How Useful Is The Concept Of Elite To The Distribtion Of Power Essays

How Useful Is The Concept Of Elite To The Distribtion Of Power Sociology Essay How useful is the concept of ?elite' for understanding the distribution of power in either Britain or the United States? Introduction In America perhaps only race is a more sensitive subject than the way we sort ourselves out in the struggle for success. The eminent sociologist Robert Merton calls it the ?structure of opportunity'. In the understanding of the usefulness of the term ?elite', there are some common historical variables, which must be looked at in order to appreciate the power organisms at work even in American society, and how from the days of Thomas Jefferson to the era of Newt Gingrich, the assumption of superiority is an undercurrent in American life and society. In this essay I will attempt to show that elitist power in America is controlled by a few at the top of the political, corporate, social and religious pyramid. Moreover, the concept of natural aristocracy, or meritocracy, has a powerful resonance even in the United States of America. Historical Antecedents In understanding the usefulness of the term elite in American society, late 19th and 20th century history provides the pretext for what was called a ? fluid society ?. This was a highly mechanized, industrial age in which people's roles were being determined by their merit, talents, character and ?grit'. By 1910, Harvard Professor Frederick Jackson Turner was influential in transforming this ministerial training school into an Ivy League institution, dominated by the children of a distinct upper class? most Northeastern and mostly business. This class came to be known as the Episcopacy, after its predominant religion ? Episcopalianism. The genesis of the Episcopacy at the end of the 19th century represented the merger of what appeared to be an irreconcilable conflict between two rival elite groups: the old pre-industrial New England ? based on upper-class norms, with its high-minded, non-urban mores, and the big, rough New York based ? Gilded Age rich. This merger of the traditional with the modern socialite grandeur of the New Yorker was pivotal to the formation of the American elite. Out of this marriage came the founding of British-style boarding schools like Groton and Hotchkiss, new social institutions such as private country clubs, debutante societies, and restricted suburbs. Outsiders who somehow found their way into the educational institutions of the Episcopacy were usually horrified by what they saw. The enormous inheritability of status, the devolution of the ideals of gentlemanliness into a glorification of undergraduate carousing, the lack of academic standards, the casual and unearned assumption of superiority, the inability to see immigrants, Catholics, Jews, and the poor as fully human. The Episcopacy provided plenty of evidence to support the idea that it was, as Newt Gingrich would say, ?a corrupt elite' (The Atlantic Monthly 1995 ) Political Power: Two Major Theories The two broad theories of how power work or is distributed in societies, the first suggest that power in the USA resides with its citizens (one person, one vote), or in the groups where citizens belong. This is called the pluralist view. Pluralists argue that power is distributed around society through representatives who act on behalf of others or other groups, and are controlled in expressing the wishes of the groups involved. Criticisms of this theory suggest that people at the top mislead the American public, which means that people with greater information have more power. Appointed positions wield considerable power, more than just a vote, and that campaign financing leaves politicians indebted to contributors not to everyone as is assumed. (Domhoff 1967 ) The other point of view is the elitist view or conflict view. The argument is that in reality, power is concentrated in the hands of a few, a very small group of people (an elite ) who manipulate the masses through control of the media, visible government leaders, with a right wing conspiracy version which argues that the elitist ideology is subversive, anti-capitalist, anti-individualist, anti-patriotic, pro-welfare, and pro-one world government, with the sole aim of undermining traditional American values. Power Elite (made popular by C. .W. Mills ) argue that the corporate, executive, and military run the government elite. Mills suggest that the three components of the

Cosmic Time Travel essays

Cosmic Time Travel essays The book Cosmic Time Travel, by Barry Parker, is about finding out if time travel is possible or not. Is time traveling possible? Time traveling is possible and is proved by many scientists, such as Albert Einstein, Roy Kerr, Nathan Rosen, Schwarzschild and Stephen Hawking. The question is how? To Travel time, you will need to travel through a wormhole in space. The wormhole is not visible, but astronomers can point it out in space. A wormhole is an empty space, surrounded by galaxies (See picture below). Earlier on, the scientists discovered that passing through a wormhole is impossible. If a spaceship attempts to travel through this wormhole, it would pinch off, crushing the ship and the crew. In addition, severe stretching forces will be encountered as you enter the wormhole. They would pull you apart; in fact you would be stretched into a piece of string. And finally, if you did somehow manage to survive after getting into this wormhole, you would encounter high radiation levels. They would be so high that you would be literally fried. The problems were so severe that scientists soon abandoned the idea. As far as they were concerned, time travel was impossible. This was a great disappointment to science fiction writers and many scientists. For many years it seemed that time travel was beyond the reach of mankind. No one knew the way around the difficulties. Then, in the late 1980s, an important breakthrough was made. Scientists discovered that wormholes could be made traversal . The instability, or pinching off, could be prevented by applying a special balm to the sides of the wormhole. But this is no ordinary balm; nothing like this was known on Earth. It was so strange, and different, that scientists referred to it as exotic matter. When this exotic matter is applied to the wormhole, it can not pinch off. Furthermore, it was soon found that the stretching forces would be minimal, but unfortu...

