Saturday, August 31, 2019
Studies of Religion One Unit Hsc – Secularism Speech
What is secularism? Secularism is the belief that religion should not interfere with or be integrated into the public affairs of a society. Oxford dictionary defines ââ¬Å"secularâ⬠as ââ¬Å"concerned with the affairs of the world, not religious or spiritualâ⬠so in this sense all civil government is ââ¬Å"secularâ⬠. The only civil governments that are not fully secular in this sense are Vatican City and some fundamentalist Moslem states. The governments of all the major countries in the world ââ¬â including Australia, the USA, Great Britain, New Zealand, Italy, India, etc are all secular governments.There are multiple factors which have contributed to the decline of religion's relevance for the integration and legitimation of modern life. The increasing pluralism and materialism of society alongside society's increasing individualism and dissatisfaction with traditional religions are major reasons for secularisation. This trend is most evident in the significan t increase in the number of people responding ââ¬Å"No religionâ⬠in the census alongside an overall decline in the Christian figures recorded in the census Interfaith Dialogue and growing secularism.Since World War II, Australiaââ¬â¢s population has grown and become more diverse and Australians have become more secular in nature. Secularists believe that people are comfortable without the reference to God in their lives. There are a number of reasons for the increase in secularism in Australia; these include increasing pluralism i. e. the acceptance of all religions as equal; individualism and materialism ââ¬â spirituality may be overlooked when power, looks, possessions and fame are offered instead. What Impact did Secularism have on the Religious landscape of Australia post 1945?The rise of secularism has led to both a drop in the numbers of people regularly attending religious service. In 1947 only 0. 3% of the population classified themselves as having ââ¬Å"No Re ligionâ⬠. However, in 1971 the instruction ââ¬Å"if no religion, write noneâ⬠was introduced into the census. This saw a seven-fold increase from the previous census year in the percentage of persons stating they had no religion (0. 8% in 1966 to 6. 7% in 1971). Thus many people who would have previously fallen under the ââ¬Å"Not Statedâ⬠category were now included. Since 1971 this percentage has progressively increased to about 16. 5% in 1996, with a dip to 15. % in 2001. The 2001 census figures reveal that Christianity is still the numerically largest religious tradition in Australia accounting for 68. 0% of the population. However, there has been a significant decline in the percentage of people affiliated with Christianity. Furthermore, of those claiming affiliation there has been a decline in the regular attendance of religious services. The ongoing decline in most Christian groups as a percentage of the population is due to increasing secularization as well a s other factors such as dissatisfaction with traditional religious movements, aging membership, and a lack of migrant intake.Effects of secularism â⬠¢Loss of religious values. â⬠¢Lack of religious church practice ââ¬â civil marriages, non religious funerals, shopping malls (the new cathedrals) â⬠¢Seeking alternative ââ¬Å"religionsâ⬠or ââ¬Å"forms of spiritualityâ⬠. â⬠¢Social standing of clergy/church ââ¬â trustworthiness â⬠¢Political social action ââ¬â Marxism, Green Movement etc. â⬠¢Influence of scientific humanism, economic rationalism â⬠¢Rise of New Age Religions which focus on personal satisfaction, wealth, self help groups, happiness, mind and spirit exhibitions, personal meditation, affirmation environmental ââ¬Å"sit ââ¬â insâ⬠. These have all attained quasi religious status.
Friday, August 30, 2019
International Staffing Policies Essay
Ethnocentric is a staffing policy that is used in companies that has primarily international strategic orientation. This policy is generally adopted by headquarters by sending employees from the home or parent countries to the host country. This approach is used best in some situations such as, a team is sent from the home country to help setting up a new plant as well as train subsidiary personnel to use new system. The benefit of having staffs from home country abroad is that employees may gain experiences worldwide in order to become higher level in management of their headquarters because international managers require broad perspective and international exposure. For the example of Ethnocentric policies have McDonaldââ¬â¢s. McDonaldââ¬â¢s follows the ethnocentric orientation model. This requires an American management culture in all worldââ¬â¢s areas inside and outside the company (HRM, production method, training, motivationâ⬠¦) McDonaldââ¬â¢s has created it own world center for training: The ââ¬Å"Hamburger Universityâ⬠. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois (USA). It offers training programs exclusively for McDonaldââ¬â¢s employees. These staff, coming from over 119 countries, represents the ââ¬Å"McFamilyâ⬠. The training program of the ââ¬Å"Hamburger Universityâ⬠aims to develop the McDonaldââ¬â¢s staff at all levels of the organization. it also aims to train people for a long career at McDonaldââ¬â¢s, as the policy is based on long-term careerââ¬â¢s concept and strong possibilities of change and development within the group. It promises simple teammate to move up the ranks quickly. This is a crucial point for McDonaldââ¬â¢s HRMââ¬â¢s communication. I n Europe and in spite of cultural diversity, this model demonstrates its large success. Polycentric is the policy involved hiring and promoting employees who are citizens of the host countries that the subsidiary is operated. This policy is best used when companies want to keep hiring cost low. Moreover, employees who are hired at subsidiary level would not have any problem adapting to the culture. Communication is smooth within the operation. For the example of Polycentric policy: Starbucks Through a flat and flexible structure, Starbucks empowers employees to make decisions without management referral and are encouraged to consider themselves as a part of the business. This point is issued by companyââ¬â¢s corporate culture and such work environment has positive ripples on employeesââ¬â¢ motivation. This principle increases the involvement and the commitment of each employees from subsidiaries and makes them feel necessary for the company. This high level of autonomy allows workers to be more innovative and to take more initiatives. Thanks to its structure and to the empowerment of its employees, the company has managed to facilitate the exchange and the transversal communication, which allows it to react rapidly to the customersââ¬â¢ needs or to cope with more effectively with problems. Starbucks CEO and the board of directors wanted the mission statement to convey a strong sense of organizational purpose and to articulate the companyââ¬â¢s fundamental beliefs and guiding principles. They also pay attention to employeesââ¬â¢ and customersââ¬â¢ concerns to make the mission statement evolve. Indeed, these mission statements are based on several principles that consider the interests of customers, communities, employees, shareholders, and ecological considerations in all aspects of their operations. Geocentric staffing approach is used when companies adopt a transnational orientation. It is best used when companies need the best personnel to work at subsidiary. Employees are selected regardless where they come from. This staffing strategy is reliable for all subsidiaries because best employees are selected and sent from the companyââ¬â¢s worldwide network. For the example of Geocentric staffing have: Volkswagen The challenge of this joint venture was in harmonizing the Czech culture with the Volkswagenââ¬â¢s (VW) culture. The formation of the new corporate culture has gone through three stages: To install this VW culture in the Czech plant, policy measures varied. For example, information was disseminated concerning the activities in all sections of the company, including in the head office, training was implemented at VW and VW were assigned to the VW factory in the Czech Republic to spread the to VW company philosophy. The main problem centered on the difference between the socialist mind set and the VW culture. To resolve the problem, key positions were entrusted to employees from VW, trained in the dual system. The creation of a uniform corporate culture in a multicultural environment is a very important strategic task. The solution was to link the different work attitudes with different business structures for a new unit to be reborn. Then, all participants would be satisfied. Staffing Approach Strategic Appropriateness Advantages Disadvantages Ethnocentric International Overcomes lack of qualified managers in host nation Unified Culture Helps transfer core competencies Produces resentment in host country Can lead to cultural myopia Polycentric Multidomestic Aleviates cultural myopia Inexpensive to implement Limits career mobility Isolates headquarters from foreign subsidiaries Geocentric Global and translational Uses human resources efficiently Helps build strong cultre and informal management network Expensive
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Change of Character in Macbeth
Macbeth 's character is You are Grammy, it is Cado, and it should be your promise (1.5.15-16). In Shakespeare's classic tragedy Macbeth, Mrs Macbeth is a powerful, dismal incendress who originally planned to kill King Duncan. On the other hand, her husband trembled with conscience and was afraid of the result. However, by the end of the game, the character was flipped. Macbeth became a stupid character and his wife was jealous of sorrow and despair. Macbeth 's character change Macbeth is the protagonist of William Shakespeare' s play Macbeth. Macbeth has undergone a drastic change throughout the game. He changed from good to evil. Various things will lead to these changes. At first, Macbeth was a nice person. Everything changed when he met three witches. When Macbeth first saw a witch, they would say two things to start the evil traces of Macbeth. All Mourning, Macbeth. Your Story, Turn of Cain! - Conscious human of Macbeth and Macbeth Macbeth has a free will, this free will is what we do between good and evil . Right to choose In Shakespeare 's play' Macbeth ', Macbeth and his wife planned to kill King Duncan so that they could become Scotland rulers. We understand that having the ability to advise conscience leads to our responsibility. These responsibilities can appear as guilt and happiness. What's more interesting than this process is that Shakespeare shows us how Macbeth's personality has changed. Shakespeare used killing as a barometer to explain these changes. Macbeth 's Scotland and Norway fought before the script started. In this war, Macbeth is a hero praised in his courage and strength: but everything is too weak; despised wealth for brave Macbeth (he ought to get this name), he is It is the same as swinging steel smoking. Macbeth understood all her mistakes and its effects. He wants to end his life. Because he does not want to harm another person or his conscience further. When Macbeth was on the verge of losing power, the audience seemed miserable , reflecting what he was longing for, but never accepted fate. In order to evoke sympathy, Shakespeare revealed the inner goodness of Macbeth by providing a transition of honor.
