Empowering Women - Culture vs Modern Life Essay Example for Free

Empowering Women Culture vs Modern Life Essay The world today has allowed women to hold other positions apart from their traditional roles which are being temporarily pushed aside. Temporary because traditional roles and family responsibilities can never be ignored or eliminated and it is this responsibility that women need to be empowered to encourage and give them the confidence to venture out and earn income to meet the demands of everyday life. The 20th century has become familiar with gender equality and more women and girls are stepping out of their traditional roles and embracing success despite facing economic, social, cultural and educational issues. This essay will discuss the issue of empowering women as a strategy used to help women and investment in education as the driving forces of overcoming problems and help forge a better future. Firstly, in our environment today we see more women stepping out of their traditional roles to work regardless of low or high paid income. The disadvantage on the economical level they face is the power of wealth where unnecessary spending does not allow for savings for the future. Women tend to give in to husbands demands and with peer pressure want for luxury items far beyond their affordability. For instance, our environment can influence the way we spend especially wanting what others have, for example, purchasing a vehicle can exhaust funds and create debt and borrowing. Economically this slows the growth of the economy and encourages poverty within families and the community. Secondly, the social disadvantage women face as they begin to take up higher responsibilities and thus, decision making within their household and at work encourages them to stand for their rights on any issues they face. This can lead to many social problems as they are exposed to many lifestyles such as the way they dress, attitudes and behavior changes. These changes can result to problems within the household and the community which leads to violence within families and between husband and wives or women and the community. In Bagdad, Afghanistan women who sought work in town are changing the way they dress from wearing their cultural wear, burqa (clothes that cover most of their entire body) to wearing short skirts and blouses to work. This has angered some husbands and in February 21st Pritka Singh’s husband killed her for bringing shame into the family as a mother. (Fiji Times, March 4 2013 p.19) Lastly, in most Pacific Island countries and some places within the Asian and Middle East countries, women’s role is to stay at home and look after the families while the husbands earn income to support the family financially. But as women begin to shift roles and work to earn an income, most women begin to spend most of their time at work rather than at home. For this reason most families system begins to breakup as children are left to care for themselves and the upbringing by their caretakers are under supervised can lead children to poor health. Also, divorce and broken homes happen when mothers and fathers spend time away from each other and reconciliation is beyond repair. (Personal communication Priscilla Tongi) However, even though the disadvantages are discouraging I feel that these problems can be fixed and overcome as strategies of empowering of women begin to take place. In the past, women were not allowed to stand up among men to participate in decision making but the 20th century has allowed this and why empowering of women has made a positive impact on women so far. Firstly, the advantage of empowering women to do more and engage in formal work possibility leads to economic growth. A study shows that women in Australia who held positions as board directors significantly had higher financial returns, including 53 percent higher returns on equity, 24 percent higher returns on sales and 67 percent higher returns on invested capital (www.wikipedia.org). This shows that female workers use strategies that communicate well with their employees to motivate them to perform well within the environment they work in. Secondly, the mentalities of men as the superior of both genders begin to change as women become empowered and begin to take up responsibilities similar to men. Here women have the confidence and courage to make decisions within their household, workplaces and the society as a whole. They rise from fear of being teased, mocked, seen as worthless and not important and begin to take part in important discussions with males to help their families and communities. (www.ifad.org) This social advantage helps in confirming fundamental rights of women. Finally, Education is an important element to any development within a society and without proper education poverty emerges. Through empowering of women, this strategy has encouraged more women to attend school and given the same opportunities as the male. Universities and other formal education enhances understanding on different fields like health, economics, politics etc to help them make good decisions within their families and society.(www.ifd.org) For example in Honiara at the Anglican Satellite church at Burns Creek , Literacy classes for the rural uneducated mothers are held twice a week to help them to read and write . Hence, confidence in attending community meetings and sharing in decision makings with the community become easy. Investment in education should be a priority to assist women become good role models and with educational achievements of women are more likely to be looked upon as setting good examples. (personal communication Shirley Nokia) Based on the evidence presented in this essay, empowerment of women is a positive strategy which encourages women, whereas in the past, little was done to allow women to step out from their traditional roles and into higher positions. Although the disadvantages hinder women through economical, social and educational issues, the advantages are more promising and through investment in education especially, women and girls can have a better future and make a better world for all.