Estate Redevelopment Program of Brownfield Site in US Essay

Estate Redevelopment Program of Brownfield Site in US - Essay Example The existence of these incentives programs is made possible by the sole fact that the Brownfield program can help in boosting tax revenue, creating jobs, reducing environmental hazards, promoting general economic health and cleaning up neighborhood eyesores. Without a doubt, real estate redevelopment in any country is a complex undertaking. It doesn’t matter whether the land in question is either clean or contaminated, bottom line is that the processes of assembling land, financing, and planning of redevelopment encounters many challenges. There have been different responses to the reuse of contaminated property due to political, cultural and economic differences. Each nation has a different approach to Brownfield since it shaped by the degree to which it is burdened by properties which are contaminated, as well as other factors such as population density, land availability, historic preservation objectives, and other governmental priorities. But given the diversity of America n States and towns, these tools and approaches- to be modified as needed- may provide new ideas to practitioners within the United States. ...BEDI grant funds are emphasized on a particular use and primarily targeted for use on the redevelopment of Brownfields sites in economic development projects and the increase of economic opportunities for low and moderate income persons as part of the creation or retention of businesses, jobs, and increases in the local tax base. The stimulus for private sector parties and local governments to go on and foresee the redevelopment is the BEDI funds. They as well as continue phased redevelopment on brownfield sites where either potential or actual environmental conditions are known and there is an existence of redevelopment plans. There is an emphasis by the HUD on the use of BEDI and the section 108 loan guarantee funds to finance activities and projects that have the ability to produce results after a short while and bring about economic benefi ts. Applications on whose scope is limited to factors such as site acquisition, no immediately planned redevelopment or remediation are not encouraged by the HUD. Through the BEDI funds, enhancement of security and improvement of the viability of a project especially if it is financed with a new section 108 guaranteed loan commitments. The BEDI program is seen as a possible way to spur the return of brownfields to productive economic use through financial assistance to public entities in the redevelopment of brownfields. It as well enhances the security and improvement of the viability of a project which has the financing of section 108 guaranteed loan authorities. Hence, due to this, the BEDI grants must be used in conjunction with a new section 108 guaranteed loan commitment.

Define the Origins of the Aqualung in Relation to Swim Diving Essay

Define the Origins of the Aqualung in Relation to Swim Diving - Essay Example The open air prototype expelled all exhaled air into the waters. The open air system is commonly used for the recreational diving. The Scuba divers suffers from the risks for decompression problems (divers using surface-supplied compressed air) should they ascend without adequate decompression. However, a mixture of Helium-Oxygen compressed air can help Scuba divers descend deeper as compared to compressed air. The history of scuba diving dates back centuries. Many individuals have been diving underwater throughout the ages probably for a period long as they have been swimming. However, the diving may not have been in the exact form of scuba diving but ushered in the inquiry for dive and remained breathing underwater. In ancient times, such mechanisms as hollow reeds, as well as inflated airbags but had a lot of shortcomings. They had limitations based on depth and the duration the swimmer could remain underwater breathing. Scuba diving has undergone a number of tremendous expansions till the turn of the century where the number of new divers is gradually stabilizing. By 2012, the number of new divers certified was approximately one million. The Scuba diving remains a fledgling and vibrant sport as portrayed by the ever rising evolution of the dive equipment as its associated practices. Over the recent years, the application of dive computers has been standardized effectively integrated into many certification agencies in their training curriculum. The incorporation of the wireless of air consumption into the algorithm of dive computers remains the most fundamental innovation. Accordingly, the incorporation of wireless integration into the diving sport has culminated into a safer diving. The chronology of the scuba diving is quite fantastic. The various civilizations throughout the years have indulged in breath-hold diving, free-diving. The existence of sea items on land and ancient pictures presents the evidence for early

