Use of Nature in Poetry

Poets use many ways when they want to communicate something using poems. Poems are used as a means of passing ideas, information and expression of feelings. This has made the poets to use the natural things and images that people can relate with so that they can make these poems understandable. The most common forms of writing that are used by the poets are the figurative language for example imagery and metaphors. In addition, the poets use the natural landscape in their attempt to explore the philosophical questions.Therefore, this essay will explore the forms that have been used by the poets in writing poems using the natural landscape. The essay will be based on poems such as ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’ by Robert Frost, ‘Ode to the West Wind’ by Shelley and ‘Swan and Shadow’ by John Hollanders. The poets use different styles and techniques in writing poems. They employ varying styles of writing poems that include the styles of lit erature such as symbolism. This has necessitated the use of the natural landscape to pass the ideas for which the poem was intended.When the natural landscape is used in poetry, it necessitates a creation of the mind through imagination. The reader of the poem will be in a position of deriving the meaning of the poem from what he reads. This has been demonstrated by J. Hollander in his poem the ‘Swan and Shadow’. Hollander starts his poem with a description of the Dusk above the water hang the loud flies. This will give the reader a figurative image of what the poet meant because it relates to what is found in nature. The natural physical landscape is also used by the poets because it can be easily related with and therefore it is used as a simile.The similes are literary techniques used when we want to relate something with another item with similar attributes. Therefore, it will be easier to understand the poems when the poets apply techniques that are familiar with t he reader. This presents the reason behind the poets using the natural landscape because the reader must have related with the nature. Shelley in his poem ‘Ode to the West Wind’ has used similes in his poem. He states that, â€Å"the leaves dead are driven like ghosts from an enchanter fleeing. † He also states that, â€Å"the winged seeds where they lie cold and low each like a corpse within its grave. As observed from these examples, the poets will use these techniques to assist in easier interpretation of the poem. The poets also use metaphors when writing poems. Metaphors refer to the use of certain words to mean otherwise in the context of the poem. However, metaphors are sometimes hidden in the poem such that they require the reader to figure out their existence in the poem. This will be easy when the poet employs the physical environment that is well understood by the reader. In addition, metaphors will strengthen the ideas that the poet wants to pass acr oss.Metaphors will therefore make it easier for the readers to interpret and understand the meaning that the poet intended to communicate. Shelley has used a metaphor in his poem where he states ‘†¦Pestilence-stricken multitudes’. He states this to indicate to the reader that he is not just addressing a pile of leaves. Therefore, this helps to understand the deeper meaning of the poem. He also states about the ‘wintry bed’, which is meant to show his mood in the poem. Poets also use the landscape in writing poems because of the inspiration that they get from such places.This could be based on some memory or the history of the place and therefore it inspires the writer of the poem. This could help the poet to pass some information that can be easily related with such a situation. Robert Frost in his poem ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’, writes about his experience in the wood in a snowy evening. He states that though the wood would p rotect him from the snow, he had to get home to sleep because it was getting late. The poet was indicating the obligations that he was supposed to perform though he could protect himself from the snow.The poet has also employed personification where he refers to the horse and states that his horse would find it queer when he stood by the woods where there was no farmhouse nearby. By stating the above, he gave the horse some human attributes. The poet has used nature to indicate that though he would have stayed in the woods to see as they are covered with snow, he had to fulfill his promises through carrying out his duties. The poets also use personification by referring to the natural landscape in showing some human attributes.Personification refers to the use of human attributes on non-humans such as animals. Such attributes includes beauty, ugliness and gentleness or ferocity. These attributes are reflected through the use of figurative language that represents the people. These i nclude the metaphors and the similes. Therefore, the natural landscape will be used in comparing these attributes with those of the human beings. This is related with what the people understand that is found in the environment. The writer of the poems will use descriptive words that are given to the natural landscape that has been personified.This will help in showing the human attributes indirectly when the deeper meaning of the poem is derived. The three poems help to mirror poetic concerns over the transitory nature of life. In the poem ‘Stopping by the woods on a Snowy Evening’ by Robert Frost, the woods are described as dark and deep. He also states that it was the â€Å"†¦darkest evening of the year†. This gives a picture of a place where there was no one living. Frost has also stated that the woods were located in a place where there was no farmhouse because though he knew the owner, he lived in the village.The poet is trying to show existence of some isolation. This is evident that the poems are not written in a direct manner but they present the reader with an opportunity to figure out what was the meaning of the poem. The poets have used poems to communicate some message about how people live in the society. The poems always have the literal meaning and the deeper meaning that requires a deeper understanding of what the poet tried to communicate. In addition, we observe that the speaker of the poem implies that he could be in the wrong for trespassing in someone’s land.He shows that he is out of order and therefore he is supposed to go to sleep in his place because it is already dark in the evening. The writer tried to show the obligations that people have in life and therefore they are supposed to be time conscious while doing their activities. Also, the poem could have a deeper meaning that implies a transition from one life to another. This occurs where the speaker states in the last line that he has miles to go bef ore he sleeps. The sleep could mean death in this context. This poem shows how the poets employ the poetic techniques and styles to bring forth ideas about life to the reader.The poem ‘Ode to the West Wind’ by Shelley also indicates the poetic techniques that are employed by the poets. The poem brings out the element of transition because he reveals his thoughts like the winged seeds are trapped. When the poet refers to the ‘West Wind’, he implies a driving force for transition in the human. Shelley has also implied the winter as not just the last phase of vegetation but also as a transition in the individual life, that includes civilization and religion. Therefore, the poet was symbolic when he referred to the West Wind.The West Wind is implied as carrying the dead thoughts in the individuals. Shelley was more concerned with the transitions that happen in people’s lives in his poem. Shelley uses the words â€Å"winged seeds†, which he likens with a feeling of being trapped. By reference to the seeds, it shows that even when death occurs, there will be new life that will grow out of the ‘grave’. The poet has also written about images of religion that help creates new life. It is evident from the poem that poems are just a shadow of what is happening in the society.This is because they will indicate the changes that occur in the lives of individuals. John Hollander’s poem ‘Swam and Shadow’ has various visual images that are used to increase the understanding of the reader of the poem. He uses figurative language such as describing the water as â€Å"breaking up no being gathered†. This makes the poem beautiful in that the reader is left to imagine about the startle of the wings when a swan wants to fly. The poem has created a transition of moods where sometimes it is sad and on other occasions, the mood of the poem is lovely.The poet implies the disappearance of the swan, which woul d imply their death when they fly. This therefore presents the sad tone of the poem. We also see that the poet has applied a technique where the whole poem is not punctuated. We just guess the starting of a sentence if there is a capital letter. This makes it hard to differentiate the thoughts of the poet. This style makes the poem unique and therefore it is interesting because of the prose form. This poem also illustrates transition because it describes the flies that are found in the dusk hanging above the water.However, the writer describes that; ‘their shadow will disappear and fade’. The disappearance of the swan represents death, which marks a transition from one form of life to another. This has been described when the poem comes to end where the poet states that ‘†¦yes by then a swan will have gone yes out of mind†¦. ’ In conclusion, we observe that most poets will always use the natural environment when they want to communicate something. They will use the natural landscape and other creatures that are found in the environment. This is meant to assist the reader in the easier understanding of the poems.

Business Purposes Meetiing Aims and Objectives

The BBC is continuing its focus on delivering the best possible value for for licence fee payers. It means focusing on improving efficiency and generating maximum returns on their assets. By 2013 they will have delivered efficiency savings totalling nearly  £2Billion meeting their 3% annual savings target. They are now two years into their five-year efficiency programme, and by 2013 the work they already done will generate efficiency savings of  £1,453million, which is the equivalent to 73% of their total savings target. They have succeeded in reducing the license fee evasion to just 5.2% of income a 0.1% improvement on last year. BBC Worldwide has achieved a significant increase in profitability this year from  £106million to  £145million by growing its new business areas. This improved performance will benefit the BBC as they will put it into new and original programming. Maximising the impact of the license fee Maximising the returns they make on programmes paid for by the license fee. Their main commercial subsidiary, BBC Worldwide was created to generate the maximum return on programmes paid for the license fee payers. To achieve this they sell BBC programmes, formats and merchandise across the world. Spreading the benefit of the license fee across the whole of the UK The BBC is for all license fee payers across the whole Of the UK. They are committed to growing the whole country's creative industries and production talent. That is why one of the key metrics is the proportion of money they spend on the network televisions outside of London. Keeping costs down where ever possible. They Have made an increase in Scotland, Northern Island and Wales. According to an independent study impact of the BBC as helped create and support over 7,000 jobs in Glasgow, Cardiff and Bristol. They also offer a pension scheme to all their employee's at a rate that is reasonable and affordable to all those who work for them. So all in all the BBC are meeting both their aims and objectives according to my research. They make a profit as well as help support the public and bring the nation together with its music stations and televised programmes. They have to work within their budget given to them by the government and if they underspend then they have to give it back. Their turnover is relatively healthy and they do continue to make a profit each year which is good for all of us in the long run.

Effects of Auditing in a Company? Essay

Introduction Internal audit is an independent, objective assurance and consulting activity designed to add value and improve an organization’s operations. Proper internal control not only ensures that the assets and records are safeguarded, but also creates an environment in which efficiency and effectiveness are encouraged and monitored. This report is mainly focused on internal audit and internal control system in a company. In this case, the company is Kejora Bhd.. This report also focused on two main questions to be answered which is regarding on the evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of Kejora Bhd.’s control environment. Another question is regarding on the factors in Kejora Bhd.’s control environment have lead to and facilitate one of Kejora Bhd.’s division which is the Fabricator Division’s general manager named Adam. This case is all about Kejora Bhd.’s rules of conduct and its internal control system. There are basically four rules of conduct which is integrity, competency, objectivity and confidentiality to be joint with the Kejora case. What factors in KejoraBhd’s control environment have lead to and facilitated Adam’s manipulation of inventory? Based on the task, the factor that lead Adam to manipulate the inventory because he wants to avoid reduces of bonus and salary. Kejora Bhd’s procedure is to give salary depends on high performance of the staff. This lead Adam to manipulate the inventory which is considered as fraud. Adam does not have competency knowledge to compete with the competitor and Adam not integrity in his job. Furthermore, the other factor that lead Adam to do fraud is Kejora Bhd does not have an internal audit to control the environment. It helps Adam to do the fraud without any risk as there are no internal audit to found out the fraud. Morever, Kejora Bhd corporate intervention only occurred when planned result were not obtained. When Adam did fraud by showing constant or good profitability, so there won’t be corporate intervention occurred and it is a encouragement for Adam to manipulate the inventory. In addition to, Adam did fraud because he wants to get maintain performance to get compensator packages which can lead him to make fraud by increasing the performances constantly. The other factor is it easy to control the inventory as the inventory section is weak. This is because the no proper internal audit to maintain it. It can be see when Adam manipulates the inventory to show a constant profitability and avoid the salary and bonus. Besides that, the employee is not following the compliance which is the code of conduct. Adam does not follow the law of audit. Moreover, Adam does not have loyalty and ethical value on his job. According to this, Adam attitude will affects other employee in the firm. Furthermore, there is no participation by the those charged with governance of the entity. The top management should always take a part in the entity. But in this case the board of directors and audit is not very active. When they are not concern about their management, Adam as one of higher position officer in the company make own decision which excess of his limit which consider as fraud. More than that, this entity does not have an organize structure to perform the business. In this case, this entity does not have a proper internal audit and the board directors is not very active. Besides that, all the staff in the entity should be responsible in their authority. In this case, certain staff does not play their role properly as Adam does not play his role properly and this lead him to do fraud. The human resources not only responsible to hiring employee but also have to provide a practice to train employee. Eventhough the entity’s human resources have proper policies but Human Resources department forget to monitor employee which weak in code of conduct. Adam whom responsibly done his work for 7 years and finally lead to fraud because of weakness of management which give encourage to fraud. Conclusion Based on the case, there are several things that has to be put into consideration. First of all, the management and internal control as well as internal audits must be compliance to laws, procedures and policy of the company. In this case, Mr. Adam cannot manipulate the inventories as it is very unethical to his profession. Although the rationality of him doing that is because he is afraid that his salary and bonus will be reduced, he still must be compliance to the rules of conduct when doing his job. Here, we can see that the internal control is not very strong because the employees such as Mr. Adam are able to do things that can jeopardize the company’s reputation by altering its business records. Second, Kejora Bhd. must hire an internal audit to examine all the financial statements all the time. The board of directors and the audit committee should also be active and provide full participation on the management of kejora Bhd.