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Architecture, Political Landscape and Urbanism on West Africa's Slave Research Paper
Architecture, Political Landscape and Urbanism on West Africa's Slave Coast - Research Paper Example This article identifies some landscape features at Savi and Elmina and postulates accompanying social and political significance of the same. According to Norman & Kelly, many landscape features in Africa have been wrongly interpreted as manifestations European military exploits. However, these landscape features represent the politics of those regions, and have nothing to do with military exploits of the west. The Savi region is the capital of the coastal Hueda Kingdom, in Benin. The state and the capital formed an important part of the Atlantic slave trade. Hueda Archaeological Project under the leadership of Kenneth Kelly, has, since 1991, discovered and mapped the form of a ditch-complex. Later on, the project has concentrated on the palace complex (Kelly, Brunache,& Norman 1999, p. 2). The archeological activities sought to elucidate the political order of the time. The town became desolate in 1772 after the conquest of the Dahomeans. Excavations in the Savi area have yielded lo cally made potteries and smoking pipes. The local pipes discovered were more than the imported. However, it is the ditch complex is the most interesting Saviââ¬â¢s archeology. The ditches are as deep as 8 meters and as wide as 30 meters. Archeologists believe that these ditches separated the residencies of the elites and the rest of the town. This has been proven by the discovery of ramp that provided access to the elite residence. There is also the evidence of a gate structure restricting entry to the area. Additionally, the presence of an elevated watchtower made strong the case of social interpretation of the functions of the ditches. Within the elitist areas, there is evidence of more barriers indicating restrictions to some areas within the elite residence itself. In the palace unearthing, there is evidence of divisions separating different sections of the palace. Furthermore, there is evidence to indicate the presence of storied structures prior to the Dahomean conquest. Ce ramics can be used as active objects domain for cultural configuration and transformation at numerous scales of quotidian lives. They can be used to explain some aspects of the cultural conversions that took place because of the engagement of West Africa in the Atlantic trade. Ceramics for the bulk of artifacts revealed at any excavation site. This is because of their resilience and pervasiveness, making them effective tools of deciphering identity. One useful category are the utilitarian ceramics, which archeologists use identify functional categories and internal group relations by observing the stylistic characteristics. Furthermore, landscape features were built by the interrelationship between political, social and religious institutions. The ditch systems in west African created physical barriers and societal boundaries. They created areas of safety and inclusion (Norman & Kelly 100). The ditch system served several purposes among them, to offer protection to the majority of t he settlements, and differentiate between the royal residence and other non-elite dwellings. The massive work required in the making of such complex ditch system also indicates the level of social organization present in those areas. It shows that the king had the power to summon hordes of people to attend to the duties of the kingdom. This also could have been because of the religious organization of the time. Furthermore, apart from being a show of power, it also alludes to the duties of the king in ordering defensive work. To marshal such an amount of work force, the king must have been entrusted with the duty to defend the kingdom. Another insight that results from the observation of the ditch complex is the regional political climate of
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Management of the Natural Resources by the Government of Botswana Dissertation
Management of the Natural Resources by the Government of Botswana - Dissertation Example This research will begin with the statement that despite initial success, that took place just when the post-colonial era started in African continent during the 1960ââ¬â¢s and 1970ââ¬â¢s, in the modern context, Africa is on an on economic downslope where poverty and hunger is persistently increasing in many of its States, with a universally accepted pessimism regarding its future economic prospects Various reports show that the general Sub-Saharan countries are turning poorer at a faster rate, than any low-income country worldwide. The average economic growth rate has been persistently in the negative from round 1965, with an average 35-times difference in the US and the African per-capita income level. However, amidst this depressing picture of low economic growth one African country has performed better than any other nation in the world, in the span of the last 35 years, which is Botswana. Botswana ââ¬Å"had a PPP-adjusted income per capita of $5,796 in 1998, almost four t imes the African average, and between 1965 and 1998, it grew at an annual rate of 7.7 percentâ⬠. In 2002, we find that Botswana ââ¬Å"exported some US$ 2 billion of diamonds, nickel, copper, gold, and other resourcesââ¬âover 80 percent of its total exportsâ⬠. The presence of diamonds had significantly backed Botswanaââ¬â¢s strong economic growth, until the late 1990s, after which the average growth rate has fallen slightly owing to the recent diversification of the economy, where we find Botswana is now not dependent purely on the revenues that are earned from its natural resources.It is a general belief that economies that are wholly dependent on natural resources, tend to have a slow economic growth, which is often referred to as the ââ¬Å"resource curse.â⬠Botswana, however, did not have a favorable start right after its independence and was considered a poor country with little chances of elevation in their economic conditions. It is here that diamonds ha ve played an important role and currently account for almost 40 % of the country's natural resource output. Even though we find that Botswana had in the past experienced strong growth owing to its rich natural resources, however such growth, as predicted by many economists, is not sustainable on a long-term basis. This is owing to the fact that the mining industry does not offer too many job opportunities. Figures show that in Botswana while the mining sector contributed almost 40 % to the total national GDP, it created only around 4 % employment opportunities. The present economic diversification has already started showing a negative impact on the national economy, and it is as Iimi framed it ââ¬Å"specific and intensified capital investment in the primary sector has restrained Botswana from benefiting from forward and backward linkages and labor market externalitiesâ⬠. Besides this factor, it has been contended by many experts that geographical location where a country is f ar from the sea, makes it difficult to create the strong economy that is based only on the abundant natural resources. Products from the natural resources are generally exported to other countries by the sea route, thus leading to very high shipping charges. A look at the African resource-rich countries will show us many of them are landlocked, including Botswana. Almost all experts universally acknowledge the fact that Botswana achieved this unprecedented economic growth and development by adopting effective management policies, and with a stable basic legal system that functioned reasonably well.ââ¬Å"
Monday, August 26, 2019
Reading Responses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1
Reading Responses - Essay Example Authors have successfully articulated the difference between the two and how gender has been manipulated to suit the interests of the powerful. ââ¬ËDoing Differenceââ¬â¢ by West and Fenstermaker is interesting in its concept and proposes that socially constructed differences in gender produce social inequity across society. It shows that race, class and gender are intrinsically linked and together are responsible for social inequity across gender. I do agree that in the absence of race and class, the need for gender differences would have remained non-competitive. The race promotes culturally diverse roles of genders and the class differences prompt gender inequity in order to dominate the other, resulting in subjugation of women across all strata of society. Pascoeââ¬â¢s article ââ¬Ëââ¬ËDude, Youââ¬â¢re a Fagââ¬â¢: Adolescent Masculinity and the Fag Discourseââ¬â¢ is highly relevant within the sociological conceptualization of gender inequity that focuses on the ââ¬Ëfagââ¬â¢ identity of adolescent boys. The article raises the issue of emergence of sexuality across gender, especially the relationship between homophobia and masculinity that tends to lower the impact of masculinity of boys. The penetrated boys or the ââ¬Ëfaggotsââ¬â¢ tend to lose their masculinity and become gay. Thus, the homophobia of losing heterosexual prowess that is strongly embedded within adolescent boys becomes an important epithet for harassment which may cause long term psychological problems for the boys in their adulthood. (words:
Thomas Paine on American Independence Assignment - 5
Thomas Paine on American Independence - Assignment Example Paine was known to be anti-monarchist for his views on England. Thomas Paine used deductive reasoning in his article as he influenced the American citizens to gain independence from the British. He explained that the British monarchies were ruthless and oppressive. He used simple and clear language to address his crowd. He chose the bible to support his arguments, a book familiar to most of his readers. He stated that heave could not be brought down by vice (Berg, 2013). Paine created a vision for the citizens of America, which was founded on principles that empowered its citizens. The arguments of Paine on American independence were deductive in nature. He used deductive reasoning in explaining to the citizens, why they need to have an independent government. In his argument, he explains that the forming an initial government is important. The first government will be a democratic government, and it will develop into a representative government as it progresses (Berg, 2013). Paine argues that monarchies are a major setback to the development of the society. It was one of the reasons he tried to persuade the ordinary American citizens to get independence from the British. The use of emphasis on his arguments and his conclusion indicate that his argument was deductive. He argues that how comes the King's powers cannot be questioned to determine if he is wrong. He further states that the individuals of North America need to be given power. Power was meant to be handed to ordinary individuals of the country. In his defense, he says, the British government would gain success with time before the Americans are granted their independence. The British military would be stronger with time and it would be harder to defeat them (Berg, 2013). The battle between British soldiers and militia in Massachusetts was the first revolutionary battle in America.Ã Ã
Sunday, August 25, 2019
Summary of Leviticus 25,26, Numbers 9, Deuteronomy 6 Assignment
Summary of Leviticus 25,26, Numbers 9, Deuteronomy 6 - Assignment Example This passage is important as it gives the significant celebrations that people ought to observe as commanded by God. The Sabbath year, for example, marks a year of rest as people should not sow or reap in that year, while the year of Jubilee depicts a time of liberty for the children of God. The Passover helps in reminding people that God saved them from the Egyptians, hence have a responsibility of obeying Him and loving Him as their only God. The passage shows that God loves His people, as he desires them to rest at various times, instead of working all the time. The Passover also depicts Godââ¬â¢s love for humankind as he saved them from slavery. More to these, the passage shows that man belongs to God, thus must submit to his commands. Consequently, obedience leads to prosperity and long life as depicted in Deuteronomy 6:2, while disregard for the laws causes immense suffering. The passage also highlights the importance of keeping the laws and passing them on to future generations, so that all people get to live in accordance with Godââ¬â¢s expectations. In addition, the passage relates righteousness to obeying the commands of God. Keeping all the commands equates to fearing God, and giving thanks to Him for delivering humanity from the bondage of the Egyptian oppressors. Conclusively, the passage seeks to highlight some of the important occasions we should observe in life as required by God. Prosperity follows those who obey, while the disobedient are punished for their actions.Ã
Saturday, August 24, 2019
Cooperative Learning Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Cooperative Learning - Research Proposal Example This may be due to the fact of clashing personalities and possession of strong ideas that may be hard to reconcile with others. In this regard, cooperation is hailed as a fundamental concern, not only of the educators but also in both local and global organization perspectives (Slavin, R. et al., 1985) The purpose of this paper is to present and exemplify some possible solutions that address to the emerging problem in the aspect of cooperation, as well as to cite possible ways in order to enhance the so-called cooperative learning among members of a team, group, an organization, or the stakeholders in general. "We are intelligent, but an intelligent human alone in the forest would not survive for long" (Slavin, 1985, p. 5). This quoted line from Robert E. Slavin (1985) exemplified the essence of cooperation with other individuals living in the society. In this manner, there must be a need to develop one's skills to cooperate and socialize with other human beings. Nevertheless, conflicts are also inevitable in due course of human group interaction. This may be due to the individual characteristics that could affect group interaction.