YOUR CHOICE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

YOUR CHOICE - Essay Example The total amount of survey replies was used to minimize deviation. The methods of examination and analysis allow for an understanding of the averages and deviations associated with the deliverables, as will be further defined and shared within the research domain. In total, the survey and computer-assisted questionnaire objective is to define the statistics and deviations associated with the occupation and make recommendations for further investigation and possible solutions This analysis of overall job satisfaction rating will allow the research team to quantify the employees mental state and occupational desires by pointing to the positive and negative connotations. Understanding overall job satisfaction is important to gauge the satisfaction of an occupation as described: Job satisfaction is a combination of cognitive and affective contentment for an individual within a company. Affective satisfaction is that founded on an overall positive emotional assessment of the employee’s job. This satisfaction focuses on their mood when working; i.e., whether the job evokes a good mood and positive feelings while working. (Reudaver et al p 793. 2002) The benefit to AIU is to gain a quantitative analysis of employee satisfaction in general and attitudes toward their work environment, allowing AIU to provide a national consideration for employee mental welfare. The questionnaire for overall job satisfaction was based on a scoring system of 1-7, with 1 being the lowest satisfaction and 7 being the highest on 155 points of data collected with the results for each employee organized in Graph 1.0: The data analysis was performed using Excel with the results in Table 1.0. The mean is 4.39, significant of the average score of satisfaction. The median score was 4.6, which is the number in the middle of data organized from lowest score to highest score. The mode character 5.8 is the largest

