Advantages of Using Trans-Saharan and Indian Ocean Trade essays

Advantages of Using Trans-Saharan and Indian Ocean Trade essays Traveling merchants were a major vehicle for creating vast interregional networks and trade routes in the great overland oceanic networks increased in importance (Interregional Pp). Transportation was an important factor, whether meaning better ships and navigation, or the increasingly widespread use of the camel as a ship of the desert (Tropical Pp). Before the 1st millennium CE, the Sahara was an almost impassable barrier separating the North African coast from sub-Saharan Africa (Tropical Pp). And the Atlantic Ocean not a highway for travel, but a barrier (Tropical Pp). The only route connecting the two areas was the Nile, however, in its southern reaches travel was made difficult by both rapids and surrounding jungle (Tropical Pp). The monsoon winds were the propulsion for ships, the driving force for navigation in the Indian Ocean, blowing ships northeast in summer, and then back southwest in winter (Tropical Pp). Indian Ocean trade first increased under local groups from southern Arabia, India, and Southeast Asia, then outside groups, such as the Chinese became involved and a network establishing a link between East African commercial city-states and the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia (Interregional Pp). By the 16th century, the Portuguese dominated this system and linked it directly, rather than through Mediterranean intermediaries, with Europe (Interregional Pp). Although products, such as spices from Southeast Asia and other expensive goods, continued to be exchanged, bulk good such as sugar and textiles were increasingly involved (Interregional Pp). With the introduction of the camel, the Sahara was no longer a barrier and people and trade good as well as warriors, could travel quickly across the desert (Tropical Pp). This transformed life in the West African grasslands because camel caravans that crossed the Sahara came primarily to ...

