leads to intra-industry performance differences. The influence of environments on company performance has been a key theme in strategy and has become a function of the fit between organizational structure and the environmental setting (Porter, 1996). Extrapolating this argument to inter-organizational level, researchers argue that the influence of network position on firm performance is controlled by the environmental context. Essential to the argument is that changes in the environment influence the nature of skills and capabilities needed for competitive advantage. Since network positions are crucial to firms in an attempt to acquire appropriate skills and capabilities, firms are compelled to strategically design their networks to acquire skills and capabilities in a changed environment. Nevertheless, any mismatch between needs of the environment and the firm’s position could have serious performance implications (Bingham and Eisenhardt, 2008). Position strategy has various advantages like constructing an impressive empire surrounding an attractive market that offers long-term competitive advantage. In addition, competitive advantage relies on valuable strategic position within an industry and linking the various resources to defend the position, since strategic positioning drives huge profitability (Peteraf, 1993). Often companies defend their position by combining resources that their competitors find difficult to imitate; therefore, position strategy links resources to successfully defend an organization from challengers. Nevertheless, like any strategy, the position strategy has its vulnerability factor which is change since when industries change relocating a business empire locked in a strategic position is tough. The weaknesses of this strategy include dismantling synergies in case of change that management wo rked hard to put in place and exposing the organization to risks in transition to a fresh strategy. Thus, change forces managers to dismantle their resources in position strategy and reassembling them in fresh strategic positions, which consumes time and potentially lethal because performance may stall until all pieces are reassembled (Siggelkow, 2001). Currently firms are leveraging on social media tools in an attempt to attract consumers to engage in their interactive online social environment (Shadkam and O'Hara, 2013). In environments of moderate change, leverage strategies outperform position strategies because change is incremental and conventional which ensures that managers rotate strategically important resources in the industry. Although position strategy bases on the empire analogy, leverage strategy resembles chess in that competitive advantage results from having valuable pieces and ensuring smart moves with the pieces. Organizations pursuing leveraging strategy attain competitive advantage through their strategically essential resources within the existing as well as new industries at a rate consistent with market change. For instance, Pepsi owns various strategically important resources; however, the company has leveraged the resources to

Exercise Essay Example for Free

Exercise Essay Exercise entails an act of intentional and active body movements, force exertion on attempt to keep fit, body shape and ensuring general medical healthiness. Socially, it simply prepares an athlete for readiness towards goal accomplishment of being the best in a competition. Medical researches however, recommend a minimum of 15 minutes exercise per day to keep the body in good shape. Experts in the field of physical health education had also suggested at least a minimum of a kilometer walk on a regular basis (Knuttgen, H. 2003). Drugs heal but a therapeutic dose of regular exercise contributes a lot in the prevention of atherosclerotic diseases of great blood vessels of the heart without any side effect. In turn the risk of being a victim of cardiac arrest among other major diseases that could result from a prolonged sedentary life is reduced. Exercise completes the recuperating process of an out-patient in hospital ward. Besides, the idea of exercise gives a psychological sense of well been if a recovering patient on bed for the past few weeks could perform it with subsequent improvement. This must have been repeated severally with increasing duration of allotted time interval. How does an exercise works for good health? During exercise, there is an increase in blood circulation in the blood vessels of the body. This brings more nourishing constituents of blood (glucose, oxygen, food break down products, minerals etc) to the organs they supply at a faster rate. The homodynamic (motion) flow of blood fluid creates pressure within the vessel and thereby clears any obstruction to its flow. Usually, excessive cholesterol intake obstructs blood vessels and predispose the patient to the risk of not heart failure, hypertension et cetera. Exercise is free for all, let us all preach it, and practice it till it becomes a part and of our life. It appears to me as a means of embarking on prevention to avoid curing imminent diseases. Albeit excessive exercise puts so much stress on the body, do not do it! (Wilmore, J. , Knuttgen, H. 2003)

Looking At Poetic Sound Devices

Looking At Poetic Sound Devices While the poems tone, speaker, and choice of words serve as the basic outline for the poem, poetic sound devices give poems a special musical quality, which also contributes to the theme. You might have heard of devices such as alliteration, rhyme, assonance, consonance, and onomatopoeia; all these give poetic verses that special sound quality. Youll explore these devices in this interactivity. Ozymandias Tab: Present the entire poem here. Show 4 titles with a hotspot next to each. On clicking the hotspot next to each title, display the following text in the pop-ups. On clicking Rhyme: The poem follows a strange rhyme scheme of ababacdcedefef which doesnt fit into any standard sonnet rhyming pattern. Take a look at how the rhyming words in the poem carry the theme: land/sand: By reading just these two words, youll understand that the land thats being described is a desert. These help reiterate how nothing else remains of Ozymandias kingdom, except for sand. read/fed: Shelley venerates the sculptor who perfectly recreated or read the kings expression; and in a way fed could mean that he enlarged the kings ego. This brings out two themes; one of impermanent art and the other of pride going to a fall. things/kings: These words contribute to the theme of impermanence of earthly things including once powerful kings. despair/bare: These rhymes bring out the theme of desolation since theres only despair now that everything is bare. Youll also notice the presence of half-rhymes or imperfect rhymes in stone/frown and appear/bare On clicking Assonance: Assonance: Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things, Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair! Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare, Particularly explain the sound devices in the last 2-3 lines of the poem e.g. the assonance and alliteration in Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare, emphasizes the vastness and desolation of the desert surrounding the statue of Ozymandias. On clicking Alliteration: Mention extensive use of alliteration e.g. Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare, The lone and level sands stretch far away. Explain how the alliteration lone and level and sands and stretch contribute to the image of the desert and add to the theme of desolation as all that remains is the vast stretches of sand. Honky Tonk in Cleveland, Ohio Tab Read the poem Hony Tonk in Celeveland, Ohio (OR PUT THE ENTIRE POEM HERE) Carl Sandburg beautifully describes the sights and sounds of a honky tonk. A honky tonk is a tawdry drinking establishment with musical entertainment, usually found in the South and Southwest. As you read the poem, youll feel like youre in a honky tonk yourself. And you get acquainted with the sounds, sights, and the people usually found in such places. Show 3 titles with a hotspot next to each. On clicking Onomatopoeia This poem is filled with Onomatopoeia which is the naming of a thing or action by an oral imitation of the sound associated with it such as the banjo tickles and titters. Take a look at onomatopoeia in Honky Tonk in Cleveland, Ohio: drum crashes coronet razzes trombone pony neighs tuba jackass snorts banjo tickles and titters Each of these create a vivid sound image in the readers mind and go on to build up the poems theme. On clicking Alliteration and Assonance Alliteration which is the repetition of same sounds or of the same kinds of sounds at the beginning of words or in stressed syllables; is evident in the poem. Take a look at the use of Alliteration in Honky Tonk in Cleveland, Ohio: jazz and razzes trombone and tuba fleet of floozies etc.) and assonance (jazz and razzes, weep and beer etc.) in the poem and focus on how these devices bring out the theme of the poem effectively (vividly evokes images and sounds commonly found in a honky tonk). Screen 14: (1/3V) altra_tu18_s5s1_02 (MCQ) Show the following stanza in the graphic from Lord Byrons poem, When we two parted When we two parted In silence and tears, Half broken-hearted To sever for years, Pale grew thy cheek and cold, Colder thy kiss; Truly that hour foretold Sorrow to this. If you like, you can read the entire text of Lord Byrons When We Two Parted. How do poetic sound devices in this stanza of Byrons poem, When we two parted contribute to the theme? Onomatopoeia and rhyme bring out the theme of pain and loss at the lovers parting. (Look closerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the poetic devices dont only highlight the pain and loss of the lovers loss.) Alliteration, assonance, and onomatopoeia are used to describe the farewell scene of the lovers. (Look closerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the poem talks about more than just a farewell scene.) Alliteration, assonance, and rhyme create a sad atmosphere at the lovers separation. (Correct! Poetic devices in the poem create a sad atmosphere which intensifies the lovers feelings on separation) Screen 15: (1/3V) altra_tu18_s5s1_03 Show the following stanza in the graphic from Robert Brownings poem, Meeting at Night: And the startled little waves that leap In fiery ringlets from their sleep, As I gain the cove with pushing prow, And quench its speed i the slushy sand. If you like, you can read the entire text of Robert Browinngs Meeting in the Night Now that youve read the poem, answer this question: How do the poems sound devices contribute to its theme? Alliteration and rhyme bring out the theme of how a man faces the travails of a long and arduous journey across the night sea. (Look closerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Theres more than just the mans journey in the poem. For instance, waves that leap from their sleep suggests stronger emotions.) Alliteration and repetition bring out the theme of a mans fears and doubts as he journeys across the night to meet his beloved. (Look closerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The poem remotely talks about fears and doubts on the mans part. For instance repetition of and and quench its speed ithe slushy sand suggest determination rather than fear on the mans part) Rhyme, repetition, and alliteration bring out the theme of the mans passionate tenacity as he journeys to meet his beloved. (Correct! Passion can be seen in the rhymes, leap/sleep which attribute to the distraught sea. Yet the man reaches the cove with pushing prow and quenches its speed ithe slushy sand which suggests tenacity. Further, the repetition of and makes the task seem arduous. Yet the man goes on, with great passion to meet his beloved.) Screen 16: (1/3V) altra_tu18_s6s1_01: Rhythm and Form You just saw how poetic devices like alliteration, assonance, and repetition enhance a poems theme. Now lets take a look at what rhythm has to do with poetry. Rhythm is that musical quality, produced by the repetition of stressed and unstressed syllables in words. A combination of these stressed and unstressed syllables or feet, are called a poems meter. All of these together, make up a poems form such as a ballad, elegy, sonnet etc. While many standard patterns of meter and form exist, poets may not necessarily conform to these standards; just as in Ozymandias. Take a look at the poems rhyme scheme: ababacdcedefef. This pattern doesnt conform to any traditional pattern and even as you read it, you might get the feeling that somethings not in order. Probably the rhyme scheme itself could represent the discord between the way Ozymandias thought the future was going to be and the actual, grim reality. The poem is in iambic pentameter which are lines that of five feet each. Each of the feet comprise of one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. Take a look at these lines with which conform to iambic pentameter: Who said: / Two vast / and trunk / less legs / of stone Half sunk, / a shat / tered vi / sage lies, / whose frown,And wrink / led lip, / and sneer / of cold / command, However, a few lines do not conform to the iambic pentameter (note the syllables in italics):I met / a travel / ler from / an an / tique landStand in / the des/ ertà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Near / them, on / the sand,Tell that / its sculp / tor well / those pas / sions read,Nothing / beside / remains. / Round the / decay Screen 17: (1/3V) altra_tu18_s6s1_02 What is the poetic form of Ozymandias? You might want to take a look at the various poetic forms to refresh your memory. A poem or song composed especially as a lament for a deceased person. A narrative poem, often of folk origin and intended to be sung, consisting of simple stanzas and usually having a refrain. Sonnet (Correct! A sonnet is a poetic form consisting of fourteen lines, usually iambic pentameter.) elegy (Look closerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ An elegy is a poem that commemorates or laments for a departed person. Ozymandias does not commemorate or lament the kings death, but despises his pride instead.) ballad (Look closerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦A ballad is a narrative poem or song, often of folk origin and consists of simple stanzas with a refrain. Ozymandias doesnt have simple stanzas or a refrain.) free verse (Look closerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Free verse refers to verses that are usually unrhymed with no fixed metrical pattern. As youve seen, Ozymandias does follow a metrical pattern.) Screen 18: (1/3V) altra_tu18_s6s1_03: So as you just saw, Ozymandias follows a sonnet form. Sonnets are fourteen-line poems which can be traced back to the great Italian poet Petrarch. In a Petrarchan sonnet, the first eight lines, the octave specify a concern and the following six lines, the sestet which seeks to resolve the posed concern. The sonnets ninth line, the volta, marks a shift in the poems direction. The other famous sonnet form is the Shakespearean sonnet which comprises of three quatrains of four lines each; and ends with a rhyming couplet. Ozymandias follows neither form entirelyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ but both! While it starts off with the Shakespearean form with rhyme scheme abab. However, the rhyme scheme changes to acdc rather than the expected cdcd. And finally, it ends without a rhyming couplet but with an efef scheme, like the Petrarchan sonnet. So finally we get a strange ababacdcedefef rhyme scheme. Yet, it retains the qualities of a Shakespearean sonnet because it uses iambic pentameter in a few verses. So, though the poem is a sonnet, it does not fit the exact definition of Petrarchan or Shakespearean sonnet. This hybrid form contributes to the theme that Ozymandias expectation or vision of grandeur does not match the reality. It also brings out the theme that some things like art/sculpture and nature (sand) stand the test of time whereas other things like arrogant and tyrannical rulers perish. Screen 19: (1/3V) altra_tu18_s6s1_04: Take an example of an elegy, Robert Bridges Nightingales: Screen 20: (1/3V) altra_tu18_s6s2_01: Youve just seen how the rhyme carries the theme in an elegy. Now lets see how this is done in a ballad. Read Keats La Belle Dame Sans Meri and pay attention to its rhyme scheme. It wont take too long to indentify the simple abcd rhyme scheme in each of its twelve four-line stanzas. The poem is in iambic tetrameter, where the first and third lines contain four stressed syllables while the second and fourth lines contain three stressed syllables. The second and fourth lines are set in perfect end rhyme with one another, giving it the musical sound typically found in ballads. This form compliments the poems theme which is a narrative that tells a story of a knight who falls in love with a beautiful fair lady, who then casts him aside, and the knight is left sad and moping. Reread Sharon Olds Rite of Passage, and pay attention to its form and rhythm. Youll notice that it doesnt carry any specific form at all! This is known as a free verse form. A free verse doesnt follow the traditional orderliness of rhyme and rhythm. This chaotic form, contributes to the poems theme since the poem itself carries a disillusioned, ironic tone and disturbing theme. This style effectively explores the two colliding, yet complementing themes, of innocence and adulthood as the boys act as if they were men. One would expect a typical birthday party with lighthearted, hyper excitement. However, the mother views this party differently and sees hidden adults in the children. Through the use of free verse the mothers thoughts and feelings at the loss of innocence are effectively expressed. Screen 21: (1/3V) altra_tu18_s7s1_01: Summary As youve seen, a poems theme can be elevated and can touch readers with the effective use Review the main points. Mention that the theme of a poem can be elevated and can touch the readers by the effective use of tone, speaker, word choice, poetic sound devices, rhythm, and form. Mention how these elements contribute to the theme of a poem. If we are attuned to these elements, we will be able to understand the theme better and have a deeper appreciation of the poem.