Causes Of The European Sovereign Debt Crisis Economics Essay

Causes Of The European Sovereign Debt Crisis Economics Essay Europe currently experiences a severe sovereign debt crisis. The debt crisis in some member states of the euro area has raised public uncertainty about the viability of European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) and the euros future. While the execution of the euro in the year 1999 created many interest in regional monetary integration and even monetary unification in several corners of the world, the present crisis had the opposed effect, even raising expectations of the euro area breaking up. The crisis has illustrated the problems and tensions that will ineluctably arise within a monetary union when imbalances build up and become unbearable. The causes of the European crisis will be further review below. Also, we would describes why the Greece crisis could cause so much havoc to the global economy. CAUSES OF THE EUROPEAN SOVEREIGN DEBT CRISIS European countries had just weathered the 2008-2009 crisis and were set up hopes for recovery. However, on November 2009 George Papandreous newly elected Socialist government in Greece revealed that the predecessor government had lied to the public about the true picture of Greeces public finances, that the budget deficit for 2009 would be 12.7% instead of 4.6% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), as previously reported. That revelation created a panic atmosphere among lenders or bondholders, as credit agencies lowered their ratings of Greeces sovereign debt, which is the first time in 10 years that Greeces rating falls below the investment grade. The country has then realized itself hardly to borrow or even roll over existing debt except at prohibitively high interest rates. The disclosure of the actual Greek fiscal condition raised serious doubts about the countrys ability to meet its obligation. The following downgrades rating and ever rising interest rates led to an exacerbation of Greeces capital markets access that made it even more difficult and nearly impossible for the government to refinance itself, leading a downward spiral for the Greeks economy. Therefore at that point, the government forced to appeal to its European Union members and IMF for bailout. However, the bailout failed to recover market trust in the Greek economy. In addition, it failed to cease contagion of the crisis to other nations in the euro area. Precisely, the crisis of Greek and the hesitant political response from the other European nations raised issues over the debt condition and the structural and competitiveness problems of the economically weaker periphery member countries of the euro area, named PIIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, and Spain). As a result, the costs of borrowing for the PIIGS lifted significantly and the cost of insuring sovereign debt against default soared as their creditability to repay the debt have vanished. The crisis also creates awareness of the existing imbalances in the euro area, which form a serious problem. The below are the major causes of the crisis: Banking crisis fuelling sovereign debt crisis and vice versa It is wrong to assume that the European debt crisis is actually caused by thriftless government spending, especially because of the luxurious social security systems. Rather, the origins of the European debt crisis can be traced back to the global financial crisis occurred in 2008-2009, which spilled over into a sovereign debt crisis in various euro area countries in early 2010. In order to offset the rapid falls in output, euro area governments responded with counter-cyclical fiscal policies that lifted fiscal deficits. Then, fiscal positions become worse as the tax revenues fell and transfer payments grew larger due to the increased unemployment rate during the crisis. In many countries, government bailouts of banking systems also contributed to an increase in public debt. Private debt turned to public debt, be it through banking crises or the burst of housing bubbles, leading to the sovereign debt crisis. Between 2007 and 2010, the debt to GDP ratio of the euro area increased from 66.3% to 85.4%. Greece is a unique case in the sense that the Greek debt level had already been relatively high before the crisis, which is 107.7% of GDP in 2007. Greek debt, which has been on a continuous rise since 2003, has arrived at a level of 144.9% of GDP in 2010. Similar to Greece, Italy had a debt level more than 100% of GDP prior to the crisis, but the debt to GDP ratio fell between Italys adoption of the euro in 1999 and 2007. Among the countries in euro area, the most dramatic increase in public debt occurred in Ireland, where the countrys debt problems can be clearly arise to the countrys banking crisis. Ireland did not face a fiscal or debt problem until the year 2008. Accordingly, the Irish debt to GDP ratio fell gradually over this period from 64.3% to 24.9%, with Ireland being one of the EU countries with the least public debt burden. The condition changed in the course of the Irish banking crisis in September 2008 when the European governments and institutions and also the US government guaranteed most liabilities of Irish-owned banks. As a result, the Irish deficit ballooned and the debt to GDP ratio shot up from 24.9% in 2007 to 94.9% in 2010. The ensuing exacerbation of Irelands access to capital markets in the autumn 2010 led it to seek for international financial rescue package by the IMF and the EU of over à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬90 billion in November 2011 to finance its borrowing and bank recapitaliz ation needs. Similar to Ireland, Spain did not face a fiscal or debt problem before 2008. Spains destiny changed when the global financial crisis put a sudden end to the long cycle of high growth that had been accompanied by a construction and real estate boom. When output contracted in 2008, the Spanish housing bubble burst and hence destabilized the entire banking system. Even in Portugal, which had seen a steady rise of its debt to GDP ratio after joining the euro area in 1999, which its debt stood at 49.6% of GDP, which is so far the largest increase of public debt happened during and after the 2008-2009 crises, with debt soaring from 26.6% in 2007 to 94.9% in 2010. Therefore, the sovereign debt crisis has been directly connected to the global financial crisis and the ensuing problems of European countries banking sectors after the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers. With exacerbating public finances, sovereign risk has increased and deteriorated banks balance sheets. The interdependence between sovereign credit and banking systems has been at the key of the crisis as sovereign debt of euro area countries are held in large quantities by euro area banks. Mispricing of risk and misallocation of capital A key element that led to the crisis was a mispricing of risk by capital markets and an ensuing misallocation of capital in the previous years before the outbreak of the crisis. European monetary unification brought about a convergence of interest rates among euro area members. Spreads of sovereign bonds of the PIIGS over Germany narrowed rapidly in the run up to EMU membership and almost gone once they had become the euro area members. Sovereign risk of all euro area countries, including the PIIGS, was priced more or less the same as German sovereign debt. This is due to the risk of euro area central government bonds was weighted at zero in regulatory capital calculations and because the Euro treated such debt as risk-free collateral when these were offered as collateral for repos and other collateral financing trades. It is now apparent that the availability of cheap credit brought to an unbearable accumulation of private (as in Ireland, Portugal, and Spain) and public (as in Greece and Portugal) debt in todays crisis countries. The decrease in real interest rates in the periphery countries after they join the euro area and the inflowing capital supplied unbearable developments, including excessive credit dynamics and real estate bubbles in Spain and excessive fiscal spending in Greece. It also decreased the tension for economic reform to enhance competitiveness within the monetary union as countries could simply finance their current account deficits through a plenty of capital inflow. Imbalances in the euro area A high level of public debt is not a problem, as long as the government can refinance itself and roll over its debt. This requires public debt and the interest burden to grow slower than the economy and the tax base. This is no longer the case in the PIIGS anymore. Current debt crisis in the PIIGS is hence not merely a debt crisis; it is first and governing a competitiveness and growth crisis that has contributed to structural imbalances within the euro area. The structural imbalances, caused by high current-account deficits of the periphery countries and matching surpluses in core countries, are at the origin of the current problems since a lack of competitiveness impedes the periphery countries chances of growing out of the crisis. Essentially, deficit countries need to become surplus countries to service their debt. However, the fact that the PIIGS are members of a monetary union and hence competitiveness cannot be recovered by means of currency devaluation makes the adjustment much difficult. Lack of trust in European governments crisis responses The crisis is not just an economic disaster, but also a political disaster, arises from erratic responses and pressures among euro area governments, representing surplus and deficit countries with contradictory interests. European leaders were believed that a balance of payments crisis was impossible within a monetary union. Since such a problem was not considered a priori, no crisis resolution mechanism had been taken into account. European policymakers hence faced the challenge of crafting a crisis response in the midst of crisis. The worries of the surplus countries, led by Germany, that an easy bailout of Greece would set a negative precedent and create moral hazard problems with other deficit countries, especially the larger euro area members Italy and Spain. Fears of moral hazard and a transfer union, where deficit countries would have to be financed permanently, made surplus countries also refused to advocate proposals such as those for Eurobonds. The slow negotiation processes between governments, which have needed to safeguard support from their domestic constituencies, have evoked the impression of a European political system was ill-equipped to overcome any financial crisis.

