MCA Denver Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MCA Denver - Essay Example 2). The museum hosts exhibitions throughout the year and is an ideal meeting place for visitors and art enthusiasts to interact with the artists. Image 1: Fancy Work- Colonial Wall Sconce Currently, the MCA Denver museum is hosting an exhibition entitled, â€Å"Allison Smith: Piece Work,† which is a compilation of sculptures, braided rugs, and paintings by the noted Oakland-based artist (â€Å"Allison Smith: Piece Work,† par. 1). The artist has been praised for encouraging group participation with the visitors to learn the art of making braided rugs while they engage in discussions about the ancient wars. The artist has shown altruistic attitude by encouraging the public to learn arts and crafts, while sharing opinions about the brutal nature of war that leaves nothing but wounds, scars, and fatalities. One of the most conspicuous pieces of artwork by Allison Smith shows â€Å"Fancy Work- Colonial Wall Sconce,† which is a brilliant handmade wall sconce comprising steel, blown glass, acrylic mirror Plexiglas, and mixed media (â€Å"Allison Smith: Piece Work,† par. 3). The colors used in the braided rug pattern are appealing, and the mirrors reflect the light falling on their exotic placement.

Moments of dramatic tension Essay Example for Free

Moments of dramatic tension Essay Choose two scenes which you consider to be particularly interesting moments of dramatic tension. Write about why they are especially dramatic and why they are important in the play  For this essay I am going to concentrate on the scene at the end of act one in A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller. In the previous scene Eddie, the main character, has just been to see Alfieri, a lawyer who once represented Eddies father and also the narrator for this play, for legal and moral advice on what to do. Eddie is confused and needs someone to kick him in the right direction. I know this because Alfieri said that his eyes looked like tunnels. Eddie feels that Rodolfo is gay and is only after his passport. Another reason Eddie is confused is that he loves Catherine too much. Alfieri has just told Eddie that there is nothing that Eddie can do apart from go to the Immigration Bureau or accept the situation and be happy for the two. This leads into this essays scene. It is set in the apartment and opens with Catherine talking about Marco and Rodolfos trip to Africa. I believe that the tension begins to grow when Eddie dismisses her excitement. I think this because I believe Eddie is trying to not think about Rodolfo so is saying so what if they have. It is obvious that Eddie really is interested when he says How long that take you, Marco. Eddie is directing this conversation at Marco and has taken Rodolfo out of the conversation. This shows that Eddie does not like Rodolfo and would rather not think of him. The conversation then carries awhile the tension decreases and the entire family is now into the conversation. Eddie then belittles Beatrice in front of everyone. Beatrice never knew that sardines could not be caught with a hook. I think that this the tension increases with this. Eddie and Beatrices relationship has not been smooth lately and this didnt help.  To release the tension Eddie comes up with a joke. He says that oranges are green and are painted to give them colour. Rodolfo then belittles Eddie by saying pointing out the obvious and saying that lemons are green. I believe he did this because the one of the themes of the book is family loyalty and I think he said this to get revenge for Beatrice. This causes the tension to develop more. Eddie does not want to even talk to Rodolfo let alone be disrespected by him. The tension is then released by Beatrice who changes the topic. This conversation too caries on for sometime and Eddie makes another joke. Eddie says they count the kids and theres a couple extra than when they left? Rodolfo then says that it is stricter in Italy than it is in Brooklyn. Eddie gets offended by this because Rodolfo is saying that American girls (e.g. Catherine) are easier. I believe that the dramatic tension at this point is higher than any part before it. Miller shows the tension by writing stage directions for Eddie to rise and pace up and down. There is then a conversation between Eddie and Rodolfo. Eddie is comparing Rodolfo and Catherines relationship to how one would be in their town in Italy. Beatrice takes Rodolfos side in this argument as she knows where it is going. Marco takes Eddies side as he doesnt want any trouble. Marco also tells Rodolfo off and it is clear that Marco wants this argument to end. An argument begins between Beatrice and Eddie then. They are arguing whether a person is safer during the day or at night . The tension is still on high alert when Catherine asks Rodolfo to dance deliberately to annoy Eddie and show him that nothing will come between the twos relationship. Rodolfo decides not to as he knows that he has already pushed Eddie enough but eventually gives in.  Once again Beatrice lowers the tension by changing the topic. The focus goes back to fishing and it is soon revealed that Rodolfo can cook. Once Eddie hears about it he talks and implies Rodolfos homosexuality but Rodolfo takes it as a compliment. Catherine says that he could get a lot of money with these skills and Eddie agrees with her. Eddie says that if he had the skills he would be no where near the waterfront. The tension is rising again as Miller then wrote that Eddie was unconsciously twisting the newspaper. Everyone knows what he is doing so he carries on the speech. While he is talking the newspaper rips in half. I think that this gets everyone nervous and the scene gets more tense. I believe that it signified Eddie getting an idea in his head, like a light bulb above someone on TV when they get an idea. He asks Marco if he wants to go to see a fight next week. He also asks Rodolfo trying to see his reaction. Boxing is a masculine sport and he thought he was asking a woman. Catherine believes that Eddie is being nice now so she goes to get some coffee. At this point of the scene I think that it is not as tense as it just was but I think that everyone is still nervous. Eddie and Rodolfo then begin to spar and I believe that the audience are now at the edge of their seats waiting to see what will happen. Everyone is impressed thinking that Eddie is making the effort to try to like Rodolfo, but then Eddie comes with a trick attack and lands a blow on Rodolfo. It then becomes clear what Eddies intensions were, he wanted an excuse to take his anger on Rodolfo out. Rodolfo does not want to make anything worse so he says that it didnt hurl him and only surprised him. The tension once again is high and Rodolfo asks Catherine to dance to annoy Eddie. He is saying that nothing will get between Catherine and his relationship. Marco then comes and sits a chair in front of Eddie. He challenges him to lift to it from the bottom with one hand. Eddie thinks that this will be easy but soon finds out that it isnt when he fails. Marco then lifts it above his head to show that he is stronger. Until now Marco had always been on his side by apologising for his brother, Rodolfo, but Eddie has now lost his only supporter. The tension rises as they stare at each other and Marco smiles. Another thing that adds tension here is the stage directions. They say that Marco held the chair like a weapon. This creates tension as it shows that Marco is threatening Eddie. The scene finished with the tension very high and with Eddie physically threatened. In this scene Arthur Miller has used many ways to show the tension rising. One of these was writing the stage directions. This creates visual images which are really important as they stress the tension; it shows the reader what the audience sees and also shows the tension. Another way he showed the tension was by making the sentences longer. This slows down the pace of the play and created tension. Another way he shows tension is by adding pauses. These add silence and make the audience/reader want to know what happens next. It also gives a moment for the tension to rise.

Another Ernest Hemingway :: essays research papers

A young man by the name of Ernest Hemingway was born in 1898 and grew up in a suburb of Chicago Illinois. (Jones 416) His father was a doctor. As a boy, he and his father spent time together hunting and fishing in Michigan. (Brown 571) Hemingway wrote for his school newspaper. (Jones 416) During his youth Hemingway also played football and swam. (Smith 34) After graduating from high school, Hemingway was hired with the Kansas City Star newspaper. (Jones 416) While writing for the Kansas City Star, Hemingway began to develop his own unique style of writing. (Brown 571) Later, Hemingway worked for the Red Cross as an ambulance driver during World War I. (Jones 416) Only a few days before he would turn twenty years old, Hemingway was wounded in the leg and sent back to the United States. (Smith 34) In 1921, the Toronto Star sent Hemingway to Europe as a journalist writer. While in Paris he published two books. The Sun Also Rises was published in 1926 and was his first novel that made him a well-known writer. Hemingway loved to write about his adventurous activities. During the Spanish Civil War in the 1930's, Hemingway wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls. Many people thought this was one of his best novels. Hemingway later wrote a novel about showing the need to accept life with honor. In 1952 he published this novel entitled The Old Man in the Sea. (Jones 416) Hemingway won the Pulitzer Prize in 1953 for this novel. (Brown 571) Hemingway loved to experience nature. He loved adventure; and enjoyed hunting, fishing, and watching bullfights. These adventurous experiences helped shape his style of writing. Young writers later copied this style.

