The Long Road to Brown Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Long Road to Brown - Essay Example The case started in 1951 when the thirteen parents of the town with the assistance and representation by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) started a lawsuit in the US District Court for the District of Kansas over the racial segregation in the schools arguing that separate facilities were inherently unequal and the segregation itself had a negative effects on the education of African American children (Cozzens, â€Å"Brown v. Board of Education†). After the decision of the lower court was announced, the Browns and NAACP decided to appeal to the Supreme Court where the key representative and actual winner of the case was Thurgood Marshall. The case challenged the â€Å"separate but equal† doctrine, established by the case of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896). According to the concept of the doctrine separate public facilities of equal quality did not violate the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution which provided for the equal protection of the laws to all citizens of the US. One of the apprehension was that because of the precedent, the court would tend to rule in favor of the Board of Education (Cozzens). When the case of Brown v. ... The protest demanded the adequate facilities for black Moton school which were extremely unequal in comparison with white Farmville school. The strike was supported by NAACP that urged the students and their parents to demand the desegregation in the court (â€Å"Student Strike at Moton High†). Starting from 1930s NAACP were seeking to challenge the â€Å"separate but equal† doctrine by applying the strategy to bring the topic of injustice to the lower courts and then appeal the cases to the Supreme Court. In the particular case NAACP argued that the segregated education was bringing the message of inferiority which could discourage the Black children to study. Those who wanted to keep the status-quo were arguing that since the segregation was inherent element of the way of life in those places, the segregated education should have been maintained because it prepared Black children to face the segregation further in their lives (â€Å"NAACP builds the case†). The Brown decision followed by the negative reaction in the South. In several states there were records of violence. In Virginia the Senator Harry Byrd launched the ‘Massive Resistance’ campaign against the school integration. This campaign gained the support of more than 100 schools on the South. On the community level the reaction took the form of the White Citizens Council in order to preserve the ‘Southern way of life’ applying various methods from public condemnation to legislative lobbying. The importance of the question over how black students would be admitted to schools lied in the quality education for Black children. The integration was a means that guaranteed the proper funding and facilities to all children regardless their race. The better education would obviously put an end to

Critical Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critical Analysis - Essay Example He found people use differing social tactics to persuade their partners and that certain tactics tend to be more or less effective based on the social context. To what extent is the accuracy of one’s ability to assess their partner’s mindset correlated with how well they influence by their partner? To what extent is the accuracy of one’s ability to assess their partner’s mindset correlated with how much they are influenced by their partner? In Grounding Communication: Synchrony, GÃ ¼n R. Semin discusses how to understand social behavior explain as the sum of many processes (Kruglanski, A.W. and Higgins, E.T. (Eds.), 2007). Human behavior is adaptive to contextual variations; thus interpersonal behavior processes may be seen as the whole of communication, social cognition, and language. In other words, social behavior is clearly interactive based on flows of information internally within the individual, interpersonal between individuals, and socially between interpersonal interactions. Does this mean we are only as socially adept as the particular language will allow us to be? How might we investigate the extent a given language allows for social interaction? Regan (2008) contended the mating process is the result of combinations of evaluations individuals make of one another. Men and women are at the behest of both modern and ancient forces that shape the way mating occurs in humans. Some of the evaluations are instinctually executed whereas others are more cognitively-based on current social trends. In either case, the selection process for any individual is based on evaluations of the mating candidate’s temperament, social status, interpersonality, and physical attractiveness. Mating decisions are also based on so called deal killers. For example, a man may possess all of the desirable attributes in sufficient degree to a woman, but the fact he may be HIV positive automatically excludes him from her choices. What

Literature Comparative Analysis

Literature Comparative Analysis An Encounter by James Joyce deals with the theme of a persons yearn for escapism from the monotonous routine of day-to-day life through the tale of a day in which two young boys are miching from school a feeling which most, if not all, people will experience at some point in their lives. In this story, Joyce suggests to the reader that although people yearn for escape and adventure, routine is inevitable, and new experiences, when they do come, can be profoundly disturbing. The author achieves this through his incorporation of ambiguity, epiphany and writing through first person narrative, with inner monologue to highlight the consciousness of the protagonist and also to subtly divulge the feelings of others. The theme of paralysis is key to Joyces work; the notion is inherent throughout Dubliners as a whole. With this idea comes its antithesis escape or, in the case of An Encounter, thwarted escape. It is because of the characters desire to achieve this freedom, that when the day fails to reach its high expectations, the stagnation and restrictiveness of the surroundings are powerfully reinforced. From the outset of the tale, Joyce ponders the notion of escape. Characters searching for such an escape often describe how they would wish to travel afar to achieve it. This feeling is openly exhibited in An Encounter, as Joyces first person narrator states; Real adventures, I reflected, do not happen to people who remain at home: they must be sought abroad. In the story, Joyce develops the theme in the form of an inner monologue the thoughts of the protagonist dictating how his Wild West' adventures opened doors of escape. The thought processes of the boy (relating to escape) are ultimately what drive the tale, quietly conveyed by Joyce through subtle details. An Encounter deals with methods of escape other than exotic foreign adventure found elsewhere in Dubliners, focusing on the attempt of two boys to break out of the weariness of their everyday environment. At first the prospect of adventure excites the young boys, although there is a constant undertone of anti-climax carefully intertwined into the story. Joyce writes from the first person point view, often through the use of analepses, leading to a frequent air of restriction and frustration surrounding the boys. Quite often, Joyce does not commit any impassioned emotion to events, preferring to use lacklustre qualifying adverbs or adjectives: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦We were all vaguely excitedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ it was a mild sunny morning. Joyce chooses to focus in on the most insipid details such as the docile horsesthe groaning carts which works to suppress the carefree, exciting experience which the boys see as an escapism from their jaded routine. The negativity which is now apparent in almo st everything encountered appears to be an entrapping agent over the boys, who sulk into a resigned and somewhat resentful state, a state which is furthermore reiterated by the repetition of the adverb too: It was too late and we were too tired to carry out our project of visiting the Pigeon House. Joyce presents Dublin as a city of incapacitation to the young characters. He begins to erase the protagonists claim; I was very happy, from the readers memory, introducing words such as solemn, sedulous and eventually even denotes the characters thoughts as jaded. There is constant repetition of the adjective tired; the day has become tedious, adventure and escape have proved elusive, and the encounter of a sinister old man has confirmed that the protagonist will not find merriment in Dublin, but is instead doomed to live in the fantasies of comic book and literature. However, despite its lack of event, the day does provide the boys with one notable incident through the scene encapsulating the encounter with the old man. Aspirations of escape having been superseded, Joyce begins a new paragraph focusing primarily on the silence and stillness of the situation: There was nobody but ourselves in the fieldwe had lain on the bank for some time without speaking. Through creating such an ominous atmosphere; sentences slowly becoming shorter and more concise with a less picturesque use of vocabulary, signalling new themes to be introduced through the introduction of the curious antagonist. The old man introduces the possibility of in-depth monologue and direct speech. In the conversation with the boys, he seemingly manages to entrap the young protagonist with his reference to literature a topic of known interest to the boy. The monotonous voice of the antagonist and the way his voice slowly circles round and round in the same orbit help to achieve the spellbinding quality of the man. This technique paralyses the narrator, who seemingly allows the man to give a discourse in the form of a monologue mainly due to his apparent inability to interrupt. The politeness evident in the boys character is in hindsight, far from being useful, instead placing the boy in a situation of danger. The worrying feature of the mans discourse is the implicitly perverse way in which he speaks. He frequently refers to the whipping'of young boys with an over-excitable zeal. Joyces primary use of such adjectives as magnetised and circle in reference to his thought process establishes the mans odd approach. This creates the impression that he is intent on the subject. Secondly, a section of reported speech is introduced: When a boy was rough and unruly there was nothing would do him any good but a good sound whippingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ what he wanted was to get a nice warm whipping. Joyce emphasises the mans positive outlook on the subject through the use of positive repetition; of the word good, firstly as a noun, secondly as an adjective, and also use of the adjective nice, which appears somewhat misplaced when used in conjunction with the concept of whipping. The protagonists isolation from intellectuals due to young age and low social class means he is quick to warm to the old man when he talks of literature. In the epiphany, he even appears isolated from his closest friend, Mahoney, and it appears to that the epiphany of the piece (from the young boys perspective) confirms that the older man has had a profound influence on his views. It appears that the isolation of the naÃÆ' ¯ve child has left him susceptible to corruption and the encounter has left the boy and the reader with the realisation that the world is not an innocent place. The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe, like The Encounter, is concerned with entrapment, but unlike Joyces tale, is centred on one individual and the terror he experiences when in isolation. The protagonist, a prisoner subject to the tortures of the Spanish inquisition, is often left thinking of what may be the surrounding atmosphere offering no apparent subjects for the character to focus on. Poe incorporates a feeling of perpetual unease and fear into the thought processes of his first person narrator, leaving the reader in a parallel state of mind as they experience the horror of the protagonists situation. The perspective that the reader is allowed on Poe choosing a first person narrator gives the reader a stronger feeling of isolation due to our constant awareness of the innermost feelings of the protagonist. The narrative does not, unlike a third person perspective, allow the audience to transcend the situation, providing direct access to the horror which is occurring on the page. There is also no direct speech in the story. This fact reinforces the idea of isolation in the way that the protagonist has no need to speak due to absolute solitude. Poes use of highly descriptive language, incorporating frequent use of alliteration and anaphora, escalates the terror and entrapment suffered by the protagonist, focusing heavily on the senses even before the ghastly prospects of the character are realised, resulting in a heightened state of suspense. The odour of the sharp steel forced itself into my nostrils. I prayed I wearied heaven with my prayer for its more speedy descent. I grew frantically mad, and struggled to force myself upward against the sweep of the fearful scimitar. And then I fell suddenly calm, and lay smiling at the glittering deathà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ To accomplish the desired atmosphere for such the tortured fate of the narrator, Poe describes the physical surroundings of the protagonist in some detail. The subterranean world of darkness becomes a perfect agent to carry an unnerving, mystifying atmosphere. Further concern for the protagonist is drawn from the constant reference to his fatigued' state and also the dangerously moist and slippery characteristics of the chamber his elusive surroundings becoming the antagonist of the story in the absence of any other companion. The tension generated relies heavily on Poes use of a sequence of brief sentences as the protagonist encounters The Pit, representing his calm and clear thought even in the throes of fear: I proceeded for many paces; but still all was blackness and vacancy. I breathed more freely. However, as the narrator becomes evermore aware of the horrific situation, Poe mirrors his mounting terror through increasingly complex syntax, resulting in a faster movement of thought and a growing sensation of confusion: The difficulty, nevertheless, was but trivial; although, in the disorder of my fancy, it seemed at first insuperable. Eventually, as the narrator gradually uncovers the secrets of his confinement, a greater sense of danger inside him is realised. Poe displays this through an ever quickening pace and complex sentences. giving the effect of total bemusement and terror. Quite suddenly, with a simple sentence, out of step with the ever-increasing complexity of the syntax the climax of the characters investigation is revealed: I stepped on it, and fell violently on my face. With this inclusion, Poe signals to the reader that the tension has peaked. The fact that the piece is written in the form of a first person narrative suggests that the protagonist is reminiscing about his ordeal, and that ultimately the piece will not end in his death. The narrators salvation is assured when General Lasalle of the French army comes to the rescue. Poe chooses at the end of his tale, unlike the other events of the story, to dramatically reduce proceedings; deciding to summarise the rescue in a short paragraph, in an anti-climatic fashion: The fiery walls rushed back!.. The French army had entered Toledo. Throughout the tale, the narrator maintains the capacity to recount faithfully and rationally his surroundings while also describing his own emotional turmoil. Terrified and alone as the narrator may be, with the pendulum symbolising deaths literal unstoppable sway, he does not lose hope of salvation, instead recruiting his rational senses and using the starved rats for his own benefit. Along with being a tale of horror, it also shows the nature of human resolve in a seemingly impossible situation; faced with horrific trials and the realisation of deaths inevitability, the human beings instinct for self-preservation remains, in itself, an unstoppable force. Alice Munros short story Floating Bridge is a story of domestic realism about learning to accept the tentative nature of human life and an exploration of the many challenges posed by cancer and its arduous, disfiguring treatments. Like Joyces The Encounter, the protagonist has a chance meeting with a stranger with leads them to re-evaluate their outlook on life. Also, like Poes The Pit and the Pendulum, the protagonist is, too, faced with the prospects of both death and salvation. Floating Bridge is written in the first person narrative, the protagonist is a cancer sufferer named Jinny, whose life is divided into the time before the diagnosis and the time after. The understated and restrained language and rhythm of the prose, suggesting Jinnys resigned acceptance of her illness and her impending death, is sustained throughout, even though at the very beginning of the story, Jinny has learned that her cancer has entered a stage of remission. Because she has already accepted the relative freedom from responsibility that knowledge of her incurable disease gave her, she shows no exuberance at this new knowledge that she has more time than she thought she did. On the day in which the story is set, the doctor has told her that there is reason for cautious optimism, but this does not make Jinny feel better. Before, she was relatively sure of her future, knowing that she had little time left in her life. This new information forces her to go back and start the year all over again, removing a certain low-grade freedom from her life. The new knowledge has removed a dull, protecting membrane she did not even know was there and leaves her feeling raw and vulnerable. Since learning of her illness, she has felt a kind of unspeakable excitement that results when a disaster releases one from responsibility for her life. Now that is gone and a feeling of apathy remains. She reflects on a time she left her husband, Neal, briefly to sit in a bus shelter near her home, reading graffiti on the wall and identifying with people who have left messages there. When she returns home, she asks Neal if he would ever have come after her, and he says: Of course. Gi ven time. Neals detached attitude toward Jinny and his cavalier treatment of her despite her life-threatening illness is an undercurrent that runs throughout the story. Part of Jinnys emotional turmoil at the time of the story stems from Neals excited reaction to Helen. He becomes more animated, enthusiastic, and ingratiating around her, as he often does around other people. Helen has a fresh out-of-the-egg look, and Jinny thinks that everything about her is right on the surface, which gives her an innocent and disagreeable power. Neal teases Helen, his whole being invaded with silly bliss. It is not that Neal desires Helen; rather, it is that her innocence and simplicity seem a welcome relief from the complexity of Jinnys situation. When they arrive at the trailer park where Helens foster parents live, they are invited in, but Jinny wants to stay outside. There is a strong feeling of isolation or the time that Jinny is waiting for Neal to return; he has accepted the invitation while Jinny, his sick wife, is left alone, tired and overly hot from the daytime temperature. The meeting of seventeen-year-old Ricky creates a similar reaction in Jinny as to her husbands feelings towards Helen. There appears to be an instant chemistry between the pair. A sense of connection is established when they discover that they both choose not to wear a watch. It seems in Jinnys sense of isolation, something as mundane as this is enough to cling to. In contrast to her husband, Ricky shows simple consideration to her by offering her a ride home. It is then that Munro takes the reader away from realism and introduces an almost magical element with Rickys innocent simplicity in his desire to show her the floating bridge where he takes his girlfriends, allowing the reader and Jinny herself to forget momentarily about her illness and the self-consciousness she feels over her baldness; his kiss providing an innocent acceptance of her, regardless of these things. When Jinny is on the floating bridge, she imagines that the road is a floating ribbon of earth, underneath which is all water. After the kiss, Jinny thinks of Neal getting his fortune told, rocking on the edge of his future, and accepts the tentative nature of her own future, feeling a lighthearted compassion for Neal. Rickys interest serves to remind her that she is still alive and capable of adventure and secrets. The most problematic subject of the story is Neals treatment of Jinny, which seems, if not cruel, at least unfeeling. The reader may feel he is much too excited by the presence of the young girl Helen and much too indifferent to Jinnys plight. However, there is nothing to suggest that he does not love Jinny. . He, too, is on a shifting floating bridge, trying to find something to cling to, even if it is of such little substance as an innocent young girl who is healthy and sound. Similarly, there is nothing to suggest that the young man, Ricky, at the end of the story has any desire for Jinny. In contrast to the messy complexity of her life, his kiss is the epitome of innocent acceptance, instilling in her a tender-hearted sort of compassion. The storys structure plays a balancing act similar to that required of walking on a floating bridge. The firmness of solid ground is only an illusion; all around lies the danger of loss of self. However, even though the bridge seems to be shiftin g and tentative, it is sufficient if one is content to live in the realm of the unsure. Munros story effectively reflects this tentative and delicate balancing. In all three stories which I have detailed, it is the writers subject matter and careful narrative technique which enrich our reading of them, allowing the reader not only pleasure and entertainment, but to view their lives more clearly. To enable the reader to truly engross themselves in a work of fiction, the story must be intellectually challenging and appeal to our senses and our own life experience. Joyce, Poe and Munro propitiously accomplish this, proving themselves as true masters of their art.