Gender Issues in Pakistan Essays

Gender Issues in Pakistan Essays Gender Issues in Pakistan Essay Gender Issues in Pakistan Essay Gender inequality in Pakistan October 20th, 2010 Pakistan’s founding father, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, proclaimed in a speech given at a meeting of the Muslim University Union, in Aligarh, on March 10, 1944, the following: â€Å"No nation can rise to the height of glory unless your women are side by side with you; we are victims of evil customs. It is a crime against humanity that our women are shut up within the four walls of the houses as prisoners. There is no sanction anywhere for the deplorable condition in which our women have to live. †1 Six decades have gone by since the independence of The Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and despite the Quid-e-Azam’s words of empowerment and the initial achievements made towards diminishing gender inequalities, true equality -social, political and legal- between gender remains a mere dream for the majority of Pakistani Women. The road towards emancipation has proven to be long and hard for this developing nation. The progressive efforts advanced by both the Muslim Family Ordinance of 1961 and the later Constitution of 1973 (which were respectively meant to ensure women’s rights in divorce, inheritance, and polygamy, and prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex), were curtailed by the installation of the Ziad Regime in 1979 and the subsequent passing of the Shariat Bill. Many activists argued that this law â€Å"would undermine the principles of justice, democracy, and fundamental rights of citizens, and†¦would become identified solely with the conservative interpretation supported by Zia’s government. 2 An example of the degradation of women’s status during this period is found in the 1979 Enforcement of Hudood Ordinances, which failed to discriminate between adultery (zina) and rape (zina-bil-jabr). â€Å"A man could be convicted of zina only if he were actually observed committing the crime by other men, but a woman could be convicted simply because she beca me pregnant. †3 As many scholars have acknowledged, the discrimination faced by Pakistani women has no sanction in the Islamic scriptures, but rather is embedded in this historically patriarchal society’s customs, values and norms, and in the conservative reading of the Holy Quran. 1 US Library of Congress report Pakistan A Country Study. Retrieved from http://memory. loc. gov/frd/cs/pktoc. html 2 The Status of Women and the Womens Movement. U. S. Library of Congress. Retrieved from countrydata. com/cgi-bin/query/r-9804. html 3 The Status of Women and the Womens Movement. U. S. Library of Congress. Retrieved from countrydata. com/cgi-bin/query/r-9804. html 4 Rashid, J. Womens Struggle in Pakistan. Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 22, No. 49 (Dec. 5, 1987), pp. 2112-2114. : Retrieved from jstor. org/stable/4377822 1 Gender inequalities in Pakistan vary greatly between the different provinces, the rural and urban settings, and the different social classes of the country. The key determinant of these inequalities rests on the perception that it is the man’s responsibility to provide for the woman, who is considered inferior and subordinate to him. On the other hand, the woman’s role, as if prescribed by nature, is limited to domestic duties; and she carries the family’s honor and respect (izzat). In order to reduce the probability of honor violation and to ensure the status quo remains untouched, Pakistani society has segregated the sexes by veiling and secluding women from nonrelated men (purdah); and has placed restrictions on women’s mobility, behavior and activities. 5 In 2002, in rural Pakistan â€Å"ninety-six percent of females aged 15-24 needed permission to travel to a nearby health outlet†, a village or a relatives’ home. The obstacles that these traditional perspectives and practices present to women as they continue to limit their opportunities to access health services, decent salaries and work conditions (if any at all), and education, has translated into high gender inequality, predominantly amongst the Pakistani urban and rural poor. The disparity between women and men’s labor force participation, literacy, and school attendance rates is reflective of this situation. In 1981 only 5. 6 percent of all women were employed. Although the policies romoting economic growth, and the high inflation experienced by the country in the past decades has increased the number of working women, it still remained very low at around 15 percent in 2003 (compared to male participation of over 80%). 7 Most women working in the rural areas and in the industrial centers bare the double burden of housework and outside work, and they experience discrimination â€Å"arising either from job segregation or unequal pay for equal work or less investment in training by employers or lack of support services for working mothers. 8 More often, the women remain at home and sell manufactured goods to a middleman for very low and disproportionate compensation. Women have also fewer education opportunities than men. In 2005 the literacy 5 The Status of Women and the Womens Movement. U. S. Library of Congress. Retrieved from countrydata. com/cgi-bin/query/r-9804. html 6 Coleman, I. G ender Disparities, Economic Growth and Islamization in Pakistan. Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington, D. C, 2004. Retrieved from cfr. org/publication/7217/gender_disparities_economic_growth_and_islamization_in_pakis tan. html 7 Women Empowerment and Youth Perception in Pakistan. European Journal of Scientific Research Vol. 39 No. 1 (2010), pp. 7589. Retrieved from eurojournals. com/ejsr_39_1_07. pdf 8 Ghaus-Pasha, A. GENDER INEQUALITY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: A CASE STUDY OF PAKISTAN. (1999). Social Policy and Development Center, Karachi. Retrieved from spdc. org. pk/pubs/rr/rr24. pdf 2 ates for women were 36 percent, while for men were 63 percent! 9 In 1997, out of 172 professional colleges, only 10 existed for women; and the school attendance rates remained lower for girls (27%) than for boys (73%). 10 Diverse groups including the Womens Action Forum, the All-Pakistan Womens Association, the Pakistan Women Lawyers Association, and the Business and Professional Womens Association, have been supporting projects throughout the country that focus on empowering women since independence. The government’s commitment to reducing gender inequalities (rising the age of marriage, passing the Protection of Women Bill in 2006, extending micro credit to women, increasing the number of government seats held by women, etc); has not yield the necessary results because of the problems with implementing policies in the country, and the resistance put forward by traditional and extremist beliefs. World Factbook. Retrieved from https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/pk.html Coleman, I. Gender Disparities, Economic Growth and Islamization in Pakistan. Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington, D. C, 2004. Retrieved from 10 cfr. org/publication/7217/gender_disparities_economic_growth_and_islamization_in_pakis tan. html   Hasan, R. The Role of Woman as Agents of Change and Development in Pakistan. Human Rights Quarterly, Vol. 3, No. 3 (Aug. , 1981), pp. 68-75. Retrieved from jstor. org/stable/761896? origin=JSTOR-pdf 3

Debates on Media Effects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Debates on Media Effects - Essay Example With reference to a specific case study, mostly on the use of videogames and its impact on children’s behaviour, an assessment on media effect and influence will be carried out by this essay. Body of the paper The media have various effects on society. In the past 60 years or so, a significant amount of research has been undertaken in order to assess the relationship between the media and the audience in terms of the latter’s behaviour. Much hysteria and concern have been seen among the general population throughout the years have been exhibited based on something they may have watched on television or film (Buckingham, 2003). In 1938, a radio adaptation by Orson Welles of H.G Wells’ science fiction book ‘War of the Worlds’ certainly caused hysteria among the people who believed they were actually being invaded by Martians (Gunter & Harrison, 2013). In the 1950s, American caricatures and comic books have also brought life to violence (Buckingham, 200 3). Psychologists have expressed concerns on the addictive impact of TV on passive children; however, other experts have also noted better cognitive development for children exposed to television (Andison, 1977). The effect of the media is therefore difficult to estimate because it is a resource which has to be understood within the context of the larger society. In other words, it is important to expand â€Å"the media effects tradition to include consideration of normative expectations, institutional performance, constraints and conventions of the media...† (Campbell & Ling, 2009, p. 592). Leading into the 1930s, the media impact has been acknowledged as significant. A so-called hypodermic effect was claimed; however such claim was not founded on scientific processes, but mostly on speculative perceptions (Buckingham, 2003). Researchers further assessed the impact of film on viewers and reached the conclusion that these films prompted children to behave in delinquent manner s; however, the data gathering process in the surveys covered the laboratory process of investigating, with subjects taken out of the social context and evaluated as individuals (Cumberbatch, 1989). In the post-World War II period, a significant shift was seen in the study by Lazarsfeld, Berelson, & Gaudet (1944) establishing that Americans voting in an election utilised the radio as well as newspapers to make their decisions on candidates to vote for. In effect, the media helped reinforce their opinions and decisions. After various studies were carried out assessing media effects, newer approaches were carried out by Blumler and Katz (1974) through their study entitled, The Uses of Mass Communication in 1974. Their study expressed that viewers often have specific needs while watching television (Blumler & Katz, 1974). Sociologists have also discovered that audiences are active viewers, they analyse what they watch and break down the media through conventions, often assessing them i n terms of their social context (Morley, 1995). Still, even with the studies made on the effects, it is still difficult to determine the impact of numerous media text. Viewers of War of the Worlds were actually already very much affected and anxious about the threat of war in most parts of the world (Sherry, 2004). Moreover, the copycat killings following the release of the film Natural Born Killers in 1994 were actually carried out by