Macroeconomics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Macroeconomics - Assignment Example (a) If all of the currency have been deposited by Fijians in Fijian banks and the reserve ratio targets by the banks is a 100%, then the money in supply is equivalent to the amount of the deposits Fijians have deposited in the banks because they do not retain any amount. The liquidity preference framework shows how changes in demand and supply of money affect interest rates. Increase in equilibrium interest rates is a result of increase in money demand and decrease in money supply. There is a decrease in equilibrium interest rates due to decrease in money demand and increase in money supply. The role of issuing money is assumed by the central bank. Any money supply changes must originate from the central bank monetary policies. Printing more money by the central bank causes an increase in money supply. The central bank changes the money supply through channels. These channels includes buying and selling bonds from the public in exchange for money, changing reserve requirement of banks, and lastly, changing the borrowing rate of discount by banks from the central bank. By using these three tools, the central bank can lower rates of interest by raising the supply of money and increase rates by cutting the money supply. Increase in supply of money causes an increase in money demand and interest rates. The expectation of this is a higher inflation which makes the prices of items to go up. Individuals will tend to consume more and save less. The effect of this will be less capital accumulation. This shows that inflation will have a negative effect on output as people will reduce their labor supply and in turn output contracts. Investment transactions become more expensive, reducing capital accumulation leading to a decline in output. (a) Country PIN produces 4 machines and 3 breads per person and whereas country PANG produces 3machines and 8

The Birds by Alfred Hitchcock Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Birds by Alfred Hitchcock - Essay Example Perhaps that’s why it’s effective, because you do not know what’s going on. The tension is quite evident as the film starts and it never ends until you press stop in your player. I think it is a metaphor for new relationships. The movie Birds is about how jealousy can bring havoc to people’s lives. I personally think fear is a product of ignorance and mistrust, for that matter. And Hitchcock, as a master observer of the human condition, perfectly captures this idea. The story of the movie is loosely based on a novella written by Daphne Du Maurier which has a similar title. However, only the concept and the title were used. The setting, characters, milieu and other elements of the story were dropped. The story is centered on two characters: Melanie and Mitch, who began their relationship at the start of the movie. They met in a pet shop and they quarreled over love birds. Melanie â€Å"lost† the fight and bought the lovebirds and delivered it to Mitc h’s house secretly. This act leads the audience to encounter more female characters: Mitch’s mother (Lydia), Mitch’s sister (Cathy) and Mitch’s ex-girlfriend (Annie). Then when Melanie stays over for a night in Mitch’s house, a bird killed itself (yes, like suicide) because it hit the front door. Then another bird attacks in Cathy’s party, then more attacks come, until the climax came when Lydia discovers her friend lying dead in his bathroom. Many theories started to go about in the town. Talk about the apocalypse was the most popular theory. A tourist cried not to talk such things because it’s scaring her children while an amateur ornithologist claims that those are not bird attacks since birds do not attack. Then a gasoline station explodes, invariably caused by a bird. Then more deaths ensue, and more violence is caused by birds. For some reason, the tourist blames Melanie for the attacks, and then the next big scene we see is tha t Annie is lying dead, with Cathy crying over her. The couple, together with Cathy and Lydia, takes refuge in an abandoned home and they boarded it up. Throughout the night, they hear bird noises on the roof, scratching and trying to break into the house. Now Melanie did some investigation when everybody was asleep late in the night. She discovered that the birds have infiltrated the attic! The birds attacked her, and Mitch comes to save her. The movie ends while the family boards the car as they try to bring Melanie to the hospital, and the birds look at them menacingly, although they did not attack them. The theme of this movie is fear, and our reactions to fear, especially when it comes to personal relationships. Many people have different analyses over the film, and the most convincing take on it is that it’s about the birds symbolizing the women. Look at it this way: the movie’s main characters are Mitch and Melanie. The whole avian ordeal began when they picked u p the fight in the pet shop. Perhaps, you know, the tourist was right in saying that Melanie was indeed the cause of the bird attacks, but of course, we do not know that, and that gap in knowledge provides the necessary tension in the movie. Anyway, Mitch and Melanie are the main characters. Then the movie shows different women characters: Lydia, Cathy and Annie. They’re all basically birds (chicks) and they all vie for the attention of one man, Mitch. This is all about women (birds) being territorial. It is

Middleboro Case Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Middleboro Case Questions - Assignment Example For average population of CY-10, it will be given as 126,723/8 = 15,840. With this basis, communities that grew faster or slower than the overall rate of population increase in Hillsboro County can be found by comparing individual communities to the average of 16,446 for CY-5 and 15,840 for CY-10. This information is deduced in the graph below. From the two graphs above, it can be deduced that 2 communities namely Middleboro and Jasper grew faster than the average rate for Hillsboro for both CY-5 and CY-10 because these had populations higher than the average, which the individual communities was compared with. All remaining communities namely Harris City, Statesville, Mifflenville, Carterville, Minortown, and Bolsburg grew slower than the overall rate of population growth in Hillsboro County. According to Noe and Gerhard (2007), the distribution of health facilities, services and programs must be based on the specific population need of a community so as to ensure that the doctor to patient ratio of the world health organization (WHO) can be realized. By implication, the various communities need different distribution of health interventions. To find the degree to which the age profile of Hillsboro County resemble the overall age profile demographic of the United States in CY, the percentage of age group making up the total population of citizens for the United States must be compared with that of Hillsboro County. The percentages for each age group are provided by InfoPlease (2013). But to find the percentage of each age group to the total population of Hillsboro County, these must be computed. The table below shows the computation of percentage of age group in relation to the larger or overall population of Hillsboro County From the graph above, it would be noticed that for each age profile the difference between Hillsboro County average and average for USA was not very vast. Based on this, it can be deduced that there is a

Indian Tribes within the US Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Indian Tribes within the US - Research Paper Example Indians are among the fastest growing ethnic groups in the United States. The major locations which they occupy are divided into seven regions, discussed below; 1) Great plains They occupy the hills and plains of North America. Major examples include the Sioux, Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Crow and Comanche. They have an archaic culture just like other Indian tribes, due to resistance to domination by the United States and the governments of other countries. Great Plains Indians are divided into two major groups; the nomadic who practiced agriculture and kept animals and the aboriginal Indians, who are semi sedentary hence, lived in villages where they grew crops and traded with other neighboring communities. They comprise of Hidatsa, Iowa, Omaha and Otoe. The main animals they hunted were the buffalo and antelopes, for their hide, bones and for food. They later learnt about horses from Spanish explorers in the early sixteenth century, which greatly enhanced how they lived their life for exa mple made transport easier. The buffalo however remained the main source of game food. The great plain Indians had no particular religion. They however believed in spirits, which they believed controlled their health. They also respected the sun as the source of life. Their housing was referred to as Teepees made of buffalo hides, which could move around when they were moving from one place to another, for those who were nomadic. For the sedentary ones, the preferred form of housing was game lodges. They wore moccasins in the feet, hence the shoes. Women adorned themselves with jewellery to enhance beauty .to preserve their food they used the sun. The great Plains Indians had impressive arts which they expressed through painting and carvings which was mainly done by men. On the other hand women mainly engaged in beadwork, needle work and cloth design. 2) South West Indian tribes. They include Chea, Creek, Timucua and Lumbe. Mainly considered to be woodland Indians. Their main source of economic activity was hunting and gathering of wild fruits and animals, farming of crops such as rice and corn. They comprise of different languages and dialects within them. Just like other native communities they passed tradition from current and future generations orally, from elders to the young members of the community. The tribes were divided into clans, and a person belonged to the mothers’ clan, hence it was matriarchal in nature. They were very religious in nature and hence believed in gods and deities. As a form of worship they put up occasions where they prayed through song and dance ceremonies. They inhabitated forested areas of the south western areas of the country. 3) Mid Atlantic/north East . They comprise among others Lenape, Iroquois, Pequot, Algonquin and Niponic. The houses they inhabitated were called longhouse and wig warms. To protect them during cold periods, barks of trees and animal hides were used to cover their dwellings to provide warmth. They had leaders who were reffered to as Sadem which was a hereditary position. Chores were divided according to age and gender. Men did hunting and made weapons to be used in hunting and during war, while women were involved in cooking, farming and weaving baskets. Early Europeans who settled in this area introduced new infections which led to

The objectification of women in online advertising Essay

The objectification of women in online advertising - Essay Example This "The objectification of women in online advertising" essay outlines how media and ad are using women to attract men audience. Women are being used by men and their bodies are glorified in images in the interest of male population. Adverts fully comply with the standards of female beauty by showing slender and exquisite women who are meant to instantly catch the eye of a male viewer. Call it sexism or objectification, this kind of online advertising is an open threat to women because it reinforces their inferiority to men. It makes these arguments that women can be handled by men like submissive automatons more emphatic because women, in deed, appear to be submissive given the way they are made to strike myriad poses for the male gaze. The purpose of this essay is to explore how subtly media through online advertising seeks to spread the ideology of male dominance in the society by objectification of women. The following discussion will also scrutinize a collection of adverse inf luences executed on women by this manipulative practice. It is suggested that female objectification is actually an iceberg and sexual objectification is only the visible tip of this iceberg (Goh-Mah, 2013). While some see no problem with the media environment in the US which is sexually charged and adamantly defend singularly offensive poses in the name of liberalism, others refuse to believe in this hypocritical charade and question its potential to adversely affect giant masses of women across the globe. Many, acutely distressed by the way women are presented to promote various products and brands, even call for the force of law to prevent the way by which media seeks to further its horrendous interests which have grave social repercussions. The female body parts are made way more pronounced than the product promoted because advertising aims to promote women as sexual objects (Pardun, 2013, p. 116). Not only these images make a point of accentuating different parts of a female body to make them â€Å"fit into an ever narrowing ideal o f female beauty† (Goh-Mah, 2013), they also attempt to add a hint of sarcastic humor to them. In this way, the online advertising producers end up creating such images which not only unreasonably expose a woman to even promote products like beer or a shoe, but also present objectionably weird poses which help men derive satisfaction from them. A kind of media environment which places less emphasis on sex is required to ensure â€Å"better public health for American youth† (Pardun, 2013, p. 116) which is the main target of these advertisements. However, this end cannot be achieved if even ads meant to sell jeans display skinny models in panties whose breasts are magnified by photoshop techniques. It is suggested through creators of such ads to women that by getting their jeans, they too can have bodies â€Å"that any woman would want to see and touch† (Pardun, 2013, p. 116). Such is the ideology upon which modern online advertising is based. There are many hidden aspects of the issue of sexual objectification in online advertisements. This issue started around the 1970s, but is rampant in the present age (Heldman, 2012). These aspects need to be properly explored to dispel the ambiguousness enveloping myriad riddles which have been the source of discomfort for women and feminists for quite long now. Many approaches have been used by scholars over the years to understand and analyze different media through which women are exploited