Benthams Utilitarianism in Victorian England :: European Europe History

Bentham's Utilitarianism in Victorian England    The philosophy of Utilitarianism influenced many of the social reforms in Great Britain during the early half of the nineteenth century. The name most frequently associated with Utilitarianism is that of Jeremy Bentham. Bentham's philosophical principles extended into the realm of government. These principles have been associated with several reform acts entered into English law such as the Factory Act of 1833, the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834, the Prison Act of 1835, the Municipal Corporations Act of 1835, the Committee on Education in 1839,the Lunacy Act of 1845, and the Public Health Act of 1845. In terms of their effect on Victorian era reform Bentham's two most influential works appear to be An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation (1789) and Constitutional Code (1830-1841). Utilitarianism as a philosophy was also known as Benthamism or Philosophical Radicalism. Opponents to utilitarian thought included Thomas Carlyle, John Ruskin, and Charles Dickens. Bentham's basic premise to his philosophy can be found in An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation: Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. It is for them alone to point out what we ought to do as well as to determine what we shall do (225) 1. Along with this idea of pleasure and pain as sovereign masters Bentham introduced what he called the principle of utility. This principle can be summarized as the principle that "every action should be judged right or wrong according to how far it tends to promote or damage the happiness of the community" (29),2 Bentham believed that human behavior was motivated by the desire to obtain some pleasure and to avoid some pain. In Introduction to the Principles he states that it is " the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong" (229) 1. These principles were intended by Bentham to be " a precept addressed to the legislators, to those responsible for the management of society" (27)2. Bentham hoped to affect some social change rather than to merely influence intellectual beliefs. He even went so far as to suggest that legislators should regulate the ways in which individuals sought their own happiness. The idea of punishment and reward were to be the means by which the legislator could control the people's pursuit of happiness. Rewards were regarded as a less important method than punishments.