Essay on Symbols, Symbolism, and Allegory in Hawthornes Young Goodman

Symbols, Symbolism, and Allegory in Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown Symbolism is a literary technique that is used to clarify the author's intent. Sometimes it is used to great effect, while other times it only seems to muddle the meaning of a passage. In "Young Goodman Brown," Nathaniel Hawthorne uses objects and people as symbols to allegorically reveal his message to the reader. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses different people as symbols throughout "Young Goodman Brown." The largest symbolic roles in the story are goodman Brown and his wife Faith. Both of the characters' names are symbolic and representative of their personalities. "'With Heaven above and Faith below, I will stand firm against the devil!' cried goodman Brown," is just one of many quotes that directly relates goodman Brown's personality with his name (189). Goodman Brown is truly a good man. Faith, goodman Brown's wife, also has a name that is indicative of her nature. The story directly supports this point in the phrase "Faith, as the wife was aptly named . . . " (184). Faith is persistent in trying to keep goo...

Road Rage

A coin is tossed four times. The probability is ? or 0. 25 that all four tosses will result in a head face up. Answer Correct Answer: False A firm offers routine physical examinations as part of a health service program for its employees. The exams showed that 8% of the employees needed corrective shoes, 15% needed major dental work and 3% needed both corrective shoes and major dental work. What is the probability that an employee selected at random will need either corrective shoes or major dental work? Correct Answer: 0. 20A group of employees of Unique Services will be surveyed about a new pension plan. In-depth interviews with each employee selected in the sample will be conducted. The employees are classified as follows. What is the probability that the first person selected is classified as a maintenance employee? Correct Answer: 0. 025 A probability is a number from -1 to +1. Correct Answer: False When are two events mutually exclusive? Correct Answer: If one event occurs, the n the other cannot There are 10 rolls of film in a box and 3 are defective.Two rolls are selected without replacement. What is the probability of selecting a defective roll followed by another defective roll? Correct Answer: 1/15 or about 0. 07 Three defective electric toothbrushes were accidentally shipped to a drugstore by the manufacturer along with 17 non-defective ones. What is the probability that the first two electric toothbrushes sold will be returned to the drugstore because they are defective? Correct Answer: 3/190 or 0. 01579 The first card selected from a standard 52-card deck was a king.If it is NOT returned to the deck, what is the probability that a king will be drawn on the second selection? Correct Answer: 3/51 or 0. 0588 The first card selected from a standard 52-card deck was a king. If it is returned to the deck, what is the probability that a king will be drawn on the second selection? Correct Answer: 1/13 or 0. 077 If there are ‘m' ways of doing one thin g and ‘n' ways of doing another thing, the multiplication formula states that there are (m) †¢ (n) ways of doing both. Correct Answer: TrueA study by the National Park Service revealed that 50% of the vacationers going to the Rocky Mountain region visit Yellowstone Park, 40% visit the Grand Tetons and 35% visit both. What is the probability that a vacationer will visit at least one of these magnificent attractions? Correct Answer: 0 The closer a probability is to 0, the more likely the event will happen. Correct Answer: False The classical approach to probability requires that the outcomes of an experiment are not equally likely. Correct Answer: False The numbers 0 through 9 are used in code groups of four to identify an item of clothing.Code 1083 might identify a blue blouse, size medium. The code group 2031 might identify a pair of pants, size 18, and so on. Repetitions of numbers are not permitted, i. e. , the same number cannot be used more than once in a total sequen ce. As examples, 2256, 2562 or 5559 would not be permitted. How many different code groups can be designed? Correct Answer: 5,040 A discrete random variable can have only certain clearly separated values. Correct Answer: True A listing of all possible outcomes of an experiment and their corresponding probability of occurrence is called a _____________.Correct Answer: Probability distribution A statistics professor receives an average of five e-mail messages per day from students. Assume the number of messages approximates a Poisson distribution. What is the probability that on a randomly selected day she will have five messages? Correct Answer: 0. 175 David's gasoline station offers 4 cents off per gallon if the customer pays in cash and does not use a credit card. Past evidence indicates that 40% of all customers pay in cash. During a one-hour period twenty-five customers buy gasoline at this station.What is the probability that more than ten and less than fifteen customers pay in cash? Correct Answer: 0. 380 David's gasoline station offers 4 cents off per gallon if the customer pays in cash and does not use a credit card. Past evidence indicates that 40% of all customers pay in cash. During a one-hour period twenty-five customers buy gasoline at this station. What is the probability that at least ten pay in cash? Correct Answer: 0. 575 Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a binomial probability distribution? Correct Answer:Each outcome results from two trials The weight of an offensive linesman may be 205. 15 pounds, 210. 23 pounds, 225. 05 pounds or 219. 14 pounds. What is this an illustration of? Correct Answer: Continuous random variable The variance of a binomial distribution is found by ? ? (1 – ? ). Correct Answer: True The mean of a binomial distribution is the product of n and ?. Correct Answer: True A true-false test consists of six questions. If you guess the answer to each question, what is the probability of getting all six qu estions correct? Correct Answer: 0. 016