Friday, August 23, 2019
Describe a time when you experience a classroom as a community. How Essay
Describe a time when you experience a classroom as a community. How did the teacher create it How did it feel to belong to this - Essay Example The place was like a community to me as the bringing together of people with different backgrounds and ideologies was really worthwhile. The teacher ensured that the students in the classroom were able to interact with each other and probably learn more from the older group. This act by the teacher exposed the flaws of the education system where students are put in the same class with students of their peer group. The teacher created this community in such a way that the students were given the opportunity to acquire skills that would make them integrate easily into the society. The teacher made the students to have a deep sense of belonging as that act gave the students the opportunity to interact socially with other members of the academic community (Koch 28-31). It is true that schools shelter students from the opportunities of enlightening that exposure to wider social, ethnic and mixed age groupings might afford them as they would be restricted to the knowledge that is within th e school. The teacher made us aware in the classroom that the real lessons of life are not learnt within the walls of a school, but in the community or the society as the case may be. The teacher adequately prepared us for the challenges of a larger community and the society as a whole.
Thursday, August 22, 2019
Importance of nutrition during the Infancy and Toddler-hood period Essay Example for Free
Importance of nutrition during the Infancy and Toddler-hood period Essay Children are a blessing from God and it is therefore important that we ensure that those bundles of joy are well taken care of. Infants are generally taken to be children from birth to around one year, and it becomes therefore important to give them utmost care since they are at their most vulnerable stage in life. This care should not only be confined to attention and love but most importantly should be the focus of what and how best to feed the infant. Scientists have expressed their belief that what we feed our infants might have drastic consequences later in life. These consequences include such conditions as diabetes and obesity and the rampant rate of obesity in developed countries might just be a reflection of the inability of parents to feed their childrenââ¬â¢s appropriately (Fallows Kingham, 2005). Doctors have stated categorically that child4ren should be fed milk only during the first six months of their lives and it should be noted that faulting this wise counsel could risk the health of these infants in the future. Breast milk contains all the vital nutrients that an infant need in order to grow and appropriate vitamins to boost his/her immune system top fend off diseases. It is important to note that while it is advisable to feed the infant using breast milk, infants could also be fed with formula as a supplement of breast milk. There are many reasons why many mothers choose to use formula to feed their babies. Some simply find out that breastfeeding does not work for them either for psychological or practical reasons. The demands of life that leads to very busy lifestyles work against the need for mothers to be with their children full time and formula simply happens to be a better alternative. However, there are still those who express their breast milk in feeding bottles and the milk is fed to the infant by someone else who is available to care for the toddler (Ward, 2009). Infants usually need to feed eight to twelve times in a day since they are growing rapidly and the proteins inside the milk are a vital component for this growth. For those with infants who sleep a lot, it is advisable to wake them regularly in order to feed the since failure to do so might hamper their growth. It is also recommended that parents take their babies to the clinic to have them weighed and observed to ensure that they are growing in a healthy manner and acquire vital information about how best to take care of their babies. There are signs to observe during the sixth month to signify that the infant is ready to start being weaned. This include such period when the baby can sit up, baby does not reject the food put in its mouth, can pick up food stuffs and stuff it into the mouth and an increased appetite for milk. Babies should be weaned slowly with a meal per day and it is important to continue breast feeding at least till one year. Some of the food which one can feed and infant include cereals, soft fruits, rice and vegetables that can be crushed. However, around 10 months infants are ready to be introduced to adult foods but such a transition should be handled with utmost care. As the baby becomes a toddler a period which lasts from between 12 months to 24 months, his food needs increases. During this period the toddler starts to walk and he requires increased proteins for growth and energy foods to sustain his activities. At this period toddlers may change their eating habits due to changes in growth patterns. Moreover, toddlers become choosy when it comes to certain foods and it is nothing to do with illness. Again, parents needs top be careful about the food they feed the infants and toddlers since some of them might be allergic and impair the health of this babies. They should therefore make a point of seeking information diligently about how best to feed their children (Papalia, Wendkos Duskin, 2007). References Fallows,C. Karen Kingham, K. (2005). Baby Toddler Food. Murdoch books. Papalia, D. , Wendkos S. Duskin, R. (2007). A Childââ¬â¢s World: Infancy through Adolescence:11th Ed. McGraw-Hill Ward, E. (2009). What to Feed Your Baby and Toddler. Retrieved May 17, 2009 from http://children. webmd. com/guide/what-to-feed-your-baby-toddler.
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Greek Mythology and Atlantis Essay Example for Free
Greek Mythology and Atlantis Essay The myth of Atlantis started with only a few pages from a book written from the famous Greek philosopher Plato. He spoke of a island kingdom, situated just beyond the pillars of Hercules. It was a glorious city made up of a series of layered walls and cannels, and at the very top of the hill was a temple dedicated to Poseidon ââ¬Å"god of the sea.â⬠All the myths behind Atlantis were all based on old Greek legends, dating back as far as 350 B. C. Plato had written a minimum amount of information about this ââ¬Å"lost empireâ⬠, but enough to make people look farther into the subject. Platoââ¬â¢s theory was that Atlantis was a great island kingdom, full of wealth and bliss. It was a futuristic impression of a perfect society, controlled by the Greek gods. But the people of Atlantis became corrupt and greedy, so the gods decided to destroy them. A Volcano erupted off the shores of North Africa causing a monstrous wave, which found its way to this great empire. The wave destroyed the city causing the island to sink into the sea, never to be seen again. No other mystery on earth has sparked such an obsession. What happened to the legendary city of Atlantis? Or was it just that, a legend?à Over the years the story of this ancient city had has taken on a life of its own, transformed into countless fantasylands, hotel, even movies. Everyone was in the race to find Atlantis. Donyana national park. A massive ancient bay once existed in this large marsh in southern Spain, conveniently located just beyond the Pillars of Hercules. In the marsh strange circular patterns were found in satellite photos.à Comparing these photographs to the detailed description in Platoââ¬â¢s writing, Researchers were convinced it was there in the Donyana national park wear Platoââ¬â¢s Atlantis was. In Platoââ¬â¢s writing he describes a port city with three rings of connected harbors and gives exact dimensions for each ring. Researchers believed that the circular patterns seen in the satellite photos are a match to Platoââ¬â¢s description. And thereââ¬â¢s more, in Platoââ¬â¢s writing he speaks of a temple dedicate to the god Poseidon. He gives the exact dimensions the temple. In the satellite photos it shows a rectangle shape matching the exact dimensions given in the writing. Now many of you are probably are thinking, Atlantisâ⬠¦ its only a myth. But just a thousand miles east from Donyana, is a place the Turkish call Troya, for proof that myth can become reality. Troy is one of the most storied place in the acicent world. For years people thought that Troya was just a made up fantasy, only described in Hommers poem ââ¬Å"The Eliotâ⬠in this 3000-year-old story troy is the setting for the trogon war, and the legendary trogon horse. Like Atlantis troy was thought of as just a myth. But this proves that facts and myth can sometimes be one in the same. But how is it possible that in one night an entire city and all of its people can vanish? Think of if you woke up one morning and Hawaii just disappeared? It was like it never even existed. There are countless theoryââ¬â¢s to what really happened to Atlantis, some say it was pulled out to sea by Poseidon and now the entire city and its people are under the water. And some have more logical explanations. If Atlantis truly were to be discovered, myth would become reality. But the real question is does Atlantis even exist, or was it just a silly old tale a very old man made up?
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Independence Day Celebrations in India
Independence Day Celebrations in India Independence Day is celebrated on August 15 to commemorate its independence from the British rule and its birth as a sovereign nation on that day in 1947. The day is a national holiday in India. It is celebrated all over the country through flag-hoisting ceremony and distribution of sweets. The main celebration takes place in New Delhi, where the Prime Minister hoists the National Flag at the Red Fort and delivers a nationally televised speech from its ramparts. In his speech, he highlights the achievements of his government during the past year, raises important issues and gives a call for further development. The Prime Minister also pays his tribute to leaders of the freedom struggle. On 3 June 1947, Viscount Lord Louis Mountbatten, the last British Governor-General of India, announced the partitioning of the British Indian Empire into India and Pakistan, under the provisions of the Indian Independence Act 1947. At the stroke of midnight, on 15 August 1947, India became an independent nation. This was preceded by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehrus famous speech titled Tryst with destiny. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.. We end today a period of ill fortune, and India discovers herself again. Prime Minister Nehru and Deputy Prime Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel invited Lord Mountbatten to continue as Governor General of India. He was replaced in June 1948 by Chakravarti Rajagopalachari. Patel took on the responsibility of unifying 565 princely states, steering efforts by his ââ¬Å"iron fist in a velvet gloveâ⬠policies, exemplified by the use of military force to integrate Junagadh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Hyderabad state into India. JK became a part of India when Pakistan laid siege and the then king Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession with India to save JK from Pakistan. India responded on behalf of JK by sending in its armed forces to counteract the Pakistani attack. Later PM Nehru went to UN and a cease fire was declared. Pakistan has not withdrawn its military forces from the occupied Kashmir, and the territory termed as POK (Pakistan Occupied Kashmir) has ever since been a cause of contention between India and Pakistan. The Constituent Assembly completed the work of drafting the constitution on 26 November 1949; on 26 January 1950 the Republic of India was officially proclaimed. The Constituent Assembly elected Dr. Rajendra Prasad as the first President of India, taking over from Governor General Rajgopalachari. Subsequently, a free and sovereign India absorbed two other territories: Goa (liberated from Portuguese control in 1961) and Pondicherry (which the French ceded in 1954). In 1952, India held its first general elections, with a voter turnout exceeding 62%; in practice, this made India the worlds largest democratic country in the history of the modern and ancient world. Celebrations Prime Minister of India hoists the Indian flag on the ramparts of the this historial site, Red Fort, Delhi, On August 15th. 15th August is a National holiday of India. In the capital New Delhi most of the Government Offices are lit up. Flag hoisting ceremonies and cultural programs take place in all the state capitals. In the cities around the country the Flag Hoisting Ceremony is done by politicians belonging to that constituency. In various private organisations the Flag Hoisting Ceremony is carried out by a Senior officer of that organisation. Schools and colleges around the country organise flag hoisting ceremony and various cultural activities within their respective premises. Families and friends get together for lunch or dinner, or for an outing. Housing colonies, cultural centres, clubs and societies hold entertainment programmes and competitions, usually based on the freedom theme. Kite Flying Throughout varyng regions of India, there is a popular tradition of flying kites on the Independence Day. The sky is dotted with hundreds of colourful kites and people engage in kite-flying competitions. Children and adults alike, try to cut the others kite threads and make others kites fall to the ground while their own stays in the air. Balconies and roof-tops of houses are full of people flying kites and one can hear cheerful shouts of children in the evening as the kites soar in the sky.