Jing-Mei Woo: The Joy Luck Club Essay

In this chapter we are introduced to the Joy Luck Club which originated all the way back in China when Jing-Mei Woo’s mother Suyuan was in the city of Kweilin. At the Joy Luck Club a group of old Chinese women sit around and eat and after that they sit down in a table to play a friendly game of Mah-Jong. At the Joy Luck Club there are 4 major members, Lindo Jong, Ying-ying St. Clair, An-Mei Hsu, and Suyuan Woo. In the beginning of the chapter we learn that Suyuan has died and Canning Woo, Jing-Mei’s father and Suyuan’s husband has asked Jing-Mei to take her mothers place at the Mah-Jong meeting. In this chapter we learn of how Suyuan had lived in China and during the war as the Japanese were slowly invading China, she had to take her family and leave for the city of Kweilin while her husband, Suyuan’s first husband that is, goes off to Chunking to fight the Japanese. In this chapter we learn about the other Mah Jong players, Lindo Jong, mother of the young girl Waverly, Ying-ying, a woman married to a white man and An-Mei Hsu. In the end of the chapter they old ladies tell Jing-Mei how they have contacted her long lost sisters and they want to send her to China to meet them. The story is quite interesting so far, its interesting to see how the women in this story resemble the way my own Chinese grandmother acts. Its quite funny too actually be able to know what Mah Jong is although I have been so white washed. I was born here in America so all I’ve ever known is American culture and although I look 100% like a Chinese kid would, when I went to visit China for the first time I felt so different from them. An-Mei Hsu: Scar We learn how An-Mei’s father is long gone and that her grandmother who has been a predominant figure in her life is slowly dying. While An-Mei is describing her dying Grandmother (Popo), she talks about her real mother who had dishonored the family by going off to marry a man with many wives thereby getting herself disowned by her own family. As the grandmother is dying, An-Mei’s mother comes back and as a last resort, tries to save grandmother by cutting off a piece of her own flesh and sticks it into a soup that she tries to feed to her mother (the grandmother). I thought it was interesting to see an example of an old Chinese remedy for something. I kind of wonder if that was even a real remedy, rather harsh and repelling if you ask me. Lindo Jong The Red Candle In this story Lindo, the mother of Waverly Jong, the National Chess Champion talks about her own struggles. In China Lindo was forced to marry a man named Tyan-yu whom she didn’t love at all. When she was finally married to him, she would avoid him and the groom’s mother realized this and hired a marriage counselor type of person to help fix things. The marriage counselor lit a candle and said if it was still lit the next day without going out then the marriage will last forever and even if the groom dies, Lindo may never remarry again. Upset, Lindo tries to blow out the candle and succeeds but the next day the servant lies about the candle not going out. Lindo now becomes desperate and tries to devise lies to help her get out of there and finally succeeds and the husband eventually marries one of the pregnant servants and Lindo is sent to America. The odd part of this story was how I was able to empathize with the other  characters in their discussions of their hardships when they were younger while I couldn’t with Lindo. Maybe I’m biased because of how Lindo is so harsh and headstrong towards the other characters in this story. She in my mind seems to be a great description of the family members in my own life, for they are all harsh and headstrong towards each other. Ying-ying St. Clair: The Moon Lady In Chapter 4 we learn about Ying-ying. As a child Ying-ying came from a wealthy family. Unlike she is now Ying-ying was once a very problem child, because she was so spoiled by her family she never thought twice about doing things and because of that she ended up getting lost at what was called â€Å"The Moon Festival†. At the Moon festival she watches a play about the Moon Lady whom she takes as the real person but then realizes her own stupidity and leaves the festival and if finally found by her family. An important part of this chapter is how Ying-ying ends it with the words â€Å"I wished to be found†. Those words to me tell me how she wants to be closer to her daughter and if granted one wish from the Moon Lady that would be it. Ying-ying doesn’t like how her daughter is ashamed of her and has abandoned all of their Chinese traditions In the prelude to The Twenty Six Malignant Gates I found it amusing to see how the little girl like all young children are headstrong and seem to think they are impervious to the dangers of real life and she ignores her mothers advice until it is too late when she falls off the bike like her mother said would happen Waverly Jong- Rules of the Game In this chapter we learn about Waverly’s life and how her mother has taught her â€Å"the art of invisible strength† which has allowed Waverly to do well in life especially in the world of Chess where she became National Chess Champion at a very young age. Waverly however hates her mother for even though she adopted her mother’s quality of â€Å"invisible strength† she dislikes everything about her mother from their culture to the way her mother acts. Waverly unlike her mother doesn’t like to brag about herself and is very upset at her mother who is always comparing her child to everyone else’s and using Waverly’s fame to her own advantage. Lena St. Clair- The Voice from the Wall This is the second story told from eyes of the daughters. Lena in this chapter describes the life of her mother when she was younger. Lena describes Ying-ying as a paranoid and somewhat psychotic person who married her father Clifford St. Clair, and Englishman who spoke very little Chinese and was found unable to understand what her mother was saying half the time they were together. Towards the end of the story Lena describes what is seems like her mother Ying-ying had a miscarriage and Ying-ying who was already mentally unstable blames the death of the unborn child on herself and becomes even more unstable. In this chapter we learn about Lena’s childhood neighbor who was always getting into fights and because in her own Chinese culture when the children would argue with their elders, the argument would ensue a beating from the parents so she always imagined her neighbor to look very beat up since they seemed to argue all the time but to her astonishment when the neighbor sne aked into her house one day, the young girl was unharmed and that same night could be heard laughing with her mother whom she had an argument with a few hours earlier. Jing-Mei Woo â€Å"2 Kinds† I thought it was funny to see how Jing-Mei’s mother wanted her daughter to be like â€Å"Shirley Temple† but then again it makes sense, Shirley Temple was America’s Sweetheart in the early 90’s so it would be fitting since everyone wants the best for their children. It was also interesting to see June’s interest in piano after watching a Chinese girl play the piano on the television but she quickly lost interest in the piano ever since she found out her teacher was deaf and therefore she stopped practicing. Lena St. Clair â€Å"Rice Husband† In this chapter we look into Lena’s life and find out that she is married to a white man named Harold. At first they had a true love and enjoyed their life together and decided to share all their costs but lately the marriage has begun to fall apart and the only thing still concrete in their marriage is their sharing of the costs of things they use and that have become the root of most of their problems. Waverly Jong â€Å"Four Directions† Waverly who is trying to look for a way to tell her mother that she is getting married to her fiancà © Rich, takes her mother out for lunch but ends getting scrutinized by her mother like always. With a certain un-eagerness Waverly invites Rich to meet her mother at her mothers house for dinner and although the dinner was a complete disaster for Rich, Waverly in the end found out that her mother did approve of Rich and that event brings all three of them closer together than before. In the beginning of the chapter we learn that Waverly is a smart young child but her mother has an iron grip on her life and Waverly’s first marriage falls apart completely because of her mother and how she began to see things the way her mother did about her husband. Rose Hsu Jordan â€Å"Without Wood† Rose for once doesn’t believe what her mother says, which was about her husband Ted cheating on her which he really did do. The husband after filing for divorce tries to bully her but Rose stays strong and is able to keep the house and keep her ex-husband in check. Jing-Mei Woo â€Å"Best Quality† In this chapter we learn how Suyuan hurts Jing-Mei, enough that Jing-Mei begins to doubt her mothers love for her but when New Years Eve comes along, Suyuan proves Jing-Mei wrong and then Jing-Mei realizes how much her mother really loves her at dinner. Because of her mothers love for her, Jing-Mei never takes off the pendant Suyuan has given her before she died. An-Mei Hsu â€Å"Magpies† In this chapter An-Mei is taken away to live with her mother. In this chapter both An-Mei and her daughter Rose wonder if their culture has made them weak in the eyes of society. An-Mei was upset at Rose earlier because of Rose’s unwillingness to do anything about her husband request for a divorce. In this chapter we see how Chinese women couldn’t do much with their lives, if they were unhappy all they could do was cry about it so when faced with these types of problems in America, the both of them wouldn’t know what to do although being in America they could do whatever they want. Ying-ying St. Clair â€Å"Waiting Between the Trees† Ying-ying in this chapter reflects on her childhood and from her mistakes she wants her daughter Lena to learn from. Ying-ying wants her daughter to lead a happy life, that her marriage is going to fall apart and she wants her daughter to be strong when this happens. Lindo Jong â€Å"Double Face† In this chapter we see the two cultures, the American culture represented by Waverly and the traditional Chinese culture represented by her mother Lindo Jong. Waverly who was uncertain of herself, thinks she’ll be easily seen as a foreigner but Lindo says she won’t be noticed. Later in the chapter both mother and daughter become closer after Lindo decides to ask Waverly why the year before when Lindo went to visit China, that they knew she was a foreigner despite all of her Chinese styles and traditions still in tact with her. Jing Mei-Woo â€Å"A Pair of Tickets† The last chapter of the book ends with the final daughter and mother couple coming together for Jing is able to finally discover who she really is, for as American she is, she’s also just as much Chinese.