Obedience To Authority Essay

The Vietnam controversy made many people feel at distress. It was never considered a â€Å"war,† although that is exactly what it was. The My Lai Massacre in Vietnam was one of the many atrocities of that war. There is an unquestionable connection between Milgram’s â€Å"Obedience to Authority† and the My Lai Massacre. According to Kelman & Hamilton, â€Å"Unquestioning obedience has been the cause of such disasters as the My Lai massacre and the Holocaust. People need to resist the dangerous web of influence from strong personalities in fields such as politics, religion and the mass media who become the objects of their idolatry. To become less susceptible to the irrational persuasive power of such personalities, individuals should develop a sense of self-respect and practice critical thinking† (Kelman & Hamilton). In cases such as the My Lai Massacre, the soldiers were not just following the thoughts of a politician or religious figure. They followed their military leader, the same person they counted on for leadership and survival. â€Å"Soldiers are trained to always follow orders, never question orders (When I say jump, u you say how high). But that belief is somewhat erroneous, the charge to the soldier is to obey any lawful order given (Schwalbe). â€Å"Absolute obedience, although not wholeheartedly embraced in official military pronouncements, is nevertheless unanimously praised in combat context (Peppers). Some military scholars call the modern version of military discipline â€Å"enlightened obedience.† Enlightened obedience springs from a belief on the part of the subordinate that his superior’s orders are authoritative and valid (Peppers).† A classic example of the power of authoritative factors is provided by Stanley Milgram’s study on obedience to authority. College students from Yale University were asked to participate in an experiment to test the effects of punishment on learning. They were willing to continue administering what they thought were increasingly higher levels of shocks to  another subject (actually an actor) simply because the experimenter (Milgram) said to do so. The results, in fact, were so unbelieveable that they made Milgram one of the most famous social psychologist. About 65 percent of the subjects continued to obey the experimenter to the end of the experiment even when they thought the victim was getting dangerous levels of electric shock, and even when he asked them to stop So what exactly does the My Lai Massacre have to do with Milgram’s experiment? The My Lai Massacre of 1968, in which a company of American soldiers poured automatic rifle fire into groups of unarmed villagers, killing perhaps 500 people, many of them women and children† (Hammer). Those soldiers were obeying orders from a superior officer. â€Å"It passed without notice when it occurred in mid-March 1968. Yet the brief blood bath at My Lai, a hamlet in Viet Cong-infested territory 335 miles northeast of Saigon, may yet have an impact on the war. According to accounts that suddenly appeared on TV and in the world press last week, a company of 60 or 70 U.S. Infantrymen had  entered My Lai early one morning and destroyed houses, livestock and all the inhabitants that they could find in a brutal operation that took less than 20 minutes. When it was over, the Vietnamese dead totaled at least 100 men, women and children, and perhaps many more, only 25 or so escaped, because they lay hidden under the fallen bodies of others. (Schawlbe) Military men said that stories of what happened at My Lai are correct. If so, the incident ranks as the most serious atrocity yet attributed to American troops† (Hammer). Isard said, â€Å"I see men who obeyed the leaders of their country, then lost themselves†. The My Lai Massacre was planned. â€Å"Planned, how could it have been planned? A recon patrol, perhaps, was planned, maybe even a search and destroy mission: Burn the villages; interrogate the villagers, and all that. But a massacre? Strategies are planned. Brutalities just happen† (Isard). â€Å"Obedience to Authority† Stanley Milgram described the â€Å"agentic shift in  which an individual attributes responsibility for his or her actions to a person in the position of authority.† In the My Lai Massacre the men felt it was their duty to open fire on the village. They were given orders to do just that. There was no questioning of orders from Cally, their superiour. The soldiers must have done as they were told, or incur sever consequences. Soldiers are taught from their first moments in Boot Camp that orders must be obeyed. The way in which the My Lai Massacre was particularly a case of over obedience to the military, is that the men that committed the massacre were ordered to do so. They did not decide on their own to destroy a bunch of people. They were following orders from military authoritative figures to destroy My Lai. What does this mean? Its clearly a case of over obedience to military authority. The men had two choices. They could obey a command and kill hundreds of innocent people, or they could disobey a command and face a possible consequences from the courts. In actuality they didn’t have a choice. many of the soldiers in Vietnam were there because of the draft, they however in their eyes, served their country to their best of their knowledge. They went bravely into battle and they did what had to be done. In the case of the My Lai Massacre, they were following orders just as they had done in many other times in the war. Only this time, the orders were to kill hundreds of villagers, not the Viet Cong, not the enemy. There were women and children in that village. They were gunned down mercilessly. For what reason? They were ordered to do so. The soldiers had an obligation, a duty to obey their superiors. That is what makes the military so successful. Soldiers not ask questions; they merely obey orders. In this  instance the orders went too far. Hundreds of innocent people were killed in the name of following orders. Is this any less an atrocious because the men were ordered to fire on the village of My Lai? No. Were the men doing this for personal gain? No. Were they doing it out of hatred or in defense? No.  Many of the people in the village were women and children. The soldiers had nothing against those people In this instance the village of My Lai was a case of death by over obedience of the American army. Was what they did right or wrong? In the eyes of most people, including the participants, the action was wrong, but they could not be faulted because they were simply following orders. Works Cited Hammer, Richard One Morning in the War: The tragedy at Son My. Coward-McCann NY 1970 Isard, Walter., ed. Vietnam: Issues and Alternatives. Schenkman . Cambridge MA: 1969 Kelman, Herbert C.; Hamilton, Lee V. Crimes of Obedience. New Haven: Yale University Press. 1989 Milgram, Stanley. â€Å"The Perils of Obedience.† Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 7th ed. By Laurence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen. New York: Longman, 2000. 343-355 Miller, Heather. â€Å"Stanley Milgram† http://muskingum.edu/~psychology/psycweb/history/milgram.htm Peppers, Donald A. â€Å"War Crimes and Induction: A Case for Selective Nonconscientious Objection.† Philosophy and Public Affairs, Vol. 3, No. 2. (Winter, 1974), pp.129-166. JSTOR Middlesex County College Library, Edison. 29 Nov. 2000 http://www.jstor.org Schwalbe, David. â€Å"The My Lai Massacre.† American History. 1998 http://americanhistory.about.com/homework/americanhistory/library/weekly/aa031798.htm

Use of allegory of Civilization versus barbarism and violence

Use of allegory of Civilization versus barbarism and violence The film â€Å"Dona Barbara† employs allegory to portray two worlds. The novel is set in the 1940s Venezuelan transitional period. During this time, the country was experiencing a new culture and way of life brought about by the discovery of oil.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Use of allegory of Civilization versus ‘barbarism’ and violence specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As such, an oil economy was starting to emerge, bringing with it an urban culture. The emergence of urbanism set the pace for a conflict between modern civilization and barbarism. This conflict is neatly depicted through allegory. Therefore, the film can be seen as both a national as well as a literary allegory. In â€Å"Dona Barbara†, the conflict is signified through a number of allegorical symbols, such as urban culture versus the rural, progressiveness against retrogressiveness, the law against the outlaw, masculinity versus femininity, rational thought against the irrational thought (passion and Freudian sexual desires), et cetera. There are many critics of the film, each of whom has a varied version of the use of allegory. However, all the critics are in agreement that the use of allegory helps to clearly depict two oppositions not only in the film but also of the 1940s Venezuela. Thus, the film is seen as a way of confronting the old and the new cultures and the significant conflict that arises from this fusion. Allegory is not only used for literary sense but also for explicitly portraying the social cultural history of Venezuela. The allegorical nature of the film is embedded in the film itself as seen in a number of symbols. Allegory is used to illustrate a transition between civilization and barbarism. The character, Dona Barbara, is seen as a synthesis not just of the two worlds, but also in transit between barbarism and civilization. She is an allegory of barbarism and a symbol of the u ncultured woman of loose morals. This is evident in her tendency to use the power of seduction to overpower men, a characteristic that has earned her the title, ‘the devourer of men’1. Still, Dona Barbara is seen as a representation of civility and decorum when she genuinely falls in love with Santos Luzardo2. She is seen as a child of the two worlds and a victim of the Venezuelan social cultural conflict. This transformation from bad to good is overshadowed by the general character of Dona Barbara, otherwise christened Barbarita (a homophone to barbarism). The initial representation of Barbara as a simple girl is soon overshadowed by her transition to a gang leader who uses violence to achieve what she wants. This transition is translated in the Freudian perceptive that childhood sexual experiences determine adult behavior. Dona is a victim of child rape and violence and this transformation is thus seen as a way of reliving her childhood. Dona is thus the allegory of t he Venezuelan woman who is a victim of the synthesis between civilization and barbarism.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The film is a good example on the use of literature to reflect on matters of social cultural and historical importance to a nation. Allegory is used to show a clear distinction between the Venezuelan historical conflict between law and lawlessness, and John King. Magical reels: a history of cinema in Latin America. (London: Verso, 2000). 49 Juan Pablo Dabove. Nightmares of the lettered city: banditry and literature in Latin America. (Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2007). 271-280 the subsequent consequences. This country has always been torn between the old agrarian order (the rule of the law) and lawlessness (characterized by violence). This is portrayed in the Ilanera agrarian rural culture in which there is confusion between law a nd lawlessness. The director of the film achieves this by intertwining cattle ranching (the allegory of agrarian law – civilization) and cattle rustling (the allegory lawlessness – barbarism) 2. Santos Luzardo, a civil gentleman, is also a symbol of the confusion between lawlessness and the rule of the law. The judges (symbolic of lawfulness) rule against him, thereby denying him the ownership of his property3. Santos Luzardo’s acceptance of this rule is an indication that he does not necessarily see himself as a victim of the injustices as he is well aware of his violent past, a means through which he acquired his wealth. As such, literature is used to not only synthesis civilization and barbarism, but also to clearly depict Venezuelan social cultural historical struggles with lawlessness. The film is a clear depiction of how literature can be used to illuminate not only the relevance of literary characters but also of reality. Allegory is a stylistic device em ployed by the director of this film to highlight the social cultural conflict in 1940s Venezuela, brought about by the emergence of urban civilization. It thus helps to portray the synthesis of the civility of modernity and the barbarism of the Juan Pablo Dabove. Nightmares of the lettered city: banditry and literature in Latin America. (Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2007). 271-280 â€Å"Dona Barbara† directed by Fernando de Fuentes. (RTI Colombia) pre-1940s Venezuela. This synthesis is seen effectively through some characters like Barbarita, law, and gender, among others. Bibliography Dabove, Juan. Nightmares of the Lettered City: Banditry and Literature in Latin America. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2007. 271-280 â€Å"Dona Barbara† directed by Fernando de Fuentes. RTI: Colombia.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Use of allegory of Civilization versus ‘barbarism’ and violence specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More King, John. Magical Reels: A History of Cinema in Latin America. London: Verso, 2000. 49

