Book Review on Chinese Cinderella: the Secret Story of an Unwanted Daughter

1 Book review on Chinese Cinderella: The Secret Story of an Unwanted Daughter By Caren Shin In wealthy families, babies are born with a silver spoon in their mouths. Not quite for Adeline. In fact, the recount of Adeline Yen Mah’s childhood is a relatively sad one even though her father was a millionaire. She was seen as bad luck to the family as her mother died after giving birth to her. She is always frowned upon by her older and younger siblings, neglected by her father and scolded by her stepmother. She has to learn to depend on herself as there was often no one to help her. The story reveals the two sides of her family: on the surface it is friendly and caring, while inside one can realize how the children are really treated by their stepmother Niang. As the youngest of five children from her father’s first marriage, Adeline has to suffer many blows because every one looks down on her especially when she receives her father’s praise. Adeline’s main reason for her love of school was to be away from her stepmother so that she could become a different person that was admired by her peers as she topped her class regularly. Her whole personality changed when she was away from her Niang and with someone that knew her from the heart; her friend Wu Chung-Mei, her Ye Ye and Aunt Baba. At age eight, Adeline was given a duckling, the only one left after all her siblings had picked their choice. Although it was not the best duckling, she still loved it dearly and treasured every opportunity that she could get with it. She named it Precious Little Duckling (PLT). I think this illustrates her love for her pet and that she was pleased that her siblings had left her one. It also gives a comparison of how each sibling is treated by their parents. Since she was the youngest and the least likely to make a fuss, her big brother took her duckling when her father ordered him to test the obedience training of his dog Jackie. Adeline immediately sensed her duckling’s fate; she knew that PLT was going to die. When Jackie’s demonstration of obedience was over, PLT was bleeding and passed away next morning. Adeline and her third brother buried PLT under a magnolia tree. Adeline was saddened by the above incidence and recalled every time when she sensed the presence of a magnolia, she would remember PLT. I feel this demonstrates the love she felt for PLT and how heartbreaking the experience as. Throughout this passage of the story, I envision there are many emotions often shown as colours that were being pressed into Adeline’s mind: white, yellow, black and brown. I have chosen these colours because white represents the magnolias, yellow symbolizes the feathers of PLT, black for the grim horror that happened, and br own for the eyes of PLT and the earth on top of PLT’s grave. When Adeline became a sixth former at Sheng Xin (Sacred Heart) Primary School, a democratic election was held in their class to see who would be their class president and head girl of the whole school. She teamed up with her friend Wu Chun-Mei who won the election for her. On her triumphant day, many of her supporters went to her house to give her presents. Her father and Niang were very upset and annoyed at the fact that Adeline’s friends were at their house, disturbing them. When she was called to her father’s room for the cause for all her friends to be there, Adeline did not know. Niang did not believe her and slapped her making her nose bleed. In front of all her friends (with blood still dripping down her face) she told them to go away because her father was sleeping. Then she was told to open all her presents in front of her parents and throw them all in the rubbish bin. I experience the sadness she has felt when she was 2 humiliated by her stepmother. Adeline must have had a determination not to show her weakness by crying. After this incident, Niang ordered her to pack all her things as Adeline, Niang and her father were going to Tianjin on an airplane. As she was on the plane, they had to fill out landing cards. Adeline’s father forgot Adeline’s Chinese name and her date of birth. Since her father had forgotten her Chinese name, Adeline felt deeply hurt as her father confused her name with her little sister’s. This meant that her father had forgotten all about her and had only remembered her little sister, even though she was his real daughter. I feel dreadful at the thought that her father could forget her name. Her date of birth became her father’s; November 30 because her date of birth was unknown. In this story of Adeline Yen Mah’s childhood life, I felt many ups and downs and how she might have felt. It was surprising to see a girl like Adeline being humiliated in front of her friends who wanted to support her. If I were in her shoes, I would feel scared and frightened because the supporters might not support me anymore because they had known of the family ugliness. I think that this family ugliness was hidden from other people seeing it by Niang and Adeline’s father. To prove this point, when Niang met other people, she wanted them to know that the family only had her two children. She kept the five children from her husband’s first marriage in the dark, thus swerving Adeline’s father into forgetting his former wife’s younger children including Adeline. Her father and Niang went with Adeline to Tianjin and left her as a border in St Joseph’s School. At first, there were many people attending the school but soon Adeline was the only student left in the whole school. All of them fled from the communist army. I feel how she must have felt in these circumstances as no one was bothered to look after her while she was the only student. She would feel bewildered and frightened at the same time as she was being punished from negligence by her father and stepmother. During this story I feel Adeline’s sadness, despair and happy moments. I feel very grateful that I am in a different family and that I did not have to go through what Adeline had to undergo. The story of her childhood is a very sad one, but I hope that other children do not have to suffer the same case as she did. Her life had many hopeful and downhearted moments she had and only determination helped her live through this dark period. Encouragement from her Aunt Baba and her Ye Ye was the only source to give her the strength to be a good scholar and prove her Niang wrong. In this story, Adeline has a message to neglected and unloved children of the world – within every one there is something precious and unique. Her childhood experience brings out the importance of perseverance in life. One must persist to do one’s best when one is hopeless, to have the faith when one’s spirit is down, and to change fears into courage and strength. Everyone of us can be Cinderella and successful as Adeline if we hold her belief that â€Å"one single positive dream is more important than a thousand negative realities. † END