Idealism, Realism, Marxism and Neo-Realism Theories Essay

Idealism, Realism, Marxism and Neo-Realism Theories - Essay Example This essay discusses that neo-realism suggests that the type of the political system for individual nations can have a profound effect on the international political system. The political system for each nation promotes international politics when it obeys and embraces legitimacy and transparency of foreign policies. It is a potential source of disturbance to international politics, especially where interest groups and public arise to defer the central decision makers such as the United States. International institutions must be used to increase the prospects of international politics thriving. Dominant nations such as the United States use international institutions to initial coalition. The values and interests of the dominant states are reflected through international institutions. They tend to reduce the power of the superpowers. However, weaker nations will always try to go against the grain to remain free rules of international institutions. For example, nations question U.S la ck of participation in International Criminal Court. The concentration of power within one nation is addressed through morality. Morality fosters peaceful coexistence between nations and becomes a tool for international cooperation in politics. In the event of war, human rights must be protected in the world today unlike in the past where countries such as Russia sacrificed human rights to pursue powers. Realism theory affirms to the fact that nations must understand how international systems work before coming together to practice politics (Kaplan).

Both obsessive-compulsive disorder and post traumatic stress disorder Essay

Both obsessive-compulsive disorder and post traumatic stress disorder are linked under the umbrella of anxiety disorders. What a - Essay Example OCD is characterized by repetitive obsessions with a particular kind of phenomenon. One of the aspects of this disorder is through the use of rituals. For example, someone who is OCD about bacteria might was their hands an obsessive amount of times in order to make sure they have gotten rid of the bacteria. It is the fourth most commonly diagnosed psychological disorder. There is strong evidence to support that this condition not only has environmental and behavioral triggers, but also that there is a biological component involved in the neurochemistry of behavior. The most common forms of treatment for this disorder is through the use of behavioral therapy in which a therapist tries to make the ritualistic behavior, obsessions and compulsions extinct through classical and operant conditioning. Also, in some cases psychopharmacology is used in order to help supplement the counseling therapy. PTSD is a condition which often is the result of some sort of traumatic incident in a personà ¢â‚¬â„¢s life. This can range anywhere from military combat to sexual abuse.