Overview of Brazils macro environment

Overview of Brazils macro environment Being one of the members of the Big Four BRIC countries, Brazil experienced the economic downturn and bust and has been hampered by excessive indebtedness and high inflation in the past. Since 1990s, Brazil has implemented numerous policies with government and authorities support to launch the reform. Brazils economies started to growth rapidly after policies and stabilization plan were implemented. Moreover, the ongoing sound marco-economic and social policies have extended the period of stability, growth and social gains (WorldBank, 2010). Thus, the continuous development of its interior for hosting the World Cup and Olympic Games in 2014 and 2016 respectively can pursue industrial and agricultural growth. With the vast natural resources, labor pool and trading opportunities to other foreign countries therefore significantly increased in Brazil and more foreign investors were attracted. Nowadays, it has become a regional leader with leading economic power of South America that is one of the first in the area to begin an economic recovery (InvestorPlace, 2010). Overview of Brazils macro-environment In this section, it is going to overview Brazils macro environment by applying PEST analysis and the few aspects are being discussed as follow. PEST Analysis PEST analysis is analyzing the external environment which is analyzing the factors of Marco-environment. It includes Political factors, Economic factors, Sociological factors and the Technological factors (Jobber, D., 2004). Political Factors Refer to Figure 2.1, Brazil has the stable political climate which under the leadership of the communist party. The legal system of it is based on the Roman Codes (CIA, 2010). Brazil has 26 administrative divisions and the government is divided into executive branch, legislative branch and judicial branch (CIA, 2010). In addition, it perceived the corruption problem as ranked 75th position out of 180 nations of the transparency Internationals 2009 Corruption Perceptions Index (Transparency, 2010). In addition, Brazil involved within the free trade agreement that is signed by the United States, Central America and Dominican Republic which benefited Brazil for trading opportunities (BusyTrade, 2010). Furthermore, it launched the Growth Acceleration Plan in 2007 to develop and steady the economic growth (WorldBank, 2010) Being one of the emerging economies in the world, Brazils economy is growing at a moderate but steady level with continuous growing GDP. Refer to Figure 2.2 which is figured out that the GDP of Brazil is constant growth during 2000 to 2007 significantly.and maintained the sustainable growth to 2008. From Figure 2.3, Brazil weathered the global financial downturn with relatively minor impacts.  The country was one of the last to fall  into recession in 2008 and among the first to resume growth in 2009. With the large growth in agricultural, manufacturing and mining, it ranked highest among the South American countries with the strong position in the global economy (Tradingeconomics, 2010). Brazil is the largest national economy in Latin America, the worlds tenth largest economy at market exchange rates and the ninth largest in purchasing power parity (PPP), according to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. It has large and developed agricultural, mining, manufacturing and service sectors, as well as a large labor pool. Thus, the expanding of its presence in international financial and commodities markets can help Brazils economic keep on growth Refer to Figure 2.4, the interest rate in Brazil is kept on declining as to attract more foreign direct investment. The government lowered down the interest rate, in consequence, to lower the inflation rate. From Figure 2.4, Brazil suffered serious inflation rate in 2008. However, it declined during 2009. The latest inflation rate is 4.6% in July of 2010 which means the prices measured against the standard purchasing power is still high. According to Figure 2.6, about currency convertibility, Brazil allows its currency to adjust in value in foreign exchange markets so long as the fluctuations in value. From Table 2.7, the mid-year population is 201,103 thousands and ranked 5 out of 238 countries (CIA, 2010). Brazil was one of the largest population countries in the world. The growth rate of 2010 is 1.2 which was lower than 1995 and 2005. The nationality of Brazil was Brazilians (CIA, 2010) and the religions were mainly Roman Catholic (CIA, 2010). The languages of Brazilians were Portuguese (CIA, 2010). From Figure 2.8, Brazil does not suffer from aging problem. And the birth rate was maintained from 2009 that 18.43% in Figure 2.9 (UNICEF, 2010). Together with longer life expectancy with the index of life expecting at birth in 2008 is around 71.99 years old as maintained (UNICEF, 2009). The labour force is 101.7 million in 2009 that ranked 6th out of 228 countries (CIA, 2010). The unemployment rate is kept on dropping in these 2 years as refer to Figure 2.10. The role of female and male are vary by social classes (EveryCulture, 2010). Most of the Brazilian women had jobs outside home and employed in low-skill or low paying jobs (EveryCulture, 2010). It meant that there was no gender equality in that society. Source: Tradingeconomics, 2010 Despite the poverty ratio is decreasing as refer to Figure 2.11, Brazils inequality levels remains among the highest in the world. Many people still live in poverty with social exclusion is quantitatively and qualitatively pronounced and structurally ingrained (WorldBank, 2010). Technology Factors Brazil is a leader in science and technology in South America and in some fields as a global leader. About the technological research is largely carried out in Brazil which is mainly supported by government. Furthermore, the Brazilian information technology market is the largest in Latin America and the spending on IT product and services is expected to increase positively. Together with the expending economy lifting millions into middle class for whom computers are no longer beyond reach. Brazils IT services market is expected to continue to grow strongly in 2010, with total spending of around US$9.4bn as the economy continues to bounce back from recession. For a developing market, the percentage of Brazil IT market revenues generated by services is high at around 38%, which corresponds more to developed market levels. Brazil government supported the technology development by providing the funding as it was the leader of science and technology development in South America. Refer to Figure 2.12, Brazils research and development is keen on innovation of technology infrastructure. Ideological Factors Brazilians had the strong national ideology that they called their land as the racial democracy (EveryCulture, 2010). They were seldom judge on the black and white people but classified racially depend on the social classes (EveryCulture, 2010). As a result, it meant that Brazilians were having heavy concepts on the social classes. Brazils Trade, Investment and Migration Pattern Brazil is in Group 4 which is the nearly new industrialised economies with