Problem of Maoist Insurgency

Maybe when this article is read,an innocent tribal or a compelled jawan is ‘unreportedly’ being killed on the fringes of national mainstream by a so-called ‘maoist’. â€Å"Naxalism:single biggest internal security threat† screamed The Economic Times on 14th April,2006. And the threat has just got bigger. Our Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram drew lots of flak for ‘Operation Green Hunt’. Recently,our President Pratibha Patilhas urged the naxalites to shun violence and resort to talks. But one Question that comes to mind is â€Å"what prompted the Maoist uprising? (even Derek O’Brien was confronted wid the question when he visited the IIM-C recently). The basis of the answer may lie with the ‘Green Revolution’. It brought fruits to farmers,but only in some pockets of India. The rest of India has witnessed some violent uprisings against the state. But the naxalite problem has deeper roots. Poverty,land alienation,lack o f access to basic forest resources,largescale unemployment and exclusion from national mainstream are the common grievances among the rural population in east and central India.Despite being the most mineral-rich states in India,Chhatisgarh,Jharkhand,Orissa and West Bengal count among the poorest. Area| India| Chhatisgarh| Jharkhand| Orissa| West Bengal| Per-Capita Income| `24,295| `16,740| `15,303| `16,149| `23,229| Table showing per-capita income of Chhatisgarh,Jharkhand,Orissa and West Bengal in comparision with India. It is these resources and the irrational attitude of Indian Federal System towards them that forms the core of dissent among people here.For instance,tribals in mineral-rich Bastar in Chhatisgarh do not get a fair share of the resources from miningin the forests that they inhabit. The ‘freight equalization policy’ of the government hampered these states from translating their natural resources’ advantage into industrial growth. ,and led to the C entral Govt. Pocketing the lion’s share of royalties from mining. The complete failure of instruments like the ‘Panchayat(Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act,1996 and the Forest(Conservation) Act,1980 in these areas have only aggravated the problem.So,for the adivasis,Sarkar is exploiter in the form of forest officials who deny them entry into the forest,the police who demanded bribes and state-sponsored contractors who paid less than the minimum wage. The exploitation by the landlords and mahajans ,and lack of basic amenities of human existence only flare up the problem. Ajit Buxla,maoist leader,correctly points out, â€Å"When you see death taking tolls on your near and dear ones and you know their life could have been saved had they been given proper and timely medication,you are forced to believe that the existence of state has nothing to do with tha life of poor & maginalized. ENTER THE MAOISTS. treading on the Marxism-Leninism theoretical lineage of ‘anni hilation of class enemies’,the naxalites strategically take Maoism lineage against the state. â€Å"The Communist Party of India-Maoist(CPI-Maoist)†,formed on September 21,2004,was quick to notice that the causes of dissent was different in different states,and cashing in on the emotions of the local people,they staged violent uprisings. Over 600 lives have been lost in the militia’s process of forming ‘the Red Corridor’ or ‘Compact Revolutionary Zone(CZR)’.Though the naxalites have been more or less ousted from Andhra Pradesh,the three-fold-layer strategy of the maoist insurgency has led to the rebels gaining control of more ares. The sources of funding of the naxalites are extortion of ransoms,cultivating opium in Malkangiri district,charging the traders and buisnessmen who pass through the ‘Red Corridor’,and producing and smuggling enormous quantity of marijuana. But slowly,this movement ‘for the people’ has turned ‘against the people’.The tribals are being victims of human rights’ violations,such as,murder of all kinds,tortures,outrages upon personal dignity,extortions,etc. moreover,the rebels have interfered,challenged and destroyed the age-old social taboos of the tribals which is leading to growing resentment among the locals against them. As it is clear,no one-size-fits-all solution can be applied for this intuiging problem. The very root of the problem has to be axed through,& that too in a sensible manner.Mere military engagement of the maoist insurgents wont solve the problem. It will only joepardise the locals even more. Creation of civilian militas like ‘Salwa Judum’ should be shunned as they expose civilians to unnecessary danger,and only translate into abdication of security responsibility by the state. The State should provide security guarantees against retribution by cadres of the naxalites and should use the knowhow of such cadres in informative strategies against the rebels.The civil society representatives such as eminent personalities,political leaders,NGO’s should step-in as mediators between the state and the maoists. But most importantly,the grievances that increase the appeal of the maoists should be mitigated. There should be direct effort for development in these areas. The locals should be given employment and conditional cash transfers that counter the widespread deprivation in the region,thus,reducing the ‘recruitment-pool’ of the maoists.Investments shoul be made in social-overheads which would allow the locals easy access to the urban marketswhere they can sell their dairy products and forest-related products like cashew,chironji,lac,etc which have high market-value. The tribals should be empowered through education and a self-sustaining economic scheme,funded largely by mining revenues of the state,can be implemented to provide skills,literacy,healthcare,and above all,dignity and social justice to the people. As D. Bandopadhyay. retired-IAS officer experienced in dealing with naxalites in West Bengal in the 70’s,puts it, â€Å"Naxalism has emerged as a result of deficit in planning;constant alienation has made people take up arms,and its time one understands the problem as not just a law & order problem,but one that’s foundations are socio-economic. † India cannot afford a â€Å"lost generation† in the insurgency-affected areas even as it takes rapid steps towards becoming a global economic power. Ending the maoist insurgency needs to be a national priority.Else till then the voice of Koteshwar Rao(nom de guerre Kishanji) would continue to ring alarm bells inside startled ministers & common folk. The authorities would not be making the rules†¦ he would.References:- (1) â€Å"35-yr old tribal killed by Maoists†, The Deccan Chronicle, 19th January 2008. (2) â€Å"Maoists slay three tribals in Chhatisgarhâ₠¬ , Thaindian News, 21st March,2008. Sources:- (1) â€Å"India Research Group. † (2) â€Å"Down To Earth. † (3) â€Å"Institute of South Asian Studies,Roundtable Session(ISAS)†,14th March,2007. (4) â€Å"International Relations and Security Network(ISN)†,ETH Zurich.

Technical Writing, Project Specification Plan

Project Specification plan Sign-off sheet Name and Job title| Involvement in the project| Signature | Sharon Shameful,Chief Executive| -Signs off the project as a whole-Authorisation of interviews-Signs of on new project proposals| | Nathan SafeHuman Resources | -Hires new staff & also responsible for their interviews-Hires the technical writer-In charge of keeping up to date with staff reviews and reporting to management| | Money Penny Chief Financial Officer| -Signs off financial implications of the new policies and processes. Will provide financial background on health and safety training of staff. | | Mathew HandymanHealth & Safety officer & temporary Maintenance manager| -Signs off on the health and safety implications of the new policies and processes-Checks that proper health and safety procedure is implemented by all staff. -In charge of maintenance of all machinery and also trains new staff in using these. | | Hayden StarStaff Supervisor| -Supervisor ground staff-Interview n ew staff alongside human resource manager-Trains new staff in machinery| |Purpose The purpose of this documentation project is to come up with a new, improved process to prevent any future accidents involving dangerous equipment and providing employees with improved policies with proper health and safety procedure to prevent these accidents. The deliverables are: * A description of the new process, written up as business proposal, which will include a swim lane diagram illustrating who does what, at which level. * Dangerous Equipment use policy. * Procedures or instructions for one of the employees.The purpose of the documentation will be revised at daily meetings with the project manager, Nathan Safe. Definition of Audience Document| Audience | Audience Description| Business Proposal for training new staff and existing employees in the safe use of equipment| Management team| Has a good knowledge of finances and council operation as well as health and safety in relations to dangerou s equipment| Dangerous equipment use policy| All Employees| Ground knowledge of all equipment. Some already experienced in use of dangerous equipments. Are motivated to learn more after what has happened to a staff member. Procedure for Health and Safety and Maintenance officer| Mathew Handyman| Knows all about the machinery on hand and also their safety policies, but needs to be more proactive. | Note 1. Bruce alongside with his supervisor Hayden and 2 other colleagues will be available throughout the project for user testing Relationship of these documents to others The new documentation will replace the outdated Dangerous equipment use policy that has proved to be ineffective. The new policy and procedures must: * Follow proper health and safety codes set by ACC Fit with the councils financial budget * Fit with local councils general health and safety policies Production Information The business proposal will be presented in both electronic and paper form. The electronic copy wil l be make it easy for new additions. The proposal will consist of 2 – 3 pages and will also include at least one swim-lane diagram (in colour). The dangerous equipment use policy will be delivered as one page printed document. This will be handed out to all ground staff and also copies will be posted in the staff room in the maintenance shed.Intranet file will also be available to staff via the council network. Procedures will be only handed to one employee who will have to include this in action daily. Writers requirement Project will be mainly carried out on the premises of Maurati local council. Finalising and part of the writing will be done at the technical writers home office. During the project, the council will provide the technical writer, * Access to meeting rooms for interviews * Access to relevant documents * Access to scanner Admin will be assisting with all the printing and scanning.Originals will be printed by the technical writer at his preferred printing pres s. Nathan Safe, Money Penny, Mathew Handyman and Hayden Star will all be available for interviews during business hours. Sharon who is currently busy with the local gala will only be available on Friday. Ground staff will be available during their posted times, however, this will only be during their lunch hours. Free lunch vouchers will be handed at each interviews to all ground staff for taking time of their lunch to come for an interview.The technical writer will report all interview of staff to Nathan Safe. Schedules and Milestones Project Stage| Tentative time of Completion | Initial Research * Informal talk with Staff * Relevant document investigations * Scheduling with SMEs| 15 May 2012| Development of the project * Actual interviews conducted * Rough swim-lane diagram | 16-18 May 2012| Draft proposal complete| 20 May 2012| Draft Policy and procedure documents complete| 23 May 2012| Feedback on proposal and policy draftsTesting of procedure draft| 24 May 2012| Revising & Edit ing| 25 May 2012|Documentation Completed| 4 June 2012| Constraints Delays will be inevitable. Budget Technical writer’s work | Cost| Researching – 10 hours| $60 x 10= $600| Drafting Stage| $60 x 5= $300| Interview Staff and facilitating user-testing (vouchers will be provided free for charge to interviewees)| $60 x10= $600| Training Individual on Procedure| $60 x 10 =$600| Revising & Polishing – 10 hours| $60 x 10 =$600| Printing & Disbursement (standard) | $250| Total| $2,950 + GST|