Will Rogers Essay -- essays research papers

Will Rogers Not many people remember Will Rogers, but in the 1930's he was the most well known man in America -- more popular than Shirley Temple. He was a simple cowpoke who entertained people with his rope tricks and sly political observations. He also wrote a widely-read newspaper column and appeared on the raido every week. I supose he is alot like Bill Cosby is today: beloved for his down-to-earth style of humor. But that "aww, shucks" attitude hid a brilliant mind. Furthermore, Will Rogers was more than just a comedian; he was a man of character. Throughout his life, he exhibited the qualities of humility, fairness, generosity, and loyalty witch make him a real American hero. Will was born in Oklahoma and proud of it. The son of a rancher, he was a one quarter Cherokee and never missed an opportunity to brag about his Native American heritage. "My ancestors didn't come on the Mayflower," he used to joke, "but they met the boat." Will stayed true to his Cherokee roots; he went to an Indian school and had many Indian friends. Later he became active in Native-American issues and was a major spokesman for Native-American rights in the U.S. Above all,though, Will was a "regular guy." His shy grin, easy manner, and total absence of sham endeared to Americans of all backgrounds. He had no pretensions, and his pleasures were simple: he liked to ride horses, rope cattle, and read the papers. In fact he often said, "I only know wha...

Humans and the Environment Essay

Japan is an isolated nation covered with mountains, which means little land for agriculture. They went to the sea, and found fish, which was graciously delicious. They also farmed rice where there was land for farming, as well as other vegetables such as water bamboo, and lotus root. During the middle ages, the largest numbers of people in Japan were farmers and fishermen. Their way of life was often hard. Farmers’ crops perished in storms, drought, and floods. Fishermen risked their lives to go out on their small boats in rough seas. Both farmers and fishermen worked hard and had to pay heavy taxes to the nobles, who owned their land. As to China, they were a river civilization. In china the landscape was covered with loess, which is fine yellow dirt. During floods, loess would often clog irrigation ditches. Then they began to build dikes, so they could control the water flow. It was a semiarid region. The crop-fallow rotation was practiced by the Chinese in farming. Crop rotation avoids a decrease in soil fertility, because growing the same crop repeatedly in the same place eventually rids the soil of various nutrients. The fallow was primarily for storing moisture, rather than a fertility restoring device as in shifting cultivation. Then they began rice farming. The rice field would be flooded, and each plant would be planted by hand in the soft soil of the field. Since there wasn’t much animal manure, farmers usually used human feces to fertilize their fields. Their fertilizing allowed them to use the fields year after year, without the need to allow it to lay fallow. This type of rice farming was booming in China, resulting in the population also rising. Japan and China were both similar in using their environments, because they both herded animals. They also grew rice along their coasts. China had a better way of growing rice, but they pretty much only grew rice. China had irrigation ditches, but, were flooded from the loess. They also built dikes to control how much water would fill the fields. They also did the crop-fallow rotation. Japan went to river mouths to the deltas and rich plains to grow crops, which flourished their trading because they grew a lot of rice and vegetables. China grew and used silkworms to make silk. China then took the silk from the silkworms and made it into things such as blankets, towels, clothing, and other things. They obviously traded these all. The way Japan used their environment helps us understand a current issue or event today, because Japan still flourishes from the use of river mouths and flood plains to grow crops. The way china used their environment helps us understand that they were invaded a long time ago and needed protection, so they built a huge wall. The Great Wall of China is used today, not for protection, but for mainly show now. Tourists from around the world come to see the great wall. China also had its share of mistakes. In my opinion, they could have farmed other things than rice. Sure, it gave them a lot of publicity from their technique, but they could have had a lot more if they grew other crops. They could also use animal manure, even the little that they had. Which leads to grazing more animals.