the average growth rate in pass decades (Thompson, G., 1998). Agricultural was playing an important role in Brazil. However, Brazil is turning from agricultural to industrialization. Agricultural should be a critical role to Brazil (Balassa, B., 1998). As a result, in order to develop the economics, Brazil needed to import the industrialization subsidiaries such as machinery and equipment. By the trade theory, the comparative advantage of the nation is determined by factor endowments (Thompson, G., 1998). During the process of industrialization, the structure of comparative advantage shifts from simple, labor-intensive product to sophisticated capital and technology-intensive product (Thompson, G., 1998). As a result, Brazil as the latecomer industrialization (Thompson, G., 1998) begins to import the products from the advanced nations such as United States. The following are the indicators of imports and exports by values. From Figure 3.1, Brazils value of exports and imports is sustainable growth during 2007 to 2008. As the brought down by weaker economic activity and lower global commodity prices drive the total exports fell by 22.7% (in US dollar terms) and imports by 26% as economic recession (CIA, 2010). Furthermore, Brazils export major commodities are transport equipment, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee, autos is ranked 26th when compare to the universal. And import major commodities are machinery, electrical and transport equipment, chemical products, oil, automotive parts, and electronics (CIA, 2010). Investment pattern In Latin America, Brazil is the largest recipient of foreign direct investment (FDI) as Brazil is open to and encourages foreign investment. Only generate the domestic savings is not sufficient for sustainable long-term growth in Brazil (Investorplace, 2010), thus must continue to attract FDI. Together with the legislation promoting public-private partnerships and infrastructure development program known as the Growth Acceleration Program can boost Brazils economic. From Figure 3.2, the foreign direct investment climate was not stable during 2002 to 2009. There are undulated changes during 2007 to 2009 because of low labour cost and rich natural resources, hence, many foreign direct investments were attracted to invest in Brazil. For many foreign direct investors, the most attraction point was the growing local market and policies that encourage the foreign investment (Hubpages, 2010). The largest single source of the foreign investment in Brazil was the United States, then Germany, Japan as follow (Hubpages, 2010). Moreover, the biggest foreign direct investment activities were invested in manufacturing (Hubpages, 2010). In 2014 and 2016, it is going to held World Cup and Olympics encourage the investment through tourism sector (InvestBrazil, 2010). Migration pattern As economic growth, Brazilian started to move to urban to have a better living environment. There were two factors driven the movement, push and pull factors (Thompson, G., 1998). Push factor was Brazilian to avoid poverty and poor living standard. Pull factor was Brazilian to improve the living environment. As a result, there is now 88% of population is classified as urban (CIA, 2010). Only a few percent were still living near the coast. The net migration rate was -0.09 migrants/1,000 population (CIA, 2010). Relationship between Brazil and the international environment Political Factors In 1990, Brazils government has radically changed the framework conditions for industrial development accompanied by technology and industrial policy programs. Moreover, Brazil is gradually opening the market to foreign competitors that remarked few regulations on trade and investment from foreign countries, thus creating an environment that requires international competitiveness and thereby forces companies to attain international levels of quality and efficiency (BrazilGov, 2010). There are a number of implications that Brazil is implementing to control the Foreign exchange rate of currency with the policies and action programs. Moreover, the presence of legal and regulatory trading protection for foreign investor doing business in Brazil. As refer to Figure 4.1, Brazil was ranked 73th out of the 183 best practice economies countries (IFC, 2010). Together with foreign direct investment and government support that has mobilized a significantly large amount of capital to upgrade the infrastructure of interior (FloridaBrazil, 2010). Economical Factors Despite the economic crisis, Brazils GDP showed continued growth through 2007-2008 while other regional countries GDP declined (Worldbank, 2010). In addition, the steady growth with strong consumer spending and job creation that stability of living forming a healthy economy, hence, Brazil certainly attract the foreign investors to catch up the business opportunity (Obelisk, 2010). Brazil with large growing in agricultural, manufacturing and mining, thus, Brazil is keen on performing its potential to being emerging market. As a result, Brazil ranks among the 10th richest nations of the world by GDP and has maintained the lowest external debt when compared to other regional countries (SloanCenter, 2010). Sociological Factors Brazil is one of the countries that has the largest population of the world with around 102 million labor force that ranked as 6th when comparing to the world as shown in Figure (CIA, 2010). Ideological Factors Brazilians had strong sense of national ideology that proud of their countrys natural resources and diverse culture (EveryCulture, 2010). Besides, Brazilians are welcome the foreigners to travel and invest in such robust emerging market (FloridaBrazil, 2010). Foreign Relations Brazil is a community leader in Linter American with collective security efforts in economic cooperation of Western Hemisphere (BrazilGov, 2010). Moreover, as a member of Organization of American States and Inter American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance that can figure out that Brazil has potential to expand relations with its neighbors (BrazilGov, 2010). In addition, Brazil is a founding member of the Latin American Integration Association and Union of South American Nations that has been a leader of G-20 group of nations (BrazilGov, 2010). In 2009, Brazil not only became a creditor country that trading with United States, Western Europe, and Japan, but also China is a growing market for Brazilian exports. Characteristics and Challenges of macro-environmental factors towards the trade, investment and migration patterns of emerging markets Main drivers for doing business in Brazil Brazil is the 5th largest economy with population of 198 million. Many local companies are undervalued and in need of restructuring, capital and technology Growth potential and consumer market Broad industrial base and infrastructure, and a diversified economy Creativity and flexibility of labor force, coupled with its competitive cost basis Abundant agricultural, mineral and energy resources and potential Established transportation networks (railways, highways, ports) and distribution channels in most industrialized areas Privatization in late stages and follow-on