Construction development in China Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Construction development in China - Lab Report Example ith luxurious boutiques that appear to be housed in a traditional lane house is a re-imagination of Shanghai’s old streetscape and customer experience. It reminisces and elicits nostalgia in the historical preservation. Ever growing labyrinth of skyscrapers is the new face of Shanghai. The skyscrapers stretch further than the eye can see from an observation deck in Pudong, a relatively rural district from across the river from Shanghai’s original settlement. The area was just a farmland twenty years back. It has now experienced a viral growth of skyscrapers and symbolizes the urban future of China. Architectural development in Shanghai is so fast that it is estimated that five more satellite towns will be set up from scratch to house the growing population of the city. Pudong is part of the strategic places for development to support humanity in Shanghai. Close to 18 million people live in the greater Shanghai. The figure is expected to inflate by more than one third by the year 2020. The construction of the satellite towns is urgent. Experts are more impatient that policy implementers and they have the urge to build an entire town from scratch in two or three years. Shanghai is re-inventing itself as an urban megalopolis. Shanghai is a city with a long history. In the long-term development, it has formed its own unique city scene and varied cultures and arts. Up to now, a lot of cultural relics beginning in the Tang (618-917) and Song (960-1279) Dynasties, many museums and contemporary memorial halls are well preserved. There are a lot of tourist centers in urban districts and suburbs of Shanghai, which form many tourist areas, tourist lines and special-interest tourist items. (Shanghai National Information, 2013). Throughout the past century, Shanghai has had numerous name tags attached to it; like "Paris of the Orient" and "Pearl of China". Images of Shanghai more than any other Chinese city, are bountiful in the west. A visit here therefore, is naturally

Data Analysis, Conclusion, and Plan of Action (recommendation) Essay

Data Analysis, Conclusion, and Plan of Action (recommendation) - Essay Example One of the most popular studies has been undertaken by Skinner, which focuses on the issue of punishment and motivation. According to his argument, when a person is made to undergo a punishment, then they reflect upon their actions and try to mend their behavior in a manner that is more acceptable to the society. However, skinner further clarifies that one should teach good behavior through positive reinforcement. Consider the clip system as part of the ‘Intervention strategy’, which constituted thinking and formulation of a set of rules. Under an experiment, students in a class were made to develop a strategy to wait for their turn to recite a poem. While there were initial problems ranging from interruptions to a noisy classrooms to students disrespecting each other, inducing a sense of motivation into students to present a high five clip to the student at the start of a turn helped in bringing an order into the system where every student soon waited for their turn. As such, through the use of motivation, it can be seen that rules can be formulated gradually. Skinner’s study on operant conditioning in 1938 was to establish of positive reinforcement, which he believed helped maintain the desired behavior in a very effective manner. Parents and teachers make use of the concept of rewarding young children to help manage their behavior. Examples in this regard would be to give sweets or mark stars for a pupil who scored the highest grades in a particular subject or exam. Harry Wong has deduced that students tend to learn the best in a controlled environment when the number of rules is kept between 3 to 5, which helps students to remember them with ease. By devising a small set of tangible rules, students were able to practice their decision making abilities on the basis of these rules and make the necessary changes in an effort to accommodate themselves into the new rule based system. Another technique under behavioral psychology is self

Abortion in the United States Essay Example for Free

Abortion in the United States Essay Abortion is one of the most controversial topics to date in the United States. Because of the complexity and issues involved, there are those individuals who are for abortion, and those who are against. There is neutrality that extends between the two, with those who are one the fence depending on circumstantial situations. In this paper our group of four peers debate the topic, and base a conclusion on weather women in the United States should have the right to abortion, based on the arguments themselves. Today, the reference of for and against, is better known as pro-choice and pro-life. Pro choice (abortions) refer to the political and ethical view that a woman should have complete right over her fertility, and that she should have the freedom to decide whether she wants to continue or terminate her pregnancy (Bose, 2012). According to pro-life advocates, women who demand complete control of their body should also shoulder the responsibility of preventing unwanted pregnancy, and that the result of an unplanned pregnancy, rape or incest, aborting the embryo is equivalent to punishing the unborn child (Bose, 2012). See more:  Mark Twains Humorous Satire in Running for Governor Essay The position that Valora has in this debate, is that it is the woman’s choice to decide whether or not to have an abortion, but also to understand that it is their responsibility to protect against unwanted pregnancies by using every available means of contraceptive, not including using abortion as if it were a contraceptive, as some pro-life advocates would claim. When evaluating risk, one should take in account of women’s feelings after an abortion. Feelings of depression and anxiety is something woman feel prior, and of course afterwards. Women sometimes choose abortions because of medical issues with the babies, or horrifying circumstances leading to the unwanted pregnancy. Henry P. David, PhD stated after conclusive research â€Å"severe psychological reactions after an abortion are infrequent†. The best indicator of your mental feelings after an abortion is to realize your feelings and mental health prior to the abortion. (ProChoice.org). Usual feelings aft er an abortion is relief, loss, sadness, and grief. It is okay to grieve and you should give yourself time to grieve. Women who have had abortion may have feelings of sadness because they had to make the decision on their own without help from family and friends. Some woman may live in a home life where they are made to feel worthless because of the decision they will make. Some believe women who decide to have abortions will come down with â€Å"Post-Abortion Stress Syndrome†, which is psychological trauma or deep depression, and the American Psychological Association has found no scientific evidence that abortion leads to this type of trauma. Furthermore, experts stated after a study with the National Cancer Institute studied abortions and breast cancer, trying to see if there is any link between an abortion and breast cancer. In the end they settled that there was no link between the chances of breast cancer if you had received an abortion. In the United States, technology has made abortion safer in the last few years. Abortions are performed with in the first 9 weeks of pregnancy. Early termination the better is for the woman, less complications. Most woman receiving their abortion within the first 9 weeks report no complications afterwards. Less than 0.5% of women have serious complication that may bring them back to be seen or hospitalized. Complication rates to rise if the abortion is decided with the pregnancy weeks of 13 and 24. The position of Tracy in this paper is that abortion should be the right of the woman. I do not believe the government or any religious authority should make this type of decision for any woman. Deciding to have an abortion is an important decision in itself and having others dictate you can or cannot choose makes the situation even more confusing. As with most any conflicts, there are usually laws which govern the actions those directly involved, and with abortion comes some of the most well-known pieces of legislature in history. Today in the United States abortion is legal in every state due to the decision of Roe v. Wade. In this case the appellant (Roe) sued the state of Teas on the basis that personal privacy was violated unconstitutionally when the state proscribes that it is unlawful to abort a fetus, other than to save the life of a mother, advised by a licensed medical physician. The ruling decided on January 22, 1973 by the United States Supreme Court was a major milestone in the still controversial topic of abortion. According to the court â€Å"the abortion statutes void as vague and over-broadly infringing those plaintiff’s Ninth and Fourteenth Amendment right† (Roe v. Wade). On the same day of the Roe decision, another case in the state3 of Georgia was also decided on, in the case of Doe v Bolton we the state in question also was found to be in violation of the appellants constitutional rights. The Ninth Amendment: The enumeration in the constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people. The Fourteenth Amendment: Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or poverty, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws (Legal Information Institute). The position that Timothy has on this subject, is that a woman’s right to abortion should be that of her own decision based on the legislation’s that have been passed. A woman should be able to do with her own body as she chooses, not including using abortion as a method of birth-control. Abortion is not all together without some medical complications. The side effects of abortion are sometimes critical. Some of them involve spotting and bleeding. You could be bleeding for past 30 to 60 days, bleeding which could be very dangerous if care was not sought from a physician. Another side affect is headaches and dizziness, fever and chills, nausea and vomiting, cramping, and diarrhea. Sometimes abortion can even lead rare instances of death. During the surgery the doctors may leave some parts of the fetus inside the body. That is what may cause the affections that may cause damage to the body and or death. The symptoms are high fever, diarrhea, cramping, foul smelling in your discharge and more. Your cervix may get injured and damaged by the surgical tools that are being used during the abortion procedure which will lead to not being able to conceive again. Women who have gone through abortion are at a greater risk of ovarian and cervical cancer. Abortion is a very short p rocedure but it impacts your life forever, and the after affects of abortion varies from physical and psychological effects. Women may develop an eating disorders, or drugs on alcohol abuse, or they may have flash backs about the procedures themselves. Abortions may cause problems in relationships, and it may affect the woman’s sex life which leads to sexual dysfunction. The position that Veronica has on the subject of abortion is that she does not agree with the procedure, and the word abortion can be discussed in two different ways. Therapeutic abortion is one, where the abortion is unplanned due to medical problems with the patient’s health also unknown as miscarriage. Another way is elective abortion when it is planned. In many states planned abortions are illegal and have resulted in up to 70,000 deaths across the world every year. Many arguments support the issue on abortion. One reason why I am against abortion is that you are killing an innocent child that has nothing to do with the mistakes that one makes by having unprotected sex. You should not kill an unborn child because you are ashamed and afraid of what people might say about you. Another reason why she is against abortion is it’s against her religion. â€Å"If I make a mistake and got pregnant, then I would have to step up to the plate and take care and raise my child. It is against my religion to have abortions, because children are a gift from God†. In conclusion of this paper, there are two sides to this debate on whether women should have the right to have abortions in the United States. The research shows that the peer group has more emphases on the pro-choice side of the debate, because the laws of abortion are designed to protect the welfare of the mother and in some cases the fetus, if there is evidence of potential danger, and the fetus may be born with severe disorders, or mother having serious complications that could threaten the mother’s life. In the past, abortions were not as safe as they are today due to advanced technologies, making abortion safer than they’ve ever been before. Abortion is sometimes the best course because of medical issues, and sometimes due to other horrifying circumstances in which some women may become pregnant, such as rape, incest, and or other circumstances that may be legitimately valid reasons, and may lessen the quality of life for the child or mother. In 1973 it was decided by the highest court in the United States (The Supreme Court), that prior statutes infringed on the rights of women in such cases as Doe v Bolton, and Roe v Wade, making abortion legal, and the right of women to choose. Opposing arguments have raised health related issues of having abortions such as â€Å"Post-Abortion Syndrome†, breast cancer, and depression, but upon studies conducted by the National Cancer Institute, and The American Psychological Association, there has been no scientific evidence to prove the accusations. Abortion will probably remain one of the most controversial topics known to man, but the pros, and the laws which protect, are essential in preserving individual rights of freedom in the United States. References Bose, D. (2012). Arguments for Pro Choice. Retrieved from Buzzle.com website: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/arguments-for-pro-choice-abortions.html. Doe v. Bolton. (n.d.). In Legal Information Institute. Retrieved from http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/historics/USSC_CR_0410_0179_ZS.html. Dudley, S., Ph.D., Kruse, MS, CNM, ARNP. (2006). Evaluating the risk of complications. (n.d.). Retrieved from National Abortion Federation. Revised December 2006. http://prochoice.org/about_abortion/facts/safety_of_abortion.html. Fourteenth Amendment. (n.d.). In Legal Information Institute. Retrieved from http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/amendmentxiv Heath, S. (2012, April 14). No One Called Me a Slut. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/opinion/Sunday/having-an-abortion-when-no-one-called-me-a-slut.html. Ninth Amendment. (n.d.). In Legal Information Institute. Retrieved from http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/ninth_amendment/ Roe v. Wade . (n.d.). In Legal Information Institute. Retrieved from http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/historics/USSC_CR_0410_0113_ZS.html. Sengupta, S. (2010, June 30). Should Abortion Be Legal. Retrieved from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/should-abortion-be-legal.html.