Why I Want to Be a Sports Agent Research Paper Example

Why I Want to Be a Sports Agent Research Paper Example Why I Want to Be a Sports Agent Paper Why I Want to Be a Sports Agent Paper KIN 2510 Career Goals and Internship Assignment While everyone else is screaming about the quarterback who just scrambled for a touchdown on fourth-and-seven, that guy at the end of your row may be pondering a different number a 3 percent agents fee on $20 million in guaranteed money, perhaps. . Money hungry, sneaky, dishonest, unscrupulous. These are words that some athletes would use to describe a sports agent that they’ve had bad dealings with. Even a casual football fan has seen the impact of that scramble in the run-up to the current season. This past summer, universities across the South found themselves embroiled in controversies regarding player agent relationships, and one coach Nick Saban, of national champion University of Alabama angrily compared some agents to pimps. A good agent can help a professional athlete attain financial and mental stability during and after his career. An incompetent or dishonest agent can ruin an athlete’s playing career and threaten his financial security for years afterward. I aspire to be a great sports agent in the field of football with hard work, hands-on experience, dedication, and perserverance. What exactly is a sports agent? A sports agent works to market an athlete or products that are related to that athlete to promote the athletes career within his or her given sport. This means that the sports agent is responsible for meeting with team owners, managers, coaches and other individuals to promote the athlete that they represent. Much of a sports agents day is spent networking, talking with other professionals in the sport and keeping abreast of current trends and information that may affect decisions that the agent recommends to the athlete. In team and individual sports the agent works to negotiate contracts that are in the best interest of the athlete. This usually means getting a better salary, making provisions for injuries, or taking other options in lieu of salary increases. The sports agent makes recommendations to the athlete as to which option is best for him or her or which options are better over the long-term as opposed to just short-term benefits. A professional athlete can protect himself from the disreputable agents by carefully choosing an agent and working closely with him. In summary, a good agent does more than help a layer convert his athletic skills into financial security. He protects his client’s rights and, as New York Yankee executive Cedric Tallis said, â€Å"keeps the player in a frame of mind where he can perform best for himself and his team†. The education required to become a sports agent includes a four-year college degree in business or a related major. Most earn a degree in either sports administration (not every school offers it), business administration, finance/accounting or law. A bachelors degree is almost required, although a lot of people even stay a few more years and earn a masters degree. The future sports agent may then also follow that with a law degree. Attending school is usually not enough. Aspiring sports agents will also need to intern and again experience working with a sports agency. If nothing is available, a lot of aspiring agents work somewhere in sports until an agency position opens up. The agent must also understand the market his or her professional athlete plays for. You need to understand what other players of your clients caliber are making, keep a close tab on the market and form a strong relationship with the owner and (sometimes) coach of the team. Sports agents need to have excellent communication skills. They must sell a service, which in this case is a professional athlete. They must present outstanding sales skills like persuasion, persistence and dedication. Agents also need to form a tight bond with the athletes they work for. The career path for a sports agent isn’t as easy as it looks. You aren’t instantly a millionaire either. Almost all sports leagues require sports agents to be certified. For instance,  the NFL requires all sports agents to not only have a post graduate degree but a specific certification as well. Certifications can range from paying a small fee and taking a few courses to spending time and gaining experience within the specific league. Needless to say, networking during these 7 or so years of education is key. Since sports agents are high in numbers and generally low in demand, it is necessary to put yourself in position with the right location and with the right people who can get you in where you want to be. The next step in moving your way up the ladder would be to scout some potential or up and coming sports professionals who you can represent. Chances are, if you do et the opportunity to represent an athlete, it will not be a big time professional right off the bat. Which is normal, your reputation is what you make of it, so starting small and following through will ultimately help you in the long run. Your success with one athlete will eventually attract others, and from there your reputation will begin to flourish. After gaining the degree, certification, experience, a nd clientele, it will be some time before you can really prosper. Big time sports agents have often times branched out of their specialized sport industry and gained clientele in other sports leagues after some time. In doing so, sports agents have the ability to represent a larger amount of professionals, and gain experience in a various amount of sports leagues. But be careful, each sports league has different requirements for its sports agents, how they can conduct business and how much they can charge for their services. Getting to know your league, sport, and industry is key. There are several websites listing endless internships. Whether they be paid or not should not matter when starting off. Experience is key. There is an internship opportunity from a law firm looking for a sports intern. I think that that would be a wonderful opportunity because it’s working with a law firm and so you get earlier hands on experience in the legal department than just interning for a sports team. Also, the Oklahoma City Redhawks have a job opening for Vice President in sponsorship sales. This opportunity would not be something that I would be interested in because I know almost little to nothing about baseball and the field in which I’m interested in doesn’t have much to do with selling sponsorships. But nonetheless it is a great opportunity for someone who is interested in that particular area. One particular internship that caught my eye was with USA Football. In Indianapolis, not far from where I live, a membership services intern is needed. There is compensation, and also I believe that it is a great starting internship because of its description. The job duties consist of researching youth football leagues throughout the USA currently in the database, entering additional league information into the internal database, responding to member inquiries received through online help desk as needed, and entering member data for affiliated organizations. It seems like a great way to get hands on in the business world of football. Even though it is for youth football, it is still experience. Sports agency is definitely the area I am most interested in, particularly the football field. With a lot of dedication, perserverence, hands-on knowledge and experience, I believe that I have what it takes to dominate in this field. Internship Sources Internship 1- sportsagentblog. com/2010/11/03/sports-law-internship/ Internship 2- http://pclbaseball. teamworkonline. com/teamwork/r. cfm? i=35768 Internship 3- http://footballjobs. teamworkonline. com/teamwork/jobs/jobs. cfm/Internships? supcat=321#35320

Free Essays on Voltaires Candide Analyzed

CANDIDE Candide was a true believer in Pangloss’ theory that all was well in the world. â€Å"Pangloss proved admirably that there is no effect without a cause and that in this best of all possible worlds†¦things cannot be otherwise for since everything is made for an end, everything is necessarily for the best end. Observe that noses were made to wear spectacles; and so we have spectacles. Legs were visibly instituted to be breeched, and we have breeches.†(p.4) Even though these ideas can be considered illogical in real life. Candide and the rest of the people living in the Baron’s castle never questioned the validity of Pangloss’ philosophy. Maybe their conformity was due to a lack of experience, the belief at the time that doctors and philosophers were always right, or obvious but inconsistent truths like â€Å"The Baron was one of the most powerful lords in Westphalia, for his castle possessed a door and windows†. Although it was obvious that ! the Baron was powerful, the doors and windows of his castle have nothing to do with the Baron’s power. Candide was obviously naà ¯ve, but so were most of the characters in the story, since they didn't bother to question Pangloss' philosophy either. Voltaire was not writing this story for the sole purpose of entertainment. It is obvious that Voltaire was also trying to make readers reflect on their own beliefs so that they might see their hypocrisy. â€Å"All is well in the world† could have referred to the mindset of the people living sheltered from the real world, such as the clergy and higher class. As the story continues, Candide finds out that all is not well in the world. The first event that Candide encountered should have been proof enough that all was not well in the world. Voltaire uses an Ironic approach when talking about the war. When Candide had been wondering the streets after getting kicked out of the Baron’s castle, two men came up to him and asked him if he was ... Free Essays on Voltaire's Candide Analyzed Free Essays on Voltaire's Candide Analyzed CANDIDE Candide was a true believer in Pangloss’ theory that all was well in the world. â€Å"Pangloss proved admirably that there is no effect without a cause and that in this best of all possible worlds†¦things cannot be otherwise for since everything is made for an end, everything is necessarily for the best end. Observe that noses were made to wear spectacles; and so we have spectacles. Legs were visibly instituted to be breeched, and we have breeches.†(p.4) Even though these ideas can be considered illogical in real life. Candide and the rest of the people living in the Baron’s castle never questioned the validity of Pangloss’ philosophy. Maybe their conformity was due to a lack of experience, the belief at the time that doctors and philosophers were always right, or obvious but inconsistent truths like â€Å"The Baron was one of the most powerful lords in Westphalia, for his castle possessed a door and windows†. Although it was obvious that ! the Baron was powerful, the doors and windows of his castle have nothing to do with the Baron’s power. Candide was obviously naà ¯ve, but so were most of the characters in the story, since they didn't bother to question Pangloss' philosophy either. Voltaire was not writing this story for the sole purpose of entertainment. It is obvious that Voltaire was also trying to make readers reflect on their own beliefs so that they might see their hypocrisy. â€Å"All is well in the world† could have referred to the mindset of the people living sheltered from the real world, such as the clergy and higher class. As the story continues, Candide finds out that all is not well in the world. The first event that Candide encountered should have been proof enough that all was not well in the world. Voltaire uses an Ironic approach when talking about the war. When Candide had been wondering the streets after getting kicked out of the Baron’s castle, two men came up to him and asked him if he was ...