Unions at the Work Place

Work dominates modern life. Work can be satisfying, enjoyable and rewarding. Many of the difficulties which face several nations today arise from the fact that, over many years, a lot of people who want to work have been denied the chance to do so. Most employers treat their workers fairly. But some do not. Complaints about the way they were treated by their employer are rampant. Even the best bosses can make mistakes from time to time. Unions exist to help people at work and make the work place a better place. Basically, unions work on the simple principle that while an employer might be able to ignore the views of a single worker, if all workers speak with one voice the employer has to take notice. Unions encourage their members to take part in collective decisions on workplace issues and these views are then put to the employer. From time to time, Union members in the same workplace will get together to talk about common problems. The issues most likely to come up are pay, safety, unfair treatment of a group or individual, or simply the way the work is organized. The union members will usually elect someone to speak on their behalf – a shop steward or office representative. The rep will then discuss their concerns with management. Where the union has a recognition agreement with management they reach decisions together on key issues. In bigger workplaces there will be a number of representatives, sometimes from different unions, speaking on behalf of different groups of workers. And in very big workplaces some of these union representatives will spend much of their working day dealing with union business, talking to management helping solve problems on behalf of their members. Most sensible employers welcome these arrangements. They understand it is better for workers to have an independent means of dealing with problems rather than letting them fester or hoping they will be sorted out by the supervisors or line managers who are sometimes the cause of the problems. However, is that enough? Shall Unions' responsibility be limited to those of their kinds or should it be widened to apply coverage to the whole society at large? Ross M. Martin, in the book Trade Unionism – Purposes and Forms, p. 62 wrote: â€Å"The responsibility of the part to the whole is inseparable from the idea that society is an organism. For the trade union that means a responsibility which extends beyond the membership, beyond the class, to society at large.† When we talk of trade union, we talk of association of workers for the purpose of improving their economic status and working conditions through collective bargaining. Historically there have been two major types of labor unions: the horizontal, or craft, union, in which all the members are skilled in a certain craft (e.g., carpenters); and the vertical, or industrial, union, composed of workers in the same industry, whatever their particular skills (e.g., automobile workers). A company union is an employee-controlled union having no affiliation with other labor organizations. The term closed shop refers to a company that hires only union members. In a union shop, employees are required to join a union within a specified time after being hired. An open shop does not restrict its employees to union members. Labor unions are essentially the product of the industrial revolution of the 19th century. In Great Britain, miners and textile workers were organized in the 1860s. Most European labor organizations today are either political parties or are affiliated with political parties, usually left-wing ones. In Britain today there are almost 23 million people in paid employment. Most of them spend up to a quarter of their lives at work – longer, on average, than anywhere else in Europe. Today almost seven million people in Europe belong to TUC unions (founded in Manchester in 1868) that is almost one worker in every three. Wherever people work there are union members – or potential union members. They include men and women; full-time and part-time workers; people in big businesses, and those in small ones; people who work for the government and those who work for themselves. Union members are no different from anyone else, except they tend to be better paid and have better working conditions because they have someone to stand up for them. Unions contribute to the success of an enterprise by helping employers plan for the future and manage change. Some of the most dynamic companies work routinely with the unions to keep their workforce informed on crucial issues. The development of worker and union involvement in an enterprise is known in Europe as ‘social partnership'. In some workplaces arrangements to involve workers more closely have been developed with formal â€Å"works councils†. European regulations require such works councils for large companies that operate in more than one EU country. They also require consultation where big changes or redundancies are planned. Sometimes companies and unions have to find imaginative solutions to changes in demand for goods and services. The social partnership approach allows both sides to explore ways of working to the benefit of employees as well as the enterprise. Many union movements in the underdeveloped countries have led anticolonial campaigns toward political independence. In the United States, Unions began developing in the 1830s. Among the important early organizations were the Knights of Labor and the Industrial Workers of the World. A milestone in the history of American unionism came in 1886 with the formation of a group that eventually became the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), an association that includes nearly all of the larger U.S. Unions. The U.S. Labor movement gained support from such new deal laws as the Wagner Act (1935), creating the National Labor Relations Board, but later was restricted by the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 and the Landrum-Griffin Act of 1959. By the late 1970s some 20 states had banned the closed shop through right-to-work laws. In bargaining with companies in economically troubled industries in the 1980s, U.S. Unions often sought to save existing jobs through concessions (give-backs) of earlier gains, and in 1993 unions unsuccessfully fought passage of the North American free trade agreement, fearing job losses if it were ratified. U.S. Union membership has steadily declined from its peak of 35.5% of the nonagricultural workforce in 1945; in 1992, when U.S. Unions had 16,390,000 members, it stood at 15.8%. Today there are unions in virtually every country in the world. In countries as far apart as South Africa and Poland unions have been at the forefront of campaigns for social change. Internationally, world trade unionism was split after 1949 between two rival organizations: the World Federation of Trade Unions (1945) and the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (1949). The International Labor Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations.