Dostoevsky and Franzen Essay Example for Free

Dostoevsky and Franzen Essay Fyodor Dostoevsky is indisputably one of the greatest writers of his time, and arguably of all time. He earned this status not only by being an unmatched story teller- writing novels so gripping that they are hard to put down- but by infusing his dramas with timeless comedy, poignant social commentary, insightful psychology, and universal philosophical inquiries. His extremely in-depth character development allows for unlimited societal references that every reader can relate to. A most common feeling expressed among readers is that he puts into words what they have always thought about, but never had the words- or the sharp observation- to express. A similar feeling is created by Jonathan Franzen, whose novel, The Corrections, is a bestseller, and not only on account of its hilarious banter and piercing insight. The Corrections is widely hailed as an epic masterpiece that perfectly brings to light the problems of materialism, technology, and alienation in American culture. This is perhaps even more impressive because he is British and not American. Franzen has risen quickly to the top, and The Corrections will continue to be read for many years to come. Though their personal beliefs are entirely different, Franzen and Dostoevsky address many of the same questions regarding family. The psychological breakdown of relationships between family members is key and not only addresses psychology, but also society. Both authors utilize the family as a microcosmic representation for society, and Dostoevsky’s 1880 novel, The Brothers Karamazov, the last of Dostoyevsky’s famous and well-regarded novels, is the best example of this tactic. The Brothers Karamazov begins with a brief family history. The patriarch, Fyodor Karamazov, has three sons (Dimitri, Ivan, and Alyosha) by two different women. Fyodor, preoccupied with hedonistic debauchery, sends his sons to various relatives to be taken care of. Dimitri and Fyodor become enemies as soon as Dimitri is old enough to realize that his father not only has taken no responsibility for him, but is also withholding his inheritance left to him by his dead mother. The feud intensifies when they both fall in love with Grushenka, a woman of notoriously poor reputation. Dimitri, though vengefully abhorrent of his father, has inherited Fyodor’s taste for wine and women. Ivan, the second oldest, is a brooding intellectual, and Alyosha, the youngest, has moved to the monastery under the well-respected Father Zossima. Smerdyakov, the fourth and illegitimate son, is Fyodor’s cook. Smerdyakov is anti-social and epileptic, but loves to talk about philosophy with Ivan. Understandably, Dimitri is blamed when Smerdyakov murders Fyodor, because of the â€Å"overwhelming facts† against him. Ivan loses his mind when he realizes that he is more to blame than the innocent Dimitri, because he subconsciously encouraged, and even hoped for the murder, and Alyosha leaves the monastery on Zossima’s instructions. The Karamazovs forcefully confront the reader with the timeless questions of family. Is love entitled or earned? Are children unconditionally innocent? Are children obliged to love and respect their parents despite neglect and abuse? â€Å"Even while The Brothers Karamazov insists on the innocence of children, it also undercuts this idea, showing how children can be sinful even while they suffer†¦the tension between childhood innocence and childhood guilt is at the very heart of the novel†¦they resemble another category of natural victims, the peasants†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hruska, 472) It is not only the idea of children that is representative of a larger social construct, but nearly every character. Alyosha is the devout Christian. He believes wholeheartedly in the good of human kind and Christ. He is honest, loyal, and compassionate. He is not just a person of faith- he embodies faith. He has faith not only in God, but also in humanity. Though not representative of Dostoevsky himself, Alyosha is an extremely sympathetic character, designed to uphold the principals of faith and Christ against all opposition- and Dostoevsky’s representation of opposition is not slight, but in fact, very thorough. Ivan represents doubt and rationality. His intellectualism is both his strength and his eventual downfall. Though brilliant, it is precisely his doubt that drives him to madness. He is a respectable character, but he is ultimately unsuccessful, exhibiting Dostoevsky’s view on where the path of doubt leads. Fyodor Pavlovich is obviously deplorable and pathetic. He is selfish and greedy. He seeks nothing but pleasure at all costs and is completely uncaring, except, presumably, for Grushenka. He believes that his recognition of his own disgraceful behavior frees him not from outside condemnation, but from true inferiority. His illegitimate son, Smerdyakov, becomes the manifestation of all that is impure in Fyodor. The Lambert family in The Corrections, though lacking in murderous rivalry and unbridled sensuality, is equally disturbing, if only because of its realism. â€Å"We are talking about the family values of the House of Atreus, the Brothers Karamazov, the Mafia, and the Manson Gang. † (Leonard, 6) While Alfred loses his body and mind to Parkinson’s, his wife, Enid, tries desperately to reunite the family for Christmas. The oldest, Gary, is well off and living with his own wife and children in an affluent area of Philadelphia. Denise, the middle child, is a successful and beautiful young chef. Chip is a failed screenplay writer, a failed boyfriend, a failed professor, and a failed son. The Corrections, then, addresses not only the gap between generations, but also the grasp of one on the other. The flyaway children who feel themselves wronged return like boomerangs to the parents whose business it has always been to stamp out errancy†¦ (Leonard, 9) Both Dostoevsky and Franzen push the reader’s limit for sympathy with their extremely flawed, but perhaps forgivable characters. The reader is forced to examine the limits of redemption from greed and â€Å"base† behavior, both in society and in the family. In both novels, the reader is ultimately compelled to forgive any sin where repentance is present. In The Brothers Karamazov, for example, it is easier to forgive Dimitri’s aggression and lies because of his genuine sincerity, while his father, a victim of cold blooded murder, does not evoke the slightest feelings of sympathy, aside, maybe, from sheer pity. In The Corrections, Chip is likable despite his follies not only because of his self-deprecation, but because he has moral principals. Contrary to his brother, Gary, who has a wife, children, and a steady job, but a very capitalistic mindset and a depressed, numb state of living. Denise is a competitive workaholic but is genuinely confused, and the reader his hoping for her salvation because she is so desperately isolated. The novel shifts from a condemnation of the contemporary American materialism to the possibility of family (and, by implication, human) forgiveness. The narrative has been dallying with philosophical questions, but now it lingers†¦I cannot say whether Franzen could have pulled off this miraculous redemption of his story had he not so cruelly set up his Lamberts as crass sinners, but I was sorry it took him so long to acknowledge their capacity for decency†¦(Sayers 23) Perhaps the biggest difference between these two novels is the philosophical dissonance between Dostoevsky and Franzen. While Dostoevsky’s characters clearly represent specific and largely unchanging ideals, Franzen’s creations are muddled and confused. They resemble a deer in the headlights of post-modern America, racing inside, but paralyzed by the chaos of the situation, and unable to move in either direction. Interestingly, though Dostoevksy was a staunch advocate of deep faith while fairly exploring doubt, his ultimate message when is comes to family is far less optimistic than the obviously anti-religious Franzen. This is perhaps dependent on the opposing characters’ abilities to change. Since Dostoevsky’s characters remain of largely the same beliefs and convictions throughout and in spite of their life-changing experiences, they are incapable of true metamorphosis. Franzen’s initially detestable Lambert family is eventually redeemed by each character’s inner-changes, which leads ultimately to a realistically cynical, but still heart-warming loyalty to one-another. The only character who doesn’t change for the better is Alfred, who simply loses his mind, and though the reader is respectful of his work ethic, he is obviously the yoke of the family, whose death is seen as ultimately positive for his wife and children. There is a sense of triumph by the end of the novel, when Enid, who initially looked like an idiot compared to Alfred, is really just in need of independence, and proves to be a lot smarter than she seems. If anyone in The Corrections is radically transformed—and all of them are turned like sucklings on a spit— its Enid at age seventy-five. When Alfred at last is safely dead, she puts on her sudden freedom like a jaunty hat. (Leonard, 8) When the charismatic and brilliant defense attorney asserts the child’s right to demand proof that he should love his father, the audience wholeheartedly approves and supports him, even so far as to applaud despite the judge. The audience, like a Shakespearean chorus, representing the author’s prediction of the reader’s reaction, is totally in favor of Dimitri’s salvation despite full knowledge of past offenses. The reader blames his father for raising a violent deviant. Franzen, on the other hand, provokes a feeling of pity for Enid that makes the reader want to scold her children, understandably irritated though they may be, for not treating their mother with more kindness. The result is a surprising one. Franzen, the postmodern critic of just about everything, takes the route of sympathy and even optimism. His characters change for the better in a very real way. They don’t proclaim that they have decided to devote themselves to God, they have no fear of damnation, they just genuinely have tried and succeeded in improving their relationships. Dostoevsky is focused much more on religion, for a variety of justifiable reasons, but his characters are less fluid. Though each of his characters transforms throughout the novel, it is only by way of rigorous philosophical inquiry. Franzen’s characters, on the other hand, are merely growing up. Enid does not plan to improve her life when her husband dies- she just does. It is a natural progression as opposed to a constant battle fought with violent imagery and empty threats. Franzen frees his characters from every limit set by Dostoevsky- especially God and the fear of moral judgment. The result is not a depressing tale of a family who does not feel an obligated loyalty to one another. On the contrary, the Lambert family transforms only for love. They are not motivated by religion or society. They simply learn to love one another for no other reason than their shared DNA. This is far more optimistic than the picture of a family according to Dostoevsky, because it is universally attainable. SOURCES Hruska, Anne. The Sins of Children in the Brothers Karamazov. Christianity and Literature 54 (2005): 471-495. Parenthetical Citation Leonard, John. Nuclear Fission. Rev. of The Corrections, by Jonathan Franzen. New York Review of Books 20 Sept. 2001. Parenthetical Citation Polka, Brayton. Psychology and Theology in the Brothers Karamazov. Journal of Literature and Theology 5 (1991): 1-24. Parenthetical Citation Sayers, Valerie. Caffeinated Realism. Commonweal 21 Dec. 2001: 23-24. Parenthetical Citation