transactions still in development Inflation under control in the last 10 years Increasing globalization and international trade, with Government policies favoring exports Foreign investors are eligible for most available fiscal incentives Goodwill generally tax deductible New regulations favoring minority shareholders Improvement in local capital and debt markets Main Challenges of doing Deals in Brazil Complex tax and employee related regulatory environment, with high taxes and social charges on payroll, sales and income Multiple taxes with fast changing legislation affecting business plans and increasing risks of contingencies Economic environment still considered volatile as compared to more stable economies Fast-changing business conditions Lack of local financing coupled with high real interest rates Quality of historical financial information affected by fluctuations in exchange rates and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles differences Complex transfer pricing and foreign capital registration rules Difficulties in reorganizing companies quickly, including high costs for employee terminations Important cultural peculiarities, including a different perception of the due diligence process Sometimes the  ³know-who ´ is more important than the know-how in the local market Considerable bureaucratic rules and regulations for certain businesses and industries High demand for investments in the distribution channels and infrastructure Semi-skilled and unskilled labor in certain developing areas Social extremes with unequal distribution of wealth a significant portion of the Population not participating in the consumer market Justification of selection of Brazil There are many reasons of choosing Vietnam and going to identify its economic future as emerging market. First, Brazil has strong commitment that has made significant progress in developing a sustainable investment market over the last decade and rightly deserves its reputation as the leader among emerging economies in this regard. These achievements can proofed that foreign investors are tend to doing business in Brazil as refer to Figure 6.1, 6.2. Second, the evolution of a sustainable investment market by Brazil has led other emerging markets to focus on the same issues and goals. Third, Brazil has strong business case that importance of sustainability in business and investment in Brazil that provide stable political climate and facilitated rules and regulations that maintained the economy steady growth. Finally, Brazil demonstrated impressive courage, determination, flexibility, and creativity in sustainable future. Together with Brazils stable economic and political environment that liberal investment and governments commitment to economic reform can direct Brazil being success. In order entering into Brazil, 4P is playing an important role to guide the investors as refer to Figure 7.1. Product Product is a key element in the overall marketing offering. (Armstrong, G. Kotler, P., 2007). From Figure 7.2, there are three levels of products which are core benefits, actual product and augmented product. In order to evaluate the product element in Brazil, it is important to understand their lifestyle, habit and their consumption behaviour. Nowadays, Brazilian demand more IT products such as mobile phone, computers and software. Moreover, as Brazilian are becoming more wealthy, the demand of housing and transportation are increasing (Laposte, 2010). Most Brazilian including the low-income population is loyal to brands. Those people with the upper-middle classes are pay attention on the quality and the value-added services such as the warranty or after-sales services. They will not reject the foreign goods although they have the national pride (Laposte, 2010). As a result, based on the three levels of product, in order to design the product to enter into Brazil, it is recommended that import the convenience, shopping and specialty products to satisfy both low and high income group. For the low income group, the core benefit of the product should be high quality commodities with low price such as toothpaste. For the high income group, the core benefit of the product should be strong brand preference such as luxury goods. Price Price is the amount of money charged for a product or services (Armstrong, G. Kotler, P., 2007). As there is a wide gap of rich and poor in Brazil, the price setting should based on the target segment which is the segmented pricing. Segment pricing is selling products or services at two or more prices which difference in price not differences in costs (Armstrong, G. Kotler, P., 2007). If the target segment is the low-middle class, the price setting should be lower. If the target segment is the high-middle class, the price can be higher as they are less price-sensitive. Place (Distribution Channel) Marketing channel is a set of independent organization that help make the product or service available for use or consumption by the consumer or business user (Armstrong, G. Kotler, P., 2007). When enter into Brazil, producers cannot sell the goods directly to the final users. As a result, the intermediaries are playing the important role to bring the products to the markets. In Brazil, supermarket is becoming more important for the distribution channel as it made 80% of sales (Laposte, 2010). There are several large local wholesalers and retailers in Brazil. When entering into Brazil, it can choose the major wholesaler as the intermediaries to help bringing the foreign products to Brazilian. Promotion Promotion mix is the specific mix of advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, public relations and direct marketing that a company uses to persuasively communicate customer value and build customer relationships. (Armstrong, G. Kotler, P., 2007). In order to make the effective promotion in Brazil, it is going to discuss on the media environment in Brazil. Television has the lowest average Advertising Index in the world (Anonymous, 2006). However, it was the most effective promotion tools to Brazilian. Refer to Table 7.1, TVs penetration is 97.4% which was dominant. Brazilian watched television over five hours per day. As a result, the promotion should mainly focus on television which has a high coverage. Moreover, there is another new opportunity to promote in Brazil which is direct e-marketing such as telemarketing, e-mail etc. These can be used as the promotional tactics but not to maintain the relationship between the customers and companies (Laposte, 2010). The most effective way of the promotion strategy should be the pull strategy which spends a lot on advertising to create customers demand on products (Armstrong, G. Kotler, P., 2007). In addition, the promotional message on advertising should be reflecting Brazils culture such as Brazilian is enthusiasm. Conclusion Brazil has steadily improved macroeconomic stability, building up foreign reserves, reducing its debt profile by shifting its debt burden toward real denominated and domestically held instruments, adhering to an inflation target, and committing to fiscal responsibility. Brazils potential can be maintained and sustained in future of development.