The Peters Projection and the Mercator Map

The Peters Projection and the Mercator Map Proponents of the Peters projection map claim that their map is a good, fair, and non-racist view of the world. Theyre comparing their map to the almost-defunct Mercator map. Unfortunately, geographers and cartographers agree that neither map projection is appropriate for use as a map of our planet. The Mercator vs. Peters controversy is truly a moot point. Both maps are rectangular projections and are poor representations of the planet. But heres how each came to prominence and in most cases, misuse. The Peters Projection German historian and journalist Arno Peters called a press conference in 1973 to announce his new map projection that treated each country fairly by representing area accurately. The Peters projection map used a rectangular coordinate system that showed parallel lines of latitude and longitude. Skilled at marketing, Arno claimed that his map more fairly displayed third world countries than the popular Mercator projection map, which distorts and dramatically enlarges the size of Eurasian and North American countries.   While the Peters projection does (almost) represent the land of equal area equally, all map projections distort the shape of the earth, a sphere.   Peters Picks Up Popularity   Proponents of the Peters map were vociferous and demanded that organizations switch to the new, fairer map of the world. Even the United Nations Development Programme began using the Peters projection in its maps. But the popularity of the Peters Projection may have been due to a lack of knowledge about basic cartography.   Today, relatively few organizations use the map, yet the evangelizing continues.   Peters chose to compare his strange-looking map to the Mercator map because he knew that it was an inappropriate map of the earth. Defenders of the Peters projection claim that the Mercator projection distorts the size of countries and continents in the Northern Hemisphere and a  place like Greenland appears to be the same size as Africa, yet Africas land mass is actually fourteen times larger. These claims are certainly all true and correct. The Mercator map was never intended to be used as a wall map and by the time Peters started complaining about it, the Mercator map was well on its way out of fashion anyway. The Mercator Map The Mercator projection was developed in 1569 by Gerardus Mercator as a navigation tool. Like the Peters map, the grid is rectangular and lines of latitude and longitude are all parallel. The Mercator map was designed as an aid to navigators since straight lines on the Mercator projection are loxodromes or rhumb lines representing lines of constant compass bearing perfect for true direction. If a navigator wishes to sail from Spain to the West Indies, all he has to do is draw a line between the two points and the navigator knows which compass direction to continually sail to reach their destination. The Mercator map has always been a poor projection for a world map, yet due to its rectangular grid and shape, geographically illiterate publishers found it useful for wall maps, atlas maps, and maps in books and newspapers published by non-geographers. It became the standard map projection in the mental map of most westerners. The argument against the Mercator projection by the pro-Peters folks usually discusses its advantage for colonial powers by making Europe look a lot larger than it actually is on the globe. Mercator No Longer Widely Used Fortunately, over the past few decades, the Mercator projection has fallen into disuse from many reliable sources. In a 1980s study, two British geographers discovered that the Mercator map did not exist among dozens of atlases examined. But some major map companies still produce wall maps using the Mercator projection.   In 1989, seven North American professional geographic organizations (including the American Cartographic Association, National Council for Geographic Education, Association of American Geographers, and the National Geographic Society) adopted a resolution that called for a ban on all rectangular coordinate maps. The resolution called for the complete elimination of the use of the Mercator as well as the Peters projection. But what to replace them with? Alternatives to Mercator and Peters Non-rectangular maps have been around for a long time. The National Geographic Society adopted the Van der Grinten projection, which encloses the world in a circle, in 1922. Then in 1988, they switched to the Robinson projection, on which the high latitudes are less distorted in size (but more so in shape). Also in 1998, the Society began using the Winkel Tripel projection, which provides a slightly better balance between size and shape than the Robinson projection. Compromise projections like the Robinson or Winkle Tripel present the world in a more globe-like look and are strongly encouraged by geographers. These are the types of projections youll see on maps of continents or of the world today.

Informative Essay Sample on Chinese Ethical Systems

Informative Essay Sample on Chinese Ethical Systems Free sample essay on Chinese Ethical Systems: Throughout the world many philosophies have been created in order to better understand the world which we live in. These philosophies are all very interesting, but all are very different. Philosophies change not only through geography, but people from the same family may have very different philosophies. The Chinese have always been admired for their diverse philosophies. Three of the main philosophies of China are Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism. Confucius was a great philosopher who came from humble beginnings, but would later change the world with his ground breaking ideas and philosophies. Confucius believed that social and harmony could be achieved by focusing on five basic relationships: ruler and subject, father and son, husband and wife, older brother and younger brother, friend and friend. A certain code of conduct regulated each relationship. Confucius pressed the youth to practice filial piety. Confucius’ beliefs are the basis of an ethical system called Confucianism. Another well known philosophy is that of a man named Laozi. Laozi believed that all things are guided by a mystical force called the Dao, or â€Å"The Way.† Daoism teaches that one must follow the Dao. One must let everything happen naturally, for all is inevitable. Daoism is represented by three main beliefs: Yin and Yang, Wu Wei, and The Three Jewels. Yin and Yang represent the negative and positive principles of the universe. One cannot exist without the other. â€Å"There is no good without evil.† Wu Wei is doing all things so it seems effortless. This is much like following the natural flow of nature, or following the Dao. The Three Jewels are three characteristics that Taoists cherish: compassion, which leads to courage; moderation; which leads to generosity; and humility, which leads to leadership. On the contrary, Legalists believe that an efficient and powerful government is the key to order. Rewards should be given to hard workers, and disobedient peoples should be harshly punished. In Legalism, the law is the governing power, not the ruler. This system helped China to become unified and stay unified over a long period of time, even through terrible rulers. Though Legalism may not be the friendliest of ethical systems, it has proved to succeed where others have failed, by finally unifying China. So it is easy to see the differences in philosophies of the Chinese. Strengthen your relationships, follow the natural way, or stick to the law, these thoughts are the creations of ancient China’s greatest thinkers, greatest philosophers, greatest â€Å"lovers of wisdom.† They differ in ideas, focuses, and teachings.

Emily Davies, Advocate of Higher Education for Women

Emily Davies, Advocate of Higher Education for Women Known for:  founding Girton College,  advocate of womens higher educationDates: April 22, 1830 - July 13, 1921Occupation: educator, feminist, womens rights advocateAlso Known as: Sarah Emily Davies About Emily Davies Emily Davies was born in Southampton, England. Her father, John Davies, was a clergyman and her mother, Mary Hopkinson, a teacher. Her father was an invalid, suffering a nervous condition. In Emilys childhood, he ran a school in addition to his work in the parish.  Eventually, he gave up his clergy post and school to focus on writing. Emily Davies was privately educated typical for young women of that time. Her brothers were sent to school, but Emily and her sister Jane were educated at home, focusing mainly on household duties. She nursed two of her siblings, Jane and Henry, through their battles with tuberculosis. In her twenties, Emily Davies friends included Barbara Bodichon and Elizabeth Garrett, advocates of womens rights. She met Elizabeth Garrett through mutual friends, and Barbara Leigh-Smith Bodichon on a trip with Henry to Algiers, where Bodichon was also spending the winter.  The Leigh-Smith sisters seem to have been the first to introduce her to feminist ideas. Davies frustration at her own unequal educational opportunities was from that point directed into more political organizing for change for womens rights. Two of Emilys brothers died in 1858.  Henry died of tuberculosis which had marked his life, and William of wounds sustained in the fighting in the Crimea, though he had moved on to China before his death. She spent some time with her brother Llewellyn and his wife in London, where Llewellyn was a member of some circles that promoted social change and feminism.  She attended lectures of  Elizabeth Blackwell  with her friend Emily Garrett. In 1862, when her father died, Emily Davies moved to London with her mother. There, she edited a feminist publication, The Englishwomans Journal, for a time, and helped found the Victoria  magazine.  She published a paper on women in the medical profession for the Congress of the Social Science Organization.   Soon after moving to London, Emily Davies began working for the admission of women to higher education. She advocated for the admission of girls to London University and to Oxford and Cambridge. When she was given the opportunity, she found, on short notice, more than eighty female applicants to take exams at Cambridge; many passed and the success of the effort plus some lobbying led to opening the exams to women regularly.  She also lobbied for girls to be admitted to secondary schools.  In the service of that campaign, she was the first woman to appear as an expert witness at a royal commission. She also became involved in the wider womens rights movement, including advocating for womens suffrage. She helped organize for John Stuart Mills 1866 petition to Parliament for womens rights. That same year, she also wrote Higher Education for Women. In 1869, Emily Davies was part of a group that opened a womens college, Girton College, after several years of planning and organizing. In 1873 the institution moved to Cambridge. It was Britains first womens college. From 1873 to 1875, Emily Davies served as mistress of the college, then she spent thirty more years as Secretary to the college. This college became part of Cambridge University and began granting full degrees in 1940. She also continued her suffrage work. In 1906 Emily Davies headed a delegation to Parliament. She opposed the militancy of the Pankhursts and their wing of the suffrage movement. In 1910, Emily Davies published Thoughts on Some Questions Relating to Women. She died in 1921.

Personal Adornment Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personal Adornment Reflection - Essay Example I enrolled myself into the basketball team of the school and scouting, when going out for camps were a very integral part of my life. My clothes during that phase used to be mainly guided by sport wear. Bands, racer back T-shirts and colorful shorts captivated my entire sense of dressing. I still remember that I had only one set of formal and that I used to put on when attending Sunday masses at church. Time rolled on very fast and I was in college, the mid-summer days of my life. Fun, frolic, parties and specially, late-night parties were synonymous with the word ‘daily routine’ in my life. I started keeping long hairs, indulged into alcohol occasionally and started fagging as well. Needless to mention, late night parties were all about fagging grass and boozing outwardly. Capri and tattered Texas low waist jeans with message T-shirts became the inherent part of my day wear. I started feeling very comfortable in casuals and tried my best to avoid formals. This was also a very potent reason why I was getting drifted from my community programs and family gatherings during this phase of my life. I started using strong deodorants, bandannas, ear rings, toe rings, thumb rings and also did a brow piercing. In one word, I wanted to look very cool. If really belief and customs change the personality of an individual and affect his dressing sense, then I am the most evident example in this regards. I could never understand the way the wardrobe could have affected one’s life, unless it was too late and I was mixing with a circle which was funky but also infamous in the city for creating all sorts of nuisance during my early days in college. With low waist jeans on my hip and silver chains around, I actually lost the essence of the root, the dignity if my family values and the sense of pride my community has. Soon my family became the support system in my life and evolved as a savior in the most tumultuous hour of my life. A steady counseling, love an d care from my family, more and more interaction and regular attending of mass at the church of my community enabled me to understand that beauty or sense of being cool actually comes from the complete sense of persona. Wit, humor, intellect and looking neat and tidy can also make a man cool. Actually a man with a proper dressing sense at a proper place is always revered upon. Today, I aim to work with a big corporate of the nation after completing a few more days in college, and love to clad myself in formal attires. I am still a party animal but now I have learnt to maintain a proper balanced life and to attend parties and yes, of course, few of them get over late at nights. For parties as well my attires are generally three piece suits, party shirts and informal pants. Sometimes, party shirts with a sleek tie, a very good watch and different kinds of shades and aviators have replaced my funky accessories. I prefer mild perfumes rather than strong sports deodorants. Yes, I go for gym and during those times, I prefer shorts or tights along with sports T-shirts. It is very hard to comment upon the completeness of a personality. Yet, the dressing sense of a man does build his personality and makes him complete. And definitely, with the passage of time, values, customs and code of conducts imposed by society or community in