Survival Of The Huaorani Warriors Theology Religion Essay

Survival Of The Huaorani Warriors Theology Religion Essay The Huaorani Warriors of Ecuador have a rich culture including Gender relations, Beliefs and Values, and Sickness and Healing. They are cultivators as well as hunters who live in the Amazonian Rainforest in South America. Most Huaorani make their homes in northeastern Ecuador, but interestingly are not familiar with normal Ecuadorian culture. According to BBC News World (2011) The Huaorani have only had contact with outsiders in the last century. They are known to have killed oil workers in the 1940s, when Shell Oil had a station on their territory. Many Huaorani were relocated in the 1970s to make way for oil exploration http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-12937408. The Huaorani are famous for being an aggressive, warlike community who disliked and killed Westerners. Huaorani and their advocates are involved in legal battles with oil companies that have built pipelines through their traditional lands. To this day, Huaorani continue to battle these pipelines. Even though living in the fo rest offered protection, they are hunters as well as cultivators and will kill to protect their way of life. Their populations of approximately 4,000 speak a Huaorani language, and studies have shown that this language is not associated with any other languages spoken in Ecuador. The Huaorani people have different features those of other tribes in Ecuador. The Huaorani people are sandwiched between the Curaray and Napo rivers which is notorious for the oil trap and logging which in Ecuador can get people in trouble with the law. This community is well known for the gruesome way they attack foreigners and other tribes around them to protect their culture. (Kaplan, Larrick, Yost, 1980). The Huaorani, Waorani or Waodani also known as the Waos are foragers. In their society women and men have equal gender relations. For the Huaorani people, the women and men are considered equal, comparing to their neighboring tribe, the Kichwas, where the women are not equal but less than men. Women are responsible for cultivating and harvesting the crops while the men hunt. As such, they are both foragers and horticulturalists hunting using their spears to kill animals and cultivate manioc and bananas. Although they make family decisions together the women are very strong and can take care of themselves. Traditionally, a Huaorani settlement pattern consist of self-sufficient and isolated residential units with an average of twenty to thirty members inhabiting each longhouse. Kinship and marriage were structured by bilateral descent and cross cousin marriages. Cross cousin marriage divides people into two types, parallel cousins which are considered as siblings and cross cousins who could be potential spouses. The women may leave their spouse if they choose to, unlike the other tribe. The Huaorani have low birth rate unlike their neighbors. The Huaorani people usually only have two or three children. The Huaorani people limit and control their birth rates because of the availability of food. The women made a special blend of tea from items in the forest to use as birth control to prevent children. Men and women cannot survive without each others presence because each has their own duties to fulfill within the tribe. Their main hunting weapon is the blow gun and the arrows used are dipped in curare poison to paralyze the muscles of the animals being targeted. The huaorani were against eating deer, because they thought that deer eyes look very similar to human eyes. Spears were used for person to person conflict and settling of scores especially with the Western civilization. The Huaorani people made unusual outfits. There is a fruit, called achiote, which gives a red extract. They utilize this to paint items and their bodies as well as on special days. They use teeth of boars and the feathers of birds. The Huaorani men would consider a kome a form of cloth. This is a string like that ties to the foreskin and around the men waist. The Huaorani people have long hair in the back and their banes are cut all the way to the back of the ears. The Huaorani elders ears are pierced in a loop like ring. The various rings over time create a large drooping circle which hangs below the ear. Since this is an excruciating process present generations have stopped doing this. The pain is so unbearable that the bravest men have complained about the pain. This painful process normally begins in childhood. The term Huaorani means human beings or the people, and they refer to everyone else as cowode or non-humans. According to the various studies conducted the Huaoranis have come to be known for their way of isolating themselves from everyone by remaining in the forest. This way of life is due to their belief of the forest being a source of protection from anything and anyone that may cause harm to them. As a result, they believe everything outside of the forest is unsafe. This way of life forces them to hunt and gather food from their natural surroundings. Their beliefs and values play a major part on how they hunt and must gathering food for their daily diet. According to the Huaorani people, there are specific animals that may not be hunted. This also includes monkeys, wild peccaries, and birds for this there are some animals that cannot be eaten by anyone. As to the belief and values, anything that has features similar to a human can fall in that category as well. A deer would be one example. Hunting to gain profit within the society is deemed as an unethical matter. In many cases the Huaorani people believe that the spirit of the animals killed continue to live in the forest. This affects the way of how hunting and eating is done within the Huaorani society. This belief and value limits the type of species they are allowed to hunt for food. On the other hand, the forest is generally important in society since it provide them with medicines and other sources of food. The Huaorani community possesses a lot of knowledge concerning the botanical and medicinal values of plants in the forest. Plants are considered a part of the life of this community, since they are a part of the forest. (Kaplan, Larrick, Yost, 1980). The Huaorani people hold animist religious views, they believe spirits inhabit their forest, and that the Huaorani originally descended from the union of a jaguar and an eagle. The Huaorani people believe that a large serpent, when they pass on to the afterlife, is guarding the way to the spirit world and they must escape in order to enter the heaven. If unable to escape the serpent the dead would return as an animal. For this reason there is a limit on what animals that may be hunted for food. Unfortunately, this taboo has resulted in an even more limited amount of resources to hunt. Huaorani people are not allowed to hunt and eat certain animals such as the jaguar. This is because the jaguar is a significant and outstanding creature in the spirit world. They believe that the jaguar and the eagle have come together to create mankind. Some elders have the capacity to communicate with the spirit world generally adopt Jaguar sons. Jaguar sons were able to communicate both medical and s piritual knowledge. As a result, from this belief the Huaorani people highly respect the jaguar and hence they should not be hunted. (Man, 1982) When the Huaorani people die and pass over into the afterlife, they believe that a person should embark on a journey to get to heaven. During this journey, there would be a serpent in the middle of the persons journey. Only the strongest could jump over the serpent to get to heaven. The souls that do not make it over would descend back to earth as an animal. The Huaoranis are feared by everyone around them because of how violent they were known to be. The Huaorani people are fierce and unpredictable. They seem unemotional and which made it very difficult for anyone to interpret their mood or behavior. The Huaorani were feared greatly because they would violently kill with vengeance anyone who stood against them. Generally any conflict with the Huaorani resulted in the other person being speared. In the Waorani world there would be no difference between the present life and the life after death. The Huaorani once saw the world as a big forest. The basic entity for their culture dependency and existence remains in the enormous rain forest. The forest is their home. Since the outside world is considered to be a risk factor they remain in the forest for protection of all things that may cause harm to them. They consider the river and the trees a part of their life. This is what they are taught to understand as they raised up in the Huaorani community. The Huaorani people believe that animals exist spiritually and physically. They say that when you die a great serpent is waiting for you to prevent you from crossing over into heaven. All spirits that fail returns to suffer on earth. On earth these animals are recognized, respected, and cannot be harmed. They believed in the presence of animal spirits. The animal spirits are released when an animal is killed and harm its killer if it is not properly placated. The animals spirit may cause physical harm to the killer and potentially others. As the Huaorani people hunt for survival, they prepare the curare for the dead animals. Mengatoi are special people that live within the Huaorani community. The Mengatoi are believed to be able to transform into jaguars and also have the ability cure diseases and illnesses. If the Mengatoi has an ill patient, they will make dark colored psychoactive potion from a Banisteriopsis vine called Mii. This potion is made to cure the sick. The Mengatoi will then take the potion while sitting with the patient who is ill. Then as the Mengatoi is mediating and communicating with the animal spirits on behalf of the ill patient to make the person go back to feeling as their normal self again. The healing process must take place in the hours of darkness to take. Therefore, the process always takes place at night in the hours of darkness. The Mengatoi will follow the jaguar spirit which will lead them to a plant which in return will be the cure for ill stricken patient. They may take and blow peppers on the patients chest, or the Mengatois may suck on the persons head and then simply spit the sickness onto the ground. At the end of the process, the Mengatoi will give the patient a prescription of the herbs for them to take in the days to come. The Huaorani people are no longer travelers and presently have a permanent community. The settlements are made of five groups which are the Tagareri, Onamenane, Huinature and Taromenane. They isolate themselves at their own free will from our civilization to prevent unwanted influence. Technological advances have transformed the world and the Huaorani prefer to remain isolated with the forest. According to the Huaorani people, the forest is a safe haven from danger and the unknown supernatural. They only treasure what they do best which is hunting, gathering, and protecting their environment. They believe that plants and animals are connected by a spiritual as well as physical life force. Therefore they value the presence of animals and respect them when they are hunting because they believe that when someone dies they come back in animal form. This tribe has an ordinary way of healing their wound and sicknesses with herbs found in the Amazon. (Man, 1982) For the Huaorani, the forest is home, while the outside world is considered unsafe: living in the forest offered protection from the witchcraft and attacks of neighboring peoples (Southernexplorations.com). In the U.S. hunting is more of a hobby or leisure activity rather than a source of survival. But to the Huaorani hunting is a major part of their survival. They are known to have killed oil workers in the 1940s, when Shell Oil had a station on their territory. And in 1970s many Huaorani were relocated to settlements to make way for oil exploration http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-12937408. Culture includes knowledge, beliefs, values, laws, morals, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by people as a member of ones society. Due to the global demand for oil the Huaorani society and culture has changed forever. I believe the Huaorani had a right to kill the corporate giants who invaded their territory interrupting their primary mode of subsistence as well as their cu lture and way of life. Huaorani and their advocates are involved in legal battles with oil companies that have built pipelines through the rainforest of South America. To this day, Huaorani continue to battle these pipelines.

Why Early Twentieth Century Women Made their Splash in Arizona Politics :: Essays Papers

Why Early Twentieth Century Women Made their Splash in Arizona Politics Since the beginning of Arizona history, women were confined to the traditional roles of housekeeping and child rearing due to the conditions of life on the frontier. At this time, Arizona was a land of chaos and therefore lacked a civilized community. In effect, women’s most important responsibility remained within her home to create a comforting and refined atmosphere which would ultimately raise the standard of living in Arizona (Fischer 47). These ideas continued to emerge in the twentieth century and left women with few choices and opportunities. However, two women, Josephine Hughes and Isabella Greenway, were able to free themselves from the constraints of society and undertake influential roles in the political realm because of the extraordinary but favorable circumstances in their lives. Both women were wealthy, courageous, persistent, or associated with powerful and influential men. Josephine Hughes amazingly rose above societal norms and played an active role in political movements because of her privileged financial status. Because she was a woman of means, her home had all of the modern conveniences of the time. For instance, her home was the first in the Tucson area to be illuminated with candlesticks while her neighbors used a burning rag in a saucer of grease as a means for lighting. Most importantly, the Hughes’ were the first to obtain a cistern which was considered a luxury because they no longer had to buy their drinking water from peddlers who sold it a very high price (Boehringer 99). These conveniences eliminated the monotonous, time-consuming activities necessary for a woman to sustain a household. Therefore, she had more time and energy to dedicate herself to various causes such as the suffrage and temperance movements. However, Josephine Hughes was able to surpass the restraints imposed by tradition because she possessed a quality that simply could not be bought: courage. She manifested such inner strength especially in situations when the odds were against her. In 1892, she made the treacherous journey from Pennsylvania to the West with her infant daughter. At this time, the Apaches conducted a series of violent raids that left many white settlers in the area dead. Because of the obvious danger, Josephine carried her baby in one arm and a loaded rifle in the other (98).