Amelia Earhart Biography paper Essay Example

Amelia Earhart Biography paper Essay Example Amelia Earhart Biography paper Paper Amelia Earhart Biography paper Paper Contemporary World Issues Biography Paper Boaz 3B By: Jerome Bircumshaw Even to this day some people believe women are not capable of achieving what the male can do. However one women in 1928 changed the image of the face of women forever. Soon to be an American aviator, Amelia Earhart was born on July 24, 1897, in Atchison, Kansas. She was the daughter of a successful railroad attorney. Because of her fathers occupation, Amelia spent her childhood growing up in many different towns. Her fascination for adventure and thrill seeking started off at a young age where Amelia and her big sister Muriel decided one day that they wanted to make a plane. There was a lack in material, so they decided to make a rollercoaster instead. Even though neither one of the girls knew how to make a roller coaster, they got some wood from an old wooden fence they tore down. First, they made the car by placing the bottoms of roller skates under a big piece of wood and the rest of the wood was used to make a slide that went from the top of a woodshed to the ground. With Amelia and her bravery, she went first and rolled quickly down the unstable slide. The car hit the ground and Amelia bounced into the air and turned into a somersault, luckily escaping injury. Years after the family moved to Des Moines, Iowa where they attended a state fair. That is when Amelia got to see her first airplane which did not impress Amelia. The airplane was made of wood and wires and reminded Amelia of a big orange crate. Because of this, she thought she would never own an airplane. Even though she was young at the time Amelia knew she wanted to do something fun in the future. One night in 1910 Amelias father took both of the girls out to see Halleys comet which passes by once every 76 years. She was really impressed by the sight and pointed out one specific star and asked if it had a name. That is Vega, her father told her. It is one of the most beautiful stars of all. Amelia shut her eyes and wish on Vega that she could do exciting things when she grew up. This wish certainly came true. The following years were good ones for Amelia, as she learned how to swim and ride horses. After she finished her high school education, she attended a school in Toronto, Canada where she visited her sister and took a course in the Red Cross First Aid. She thought being a nurse was going to be her occupation growing up as she oved helping the wounded soldiers and everyone loved her help. Years after however, she left and furthered her education as a premedical student at the Columbia University in New York. It was going well for Amelia, but her parents insisted she should move back to California with them. Shortly after, Amelia was living in California with her parents when she read in a newspaper that there was an air meet near Los Angeles. Amelia went to the air meet, with her father and they watched the planes do stunts and daredevil tricks. That was the beginning of Amelias aviation adventure. She decided she wanted to fly, ut her parents could not afford lessons for her, so Amelia got a Job to cover the expenses. Her teacher was a women, and one of the only women in the world who knew how to fly. This gave Amelia more hope that one day she would be able to fly by herself. One day she finally got to fly solo as her instructor watched. She was not the best pilot and had a rough landing, but she could say she flew an airplane. Amelias mom was proud of her and helped her to buy her own small airplane. Amelia soon became a good pilot and was reminded by men and women constantly how good her aviation skills were. Planes did not fly very high back in the early 1900s but that never stopped Amelia from setting a womens record for high flying. She flew 14,000 feet in the air, almost three miles high. With the knowledge we know now of Amelias great achievements, it is surprising to think that she had a hard time deciding on what she wanted to do. Of course she wanted to fly, but she also wanted to do some useful work. It was at Denison House in Boston where she found a social center. This is where she taught the children how to play games. She looked after them while their mothers were working, it was like a aycare. If Amelia was not taking care of the kids, she was flying. All the children were proud of her and looked up to her. In 1927, Amelia read the newspaper and learned that Charles A. Lindbergh had flown an airplane from New York to Paris. It was a major accomplishment because flying airplanes across the Atlantic was not only a hard task to accomplish but no one had ever successfully made the Journey until then. Lindbergh was the first man who accomplished the flight in history. Several women had tried to make the Journey, but none had made it. Three young women lost their lives trying. It was in Boston Massachusetts where Amelia received a call to be the first female passenger on a transatlantic flight, in 1928. Amelia asked to be a pilot, but she did not know how to use instruments which were a new invention in planes to help them from getting lost. She soon after promised herself that she would learn how to use aviation instruments. The weeks following, Amelia was sent to New York where she met her future husband and book publisher George Putnam. He was the manager of the ocean flight, and they quickly realized they had a handful of similar interests. Amelia got er first glance at the plane named Friendship that was chosen for the trip and she was pleased to say the least. The Friendship had three motors, and instead of wheels it had pontoons which meant it could float, but taking off in water was no easy task since wind was the main component to take off. The friendship had gold wings which Amelia thought was beautiful but she was informed that the gold was not for looks but instead it make the aircraft easier to spot in case the pilot had to go down in the ocean, so the plane would be spotted. One early morning in 1928, Amelia thought the weather seemed right, so the pair umped in the plane, started the engine, and sped off across the water. The first destination was Trepassy Harbor, in Newfoundland, off the coast of Canada so the airplane could be refueled before the long Journey. After they refueled and planned to head to Europe, the weather became extremely bad with thick fog and rain. Days went by, and the weather seemed to keep up. Amelia started losing hope, and then she heard the news about another young women who had flown from New York to Newfoundland. She and her pilot were staying in a town nearby. Her name was Mabel Boll, and her plane was named the Columbia. Both of the women agreed that the trip was not a race, but secretly both women wanted to be the first to complete the transatlantic Journey. Back in the United States, the newspapers called it a race. Headlines read Rival Women Flyers Still Held by Bad Weather, and Columbia ready for take off, then in big print Friendship Takes Off. On June 17, 1928, Mabel said the weather was too bad to take off, and Amelia would be the first to reach Europe. Quickly into their flight, Amelia and her pilot rode into heavy fog and were hoping to reach the coast of England before they ran out of gas. After several of hours, there was little gasoline left, but the fog life savingly lifted, and a boat was seen in the distance. However, the radio was not working properly and after several attempts to contact the boat, they simply flew on hoping to find land. Shortly after, fishing boats were seen in the distance which meant there must be land nearby but the direction was not known, so they flew forward, hoping to find something, and luckily, they spotted land in the distance and Stultz brought the plane down in the Burry Port, on the coast of Wales. Amelia was a heroine. As the first women to fly across the Atlantic, she was treated as national idol and hero. She had a positive impact on society giving hope to children and adults of both genders proving that women could do anything a man could do, or even better because her flight beat Lindbergh in the total time it took of twenty hours and forty minutes. When the crew returned to America Amelia along with the help of George Putnam published a book call ed 20 Hrs. 40 Min. While in America, Amelia flew across the country and became a better pilot than she had ever been before in her life and learned how to fly safely with instruments. She changed the female view of flying positively and became a role model to people all ver the globe. Around this time Amelia purchased her own airplane and named it Vega. She was set out to fly the transatlantic solo and be the first women to do so. On May 20, 1932, the trip to Europe alone began. Although she did not have an easy flight with ice forming on the wings and fire leaking out of the exhausts, she managed to reach Europe in a historical fifteen hours and eighteen minutes. Amelia was invited to many parties. One of which included a dance with the soon to be King of England. After their marriage George and Amelia were invited to have dinner with he President Hoover and his wife at the White House. Amelia proved that women had as much courage as men and was soon the most famous woman alive. She took the President and his wife on a short ride in a plane above Washington while wearing a evening gown and slippers. Time went by and Amelia became a teacher at Purdue University in Indiana when she decided she really wanted to make history. Amelia told George, she wanted to fly the globe, It wasnt an impossible task, but she wanted to fly around the equator which was the hardest and longest way to fly. Amelia did have a downfall and it was not knowing when to quit. With the help of George she set off on the flight from California one morning in March of 1937. She reached Hawaii in less than sixteen hours but spun into a ground loop and crashed the plane which cost eighty-thousand dollars. The plane was shipped back in pieces and fixed, and on June 1, 1937, Amelia decided to try the flight again but this time she sat off the other direction. She flew over many countries such as Africa, India and New Guinea. It was when she was supposed to stop on a small island call Howland Island that people started worrying since Amelia never reached the Island or her final destination. July 2, 1937, would be a day remembered forever, because that is the day Amelia set off from New Guinea to Howland and was never seen again. Many reports claimed she was captured or stranded in the ocean or on an uninhabited island somewhere. But the truth, however, was never discovered. I believe Amelia was one of the greatest feminist role models by changing the face of women across the globe. She was nothing short of impressive, and I would recommend this book to anyone of any age or gender because Amelia had a life that is a real eye opener and proves the there is no dream that can not be accomplished.