Monday, August 19, 2019
Essay --
Gender roles have been a predominant factor in our world since the early emergence of human societies whether they are positive or negative. They are based on expectations that societies have over the people in them. The Epic of Sunjata, shows us how men and women are treated almost equally in different forms. Women are praised for their ability to birth leaders, which is similar to the early Greek Society. In most societies, women are treated less equal than men. This was prevalent in the early Indian society. No matter the gender role, it has been shown that any society cannot survive without both men and women. As we studied in class, early Indian culture and society in 300 C.E., the Hindu society was dominated by the caste system, which influenced almost every aspect of life. Each caste had its own particular dharma, carrying with rights, obligations and restrictions. Beyond this was a generalized dharma applicable to all: deference to the Brahmins, devotion to the gods, and reverence for the Ganges and for sacred cattle (Connections, Pg. 58). Procreation too, was considered a sacred duty: large families were seen as blessings from the gods, and any attempt to limit family size was frowned upon (Connections, Pg. 58). Since reproduction was essential to reincarnation, for most people marriage and parenthood were moral obligations. Naturally, to fulfill their dharma, people had to marry within their caste. Parents arranged proper unions for their children, sometimes at ages as young as eight or nine, before sexual attraction had a chance to complicate things. Indian society was patriarchal, centered on villages and extended families dominated by males (Connections, Pg. 4). The villages, in which most people lived, were admini... ...re treated poorly but they can overcome their circumstances so that they may still contribute to society in a powerful way. Although women in the epic Sunjata, Indian and Greek society are all seen as the subordinate gender, the women in the epic Sunjata are strong people by making the best out of situations. Some could say that women control the story. In the beginning, the hunters would not have killed the buffalo woman if not instructed to. Also, if Sogolon hadnââ¬â¢t pressured Sunjata to stand, he wouldnââ¬â¢t have walked his all his life. Throughout history, women have been mistreated as the weaker gender. It has been evident throughout the epic of Sunjata, the history of Greek society as well as Indian society. It is evident today with the social classes we have formed that there are predominant gender roles in our society; history as we know tends to repeat itself.
Primitive Mans Relationship with Fire and the Environment :: Environment Environmental Pollution Preservation
Primitive Man's Relationship with Fire and the Environment Common knowledge holds it that primitive man was a being barely more developed than the ape, existing without culture, innovation, or technological prowess. This belief focuses especially on homo erectus, an ancestor of man who lived from about 2 million to roughly 200,000 years ago. It is commonly believed that h. erectus was a creature existing in technological stasis, without the ability to advance his existence through innovation, and void of culture. This type of thinking could quickly be altered, though, if recent discoveries hold true. Recent evidence points to a distinct possibility that h. erectus may have been the first ancestor of man to harness the power of fire. Such a finding would greatly alter the current system of beliefs in regard to the evolution of man and the status of man's ancestors during the time of h. erectus. These findings would indicate that h. erectus did have some culture, and some innovative skill that allowed him to control his environment. The eviden ce supporting the taming of fire by h. erectus is not beyond reproach, though. In fact, it has come under heavy questioning. A desire for even stronger evidence could eventually dispel the notion that this primitive version of man could control fire, and allow for maintenance of the current belief that man did not truly evolve into a being with any type of culture until the existence of homo sapiens. Up until the year 2000, a great deal of evidence surrounding man's use and control of fire indicated that such technology probably did not appear until roughly 200,000 years ago. The implication that h. sapiens was the first in the line of mankind to control fire was supported by evidence found at a site in Zhoukoudian, China. While it had been believed for some time that Zhoukoudian was the first site of controlled fire, evidence found through more exhaustive research indicates otherwise. There are no hearths at the site in China. Nor are there any food remnants. Such evidence leads to the belief that the burnt bones found at the site are probably the result of a natural fire (Wuethrich). The lack of strong evidence supporting the site as one in which man's control of fire is displayed supported the belief that h. erectus lacked technological prowess and culture. The next best candidate for the site of man's first documented control of fire was a collapsed sea cave in Menez Dregan, France.
Sunday, August 18, 2019
The Effects of Industrialization on Norwayââ¬â¢s Economy, Environment and P
The Effects of Industrialization on Norwayââ¬â¢s Economy, Environment and Population Up until the beginning of the twentieth century, Norwegians were primarily fisherman and farmers. The fishing industry has been the basis of life and culture in Norway for hundreds of years. The fishing industry is still very important in Norway, however the discovery of oil in the North Sea has had a huge impact on the Norwegian economy and culture. Oil discoveries in the North Sea have made Norway a wealthy nation. Since the discovery of oil, Norway has become a highly industrialized country. Today, Norway has become very modern and technologically advanced. Industrialization is defined as, ââ¬Å" To develop industry in (a country or society, for example)â⬠. [30] The industry that is primarily being developed in Norway is oil. This industrialization has not only effected Norwayââ¬â¢s economy but also its population and environment. Industry has brought a lot of jobs to Norway and many Norwegians are moving to Norwayââ¬â¢s urban areas to be close to these jobs. More than 90,000 people work in the oil industry today. Around 20,000 are shift workers on the oil and gas platforms in the North and Norwegian Seas, Norwayââ¬â¢s two main oil and gas-producing areas.[29] Unemployment in Norway is at an all time low. Immigration to Norway has increased because of the many job opportunities that the oil industry has brought to Norway. In my paper I will talk about the many ways in which industrialization has impacted Norwayââ¬â¢s economy, population and environment. I think this is relevant to the class because it will entail discussions on immigration, economy, and population. Norwayââ¬â¢s population grew more rapidly during the 19th century than during any oth... ...l obal+%2Bwarming+%2Bnorway&oq=&url=http%3A//www.dieoff.org/page129.htm&ti =The+Carbon+Bomb%3A+Climate+Change+and+the+Fate+of+the+Northern+Boreal+F orests&top=1486 [23] Greenpeace .org http://www.greenpeace.org/~climate/ [24] UDI http://www.udi.no/zengelsk/3834/index.html [25] A Place in the World Edited by Doreen Massey and Pat Jess [26] Away.com http://away.com/frames/lp.tcl?type=history&lp_region_id=310&page_id=01&page_locat ion= [27] Conde Nast Traveler http://www.concierge.com/run/concierge/OverviewDetail?geo_uid=5142 [28] Contemporary Review Magazine, May 1997 http://www.britannica.com/bcom/magazine/article/0,5744,239651,00.html?query=epz%2 0manufacturing [29] ODIN http://odin.dep.no/odin/engelsk/norway/economy/032005-990443/index-dok000-b-n-a.html [30] Dictionary.com http://www.dictionary.com/cgi-bin/dict.pl?term=industrialization
Saturday, August 17, 2019
History of Mauritius
Mauritius was discovered by the Portuguese in 1507 and was later occupied by the Dutch, from 1598 up until 1710. In 1715, it came into the possession of the East India Company and in 1767, that of the King of France, who christened it ââ¬ËIle de France'. Captured by the British in 1810 and then acknowledged by the Treaty of Paris in 1814, the British allowed the French settlers to use their language and their civil code. Many of the settlers remained and made up a group of Franco-Mauritian important property owners and businessmen. The sugar cane cultivations first developed with the African and Malagasy slaves. Following the abolition of slavery in 1835, the important landowners turned their attention to an influx of indentured Indian labourers, a large number of whom settled on the island. The island remained a British colony until its independence on 12th March 1968, under the presidency of Dr Seewoosagur Ramgoolam. The Dutch period~ The Dutch first arrived on the island in 1516, but was unable to colonise it as the slaves that had been brought over from Africa ran away into the mountains upon their arrival. They were the first fugitive slaves in Mauritius. In 1641, the Dutch developed the slave trade, with slaves from Madagascar, in the hope of securing a return on their installation in Mauritius. In spite of this, only a few Malagasy slaves were brought to Mauritius during the Dutch occupation. In 1598, a Dutch squadron landed on the island under the orders of the Admiral Wybrand Van Warwick. It was then that the island was named Mauritius, after the Prince Mauritius Van Nassau of Holland. Instead of expanding the colony, the Dutch contented themselves with devastating the fauna (which led to the extinction of the dodo) and the flora that caused the extinction of ebony wood. However, they introduced sugar cane and imported Java deer. They left the island along with their slaves in 1710, following severe droughts and devastation caused by the cyclones. The French colonisation~ Abandoned by the Dutch, Mauritius became a French colony when, in 1715, Guillaume Dufresne d'Arsel landed on its shores and named it ââ¬Å"Ile de France. â⬠The first pioneers arrived in 1721, when the island was administered by the East India Company (1722 to 1767). This Company was founded by Louis XIV and Colbert to compete with the other European countries. In the hope of earning money, he was granted a trade monopoly cross the Indian Ocean for 50 years. About a hundred slaves from Senegal and Guinea arrived in Ile de France at the beginning of the colonisation period, notably between 1721 and1735. Following the request of Colbert, the kingdom's state adviser, slavery was legalized on the 28th August 1670 in France. In the West Indies, slavery quickly ensured the economic prosperity of its regions. The famous black code was proclaimed in March 1685, under the order of Louis XIV. It was aimed to develop and ease the slavery system and specified the duties of the masters and the slaves. However, the black code, established in all of the West Indies and in French Guinea, was seldom respected by the owners. In 1723, the Mascarene Islands adopted the famous black code and the letters of patent of Louis XIV in the form of an edict. They were recorded in the town of Saint-Paul in Ile Bourbon (Reunion Island) on the 18th September 1724, by the supreme adviser. As of 1725, this led to the arrival of thousands of slaves, mainly from Madagascar and East Africa, to cultivate the coffee and spice plantations. This labour seemed necessary in order to allow the East India Company to pursue the economic expansion of the Indian Ocean.