Historical Analysis Of One Of Emily Dickinsons Works :: essays research papers

Emily Dickinson was a reclusive person, with an emotional, passionate, intense life filled with her genius for writing poetry. Although criticized for her unconventional style of writing, including her rough rhythm and imperfect grammar and rhymes, she continued to write in her own unique way. Many aspects of her life, such as her relationships with various people, remain a mystery and are not well known.Emily Dickinson almost always stayed near her home; in fact she hardly ever strayed from her birthplace of Amherst, Massachusetts. She enjoyed spending time at home in her garden. She was deeply affected by her relationships with certain people, specifically men.One of her profound relationships was with poetry critic, Thomas Wentworth Higginson. She had contacted him by mail in 1862, enclosing a few poems. He responded with suggestions on her writing style, but Dickinson chose to ignore his suggestions. Dickinson and Higginson corresponded for the next twenty-two years. Dickinson had other relationships with men that affected her life dramatically. Her family, specifically her father and brother, were an important influence. In addition, a very large influence and source of inspiration for her was the Reverend Charles Wadsworth. She met him in Philadelphia in the 1850's. The relationship between them was a very mysterious one. He was married and had a family. He left for California in 1862. In that very year, Emily Dickinson wrote an astounding three hundred and sixty six poems. Many of them shared the themes of love, death, nature, immortality, and beauty. She typically portrayed death as a monarch, leader, lord, or lover. Her moods changed and varied of utter despair to extreme ecstasy. These moods were shown in almost all her poems. <font size="1">Mine-by the Right of the White Election!Mine-by the Royal Seal!Mine-by the Sign in the Scarlet prison-Bars-cannot conceal!Mine-here-in Vision-and in Veto!Mine by the Grave's Repeal-Titled-Confirmed-Delirious Charter!Mine-long as Ages steal!~ Emily Dickinson, 1862In this poem, Emily Dickinson is saying that everything tangible can be taken away from her, but her will to live, and her choice to die, are hers, and nobody can take that away from her. In that theme, she also expresses that she is also the only one who can control her thoughts, another thing that nobody can take away. She expresses these ideas when she says, "Mine" or "Bars-cannot conceal". As she usually did, Emily Dickinson is using a leader to portray death, and declaring that death is hers and her decision.

Pizza Hut in Brazil Essay -- Business Marketing Case Study, solution

Pizza Hut in Brazil Starting a business in a new country requires a lot of research. It is important to understand that country's political and economic system as well as cultural values. To establish business in Brazil, Pizza Hut had to study the complex history of Brazilian economy and politics. It is important to remember that Brazil was a dictatorship for 20 years, from 1964 until 1984.1 During this period it was impossible to implement any kind of foreign business in Brazilian soil. After the authoritarian regime was over, Brazil had its first election in 1984. However, it was not democratic. The only ones allowed to vote were political leaders. It was a big step towards democracy, though. The elected president (Tancredo Neves) passed away right after election. His vice-president became the leader and ruled for four years. It was in 1988 that Pizza Hut implemented its first restaurant in Brazil. The economy was beginning to open up. It was only in 1990 that Brazil had its first democratic elections. In 1994 Fernando Henrique Cardoso was elected president. This president had been the minister of finance for the former government and he performed "miracles" in the Brazilian economy. Brazil's economy has a lot of potential. Throughout Brazilian economic history, the government has had an economic policy based on import substitution and it was also trying to switch from agriculture to industry. To insentivate domestic industry, the government established protective tariffs and import quotas. Most of the enterprises were owned by State such as: steel, oil, infrastructure, and others. These firms also received subsidize "long-term credit expand." For these reasons it had been difficult to establish ventures in Brazil. During the 60s and 70s the economy began to heat up and inflation began to rise reaching an average of 20% a year. Consequently, the government tried to slow down inflation by raising interest rates. However, "the large concentration of industrial power resulted in price inflexibility." The prices were high above costs. "Due to the protection, foreign trade remained a small percentage of the GDP." In 1973 the first oil shock caused some problems for Brazil. Even though Brazil is very rich in natural resources, it depends on imported oil. The government had to borrow money, but 50% of foreign debt was done by state owned ent... ... they have different toppings. It is a mix of America and Brazil. It is an American pizza with a Brazilian topping." Pizza Hut remains openly optimistic about its future in Brazil. It took them a period of adaptation to understand the politics, the economy, and the culture of the country. After that period was passed, it was easier for them to make more accurate predictions of what is efficient and what is not. Today there are 63 units of Pizza Hut in Brazil. Nineteen of those are located in Sà £o Paulo. Only this year 2 new restaurants were opened in Sà £o Paulo. As Zani alleged, investment in "advertising, marketing, changes in product, and reductions of prices" caused a positive return for the company. Bibliography: 1John D. Daniels and Lee H. Radebaugh, International Business: Environment and Operations (USA: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc., 1998), 181. 2Adelaide de Almeida, "Pizza Hut no Brasil." Interview by Lia W. de Araà ºjo, in person, (December, 1999). 36Reinaldo Zani, "Pizza Hut no Brasil." Interview by Adonias Costa de Araà ºjo, email and fax, (December, 1999). 4Claudia Araà ºjo, "Pizza Hut no Brasil." Interview by Lia W. de Araujo, telephone, (December, 1999).

MBA

The 20th century revolutionised the idea of leadership and management. As little as ten years ago, leadership and management were clearly separated by rank, position and chain of command. Leadership was seen as something natural, which could maybe not be skilled. It was the stuff of Bill Gates and Richard Branson, the giants of technology and commerce who belonged to a very exclusive club of like-minded individuals. These people manifested the kind of leadership that was connected to charisma, power and the ability to inspire others to buy into their vision. In the past, you needed the right connections or at least an MBA to become a leader of anywhere near that caliber. The ethos was driven by political visionaries such as Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan who promoted the ideas of free enterprise and a move away from socialist economies. It is not simple to understand what are the differences in the role of team leadership and organization leadership? As for me the roles for leaders do change, as will be explained in more detail which include: adjusting organisational structures and supports for collaborative work processes   and monitoring and mediating environmental factors that effect internal operations. Team leadership concerns the level and focus of way a team communicate. Team members may share leadership amongst them or rely on a chosen leader. Wherever it resides, leadership is important in channeling team energy and efforts, and in helping to work through conflicts and problems. Clearly absent from the High-Performance Team Wheel is â€Å"the leader,† as most important aspects of leadership are contained in the nine dimensions and can effectively least in theory—exist without a formal authority or designated leader. After long comparison I concluded that team leaders coordinate while leaders of organization control work and work processes. As general organization leaders are its managers. The team leader's job is to develop the business and the business strategy – e.g. formally or informally researching and identifying new business opportunities. Organization leader are more involved in setting objectives, drafting plans and implementing the work. Moving people is very much part of its role while, at the same time, organization leader   must know how to motivate staff on a daily basis. Team leaders coach and develop e.g. by setting up mentorship relationships between new entrant graduates and experienced, successful senior managers. Organization leader s on the other hand is engaged in training and managing/monitoring staff performance. The leader's role is to renew, reinvent and replenish, while organization leader measure, evaluate and monitor. 21st century leadership is also about growing and developing self-managing teams. Organization leader are more concerned with building and managing conventional teams. The role of leadership is required to communicate a vision of how products need to be developed and to define the desired development process objectives under this new paradigm. Is the focus on time-to market, on product performance and technology, or on product or life cycle costs? Each of these objectives will result in a different orientation for the development process. Specific goals should be established and communicated – â€Å"we will cut our development cycle by 40% over the next three years†. Priorities need to be established – â€Å"we will focus on establishing an effective team-based approach to development before we invest in upgrading our CAD systems†. Resources and funding mechanisms for this effort need to be committed including time for personnel working on the IPD initiative, training, process improvement, and tools implementation. Will these efforts be funded by a separate budget, by departmental budgets or by development program budgets? Explicit guidance is required on objectives, goals, priorities, resources and funding mechanisms. Once the key people in the organization develop a plan of action, it must be reviewed, approved and actively supported by executive management. Leaders must have a wide range of skills, techniques and strategies, which are the same to both organization and team leaders. These include: Planning Communication skills Organization Awareness of the wider environment in which the team operates Jack Welch, respected business leader and writer is quoted as proposing these fundamental leadership principles: There is only one way – the straight way. It sets the tone of the organisation. Be open to the best of what everyone, everywhere, has to offer. transfer learning across your organisation. Get the right people in the right jobs – it is more important than developing a strategy. An informal atmosphere is a competitive advantage. Make sure everybody counts and everybody knows they count. Legitimate self-confidence is a winner – the true test of self-confidence is the courage to be open. Business has to be fun – celebrations energies and organisation. Never underestimate the other guy. Understand where real value is added and put your best people there. Know when to meddle and when to let go – this is pure instinct. Worked Cite: 1. Daniel. F. Predpall, ‘Developing Quality Improvement Processes In Consulting Engineering Firms’, Journal of Management in Engineering, pp 30-31, May-June 1994 2. Richard Pascale, ‘ Managing on the Edge’, Penguin Book, pp 65, 1990 3. John Fenton, ‘ 101 Ways to Boost Your Business Performance’, Mandarin Business, pp 113, 1990 4. Welch, J. (2001). Jack: Straight from the gut. New York: Warner Business Books. Samsung in bloom. (2002, July 15). Newsweek, 35. 5. Patrick M Lencioni, Jossey-Bass The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, , San Francisco, CA, 2002                      MBA I would like to share the considerations which I have made in my choice to enroll in an Executive MBA program. I believe that the program would help me grow in both personal and professional realms, through an acquisition of both technical and soft skills. Through the rigor and discipline required, I will be equipped with academic content that will help me function more effectively in my job. In securing a Masters’ degree, I also to develop the necessary soft skills that will hone managerial effectiveness. In particular, I want to be enlisted into a program that will help me further develop my skills of problem solving, written and oral communication skills, information retrieval and utilization, and collaboration. From a â€Å"working knowledge† level, I want the program to help me advance to a â€Å"can do† level. For my problem solving skill, I want to learn more on how to analyze and synthesize the emergence of problems, patterns and causes and to generate solutions or options in solving critical or complex issues through various means. I also want to be capable of identifying new, innovative and creative ideas/options to overcome problems. For communication skills, I want to learn how to foster an atmosphere of open communication and to see things from another's perspective. In addition, I want to learn how to assess the need of the audience in order to deliver the appropriate message and content. For information management, I want to broaden my perspective by ensuring that information is free of distortions or personal bias. Finally, on collaboration, I expect the program to teach me how to develop and maintain a strong network of contacts in the industry and outside the company and use this to promote my company's reputation. I also want to learn how to actively building lasting business relationships with other department or companies, private and government institutions. Pursuing this degree is one of my educational goals in the near future. I want to secur the degree within the next 5 years as I simultaneously strive to continue developing my accounting and management skills. I will carry this out by conscientiously attending training and workshop sessions for accounting and administrative professionals. I would also be actively engaged in planning for my own development in my current workplace, suggesting means and venues for skills acquisition to my superior. If time permits, I also intend to join a professional organization within my field of expertise striving to work my way up to a role with greater responsibility and to pursue a Doctorate degree simultaneously to further increase my management competencies. I am fortunate to have been given proper and comprehensive exposure to management roles. I have held positions which allowed me to exercise a substantial degree of autonomy. The positions which I have thus far held helped me to think critically and to make rational decisions amidst ambiguity. While I do not have an exceptionally high GPA, my experience in the organizational setting, I believe, may compensate for this short coming. Upon graduation in 1989, I have worked for a decade in manufacturing companies, holding accounting positions. These include the positions of Cost Accountant, General Accountant, Plant Accountant, and Finance Manager. Gradually, my circle of influence has grown with increasing responsibility. There have been no significant changes in terms of the technical requirements of these roles. The increasing responsibility came with the need to manage people, which is more of a challenge than the technical aspect of these jobs. I take pride in saying that while I have not been academically exceptional, I have been effective at performing these roles, being both results driven and yet to have enough focus on people management. Thus far, the position of Finance Manager have been the most challenging role I have performed so far. Whereas before I was only expected to deliver daily management plans or short-term objectives, this role has necessitated strategic and â€Å"big picture† thinking. In this role, I have also been required to manage people, and have realized that it it important for them to realize how their objectives are meaningfully linked to overall organizational goals. Recognizing the importance of one’s contribution has been an effective motivator. The intangible factors of autonomy, relationship with superior, and engagement cause people to be results-driven and constantly motivated. The people management component of the role has helped me keep a more balanced perspective or focus on work vis-à  -vis people, and initiatives may be cleverly drafted so that one component complements the other. In resolving to apply in the program, I have been convinced that it is critical to my personal development and learning, and may also be key to progress in my career. In entering the program, I expect my technical and management skills to be developed further. For problem solving, I want to be able to break down problems and see patterns or basic relationships or connections among them. Moreover, I want to be able to utilize several analytic or creative ways to break apart complex issues into component problems and to evaluate the identified alternative solutions to problem. I would also want to be taught how to use logical, systematic reasoning to understand and resolve, analyze and resolve issues. In terms of communication skills, I want to express ideas more effectively in both written and oral communication and to pick up non-verbal clues and use non-verbal information. I want to practice effective use direct, open, two-way communication and read beyond what is said and to alter my own behavior to respond appropriately. Information management is also one of the areas which I want to develop. I want to be able to compare, recognize and correct discrepancies with multiples sets of data to balance records and to utilize monitoring systems to ensure achievement of goals of individuals in the organization I work for. I also want to be taught the rigor of verifying or uncovering additional information for accuracy. I also want to be more effective at collaborating with others. I want to build good relationships with people within and outside of the organization to identify or resolve differences, issues and obstacles. All these soft skills, together with the technical content that shall be imparted in the program will help me become a more effective professional. I am thoroughly convinced that to progress in one’s profession, there must be continuous passion for learning – both academically and through practical applications. The learning not only comes with solid academic content but also equips one with the soft skills needed to advance in one’s career. This realization of the value of learning upon application to the program in itself is valuable. I have changed my perspective of learning as a tedious process, to one in which I could be actively engaged, and to even have fun. I really appreciate what the program has to offer, and its promise of helping me advance both my personal and professional career. I also expect the program to espouse an atmosphere of learning where students can be inquisitive. That is, where questions and further inquiry are encouraged. Moreover, I hope that the teachers of the program may be prudent in knowing when to handhold a student and when to let him work independently. There may be some subjects which I will find difficult and in which I expect more help from my Executive MBA mentors.    MBA My decision to pursue my MBA rests on my commitment to improve myself. Being a firm believer that learning is a life-long process which should an individual’s top priority, I am applying for an MBA program with the hope of furthering my strengths and competencies while contributing my acquired knowledge and skills to this institution. After my college graduation, I remember being very much excited on applying the theoretical concepts which I have learned inside the four walls of the classroom into the outside world. Surprisingly, working in the corporate arena equipped me with the new skills which are beyond what are taught by professors. My job experiences furnished me with the capacity to lead, become creative as well as self motivated. Having been assigned to lead my team in the creation of communication tool for managing promotions, I have experienced how it is to manage a workforce with members of different values, expertise, and ideas. I can say that the most challenging part in being a leader is coordination especially because I’ve dealt with a team from different functional areas. However, this experience taught me the essential qualities to be an efficient leader—being goal-oriented, credible, approachable, firm, and the ability to deal with a diverse workforce. I am the type of person who doesn’t settle for the conventional but as much as possible, I look for ways to improve things. In the business sense, I apply this through a continuous search for ways which can help my business organization to be more efficient like the communication tool I have described above. I believe that my acceptance for the MBA program should not only be credited for my skills that I currently posses but even more for my passion in gaining more knowledge and enhancing my skills in order for me to reach my full potential. I am very much motivated to excel in my career but more importantly is my motivation to improve myself. I know that there is no simple formula which can make a person succeed in everything that he does. My measure of accomplishment is usually gauged in the amount of things that I have learned from the experience and not victory itself. So far, I am very proud of the three accomplishments which have instilled me with a sense of fulfillment namely being able to land my first full time job at VCS, being a core team member of business projects, and leading a team which worked for the creation of a communication tool for promotions management. I am one of those fortunate fellows who have experienced the thrill and challenge of landing a first full time job after searching for months. I can still remember how overjoyed I was when I am informed that I am hired for the position of _________ at ______________. This job opportunity has tested my patience and perseverance. The company also became the first venue for me to apply my knowledge and skills and instilled me with the values of being a good employee. Secondly, I am proud to be a core team member of the Business Objects project where members representing various departments worked hard together to reach a common goal. While we spent countless hours to test and implement the project, in the end, it is very much self-fulfilling. I value the ideas that I have learned from my colleagues as well as the good working relationship which we have established. Lastly, I consider launching a communication tool for managing promotions, which is now utilized by sales, operations, finance and senior management the most challenging task that I have ever handled. I am specifically proud of my recognizing some of the shortfalls which I committed during the project because this is where most of the learning comes from. I am proud to have led the project which is now generating numerous benefits for the company not just in its bottom line but on overall efficiency.