Dave Chappelles †Block Party

Dave Chappelles – Block Party Free Online Research Papers In the summer of 2004, one man had a vision. This man, a comedian and actor named Dave Chappelle, wanted to throw a giant block party in the heart of the Bronx. Chappelle compiled a variety of acts to play at his concert, ranging from contemporary stars like Kanye West to unlikely reunion acts such as The Fugees. â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† is a good movie because it breaks away from many stereotypes associated with hip-hop. Bell hooks, an infamously outspoken writer, composed an essay dealing with white supremacy in our society. Hooks, writing about the romanticized myth of Christopher Columbus, states, â€Å"Indeed, the invitation to celebrate Columbus was for some of us a compelling call to educate the nation for critical consciousness- to seize the moment to transform everyone’s understanding of our nation’s history† (Columbus, p. 198). Hooks believes that â€Å"civilization† is synonymous with â€Å"whiteness†, and together they both stand for domination (Columbus, p.199). Hooks asserts that people of color should embrace principles of solidarity to stand against this domination (Columbus, p. 204). â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† epitomizes this notion of solidarity. Chappelle’s film has a good social message because it defies many cultural stereotypes. Hip-hop culture traditionally glorifies a hedonistic lif estyle, objectifies women, and perpetuates a thuggish attitude. The ideas and themes present in â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† go a long way in dispelling some of these assumptions about hip-hop. â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† is an extremely unconventional motion picture for several reasons, and perhaps this explains the limited success it found in theaters. â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† was filmed in the style of a documentary; the events happening on screen are unscripted. For example, many scenes showcase candid conversations between many of the performers during rehearsals for the concert. The live, unedited nature of â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† creates a raw, visceral experience that is for the most part absent from cinema today. In an era of over-produced, big budget Hollywood blockbusters, this movie with zero special effects or computer animation separated itself from the crowd. However, movie attendees were not attracted to this low budget concert documentary. â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† was met with abysmally poor reception in theaters. The film made less than twelve million d ollars during its theatrical run, which barely exceeded a month. Over fifty percent of those twelve million dollars came in the opening weekend, and each following week both the ticket sales and the number of screens showing the movie nationwide dropped significantly (Box Office). Whether purposefully or not, Chappelle seemed to directly address the film’s financial woes when, speaking on behalf of the performers at his concert, he declared â€Å"’We all have a message we want to get across, †¦ and its not just about making money’† (Benedikt, â€Å"Movie†). Chappelle wanted to throw a concert for the underprivileged youth of the inner city ghetto, and he did not care in the slightest whether or not he would be turning a profit. An entertainer giving back to his fans in such an idealistic way is rare in today’s popular culture, and the party that Dave Chappelle throws in the slums of the Bronx is an inspiring example. While the film did quite poorly in theaters, it was met with much critical praise. The fact that critics supported the movie but ticket sales lacked so severely presents an interesting conundrum. Some may say that the disjointed, choppy nature of the film was a turn off to people going to watch a movie. Others may maintain that the genre and coarse nature of the live music performances that are a central part of â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† simply did not appeal to the mass market. Another distinct possibility is that perhaps the social message that â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† asserted was unwelcome in mainstream popular culture. In one scene of â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party†, a group of black college students talk candidly with a famous musician. This artist, Wyclef Jean, tells them that they have an opportunity to better themselves. He warns them that by blaming the â€Å"white man†, many young, poor, black kids convince themselves that they will never better their situation. Jean angrily dispels that common excuse and shouts that the â€Å"white man ain’t responsible for s***† (Gondry). Jean inspires the group to refuse to blame the â€Å"white man†, and to go out and make something of their lives. Hip-hop artists are not known for giving rousing speeches to under-privileged students about the importance of continuing their education. Another key scene in the film showcases Talib Kweli performing his song â€Å"Get By†. Kweli is a well-known, successful singer in the hip-hop community. He sings, â€Å"They [people] need somethin to rely on, we get high on all types of drug?/When, all you really need is love† (Kweli). Here Talib Kweli discourages the use of drugs, a mainstay of the generic hip-hop stereotype. He also advocates love. Hip-hop artists often seem to not even be aware of the concept of love. According to the general stereotypes, hip-hop is all about instant gratification and pleasure. The fact that this extremely successful artist is singing about love from the stage to all of these impoverished youth is supremely noteworthy. These scenes show a completely different side to hip-hop. Another common stereotype of the hip-hop that â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† challenges is the objectifying of women. In the mass majority of hip-hop music videos, women’s entire purpose is to gyrate and rub against the microphone coordinators. These ladies are always scantily clad, and they consistently send out an extremely sexual vibe. In â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party†, there are several instances where women are shown in an extremely positive light. Not only are these women not shown in an overtly sexual light, but also they are portrayed as promoting good, constructive ways for female African Americans to enjoy the hip hop culture without degrading themselves. One particular scene features critically acclaimed hip-hop singer Lauryn Hill display her child with much parental pride. After a riveting performance, Hill declares, â€Å"This is where I’ve been!† as she points to her barely on stage young child (Gondry). Hill is referring to the long break she took from her musical career to have and raise her baby. Typically hip-hop promotes the idea that women are nothing more than play things to be used by men and discarded without any further consequences. By showing Lauryn Hill as a proud mother, â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† advances the idea that hip-hop vixens are nothing more than worthless skanks. The moment in the movie is brief; Lauryn Hill’s child is only seen on camera for a fleeting instant. However, the message rings loud and clear. The editors of â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† could have easily left Lauryn Hill’s child out of the final version. By choosing to leave the footage of Hill pointing out her child in â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party†, Chappelle again asserts that his film has a good social message. The next stereotype of hip-hip that is demystified in â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† is the pro-thug life attitude that many people commonly associate with modern hip-hop. Many successful contemporary hip-hop artists are famous for flaunting their street credibility. This may mean that a rapper has a history of crime. Some of the biggest stars in hip-hop today have made their entire careers rapping about being former drug dealers and battling against the police. Others brag about acts of violence committed against rival rappers. The hip-hop community is known for taking advantage of conflicts between two famous rappers and making money off of their disputes. The entire hip-hop industry is fueled by this idea that the more a rapper is involved in illegal activity, the more marketable he will be to the mainstream audience. Many hip-hop artists come off as uneducated, trouble making street hoodlums. In â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party†, this en tire notion of hip-hop being full of thugs is absent. The artists that perform are, for the most part, very different from the stereotypical hip-hop star. Instead of appearing as mumbling hooligans, these artists seem to be legitimate singers and songwriters. Throughout the film, scenes of conversations between the concert’s various performers show the artists to be thoughtful, literate people. The dress of one particular performer in â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† is sure to surprise many critics of the hip-hop industry. One rapper named Common is known for his unique sense of fashion style within the hip-hop community. Instead of the all too conventional baggy jeans, baseball cap and chain, Common adorns himself in a newsboy cap, fitted designer jeans, and a collared shirt and tie under a nice sweater. This is hardly the dress of an up-to-no-good street thug. The hip-hop community has its standards, and â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† does not attempt to change any of those. Instead, Dave Chappelle simply tries to show the public that there is more to hip-hop than thugs and gangsters. â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† has a great social message. It challenges many of the stereotypes that the average person associates with hip-hop. In doing so, this film shows that it is full of hope. A little girl watching rap videos may see â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† and realize that there is more to being a woman involved in hip-hop than a rear-shaking dancer, and it is okay for her to want to raise a family. This movie could teach young boys that they do not need to be drug-dealing murderers in order to be successful rappers. The sense of hope at the end of the film is truly inspiring. The attendees of the concert all seem to have had a memorable experience. Chappelle himself called the block party â€Å"the best single day of my career† (qtd. in Benedikt). Coming from a man who has had a hugely successful career, this means a lot. Chappelle must have realized the lives that he touched that rainy day in the Bronx. The oppo rtunity to see all of those wildly successful hip-hop acts perform live, for free, will most likely never present itself to any of the people at the concert again. After all, the block party was in a bad neighborhood in the inner city Bronx. In an interview with Todd Gilchrist, a well- known online journalist, Chappelle spoke about one of the lasting effects of the movie. He says, â€Å"One of the things in the movie for me, one of the bigger things, was the feeling of community† (Gilchrist). Clearly Chappelle must have realized some sense of the larger implications of his block party. Inspiring all of those African American people with pride in their culture, pride in their race, and pride in themselves is a truly great achievement. Chappelle must know that the lives he touched that rainy day September will forever remember that there is more to their race than the accepted hip-hop stereotype. Thanks to the video release of the documentary, hopefully that message will continue to reach more people. Research Papers on Dave Chappelle's - Block PartyWhere Wild and West MeetQuebec and CanadaHip-Hop is ArtCapital PunishmentThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationOpen Architechture a white paperAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Lifes What IfsMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever Product

Economic History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Economic History - Essay Example Some believe that the living standard of the common worker fell during the revolution, while others are of the view that it rose and everyone was better off. This essay will try to review the factors that contributed to the industrial revolution to be adopted first of all by England, rather than by any other European country. Though it is hard to pinpoint, but most historians agree that the Industrial Revolution basically originated in England with a series of social and technological innovations. Between 1760 and 1860, the progress in technology and education and an increasing capital stock, transformed England into the workshop of the world. This transformation came to be known as the Industrial Revolution, which gave rise to the income of not only its people; but as its effects spread, to the rest of the Western world as well. Historians also agree that this revolution was one of the most important historical events, making it possible for a rapid transition to the modern age, but disagree with the different aspects of this event. A question that really interests economic historians is that why did the eighteenth century industrial revolution start in Europe rather than in any other part of the world, like France and China or India. Though numerous factors like ecology, government and culture have been suggested but some historian argue that as China and Europe were similar in the 1700s, the crucial difference which resulted in the Industrial Revolution in Europe were the sources of coal and other raw material near the manufacturing centers. This allowed Europe to economically expand in a way China could not. Some also credit the difference in the belief systems as Europe focuses on the individual, while the Chinese beliefs are centered round relationships between people. Similarly, India was spilt up into many kingdoms, each fighting for supremacy. Its economy was dependent on cotton and agriculture and technological innovations were completely non-existent. The palace treasuries with huge amount of wealth, was easily moved to Britain making it more convenient for England to use it as needed. England also had huge natural financial profits which it gained from its many overseas colonies. Moreover, the aristocracy in continental Europe believed that as compared to the common people, they were born with higher virtues and the pursuit of money was a characteristic of lower class. The capitalistic and mercantile in England as well as the whole of Europe was achieved by the middle or the non-aristocratic classes. 'Why was England First:' According to Crafts (1977) the comparative approach to the two problems posed by the Industrial Revolution are why the breakthrough took place in Western Europe, and within Europe, where and when did it occur. It provides valuable insight into the economical growth from the general perspective and a better understanding of England's economic growth from the aspect of the Industrial Revolution. Crouzet (1967) is also of the view that this comparative approach can be greatly helpful for those economic historians who are particularly interested in the key problem of growth. And by systematically comparing the