What does the tree represent and what does Melinda learn from her Essay

What does the tree represent and what does Melinda learn from her creation of a tree - Essay Example The significance of the tree in the book Speak, is the growth that it symbolizes for Melinda in the story. At first Melinda is unhappy with her choice to paint a tree, but Mr. Freeman tells her that she cannot choose another option as it is her destiny. Mr. Freeman also implies that one has to be at peace with one’s self before you will be at peace with the art that you create and this is significantly shown throughout the story as Melinda struggles to be happy with the tree’s that she paints and struggles to bring her tree’s to life. It is clear to see that the author of the book deliberately chose for Melinda’s artwork to be about a tree as a tree is the symbol of life. In this book the tree first symbolizes death as Melinda seems to be struggling and wilting on the inside after the rape that she had endured. Melinda’s art also follows a pattern of death to life One example of Melissa’s painted trees reflecting her tortured mind is after th e pep rally where Melinda’s art consists of painted watercolors of trees that have been hit by lightning and is so dark that you can almost not see the trees. This is a symbol of the torment, teasing and daily struggles that Melinda faces in school from her previous friends as well as from certain teachers. The darkness also represents Melinda’s struggle to keep the secret that she is hiding in the dark as she is not willing to speak up about it. The painting of trees by Melinda and the story that unfolds in the book go hand in hand as Melinda’s painting projects her frame of mind and the turmoil inside of her. The greatest contributing factor to Melinda’s struggle is the Antagonist Andy Evans who had viciously raped Melinda at Kyle Rogers end of summer party, which forced Melinda to call the police. This incident led to Melinda being an outcast as her friends

Toulmin analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Toulmin analysis - Assignment Example This is because the former keep the peroxide or whitening agent against the teeth for the longest duration of time (TTWK, 2009). Backing in the form of support for the warrant, are that: whiter teeth enhance the personality, help to establish a better image of oneself, improves one’s social life, and boosts confidence, all of which lead to a better quality of life. Qualifiers: Stains on the teeth occur as a result of drinking red wine, coffee and cola. However, they may be caused by other reasons as well such as the use of tobacco, improper brushing of teeth, or drinking tea. Therefore, the qualified claim is that the most significant causes, though perhaps not the only causes of staining of the teeth are: drinking red wine, coffee and cola. Interpreting the results using the Toulmin Analysis above, indicates that the overall effectiveness of the argument appears to be strong, with a structured support. The argument presented by the manufacturers of Smile Brite teeth whitener appears compelling regarding its high levels of convenience, effectiveness, and ultimate usefulness in improving overall quality of life. According to ADA (2009), recent research conducted by Cochrane collaboration reveals that home-use teeth whiteners have short-term effectiveness in whitening teeth, but further research is required on the long-term outcomes and side effects of their use. The Toulmin Analysis is a useful tool for researchers and writers, since the various parts of an argument: the claim, data/ support and warrants, and the qualifiers, rebuttals and backing for the warrants can be analysed and compared separately. The validity of each argument of other authors, as well as a thorough analysis of the writer’s own arguments results in a critical research study of a topic (Hitchcock & Verheij,

Asian philosphy Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Asian philosphy - Article Example This is quite iterating as yoga is becoming more accepted globally, and it will beneficial to know where the tradition comes from and how it has benefited individuals from a variety of backgrounds. In addition, I am particularly interested in Buddhism as I understand it one of the five main religions of the world, and most predominate through much of Asia, yet little is known about it outside of the East. Buddhist philosophy contains many great principles and ideals for living. While it might be different than the beliefs I am used to, it is nonetheless important to understand where the philosophy comes from and why so many people in Asia have chosen to follow its teachings. In short, it appears that this course is going to teach me a great deal about how to respect other philosophies and cultures. By opening my eyes and truly deciding to grasp that which I am taught, I will hopefully be a much better person in the end for having taken this

Abortion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Abortion - Essay Example serious problems, such as when the birth of a child can result in the death of his/her mother or the child was conceived through rape and its birth will have an extremely negative role on the rest of the woman’s life. Nevertheless, despite the fact that the supporters of abortion point out rather strong factors in favor of abortion, it is necessary to take into account the fact that it is primarily about human life that is recognized as priceless by all. The high incidence of abortions as the most simple solution to the problem has led to the fact that partly a childs life has lost its meaning and significance as a gift of God or a gift of nature (depending on how one perceives the birth). This problem did not exist until 1912 because before 1912, there were no laws against abortion (London). Despite the adoption of various laws on abortion, the problem is that abortion is still being applied even in cases when the birth of a child shall not be a threat to the physical or ment al health of the mother and is justified from a practical point of view (too early pregnancy, physical complexity, condemned by the parents, etc.). Given all this, one can confidently assert that abortion is an extremely negative phenomenon and its evaluation should be primarily negative. Justification for abortion is only possible in some cases, namely, if the birth of a child will lead to the death of the mother or cause deep psychological trauma that can lead in tragic consequences in the woman’s life. As noted above, the proponents of abortion can point out many arguments in favor of their position. In particular, one of the first argument can appeal to the fact that nature itself provides the means for a natural abortion. Natural abortion can occur as a result of the inability of a woman to bear a child, her poor health, bad heredity, etc. Thus, even nature suggests the possibility of miscarriage. For this reason, one cannot blame the doctors that they offer women the opportunity to

Asian philosphy Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Asian philosphy - Article Example This is quite iterating as yoga is becoming more accepted globally, and it will beneficial to know where the tradition comes from and how it has benefited individuals from a variety of backgrounds. In addition, I am particularly interested in Buddhism as I understand it one of the five main religions of the world, and most predominate through much of Asia, yet little is known about it outside of the East. Buddhist philosophy contains many great principles and ideals for living. While it might be different than the beliefs I am used to, it is nonetheless important to understand where the philosophy comes from and why so many people in Asia have chosen to follow its teachings. In short, it appears that this course is going to teach me a great deal about how to respect other philosophies and cultures. By opening my eyes and truly deciding to grasp that which I am taught, I will hopefully be a much better person in the end for having taken this

STOCK EVALUATION Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

STOCK EVALUATION - Assignment Example The company’s stocks are traded at New York Stock Exchange and it also forms one of the companies in Dow Jones Industrial Average, and the S&P 500. The company’s total revenue for the year 2011 was over USD 67.41 billon with a net operating income and net income of USD 12.75 billion and USD 11 billion respectively. Its total asset and equity for the year 2011 was USD 189 billion and USD 81.19 billion respectively. Between the year 2000 and 2011, the company has regularly paid dividends to its shareholders, quarterly, with Average dividend of 0.19, Maximum dividend of 0.32, and Minimum dividend of 0.09. Economic Analysis The State of Overall Economy The economic analysis of a business comprises of analyzing not only the fundamentals of the business, but the overall Macro-economic as well as Micro-economic factors. It is also known as the top down approach because a stock analyst observes the macro and micro economic variable like, GDP, inflation rate, Repo rates, Interes t rates, consumer spending, various indices, political and economic stability, government policies, competitors, industry performance, etc. to judge the overall state of business, by analyzing first the Macro factors and then the micro factors – industry and competitors and then the company. ... It has direct impact on the consumer borrowing and lending. So, the lower rates encourages more borrowing and consequently creating more jobs and leading to economic growth. Consumer spending – It depends on the fiscal budget prepared by the government every year. The budget allocated to each sector of economy determines the retail prices, which is higher than wholesale prices. Thus, consumers will be encouraged to spend more when retail prices for the goods and services are lower. Higher spending will create more demand and more jobs that will expand the growth of economy and increase the GDP. Inflation – It is condition when the overall prices goods and services increases due to various reasons including demand-supply mismatch, increased government spending, etc. High inflation rates reduce the real value of money and hence low inflation rates are favorable for economic prosperity. Industry Analysis Nature of Industry The nature of the pharmaceutical industry is that this industry develops or produces and markets generic or branded drugs with the license for the use in various medicines. The most important part of this industry is the Drug License Authority that clears drug licenses of the companies belonging to the industry and the drug patenting. The regulations regarding testing, efficiency, patents, marketing of drugs is guided by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States. Major Competitors Some of the major players in the industry are GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, Abbott Laboratories, and Eli Lilly. According to a study conducted in 2008, Pfizer topped the list of pharmaceutical companies all over the world and emerged as the market leader. It was followed by Novartis from Switzerland and