Spanish & English Superpowers of America :: essays research papers fc

Spanish & English Super Power's in America Ultimately, their stronger unified cultural need to establish their dominance in another land is the most important reasons for the foothold established by the English and the Spanish in the New World. It is true that a plethora of different races, ethnic groups, nationalities, and cultures arrived on the North American soil prior to 1776, the year that America began its process of embarking upon its independence, of officially becoming the independent country of United States of America. This begs the question of why did the Spanish (and Spanish Americans) and later primarily the English (and English Americans) become the dominant ethnic groups in the New World, and not the other nations that established settlements, for instance, perchance, the Dutch? This paper will argue that the predominant historical evidence, as discussed in The Ethnic Dimension in American History and Major Problems in American Immigration and Ethnic History as well as American Mosaic and the text Out of Many suggests that the reason for this dominance was twofold. First of all, Spanish and the English dominated the seas and the land, militarily, in the way that other European nations such as the French did not. English settlers in particular had religious as well as economic reasons for developing a cultural and sociological grip as well as an economic support in the new nation. The fact that the British and Spanish nations were both more unified, had more mercantile capitol support, and were technically more advanced than their rivals, particularly on the seas, coupled with their greater need to establish settlements in the new land to ensure their dominance. It is tempting to view the English dominance purely as a product of military might, of course. But while this undoubtedly played a factor in the domination of the English and the Spanish, ultimately the reasons for British and Spanish were more cultural than purely military or technological, this essay will argue. On a level of military technology the English in particular exercised military dominion, winning what came to be known as ‘Prince Phillips War,’ defeating Native American alliance against the New England colonists. The British also later dominated France and the still existing strong Native American tribes in what came to be known as ‘King William’s War’ in 1689. In May of 1702, England declared war on France after the death of the King of Spain, Charles II, to stop the union of France and Spain.

Forgiveness Essay -- Informative, Nazy Soldier

Simon Wiesenthal’s question â€Å"What would [you] have done† if one had the opportunity to forgive a Nazi soldier forces humanity to understand and apply our moral repertoire. My moral repertoire I mean the set of moral beliefs that informs our understanding of forgiveness and the criteria by which we evaluate its Karl the Nazi Soldier, who initiates our inquiry into forgiveness, represents multiple identities. He is at once a rational human being, a member and supporter of the Nazi military, a murderer, and actor and representative of the State. Because of the simultaneously occurrence and fluidity of these identities conflation is an easy mistake in constructing exactly who we are forgiving. To forgive Karl the individual is very different than forgiving the Nazis or the State as represented by Karl. Even Lawrence Lager in the Symposium writes â€Å"It seems to me that in refusing to extend forgiveness to the culprit, Wiesenthal unconsciously acknowledges the indissoluble bond fusing the criminal to his crime† (The Sunflower 178). The conflation of what Karl represents is a large part of what make Wiesenthal’s question so vexing because the rules of forgiveness alter depending on the actor. Karl the individual is due certain considerations simply because of his humanity while the Nazis and the State as represented by Karl are entangled in political considerations. Forever labeling Karl as a murderer forgoes his still present humanity. This is not to say that forgiving Karl the individual isn’t political, or that we shouldn’t acknowledge the enormity of his crime. This is to stress that the limits and criteria of forgiveness change whether it is person to person or person to political bodies. This separation of individual from sta... ...untry and the victims to move forward and be â€Å"free† as one symposium speakers says. To wallow with bitterness and despair is perhaps than acknowledging what happen, mourning what was loss, and beginning the process of rebuilding. Louise Mallinder in â€Å"Can Amnesties and International Justice be Reconciled?† posits the following hypothetical: â€Å"Amnesty for lower-level offenders could also mean that in their daily life, victims are frequently confronted by the individuals who caused their suffering which could cause further harm to the victims and even lead them to engage in vigilantism† (210). Forgiveness is not physical and can only be manifested through the mediums of words, actions and shared understandings. These traits gives forgiveness a spiritual quality that illustrates how it can transcend physical atrocity; to render the unforgiveable forgivable.

Civil war position paper :: essays research papers

To many people this Civil war meant many things. To one it may mean we are fighting for a good cause, the cause of freedom for all people of every race and ethnic back ground. To some it may mean we are fighting to keep things in order, the way we intend for them to be. But to me it was a War that meant we are fighting for a great cause freedom. Something that everyone should have and will have for the rest of our human existence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Picture of the Civil War was†¦a discussion about something higher: about humanity, about human dignity, about human freedom.† Barbara fields said that. Most people would agree with her. The civil war was and still is about the freedom for all people to be free. Thousands of men fought for years of their lives for this freedom, which is still not quite achieved. But by them fighting for this we are a step closer to where we want to be. To this very day we are still fighting for our freedom. Weather it’s the freedom to express our selves or the freedom to be who we chose to be with out having someone telling us we can not do so. As long as man is here on this Earth we will always be fighting for some kind of freedom.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Currently America is helping another country fight for their freedom. Although it is not quite the same as it was during the Civil War. But in many ways it is the same. There are countless young men in Iraq fighting on a daily basis to help a poor country take back their voice against a cruel man and his fellow followers. Slowly, with time, their freedom will be achieved. But just as the Civil war it will take a long time and possibly many years. It is hard to gain freedom, especially when a country has been under control of a ruthless man for many years. There are a lot of obstacles that have to be overcame but with help and determination this will be achieved.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I have a friend who believes that every man and woman should be allowed their freedom and rights no matter what color skin, eyes or hair they may have. One should no be judged by their appearance but by what one believes in and does. For instance years ago you could have been thought of as a great person because you are white and not black. Civil war position paper :: essays research papers To many people this Civil war meant many things. To one it may mean we are fighting for a good cause, the cause of freedom for all people of every race and ethnic back ground. To some it may mean we are fighting to keep things in order, the way we intend for them to be. But to me it was a War that meant we are fighting for a great cause freedom. Something that everyone should have and will have for the rest of our human existence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Picture of the Civil War was†¦a discussion about something higher: about humanity, about human dignity, about human freedom.† Barbara fields said that. Most people would agree with her. The civil war was and still is about the freedom for all people to be free. Thousands of men fought for years of their lives for this freedom, which is still not quite achieved. But by them fighting for this we are a step closer to where we want to be. To this very day we are still fighting for our freedom. Weather it’s the freedom to express our selves or the freedom to be who we chose to be with out having someone telling us we can not do so. As long as man is here on this Earth we will always be fighting for some kind of freedom.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Currently America is helping another country fight for their freedom. Although it is not quite the same as it was during the Civil War. But in many ways it is the same. There are countless young men in Iraq fighting on a daily basis to help a poor country take back their voice against a cruel man and his fellow followers. Slowly, with time, their freedom will be achieved. But just as the Civil war it will take a long time and possibly many years. It is hard to gain freedom, especially when a country has been under control of a ruthless man for many years. There are a lot of obstacles that have to be overcame but with help and determination this will be achieved.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I have a friend who believes that every man and woman should be allowed their freedom and rights no matter what color skin, eyes or hair they may have. One should no be judged by their appearance but by what one believes in and does. For instance years ago you could have been thought of as a great person because you are white and not black.