1894 Cripple Creek strike Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

1894 Cripple Creek strike - Essay Example America was in the throes of an economic depression. Banking institutions, businesses and factories closed, and â€Å"as a result, millions of laborers were idle† (Rastall, 9). The country was rocked by strikes in various parts. The situation was exacerbated at Cripple Creek by the closing of Colorado’s silver mines. Workers, desperate for jobs, came to Cripple Creek, creating a labor surplus. The mines had no uniform working-hours, with some having a ten-hour day and others an eight-hour day. â€Å"The wage at all the mines was uniformly three dollars per day, irrespective of the length of the shift† (Rastall, 19). Citing the economic condition, the owner attempted to increase the working day from eight hours to nine and 10, with no increase in pay. The alternative offered was that Workers could keep the eight-hour day, but for a reduction of 50 cents in their daily pay. The dissenting miners formed the Free Coinage Union No. 19, which was part of the militant W estern Federation of Miners (WFM). The battle lines for the conflict were drawn. Attempts at compromise failed and, on February 7, 1894, all mines with eight and ten hour days were closed. The miners went on strike, and set up roving picket lines. In a show of solidarity, the miners who were still working in the eight-hour mines contributed 10 percent of their wages to support the strikers. A relief fund was organized and soup kitchens were set up. John Calderwood was elected President of the Union. The owners attempted in vain to open the mines. When the County Sheriff, Frank Bowers, sent a team of six deputies to defend a mine, they were captured by the local marshals â€Å"special police,† who were on the side of the strikers, but were later freed. Several miners were arrested and subsequently freed. A second crisis developed when the ranks of the hitherto law-abiding union were swelled by large numbers of rough elements. Order deteriorated with the

Saudi Aramco oil company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Saudi Aramco oil company - Essay Example The current discourse hereby aims to provide a general overview of the organizational profile of Saudi Aramco, to include a brief historical background, its leadership, employees’ profile, as well as the motivational and incentives program provided by management to retain and development their current and future human resources. The origin of Saudi Aramco could be traced in the 1930s when an oil concession was reportedly signed between Standard Oil Company of California (Socal) and Saudi Arabia specifically on May 29, 1933 and which eventually was construed to be managed by the California Arabian Standard Oil Company (Casoc) on November 8 of the same year (Saudi Arabian Oil Company, 2012). Other relevant milestones in Saudi Aramco’s history apparently included the acquisition of 30% of the concession by Texas Company in 1936; and in 1948 when their historical preview disclosed that additional owners were instrumental in the organization’s further growth and expansion. It was in 1988 that the organization allegedly became state-owned through a Royal Decree that was issued by King Fahd (Saudi Arabian Oil Company, 2012). As a state-owned organization, Saudi Aramco was indicated to officially disclose relevant organization information â€Å"to the Supreme Council for Petroleum and Minerals Affairs, chaired by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Aziz Al Saud† (Saudi Arabian Oil Company: Our leadership, 2012, par. 1). The organization acknowledges the need for leadership development programs to ensure that those who manage diverse facets and operations are professionally competent and qualified to lead. There were specifically identified ways to develop the full potentials of human resources to include access to company-wide training and development programs; being sponsors to apprenticeship and specifically identified college development programs; and endowment of academic chairs for qualified personnel to assume

Discussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 13

Discussion - Assignment Example Before his death, Steve had raised the level of Apple Company to become a multinational company. Currently, Apple Inc has expanded from computers to consumer electronics in a period of thirty years. Some of the product that is in the market from the company includes pro line laptops, consumer line laptops, iPod, iphone etc. The company also employs thousands of young, innovative people who come up with new ideas to fill any gap that is identified in the market (O’Grady, 2009). Some of vision by Steve jobs can be used by other companies to increase their level of profitability. One of the visions is making the company customer and employees oriented. This would increase customer loyalty towards the products while at the same time increase working morale for the employees. Second vision is to give back to the society. Social corporate responsibility would help in creating a positive image for the company as it did for Apple Inc. This would help the company attract more customers towards purchasing its products. Teamwork is another vision that a company should enumerate from Steve Jobs. Despite holding a high position in the company, Steve Jobs always related with his subordinates an aspect that created teamwork in the company. His vision was to ensure that Apple Inc remains united and employees work as a team irrespective of their level in the company. This would help in creating harmony in the company an aspect that could be replicated in the overall perfo rmance of the company (O’Grady,

What role, if any, do you think that race should play in deciding who Research Paper

What role, if any, do you think that race should play in deciding who should be admitted to colleges and universities and why How important do you think diversity should be on a university campus - Research Paper Example In order for this to occur, factors including experience, income, socioeconomic status, marital status, and sexual orientation should also be considered in equal measure to race in order to effectively ensure a diversity policy and promotion. Organizations such as the NAACP actively promote better opportunities for African-American citizens in areas of politics, public service, education and human rights. This organization was established to ensure fair treatment for black citizens and works to advocate their rights in a variety of business, professional and personal environments where they might be considered at risk populations for discrimination. Why do organizations such as this exist? It is due to pre-existing stereotypes and prejudices against black citizens that still linger today that give them a disadvantage in hiring and sometimes education. The NAACP recently developed a film competition with support of the American Red Cross, Sony Pictures, and Best Buy in order to help students of different races to present their own innovative social solutions using film to exploit their diverse opinions (naacp.org, 1). The NAACP was chosen as an example so as to reinforce that there are already a large volume of advocacy groups that continue to protest to legislators and senior-level decision-makers to ensure they are given equal opportunities as other races in society. Their efforts are ongoing and continue to change the hiring and recruitment policies in business and the college environment. Because they already have such a well-known and influential backing, universities should pay less attention to race when recruiting and focus more on recruiting the most talented and motivated students regardless of their race. It is likely that groups such as the NAACP will continue to motivate legislators to add more diversity policies

Spectator and Cinema Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Spectator and Cinema - Essay Example In the mid-'70s, the concept began to play a major role in the theoretical discussions in Britain and North America, with the result that psychoanalytical studies of the viewing subject have proliferated. In my reading of Wings of Desire, I borrow from several theoreticians of suture, including some who have been at odds with each other concerning the scope and consequence of this concept. Although my reading of Wings of Desire certainly owes much to the French scholars, claims I make concerning Wenders' film run counter to the original polemical thrust of their work. For them, suture denotes the operation by which cinema encloses the subject in ideology. Their analysis bears primarily on dominant Hollywood cinema, and they restrict the scope of suture to the ideological effacement of the cinematic code. They are reductive as well with respect to the semiotic system of suturing, positing at times the shot/reverseshot system or point-of-view cutting as the fundamental cinematic articulation of suture. Other French film theoreticians who complement a general semiotics of cinema with Lacanian notions of the subject and signification, such as Christian Metz and Jean-Louis Baudry, have avoided such a rigid application of suture to the cinematic apparatus and, nevertheless, have arrived at the even more pessimistic conclusion that cinema itself functions as a support and in strument of ideology. (Metz 1974, 39-47) Anglo-American film scholars have expanded on these psychoanalytical theories of cinema without sharing their negative assessment of the basic cinematic apparatus. (MacCabe 1977, 48-76) However, such challenges to the original French position on cinema and ideology have pertained for the most part only to films that resist closure and foreground lack and alienation. Thomas Elsaesser's 1980 article on Fassbinder is an important example of such criticism in the area of German cinema. Focusing on Fassbinder, but also claiming relevance for New German Cinema in general (mentioning by name Herzog, Wenders, Syberberg, and Kluge), Elsaesser responds to the more radical conclusions drawn by Baudry and Metz. He rejects their implication that "the cinema is indeed an invention without a future' because it systematically ties the spectator to a regressive state, in an endless circuit of substitution and fetishization." (Elsaesser 1986, 537) Nevertheless, suture as well as narrative closure of any kind has remained ideologically suspect. Wings of Desire provides, I think, an excellent opportunity to re-examine this bias that, in the wake of Oudart and his successors, persists against identification and narrative (closure). In the discussion of suture, the emphasis has been on processes of identification that position the viewing

Discussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 13

Discussion - Assignment Example Before his death, Steve had raised the level of Apple Company to become a multinational company. Currently, Apple Inc has expanded from computers to consumer electronics in a period of thirty years. Some of the product that is in the market from the company includes pro line laptops, consumer line laptops, iPod, iphone etc. The company also employs thousands of young, innovative people who come up with new ideas to fill any gap that is identified in the market (O’Grady, 2009). Some of vision by Steve jobs can be used by other companies to increase their level of profitability. One of the visions is making the company customer and employees oriented. This would increase customer loyalty towards the products while at the same time increase working morale for the employees. Second vision is to give back to the society. Social corporate responsibility would help in creating a positive image for the company as it did for Apple Inc. This would help the company attract more customers towards purchasing its products. Teamwork is another vision that a company should enumerate from Steve Jobs. Despite holding a high position in the company, Steve Jobs always related with his subordinates an aspect that created teamwork in the company. His vision was to ensure that Apple Inc remains united and employees work as a team irrespective of their level in the company. This would help in creating harmony in the company an aspect that could be replicated in the overall perfo rmance of the company (O’Grady,