Bleakness and Language in Waiting for Godot

Bleak Tones And Visual Sadness In Waiting For Godot When the Paris curtain opened in 1953 the audience was faced with a minimalist set with a tree and nothing else. The first sight of ‘En Attendant Godot’ suggests its bleakest tones are presented by Beckett through visual sadness and the overall metaphysical state characters are placed in. Already parallels can be drawn between this setting and the inescapably similar picture from T.S. Eliot’s ‘The Wasteland’: â€Å"A heap of broken images, where the sun beats, and the dead tree gives no shelter† The only resemblance to the audience’s world is the tree and the road the characters stand on. This setting creates brooding despair; roads represents journeys and an option to travel away, or towards something and yet characters don’t move, in fact asserting â€Å"We Can’t (leave)†(i). The tree, another prop with apparently monumental importance compared to the rest of the wasteland stage, represents hope and life despite there being no hope and life ebbing away. Beckett demands for the tree to have leaves during Act 2, which symbolises spring to audiences while Vladimir and Estragon realise there’s no hope at all. It isn’t a stretch to claim Beckett had a taste for deeply depressing irony and he plays with elements of comedy and tragedy most aptly through dramatic staging. However, it’s my opinion that Beckett does create some of the most comic, and bleakest, parts of the performance through his unerring ability to manipulate languag e. In Act One the words â€Å"Nothing to be done†(ii) are spoken by both Estragon and Vladimir and the statement goes on to be a crucial philosophy throughout the play of the same importance as â€Å"We’re waiting for Godot†(iii). Audiences initially find the phrase laugh-out-loud funny because it’s paired with the physical sequence of Estragon, who is ‘trying to take off his boot’(iv) whom after an exhausting battle concedes and explains to the audience there’s ‘nothing to be done’. The subtle brilliance of this line is in its most colloquial-sounding ring, which appeals to all audiences as they can relate to finding that a menial task has become so extraordinarily difficult they see no way of solving it. It is laughable that a complex human being cannot actually take off a boot, that in some way the boot has beaten the human and now he’s defeated†¦by a boot. This struggle is universal and appeals to audiences mak ing the underlying question of: Why does Estragon presume that the boot is wrong? Beckett thus highlights humanity’s arrogance and pompousness. Vladimir is the messenger for this question when he tells Estragon, ‘There’s man all over blaming on his boots the fault of his feet’(v). This sentence holds many debating topics because the bootmaker made the boot perfect, as in the bootmaker thought it had no faults or he wouldn’t have sold it, similarly if we’re all in God’s image surely Estragon can have no faults either so who is wrong†¦God or man? After the comic moment Vladimir ushers in undertones of suffering when he explains he too is ‘coming round to that opinion’. Although the line sounds harmless enough, Vladimir performs it away from Estragon as he looks out into space which has the implicit meaning that he’s unaware of Estragon’s physical struggle and that his response is actually more metaphysical. This exchange allows Beckett to introduce the brutal truth of the character’s situation: there’s literally nothing to be done. This corresponds to Esslin’s theory that ‘Waiting for Godot’ contains â€Å"a sense of metaphysical anguish at the absurdity of the human condition†(vi). The characters are trapped in this barren featureless setting, waiting for someone they cannot define as they ‘wouldn’t know him if I saw him’(vii), unable to have any influence on proceedings which govern their lives. Through his exploitation of language Beckett also challenges the way humanity operates in the world, and ultimately how the disjointed confusing plot of the play parallels our place in the universe. In ‘Waiting for Godot’ one conversation that exploits the way humanity operates is: â€Å"Estragon: We always find something, eh Didi, to give us the impression we exist. Vladimir: Yes, yes, we’re magicians.† (viii) Audiences find this hilarious due to Estragon’s optimism in their plight and the sudden shift in mood that can be seen onstage is also humorous because it’s so abstract and unjustified. The added element of Vladimir’s dismissal of Estragon’s comment and the dismissal of optimism is a beautiful contrast which gains audience laughter, but also supports the hypothesis they’re a double act and completely reliant on each other. Another nice example of this double act is: â€Å"Vladimir: What do they say? Estragon: They talk about their lives. Vladimir: To live is not enough for them. Estragon: They have to talk about it.† (ix) The double act is vital as a device to exploit language and the claim of â€Å"The two most important sets of characters in the play occur in pairs†(x). A 1953 audience would have recognised Laurel and Hardy’s silhouettes in Estragon and Vladimir, making their world closer to the audience’s, but still miles away. In this passage Beckett’s technique of the double act is actualised to make a point about the existentialist nature of humanity and our need to rationalise individual experience by explaining it to others. The characters complete each other’s sentences which gives the impression of pondering so the audience understands Beckett wants them to think about the short conversation. The word ‘magician’ carries the bleakest undertones because it carries ideas of illusion and trickery, therefore Beckett wants to portray to audiences that our attempts to maintain the logic that we exist is actually a form of trickery; a skill which weâ⠂¬â„¢ve acquired over the years but is untrue. This eloquent point has history in the movement after World War Two (which Beckett experienced) in which society believed it was decaying. The comforts that help them move through their lives, such as order, could no longer be depended on. Comedy still remains in the dark outlook on society because characters are living in a world they pretend to understand, but actually don’t. There’s a style of dramatic irony at work as the audience looks into the realm of Estragon, Lucky, Pozzo and Vladimir with arrogance as they understand things characters don’t, such as the fact Godot won’t arrive. Interestingly, the world created by the theatrical stage would look into the audience’s world with similar arrogance as they know things the audience doesn’t, this is what Beckett’s trying to explain to us; the audience doesn’t understand their world’s nature as well as they think. However, it could be argued only the bleak undertones com e from the manipulation of language and the comedy comes from the character’s visual display to audiences. One critic argues, â€Å"The stage directions of the play constitute nearly half of the text, suggesting that the actions, expressions, and emotions of the actors are as important as the dialogue†(xi) This is a strong argument because the audience responds mainly to the presentation of the lines, which could be considered the performance rather than the actual language. Beckett once said, â€Å"If by Godot I had meant God I would have said God, and not Godot† (xii) but I don’t believe this is the end of the ‘God is Godot’ debate and I also believe this is one of Beckett’s greatest manipulations of language. The play begins with Estragon explaining he spent the night ‘in a ditch’ (xiii) and a group of people ‘beat’ him. These events are very close to ‘The Good Samaritan’ biblical parable except this time there’s no Samaritan. This carries the explicit meaning that Estragon is without God, he receives no help from outside sources and no redemption. Compare this with Vladimir who takes the ‘Book of Job’ approach and claims Estragon must have done something wrong to get beaten. Estragon goes onto challenge Godot’s, or God’s, power when he tells Vladimir they are ‘not tied?’ (xiv). However, he says it ‘feebly’ and then they both get scared that Godot’s coming, the implication being he will punish them for losing their obedience. Beckett plays with audience ideas on Godot’s nature when the boy describes him as having a ‘white beard’ which is drawing links between Godot and God which is laid out so obviously compared to the rest of the play that audiences are surprised, then they laugh. Beckett continues to make us think about God’s nature using Lucky’s speech. It begins with an almost academic presentation on religion but then descends into rambling nonsensical rubbish which ends ‘in spite of the tennis’. I interpreted this as meaning ‘for reasons unknown’ which is a beautiful way to describe God’s relationship with man as humanity can never draw any definite conclusions about him. In conclusion, Beckett creates the bleakest moments using his manipulation of language because it’s the words that resonate and make us think about the Beckett’s themes. The comedy isn’t brought out by exploitation of language as much as the stage directions and the physical oddities, which are of a more visual element. I) Pg. 6, Vladimir II) Pg.1, Estragon III) Pg. 6, Vladimir IV) Pg. 1 Stage Direction V) Pg. 3 Vladimir VI) Esslin, Theatre of the Absurd VII) Pg. 16, Estragon VIII) Pg. 61 IX) Pg. 54 X) Sparknotes XI) Sparknotes XII) Samuel Beckett , Wikipedia ‘Waiting for Godot’ XIII) Pg. 1 XIV) Pg. 12

Nature of Wal-Mart Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 78

Nature of Wal-Mart Industry - Essay Example According to Fortune Global 500 in 2014, Wal-Mart was the biggest company by revenue and the largest employer in the private sector worldwide. The number of employees stood at 2.2 million making it is the most valuable company in the world. The operations of Wal-Mart are in three divisions namely Sams Club, Wal-Mart US, and Wal-Mart International with nine retail formats. The formats are supercenters, general merchandise, food and drugs, stores, bodegas, membership warehouse Clubs, cash and carry stores, apparel stores, restaurants, and soft discount stores. The Wal-Mart US is the largest with sales amounting to $258 billion operating discount stores, Neighborhood Markets, and Supercenters. Some of the Wal-Mart stores are located in Argentina, Canada, Brazil, and the UK. The company also involves global eCommerce, which is involved in online sales in the US with headquarters in San Francisco. The main competitors of Wal-Mart in North America include departmental stores such as Kmart, Target, Meijer, and Publix, which sell similar products. One of the main competitor is Target (TGT) in the retail market. Wal-Mart competes directly with Target (TGT) a discount retailer, which offers its goods and services at low prices. Just like Wal-Mart, TGT provides a wide range of products especially staple consumer goods such as household goods, clothing, food, and groceries. TGT also offers discount to its customers to attract them, which is also a common method in Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart sells products at lower prices to attract low-income consumers while TGT targets goes for affluent customers with their high quality merchandise. Both Target and Wal-Mart try to keep their profit margins high through cost reduction measures. Other competitors include Giant Tiger and the Real Canadian Superstore competing for the retail market. Wal-Mart also competes with Mexicos retail stores such as Soriana and Commercial Mexicana.

Yvain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Yvain - Essay Example Yvain or the Knight with the Lion tells of Yvain, a knight in King Arthur’s court, whose adventures are initially kicked off by his desire to prove his bravery in the eyes of his fellow knights. Chivalry and courtly love are the two elements underpinning and moving the story, which is set in the medieval period of the famed fictional Arthurian era. Moreover, Chretien de Troyes’ tale highlights the importance of good reputation in the medieval period among knights and how reputation is equated to acts of chivalry and bravery especially for the benefit of the helpless like women. In Yvain or the Knight with the Lion, the reader is apprised of how a knight’s reputation is made, kept and lost. Apparently, reputation for chivalry, honor and bravery is the all-most important consideration by which each knight lives by. The story’s main character Yvain is a proud man who is impelled to rush and defend his honor from a disparaging remark, obviously made in jest and presumably after several bottles of wine, insinuating inability to make good his words. The challenge, to which he rises started when his cousin Calogrenant told a group of knights that he had been defeated by a knight after he had stirred a storm-brewing magical basin at the edge of a forest. This made Yvain censure his cousin for keeping this from him for so long and promptly vowed to avenge his shame by killing the knight himself. Kay, another knight, mocks Yvain’s pronouncement insinuating that he is merely heady with wine. Stung by the remark, Yvain secretly left for the place mentioned by Calogrenant even when King Arthur himself has scheduled a date to see the place himself (de Troyes Vv 1-746). It is evident from the initial events of the tale that reputation is very important to medieval knights. Yvain’s decision to scurry secretly even to the point of

Critical review on The Haemophilias Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Critical review on The Haemophilias - Essay Example mutations in the gene encoding blood coagulation factors VIII or IX respectively (Turgeon, 2004). The gene for factor VIII is situated near the tip of the long arm of X-chromosome (Xq 2.6 region). The gene for factor IX is close to that for factor VIII near the tip of long arm of the x-chromosome. Due to sex-linked pattern of inheritance, a carrier mother, carrying a gene for haemophilia on one of the two X chromosomes, transmits the gene for haemophilia to half of her female children and half of her male children. Males who inherit the gene for haemophilia manifest the disease. On the other hand females who inherit the gene for haemophilia from their mothers would not show the defect and would act as the carrier, transmitting the defective gene to their offspring. The inheritance and clinical features of Haemophilia B are identical to that of haemophilia A (Turgeon, 2004). Both types of Haemophilias would show similar results for various blood tests, involving the normal bleeding ti me, clot retraction time, platelet count, Prothrombin time and increased APTT (Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time) (Hoffbrand et al, 2006). ... The prevalence of Haemophilia A varies from 30-100 per million population (Hoffbrand et al, 2006). While Haemophilia A is a relatively more common disorder, the incidence of Christmas disease is one fifth of that of haemophilia A. Depending on the levels of coagulation factors in the body, the disease can be classified into severe, moderate and mild. When the coagulation factor deficiency is less than one-two percent of normal, the clinical manifestations of haemophilia are severe, with the symptoms being frequent spontaneous bleeding into the joints, muscles and internal organs from early life itself. Infants may suffer from profuse post-circumcision haemorrhage or develop recurrent joint and soft tissue bleeds and excessive bruising when they grow old and become active. Recurrent painful haemarthrosis and muscle haematomas may be predominant, resulting in joint deformity and crippling, especially if the disease is not adequately treated. Local pressure from haemophilic pseudo-tumours (encapsulated haematomas with progressive cystic swelling resulting from repeated haemorrhage) can cause entrapment neuropathy or ischaemic necrosis (Hoffbrand et al, 2006). If the coagulation factor activity is between 2-10 % o f the normal, the moderate manifestations of the disease are produced. Bleeding usually occurs after minor trauma, though occasionally spontaneous episodes of bleeding can occur too. Prolonged bleeding may occur after dental extractions. Spontaneous haematuria and gastro-intestinal haemorrhage, resulting from intramucosal bleeding can also occur (Hoffbrand et al, 2006). If the coagulation factor activity is greater than 10-30% of the normal,