The Epistemology of Hume and Kant Essay Example for Free

The Epistemology of Hume and Kant Essay According to David Hume, the perceptions of the mind can be divided into two classes that are â€Å"distinguished by their different degrees of force and vivacity† (Hume, 2, 12). These two classes Hume designates as Thoughts (or Ideas) and Impressions. Ideas are â€Å"less lively perceptions† and Impressions are the â€Å"more lively perceptions. † Kant assumes that Ideas are merely weaker copies of Impressions. According to Hume, â€Å"the most lively thought is still inferior to the dullest sensation† (2, 11 par. 1). The remembrance of perception is merely a copy of actual perception, and all ideas are merely weaker copies of Impressions. Hume explains that it will seem that thought is unbounded and limitless, but actually thought is â€Å"confined within very narrow limits. † The apparent boundless creativity of the mind comes from â€Å"compounding, transposing, augmenting, or diminishing the materials afforded us by the senses and experience† (2, 13 par. 1-2). By this Hume means that no matter how far-fetched the products of imagination becomes, all ideas are connected and ultimately traceable to an Impression or Impressions. (3, 18). According to Hume, the mind normally connects ideas with each other through one or more of three basic principles: Resemblance, Contiguity, and Cause-and-Effect (3, 19), and that â€Å"all reasonings concerning matter of fact seem to be founded on the relation of Cause and Effect. † (4. 1, 22). However, Hume claims knowledge of cause and effect, without exception, is never attained by a priori reasoning. All knowledge of cause and effect comes entirely from experience. (4. 1, 23 par. 2). â€Å"Every effect is a distinct event from its cause. It could not, therefore, be discovered in the cause. † (4. 1, 25, par. 2). All reasoning can be categorized into two: demonstrative reasoning (concerning relations of ideas) and (intuitive) moral reasoning (concerning matter of fact and existence). Hume points out that all thought concerning existence are based on cause-and-effect, which in turn is based entirely on experience. Any conclusions that we derive from experience are based on the assumption that events of the future will conform to events of the past. (4. 2, 30 par. 2). However, this is not intuitive nor demonstrative (4. 2, 32). For instance, there is no process of argument through which, for instance, a person can conclude that whenever a billiard ball is hit by another billiard ball, it will move. (4. 2, 33 par 2). Even a highly intelligent person who for the first time observes the world would witness a sequence of events but would not be able to determine any cause and effect relationships between what he witnesses. â€Å"Such a person, without more experience, could never employ his conjecture or reasoning concerning any matter of fact, or be assured of anything beyond what was immediately present to his memory and senses. † But eventually, through experience, he will be able to form conclusions about the cause-and-effect relationships of events and objects. (5. 1, 35 par 1). According to Hume, the principle through which a person can form these conclusions is Custom or Habit (5. 1, 36). Hume’s concluding words are that any piece of literature that does not have â€Å"abstract reasoning concerning quantity or number† nor â€Å"experimental reasoning concerning matter of fact and existence† â€Å"†¦can contain nothing but sophistry and illusion. † The nature of knowledge according to Immanuel Kant For Immanuel Kant, knowledge (and thus reality) is constructed by the mind, not passively derived through the senses. In other words, the mind shapes the world. Kants Critique of Pure Reason is an attempt to answer the problems of the nature of knowledge—what it is and how it is obtained. Kant looks at the relationship between a priori knowledge, or knowledge based on reason alone, and a posteriori knowledge, or knowledge gained from the world. According to Kant, we have a priori intuitions and concepts. We have innate, logical knowledge, and this knowledge enables us to grasp a posteriori knowledge, to â€Å"understand† the external world. For example, Kants view is that space and time are just mental constructs, that space and time are forms of seeing, which serves as a precept to our experiences (Kant, a20-a23, a25-a38). Another example is the notion of causality, which in Kants view is a form of organizing mechanism that we impose upon nature to render it understandable (2a1-2a19). Kant argued that reality, as we perceive it, cannot be accounted for purely by sense perception. Kant holds that what we refer to and perceive as the external world is an artifice of the mind. His argument is that the mind itself contributes substantially to, and even synthesizes, its own knowledge (i11). According to Kant, the appearances of things are â€Å"objects of intuition†, which is one form of (mental) representation. For him this includes physical sensations (such as pain). Kants view is that appearances do not exist by themselves, but only relatively to external reality. That is, appearances do not exist independently of the human power of representation (t21). According to this view, the world, as we perceive it, is not actual reality, but is a phenomenon of actual reality as constructed by the mind. He argues that the shape of an object, for example, does not come from the object itself, but comes from us, as a result of interaction with the object Sensory input needs to be processed and recognized through the filter of the mind or it would not mean anything to us. For Kant, there are things-in-themselves, which exist independently of the human mind, and appearances, which exist only in the mind. The existence of appearances, according to Kant, entails the existence of things-in-themselves, but not in the way that we know. Thus, since the existence of things-in-themselves is just a hypothesis, the relationship of our perceptions to actual reality remains suspect, and we can never really be sure if what we perceive are not just purely constructs of the mind (p38). Hence, for him, we can never really know the â€Å"true† reality, because this reality is only perceived as it is filtered through our senses, senses that structure reality. We can only gain knowledge of appearances. Criticism of Hume There are some important difficulties in Hume’s work that he fails to address. One flaw in Hume’s arguments that Kant points out is that one of Hume’s fundamental assumptions is that perceptions (or Impressions) correspond exactly to the â€Å"real† world, although for many other philosophers the very nature of reality was a problem. Another is that Hume assumes that all knowledge comes from experience, but the notion of causation and necessity are also not explained by Hume, who claims that everything that one knows is ultimately traceable to the senses. It can be argued that the perception of causation and necessity come from a priori knowledge. References Hume, David. â€Å"An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding. † 23 Dec 2006. http://www. gutenberg. org/dirs/etext06/8echu10. txt. Kant, Immanuel. â€Å"Critique of Pure Reason. †