Friday, August 16, 2019
McDonaldââ¬â¢s vs Burger King: Which is Healthier Essay
The United States has the largest fast food industry in the world, and American fast food restaurants are in over 100 countries. That alone tells you that millions of consumers partake in fast food. By definition, fast food is food that can be prepared and served very quickly. A typical fast food meal in the United States includes a hamburger, French fries, and a soft drink. Out of all of the fast food restaurants in the United States, there are two companies that comes to mind that are the biggest chains in the country. Those two fast food chains are Burger King and McDonaldââ¬â¢s. These two companies own more than half of the fast food market in the U. S. With that said, in the past couple of years there has been concern over the obesity rate in the United States. People believe that fast food is a factor because of how easy it is to get it and the price range of it. Because of the perceptions of fast food, every one is looking to the biggest fast food chains to set the example and make their menus healthier. McDonaldââ¬â¢s and Burger King are the two fast food chains trying to convert their menu to provide healthier foods, each in their own way. Before looking at the menus of both fast food chains, one has to understand the history. What made them who they are today? How was it created? When did it go public? The first restaurant is McDonaldââ¬â¢s. In 1937, Patrick McDonald opened ââ¬Å"The Airdomeâ⬠, which was a food stand in Monrovia, California. Hamburgers were ten cents and all you can drink. In 1940, his two sons, Maurice and Richard, brought the food stand from their father and moved the entire operation 40 miles and changed the name to ââ¬Å"McDonaldââ¬â¢s Bar-B-Qâ⬠and served 25 barbecued items on their menu. In October 1948, the brothers realized that most of their profits came from selling hamburgers so they closed down the establishment. On December 12, 1948, the restaurantââ¬â¢s name was once again changed to ââ¬Å"McDonaldââ¬â¢sâ⬠and went to a menu of hamburgers, cheeseburgers, French fries, shakes, soft drinks, and apple pie. After 5 years of growing popularity and success the brothers decided to start franchising the restaurant. One year later, Ray Kroc, who sold Multi-mixer milkshakes machines, learned that one of the McDonaldââ¬â¢s restaurants were using eight of his machines and he decided to take a look for himself. After meeting with the McDonald brothers, Kroc thought that they could franchise the restaurants throughout the country. The brothers did not think the same way so Kroc decided to take it upon himself to do so. By 1959, Kroc had 102 successful restaurants in the United States and by 1961 Kroc brought the business rights from the McDonald brothers for about three million dollars. Like McDonaldââ¬â¢s, Burger King also has a long and rich history. It was founded in 1953 in Jacksonville, Florida as Insta-Burger King. Inspired by the McDonald brotherââ¬â¢s original store location in San Bernardino, California, the founders and owners, Keith J. Kramer and his wifeââ¬â¢s uncle Matthew Burns, began searching for a concept to open a new restaurant around. After purchasing the rights to two pieces of equipment called ââ¬Å"Instaâ⬠machines, the two opened their first stores around a cooking device known as the Insta-Broiler. The Insta-Broiler over proved to be so successful at cooking burgers; they required all of their franchises to carry the device. With their new success in the way they cooked burgers, the company had rapidly expanded throughout the state of Florida until its operations totaled more than 40 locations in 1955. By 1961, Insta-Burger King ran into financial difficulties and the pair of McLamore and Edgarton purchased the national rights to the chain. It was rechristened as Burger King of Miami. The company would eventually become the Burger King Corporation and began selling territorial franchise licenses to private owners across the United States by 1961. As I stated in the beginning of my essay, I wanted to compare the two menus between Burger King and McDonaldââ¬â¢s. Even though both restaurants are into selling hamburgers, how they are cooked and presented separate these two companies tremendously. For McDonaldââ¬â¢s, they have added other items to their menu since the original restaurants opened back in 1948. They added a breakfast menu back in 1972 in which they sold certain breakfast sandwiches such as the McMuffin, which came in certain amounts of variations. There are also types of biscuits and breakfast burritos. Additional breakfast items include hotcakes, several breakfast platters with eggs, hash browns, and meats or breads. As you know, for lunch, McDonaldââ¬â¢s serves many sandwich options such as the Quarter Pounder, the McDouble, which is the double cheeseburger, and chicken sandwiches, which they call a McChicken. The trademark sandwich for McDonaldââ¬â¢s is called a Big Mac. It was introduced nationwide in 1968. It consists of two 100 percent beef patties, American cheese, ââ¬Å"special sauceâ⬠, which is based off a Thousand Island dressing, iceberg lettuce, pickles, onions, and served in a three-part sesame seed bun. Other items on the menu consist of Chicken McNuggets, Chicken Selects, which is the McDonaldââ¬â¢s version of chicken strips, Filet-O-Fish, and a McRib, the McDonaldââ¬â¢s Rib Sandwich. Burger Kingââ¬â¢s menu predominantly consisted of hamburgers, French fries, soft drinks, milkshakes, and desserts. In 1978, the company introduced the first iteration of its breakfast menu. The breakfast menu remained almost identical to the McDonaldââ¬â¢s offerings until 1983 when Burger King introduced its Croissanââ¬â¢Wich, which comes in many variations like the McDonaldââ¬â¢s counterpart, McMuffin sandwich. For the lunch menu, there is little difference between the Burger King and McDonaldââ¬â¢s Menu. The counterpart of McDonaldââ¬â¢s Chicken McNuggets is called the BK Chicken Tenders, which made its debut in 1985. For Burger King, they have two trademark sandwiches. The first one is the counterpart of the McChicken, which Burger King calls the BK Original Chicken Sandwich. It made its debut in 1978. The other sandwich is called the Whopper. Introduced in 1957, it is one of the best known sandwiches in the fast food industry. The Whopper consists of a flame grilled quarter-pound beef patty, sesame seed bun, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup, and sliced onion. Now we get to the meat of the conversation. Both companies have been trying to add healthier choices to their menu for years now. For example, McDonaldââ¬â¢s had to battle its public image as a purveyor of fatty, unhealthy food. Consumers began filling lawsuits contending that years of eating at McDonaldââ¬â¢s had made them overweight. So in 2003, McDonaldââ¬â¢s introduced a low calorie menu of low-calorie items and they also switched to more healthful cooking oil for the French fries. Burger king is no different to the criticism of their food. Since the 1980s, several parties, including the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the British Heart Foundation and the City of New York argued that Burger King has contributed to obesity and unhealthy eating behaviors in Western nations by producing products that contain large amounts of salt, fat, trans-fat, and calories. With that said, it is common knowledge that neither McDonaldââ¬â¢s nor Burger King is the healthiest option if you are trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Letââ¬â¢s examine at the major items that both of these fast food chains provide and see which one is healthier. Starting with the French fries, a medium order from Burger King will make the customer consume 400 calories, 20 grams of fat, 43 grams of carbohydrates and 5 grams of protein. The same amount for McDonaldââ¬â¢s will provide 20 calories, 7 grams of fat, 19 grams of carbohydrates, and 3 grams of protein less than Burger Kingââ¬â¢s French fries. So apparently McDonaldââ¬â¢s wins in French Fries, for cheeseburgers, McDonaldââ¬â¢s are not only lower in calories versus Burger King at 300 to 360, but also in fat and carbohydrates as well. They are also significantly higher in protein. Now for the main event, the Big Mac versus the Whopper, both of these burgers are the most popular menu item for both of these respected fast food chains. Which one is healthier? The Big Mac contains 540 calories, 29 grams of fat, 45 grams of carbohydrates and 25 grams of protein. The Whopper, on the other hand, contains 670 calories, 39 grams of fat, 51 grams of carbohydrates, and 27 grams of protein. So in other words, the Big Mac is Healthier. After looking at the other items that Burger King and McDonaldââ¬â¢s provides head to head, Burger King has the edge in terms of its chicken products. Now the big question is who has the healthiest menu? To be honest, it depends on the menu item you choose to buy from either one of these food chains. If you want a good burger that will not do that much damage to your diet then McDonaldââ¬â¢s is the way to go. If you are looking to eat a Chicken Sandwich, it looks like the Burger King should change their name. In conclusion, when asking the question of which fast food chain is healthier it is safe to say that there is no clear-cut answer. Even through McDonaldââ¬â¢s, when looking at the nutritional stats of each item compared to Burger King, wins in the Burger section. We as consumers have to realize that ââ¬Å"fast foodâ⬠is not healthy in the first place. These two fast food chains have rich and interesting histories that contributed to how and what they sell to their customers. Each menu has been tweaked in order to fulfill the needs of the consumer over the years. Every consumer prefer to have their own method of buying items, so the best advice I can give is to do your own research beforehand. It is also important to show that you should limit the amount of fast food you eat on a regular basis in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Thursday, August 15, 2019
Theme of struggle
The Struggle Struggle is when you make forceful efforts to get free of a restraint. Usually something critical happens that causes you to struggle frequently. This critical thing can happen over time, or it can happen all of a sudden. Frequently struggling usually leads to depression, the same way that struggling can keep you depressed. Everything has to happen for a reason, and in this case struggling was the reasoning for depression. Since the beginning of his wanting to go to a very academic school, Craig studied crazily like.He studied so much that one of the times he went to his room to study ââ¬Å"[he] got comfortable with [his] room for the first time. â⬠Most depressed people like to stay in their room for a long time because they want to isolate themselves. Studying for three hours a day in his room, is one the things that allowed himself to isolate himself, even though it was not intentional. He, like many other depressed people felt safe somewhere, and for him, it wa s his room.When you cannot do anything about your struggle you tend to panic and/or stress which can dead to long term physical and/or mental pain. Most people who throw up are sick, but there are certain people who vomit because they are stressed and Craig is one of them. Within months of his new school, which is one of the hardest high schools there are, he had stress vomited. Craig stress vomiting is very significant in It's Kind of a Funny Story because it is when all his struggling begins. It usually shows that that person is not strong as to how they came off to be.Towards the beginning of the kook, Craig had everything together, which is usually other people's lives are as well, but as more goes on to their plate as they can chew, they vomit and it shows that they are struggling. This conveys that every person who has stress vomited because of all the things they had to handle, really believed they were that person, someone who could do everything with ease. Struggling someti mes makes you lose control, so it may seem like you are in control, but in reality you are Just pretending to be.Since Craig has trouble digesting is food he has to tell himself he is ââ¬Å"still in control of [his] mind and [he] has medication and [he] is going to make this happenâ⬠(37-38). If anyone is taking medication for something that they cannot control, like Craig eating abilities, it means that they are already no longer in control of their mind. Craig thinking that he is still in control conveys that he has found taking medication a normal thing, that it is no longer something that sets him apart from others.When you think of someone who takes medication to help them with depression along with other things, you hint their name and you think depression and medication along with them. It has become one with them. Craig became depressed because he was continuously struggling with simple things and harsh things that were a struggle. It can be predicted that over time Cr aig will come out of his depression when he gets out of his comfort zone, when he actually does something about one of his struggles. He will learn how to do that with all struggles and that will slowly end his depression.
Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Saudi Arabian Earrings
Saudi Arabia is known for having a rich culture. This is one of the countries where traditional costumes, jewelries and ornaments still matter. Women in Saudi Arabia use earrings as part of their customary beliefs and cultural practices. And as such, Saudi Arabiaââ¬â¢s market is being targeted for this purpose. Since earrings are used as ornaments in the Saudi Arabian culture, women are very sensitive and particular in choosing and buying the earrings that are appropriate for their culture. Aside from these, Saudi Arabian women spend a lot on jewelries and they are less particular of the price and quantity as long as the item satisfies their need for it. And since we are going to develop a product that aims to capture women's attention because of the use of timeless stones, worthy and affordable accessories, and creative and elegant designs, Saudi Arabia was chosen to be the target market of this product. Mass Marketing Since earrings are perceived as necessary products in Saudi Arabia, the item is subject to mass marketing. No particular group in the country will be targeted for the product, as such, this means that this product can be introduced to a larger market. Thus, as marketers we will make variety of designs for the customers. This product is expected to be patronized by females from different classes. We are going to produce earrings of different designs in order to capture the attention of women from upper and lower classes. Aside from women, men can also be a target market because they may purchase earrings as gifts to their female family members. Segmentation In developing a product, the common needs and wants of the market should be identified first (ââ¬Å"Market Segmentationâ⬠). This product was planned to be distributed to Saudi Arabia based on psychographic segmentation. Saudi Arabia was targeted for the product because they share the same values and lifestyle. Because of that, it will be easier for us to distribute and sell our product to this country. Multiple Segment We will develop different versions of the product offering for each segment. Since mass marketing will be applied, it is important that the product will have variety of designs. The upper class may buy the earrings with a larger stone but the customers who belong to lower class would refer to buy earrings with the most affordable price (ââ¬Å"Market Segmentationâ⬠). For Bedouin women, we will create earrings that will be suitable for their social and economical status while some designs will be intended for married women (Ross). Other earrings will be designed for some Saudi Arabian traditions such as dowry and gifts for special occasions. Positioning It is indeed true there are a lot of competitors in the market. The product to be endorsed is no longer new in the market because a lot of manufacturers have also developed this kind of product. Yet, in order to be ahead of the competition, we would create a unique selling proposition so that the customers will buy the product instead of the othersââ¬â¢. We will endorse this product not only as symbol of their culture and beliefs but also as a fashion trend. Our product has an elegant style which can be used in all occasions and events. Aside from that, the advertisement would highlight how the product was carefully designed especially for the women of Saudi Arabia. We created a lot of styles so that the customers can choose from variety of designs of the product. As such, in order to fully capture the interest of the target market and to entice them into patronizing our product, we must be able to identify our products with our selected target markets (Pezzullo 142). Target Concentrated. Although the mass marketing was applied and the product was created with different designs, the earrings will be distributed only in this country. We will concentrate on distributing and creating earrings for the target market only for the mere reason that the product was exclusively made for Saudi Arabian women. Through this strategy of specializing our product, the distribution and promotional tactics, our limited resources will be utilized in order to attain the highest level of benefits that can be gained from it (Pezzullo 142).
For or against the concept of fate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
For or against the concept of fate - Essay Example Fate is considered to be an event or a course of events which are bound to happen no matter what choice of action an individual makes (Strandberg). For example if a person is born in a poor family, it is his/her fate. There was absolutely no control of man over this event. On the other hand there is choice, which means that events that take place due to an individualââ¬â¢s choice of actions. There are several schools of thought which explain the influence of choice and fate in oneââ¬â¢s life. The first school of thought suggests that there is no such thing as fate which has an influence of human life. All events that take place in oneââ¬â¢s life and in the universe are governed by the actions of individuals themselves. If an individual takes correct decisions, he/she will have complete control over the results. If bad decisions are made, one cannot blame fate or coincidence for his/her failures. Psychologists have identified that people always tend to escape from their failures believing that they had no control over the events in their lives. Fate is seen as a physiological defense system which enables man to neutralize the pain of failure. (Is there something called destiny?) The second school of thought explains that not all the events in life are in control of human beings. There are various such instances where the situation might not be in the hands of an individual. The logic behind this theory is that as soon as an individual has taken a decision, he/she becomes bound to the laws of the nature (Is there something called destiny?). For example, if a couple wants to have a family or not, it is their choice, but if they do, then the baby will be a boy or a girl will be determined by the nature rather than the couple itself. Therefore, there are several alternate decisions that individuals might have, but once they have taken the decision, their
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
Does the 'family'still serve society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1
Does the 'family'still serve society - Essay Example In years past one thought of the traditional family as one where only one parent worked outside the home, and in that way their service to society was in the father providing solely for his family. As the composition of the family unit has changed since the 1950ââ¬â¢s, so have the ways in which families regard their contributions to society. In spite of the changes in families over the years, some things have not changed. No matter what the structure of the family unit, the same societal expectations exist as always. It is still expected that a family, traditional or non-traditional, will have someone within the structure who will take on the financial responsibility of providing for the family unit. The fact that 18% of children under the age of 18 are living in a household with only one parent doesnââ¬â¢t change the role of that family unit. Society, as a whole, has changed the way the family unit is conceived, and it is no longer seen as the two-parent, one-breadwinner famil y of the past. It is predicted that the trend of modern vs. traditional families will continue throughout the 21st Century. This switch does not mean that families will no longer be together to do family things or that there will no longer be a role model for the children, but rather simply that the structure of the family unit will not be the same as in the 1950ââ¬â¢s and earlier. The change in family structure means nothing more than the home may not be headed by the father of the children but may be headed by the mother, another relative, or in the case of a gay/lesbian relationship, one of the partners. Does this reduce the service they provide to society? Not by any means, it does no more that reallocate the distribution of that service from the traditional family breadwinner to another member of the family unit. In the case of a couple, married or not, who have ended the
Monday, August 12, 2019
Fashion Apparel Manufacturing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Fashion Apparel Manufacturing - Essay Example Marketing Strategies Coach always tries to offer something new to customers through carefully designed marketing strategy. The company has revamped their product line over the time in order to fulfill demand of various customers. Coach has great success because of the strength of its brand. The company specializes in selling ladies handbags, luggage, wallets, briefcases and leather accessories. Brands offered by Coach have three distinctive brand equities. These three factors can be classified as product innovation, excellent value offering and relevance. The company conducts market research about customer preference by conducting interview of 15,000 people every year and based on interview report they innovate products in accordance to customersââ¬â¢ lifestyle. Product line of the company maintains relevance with demand of the customers by changing fashion statement and trend in periodically. Coach offers value products by offering, inspirational, stylish leather goods to customers. Coach offers leat her goods to both men and women in the following manner. Women Reason Men Reason Handbags, wristlets, shoes, outerwear, jewelry, fragrance, sunglass and many more To attract women with colorful product line Wallet, accessories, belts, shoes, outerwear, tech accessories and many others To fulfill multidimensional fashion requirement of men (Source: ââ¬Å"Shopâ⬠) Target Customers The company mainly targets women in the age range of twenty to fifty five. Coach has significantly introduced new products in their offering in order to fulfill demand of women belong to various age group. Analyzing mailing list of the company helps the study understand demographics of target market in the following manner (Paxson 64). Professional women and women with white collar job. These women prefer to shop trendy and fashionable shoes, wardrobe items, apparels in order to enhance their professional image in front of external society. Women do not want to compromise with style, fashion statement i n order show their taste to external society. They believe by purchasing branded products of coach will not only enhance their social image but beautify them also. Research report shows that average age of women purchasing leather items from Coach is forty five with an average spending of $100 on each item. Promotions The company relies heavily on e-marketing in order to promote their product. The value proposition offered by the company has five distinctive pillars. Providing sufficient links in the website to attract customers and investors to access financial statements, stock information, report of new product launch etc. ââ¬Å"My Accountâ⬠feature is added in the website to engage customers with the company. The company updates their feature product line on website periodically in order to retain existing customers. The company conducts online market research on customer preference and based on the research report they decide marketing strategy. Coach has introduced â⬠Å"Coach by Requestâ⬠section for customers in order to offer them superior customer service. ââ¬Å"Coach by Requestâ⬠gives the opportunity for customers to order home delivery of tailor made items. Licensing Coach has recently signed license agreement with Luxottica Group for designing, manufacturing and distributing sun and prescription eyewear under the brand name of Coach Poppy, Reed Krakoff
Sunday, August 11, 2019