Widespread Use Of Digital Media Media Essay

Widespread Use Of Digital Media Media Essay This essay will critically asses the impact that widespread use of digital media has on broader culture and society. For me, this is questioning whether digital media, the technological revolution and the rise of the internet can be seen as a blessing or a curse on culture and society. According to Castells (2002) who writes avidly on this topic, new media technologies simultaneously reinforce relations of cultural capital, hierarchy and distinction, while enabling social movements to publicise campaigns and connect with distant others. Technology, the internet and the digital media has created unimaginable wealth yet also encouraged millions to work for nothing. Digital media Challenges authority yet allowed regimes to spy and censor as never before. The internet opens up new realms of knowledge and Al Gore (former vice president) states that its an empowering tool with more potential than any other tool developed by mankind. Digital media is very much a double edged sword and has b oth positive and negative aspects to it. This essay will explore these different aspects and look to given a definitive answers as to whether the digital media and the internet has overall had a good or bad impact on broader culture and society. Positive impact on culture and society There are a significant number of ways in which the use of digital media has facilitated democracy and pluralism in worldwide society and culture. Supporters of this view include the likes of Goodwin, Jenkins and Burrows. The inventor of the World Wide Web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, saw the internet as a tool that connected humanity. W ith 35 million people using the internet every day in the UK alone, he sees the internet as a platform for equal access to voice, opportunity and information, having originally been designed as a rebellion against hierarchy and authority. Wikipedia is definitely a product of the digital media that has had a positive impact on culture and society. Every month 65 million people use this site, with the original idea being that instead of information being handed down by experts and the elite above, it instead slowly emerges from the masses from below. This is a good example of the democratisation of society and culture that the digital media brings, as Wikipedia allow people to shape knowledge together on one platform. Twitter is a social media site that has had a strong positive effect on culture and society. This digital media platform can be used to campaign for fundamental freedoms in culture and society across the globe. For example Twitter was used to campaign for fundamental civil rights Kenya during the violence in the Kenyan election of 2008. Witnesses used Twitter to report the violence and corruption that the worlds media was not reporting accurately. Twitter represents a new form of democracy in society and culture, meaning that countries hierarchy in effect has flipped from vertical to horizontal. Another example can be found in Iran; when riots occurred the government banned world media from the area, however the public used Twitter to alert the world of what was occurring. Napster is a digital media site that advanced culture and society by undermining centuries of copyrighting and property. This site allowed music to be listened to for free, making it equally accessable and shared for free. This demonstrated digital media and the internets power to destroy established business models. While this site was completely illegal, the issue was that because the usage of this site became so widespread, lawsuits would have been needs for everyone between the ages of 18 and 30 at the time. As a result of Napster, 95% of all music exchange online in now unpaid for, showing how digital media has helped create added cultural equality and democracy over the last decade. YouTube is another strong example of how the digital media and the internet has had a positive effect on the global culture and society. YouTube was first created in 2005, and is now viewed 1 billion times a day, with 1/5 of all content on the internet itself being created by amateurs. The attraction to this site is that it provides and platform for self-promotion and takes control away from the middleman such as agents of publishers. These older hierarchies are still at large today, however their power is dwindling as they struggle to adapt to the digital medias democratisation and equalization effect on society and culture. Having first been created to protect the USA in the 1960s to link information between the government, the armed forces and institutions of science and universities, the internet has now become a de-centralizing power to the state. The internet is now seen as a threat to the state, de-centralizing power in single nations by merging their individual economies into a global economy. The rise of the digital media and the internet is accelerating globalisation which in turn provides new developments in culture that cross historic and traditional borders. Old centres of power are crumbling, meaning a huge scramble to fill the vacuum left behind. An example of this can be seen in Wikileaks, which allows people to anomalously publish information on governments such as classified US army documents on Guatanamo Bay, which helps challenge censorship. Suppressing information has become increasingly difficult, with the digital media and the internet helping make traditional censored countries suc h as China become far more democratic. When one part of the internet becomes controlled and colonised, a new frontier will always spring up in its place elsewhere. This certainly shows how the digital media benefits society and culture in a broad sense globally. Negative impact on culture and society There are many negative aspects that the rise of the internet and digital media has brought to culture and society. The digital media can be seen as a source of control and homogenisation, with supporters of this view including the likes of Schiller and Virilio. Around 25% of the global population has access to the internet, which can be seen to show another form of control by the MEDCs over LEDCs. It is in human nature to have the desire for both profit and control. If you can control what people believe in you control what people have access to, hence the internet and the digital media is a powerful tool that can create this control if harnessed by the appropriate people in society. The internet and digital media has allowed elite megabrands to gain power with no competition. The idealistic view (steming from 1970s hippie culture) that the world wide web should be a creative space where all people can share information for free, which went against those who wanted use the web as a place to buy and sell, use the web as a market place. Some people, such as Bill Gates, saw the internet as the biggest business opportunity ever. In 1995 Microsoft launched Internet Explorer and ended up with more than 90% of the market globablly. This is just an example of how the world dominated by just a handful of mega brands. In Britain 1/3 of the population has Facebook, Ebay has 21 million visits a month while Amazon get 16 million visits per month. There is one search engine (Google), one marketplace (Ebay), one bookshop (Amazon), one cinema (YouTube) and one social network (Facebook) that matter. This means there is a new massive wealth and power in the hands of a tiny elite t hanks to the internet. It is a huge historic anomolie in the fact that there are no competitors (Coke and Pepsi, Honda and Toyota)that would usually reflect a capitalist society. Hence this is a pure manifestation of way in which power works, landing itself to a very narrow oligarchy and elite in society. The digital media and the