Standards of Beauty Essays

Standards of Beauty Essays Standards of Beauty Essay Standards of Beauty Essay Standards of beauty: Beauty is defined as the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations (as shape, color, sound, etc. ), according to dictionary. com. Beauty has multiple interpretations in various cultures, especially in Western society, whose standards differ from the rest. In Western society, both men and women undergo cosmetic procedures to alter their physical appearance and enhance self-esteem. The most common cosmetic produces for women include Botox injections, liposuctions, rhinoplasty, facelifts, and breast ugmentations; whereas, men mostly get facelifts, Botox and liposuction. Women get breast augmentations to feel attractive about themselves, but most importantly to gain attention form men. In some cases, men view women with larger breast sizes as sexually appealing compared to women with smaller breast sizes. These standards of beauty potentially influence an increase of such procedures. It is worth noting that a womans decision to get breast augmentation may originate from another woman she idolizes. For example, a celebrity or mentor could be a source of influence seeing as though a woman may want to emulate specific attractive features. This also applies to other procedures as well and not solely with breast augmentation. In reference to weight, it is acceptable for men to be robust. This standard also applies to women: however, a woman who is too robust is considered masculine and unattractive. Similarly, a man and/or woman who is overweight are deemed unappealing in western society, on the grounds that bigger is unflattering and being skinny is beautiful. Thus, thrive to be a size 6 or below to accommodate these regulation. Generally, a woman who wears less clothing or exposes too much skin is considered enticing. This standard is more common because this invites nwanted and often times wanted attention, which explains sex as being marketable. The more tempting a woman appears, the more she is desired. Conversely, a man who wears more clothing is valued as good-looking. In conclusion, beauty has multiple interpretations in various cultures, especially in Western society, whose standards differ. These standards include: cosmetic produces, such as facelifts, Botox and liposuction and breast augmentation, to alter ones physical appearance and enhance self-esteem, general physique preferences, and wearing less clothing to appeal to desirable for men. Standards of Beauty By AmBizzle12