What Are the Most Important Themes in King Lear?

â€Å"Different interpretations focus on different themes’, this statement is acceptable in the play King Lear. Edwin Sherin’s production of King Lear primarily explores the theme of Oder and Chaos, as opposed to excerpts by Marilyn Gaull, which focuses on the theme of Love evident in King Lear and an excerpt by Samantha Markham in which focuses on the theme of Insanity. In my opinion theses three themes which are focused on through different interpretations of the play, are the most significant in King Lear In the 1974 Edwin Sherin production of King Lear, we see his directorial decisions on costume choice reflect the nature of the play, as well as the things that have taken place. An example of this is through Edmund’s costume in Act 1 and Act 6, as well as Lear’s costume in both Act 1 and Act 6. Through the first act, Lear’s costume made up of an armoured vest and a big furry robe clearly shows that Lear is the character who is most powerful. In comparison to Lear, Edmund is a character who is lowly ranked in society wears a plain costume. By comparing both character costumes, we as an audience are informed of the order of the kingdom, the social hierarchy in which each character is placed and the divine right of kings. Through Lear’s decision to divide his kingdom amongst his daughters causes an uproar of chaos and mayhem that erupts the kingdom. His decision to give Gonerill and Regan his kingdom, his authority, his power, caused confusion on who the country is meant to obey. As a result of Lear’s judgment, he is betrayed by his daughters and left on his own in the open plains on the outskirts of the kingdom. With Lear gone, his power diminished, Gonerill and Regan took control of the kingdom. This is seen as wrong and unethical, as women are not meant to lead or rule. As a result of their husbands being â€Å"weak†, Gonerill and Regan controlled them and their judgments. Edmund, the illegitimate son of Gloucester, manipulates his way up the hierarchy and slowly take control and gain the power of his father, the sisters, and ultimately Lear’s. The storm scene in Act III shows the order and chaos that has manifested upon England. The order has been disrupted, and as a result, chaos brought its way to England. In the storm scene, Lear is in the rain, barely wearing anything, on the ground, nothing protecting him, and the storm raging on around him. Whilst Lear is suffering in the storm, we see Edmund, Gonerill and Regan tucked safely within the kingdom walls, protected, sheltered. This shows the shift in the order and the Divine Right of Kings. In Act V, we see Edmund dressed leather and armour, this reveals that Edmund has gained power and status through his actions, and Lear dressed in bare, thin, simple, disheveled clothing, which reveals that he has lost his power and authority through his actions. As shown above, through Sherin’s directorial decisions, primarily on the costume decisions, the theme of Order and Chaos was depicted and the implication and the power shift in the play. Marilyn Gaull states that â€Å"King Lear is set in an intellectual climate in which the play was conceived, where one finds a conflict on the thematic level between two kinds of love: divine love, expressed in an ordered cosmic, social, and spiritual hierarchy, and erotic love, a kind of subterranean energy which is the source of chaos, disorder, and destruction. Specifically, when King Lear assumed he could divest himself of responsibility, retiring as any lesser mortal to the obscurity of an â€Å"unburdened† old age, he committed an offense against universal order and thereby denied divine love â€Å". Through this excerpt, the theme of Love is clearly shown in her interpretation of King Lear. King Lear is a play focused on two families, the main plot and the subplot, Lear’s family, of him and his three daughters and Gloucester’s family, of him and his two sons. Both Lear and Gloucester expects love and respect from their children, and they should get it as they are the parent, it is ethically right. Where in the play, Gonerill and Regan in Act I Scene 1, falsely declare their love for Lear, when he demanded his daughters to tell him how much they love him, Cordelia said aside, â€Å"Then poor Cordelia! And yet not so, since I am sure my love’s more ponderous than my tongue. â€Å", where she states that her love, is stronger than words. With the beginning of the play, it is shown that Cordelia expresses divine love towards Lear, whilst Gonerill and Regan expresses erotic love. This is shown more in depth as the play goes on. Because Lear was unable to see wh ose love was more truthful, he chose to ignore the daughter he loves most and banish her. Due to his judegments, he was able to learn from his experiences, and was then able to recognise Cordelia’s love for him. Through Marilyn Gaull’s interpretation of the theme Love in King Lear, we are able to see the important and effect love has on people, primarily families and their judgements. â€Å"The opening scene of King Lear is a fascinating exploration of flattery, self-love and the relationship between father and daughters. It seems absurd that a king would divide his kingdom according to professions of love, but it is worth considering that a long reigning king is accustomed to exercising irresponsible power. , stated by Samantha Markham, an excerpt in an interpretation focusing on the theme of Insanity in King Lear. This theme I believe is the most important theme of King Lear, as it revolves around a central place in the play. Lear’s decision to divide his kingdom up in the beginning of the play, gives evidence of senility. Both his daughters, Gonerill and Regan discussed his rash behavior in Act I Sc. 1 â€Å"The best and soundest of his time hath been but rash† Gonerill, states that because of his old age, he is becoming more senile and rasher in his decisions. Throughout the play, the Fool offers Lear insights through complete babble. The audience was able to see an ironic humouress scene, where they see, Lear as someone who was strong and defiant lose his sanity and Edgar who’s lost and confused, pretend that he’s insane. Through this scene, the audience can see the contrast in madness between Lear’s real madness and Edgar’s feigned madness. Through many of Lear’s dialogue, the audience can already see that he is on the edge of sanity. â€Å"We are not ourselves when nature, being oppressed, commands the mind to suffer with the body† Lear, states that it is because nature that he is losing his mind, that his mind his suffering because of it. As shown above, Marilyn Gaull’s interpretation of King Lear, based on the theme Insanity, reveals that she it is because he has had the power for too long, he abuses it by recklessly dividing his kingdom, believing that he is mad.