internet can be seen as a tool of control and oppression. Increasingly it mirrors hierarchy and inequalities with its originally idealistic beginnings fading over time. It is a powerful tool the state can use to access information and control the masses. An example of this is seen in China (one party state) that has 250 million of it population currently using the internet. Technology has helped drive Chinas economic growth and the government is now worried about their communist culture and society due to the rise of digital media and the internet. The government has employed 30,000 people to police the web full-time in China, developing a firewall around the country preventing many western media sites from entering and influencing public opinion. Their surveillance of social network sites is essential to their state control, hence the government has hired bloggers 300, 000 people to post communist support on digital media sites and blogs. The digital media can be seen to be narrowing identity. The internet can link and connect extremists, which has given them new tools of terrorism. Al Qaeda try to implement control through fear via the internet through hatefull messages and shocking images. This is very difficult to prevent as there is no central control centre of base on the internet. Digital media removes national borders and therefore these extremists have a virtual reality nation to spread their message. The internet and digital media can be see as eroding the concept of privacy. Private information is now exploited for highly targeted advertising and profit. For example Google gathers billions of search terms that help them sell highly targeted advertising. Its turned human curiosity into a goldmine, as Google now makes $200 per second for this scheme. Internet cookies now track our interests and website history. This can even Facebook, a company that increasingly uses technology to recognise pictures and send targeted adverts. Today, after purchasing an item, you are constantly emailed with updates. This is a manifestation of the attempt by big businesses and coorperations to colonise the online marketplace . It homogenises consumers with messages such as people who bought this also bought this. Almost without realising it, our search history is stored on a database of the companies that give us access to internet. Its suprising how much all the searches can be pieced together, and give a picture of who may have made these searchs. Hence this potentially could be used against individuals, as blackmail in the future. While this is an extreme view, this is a distinct possibility, and means corporations such as Google and Facebook have a huge amount of power they could utilize in the future. Analysis The positive aspects of digital media and the internet currently and always will outweigh the negatives aspects of digital media and the internet. It is irrational for anyone to claim that we were better off in an era of information poverty and un-empowered masses. One would rather have information overload than information poverty in society and culture. The internet is a true digital and electronic frontier where everyone is on his or her own; all manuscripts are accepted for publication, they remain in virtual print forever, and no one can tell writers what to do. The rise of the internet and digital media has empowered the masses and given everyone a platform on which to speak to the world. Of course, that doesnt necessarily mean all of the internet users will have something informed or valid to broadcast to across the world wide web. But such vast human empowerment is worth celebrating, despite its occasional downsides. Abundance in information is better than the old analog world of fewer choices and fewer voices. However, criticisms can be made against the internet and the digital media, as there are some very legitimate concerns regarding how the passing of the old order might leave society absent of some important cultural and order aspects. For example, one need not endorse bailouts for a dying newspaper industry to nonetheless worry about the important public service provided by investigative journalists: Who will take up those efforts if large media institutions go under because of digital disintermediation? The skeptics are also certainly correct that each of us should think about how to better balance new technologies and assimilate them into our lives and the lives of our families and communities. For example, children need to learn new digital literacy and cyber-citizenship skills to be savvy users of the world wide web. Conclusion This essay has critically assessed the impact that widespread use of digital media has on broader culture and society. For me, this was questioning whether digital media, the technological revolution and the rise of the internet can be seen as a blessing or a curse on culture and society. According to Castells (2002) who wrote a lot on this topic, new media technologies simultaneously reinforced relations of cultural capital, hierarchy and distinction, while enabling social movements to publicise campaigns and connect with distant others. Technology, the internet and the digital media has created unimaginable wealth yet also encouraged millions to work for nothing. Digital media Challenges authority yet allowed regimes to spy and censor as never before. The internet opens up new realms of knowledge and Al Gore (former vice president) states that its an empowering tool with more potential than any other tool developed by mankind. Digital media is very much a double edged sword and has both positive and negative aspects to it. This essay explored these different aspects and can now give a definitive answer as to whether digital media and the internet has overall had a good or bad impact on broader culture and society. Overall, the internet and the digital media is a positive phenomenon for humanity, society and culture. There are a significant number of ways in which the use of digital media has facilitated democracy and pluralism in worldwide society and culture. Strong examples in the physical form of digital media sites on the internet can be used to show this. Firstly Wikipedia is definitely a product of the digital media that has had a positive impact on culture and society. Secondly Twitter is a social media site that has had a strong positive effect on culture and society. Thirdly Napster is a digital media site that advanced culture and society by undermining centuries of copyrighting and property. YouTube is another strong example of how the digital media and the internet has had a positive effect on the global culture and society. These websites are contributing to rise of the digital media and the internet is accelerating globalisation which in turn provides new developments in culture that cross historic and traditional borders. The rise of the internet and digital media has empowered the masses and given everyone a platform on which to share information and dissolve old forms of hierarchy. However, to a smaller extent, the internet and digital media has caused a negative affect on society and culture. The digital media can be seen as a source of control and homogenisation by MEDCs over LEDCs. The internet and digital media has allowed elite megabrands to gain power with no competition. Again, the digital media and the internet can be seen as a tool of control and oppression. Increasingly it mirrors hierarchy and inequalities with its originally idealistic beginnings fading over time. The digital media can be seen to be narrowing identity while the internet can also link and connect extremists, which has given them new tools of terrorism. Finally, the internet and digital media can be see as eroding the concept of privacy. Private information is now exploited for highly targeted advertising and profit.