Discuss the relevant advantages and disadvantages of quantitative and Essay

Discuss the relevant advantages and disadvantages of quantitative and qualitative methods in the context of real estate research - Essay Example Nowadays, independent research and innovative solutions are provided by a number of companies that have resulted in the noteworthy advancement of the real estate industry. Such companies provide independent fiduciary services, information related to investment opportunities, litigation, counseling, and research services that facilitate the real estate providers in various capacities. (Dalphin, pp. 16-19) In this sector of real estate research, it is very imperative that such companies may have access to detailed knowledge and data related to the trends of real estate industry, as it is very important that proper research should be carried out to provide investment opportunities to the clients. All these companies have to continue their research and keep it up to date, in order to survive in the real estate industry. In this regard, proper methodologies of research play an important and crucial role in acquiring proper information according to the requirements of the clients and customers. In this paper, some of the research methodologies will be described, discussed, and compared, in order to understand the effectiveness, strengths, and weaknesses of the techniques that will be helpful for the real estate industry in the future. In terms of definition, quantitative properties and their relationships are investigated scientifically in a systematic manner with the facilitation of quantitative methodology during a research project. In addition, mathematical models and hypotheses are developed and employed during the quantitative research. One of the concerns during the implementation of a quantitative methodology is that natural phenomena are considered during the employment of different hypotheses. Moreover, experiential and mathematical expressions are collected in a quantitative relationship through a fundamental connection of measurements. Both natural sciences and social

Analysis of The Friends with Benefits movie (Interpersonal Essay

Analysis of The Friends with Benefits movie (Interpersonal Communications) - Essay Example Friends with Benefits is a movie about a New York based head-hunter, Jamie, attempting to sign Dylan, an individual based in Los Angeles, for her client. When Dylan accepts the job and makes the move, he rapidly becomes friends with Jamie. The friendship turns into a relationship with benefits. Nonetheless, Jamie has an emotionally dented past and Dylan has a past of not being emotionally available. This makes both Dylan and Jamie not to attempt to fall for one another. In addition, both Dylan and Jamie terminate their relationships with their loved ones, both of them promising to remain out of emotional engagements. When Jamie employs Dylan to manage the art department of GQ in New York City, and she is the only individual Dylan knows in this area, they make a decision of becoming friends with sexual gains. The friends with benefits relationship between the two works properly until Jamie has an encounter with a pediatric cardiologist who might just be her match and Dylan asks her to accompany him to Los Angeles to celebrate thanksgiving. This illustrates a number of signals because Dylan may be perceived as being jealous of the doctor or Jamie may be sending new signals in the path of Dylan. (Bradshaw, 2011). This paper will analyze the movie, Friends with Benefits, and analyze five concepts learned in class in relation to the movie, providing clear descriptive examples from the movie of those concepts. The essay will discuss the concepts of self-disclosure, identity management, perception, emotions and interpersonal conflicts, and how they relate to the movie. Self-disclosure refers to both the subconscious and conscious act of providing extra information regarding oneself to other people. This may entail, but is not restricted to, dreams, thoughts, fears, feelings, successes, aspirati ons, failures, goals, favorites, dislikes, and likes. Characteristically, a self-disclosure takes place when an individual at the outset meets another person and continues as the individual develops and builds their relationship with another person. As people get to know others, they reveal information about their selves. In addition, if an individual is not eager to self-disclose, the other person may also not reveal information about themselves too. For example, in Friends with Benefits, on a night when they are at Jamie’s apartment watching a romantic film, both share information regarding the issue of relationships and sex. After self-disclosure, they both conclude that sex should not be accompanied with extreme emotional attachment (Bradshaw, 2011). Identity management is a continuous process which contains three associated phases. They include the trial stage, the enmeshment stage, and the renegotiation stage. The trial stage takes place at the start of a relationship w hen individuals are starting to explore their differences and willing to attain a balance for the sake of the relationship. For example, when Dylan is timid to move to New York, Jamie spends the evening taking Dylan around New York so as to expose him to the city and its opportunities. The enmeshment stage sees the emergence of similar features. For example, both Dylan and Jamie agree that sex should not have emotional attachments. Finally, the renegotiation stage sees individuals tackle identity concerns and using their past in attaining this. For example, Dylan’s father tells him to go after Jamie if there is an opportunity to save their relationship and not let a similar thing happen to him as it did to his father (Bradshaw, 2011). Perception is the method by which a person becomes conscious of events and objects in the external world. It may be affected by primacy-recency. A person’s tendency to give extra significance to what appears first may lead a person to see what corresponds to this judgment and to misperceive or distort any contradiction. For example, Jamie finds out that Dylan may be leaving his job for another one before the

Local food Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Local food - Essay Example The English introduced afternoon tea, fresh food salads, and sandwiches into the world today. While the French added drinks to the English dining table, the Indians added spices and new veggies. The English exploration and a rich heritage of food culture ultimately is an incredible masterpiece of local food for the English people. The English start their day with egg and bacon breakfast taken down with seasoned tea or coffee. The cuisine may also include fried tomatoes, mushrooms, bread and baked beans. Children eat porridge or boiled oats during winter and cereals in summer (F, 2007). Breakfast is served hot and taken heavy; a tradition carried down from the Romans one meal a day policy. Although much of the cuisine disappeared during the food rationing period following World War II, the preserved cuisines heavily represent the ancient English culture. The English local food far outsmarts most foreign cuisines in terms of ease to cook and benefit to the body. The fresh farm produces eaten raw provides vital vitamins and minerals as animal products like eggs and bacon help build the body. Bread is a daily meal in England and a key source of energy foods. The balance created by these foods attracts many food enthusiasts and outweighs most processed foods cuisines. Fish has a historical twitch with the English and is prepared to suite every meal. The English have perfected fish preparation and preserved it for light dinner or lunch (Christopher, 2011). Dry table wine is legendary to both the English and the Italians. Wine is taken to supplement food and usually taken at the end of the meal. Wine, however, is a preserve for the well to do and most prefer water or tea at the end of a meal. Salads make an important part in the local cuisines in England. Salads such as asparagus, carrots, and French beans take center stage at a dinner. Thanks to the India exploration, more salads like chilies, cucumbers and ginger have been added to the cuisine. After

Analysis of The Friends with Benefits movie (Interpersonal Essay

Analysis of The Friends with Benefits movie (Interpersonal Communications) - Essay Example Friends with Benefits is a movie about a New York based head-hunter, Jamie, attempting to sign Dylan, an individual based in Los Angeles, for her client. When Dylan accepts the job and makes the move, he rapidly becomes friends with Jamie. The friendship turns into a relationship with benefits. Nonetheless, Jamie has an emotionally dented past and Dylan has a past of not being emotionally available. This makes both Dylan and Jamie not to attempt to fall for one another. In addition, both Dylan and Jamie terminate their relationships with their loved ones, both of them promising to remain out of emotional engagements. When Jamie employs Dylan to manage the art department of GQ in New York City, and she is the only individual Dylan knows in this area, they make a decision of becoming friends with sexual gains. The friends with benefits relationship between the two works properly until Jamie has an encounter with a pediatric cardiologist who might just be her match and Dylan asks her to accompany him to Los Angeles to celebrate thanksgiving. This illustrates a number of signals because Dylan may be perceived as being jealous of the doctor or Jamie may be sending new signals in the path of Dylan. (Bradshaw, 2011). This paper will analyze the movie, Friends with Benefits, and analyze five concepts learned in class in relation to the movie, providing clear descriptive examples from the movie of those concepts. The essay will discuss the concepts of self-disclosure, identity management, perception, emotions and interpersonal conflicts, and how they relate to the movie. Self-disclosure refers to both the subconscious and conscious act of providing extra information regarding oneself to other people. This may entail, but is not restricted to, dreams, thoughts, fears, feelings, successes, aspirati ons, failures, goals, favorites, dislikes, and likes. Characteristically, a self-disclosure takes place when an individual at the outset meets another person and continues as the individual develops and builds their relationship with another person. As people get to know others, they reveal information about their selves. In addition, if an individual is not eager to self-disclose, the other person may also not reveal information about themselves too. For example, in Friends with Benefits, on a night when they are at Jamie’s apartment watching a romantic film, both share information regarding the issue of relationships and sex. After self-disclosure, they both conclude that sex should not be accompanied with extreme emotional attachment (Bradshaw, 2011). Identity management is a continuous process which contains three associated phases. They include the trial stage, the enmeshment stage, and the renegotiation stage. The trial stage takes place at the start of a relationship w hen individuals are starting to explore their differences and willing to attain a balance for the sake of the relationship. For example, when Dylan is timid to move to New York, Jamie spends the evening taking Dylan around New York so as to expose him to the city and its opportunities. The enmeshment stage sees the emergence of similar features. For example, both Dylan and Jamie agree that sex should not have emotional attachments. Finally, the renegotiation stage sees individuals tackle identity concerns and using their past in attaining this. For example, Dylan’s father tells him to go after Jamie if there is an opportunity to save their relationship and not let a similar thing happen to him as it did to his father (Bradshaw, 2011). Perception is the method by which a person becomes conscious of events and objects in the external world. It may be affected by primacy-recency. A person’s tendency to give extra significance to what appears first may lead a person to see what corresponds to this judgment and to misperceive or distort any contradiction. For example, Jamie finds out that Dylan may be leaving his job for another one before the

Rene Ryman Essay Example for Free

Rene Ryman Essay Week 1 Case Study Professor Rene Ryman Case Problems – Chapter 1 – Question 1, parts a through d 1. A. How did Pine Valley Furniture go about developing its information systems? Why do you think the company chose this option? What other options were available? Pine Valley started small with the owner Alex Schuster just taking orders from customers for his custom furniture. Eventually each department had its own system, but they were still separate databases. The system has evolved into an automated system supported by in-house information system staff. I feel the company chose this option because they wanted to have their own in-house IS staff to maintain their own system. They could have outsourced the creation and support of their current system but they see the value in being self sufficient. B. One option available to Pine Valley Furniture was an enterprise-wide system. What features does an enterprise-wide system, such as SAP, provide? What is the primary advantage of an enterprise-wide system? An enterprise-wide system provides a single database as a repository for companies to centralize the management and availability of company data. The primary advantage of the enterprise-wide system is that it can be maintained at one location and supported from that location. The data is consistent and it costs less to support. C. Pine Valley Furniture will be hiring two systems analysts next month. Your task is to develop a job advertisement for these positions. Locate several Web sites and/or newspapers that have job advertisements for systems analysts. What skills are required? Required skills for Systems Analysts: Must be able to make program modifications Must be able to consolidate multiple databases into one Must be able to train support staff on new system Stay abreast of compliance rules and regulations D. What types of information systems are currently utilized at Pine Valley Furniture? Provide an example of each. Two primary information systems used at Pine Valley Furniture are for accounting and financial. As an example of each there would be a system for paying suppliers and contractors to run the furniture business. For all bills paid out of the general operating account a system needs to be in place to keep track of invoices, purchase orders and printing checks. Likewise a system is used to maintain payroll data. To pay the employees a system is needed to maintain hourly data and salary data. Along with whatever benefits are offered to employees. This system would keep all of the records, process the payroll and print payroll checks.