Spectator and Cinema Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Spectator and Cinema - Essay Example In the mid-'70s, the concept began to play a major role in the theoretical discussions in Britain and North America, with the result that psychoanalytical studies of the viewing subject have proliferated. In my reading of Wings of Desire, I borrow from several theoreticians of suture, including some who have been at odds with each other concerning the scope and consequence of this concept. Although my reading of Wings of Desire certainly owes much to the French scholars, claims I make concerning Wenders' film run counter to the original polemical thrust of their work. For them, suture denotes the operation by which cinema encloses the subject in ideology. Their analysis bears primarily on dominant Hollywood cinema, and they restrict the scope of suture to the ideological effacement of the cinematic code. They are reductive as well with respect to the semiotic system of suturing, positing at times the shot/reverseshot system or point-of-view cutting as the fundamental cinematic articulation of suture. Other French film theoreticians who complement a general semiotics of cinema with Lacanian notions of the subject and signification, such as Christian Metz and Jean-Louis Baudry, have avoided such a rigid application of suture to the cinematic apparatus and, nevertheless, have arrived at the even more pessimistic conclusion that cinema itself functions as a support and in strument of ideology. (Metz 1974, 39-47) Anglo-American film scholars have expanded on these psychoanalytical theories of cinema without sharing their negative assessment of the basic cinematic apparatus. (MacCabe 1977, 48-76) However, such challenges to the original French position on cinema and ideology have pertained for the most part only to films that resist closure and foreground lack and alienation. Thomas Elsaesser's 1980 article on Fassbinder is an important example of such criticism in the area of German cinema. Focusing on Fassbinder, but also claiming relevance for New German Cinema in general (mentioning by name Herzog, Wenders, Syberberg, and Kluge), Elsaesser responds to the more radical conclusions drawn by Baudry and Metz. He rejects their implication that "the cinema is indeed an invention without a future' because it systematically ties the spectator to a regressive state, in an endless circuit of substitution and fetishization." (Elsaesser 1986, 537) Nevertheless, suture as well as narrative closure of any kind has remained ideologically suspect. Wings of Desire provides, I think, an excellent opportunity to re-examine this bias that, in the wake of Oudart and his successors, persists against identification and narrative (closure). In the discussion of suture, the emphasis has been on processes of identification that position the viewing

Recess at school Essay Example for Free

Recess at school Essay Psychology helps marketers understand why and how consumers behave as they do. Psychological concepts such as motivation and personality; perception; learning; values, beliefs, and attitudes, and life styles are useful for interpreting buying process and directing marketing efforts. Motivation- is energizing force that stimulates behavior to satisfy a need. Personality- Refers to a person’s consistent behaviors or responses to recurring situations Perception- The process by which an individual selects, organizes and interprets information to create a meaningful picture of the world. Learning- refers to the behavior that results from (1) repeated experience, (2) reasoning. The way we perceive ourselves in relation to the rest of the world plays an important role in our choices behaviors and beliefs. Understanding social psychology can be useful for many reasons. First we can better understand how groups impact our choices and actions. Additionally, it also allows us to gain a greater appreciation for how our social perception affects our interactions with other people. Claustrophobia is an abnormal dread of being in closed or narrow spaces (Jeffrey, M. K., 2002). This paper will examine if the claustrophobia could have occurred through classical or operant condition or cognitive social learning. Most people who suffer from claustrophobia do not like being in tight, narrow places such as elevators or small rooms without any means of escape (Jeffrey, M. K., 2002). Studies show that most claustrophobic patients have had an experience when they were younger that have left an impression on them causing them to become claustrophobic when they became older. For example, an individual could have been trapped in an elevator for a period of time with no means of escape as a child. Individuals also have fears of being in small rooms with no means of escape and therefore do not like to close the doors to these rooms such as bathrooms (Jeffrey, M. K., 2002).

Advantages and Disadvantages of Electric Cars

Advantages and Disadvantages of Electric Cars The electric car has been a hot topic for the last few years. The development of the electric car is everyday news. In every form of media there is a link to the effects of the electric car or its development. But how come the idea of an electrically powered vehicle is at the center of the attention? Indeed the origin of the electric car goes back for centuries. In the 19th and 20th, century electricity was one of the preferred ways to power an automobile. At that time an electric powered automobile was chosen over a fuel powered automobile, because electric powered automobiles were much easier to handle and much cheaper and easier in maintenance. But why did people still chose for a fuel powered automobile? The competition between electric vehicles and fuel powered vehicles was killing. During the 20th century the electric car lost popularity. There are a number of reasons to explain the decrease of popularity. The invention of the automatic starter, the growing market of cheap fuel, the mass production and easier and faster fuelling. Soon, the fuel powered cars using the latest Internal Combustion Engines had more advantages than the electric car. The electric car slowly disappeared. Only after decades the electric car was reintroduced when General Motors produced their first electric car. At first sight, the reintroduction of the electric car seemed a great success and late 1990 it even created a real hype. People really believed the electric car could change the world. Unfortunately the hype was short-lived. Car companies and oil companies started to defend themselves against the change the electric car tried to achieve. Oil companies saw their market slowly fade and car companies feared losing much of their sales. The resistance was extraordinary, even the government was involved trying to stop a successful reintroduction of the electric car. Again, the electric car slowly disappeared.. Today, the competition between electric powered vehicles and fuel powered vehicles strikes again. Who will be the winner now? Will the electric car eventually substitute the regular car? Advantages, youll pay the price. The fact that the electric car was becoming a success in the late 1990 is not a big surprise. People again experienced the advantages of an electric car. People realized they saved lots of money on their fuel costs and produced much less pollution by driving electric cars. They found it an encouraging thought that they contributed to a better climate while they were saving money as well. Contributing to a better climate is now one of the most important concerns in the world. We cant avoid the fact that the climate is changing. Therefore we need to look for alternatives to fight these environmental problems like air pollution and global warming. One of the best alternatives is replacing the old combustion engine vehicles with electric cars. Electric cars produce zero emissions, so they dont contribute to air pollution at all. Besides air pollution, they also make no sound, so they dont contribute to noise pollution either. Unlike the fuel powered cars, the electric cars have got fewer moving parts. The technical construction of the electric car is much simpler and much more efficient. That makes the electric car more reliable and easier in maintenance. All the electricity is stored in high-end batteries. These car batteries are used to have a lifespan of 5 years. These rechargeable batteries are fully recyclable, this keeps the old batteries of becoming a disposal problem. It also makes the electric car more durable en cheaper the longer term. The last few years the prices of oil has risen sharply. Oil is the black gold, but the prices of oil are so high for a reason. Oil is one of the fossil fuels and these fossil fuels are limited. Oil is getting scarcer every day, and youll pay the price. Electricity is not a fossil fuel and therefore not limited. This makes electricity much cheaper than fuel. One of the biggest advantages of driving an electric car are the fuel costs. For example: When you are driving 40 miles a day in an electrically powered car which has got a mileage of 280 watts per hour per mile and a electricity price of $0.10 kilowatts per hour, it would cost you $1.12. When you are driving the same 40 miles in an fuel powered car with a mileage of 25 miles per gallon you would need 1.6 gallons of fuel. 1.6 gallons of fuel at a price of $3 per gallon would cost you $4.80. In this case, driving your fuel powered car is 4 times more expensive than travelling the same miles in an electric car.  [1]   In fact, traveling in your electric car can even be cheaper. Here is another example of saving more money on your fuel costs. Recharging your electric car during the nighttimes when the electricity is cheaper will save you even more money. Disadvantages, every pot will find its lid. Earlier on we explained that driving an electric car has many technical, environmental and financial advantages. How come that not everyone has exchanged his regular fueled car for an electric car? Well, unfortunately there are still some disadvantages about driving and purchasing an electric car. One of the biggest disadvantages is that the electric car is in a high-dollar prototype stage. Car producing companies have to do many research and many tests to find a way to develop these electric cars. The electric cars also have to meet the safety requirements, just like the regular cars. This requires even more research and more investments from the car companies. To makes these investments attractive for the car producing companies, the government provides subsidies. With providing these subsidies, the cost of an electric car will lower and purchasing one will become accessible for everyone soon. Besides the purchase of an electric car, there are also some disadvantages in its use. One of the reasons the combustion engine won the competition a few decades ago, was that it would only take a few minutes to refill your car with gasoline. Refilling an electric car took half a day. Still, refilling or recharging your electric car is one of the disadvantages. It takes 3 to 10 hours to fully recharge a car battery. So when you are running out of fuel, you wont be able to quickly recharge your battery. The only solution is to charge your car battery overnight, just like the way you would recharge your mp3-player.  [2]   Most of the electric cars are equipped with the most available and inexpensive car batteries. This means that when your car battery is fully charged the next morning, you will be able to travel a distance of 50 to 120 miles. This mileage is ideal for traveling from your home to your office. So using an electric car with such travel range, should not be a problem when you are commuting. It will become a problem when you want to go on a vacation. For example, travelling to your holiday destination in the south of France will keep you busy for almost four days. Of course not all the electric cars are equipped with these inexpensive batteries, but the electric cars equipped with more durable car batteries are much more expensive. So if you want to travel larger distances, you always need to be sure that your electric car is equipped with a better and more expensive battery.  [3]   Eventually, with all the new technologies there will be a solution to expand the range of your inexpensive car batteries and speedup its recharge time. But driving an electric car is completely useless if you wont be able to recharge your car batteries. Unlike the regular combustion engine car you cant stop at the local gas station and quickly fill up your tank. Nowadays, more and more of the gas stations have special charging stations, but in most cities there not enough places where you can simply recharge your electric car. In order to recharge your electric car you are dependent on the few charging stations throughout the city. One of these charging stations is the power supply at your own home. People who drive an electric car need to purchase a converter in order to connect their electric car to their home power supply. Most of the time, this is not a problem. It will become a problem if 200 people living in apartments want to recharge their electric cars at the same time. Lucky enough, more and more cities and villages adapt themselves to the rising demand for more charge stations. But, recharging all these electric cars, isnt that damaging to the environment? Earlier we explained that driving an electric car doesnt contribute to the air pollution. In fact, this is actually not true. Driving an electric car produces zero emissions, but in order to recharge your electric vehicle, you need electricity. This electricity is often generated by burning fossil fuels. So indirectly it still has some environmental costs. But even if the electricity used to recharge the electric car is generated by burning fossil fuels, it still is less than a half compared to the pollution produced by regular powered cars. The indirectly produced pollution can even be reduced. In the future the electric cars will no longer use electricity generated by burning fossil fuels, they will get their energy from cleaner forms of electricity. With the use of cleaner forms of energy, like windmills or solar cells we will be able to reduce the pollution to less than one percent. Besides the air pollution, there is also one disadvantage about the electric car and its noise pollution. Most combustion engine powered cars make a noise which is recognized by children as the sound of an incoming car. The electric car doesnt make any sound at all. This can be very dangerous for the children playing in the streets. At first sight, this seems not a big problem. But when everyone is driving an electric car, people and especially young children need to adapt themselves to this new and changing environment. Conclusion In this essay we discussed all kind of advantages and disadvantages of the electric car. But the question still is, will the electric car eventually substitute the regular car? The answer to this question is yes! In fact, eventually we have no other choice than to replace the combustion engine powered car with an electric car. Times are changing and so is our climate. The use of limited fossil fuels has changed our environment and we need to search alternatives to generate and use energy. With the technical development throughout the decades we found lots of suitable alternatives. When coming up with alternatives, it is important that it is not at the expense of the economic growth and the current standard of living. Therefore, one of the best suitable alternatives is the development of the electric car. The electric car is making its comeback. A few years ago, we chose a combustion engine powered car because of its convenience and because the car producing companies were afraid to lose most of their profits. Lets not make the same wrong choice again and stimulate the technologic development of the electric car. The age of technology is upon us and we are able to find a solution for every possible disadvantage. Soon we will be able to make an environmental friendly car with the convenience of a combustion engine powered car. Within a few years the use of an electric car is unavoidable, so buy your own electric car tomorrow!