The Future of Freedom Essay -- essays research papers fc

History The Future of Freedom   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In his book, The Future of Freedom, Fareed Zakaria writes that we must make democracy safe for the world. The American democracy sets the standard around the world for liberal democracies, but transitions across for other countries across the world toward a liberal democracy is often difficult and with poor decision making, close to impossible. Liberal democracies are the systems in which people choose their government and live in an environment of freedom. In Zakaria’s book, he warns the readers of several telltale signs that their process toward a liberal democracy is in trouble. He uses examples of different countries doing it right and doing it wrong- the ones discussed in this essay will be Russia and China.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After the communist collapse in Russia, Zakaria writes that Russia concentrated too much on a quick fix. The leaders wanted to mimic the American democracy an instituted â€Å"free and fair elections,† but they forgot about establishing a stable economy. Robert Kaplan writes in his essay, â€Å"Was Democracy Just a Moment?† that countries need to establish a stable economic system before they try to institute a political system or else that political system will fail. Specifically, Kaplan thinks that there should be a strong and large middle class in the nation before it leaders think democracy will work. Kaplan was not the only intellectual to say this; Aristotle believed that a strong middle class bred a strong society. The idea about this is that democracy cannot work if the majority of a country is poor and starving while a small minority has all the money. The poor will be too preoccupied with trying to survive than maintaining the government. R ussia relied too much on its natural resources instead of trying to build a functioning economy (Zakaria, 92). Zakaria writes, â€Å"Russia’s fundamental problem is not that it is a poor country struggling to modernize, but rather that it is a rich country struggling to modernize† (92). By making the mistake of first fixing the political system before the economy, and then mismanaging its resources, Russia’s political system fell prey to corruption. Zakaria writes, â€Å"Yeltsin did little to build institutions in Russia. In fact he weakened almost all competing centers of power-the legislature, the courts, regional governors† (93). ... ...e his blessing for open economic markets (Zakaria, 83). That leads us to the present time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With examples like Singapore, China hopes to maintain its current situation. Zakaria writes, â€Å"Their role model is former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore. Lee achieved the dream of every strongmen: to modernize the economy, even the society, of his country, but not the politics† (85). Ironically, Zakaria feels Chinese officials should return to the teachings of Karl Marx for help. He writes, â€Å"Marx understood that when a country modernizes its economy, embraces capitalism, and creates a bourgeoisie, the political system will change to reflect that transformation† (Zakaria, 87). Zakaria holds hope that the leaders will come around and accept the inevitability of China eventually becoming a liberal democracy. All of those involved, realize that that process will be a long and strenuous one because hardly any leader ever gives up his power willingly. Works Cited Kaplan, Robert D. â€Å"Was Democracy Just a Moment?† The Atlantic Monthly. Boston: December, 1997. Zakaria, Fareed. The Future of Freedom. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.: New York, 2004.

Greek and Etruscan Architecture

Greek & Etruscan Architecture Greek and Etruscan architecture began to take shape during the Archaic and Early Classical periods. There were similarities between the early Greek and Etruscan architectural styles, but there were far more differences. One of the most obvious similarities between the Greek and Etruscan styles was the use of a gabled roof. A gabled roof resembles a triangle in that it has a peak in the middle, and then has two straight slopes from the peak to each side wall. These roofs were often supported by the use of pillars or columns and is evident in both Greek and Etruscan architecture. Like Greek temples, Etruscan temples also featured an â€Å"inner chamber† known as a cella. A cella is typically an enclosed prayer room located in the center of a temple. Many of the structures made during this time period were comprised of wood or a mud-brick mixture, which is why there are few structures that remain today. Beginning with the Classical period, Greek architects began to set themselves apart from Etruscan builders by using more durable materials like limestone and marble to construct their temples and buildings. Greek temples were mostly built in the Doric or Ionic orders, while the Etruscans used the more primitive Tuscan order. The Doric and Ionic orders are very ornate, detailed, and aesthetically pleasing. They feature a column with a fluted design, which gives the pillar a thinner, taller, more elegant look. The Tuscan order on the other hand, is a very plain design and features columns with a simple base (foundation), capital (crown of the column) and frieze (horizontal section resting on top of the capital, but below the entablature). Etruscan pillars of the Tuscan order were often made of wood and did not have flutes. Some of the other major differences between Etruscan and Greek architecture can easily be seen when comparing the Greek Parthenon to an Etruscan temple. The Parthenon features a colonnade (row of columns) and steps around the entire perimeter of the complex, while the typical Etruscan temple would have a colonnade and steps in the front of the building only. The Parthenon also featured a one-room cella with two porches. One porch would lead into the cella and the other porch would lead out of the cella. Etruscan temples featured a three room cella with only one porch in the front. The final distinction between the Parthenon and a typical Etruscan temple would be in the artistic level of detail each one was designed with. The Etruscan temple was built in the very plain and basic Tuscan order, with no ornamentation built into the actual structure itself, but multiple statues of gods placed on the roof of the temple. The Greek Parthenon however, was built in both the Doric and Ionic orders, with hundreds of lavishly decorated statues, figurines and figural reliefs built into the pediments (triangular section above the entablature), metopes (a decorative band that fills the space between the frieze and the entablature), and frieze.