Cell phones †How have they changed us socially? Essay

After more than a century, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines continues to perform a significant role in nation-building and it remains steadfast in its resolve to participate in the national and global academic arena. The current university administration, with Dr. Emanuel C. De Guzman at the helm, strengthens and highlights even further the role of the University in the production of important knowledge, information and ideas as aptly reflected in the University’s vision of becoming an EPISTEMIC COMMUNITY. In this regard, the University adopts a clear, practical, and realizable University Research Agenda (URA) meant and calculated to (1) unify the direction and framework of the research activities of the University; (2) align the research efforts of the University with the thrust and priorities of the National government agencies, such as the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the National Economic and Development Agency (NEDA), Commission on Higher Educ ation (CHED) and others; and (3) generate researches, scientific innovations, speculative and theoretical paradigms which are expected to drive economic, scientific, social, moral and technological development. The University Research Agenda is categorized into five general themes, to wit: (1) peace, security and poverty reduction; (2) accelerating infrastructure development; (3) competitive industry and entrepreneurship; (4) social and cultural development; and (5) conservation, protection and rehabilitation of the environment towards sustainable development. 1 PEACE, SECURITY AND POVERTY REDUCTION This research theme addresses three important national and global issues that mankind is squarely faced: peace, security and poverty. The University is  in the belief that these issues are interrelated—solving one means solving others. A. Peace and Security Studies Peace and security studies and researches are expected (1) understand the causes of armed conflicts, religious disagreements, cultural clashes, war, terrorism, genocide, human rights violations and others; (2) develop ways and devises to prevent and resolve identified peace and security problems; and ultimately (3) build peaceful and just communities, systems, and societies. Obviously, these types of studies require interdisciplinary approaches and expertise. Henceforth, researches with the following topics could meet the above expectations: (1) Understand the causes of armed conflicts, religious disagreements, cultural clashes, war, terrorism, genocide, human rights violations and others with focus or emphasis on: a. Political dynamics, b. Democratization, c. National and human security, d. Social Issues, e. Social Movements, f. Migration, g. International relations and trans-border issues, h. Internationalization, i. World politics, j. Ethnographic and ethnicity studies, k. Knowledge and Belief systems, l. Religion and Philosophy, m. Human growth and development, n. Other related topics. (2) Develop ways and devises to prevent and resolve identified peace and security problems, particularly on: a. Organizational communication, b. Development communication, c. Cross-cultural communication, d. Peace communication, e. Psycho-trauma and crisis intervention, f. Translation studies, g. Ethno-linguistics, h. Behavioral, psychosocial, psychological researches, i. Macroeconomics and globalization issues, and j. Other related topics. (3) Build peaceful and just communities, systems and societies, exploring: a. Access, equity and ethics, b. Globalization of education and cross cultural aspects, c. Institutional development, d. Women and children issues, e. Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual and Transsexual (LGBT) issues, f. Gender and development studies, and g. Other related topics. B. Poverty Reduction Studies The University works with the paradigm that the poverty issue is multi-dimensional and is driven by multifarious causes. Poverty studies therefore should cover the many facets of the causes and effects of poverty as well as the ways of addressing them. They should also be linked with peace and security concerns of localities, regions and countries. The studies should reveal the relationships of poverty to security, human rights, governance, lack of education, and limited access to social services for according to Kofi Annan, development cannot be enjoyed without security and security cannot be enjoyed without development. Roles and models on local resource and local actors mobilization, increasing productivity and creativity, community-driven development, and development partnerships between public and private sector should likewise be included among the focus of poverty studies. The following research topics are herein identified for poverty reduction according to different dimensio ns: Social, Political and Cultural Dimension Knowledge and Belief systems Social Welfare Local Government Studies Public-private partnership Public personnel management and development Marriage and Family Human development and social protection Quality of Life Fighting poverty with good governance Other related topics Educational Dimension Educational technology/Innovation and change Communication Technology Student support services Professional development and faculty support Quality assurance Curricular benchmarking Institutional development Policy studies Outcome-based education Inquiry-based education Promotion of full, decent and productive employment Transformative education Consumers’ Rights Teacher and student achievements Quality service Home-School-Community collaboration Employment impact Graduate tracer studies Economic Dimension National and local economic policies Growth and equity Local/community and distributive economics SMEs, cooperatives and social enterprise Food sufficiency and productivity Corporate social responsibility Supply chain management Micro-finance/micro lending strategies Employment ACCELERATING INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT Consistent with the National Government’s thrust, the University is determined to effect significant economic growth, human development and social protection through acceleration of infrastructure development. Undoubtedly, infrastructure development is one of the major priorities of the national government as it is clearly and concretely outlined in the recent National Economic and Development Authority agenda. The University, in support to the government’s efforts, undertakes to provide the country with research-based studies, scientific and engineering innovations that would enable both the government and private sectors in hastening infrastructure development. The University identified the following areas and topics to concentrate on: Hard Infrastructures and Software Infrastructures. Hard Infrastructureswhich are meant to support the drivers of economic growth such as tourism, agriculture, industry, energy and others, specifically: Urban and Rural Housing Transportation and Structural Engineering Energy Related Infrastructure (e.g. power sources, upgrade of existing power plants, etc.) Transportation technology Energy conservation facilities Flood control and management Irrigation systems Resettlement frameworks for informal settlers Water treatment facilities Transport policy studies Other related topics Software Infrastructureswhich are meant to provide the necessary services for human development and social protection such education, health, information technology and others specifically: E-governance Software development and theory Transaction processing systems Management Information Systems/Reporting Systems Distance Teaching Systems and Institutions E-Learning and related technology development Internet and web applications development Data engineering and Ubiquitous computing Knowledge management Mobile computing systems Computer Aided Instructions Network security and issues IT-Enabled Services COMPETITIVE INDUSTRY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP The University recognizes the country’s need to strengthen the competitiveness of its industries particularly those which are driving the nation forward in terms of economic growth such as tourism, agriculture, skilled manpower in ICT and language proficiency, retail, exports, investments and banking. Furthermore, PUP is one with the National Government in its objective of assuring rapid and sustained growth for the country. In view of this, the University with its various academic and research arms, identify important research topics and areas which could be explored to reveal important trends, issues and challenges confronting these industries; and to discover devices and ways to address these challenges. The following research topics are hereunder identified: Market for Agriculture Industry Cooperative Management Resource Management Quality Management Medium and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Executive/Enterprises Information Systems Industry needs analysis Human resource management practices and issues Management studies (Cooperative management, resource management, quality management) Work values Macro and micro economics Investments and banking systems and operations Enhancing competitiveness of industry and services Intelligent agents in Ecommerce Management and organization Tourism and Hospitality Management National and Local Economic Policy research (NEDA, LGU projects, DTI) Another related facet of this research theme is entrepreneurship. Along this line, the University hereunder identified the following research topics and areas: Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Studies Development Projects Livelihood Business Development and Innovations Product Development Incubation and commercialization Business generation E-Business researches/ E-commerce SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT Culture and society are linked to each other. Generally, culture is an important element of social development. The University, with its strong Academic/ Research Centers and Institutes pertaining to cultural and social studies, is bent to support the national government in the: (1) creation of intellectual potential; (2) building of human capital; (3) popularization of culture, arts and heritage; (4) forging social integration; (5) promotion of national identity through local and national historiography; (6) prevention of social pathologies; (7) initiation and establishment of cooperation; (8) advancement and promotion of national solidarity and patrimony; and (9) reduction of disproportions of personal development of citizens as a form of social advancement. The following research topics are identified in order to direct the University research activities along the line of cultural and  social development: Philosophical Studies Sociological Studies Historiography Literature, Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Folk Arts Heritage studies/ Intangible cultural heritage/Heritage conservation Popular culture Filipino worldview Media in the ASEAN Filipino culture Communication and society Media laws and ethics Communication technology Media literacy Media usage and effects Information campaign and evaluation, AD/PR principles and case studies Human growth and development studies Sexuality and health-risk behaviors Organizational behavior, multiple intelligences, giftedness and learning disabilities Technology-mediated, language learning and teaching, Philippine languages, translation studies, ethnolinguistics, registers CONSERVATION, PROTECTION AND REHABILITATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Conservation, protection and rehabilitation of the environment is a significant factor in the maintenance of community`s sustainability. It includes the sustainable use and management of the natural resources such as water, natural energy, air, wildlife and minerals. The University recognizes this as a very important element of national development. The following research areas and topics have been identified to generate knowledge to supplement the existing body of works regarding the management, care, use and exploitation of the natural resources: Climate change mitigation Climate change adaptation Disaster management, preparedness and monitoring Energy conservation Environmental conservation and preservation Environment protection and stewardship Urban ecology Global warming