Carbon-14 Dating: an Invaluable Yardstick in the Chronology of Humans Essay

Archeologists use many methods to analyze data from the past. One scientific tool they use is to analyze the radioactive decay of chemical elements found in plant and animal remains, pottery, and even in rocks. Radiocarbon dating, also known as carbon-14 dating, has been one of the most important radioisotope dating methods used. This scientific tool, which was first developed by Willard F. Libby in the late 1940s, has significantly improved the accuracy of assigning dates to past events and artifacts as far back as 70,000 years. It is helping archaeologists, geologists, and anthropologists reconstruct the world’s history by filling in some of the many blank dates in the chronology of the history of our human world and by substantiating and revising other dates. In 1941, the radioactive atom, carbon-14, was isolated and discovered. Utilizing this discovery of the unstable radioactive isotope of carbon, Libby formulated an idea for using the decay rate of this radioactive form of carbon to date the remains of once-living plants and animals such as charcoal, wood, bone, shells, and fossils. In 1948, while at the University of Chicago, he and his colleagues started experimenting with carbon-14 as a means for dating the past. The scientists proved that carbon-14, which is present in our atmosphere as carbon dioxide, is absorbed by plants, animals, and human beings at a constant rate, and that the amount of carbon-14 is stabilized at a specific amount. A living organism can only intake a finite amount of carbon-14. Then, at the moment the living organism dies, it stops taking in any carbon-14, and the carbon-14 remaining in the organism starts to disintegrate at the half-life rate of 5,568 years (Poole 1961:27). (Today, based on refined calculations/techniques the half-life rate of carbon-14 is generally considered to be 5,730 years) (Wheatley 2004:98; DeYoung 2005:46). From the experimental results, Libby devised an apparatus to measure the amount of carbon-14 that had been lost and the amount that still remained in the substance. He planned to calculate the age of an object from the amount of carbon-14 left inside it after death. To test the validity of his carbon-14 counting device and subsequent calculations, Libby tested many items that archaeologists had previously dated. Some of the items he tested included: acacia wood from the first stepped pyramid tomb of Egyptian ruler Zoser  (established rate: 2700 B.C.; Libby date: 3979 ±350 years), cypress wood from the tomb of Sneferu in Egypt (established date: 4,575 B.P.; Libby date: 4802 ±210 years), cedar wood from the Egyptian pharaoh Sesostris’s funeral boat (established date: 3750 B.P.; Libby 3621 ±180 years), wood from a mummy coffin from the Ptolemaic period in Egypt (established date: 2280; Libby 2190 ±450 years), wheat and barley seeds (established date: 5000 years old; Libby date 5256 ±230 years), and lastly, Libby dated charcoal from Iraq at 6596 ± 360 years which coincided with the known approximate date (Poole 1961:28-32, Libby 1952:70). Except for the Zoser sample date, which dated too far back in history, his experimental dates were accurate within an acceptable margin of error. These sample tests, along with many others, confirmed that his carbon-14 test dating method was scientifically dependable within an acceptable margin of error for objects already dated. Libby then continued his work on dating objects for which no dates had been established. Scientists and scholars began to send him samples from all over the world to radiocarbon date. This included dating artifacts from the Dead Sea Scrolls, Pompeii, Stonehenge, and New Mexico. One of his most significant results occurred when his colleagues dated glacial debris near Two Creeks, Wisconsin. His scientific work provided strong evidence that the last Ice Age in North America had covered the land as recently as 11,000 BCE years ago, not 25,000 years ago as most geologists previously believed (Libby 1952:105). All of these accomplishments and the inroads Libby made in dating the past employing carbon-14 dating earned him the Nobel Prize in 1960. Although radiocarbon dating methods have improved tremendously, Libby’s overall methodology is still utilized and accepted as a dating technique. It is based upon the fact that carbon-14 is a radioactive, unstable isotope of carbon-12 since its molecular composition has two more neutrons than protons. Carbon-14 is made when cosmic rays enter the earth’s atmosphere and collide with nitrogen atoms. The unattached carbon neutrons then combine with nitrogen-14 atoms to become carbon-14 (Nitrogen-14 + neutron → Carbon-14 + proton). As the resulting carbon-14 atoms drift down towards the earth’s surface they combine with oxygen to make carbon dioxide. This carbon dioxide includes the stable, common isotope carbon-12 and also tiny  amounts of radioactive carbon-14. Both kinds of carbon, C-14 and C-12, are absorbed and used by plants and trees during the photosynthesis process and become part of their cellulose structure. Animals then eat these plants containing carbon-14 and carbon-12 and thus forms of carbon enter their tissues. When plants and animals die, they no longer absorb carbon from the atmosphere and the trace amount of carbon-14 in them starts to slowly decay back to nitrogen (Carbon-14 → Nitrogen-14 + Beta (ÃŽ ²)). Beta particles are single electrons that are free from atoms and carry a negative charge (DeYoung 2005:25). At the point of death, all organisms contain one atom of carbon-14 for every trillion atoms of carbon-12 (Poole 1961:25). Carbon dating requires determining the amount of carbon-14 that has disintegrated in the sample and the amount that remains. Generally this is measured as the ratio of isotopes C-14/ C-12. This value is then compared to the initial carbon-14 content in the sample to determine its age taking into account carbon-14’s half-life and other calibration factors (DeYoung 2005:46-48). Since the amount of carbon-14 in each sample is miniscule, it is necessary to have several â€Å"clean† samples of the same artifact being dated. It is imperative to avoid contamination of the artifacts as any carbon-14 found in the non-sample material, such as roots or other decaying remains which might be from a different time period, could significantly distort the results since the percentage of carbon-14 in a sample is minute (Hedman 2007:58). Therefore, scientists or archeologists generally collect large samples because when they cleanse the sample, which includes purification and distillation processes, small amounts of matter tend to be removed. The trowels must be meticulously cleaned and the artifacts are packed in chemically neutral materials to ensure that the sample’s ratio of C-14 to C-12 remains the same. The stratigraphy of where the sample was taken must also be examined to ensure that the carbon sample location was not contaminated. In addition, scientists extract several samples in order to perform similar test on the artifact to confirm the accuracy of the dates they calculate. In order to determine a samples age, scientists perform experimental trials to identify and count the number of carbon-14 atoms in the sample based on carbon-14’s unique physical properties of larger mass and radioactivity (Hedman 2007:58). Today, scientists manipulate two formulas to determine the age of an artifact. One is the formula t = (1/ÃŽ »)  ln (I0/I), where â€Å"ÃŽ »Ã¢â‚¬  symbolizes the decay constant for carbon-14, â€Å"I† stands for the amount of carbon-14 in the dead matter, â€Å"t† represents time in years, and â€Å"I0† is the carbon-14 in living matter (L’Annunziata 2007:526). This formula calculates the time that has elapsed from the time of death of an organism. The second is an exponential decay formula which is A = A0* e^(-ÃŽ »k) (L’Annunziata 2007:523). In this equation, â€Å"A† stands for the amount of carbon-14 atoms remaining after a given time â€Å"t†, â€Å"A0† denotes the number of carbon-14 atoms at the time of observation, and â€Å"ÃŽ »Ã¢â‚¬  remains the decay constant. This formula allows scientists to know the ratio of the present amount of the radioactive isotope that remains versus the original amount in relation to time. This formula also determines the amount of carbon-14 that would diminish over a given time period. An important fact when using these formulas is that archaeologists and scientists are assuming that the production of radiocarbon in the atmosphere and the carbon-12 and carbon-14 ratio has remained constant over time. When Libby and his colleagues developed this dating system in the 1940’s, they relied on the radioactivity of carbon-14’s unstable nuclei. They, as well as subsequent scientists, have used Geiger counters to detect if radioactive carbon is present in a sample. This device is able to detect the beta particles emitted by atoms of carbon-14 as they decay. When these rays hit the Geiger counter, the device clicks indicating that the substance is radioactive. After, scientists start their process of determining the samples historical age. For example, if scientists wants to know the age of a piece of wood destroyed by fire, they take the piece of wood and soak it in chemicals to confirm any contamination particles that remain on the artifact are gone prior to it being tested. The next step is to separate the carbon-14 atoms from everything else in the wood. To do this, scientists place the wood in a heavy glass tube and then burn it. When this reaction occurs, the burning of the wood leaves very little ash and emits carbon dioxide, which is collected in a purification vacuum system. Once the gas containing carbon-14 is completely purified, the gas enters a glass jar, which then enters the carbon-14 counter. This device is comprised of a ring of Geiger counters inside a casing, and all of this is surrounded by lead or iron bricks to filter out even more radiations from the atmosphere. The sample is then tested and an electronic panel counts and records the time elapsed  as each carbon-14 atom disintegrates. From this, scientists can calculate the approximate age of the sample by manipulating the formulas mentioned previously and calculate the number of years that have elapsed since the sample stopped the intake of carbon-14 and began its half-life decay (Poole 1961:40-46). A second method of radiocarbon dating used is the Liquid Scintillation counting method. This was particularly popular during the 1960’s. The Liquid Scintillation counting method converts a sample to carbon dioxide either through combustion or acid hydrolysis. The gas is purified until it is ready to be â€Å"reacted