Strengthening Community Resilience Through Disaster Risk Management Environmental Sciences Essay

Strengthening Community Resilience Through Disaster Risk Management Environmental Sciences Essay Disasters pose serious threats to development as it holds back countrys progress and its achievement towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) while highlighting, particularly among poor countries, the prevailing poverty situation. Despite billions of budget spent by the government and assistance from the international development organizations for development programs and projects, interference of disasters could put these efforts into nothing; as disasters could result to enormous physical, economic and psycho-social damages and decades of development could be wiped out in a minute. Disasters destroy infrastructures, such as roads, bridges, communication satellites, buildings, schools and houses. It can also damage livelihood and agriculture; from pest infestations to droughts, extreme rains and floods, which could wreak havoc on the entire community livelihood. Moreover, as disaster happens, it displaces people and exposes them to diseases and injuries which could further lead them to hardship, starvation and deprivation. In general disaster can lead to loss of public and private resources and investments, disruption on the production of goods and provision of services, loss of employment for formal and non- formal economy, interruption of development programs and switching of crucial resources to other short-term needs such as recovery and emergency response programs, and health concerns (UNDP-DMTP, 1994). These problems on natural disasters are further compounded by the issues of climate change. Disaster risks and climate change are threats to human well-being and adversely reinforce each other. Disaster risk is an intrinsic characteristic of human society, arising from the combination of natural and human factors and subject to exacerbation or reduction by human agency (OBrien, 2008:7). The effects of climate change can increase disaster risks, by changing the magnitude and frequency of extreme events. The changes in the average climatic conditions and climate variability, affect the underlying risk factors, and generate new threats, which could create more serious consequences to human and the environment (Tearfund, 2008). The increasing global average temperature, occurrence of extreme weather events, changes in precipitation and sea level rises would, likewise, adversely affect human health, agriculture, forests, water resources, and coastal areas. Direct impacts are: less food pr oduction, increase range of infectious diseases including vector-borne and water-related diseases, decline in fresh water resources; and indirect impacts such as increase in prices of goods and services. These ultimately increase poverty. The poor, vulnerable and at risk communities are mostly affected for they have few options (DAP, 2010). Disaster is indeed a development concern; however despite this recognition, we argue that many disasters are rooted mainly from many development failures (UN-ISDR, 2010). The lack of appropriate development planning where disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation are loosely or weakly integrated into the local and national agenda is seen as a weakness to development. And the inadequateness of top-down and one-way approach in dealing with disaster management, is considered ineffective stance in providing rightful and productive solutions among problems encountered at the community level, frequently, resulting to failure in addressing local needs, untapped potential local resources and capacities, consequently, increasing peoples vulnerabilities (Victoria, 2003). Nevertheless, with the shifting paradigm from emergency management to disaster risk management, and the growing recognition on community participation, this shed another area where parallel effort from the national, local and community levels can be harmonized and replicated. And in line with community participation, the Community Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) emerged to address the needs of vulnerable communities and to improve their disaster resiliency. It is an approach that emphasizes active involvement of communities; while strongly locates people at the heart of the decision making and implementation of disaster risk management activities (ADPC-CBDRM-11, 2003). Purpose and Objectives The paper aims to determine how Community-Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) increases community resiliencies and contributes towards climate change adaptation. The objectives of this study are to explain the features, processes and actors of the CBDRM and how it contributes to community resiliency; identify the strengths and weaknesses of the approach within the frame of community participation and participatory development; to cite best practices of CBDRM applications, and to provide recommendations for future policy and research studies. Methodology and Limitations The paper explores the effectiveness and potential of CBDRM to address impact of climate change variability. The arguments rendered are mainly based on deskwork and cursory research that is limited to literature review from available case studies, articles and publications from various local, national and international sources. The paper is divided into four parts. First, we link disaster risk management with climate change adaptation by identifying their commonalities and differences. Second, we closely examine what CBDRM is, its feature, processes and actors involved. Third, we determine what would be the possible limitations or challenges in applying community participation in disaster management. Fourth, we give practical examples by listing down several good practices of CBDRM being implemented in different countries. And fifth, we provide conclusions and recommendations. Linking Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation As noted, disasters have enormous impact on human development while changes in climate will further extend the challenges brought by disasters. With the increasing concerns on its impact, this has emphasized the urgent move from disaster response to preventive measures mainly aimed at reducing the likelihood that a natural hazard translates into a disaster. The shift to disaster risk management (DRM) from emergency management, implies addressing underlying social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities to reduce the probability of a disaster occurring. Moreover, DRM tries to address hazard risks as an integral part of development. DRM is based on a continuous assessment of vulnerabilities and risks and involves many actors and stakeholders, such as governments, technical experts and local communities. (Sperling, F., et.al., 2005: 11). According to ISDR, policy responses concerned with disaster risk management and adaptation to climate change have developed along different tracks (Sperling, F., et.al., 2005: 12). The DRM, on one hand, is based on humanitarian assistance efforts; the specific response measures are based from accumulated experiences of exposure to disasters. The responses are localized with broader preventive measures with the aim of addressing vulnerabilities. On the other hand, response to climate change, being a global issue, has been mostly top-down process through advances in scientific research leading to international policy responses through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Responses to climate change are categorized under mitigation and adaptation which are both interdependent; mitigation tackling the cause of climate change, while adaptation tackling the effects. (Sperling, F., et.al., 2005). DRM and adaptation to climate change have commonalities and differences. On their commonalities, the policies and measures for both areas are concerned with risk management approach with the aim of addressing the underlying vulnerabilities. While both acknowledge that the degree of vulnerability is a function of the magnitude of physical exposure and prevalent environmental and socioeconomic conditions; thus both depend on evaluating risks, vulnerabilities and possible remedial measures characterized as being continuous process and forward looking perspective. Additionally on dealing climate change risks, the adaptation measures is based on the existing vulnerability to climate variability and extremes; hence improving the capacity of communities, governments or regions to deal with current climate vulnerabilities is likely to improve their capacity to deal with future climatic changes (Sperling, 2005:16). On their differences, the time horizons for DRM is concerned more of the present or near term trends, that is 5-10 years, while climate change projections are usually 20 or even hundred more years. Another is on physical exposure; mitigating disaster is different from climate change mitigation. The former is focused on limiting the adverse impact of a particular hazard; while the latter is a function within the capacity of humans to influence their exposure to change, concluding that climate change is largely driven by anthropogenic activities. Lastly, on the scope of disaster, DRM includes not only climate related disasters such as hydro-meteorological (torrential rain, floods, droughts, storms) but also geo-morphological (earthquakes, volcanic eruptions) hazards (Sperling, 2005). Supporting the claim of Sperling (2005:17), DRM and adaptation to climate change have converging agendas; this therefore offers an opportunity to build a comprehensive risk management framework which recognizes current and future vulnerabilities as well as the compound effects of multiple disasters within a given region. This brings us next to a specific DRM approach where its aim is to increase community resiliency through the active participation of community members. The Community-Based Disaster Risk Management Approach Mainstreaming disaster risk reduction (DRR), as part of the DRM framework, into national and local development agenda is among the crucial concerns for many international organizations, national governments, civil society organizations, research groups, and local development actors. The recognition on its importance stemmed out from understanding the link between development and disaster, and disaster intensity and climate change. Under DRR lens, disasters are seen as complex problems that demand collective actions from different sectors; hence, this locates community at the forefront of disaster management. As defined by Abarquez (2004), communities are group of people that may share one or more things in common such as living in the same environment and similar disaster risk exposure. Their differentiation in terms of socio-economic aspects, linkages and dynamics are several factors that contribute to their vulnerabilities. By and large, it is the communities who are directly affected by both development and disasters, for being either beneficiaries or victims of the two circumstances. They are the front liners. They understand their local opportunities and constraints and they are the most interested in understanding local affairs where survival and well-being is at stake. Hence, integrating them within disaster risk management framework entails a promising outcome. Whereas, a growing consensus asserts that most top-down disaster risk management and response programs fail to address specific local needs of vulnerable communities, ignore the potential of local resources and capacities, and may in some cases even increase peoples vulnerability (Abarquez, 2004:12). Community participation provides opportunities for the poor to air their concerns, and allowing the poor to have more control over development assistance. This ensures that allocation of development funds is responsive to the needs of the poor, better targeting of poverty programs, more responsive government and better delivery of public goods and services, better maintained community assets, and a more informed and involved citizenry that is capable of undertaking self-initiated development activity (Mansuri, 2003: 2). According to World Bank, in general, community driven development aims to (i) enhance sustainability; (ii) improve efficiency and effectiveness; (iii) allow poverty reduction efforts to be taken to scale; (iv) make development more inclusive; (v) empower poor people, build social capital, and strengthen governance; and (vi) complement market and public sector activities. (Mansuri, 2003: 2) The CBDRM provides opportunities for the local community to evaluate their situations based on their own experiences and promotes participation and partnership. They take responsibility for all stages of the program including both planning and implementation, and in partnership with local, provincial, and national entities. As defined, CBDRM is a process of disaster risk management in which at risk communities are actively engaged in the identification, analysis, treatment, monitoring and evaluation of disaster risks in order to reduce their vulnerabilities and enhance their capacities. This means that the people are at the heart of decision making and implementation of disaster risk management activities. (Abarquez, 2004:9). Given the existing natural hazards and vulnerabilities of a community, the CBDRM process should lead to progressive improvements in public safety and community disaster resilience. And it should contribute to equitable and sustainable community development in the long term (Abarquez, 2004:20) As shown in the conceptual framework below, natural hazards such as hydro-meteorological, geo-morphological and climate change induced hazards can interplay with existing community vulnerabilities which in turn could pose high risks to the affected community. As a consequence of a disastrous event, people are helpless victims who rely heavily on external assistance for aid. The cost and damage assessment is done by external experts, and recommendations are usually mainly focus on material or physical aid and technical solutions. Due to lack of community plan, outside donors decide on what the needs are. The aim of existing disaster management is to reduce the immediate suffering and meet emergency needs and bring back the situation into normal. With the application of CBDRM approach, people participate in disaster management, where people are involved in planning, decision-making, damage, needs and capacity assessment. The people perceived as active actors in rebuilding their lives and livelihood. The focus is community preparedness and strengthening the organization with the aim of reducing vulnerabilities and increase peoples capacity to better cope with disasters. With the result of safe, disaster-resilient and developed community, this ultimately contributes towards poverty reduction. Figure : Conceptual Framework The CBDRM Features In summary the CBDRM features as according to Abarquez (2004) are: Role of community is central in disaster risk management. That is, local people are capable of initiating and sustaining their own development and they are the prime movers in reducing disaster risks in their community. Community is the key resource in disaster risk management. The communities are the main beneficiaries, the same way that they are the key resource and frontline actor in the CBDRM implementation. The aim is disaster risk reduction. The main strategy is to enhance capacities and resources of most vulnerable groups and to reduce their vulnerability in order to avoid the occurrence of disasters in future. Recognition of the link between disaster risk management and the development process. CBDRM should lead to general improvement in peoples quality of life and the natural environment. The approach assumes that addressing the root causes of