Gender Relationships in Shakespeares Plays

Gender Relationships in Shakespeares Plays The subject of gender relationships within the work of Shakespeare became a matter of lively debate during the last quarter of the twentieth century and continues to be an area that attracts much scholarship and controversy. Perceptions that early modern society was antithetical to any exercise of power by women must be counterbalanced by the knowledge that, until 1603, a woman, Queen Elizabeth, held the ultimate power in England. Recent research has increasingly revealed that across this society a significant number of women held economic and social power and so the idea that Shakespeare reflects a society in which women area powerless and oppressed group is one which must be treated with somecaution. Shakespeares work presents a wide variety of female characters and the ways in which they have been perceived has altered over the four hundred years since the plays and poems were written. Play scripts areparticularly susceptible to re-interpretation and in many ways such interpretations reflect as much about their own historical period asabout the one in which the plays were originally written. Each age finds its own relationship with Shakespeare and so it could be arguedthat the question of whether Shakespeares women are regarded as strongor weak is inevitably influenced as much by the gender issues of the present time as by the time in which they were originally created. It is important not to assume that we can read Shakespeares women characters as examples of how women were treated in the period in which the work was written (Barker Kamps, 1995, 5), but rather to use the information that we have about the early modern period in order to see the characterisation of fictional ch aracters as they relate to the constraints which operated on real women of the period.It is also necessary to be aware that, with any dramatic texts, the interventions of actors, directors and current audience expectationscan radically alter the ways in which fictional characters are judged. It is the intention of this dissertation to give a brief introduction to the conventional views of women during the early modern period. Some scholars, such as Lisa Jardine (1989), Jean E. Howard (1988) and Juliet Dusinberre (1996), have argued that the way in which Shakespeare created women characters was in part determined by the fact that they were represented by boy players on the stage. However, it is hoped that by including a discussion of the narrative poem, The Rape of Lucrece, which was not intended for stage production, this dissertation will emphasise a continuity among Shakespeares female characters that goes beyond the necessities of the stage. The discussion will also focus on three of Shakespeares great tragedies, written during at the peak of his career, when his work had become popular amongst a large audience. The popularity of Hamlet, King Lear and Macbeth has enduredover four centuries and these plays continue to reach wide audiencesand have a significant influenc e on current views of Shakespeares women. In early modern England, notions about female gender roles tended to be constructed by two forms of discourse: the theological and themedical. Theological sermons and pamphlets emphasised the biblicalinjunctions that women should be silent and obedient and that they were subject to the authority of their husbands. Callaghan (1989, 9) arguesthat Renaissance society was profoundly hierarchical and that the chain of authority extended from God, via the monarch, to men and women who were expected to conduct their household relationships inconformity with the idea that women were subject the authority of their fathers and husbands. Belsey (1985, 9) emphasises that men and women are not symmetrically defined. Man, the centre and hero of liberal humanism, was produced in contradistinction to the objects of his knowledge, and in terms of the relations of power in the economy and the state. Woman was produced in contradistinction to man,and in terms of the relations of power in the family. These relationships were worked out in the public and private spheres in the requirement that, in terms of the economy and the state,women should be voiceless, and within the family they should be subjec tto their husbands, fathers and other male relatives. Thus, Newman (1991, 134) argues: Talk in women then is dangerous because it is perceived as ausurpation of multiple forms of authority, a threat to order and malesovereignty, to masculine control of commodity exchange, to a desiredhegemonic male sexuality. The extent of this perceived threat may begauged by the strict delegation of the talking woman to the carefullydefined and delimited spheres of private and domestic life in which thehusband was exhorted to rule. In early modern medical texts, the classical theories of Galen andAristotle, in which the female was regarded as in imperfect version of the male, predominated. Aughterson, (1995, 42) argues that the Galenictheories of the humours †¦ effectively continued to assign woman aninferior physiological state to that of man. Howard (2003, 419)observes that men and women were not assumed to be innately different,but rather were viewed as more perfect and less perfect versions of thesame prototype. From these constructions of physiological theory camethe idea that male and female were so intimately related that they werepotentially capable of transmutation: Stories exist from the early modern period recording cases in which,when women supposedly became overheated in running or jumping, malegenitalia would erupt from inside their bodies. (Howard, 2003, 419). That Shakespeare was aware of these ideas and utilised them in hischaracterisations of men and women is demonstrated when Hamlet isconcerned about his feminisation (Rose, 1995, 116), and when LadyMacbeth refutes her femininity: Come, you Spirits / That tend onmortal thoughts, unsex me here (Macbeth I.v.40-41). The term weaker vessel originates from the Bible and can beeffectively seen to straddle both theological and the physiologicaltheories about the relationships between women and men, as isillustrated from the following extract from a homily, dated 1562,designed to be the required reading at marriage ceremonies: St Peter giveth his precept saying: you husbands deal with yourwives according to knowledge, giving honour to the wife as unto theweaker vessel, and as unto them that are heirs also of the grace oflife, that your prayers be not hindered [1 Peter 3). †¦ For the womanis a weak creature, not endued with like strength and constancy ofmind, therefore they be the sooner disquieted, and they be the moreprone to all weak affections and dispositions of the mind, more thanmen be, and lighter they be, and more vain in their fancies andopinions. (An Homily of the State of Matrimony, 1562, from Aughterson, 1995, 23.) This essentially conservative and restrictive view of women was held,in spite of, or perhaps because of the upheaval and unrest of Englandat that time. Early modern England was a society in transition and thedisquiet that came with modernisation often led to reactive measuresdesigned to uphold the status quo. The sumptuary laws, in which modesof dress were prescribed in order to maintain class differences, can beread as an attempt to rein back an increasing level of socialmobility. Similarly, the discourse of gender difference has beeninterpreted as an essentially conservative reaction to social change: Time and again in these plays, we see crucial social problemspresented in relation to a central conflict involving genderopposition. Furthermore, since that opposition entails a fundamentalhierarchy (male superiority and female subordination), its function, interms of the dominant ideology is to reinforce the status quo. Yetthis function is problematic. Female inferiority was not an undebatedcultural given. It was fiercely contested†¦Callaghan (1989, p.11): Recent research supports this argument. The discourse of malesuperiority and female subordination must be seen in a historicalcontext in which a significant number of women had influence in thewider society. There were many wealthy women who wielded greateconomic power; some women participated in the workplace through guildmembership; a significant number of households were headed by women;and a number of women in various part of the country also participatedin parliamentary elections (Rackin, 19-20). It is necessary,therefore, to balance this kind of historical evidence against therhetorical evidence that we find in contemporary texts. The attempt toprescribe and define female roles and responsibilities reflects ananxious reaction to social change, an attempt to arrest progress andestablish a conservative status quo. These anxieties and the contestedground concerning the acceptable role of women in early modern societyinevitably affects the presentation of women in the plays and poe try ofthe period. In reading Shakespeares texts, it is possible to discoveraspects of the discourse of patriarchal authority as well as evidenceof womens power as agents in their own destinies. Whilst the notionof woman as the weaker vessel often informs the construction ofcharacter in Shakespeares work, I intend to argue that a closeexamination reveals that, in spite of the social restraints placed uponthem, these women often reveal a strength that goes beyond anythingthat may be expected. 2 The Rape of Lucrece Shakespeares narrative poem, The Rape of Lucrece, is based onclassical sources in Livy and Ovid and so there are some necessaryconstraints upon the actual plot of the poem. For example, Lucrecessuicide derives from the source materials and, in the context of LivysThe History of Rome from Its Foundation, this event is instrumental inending the reign of kings and instituting the Roman Republic. It isnecessary, therefore, to understand that the classical story primarilyexemplifies the abuse of tyrannical rulers and has a deeply politicalsignificance. While St Augustine later argued that the suicide ofLucrece was, from a Christian theological standpoint, culpable,nonetheless in the classical world Lucreces death was celebrated asboth tragic and heroic (Hendricks, 2000). We must, therefore,distinguish between the story that Shakespeare inherited and what hehas done with it as a narrative: to discuss Lucreces suicide as thoughit were an optional plot device is to misunderstand the nature o f thesource material. It is a given that Lucrece will commit suicide, butthe way in which Shakespeare has constructed the narrative and the waythat he has characterised the participants in this story carries aweight of significance. The poem concentrates not so much on theexternal events of the story, but on the internal experience of thecharacters or, as Maus (1986, 67) comments, the poem concentrates notupon action but upon what happens in the interstices between theâ€Å"important† moments when two people [make] important decisions. There are two significant tropes within this poem that are crucial tothe portrayal of Lucreces character and are pertinent to the questionof her strength. One of these tropes has been discussed by CoppeliaKahn (1995, 42) where she argues that Shakespeare clearly blames menfor exercising several kinds of unfair advantages over women and thathe leans heavily on the traditional conception of womans physical,moral and intellectual inferiority to ma n. She is referring to thepassage in which men are compared with marble and women with wax: For men have marble, women waxen minds, And therefore are they formed as marble will. The weak oppressed, thimpression of strange kinds Is formed in them by force, by fraud, or skill. Then call them not the authors of their ill, No more than wax shall be accounted evil Wherein is stamped the semblance of a devil. (1240-1246) Kahn (1995, 23) argues that Lucrece is the victim of a patriarchalsystem and that Shakespeare uses the patriarchy of the classical worldto mirror his contemporary society. The trope of the marble and thewax therefore emphasises the pliability of women and their inability tohave any control over their destiny in a patriarchal society that soseverely restricts their power to act, or even to take moralresponsibility for themselves. In Kahns reading, Lucrece does,indeed, seem to have taken a waxlike impression of societys valueswith respect to her status as her husbands possession and the way inwhich she sees herself as a de-valued object when she is tainted orstained by rape. However, the poem also proposes an alternativetrope that seems crucial to an understanding of the nature of women.At the pivotal moment when Tarquin has entered Lucreces bedroom anddisclosed his intention to rape her, Shakespeare introduces a picturethat may call into question the comparable strengths of men and wo men:that of the marble and the water. Until this moment, the poem is constructed to show the readerTarquins point of view. One stanza particularly creates a directidentification between the reader and Tarquin: So that in ventring ill we leave to be The things we are for that which we expect; And this ambitious foul infirmity, In having much, torments us with defect Of that we have: so we do neglect The thing we have; and all, for want of wit, Make something nothing by augmenting it. (148-154) By using we †¦ we †¦ we †¦ us †¦ we †¦we †¦ we, Shakespeare removes thespace between Tarquin and the reader, implicating the reader in thekind of rash risk-taking action where Tarquin is shown pawning hishonour to obtain his lust (156). Similarly, in Tarquins inner debateregarding whether he should carry out his intention to rape Lucrece(181-301) and in his reaction when he sees her asleep (365-441), thereader has full access to his thoughts and emotions, while Lucrece ispresented as an object whose external attributes are described inextensive detail yet to whose inner experience there is no access.The blazon description of Lucrece as she sleeps does indeed bear outNancy Vickerss (1985, 96) assertion that the canonical legacy ofdescription in praise of beauty is, after all, a legacy shapedpredominantly by male imagination for the male imagination; it is, inlarge part, the product of men talking to men about women. The firstthird of the poem does, indeed , present Lucrece as a silent presence, athing talked about, but apparently without a voice of her own. Yet the crucial turning point of the poem occurs when she is awoken byTarquin. This act of awakening coincides with the sudden access thatis given to the reader to Lucreces inner experience and her voice inthe poem. Until this point, the poem attributes some reported speechto her, but the first time when her words are recorded as direct speechoccurs in the stanza which begins Quoth she†¦ (575). From this pointonward, the narrative becomes intensely concerned with Lucreces innerexperience, in her perception of the harm done to herself and herhusband as well as in her decision to commit suicide. Hercontemplation of a painting of the siege of Troy similarly enables thereader to identify with her as a person who is imaginatively engagedwith a work of art and as a person who is able to argue about moral andphilosophical issues in her own mind. It is at this point of apparent trans formation in the readersperception of Lucrece when Shakespeare introduces his second tropewhich, I believe, is crucial to the portrayal of Lucrece, when thepoems narrator comments: Tears harden lust, though marble wear withraining (560). Although this is ostensibly a comment on Lucrecesinability to deflect Tarquin from his course by her tears and pleas, itsimultaneously proposes that even the hardness and permanence of marblecan be worn down by something as seemingly soft as water. The Galenichumoural system opposed the wet, female humour with the dry, malehumour and so this picture of water that eventually erodes marble canbe seen not just as an inversion of the hard = strong / soft = weakequation, but also as a specific reference to the wet and dry humoursof men and women. When viewed in the long term, water is stronger thanmarble and this image is re-iterated, when Lucrece herself takes up theimage: For stones dissolved to water do convert (592). AlthoughLucreces pleas for mercy are ineffective in this moment, her wordsnevertheless alert the reader to the relative strengths of stone andwater in the longer term and later her realisation that Time can wastehuge stones with little water drops (959) leads her to curse Tarquin: Disturb his hours of rest with restless trances; Afflict him in his bed with bedrid groans; Let there bechance him pitiful mischances To make him moan, but pity not his moans. Stone him with hardned hearts harder than stones, And let mild women to him lose their mildness, Wilder to him than tigers in their wildness. (967-973) . Atthis point, then, Lucreces line of thought has linked the image ofhearts harder than stones with the reversal of mild women who are nolonger helpless prey, but instead predatory tigers. In the early partof the poem, Lucrece is persistently depicted as a passive victim andthis is emphasised by twin images of predator and prey, such as thenight owl and the dove (360), a serpent and a sleeping woman (362-3), afalcon and a fowl (506-7), a cockatrice and a hind (540-3), a cat and amouse (554-5), a wolf and a lamb (679). Although Lucrece is physicallyunable to protect herself from Tarquin, after he leaves, this imageryis no longer used and Lucrece gains an active voice and a moralpresence that eventually lead her to the act of suicide. Henricks(2000, 115), comments that Shakespeare gives Lucrece a psychologicalcomplexity, interiority and self-awareness. The presentation of Lucreces moral complexity seems to be at oddswith the men in the narrative. Her husband is depicted as a man who isat fault from his initial boasting of his wife as a materialpossession, thereby exposing her to thieves (29-35), and he is laterdescribed as the hopeless merchant of this loss (1659). His finalignominy is the ridiculous squabble with Lucretius over ownership: The one doth call her his, the other his; Yet neither may possess the claim they lay. The father says, Shes mine. O mine she is, Replies her husband: do not take away My sorrows interest; let no mourner say He weeps for her, for she was only mine, And only must be wailed by Collatine. (1793-1799) Brutus takes the knife from Lucreces side and burying in Lucrecewound his follys show (1810), he begins to admonish Collatine andLucretius. In this way, her death is presented as having a redemptivesignificance, not only for Brutus, but also for Rome itself. Although,within the Christian theological tradition, suicide is condemned,nonetheless Shakespeare deliberately chose as his theme a story inwhich a suicide has a positive political effect and is placed within aheroic tradition. The Rape of Lucrece depicts a woman in her most vulnerable moment whois unable to resist her enemy. Yet it could be argued that she trulyfinds a way of fulfilling her assertion that I am the mistress of myfate (1069). Lucrece, though she is entirely situated within apatriarchal discourse that constructs her as her husbands possession,is neither silent nor weak. Finally, like water on marble, she has asubtle strength. 3. Hamlet In the play, Hamlet, Shakespeare presents the audience with two femalecharacters who are quite unlike Lucrece. It has been noted thatLucrece undergoes a transition from her initial silence and is given avoice and an interior life that dominates more than half of the poem.Yet Gertrude and Ophelia, in contrast, are chiefly characterised byhaving very little to say. Showalter (1985, 78) says of Ophelia: She appears in only five of the plays twenty scenes; the pre-playcourse of her love story with Hamlet is known only by a few ambiguousflashbacks. Her tragedy is subordinated in the play; unlike Hamlet,she does not struggle with moral choices or alternatives. Lisa Jardine (1995, 316) makes a similar point about Gertrude, thatshe speaks fewer lines than any other major character in the play.It is therefore incumbent upon the audience or reader to fill in thegaps for these characters, who say so little for themselves. It may beargued that both Gertrude and Ophelia are presented as conforming to anearly modern stereotype of correct feminine behaviour and that theirpresence within a patriarchal society has had the effect of deprivingthem of the opportunity for either action or speech. It seems that Ophelia is the character who most epitomises theposition of a woman who is controlled by the patriarchal structuresaround her. She is presented as a woman of virtue who is obedient toher father and brother. Her reticence in the first scene in which shespeaks is effectively demonstrated by an extreme economy of words.When Laertes departs for France, her speeches are limited to halflines, single lines and pairs of lines as she receives instructionsf rom Polonius and Laertes regarding her behaviour. Although PhyllisRackin (2000, 22) has recently questioned the scholarly consensus thatrespectable women were expected to stay at home, that they wereeconomically dependent on fathers and husbands, and that they weresubjected to constant surveillance by jealous men, obsessively anxiousabout their sexual fidelity, it is nonetheless true that both fatherand brother are preoccupied by the risk of Ophelia losing her virginityand thus ruining herself and bringing dishonour to her male relatives.Ophelia has only one speech of longer than two lines in which toexpress her reaction to these instructions, but her initial obedienceturns into a comment upon male hypocrisy: I shall theffect of this good lesson keep As watchman to my heart. But good my brother, Do not as some ungracious pastors do, Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven, Whiles like a puffd and reckless libertine Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads, And recks not his own rede. (I.iii.45-51) Poloniuss subsequent conversation with Ophelia confirms this view,but he is plain about her responsibilities to him and unapologeticabout the double standards that operate in this society. He begins byreferring to the need for Ophelia to protect her own honour (I.iii.97),but he then moves on to his real concern: Tender yourself more dearly/ Or †¦ youll tender me a fool (I.iii107-109). Shortly afterwards hestates: For the Lord Hamlet, Believe so much in him that he is young, And with a larger tether may he walk Than may be given you. (I.iii.122-126) Ophelia has the last line in this scene and it is at least outwardly- an expression of compliance: I shall obey, my lord (I.iii.136).However, her conversation with Polonius makes it clear that she hasbeen conducting a relationship with Hamlet for which she had not soughther fathers prior permission. This is perhaps an example of thecomplexities of courtship and marriage that existed in early modernEngland. On one hand, there is evidence that arranged marriage wasprobably still the norm in practice, even though marrying for lovebecomes the ideal on stage (Belsey, 2002, 129); but on the other handthere is also evidence that a more uncertain situation existed wherepreliminary decisions were made by the young people; the parents wereusually brought into the discussion only later'(Amussen, 1999, 94) .Ophelias behaviour suggests that the latter was a more accuratedescription of her situation. Ophelias ability to express herself continues to be severelyrestricted throughout the scene in w hich she is confronted by Hamlet(III.i) and in the Mouse Trap scene (III.ii). However, she doeseventually find a voice, and it is through her madness that she isfinally able to confront the ultimate embodiment of male authority: theking. Ophelias use of folk songs as a way of expressing a sexualisedsensibility is in stark contrast to the verbal control of her earlierscenes, yet the meaning of her words carries the same message, asHattaway (2002, 114) comments: what is significant is its exposure ofthe double standard: a man gains honour among his own sex by virtue ofsexual conquests, while by the same activity a woman loses hers. Thiscontradiction can be seen as central to the character of Ophelia and itultimately destroys her. Showalter (1985, 91) comments that somefeminists have regarded Ophelias madness as a form of protest andrebellion. For many feminist theorists, she states, the madwomanis a heroine, a powerful figure who rebels against the family and thesocial order. It is al so possible, however, to argue that Opheliascryptic comments on her plight are contained by her madness and thatany attempt to operate outside of the strictures of patriarchy isforeclosed by her death. Ophelias madness has proved to be apowerful symbol of female insanity over the last four centuries: wecould provide a manual of female insanity by chronicling illustrationsof Ophelia; this is so because the illustrations of Ophelia have playeda major role in the theoretical construction of female insanity'(Showalter, 1985, 80). With the benefit of four hundred years ofhindsight, therefore, Ophelias madness has attained a symbolicsignificance which is a contested site of meaning. Gertrudes part in the play has also provoked a great deal of commentand controversy. Jardine (1995, 316) comments upon the phenomenon ofblame that has become attached to Gertrude. Hamlets apparentobsession with her behaviour has been the subject of muchpsychoanalytical interpretation. However, the recent empha sis onviewing early modern literature within a historicist framework haspresented an alternative to the essentially anachronistic process ofapplying a nineteenth century theoretical framework to a seventeenthcentury play. With a greater historical awareness, it is possible toview Hamlets concerns in a different way: the anxiety about hismothers behaviour that preoccupies him and distracts him from hisostensible duty to avenge the death of his father can be explained byhis mothers apparently unfeminine and inappropriate sexuality.Hamlet describes Gertrudes relationship with Claudius as hot, lustfuland bestial: Nay, but to live In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed, Stewd in corruption, honeying and making love Over the nasty sty! (III.iv.91-94) Disgusted by the physical evidence Gertrudes sexuality, Hamlet hasthree issues with his mothers behaviour: he has identified that she ishot (a sign of masculinity in Galens humoural system), he is concernedat the speed with which she has transferred her affiliation from oldHamlet to Claudius (thus refuting the requirement that women should beconstant); and she also seems to behave with too much liberty. As isclear from Poloniuss rebuke to Ophelia, men could be permitted agreater freedom, but a womans freedom to act was severelycircumscribed. Gertrudes lack of restraint is seen by Hamlet asdangerous, both socially and politically. Hamlet is therefore dismayedby the fact that his mother is behaving in such a way as to go beyondthe conventional requirements of feminine behaviour and that she is, inhis eyes, encroaching onto male territory. Though it is true thatGertrude does not have many lines, her role is crucial to Hamletsstate of mind and to his ability to act in a way that he perce ives asmanly. In marrying Claudius, Gertrude has also retained politicalpower as queen and this has almost certainly had the effect of barringHamlet from inheriting the throne from his dead father. It can beargued, then, that in her relationship with Hamlet she has a level ofpersonal and political power that is the cause of his inability to takethe action that feels is necessary to avenge the death of his father. Gertrude and Ophelia, though they have relatively few lines, both havepivotal roles to play in Hamlet. Their influence over the outcome ofthe play is far in excess of the number of lines spoken by them. Bothof them are seen to go beyond what was the conventionally idealisedfeminine roles ascribed to them by early modern society. That theirbehaviour causes anxiety in the male characters in the play is clear:Laertes, Polonius, Claudius and Hamlet are all preoccupied by theirbehaviour, yet are unable to exert the necessary control thatpatriarchal power structures require of th em. Although the socialnorms of patriarchy are clearly inscribed into this play, the womencharacters display a level of non-conformity that enables them tosubvert the power structures that seek to restrain them. Shakespearehas inscribed into this play a complexity of characterisation in bothGertrude and Ophelia that denies the simplistic category of femaleweakness into which their society might have tried to fit them. 4. King Lear Ann Thompson (1991, 125) has commented on the difficulties thatthis play creates in that too much critical attention has turned KingLear into a play exclusively or primarily about male power, butKathleen McLuskie (1985, 103) argues that the text containspossibilities for subverting these meanings and the potential forreconstructing them in feminist terms. In the opening scene of theplay, we are presented with what McLuskie refers to as a love test,based on the structure of a folk tale. The King creates a situationwhereby the fate of his kingdom and his daughters depends upon theirverbal declarations of love. However, if the ideal type of womanhood,as defined in early modern society, lies in its silence and modestrestraint, is could be argued that Lear is tempting his daughters intoerror by requiring such public verbal displays. He exposes hisdaughters to the unseemliness of a living woman conveying her feelingsin a public format (Barker Kamps, 1995, 4). Shakespeare is thusproblemati sing Lears behaviour from the outset: he embarks upon acourse that demands that his daughters prove their love by floutingpatriarchal conventions. The women are thus trapped: whatever they sayor do not say, they run the risk of disobedience, either to theirfather or to the wider requirements of proper feminine behaviour. In Lears three daughters and their responses to this situation, weare presented with alternative types of female behaviour and the playalso focuses attention on their agency as it relates to the patriarchalstructures within which they operate. The play could be said to be anillustration of the weakness and folly of two old men Lear andGloucester who, as their physical powers diminish, lose their socialand political powers as well. Just as the source of womens weaknesscan be traced to their bodies, so it might be argued that a bodilydecline in old men renders them weak and vulnerable. In the subsequentpower struggle, Goneril, Regan and Cordelia all make choices tha tgovern their future and that determine the course of the subsequentdrama. Although this leads to the depiction of Goneril and Regan aspredatory adulteresses, whilst Cordelia ultimately becomes a victim whois unable to survive, it is nonetheless true to say that all three ofthese women seize opportunities to make their own choices anddecisions. From the outset, Cordelia is characterised as the pictureof modest womanly constraint, as she punctuates her sisters smoothrendition of filial loyalty with comments such as: What shall Cordeliaspeak? Love and be silent (I.i.61) and Then poor Cordelia! / And yetnot so; since I am sure my loves / More ponderous than my tongue'(I.i.75-77). Cordelias virtue lies in her observation of duty andobedience and she is aware that every adult woman must divide her dutyand obedience between her husband and her father. Though this stanceis shown to place her in a double bind that leads to exile and thendeath, yet she has exercised her own choice and has re sisted pressurefrom her father to take another course. In choosing the path of truthto herself, she has become her own moral arbiter and is the first ofthe three daughters to openly rebel against her father