10 Steps to Improve Your Workplace Communication Skills

10 Steps to Improve Your Workplace Communication Skills Communication is key. Whether written or spoken, reading, or listening, these skills are crucial in any workplace and can make you a better, more effective, and more efficient employee. Here are 10  ways to improve your communication skills. 1. Don’t beat around the bushBe clear. First and foremost, make sure your point is conveyed and that your message is easily understood. Use specific language, avoid spewing out too many acronyms. When in doubt, imagine you’re speaking to someone who doesn’t know your company.2. Listen activelyThe better you listen, the better you are at communication. Before you respond, make sure you’ve heard and digested what someone is saying. Don’t just wait for their mouth to stop moving to make your point.3. Repeat backThis is the second stage of active listening. Let the speaker know first, that you’ve understood them, and second, that you care about what they’ve said. Do this by repeating what theyâ€℠¢ve said and including their words in your response. Paraphrase back to them to prove that you’ve heard them loud and clear.4. Use your bodyWhen in doubt, or if you have something particularly complicated to discuss, try doing it in person. Face to face, you have the extra benefit of body language and non-verbal cues like gestures and facial expressions, all of which make it easier to avoid confusion.5. Show r-e-s-p-e-c-tDon’t multi-task while communicating. Don’t be on your phone, or doodling, in the meeting. Make sure what you’ve said is professional and respectful. Make eye contact and use people’s names. Basically, be a human.6. Match the message to the mediumIf you’re better via email, don’t try to have that important progress update in your boss’s office before you’ve had your coffee. If it’s a sticky situation that requires a nuanced approach, don’t just send a flat-toned email when you could finesse the situation with a well-managed in-person conversation. Figure out what it is you have to get across, then choose the medium that suits that message best.7. Know your audienceDon’t talk to your client as you would your boss. Or your HR rep as you would your best work pal. Match your tone and timing to the person you’re communicating with.8. Text smartMore and more workplace information gets communicated via text and email. This is another instance where it’s best to know your audience and choose the most appropriate medium. Bottom line: never text anything too complicated. That will help you avoid misunderstandings and misinformation. But don’t send a big long email to arrange a short meeting either.9. Make meetings matter moreSo many meetings leave us feeling we could have better spent that time. Demand better! Set an agenda, keep to the scheduled time, don’t invite unnecessary people. Make sure every meeting is productive enough to justify eve ry attendee taking the time and resources from their workload.10. Keep it positiveNo matter how stressed you are, or how fraught the conversation, try to stay positive. Put your team first. And never make it personal- keep your focus on the professional. Earn a reputation and respect.