Consumption in Wall-E Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Consumption in Wall-E - Essay Example Consumption is often thought of in regard to food; the act of hoarding food to the point of becoming overweight. Though this holds true in Wall-E and plays an essential role in the story, consumption can also mean the obtaining of consumer goods. Similar to hoarding food, this definition of consumption means to hoard consumer items, such as electronics or other material possessions, until there is simply too much of these items. In Wall-E, consumption is seen in both of these ways. The humans displayed in the film are overweight due to food consumption and are in the position of not being able to live on Earth because of mass consumption of consumer goods while they were living on the planet. Wall-E uses the conditions of the people and the Earth to show the message of how serious consumption can be and how close we are to following some of the actions seen in the movie. The film opens up to reveal an empty, trash-filled Earth. Due to mass consumption, which essentially took over the Earth, the extensive litter left behind made the air toxic, therefore making the Earth uninhabitable to people. Until the Earth is cleaned and habitable once again, the humans live on a spaceship hovering above the Earth. Far from being concerned about the state of their home, the humans lounge happily away in chairs that take them to whatever part of the craft they want to go to. They have all of the food that they could want, making it easy for them to gorge themselves to an unhealthy weight. These people let consumption get the better of them, resulting in a decline in health and control over their lives. Instead of learning their lesson about what took place on Earth, they continued to consume now that they had a new place to do it. The people in Wall-E, as well as the condition of the Earth, reveal how important we allow products to be in our lives. People have been known to throw away all of their money just so that they can have the newest top-of-the-line cell phone. A month later, when a newer model comes out, that first model goes in the trash and the new one is bought. The cycle continues, gradually covering our world with garbage, which is all due to our need of having stuff. More products are being created and thrown out than we can keep up with. We begin to think less of ourselves, less of our surroundings, and more about the wonderful toys and gadgets that we can get our hands on. People would rather risk being unhealthy and living in a dirty world than giving up even a single material possession. We no longer allow ourselves and our world to define us; our products and our need to have as much stuff as possible is what defines who we are. The world may be polluted, but we do not mind that as long as we have our cell phones. We have become both masters and slaves to material possessions. We are masters in the sense that we create products to do what we want them to do, which usually includes having them be capable of completing a task that makes our lives easier and less busy. We control what these products can do. On the other hand, we have become so consumed by material possessions that we are also slaves to them. We have allowed them to take over our lives to the point where many of us are willing to admit to it, yet refuse to do anything about it. We may be slaves to them, but they seem to be doing us so much good. This is where it tends to get confusing; we believe these products are
Saturday, August 10, 2019
Communication between Air Traffic Controllers and Pilots Essay
Communication between Air Traffic Controllers and Pilots - Essay Example The essay "Communication between Air Traffic Controllers and Pilots" talks about the skill needed to properly fly an aircraft, much less to properly land it. What looks so simple from a passenger's point of view is in fact much more difficult than it looks. It would thus be worth examining exactly how air transport works. The most common conception pertaining to the airport is that it is the structure through which airplanes are able to convey travelers and goods to their destination, though it would be more accurate to ascribe such a term to the personnel involved. These individuals are the ones who are responsible for making sure that air travel is as smooth and as safe as possible through the implementation of a myriad of complex processes and directives. There are a number of factors essential to the efficient management of the airport, such as flight profile, airlines, handling agents, customs, security, catering, ground transportation, passageways, and runways. The first of the se generally refers to standard operating procedures adhered to during the operation of an aircraft, namely pre-flight, take off, departure, en route, descent, approach, and landing. Pre-flight refers to the part up till the plane taxiing on the runway, during which the pilot submits his flight plan to whoever is in charge. The signal for takeoff is given following the approval of the flight plan, with aircraft taking off one after the other. This is done in order to ensure that one plane is well off the ground. by the time the other is taxiing up the runway8. Following takeoff is the departure phase, wherein the pilot activates the aircraft's transponder in order to both receive incoming signals and broadcast its own, providing its controller with the relevant information9. The subsequent en route phase then has the aircraft subject to careful monitoring by the departure controller, while descent, as the name implies, is when the aircraft is beginning to descend and approach its de stination10. Finally, the landing phase has the airplane touching down before taxiing to the gate and coming to a complete stop. The airport is also affected by the airlines who operate there and are responsible for the conveyance of passengers and goods11. Handling agents also come into play, especially when it comes to the
Friday, August 9, 2019
Mountain Dew Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
Mountain Dew - Research Paper Example Second, the company's flagship advertising campaign, "Do the Dew," is now in its eighth year. In that period, competitors have had ample time to copy many of the once-distinctive elements of the marketing strategy and erode the freshness, as well as the impact, of the primary campaign and any pool-outs. This analysis will present these issues using a SWOT approach to focus on the significant issues of the case. Analysis. The managers responsible for marketing the Mountain Dew brand are in a difficult place; they are not dealing with a new product entry, but are responsible for maintaining the brand's place at the top. The brand's advantages include the very things that have made them successful so far, but they still face several challenges. Even though their brand health indicators remain strong, the brand is almost certain to lose market share without some proactive and effective changes. As shown in the SWOT analysis in Table 1, the brand enjoys some key strengths and good opportunities, but the Mountain Dew product is not without its weaknesses, and it is exposed to some potentially serious threats if management can't tune its position and get sales back on track. Table 1 Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Brand Recognition Image Saturation Re-engage primary market Non-Carbonated Products Corporate Resources Loss of Niche Branding Enhance Brand Health Advocacy Marketing Commitment -- Super Bowl Ads -- The market has a strong recognition of this brand, and the marketing efforts have been successful in making product perception match market trends. That success, however, is now creating difficulty as the market is trending away from the very image the brand has been building for the past eight years. Further, the competition has co-opted many elements of the image and the market is virtually saturated with alternative sports, music, and young faces. Additionally, the traditional cola market is eroding as it looses market share to non-carbonated, alternative beverages. The idea of having a "kick" which is derived from sugar and caffeine successfully played to the cool generation, but the counterculture demographic is more likely to see those compounds as unhealthy. Nevertheless, products like Red Bull show that there is still a strong market for such products. The corporate resources that a company like PepsiCo can bring to bear on the marketing are certainly a strength; but just bec ause a company can speak broadly doesn't free it from needing to have something significant to say. As the product begins to loose its distinctive niche branding to better-positioned offerings, management has the opportunity to recapture its core constituency and enhance the brand; but the new creative is going to have to move beyond skateboards and rock music. The marketing commitment shown by PepsiCo, particularly the prohibitively expensive Super Bowl ads, is both a key strength and opportunity. The message those strategies deliver, however, is the main thing. Alternatives. Management has three fundamental
Thursday, August 8, 2019
Theories of job design, the motivation to work and organizational Essay
Theories of job design, the motivation to work and organizational commitment - Essay Example Theories of Job Design have led a lot of organizations in the management of their personnel. The dominant perspective in the Job Design theory is the Job characteristics model offered by Hackman and Oldham (1976) which identifies five job characteristics that influence the motivation of the job-holder which has an effect on his or her job performance and well being. These characteristics are: skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy and feedback. In sum, the Job Characteristics Model identifies the three psychological states of employees affected by the job characteristics namely: knowledge of results, meaningfulness of work and personal feelings of responsibility for results. Increases in these psychological states result in increased motivation, performance and job satisfaction (Hackman and Oldham, 1976). The Job design theory has its applications in the workplace in various forms. One is job rotation, characterized by periodic shifting of a worker from one task to another. Being exposed to a variety of tasks leads to an increase in skill variety. One example is the practice implemented by Pepsi-Cola Company, and known as the best leadership-development program. The company regularly assessed future leaders with its standardized ââ¬Å"Pepsi Success Factorsâ⬠.
Organizational Culture Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words
Organizational Culture Analysis - Essay Example The essay "Organizational Culture Analysis" presents the analysis of the organizational culture as the defined whole set of values, personalities, norms, assumptions, behaviors, beliefs, ideas and tangible and intangible signs of the organization in its internal and external environments of business conduct. Such tangible and intangible artifacts include organizational goals such as mission and vision. Culture is a tool for the manager to inculcate a set of values, beliefs, and ideas in the employee whose vision is then transformed into that of the organizationââ¬â¢s vision. According to Edgar Schein organizational culture is ââ¬Å"A pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, that has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way you perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems". Schein has provided one of the most thought-provoking definitions to organizational culture and goes on to claim that of all the attributes of the organization, culture is perhaps the most difficult to transform. He identifies three attributes in the organization culture. Next Geert Hofstede identified five dimensions as the basis for organizational culture. Hofstede actually preceded Schein the latter theoryââ¬â¢s importance is much greater. It has been given the preference in this paper. A number of other scholars produced their theories on organizational culture too.