Word Choice Subsequently vs. Consequently - Proofread My Paper

Word Choice Subsequently vs. Consequently - Proofread My Paper Word Choice: Subsequently vs. Consequently These two words are easy to mix up and often used (incorrectly) to mean much the same thing. They are not, however, interchangeable and have two different meanings. Sometimes, deciding which of these words is the correct one for your purpose requires careful consideration. Make sure that you use the right terms in your work by learning their definitions below. Consequently (As a Result) Consequently is an adverb meaning as a result of. It is used to describe an effect, outcome or result, like this: Jonathan is away on holiday. Consequently, he will be unable to play in the soccer match this week. Subsequently (Later or After) Subsequently is an adverb meaning occurring later or after something else. It is, therefore, used when describing a series of events wherein one thing followed another: President Nixon was heavily criticized for his involvement in the Watergate scandal of 1972. He subsequently resigned from office in 1974. However, while there is sometimes a connection between the two events describe (such as the Watergate scandal and Nixons resignation), this isnt always the case. The important thing is simply that one event occurs after the other: Boris was born in Minnesota, but he subsequently studied in schools across the U.S.A. Here, for instance, there is no obvious causal connection, not even indirectly, between Boris being born in one place but later studying elsewhere. Its simply that he was born before he went to school. Consequently or Subsequently? We use consequently when discussing the reason why something took place, while subsequently concerns the order in which events took place. A common mistake is using subsequently instead of consequently when no causation has been discussed. Dont forget to double check whether the word you pick is correct in the context of your writing and remember: Consequently = As a result Subsequently = Later/after

School Secretary Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

School Secretary - Assignment Example Keeping of school records is of benefit to the educational department and the individual skills as it helps keep a record of crucial student information. This paper discusses some of the procedures involved in the above aspects and their importance in the New York department of education. A school secretary is an important figure in the school administration and provides support to both parents and students and the entire school community. To be a secretary you need to have a well organized and set up office and working in a school environment as a secretary is and added advantage (Hart). Several skills are required to be an excellent school secretary, some of these include proper communication skills both verbal and non verbal, you need to have experience in this job to be able to have good relations with people as part of the job description is to be social and friendly, to have great skills such as computer skills, and organizational skills. Duties and responsibilities of schools secretaries include receiving phone calls and transmitting messages from one person to another. The school secretary is involved in sending mails and receiving mails on behalf of the school community. These makes use of good written communication skills, the secretary should also be good with typing skills and should be punctual at all times. The secretary should have good communication schools also because he or she mingles with students, teachers, visitors and the entire school community. The school secretary is also involved with handling finances such as paying invoices and receiving payments so the secretary needs to be honest in all the duties to have a clean relationship with the school community. The school secretary is the source of information and the link between students and parents within the school. The visitors, parents and other officials make dates with the school management through the secretary. In most situations a school se cretary is

Management Information Systems Research and its Impact on Sustainable Paper

Management Information Systems and its Impact on Sustainable Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) - Research Paper Example In response, businesses have established information systems, which help keeping track of all their activities right from the planning stage to the delivery of value to the final consumer in the product market (Allingham & Oconnor 160). The highly competitive entrepreneurial atmosphere demands that managers should be clear concerning aspects of the business, should plan effectively, and should be in position to make fast smart business decisions at each stage of the operation chain in order to succeed (Leidner & Elam 139). This has gradually led to the evolution of the Management Information System (MIS), as a tool for supporting the decision making function of the organization; many studies have highlighted the multiple benefits of the MIS as a decision making tool of the organization. However, it is an undeniable fact that the continued deterioration of natural environments in the modern global business era poses greater risks as well as opportunities for the present businesses, which further underpins the need to fine tune the organizational thought processes towards sustainability (Thongpoon, Ahmad, & Yahya 5). In that respect, modern organizations are facing yet another crucial challenge of generating decisions that focus on sustainability and innovative environmental strategies, thereby leading to the evolution of the modern Sustainable SMEs that are fine-tuned towards social responsibility as well as sustainable development. The SSMEs research is still growing, thereby increasingly highlighting the modern SSMEs focus on environmental responsibility as well as technology up-gradation for strategic business advantages. Generally, environmental responsibility encompasses the measures to reduce, recycle material, while technology up-gradation entails the use of computer based systems such as the MISs among other innovative tools. A vast proportion of literature covers the contributions of the MIS to the establishment