Enzymatic Reaction in a Reaction Essays - Catalysis, Free Essays

Enzymatic Reaction in a Reaction Essays - Catalysis, Free Essays The purpose of this part of the experiment is to find out the course of an enzymatic reaction in a reaction. In order to do this, a measurement of the amount of substrate disappearing over time increments of 10, 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, and 360 seconds had taken. In this experiment we see that as time progressive the enzymatic rate lowered. The highest rate is the first in the first time interval (0-10) . It was the highest because iit had the highest catalysis amount and the most amount of H2O2 to decompose. The lowest rate was the last time interval (180 -360) there are 2 possible reason why it is the lowest. One is the H+ content makes the solution more basic. This moves the solution away from its optimal ph, thus causing the enzyme to denature. Denaturing is when the enzyme becomes biologically inactive because the proteins begins to unfold. Another reason could be is that all the catalysis amount is at the lowest because all the enzymes are already being used. This causes an inhibi ting effect on reaction. Inhibiting is when the reaction is stopped or slowed down. If we were to lower the temperature it would still cause the enzyme to denature. Like ph, enzymes also have an optimal temperature if the temperature gets too low or too high it will denature. Testing the concept of the amount of substrate decomposed in these time amounts helped to determine the enzyme reaction. The dependent variable was the amount of hydrogen peroxide, sulphuric acid and water that were combined in the beaker while the independent variable was the amount of time the reaction was allowed to take place before the KMnO4 was added to stop the reaction. This experiment measures the disappearance of substrate which is Hydrogen Peroxide H2O2. In this experiment the level of KMnO4 the burette dropped from 5 ml to 0 ml. This means that the level of KMnO4 dropped 5.0 ml. These results are important because the baseline is used in every experiment. The baseline is used to test the amount of H 2O2 in a 1.5 solutions. At low concentrations, the graph will show an increasing rate of reaction as concentration increases, levelling off at higher concentrations. The shape is explained by the concentration of substrate directly affecting the rate of reaction until another limiting factor becomes more important. Reaction that were involved in this experiment was : 5 H2O2 + 2 KmnO4 +3 H2SO4 K2SO4 + 2 MnSO4 + 8 H2O + 5 O2 2 H2O2 2 H2O + O2 Without catalase this reaction occurs spontaneously but very slowly. Catalase speeds up the reaction notably. This reaction was studied by measuring the disappearance of the substrate. For example, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is converted to water (H2O) and oxygen (O2) gas. Catalysis speeds up the reaction and sulfuric acid (H2SO4) stops the reaction by lowering the pH and denaturalizing the enzyme. The rate is the highest in the first ten seconds because the rate decreases as the concentration of the catalase decreases over time.The rate is lowest during the last time period of 360 seconds because the most time has passed. The catalase concentration has been reduced and the product amount has increased, blocking the enzymes from reacting with the hydrogen peroxide. Miscalculations involving numbers and amounts of solutions would have a severe effect upon the results. Mathematical errors may also have of occurred. When the catalase arrived, it had melted. Because it is to remain on ice at all times, this may have caused errors. The age of the hydrogen peroxide effected results. For example, when calculating the percent of hydrogen peroxide spontaneously decomposed after 24 hours, new hydrogen peroxide yielded a much higher percentage than the aged hydrogen peroxide. Conclusion By performing this experiment ,the quantity of a substance in different solutions is determined through the titration method. The rate of how quickly the catalsye enzyme was able to convert Hydrogen Peroxide to water and oxygen gas also recorded, which helped to expand our knowledge of the importance enzymes and how they function. From the graph , catalase, or enzymes, drastically increases the rate of hydrogen peroxide decomposition but the rate of reaction

Evaluation of the project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Evaluation of the project - Essay Example For example, if I would get a chance to redo the project, I would use different models to enhance uniqueness and variety and eliminate boredom. Additionally, I would increase the number of decorations and colors to the pictures, which would probably make them more attractive to female clientele. The LED lighting used within the studio helped a great deal in bringing out the best in the pictures. If I were to redo the pictures, I would definitely maintain the lighting because it helps in accentuating the color of the clothing and make up on the models. The lighting also made the pictures clearer, brighter and appealing. I would also like to take the pictures in an outdoor setting so as to make them more appealing by capturing outdoor scenery as a way to enhance aesthetic appeal. The project took a short time to accomplish, but if I were to redo it, I would opt to increase the project timeframe so that careful consideration can be given to every detail in the picture. This would offer sufficient time for consideration of details such as clothing, make up, accessories and lighting-just to mention, but a

Service Quality Improvement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Service Quality Improvement - Essay Example According to Sheth & Kellstadt (1992), a normative model of service quality improvement is built on the concept of continuous improvement. The company that I have been working in has been using this kind of approach to address its issues of quality improvement. This is because the key objective of the company is to achieve sustained improvements in its services delivery. Therefore, throughout my career, I have had an opportunity to experience a situation in which this model was applied. Moreover, I have been able to experience some of the benefits of this kind of a model when used to improve service quality as well as some of its shortfalls. This benefits and shorts could form a very good basis for my evaluation in this paper. Normative model of service improvement is divided into stages. The stages include management commitment, employee commitment and participation, employee education and training, communication, assessment and modification, outcomes and targets, and integration (H ernon & Whitman, 2001). These stages are interconnected in an intertwined manner. This means that a stage does not necessarily result to its next stage. However, each stage is independent of the other. The company that I am working in has been undertaking almost all the above stages in its approach to service quality improvement. Some of these stages in service quality improvement have been very conspicuous. This makes them to be easy to identify even to the people who are not top managers. However, some are inconspicuous thus can only be identified by top managers. Sheth & Kellstadt (1992) also identifies this approach of service quality improvement as both multi-disciplinary and requires individuals with different functions in the company. This is because it requires efforts of managers belonging to different disciplines. Moreover, it involves employees with varying roles in the company. In the company I work with, service quality work has not been the work of the marketing department only. In every case that the company has attempted to improve its quality of service, all the departments have been required to play almost equal roles. This is because the company believed that improvement in quality of its services could only come from an improvement in the effectiveness of every department in the company. Benefits of the model to service quality improvements The most essential component of any organization is its management since it controls all the decisions made in the organization in its various operation stages. Use of a normative model for service quality improvement by the organization I work with has enhanced the participation and commitment of the management team to the process of improving quality of services. This is because it has been requiring every manager to show his commitment to the process. Moreover,