Gothic Fiction Essay -- Literary Analysis, Jane Eyre

Introduction Since the 18th century, Gothic Fiction has become a famous genre. As its popularity has increased during the decades it is still a well-known and much appreciated theme nowadays. Whereas many female authors were restricted to feminist novels and had the reputation of being unable to compose works valuable for everyone, the onset of Gothic writing bore a whole new prospect for them (Heiland 1-8). A famous example for such female authors is Charlotte Brontà «. When she wrote Jane Eyre in 1847 she enqueued herself to the list of successful women of that genre. Even though Jane Eyre contains several aspects of the classic Gothic novel it differs in the font of the uncanny. Whilst novels such as Frankenstein, The Picture of Dorian Gray or Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde allude to a supernatural matter and maintain surreal, Jane Eyre originates from an earthly reason. In this paper a brief definition shall be given of what Gothic Fiction is. The main part will deal with the Gothic elements within Jane Eyre in chronological order. In a final step special attention will be given to the uncanny as it is found during several incidents within Thornfield Hall and why it is different from the classic Gothic. This will be done with special attention to the character of Bertha Mason – the protagonist when it comes to the Gothic aspect of the novel. Gothic Fiction Gothic Fiction is a literary field which emerged in the late 18th century. When it comes to defining its genesis, a precise point in time can hardly be given. Depending on the definition of what Gothic Fiction is, several literary periods bear elements of Gothic – from ancient prose to Shakespearean works, from post-medieval to post-Renaissance. However, the most defined pe... ...extinguished, Jane and Mr. Rochester are able to spend their lives together and to restore peace. She was both a symbol and the reason herself for the burdens which especially Mr. Rochester carried during his life. Without her having died there would have been no way for Jane and Rochester to lead a prosperous consolidated life. Conclusion Jane Eyre indeed is a Gothic novel which shares a great deal of characteristics with the most famous Gothics. Still, its content and reason are beyond surreal factors. It incorporates mysteries and myths and some veritable supernatural happenings. Especially the real, psychological and social origins of the character's fears are the root of emotions and fears haunting the characters. Jane Eyre is a perfect sample for the challenges one has to face in life and the way they obsess one's thoughts and limit the ability to proceed.

Mark Twains The Damned Human Race Essay -- Mark Twain Humanity Damned

Mark Twain's The Damned Human Race Within his essay of The Damned Human Race, author Mark Twain powerfully declares that the human race is both flawed and corrupt, and that people actually should be classified as 'lower animals' rather than the formerly known 'higher animals.' Twain does not hold claim to a Darwinian or creation standpoint, but rather draws conclusions from his own observations in performed experiments. He states that 'man is the cruel animal,' and that we can attribute this to his moral character. However, there appears to be another side which contradicts his findings. Perhaps man is indeed the 'highest animal,' but possesses something which other animals do not.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Twain claims that his observations are based on experiments executed in the London Zoological Gardens. With these examinings, he went on to state that humans displayed a variety of shortcoming not seen in other animals. His first point was that humans were cruel, while other animals were not. This was backed by the story of the hunter killing seventy-two buffalo, and eating only part of one. He contradicted this by experimenting with anacondas and calves. The anaconda only killed what it needed, as opposed to the Earl. This seemed to suggest to Twain that the man descended from the anaconda, and not the other way around. Perhaps the Earl did not respect the buffalo, which is true. But does it mean that all humans always kill to be cruel and wasteful? Or could some animals exhibit sig...

Phobias and Addiction Paper

Phobias and Addiction PSY 300 October 22, 2012 Phobias and Addiction Learning a behavior is gaining knowledge or skills through experience, practice, or conditioning. For example, most people learn to wake up at the sound of an alarm clock. Through the process of conditioning, he or she awakens at the sound of the alarm. The alarm becomes the signal to start the day. Often what happens is that some people condition themselves to awaken at the same time every day without even hearing the alarm.In the late nineteenth century Ivan Pavlov, a Russian physiologist, was the first to systematically study classical conditioning (Kowalski & Westen, 2011). Classical conditioning is a process when a neutral stimulus brings forth a reaction corresponding with a stimulus that automatically brings forth that reaction (Kowalski & Westen, 2011). Pavlov effectively produced a conditioned reaction in dogs to a specific stimulus in systematically planned procedure (Kowalski & Westen, 2011). Produced in a similar process are phobias, addictions, and the process of extinction.The following considers how phobias develop through classical conditioning, how addictions develop through operant conditioning, how these two types of conditioning differ, and finally covering the process of extinction and how it is achieved in both types of conditioning. Classical and Operant Conditioning Classical and Operant conditioning are processes in which the brain connects and understands different things. Both depend on the modifications that arise in behaviors when derived from the setting or the behavior itself and necessitate a systematic process.Classical and operant conditioning, otherwise known as associative learning, developed from the behaviorist perspective (Kowalski & Westen, 2011). Both procedures share â€Å"common features such as extinction, prepared learning, discrimination, generalization, and the possibility of maladaptive associations† (Kowalski & Westen, 2011, p. 193). In c lassical conditioning the stimulus that gives off a reflexive response is substituted with a different stimulus (Kowalski & Westen, 2011).In operant conditioning the preferred behavior results according to consequences whether positively or negatively reinforced making that behavior occur more or less frequently (Kowalski & Westen, 2011). It is through these processes that some humans develop phobias and addictions. Phobias through Classical Conditioning According to â€Å"Kowalski & Westen†, (2011), â€Å"a phobia is an irrational fear of a specific object or situation (p. 167). When someone reacts to this irrational fear, his or her response is extreme anxiety such as hyperventilating, increased heart rate, extreme emotions, and sometimes fainting (Kowalski & Westen, 2011).A famous example of the creation of phobias in classical conditioning occurred during the Little Albert experiment conducted by John Watson and Rosalie Rayners (Kowalski & Westen, 2011). For example, tho ugh Albert did not initially fear white rats, when a loud noise occered with the white rat the conditioned response became fear (Kowalski & Westen, 2011). This created a phobia of white rats and other objects used during the experiment (Kowalski & Westen, 2011). For Albert, classical conditioning created these behaviors.Addictions through operant Conditioning Another difficult and often destructive behavior is addiction. The results of addictions can often be poor health, disease, crime, mental illness, and even death. According to the â€Å"American Psychological Association† (APA), (2012), addiction is defined as â€Å"is a condition in which the body must have a drug to avoid physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms† (Addictions). The â€Å"drug† to an addict is not always a substance; it is sometimes an activity such as gambling, sex, or eating.Addiction is often associated with operant conditioning (Antczak,  2011). A person has natural survival met hods, the pleasure or pain response, which either causes the feeling of pleasure when the action is to survive or pain in the actions that decrease to chance of survival (Antczak,  2011). These responses occur as a result of the release of neurotransmitters in the brain (Antczak,  2011). Pathways form in the brain and neurotransmitters reinforce them with the experience of pleasure or pain (Antczak,  2011).Using drugs for example often result in both pleasure and pain responses. Initially the drug creates the feeling of pleasure. This â€Å"high† can cause the person to seek out this altered state therefore creating an addiction. After the high an addict often experiences ill feelings or pain. Often, the addict will seek out those feelings of pleasure to avoid the pain and distress when they are not using the addictive substance. This pattern of a connection between behavior and consequence is operant conditioning (Antczak,  2011).Extinction In classical conditioning learned responses can be extinguished, which is the process of extinction (Kowalski & Westen, 2011). After extinction, recovery is often short term. Extinction initially weakens the remaining association to the learned response, but extinction does not occur unless the reactions of consistent. For example, a parent seeks to have his or her child fall asleep on their own at night and eventually succeeds after having the child cry to sleep on his or her own for a period of time.If this process is consistently repeated, the child eventually will fall asleep on his or her own. After some time, if one parent rushes to the child when he or she cries, the parent will once again struggle to get the child to fall asleep in his or her own and fail to extinguish the behavior. According to Kowalski & Westen, (2011) extinction in operant conditioning occurs if enough trials pass in which the operant is not followed by the consequence previously associated with it (p. 78). If the behavior does no t emit either a positive or negative consequence, eventually the behavior will not occur (Kowalski & Westen, 2011). Conclusion Associative learning covers both classical and operant conditioning and both succeed in a number of settings. To maintain positive behaviors sustain and reinforce connections or extinction ultimately will occur. People learn from experience, and associations made and the resulting behaviors have a powerful influence in the brain.Some associations result in phobias or addictions and although extinction can occur, the process of changing a response is difficult. Classical and operant conditioning allow people to survive, thrive, and adjust to a continually changing situation.References American Psychological Association. (2012). Retrieved from http://www. apa. org/topics/addiction/index. aspx Antczak, A. (2011). Yahoo! voices. Retrieved from http://voices. yahoo. com/classical-operant-conditioning-phobias-addictions-10159457. html Kowalski, R. , & Westen, D. ( 2011). Psychology  (6th ed. ). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Frantz Fanon on “National Culture”