with molten lithium to form lithium carbide, before being catalytically trimerised to benzene† (Higham 2002: paragraph 2). Once this process finishes, the benzene is driven off and collected under a vacuum to be counted for carbon-14 content utilizing a Liquid Scintillation spectrometer. This apparatus counts the pulses of light emitted by the benzene compound when it is bombarded with photons and has a high precision in dating. Advancement in technology has led to the third method of radiocarbon dating, which is more precise than the other two methods. This process is accelerator mass spectrometry or AMS. This technique uses multiple stages of acceleration and ionization, as well as several magnets to separate the carbon-14 isotopes from all other atoms and molecules in the sample. A major advantage of AMS is that all carbon-14 atoms in a sample are counted, not just the ones that happen to decay. This makes this method very sensitive and can give accurate dating even if only one milligram of carbon is provided (Hedman 2007:60). The limit of carbon-14 detection using AMS is about one carbon-14 atom for every 1016 stable carbon-12 atoms. This sensitivity is one part per ten thousand trillion or the equivalent of being able to detect a unique grain of sand along a 100 mile-long seashore (DeYoung 2005:50)! This sensitivity means that artifacts can be analyzed without causing damage to them. It also enables objects with small amounts of carbon-14 (like steel tools) to be analyzed and dated. The only drawback is that AMS machines take up entire buildings, are only found in about thirty specialized places throughout the world, and it is very expensive to test samples utilizing this method (Hedman 2007:60). Various scientists use radiocarbon dating as a device to measure ages of artifacts; however, it is categorized under the Culture History theoretical school of thought in archaeology. Culture History  archaeologists focus their work on cultural processes and work to determine human behavior. In the field their focus is keened toward the distribution of artifacts that can define traits, which leads to defining cultures and changes over time. Carbon-14 dating falls under this theoretical school of thought because its purpose is to date artifacts, and when the dates of an artifact are known, they can be related to one another and aid in defining a culture or changes in culture over time (shortman). One of the areas where carbon dating has been particularly useful is in trying to date the evidence of human activity in the Americas. Prior to carbon-14 dating, most scientists believed the last Ice Age ended about 25,000 years ago (Poole 1961:51). In 1950, ancient logs from spruce trees were found under glacial debris near Two Creeks, Wisconsin. Scientists were certain that these trees were crushed by the fourth Ice Age. Pieces of this wood were sent to Libby for dating. Based on his tests, the last Ice Age had spread across the land as recently as 11,000 years ago! This meant scientists had to restudy and revise previous dates of other natural events (Poole 1961:52-53). Another example of how carbon-14 dating helped was dating the evidence of humans coming to the New World. This evidence revolves around the Clovis points, a group of artifacts, found in New Mexico. The Clovis points are large spearheads with a â€Å"flute† at their base and are made from rocks like flint or volcanic glasses like obsidian that can be chipped away to form sharp edges. Clovis points have been found throughout the United States, and at several sites, these artifacts were found with the remains of mammoths. Carbon-14 dating of these Clovis points places them at 11,000 BCE or 13,000 years ago after calibration (Hedman 2007:86). Using this data, the Clovis first-model was developed that suggested that there should not be any people in the Americas much before 13,000 to 14,000 years ago in view of the Ice Age that made travel difficult, even if it did provide a corridor into this land. However, over the years archaeologists have claimed to discover sites that predate the Clovis points. As an example, carbon-14 dating of charcoal samples from the Meadowcroft rockshelter in Pennsylvania suggests that the site is over 15,000 years old. This leads to the belief that people landed in America well before the ice-free corridor opened. In addition, in 1997 independent archaeologists confirmed the accuracy of the date of wooden poles and posts from a site in Monte Verde, Chile. Carbon-14 testing suggested the artifacts were 14,000 to 15,000 years old. This site also appears to be older than Clovis, which is surprising given the fact that it is 10,000 miles south of Alaska (Hedman 2007:88-91). There are controversies surrounding the carbon dating of these sites. As to Meadowcroft, which is near Canada, remains of oak and hickory trees were found in the oldest layers. It seems unlikely deciduous trees could survive the ice age yet the excavators counter this argument saying the area was sheltered which made the climate milder. Meadowcroft skeptics also suggested that the samples might be contaminated since the site is in the heart of coal country. If any of the surrounding material (which no longer had carbon-14 in it since it had already decayed) was mixed with charcoal from the fires, it would dilute the C-14 fraction and the dates would be too old. The archaeologists countered this by saying the dates in each layer of excavation were in order of age. As to Monte Verde, skeptic said the artifacts found were near a stream so the evidence was not reliable. They might be a mixture of material from a range of different times (Hedman 2007:89-91). What is interesting about these examples is it points out some of the shortcomings of radiocarbon dating on the one hand, and on the other hand, it shows that it is a valuable tool for approximating the chronology of history when used with other dating techniques. Even though carbon-14 is a great tool in establishing the age of artifacts, it has some drawbacks. First, it can only date objects up to about 70,000 years ago since its half-life is 5,730 years (Wheatley 2004:98). In addition, its accuracy is debated. Some scientists question the validity of using 5,730 years as a half-life since this assumes nuclear half-lives have always been stable. Moreover, radiocarbon dating assumes that the carbon-14 content of the atmosphere has remained constant over the years and that living things have a constant ratio of C-14 to C-12 in them when alive based on the C-14 content in the atmosphere. However, it is known that since the 1950s, the amount of carbon-14 in the atmosphere has increased because of nuclear bombs and reactors. Artifacts from this era would be dated younger than they really are since they have a higher C-14 to C-12 ratio. By the same token, the ratio between carbon-14 and carbon-12 during the industrial era would be lower due to the burning of fossil fuels and the release of large amounts of carbon dioxide. Because of the increased levels of carbon dioxide, it would  cause things to appear older than their true age. Fortunately, scientists have been able to adjust their radiocarbon dating results to account for changes in the carbon-14 levels in the atmosphere by taking into account information obtained from tree-ring dating. The carbon-14 data is calibrated to the tree ring dates. This has greatly improved the accuracy of this dating technique (Wheatley 2004:98). The earth’s magnetic field can also impact carbon-14 dating results. Cosmic rays are charged particles, so they can be deflected by magnetic fields. Shifts in the magnetic field will influence the quantity of cosmic rays that enter the earth’s atmosphere. If the magnetic field is strong, the number of cosmic rays entering the atmosphere will be reduced. This in turn affects the amount of C-14 in the atmosphere. There have been variations in the earth’s magnetic field. For example, based on data from volcanic rock, the earth’s magnetic field was stronger around 2000 BCE than it is today. At about the same time, the carbon-14 content of the atmosphere dropped. Today, the radiocarbon dating process considers these variations in magnetic fields when dating artifacts (Hedman 2007:75-76). Lastly, another key assumption in radiocarbon dating is the fraction of C-14 to C-12 was the same for organisms living in the past as it is for organisms living today. It is known that some living organisms can accumulate more carbon-14 in their bodies than others. This is known as mass fractionation. For example, corn’s photosynthesis process causes it to have 2-3% higher carbon-14 fraction than sugar beets or tree leaves growing at the same time. If scientists did not take this into account, carbon-14 would underestimate the date of materials derived from corn (Hedman 2007:68-69). Despite these limitations, in my opinion, carbon-14 dating is an invaluable tool in helping date artifacts. Even though it can only date artifacts that are 70,000 years old or younger, it has enabled archeologists, geologists, and anthropologists to have a better understanding of how and where people lived over time in a large part to the chronological information it provides. Specifically, it helped revise the human timetable when it dated the Ice Age to being as recent as 13,000 years ago, not 25,000 years. Radiocarbon dating has also aided in confirming previously established dates. Some may discredit this dating technique because of some of its assumptions, however, refinements to this carbon dating process and collaboration with other dating techniques, such as  dendrochronology, continue to confirm that carbon-14 is still an important yardstick in measuring time and has significantly helped the field of archeology. Bibliography â€Å"Dating.† Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2009. Encylopaedia Britannica Online. 09 Sept. 2009 . DeYoung, Don. Thousands, Not Billions: Challenging an Icon of Evolution: Questioning the Age of Earth. Green Forest: New Leaf, 2005. 13-62. Hedman, Matthew. The Age of Everything: How Science Explores the Past. Chicago: University of Chicago P, 2007. 49-95. Higham, Thomas. â€Å"The 14C Method.† Radiocarbob WEB-info. 9 Aug. 2002. 26 Sept. 2009 . L’Annunziata, Michael. Willard F. Libby. Radioactivity Introduction and History. Amsterdam: Elsevier B.V., 2007. 518-28. Poole, Lynn, and Gary Poole. Carbon-14. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1961. Wheatley, Abigail, and Struan Reid. Radioactive Dating. The Usborne Introduction to Archaeology. London: Usborne Ltd., 2004. 98-99. Willard, Libby F. Radiocarbon Dating. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1952. 69-111.