disasters, e.g. poverty, discrimination and marginalization, poor governance and bad political and economic management, would contribute towards the overall improvement in the quality of life and environment. Application of multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary approaches. CBDRM brings together local community and even national stakeholders for disaster risk management to expand its resource base. CBDRM recognizes that different people have different perceptions of risk, different vulnerabilities and capacities. The CBDRM Process The CBDRM process entails a thorough assessment of the communitys hazard exposure and analysis of their vulnerabilities as well as capacities. The gathered information serves as the basis for activities, projects and programs to reduce disaster risks. Community involvement is required in the process of assessment, planning, and implementation to ensure that all needs and concerns felt at the local level are considered and appropriately tackled. Using the NGO CBDRM implementation perspective, according to Luna (2007) and Abarquez (2004), generally the processes include: Community/site selection and partnership building. Communities that are very vulnerable are selected, based on previous experiences in disaster and current threats. Other criteria include the poverty situation, interest and cooperation of the LGU officials, accessibility of the area, the peace and order situation, and the presence of local workers in the community. Formation and training of Community Disaster Action Teams and Volunteers. Training of the local government officials and community leaders are done to enhance their capacity for disaster prevention, mitigation and response. The training is done in participatory manner in such a way that after the series of training, the participants would be able to come out with community assessment, hazards maps, and plan for disaster mitigation projects. The participatory rural appraisal techniques are used for community assessment. Hazard mapping. Actual on-site mapping of the community is done by the volunteers using ocular survey and global positioning system. This is a diagnostic process to identify the risks that the community faces and how people overcome those risks. The process involves hazard assessment, vulnerability assessment and capacity assessment. In doing the assessments, peoples perception of risk is considered. People themselves identify risk reduction measures that will reduce vulnerabilities and enhance capacities. These risk reduction measures are then translated into a community disaster risk management plan. Formulation of the Local Disaster Action Plans. The community assessments and the hazard map became the basis for formulating a local disaster action plan. Plan Integration and Implementation. The plan formulated by the Disaster Action Team is forwarded to the local council for integration in comprehensive development plan. The Community Disaster Action Teams and Volunteers should lead to the implementation of the community plan and motivate the other members of the community to support the activities in the plan. Project monitoring and evaluation by the community, local government and outside evaluators. The CBDRM Actors Under CBDRM local community serves as the main actor together with the participation and support from other stakeholders. The actors in the CBDRM are composed of two layers, the insiders and the outsiders. Actors in the inner layer are the individuals, family, organizations and other stakeholders who are located within the community. The multiple stakeholders such as farmers, fishers, women, laborers, youth and other members of the community that has special concerns and needs, with their differing perceptions, and interests are important to be considered in arriving in a broad consensus on targets, strategies and methodologies in the community. The outsiders refer to those sectors and agencies which are located outside of the community. These are external NGOs, national government agencies and other international organizations (Abarquez, 2004). This brings us to a consideration of the shortcomings and limitations of participatory development. Limitations and Challenges of Community Participation in Disaster Management Though we have argued that community participation in the context of disaster management is imperative, there are still several debates under the context of participatory development that could somehow influence its successful implementation, hence, should be taken into account especially during the planning phase of the CBDRM First, the complexity of individual motivations. It is difficult to move a community towards certain direction, particularly if its members have different interests and motivations. As noted earlier, community is a complex social structure comprised of different perspectives, opinions and motivations. Conversely, motivation and willingness to participate is dictated by individual thinking and determined by own underlying interests. Their experiences on disasters could influence their behavior; however for community members who have not experienced extreme natural disaster, raising their interest in prevention and capacity building becomes more difficult as it seems abstract for them, unlike physical measures or infrastructure such as installing early warning devices and others. Similarly, exposure to external aids could influence communitys interest to participate; this is in particular to urban areas, who have become accustomed to receiving external assistance thus their reluctance to undertake risk management on their own (Solo, n.d.). Another area under this is the personal-driven motivations with vested interests that could influence, hamper or even deviate the result of the participatory development process. And politicians or soon to be politicians find this kind of activity personally beneficial for them. Second, participation requires effort and time. The CBDRM implementation is comprised of various activities, such as planning and capacity buildings, that require active and continuous participation from various stakeholders. While these activities involved a considerable time and effort, some community members perceive these series of participation as waste of time and/or economically unproductive activity, thus opt to focus more on their work and earn money, instead. While for the part of the organizer, participatory process such as public consultation is also time consuming. Organizing requires proper and detailed planning for scheduling of activities, identifying stakeholders, sending out invitation and confirming attendance. The quality and productivity of the activity is affected by the possible low turn-out of attendance among target participants. Second, restricted women participation and cultural boundaries. The CBDRM puts emphasis on the different risks and vulnerabilities faced by members of the communities, such that, male perceived risks differently as compared to female, and similar with adult to children. However, some culture restricts participation and voluntarism; concrete example is on women participation. There are some cultures that confine womens role within the boundaries of domestic activities. Despite the current effort to gender mainstream disaster reduction, with the consequent enormous household tasks directly or indirectly imposed to them, these offer women less time to interact in social activities and participate in community development actions. Third, local power relation within the community. The dynamics that exists within the community is clearly manifested on the relationship between the rich and poor, elite and commoners, and literate and illiterate. These relationships bring us to the questions on who can really participate, who can talk and verbalize their opinions during public consultations or workshops. Often times, those who are well-informed and have time to participate dominate the discussion, while leaving behind the poor and the illiterate who has the greater degree of vulnerability. To put stress further, the UNDP states that the communities who are most vulnerable to natural events are frequently those who have a disproportionately high number of illiterate members (Solo, n.d.). Fourth, local knowledge influenced by local power relations. CBDRM builds on the existing local knowledge to assess community risks, and serve as basis in developing plans. However, local knowledge can be influenced by local power relations, authority and gender (Mosse, 2002). Other personalities or stakeholders may impute their own interests to or influence the local knowledge which would not necessarily resolve the issues of disaster risks or lead for the greater and common interests of improving community resiliency. Fifth, creating development fatigue among stakeholders. Since participatory development is among the most popular approaches in development, many development initiatives have embraced and integrated it within their programs and projects. Consultations and/or collaboration among stakeholders has been repeatedly being undertaken along different stages of one or more different programs and projects, this repeated process could eventually create fatigue among stakeholders, especially when despite of continuing consultations no advancement or progress is achieved. These are some of the limitations and challenges that may be faced by project implementers of CBDRM. And to understand more what CBDRM is as applied to real world, the next part gives us practical examples illustrating how CBDRM could potentially increase community resiliency. CBDRM Good Practices Globally, CBDRM has been promoted as an approach to improve community resiliency. International development organizations and non-government organizations strongly lobby CBDRM for policy adoption and mainstreaming in the disaster management framework of national and local governments. Currently, most CBDRM projects are led by local and international NGOs, either in partnership with other civil society organizations, NGOs, international development organizations or local government. The United Nation International Strategy for Disaster Reduction compiled the good practices in CBDRM that illustrates how communities have worked together towards a common goal and benefitted from their undertaking. Below are some of the examples that are considered CBDRM good practices and linked with climate change adaptation being implemented in different countries. Involving community members in increasing public awareness and capacity building through creating information campaigns to enhance the safety of the population at risk. The project stimulates creativeness and innovativeness from the local actors and similarly optimizes local knowledge and local resources in a way easily understandable to the local community members. This is a project implemented in Haiti in 22 settlements in coordination with their Local Civil Protection Committees (LCPCs) through the assistance from Oxfam GB. Another is creating access among low income groups to disaster micro-insurance scheme. Taking into account that risk transfer supports sustainable economic recovery, micro-insurance could serve as a cushion to lessen impact of disaster, particularly among the poor victims whom majority have little or no access to risk transfer schemes. Micro-insurance represents an innovative approach to risk identification, pooling and transfer; wherein risk is transferred from the individual level to the community or inter-community levels. With the implementation of micro-insurance, this elicit positive feedbacks from the communities claiming that insurance in times of crisis is essential, the affordability of the scheme makes it accessible for the poor households, and which consequently result to reduced dependence from outside relief. This is the approach of the Afat Vimo scheme, a project implemented in India, which is part of the Regional Risk Transfer Initiative (RRTI), an action learning pro ject (ALP) of the Gujaratbased All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI). With the long drought being experienced, crop failures and the consequent food shortage, this has led a community in Indonesia to identify a mechanism to prevent food shortage. The community established a monitoring system for food security and livelihood and community early warning system largely based from their indigenous knowledge in combination with modern science. The project has three components: community awareness and indicator development to monitor food security and livelihood; community early warning system; and advocacy on appropriate agricultural system such as promotion of crops suitable for drought-prone land. The project is in partnership with local NGO aiming to increase community resilience from drought in Southeastern Indonesia. Another project where it illustrates that local context of communities can be a dynamic force in reducing risks, is on creating flood and typhoon-resilient homes through employing a cost-effective retrofitting. The program central theme is to make families and the community active players in the process of reducing the vulnerability through the integration of storm resistant techniques in existing and future houses and buildings. It involves local and grassroots consultation and preventive action planning. The project is Development Workshop France (DWF), a program initiated in Vietnam through Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and European Commission Humanitarian aid Office (ECHO) In order to understand local environmental situation, develop awareness and capacity to deal with, and to contribute to relevant policy formulation, one of the communities in Namibia established an inter-community platform and local-level monitoring as support for local decision making. The plat-form serves as medium for community organization and communication. Moreover, the approach strengthens capacity among the community to coordinate their own activities and preparing their development plans. The local-level monitoring, on the other hand, is used to support information exchange and decision making designed by the communities. The communities identify relevant indicators to monitor their livelihoods including key environmental elements. They discuss the results, analyze them and use them where appropriate for decision making. This provides a tool for identification of environmental changes affecting livelihoods that may be based on management actions, climate variability, policy changes or other factors. The project contributes to capacity building and institutional development among communities so they can enhance their own resource management and livelihoods and thereby enhance their capacity to manage and reduce risks related to drought and desertification and other potential disasters. This is a project implemented in Namibia, where several policy instruments have been influenced by the project and a number of derivative projects are ongoing. The convergence of a community-level approach and city governments participation strengthens sustainability and ownership; this is the underlying assumption in one of the CBDRM projects in the Philippines. Wherein, it mainstream community-based mitigation in the city governance through partnering with the local government in the implementation of the project. The project has five (5) components, these are: (i) CBDRM participatory risk assessment training of trainers (ToT) for the city officials, who in turn provide training to communities; reactivation of the City Disaster Coordinating Council and Barangay Disaster Coordinating Council; institutionalization of a school Disaster Safety Day; celebration of the Disaster Safety Day in all schools; developing and implementing a City Disaster Risk Reduction Plan. This is a CBDRM project implemented in the P