In â€Å"On National Culture,† an essay collected in The Wretched of the Earth, Frantz Fanon foregrounds the following paradox: â€Å"national identity,† while vital to the emergence of a Third World revolution, paradoxically limits such efforts at liberation because it re-inscribes an essentialist, totalizing, fetishized, often middle-class specific understanding of â€Å"nation† rather than encouraging a nuanced articulation of an oppressed people's cultural heterogeneity across class lines.In other words, although the concept of â€Å"nation† unfairly characterizes colonized subjects as historically unified in their primitiveness or exoticness, the term's promise of solidarity and unity often proves helpful nonetheless in their attempts at political amelioration. Fanon encourages a materialist conceptualization of the nation that is based not so much on collective cultural traditions or ancestor-worship as political agency and the collective attempt to dismantle the economic foundations of colonial rule.Colonialism, as Fanon argues, not only physically disarms the colonized subject but robs her of a â€Å"pre-colonial† cultural heritage. And yet, if colonialism in this sense galvanizes the native intellectual to â€Å"renew contact once more with the oldest and most pre-colonial spring of life of their people,† Fanon is careful to point out that these attempts at recovering national continuity throughout history are often contrived and ultimately self-defeating.â€Å"I am ready to concede,† he admits, â€Å"that on the plane of factual being the past existence of an Aztec civilization does not change anything very much in the diet of the Mexican peasant of today. † In the passage below, Fanon explains that â€Å"national identity† only carries meaning insofar as it reflects the combined revolutionary efforts of an oppressed people aiming at collective liberation: A national culture is not a folkl ore, not an abstract populism that believes it can discover the people's true nature.It is not made up of the inert dregs of gratuitous actions, that is to say actions which are less and less attached to the ever-present reality of the people. A national culture is the whole body of efforts made by a people in the sphere of thought to describe, justify, and praise the action through which that people has created itself and keeps itself in existence.

Economics of Race and Gender Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economics of Race and Gender - Assignment Example The important advantages of specialization and exchange within the family were also analyzed in this chapter. The authors further explained that, the reasons that, women do some house chores better in it is due to the fact that, they specialize in these works. Economies of scale were highlighted as one of the advantages of families as the price of the commodity required within the family tend to be reduced due to the fact that, they are required in large quantities. Other advantages of the families are: the availability of public goods or shared consumption within the family, externalities in consumption as two people that care for each other tend to derive satisfaction from the happiness of the other party, risk pooling, family investments that occur due to the marital relationship within the family and certain institutional advantages (Blau, Ferbr & Marianne). The author also looked at the negative side of specialization. The unequal sharing of housework is one of the disadvantages of specialization as the women tend to do the bulk of the work in the house and this tends to deny them of some salient market opportunities. Other disadvantages of specialization as mentioned in the chapter are: the transformation that affects the female gender especially throughout their life in the family as she tends to her children, she does not have the kind of time that her husband has for leisure. Another disadvantage of specialization is the cost of not being able to exist or survive without the other members of the family. Domestic violence and tastes and bargaining power were also mentioned as disadvantages of specialization. The Marxist and feminist views of the family which were based on the marital and sexual exploitation of women in the family were also analyzed in the chapter as the men tend to be the ones making the decisions in the family. Other alternatives to economic approaches such as the bargaining models and the transaction

Family Tree Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Family Tree - Assignment Example He wakes up really early in the morning. He drinks his coffee and reads the paper. My dad is full spirited. When he comes home from work he never fails to share his stories and anecdotes from his work. Nevertheless, he still manages to lay down his rules. If one of us fails to follow it, we sure will have a serious spanking. This is probably because he was a teacher, and now, is currently working as a superintendent of schools. His job requires him to teach the rules and at the same time follow them. On the other hand, there's my mom. My mom is of medium height, not that tall nor is she short. She has brown hair and blue eyes. My mom is a hard working and talkative woman. She prefers to stay at home to decorate the house and tend to the cooking, which my dad loves. His favorite food is muchos burritos. He would eat that every lunch that my mother brings to him in school. She loves to cook and start small projects that could potentially earn her extra income. She especially loves dancing and sewing. Her favorite pieces to work on are throw pillow cases and curtains. These are easy to make and sell at the same time. Samba is her favorite stress reliever. During her younger years, she would join contests will surely grab the award. She's really the best. Pap adores my mother; he always says "When I met your mother, I thought she was a caliente exquisite woman of an exotic beauty".

To what extent has economic development brought about changes to the Essay

To what extent has economic development brought about changes to the position of women in South East Asia discuss with examples from one or two South East Asia - Essay Example Recent news broadcasts herald the advancement of women in Vietnam and on the surface things look very positive: in State agencies, women hold 20% of managerial positions and they account for almost 26% in the National Assembly; the country has bred a group of self motivated female industrialists; their intensified role in society is also replicated in their involvement in science and technology, culture and sports; the number of female technical doctors and professors has increased in recent years, and female volleyball players and football players have bought fame to the nation with their excellent triumphs. (VietNamNet, 2007) While it mat be true that Vietnam leads the Asia and the Pacific region in key aspects of gender equality and within the Asia-Pacific region, is second only to New Zealand, in terms of female representation in the legislature, (VietNamNet, 2007) this equality is not as clear cut as it may seem. A report by the Asian Development Bank in 2007 says that with one of the highest rates of economic participation of women in the world, Vietnam is one of the more advanced countries in respect to gender equality. They tell us that there is little difference between genders in school enrollment rates, and that literacy is high for everyone, and the gender gap is decreasing."Equality between men and women is enshrined in the Constitution of Vietnam," (Ban De In, 2006) and according to the 1996 Constitution and related laws, women and men have equal rights with respect to economic opportunities, marriage and family matters, political input, community management, and ownership of property including land. The 2000 Law on Marriage and Family specifies that certificates for the use of common land by a household must list the names of both the husband and wife, thus signifying shared ownership. However, the prior 1993 Land Law, does not mention dual ownership, and in most cases, these certi ficates are registered in the name of the husband or male head of the household. This in turn, makes it more difficult for women to obtain credit for business opportunities. Although women, by law have equal rights in terms of property, they are often hindered by social factors, which intersect and conflict with legislation and enforcement of these equal rights is usually left to the judgment of local officials, who are usually male and vie in favor of the male member of the household. (Fahey et al, 2002) In 2002, the Vietnamese government approved the National Strategy for the Advancement of Women to 2010. "The strategy aimed to improve the material and spiritual lives of women, and create good conditions to effectively implement fundamental rights and promote the role, of women in political, economic, cultural and social fields." (Vietnam Embassy USA, 2006) Although to date, many of the targets set by the strategy for women's advancement such as, providing jobs, abolishing illiteracy, reducing the mortality rate related to pregnancy and birth, and increasing the rate of female representatives in the people's councils at all levels, have been