I Was a Willing Participant :: Personal Narrative Writing

I Was a Willing Participant Toward the end of last semester, I registered for this class mainly for one reason: I had had Emily as a professor before, I liked her class and her teaching style very much, and I wanted to again take a class she was teaching. This was my first opportunity to do so, and I jumped on it. In the bulletin, the class was described as the Graduate Writing Seminar, and through the grapevine, I found out it was not a creative writing class, but instead, a study in critical feminist pedagogies.What the hell, I thought. Ià ­ll take it anyway. After all, I really just wanted to take another class with Emily, whatever the topic might be. Over winter break, I started thinking about who else would be in the class. I am sure some of the usual suspects would be in Dixon 432 on that first day. Sure enough, when I walked, in I saw Alicia, Megan, Kate, and Kelly, just as I had expected. Before that first day, however, the number one thought going through my mind about this class and the makeup of my classmates was, of course, just how many males would be in that room. For a while, I thought I may be the only one, but I shook that thought out of my mind pretty quickly when I reminded myself that, after all, this was grad school, and the guys here were actually open minded and weren't afraid to take a class containing the prefix fem. I was right. In walked to see Gary and Leon. I had had classes with both of them before, and I knew their ways of thinking, so I felt à ¬safe.à ® (Though I must admit that when Gary first proclaimed himself a à ¬feministà ® in Sharon Lewis' class last semester, my initial thought was à ¬this guy just wants to get laid.à ® That was stupid and wrong.) So here I was, one-third of a population of a class that was certainly not going to be the topic of discussion for the next 5 or so months. I was ready to accept that. The program here at MSU had given me many chances to expand my thinking in ways that I had not previously been exposed to, and this class was yet another in that long line.