Wednesday, August 7, 2019
The evolution of human intelligence Essay Example for Free
The evolution of human intelligence Essay The evolution of human intelligence refers to a set of theories that attempt to explain how human intelligence has evolved. These theories are closely tied to the evolution of the human brain and to the emergence of human language. The timeline of human evolution spans approximately 7 million years,[citation needed] from the separation of the Pan genus until the emergence of behavioral modernity by 50,000 years ago. The first 3 million years of this timeline concern Sahelanthropus, the following 2 million concern Australopithecus and the final 2 million span the history of actual human species (the Paleolithic). Many traits of human intelligence, such as empathy, theory of mind, mourning, ritual, and the use of symbols and tools, are already apparent in great apes although in lesser sophistication than in humans. The great apes show considerable abilities for cognition and empathy. Chimpanzees make tools and use them to acquire foods and for social displays; they have sophisticated hunting strategies requiring cooperation, influence and rank; they are status conscious, manipulative and capable of deception; they can learn to use symbols and understand aspects of human language including some relational syntax, concepts of number and numerical sequence.In one study, young chimpanzees outperformed human college students in tasks requiring remembering numbers. This claim was refuted in a later study after it was noted that the chimpanzees had received extensive practice with the task while the students were evaluated on their first attempt. When human subjects were given time to practice, they substantially outperformed the young chimps. Chimpanzees are capable of empathy, having been observed to feed turtles in the wild, and show curiosity in wildlife (such as pythons)[citation needed].Homininae Around 10 million years ago, the Earths climate entered a cooler and drier phase, which led eventually to the ice ages beginning some 2.6 million years ago. One consequence of this was that the north African tropical forest began to retreat, being replaced first by open grasslands and eventually by desert (the modern Sahara). As their environment changed from continuous forest to patches of forest separated by expanses of grassland, some primates adapted to a partly or fully ground-dwelling life. Here they were exposed to predators, such as the big cats, from whom they had previously been safe. These environmental pressures caused selection to favor bipedalism: walking on hind legs. This gave the Homininaes eyes greater elevation, the ability to see approaching danger further off, and a more efficient means of locomotion (see main article for details).[citation needed] It also freed the forelimbs (arms) from the task of walking and made the hands available for tasks such as gathering food. At some point the bipedal primates developed handedness, giving them the ability to pick up sticks, bones and stones and use them as weapons, or as tools for tasks such as killing smaller animals, cracking nuts, or cutting up carcasses. In other words, these primates developed the use of primitive technology. Bipedal tool-using primates form the Hominina subtribe, of which the earliest species, such as Sahelanthropus tchadensis, date to about 7 to 5 million years ago. From about 5 million years ago, the Hominin brain began to develop rapidly in both size and differentiation of function. It has been shown that Great Ape cooperation and communication is severely impeded by their competitiveness, and thus that the apes would revolutionize their culture-bearing ability if they could just shrug off their competitiveness. It is also well known that even early hominins lacked the size and sharpness of their canine teeth that apes use as a threat signal, suggesting prehumans simply had no use for threat signals. That means they had already transcended ape competitiveness and thus developed superior cooperation and communication. There has been a gradual increase in brain volume as humans progressed along the timeline of evolution (see Homininae), starting from about 600 cm3 in Homo habilis up to 1500 cm3 in Homo sapiens neanderthalensis. Thus, in general theres a correlation between brain volume and intelligence. However, modern Homo sapiens have a brain volume slightly smaller (1250 cm3) than neanderthals, and the Flores hominids (Homo floresiensis), nicknamed hobbits, had a cranial capacity of about 380 cm3 (considered small for a chimpanzee) about a third of that of H. erectus. It is proposed that they evolved from H. erectus as a case of insular dwarfism. With their three times smaller brain the Flores hominids apparently used fire and made tools as sophisticated as those of their ancestor H.erectus. In this case, it seems that for intelligence, the structure of the brain is more important than its volume. The social brain hypothesis was proposed by British anthropologist Robin Dunbar, who argues that human intelligence did not evolve primarily as a means to solve ecological problems, but rather intelligence evolved as a means of surviving and reproducing in large and complex social groups. Some of the behaviors associated with living in large groups include reciprocal altruism, deception and coalition formation. These group dynamics relate to Theory of Mind or the ability to understand the thoughts and emotions of others, though Dunbar himself admits in the same book that it is not the flocking itself that causes intelligence to evolve (as shown by ruminants). Dunbar argues that when the size of a social group increases, the number of different relationships in the group may increase by orders of magnitude. Chimpanzees live in groups of about 50 individuals whereas humans typically have a social circle of about 150 people, which is now referred to as Dunbars number. According to the social brain hypothesis, when hominids started living in large groups, selection favored greater intelligence. As evidence, Dunbar cites a relationship between neocortex size and group size of various mammals. However, meerkats have far more social relationships than their small brain capacity would suggest. Another hypothesis is that it is actually intelligence that causes social relationships to become more complex, because intelligent individuals are more difficult to learn to know. There are also studies that show that Dunbars number is not the upper limit of the number of social relationships in humans either
Tuesday, August 6, 2019
The Knee Joint Paper Essay Example for Free
The Knee Joint Paper Essay Of the joints in the human body, the knee joint is the most susceptible to injuries. Because this joint carries much of the body weight, and beside the fact that it was designed to do much of the human activities, the knee joint accounts for the most common joint injuries. Its two primary motions are flexion and extension, and a little rotational and lateral motion. ââ¬Å"It is also because of this design that the knee is so vulnerable to injury.â⬠(M. Mullin and K. Stone) à The knee has basically five major parts: the bones, the muscles, ligaments, cartilage and tendons. It is the function of the bones to support the knee and give the joint a rigid structure. There are four bones that make up the knee: first, the femur, which is also referred to as the thighbone or the upper leg bone. (University of Utah, Heath Sciences Center, 2003) This large bone is attached by the ligaments and a capsule to another bone the tibia. Tibia is the larger bone of the knee which is called the shin bone. Parallel to the tibia is another bone called the fibula located below the tibia. The knee cap or the patella is another bone that consists the knee which ââ¬Å"rides on the joint as the knee bends.â⬠(Center for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, 1999) à à à à à à à à à à à It is the function of the muscles to move the joint. The knee joint consists of two kinds of muscles: the quadriceps and the hamstrings. The quadriceps muscles straighten the legs, and are situated at the front of the thighs. The hamstring muscles, which are located at the back of the thighs, are the ones bending the legs at the knee. All groups of muscles are connected to the knee bones by ââ¬Å"thick fibrous cordsâ⬠called the tendons. (Mayo Clinic, 2006) Patellar tendons connect the quadriceps muscles to the tibia, which are the ones prone to knee joint problems called, ââ¬Å"tendonitisâ⬠. à à à à à à à à à à à The bones of the knee are connected by ligaments, which functions are basically to stabilize and hold the joint together. These elastic tissues also provide protection to the joint by limiting the backward and forward movement of the knee. At the center of the joint are the cruciate ligaments called the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL), which is attached to the depression in front of the tibia and ââ¬Å"passes upward, backward and lateral ward and fixed into the medial and back part of the lateral condoyle of the femur.â⬠(H. Gray, 1918) It is considered the key guide wire in the knee joint and is crucial for guiding the tibia in a normal path along the end of the femur. (Mullin and Stone) The Posterior Cruciate ligaments (PCL) protect the joint by preventing the femur from sliding forward on the tibia, and the tibia from sliding backwards n the femur. The media Collateral ligament (MCL) provides protection to the inner part of the knee and the lateral Collateral ligament (CLC) on the outer part. The C-shaped tissue called the meniscus or the menisci cartilage allows the bones to freely slide on each other. They serve as shock absorbers and bone protector. Around the knee joint are little fluid sacs called bursa. These sacs ââ¬Å"help the muscles and the tendons to freely slide as the knee moves.â⬠(Center for Orthopaedics) There are five medial bursas and four lateral bursas. à à à à à à à à à à à The knee is prone to injuries and especially those who are engaged in activities that enable the knee to be overused. These people, most often athletes experience different kinds of pain in the knee joint as a result of injury, stress and wear of the joint. Common to athletes are the ligament injuries called sprain or the injury to the cruciate ligaments. This injury happens when the ââ¬Å"ACL is stretch or torn by sudden twisting motionâ⬠, as when the feet are planted one way and the knees are turned another. (Healthlink 2005) à Football players often experience a PCL injury during a football tackle. Contact sports like hockey and football cause injury to the MCL and the CCL, where the said ligament is torn and stretch at the inner side of the knee due to a sudden blow to the outer side of the knee called a contact trauma. à à à à à à à à à à à Tendonitis or the jumperââ¬â¢s knee is caused by an overuse of the tendon. As the term implies, this injury is experienced by athletes who are engaged in sports like basketball, which require jumping and running causing a strain in the tendon. Dancers, cyclists, skiers and runners are as victims of this injury. With these activities, the tendon is stretched to the pint that it becomes like a worn-out rubber band and when this happens, it will swell. Muscle contraction happens after a jump or fall, and that repeated force causes strain to the tendons. What is worse is that such contraction, as when trying to break a fall, may tear the quadriceps muscles above and below the patella. Tendonitis causes a person to feel pain during running and jumping or even when in a hurried walking. Bending, extending and lifting the leg will also be difficult. à à à à à à à à à à à A pain arising between the patella and the femur is called Chondromalacia, which is characterized by the softening of the articular cartilage of the knee cap. (Mayo Clinic) With this injury, the knee cap rubs against the thigh bone which makes the cartilage rough. As a result, the person will feel pain in front of the knee when climbing the stairs or when sitting for a long period. This injury is common to skiers, soccer players and cyclists who, among other athletes are prone to having a blow in the knee cap resulting to a tear of the cartilage. Such contacts can also tear off a large fragment of the cartilage containing a piece of bone. à à à à à à à à à à à Injury to the meniscus typically results from ââ¬Å"a twist or torque to the knee while the foot stays still.â⬠(Mullin and Stone) A tear in the meniscus may cause the joint to lock especially when there is a flap of the torn cartilage. When there is only a small tear, mild pain and moderate swelling of the knee lasts up to 48 hours; however large lengthwise tear causes the joint to lock making hard for the person to straighten the knee. à à à à à à à à à à à Distance runners are prone to Illiotibial Band Syndrome which happens when the ligament in the illiotibial band becomes tight enabling it to rub against the outer portion of the femur. Pains caused by this injury are felt when waking and when going up and down the stairs. Also associated with running activities is the Osgood-Schatter Disease, where an inflammation of the patellar tendon is involved. à This injury happens when the tendon is stretch too much causing it to tear away from the tibia and in some cases takes a bone fragment. A pain just below the knee is experienced with this injury, and is however treated just with a rest. à à à à à à à à à à à Having the fact that the knee joint is susceptible to many injuries, experts advice that a person must always maintain strong and flexible muscles. The cartilage and ligaments must always be kept smooth and strong. Good diet and proper exercise are always on the list of preventive measures. Lastly, let us remember that anything that goes below and beyond normal causes problems, not only to the knee, but the body as a whole WORKS CITED à Gray, Henry 1918. ââ¬Å"Anatomy of the Human Bodyâ⬠Retrieved on February 22, 2007 from http://www.bartleby.com/107/93.htm Mullin, Michael and Kevin Stone. ââ¬Å"Athletic Injuries of the Knee and Shoulderâ⬠Retrieved on February 22, 2007 from http://www.stoneclinic.com/injuries.htm The Center for orthopeadics and Sports Medicine. ââ¬Å"Knee Joint-Anatomy and Functionâ⬠Retrieved on February 22, 2007 from http://www.arthroscopy.com/sp05001.htm The Mayo Clinic Staff. ââ¬Å"Knee Painâ⬠Retrieved on February 22, 2007 from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/knee-pain/DS00555/DSECTIoN2 The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. ââ¬Å"Knee Injuries and Problems: Symptoms Diagnosis and Treatmentâ⬠May 01, 2001. Retrieved on February 22, 2007 from http://healthlink.mew.edu/article/92605352.html University of Utah Health Sciences Center ââ¬Å"Knee Pains and Problemsâ⬠November 2001. Retrieved on February 22, 2007 from http://uuhsc.utah.edu/healthinfo/adult/orthpaedics/kneepain.htm
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