Some People Think That Convention in Our Society Obstruct

Chosen topic: Some people think that convention in our society obstruct progress while others think that taboos help maintain social harmony. Choose one position and support it with evidence and examples. As a result of globalization, the world is getting smaller and smaller. Some people have even said that the world has become a ‘Global Village’. With the integration of people coming from different financial, ethnic and social background, there are conflicts between interest groups.For example, the huge income disparity, large amount of new immigrants and the different point of views towards social issues may lead to a less harmious society. Apart from these, convention in a society may also be one of the factors affecting social harmony. â€Å"Social  harmony is a more complex  social  psychological phenomenon which is determined by the interactions among  social  values, people, and society. People achieve  social  harmony  when they feel their values and desires are attainable in society. â€Å"(Ai Han, 2008, Building a Harmonious Society and Achieving Individual Harmony, para 1)Traditions might lead to unfairness to the public. Take Hong Kong as an example, Hong Kong is a superstitious city and people care a lot about taboos and traditional practices. The pronunciation of the number, four, in Cantonese is similar to the pronunciation of death in Cantonese. Therefore Hong Kong people avoid saying ‘four’ in happy or critical occasions. There is also a tradition of omitting certain (4th, 14th and 24th etc. ) levels in building in Hong Kong. At the same time, the pronunciation of ‘eight’ is similar to the word of getting rich in Chinese. Many luxury buildings were built in Hong Kong in recent years.Property agencies make use of Chinese’s mindsets to increase revenue. We can easily find that the 8th floor, the 18th or the 28th floor are always being sold at a more expensive price. This phenomenon h as aroused public resentment. The general public believes that price should not only be determined by the number of floors but also many other impacts that many property agencies did not take into account. Such kinds of arguments do not only happen in Hong Kong but globally. From Asian to Western countries, there are always conflicts between conventions and the new enlightenment.The progress of might be hindered if we cannot balance the interests of different stakeholders in an issue. Homosexuality was said to be a taboo. However, as reported by Bohan (1996), in reality, homosexual individuals wish to enjoy freedom of love and belong to social groups that support them. In aspects of religion, a number of religions (e. g. Christianity and Catholic) said that homosexuality was not acceptable because it violated the original meaning of God’s creations. In traditional Asians’ eyes, they might even think homosexuality is an insult to their family and reputations.This topic is a shock for many of the older people in society or followers of religions. Both parties stand strong and do not appear to accept each other’s points of view. It is a topic that society had to deal with before achieving social harmony. Tragedies might occur when the convention clashes with the law or the value of society at that time. Chinese believe that having at least a son is essential for a family to continue their family lineage and to glorify their family. In Chinese history, people thought families that have no children or have daughters only was disrespectful to their ancestors.Since 1978, the Chinese Government has implemented the one-child-policy to control the soaring birth rate in China. Such kind of unfair law made many Chinese eager to have a male child directly. Barrett & Li (1999) pointed out that the problem of female infanticide and sex-selective abortion became more common after One Child Policy was established. When they found that their child was a fem ale, some of them may even abandon them, resulting in the increasing number of tragedies. At the same time, it has caused moral problem. Conventions sometimes hinder the balance of society and limit the development of society.Bengtson, Biblarz and Roberts (2002) reported that the family has traditionally been one of the most important sources of influence on children’s aspiration. Parents always have a thought that children would be more likely to success if they were professionals, in tradition’s thought, for example, doctors, lawyers, businessmen and accountants. They spent much effort and money on equipping their children. In reality, society does not only need these types of people but a diversity of skills. This kind of mindset has resulted in a bad social phenomenon so that many of the other industries (e. g. ulture, music and arts) cannot develop well and the social lacks a balance of strengths. With the aid of the above examples, it is shown that conventions wi ll obstruct the progress of society. Conventions and traditions would hinder people’s creativities and impose limitations on society. We need a breakthrough. Try to analyse from a slight different perspective and we might find new inspirations that is beneficial to ourselves or even our society. At the end, social harmony can finally be attained. Reference list: Ai, H. (2008). Building a Harmonious Society and Achieving Individual Harmony. Journal of Chinese Political Science, Vol. 3 Issue 2, p143-164. Retrieved on 23rd, October, 2012 from http://ehis. ebscohost. com/eds/detail? sid=2f313359-d4a8-40f3-80e2-aaeb1112a54e%40sessionmgr114&vid=1&hid=101&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=35567271 Barrett. R. E. , & Li, F. (1999) Modern China (pp. 65). United States of America: R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company. Bengtson, V. L. , Biblarz, T. K. , Robert R. E. L. , (2002). How Families Still Matter (pp. 60). United States of America: Cambridge University Press. Bo han, J. S. (1996) Psychology and Sexual Orientation (pp. 205). Great Britian: Routledge.

Mcdonalds Marketing Communication Strategy Assignment

Marketing Communications Strategy – Our Marketing Communication Strategy will be mainly focussing on advertising and personal selling in the marketing communications mix, with a television commercial for advertising and in store marketing for personal selling. – The television commercial will be a short introduction of our product with associations of the season, surrounded with the McDonald feelings and sounds which come always with their commercials. The in store marketing consist of billboards in the stores of the new product and, which we think is very important, trained cashiers who are asking every customer, after they made their order, if they want to add the ‘Vla’ to their order. – We choose television because it’s relatively cheap to reach a very large audience. We think is important to let the whole country know about our product (product awareness). This product is for everybody in the Netherlands, although some segments will be pur chasing it more than others (families for example).With television we can bring the associations of the season with our product, which is valuable. We do not use television for direct-response purposes, but want to let the customer know about our product and make them curious. The next time they step into a McDonald’s branch they are aware and curious of the existing of the product and that will result in a higher chance that the customer purchase the ‘Vla’. – Furthermore we choose in store marketing because it’s a very effective and cheap way to let McDonald consumers purchase the ‘Vla’.We use it to reinforces the television commercial, because customers already notice the existence of the product, maybe are already benevolent to try the new product. If they see the product on billboards in the store and thereafter are asked proactively to them if they want to try the new product the chance that they will purchase the product will incr eases substantially. Now we can speak of a integrated marketing communication mix for our product. Summarize the main features of all the company's products. State what other products your company produces, and describe briefly where the new product fits into your existing product line. To start with, the products of McDonalds are fast food products which have consistent quality, are easy deliverable and consistent across all markets in their taste and their range of products. – McDonalds have a broad scale of products. The main food product is the hamburger. They serve it in different variants. Fish burgers, chicken nuggets, salads and fries complement the main products. – You can pick menus of these products, which comes with drinks or milkshakes. The Happy meal is worth mentioning, which is the popular menu for the kids. – Relatively new for McDonalds are the breakfast products. Then you have the Dessert products, where our product fits perfectly into. â€⠀œ If you look at the temporary Desserts of McDonalds we differentiate the McFlurry, Apple pie, Donut, Sundea Ice cream, Chocolate Muffin, Softice and Fresh Fruit. – We think our product ‘Vla’ will perfectly fits into the range of Dessert products McDonalds is serving at the moment. It a totally other product then the contemporary Dessert McDonalds serve. But more important: it’s already a popular, traditional Dutch, dessert and serving it in the McDonalds will be valued by the customers in different moods.Like customers who eating a menu and love to finish with the ‘Vla’, customers just walking by and order a ‘Vla’ for on the way and also not to forget: the kids will love the (smaller sized) Vla in their Happy Meal. It’s a healthier alternative then the other contemporary products except the fresh fruit. So parents are also more likable to choose this dessert for their children instead of the other more fat making desserts . SWOT Analyses: Strengths – What do you do well? – Holiday season associations – Bringing a typical Dutch dessert – Good quality/price ratio Good products in the McDonald’s strategy of serve worldwide similar products with in addition serve in every country local products that are influenced by the local kitchen. Our product is the local product influenced by the local culture. Weaknesses – What are you not so good at? Where might you need to improve? – Only holiday season (for the test phase, if it will succeed we will bring more seasonal Vla’s) – High cost of marketing with our form of marketing communication, the television commercials. Will we generate enough revenues from the dessert? – If we don’t capture the market, we will fail in advanceOpportunities – What's coming that might be an opportunity? – The timing of our product, in the season of ‘Sinterklaas’ and Chrismas. â €“ To convince tourists that they must try the traditional product ‘Vla’ as their Dessert. – Make our product ‘the’ traditional product of McDonald’s, which will be a classical McDonald Dessert in the next decennia. Threats – What's coming that might cause you problems? – Cannibalize the present Desserts of McDonalds that are available in the Netherlands. – Bring a product that is similar with products in supermarkets (Albert Heijn, Dirk van den Broek, C1000 etc).