A Sorrowful Woman by Gail Godwin

In a world that is often referred to as the world of men, the role of women is not considered important and therefore can be suppressed. This is why feminist views and criticisms arise especially in literature. By definition, criticism of feminist involves examining ways literature enhances women's economic, political, social, and psychological oppression. (Tyson) In the sad woman of Gail Godwins, the role of the heroine is focused mainly on the distance from her organizational lifestyle. Gil Godwin's sad woman's story depicts his wife and mother gradually withdrawing from her family after being overwhelmed by her husband and children and completely removing them from their lives. Their existence reminds her every day that she lost her freedom and self identity, and her life will never be the same again (Godwin 78). She wants her freedom and her own identity. Like Mr. Clap, this will be more fulfilling, she wants to live a lonely life away from her husband, her children, and other pe ople in the community. She thinks that marriage is the root of pain, and deprives her identity, self and freedom. She also wanted to leave the society that defends her marriage, so I decided to live a solitary life. However, she believes that freedom and self will not bring the satisfaction that he desires. In 1976, best - selling American novelist Gale Godwin announced a series of feminists called dream kids and anti - parent short stories. One of the stories, sad woman uses simple words and objective perspectives to give a sense of a fairy tale that women are struggling to meet her expectations as wives and mothers . This will tell the story to the overall theme of the series and explore the unsatisfying family lifestyle that weakens and weakens the psychological and emotional well-being of trapped women.

English Composition-Progress and Process Reflection beyond the Assignment

English Composition-Progress and Process Reflection beyond the Classroom-Discussion - Assignment Example Teachers grading and mistakes highlighting have made me improve this area greatly. Also, group work and interchanging our article for peer examination have made me able to rate my work against that of the fellow writers and consequently I have been able to improve. Reading my work aloud has enabled me to identify and correct mistakes that may not be detected when reading quietly hence I have perfected my editing. I have been able to choose my words according to the impression I want to make and consequently my grammar has improved with time as I wrote on various topics. Through continuous writing, I have gained new writing skills such as painting word pictures and use of figurative language. This has made me able to make tangible writing reflections as well as creating strong meaning. These writing skills are very applicable beyond the classroom as they help in writing reports, strategies and plans at work. They are also very important in the grant application, online communication, emailing, and Curriculum vitae writing among others. In all these areas, grammatical errors and other poor writing skills may change the meaning of written information and therefore good writing skills become very important. Class work writing practices have helped me to become a better writer. Interacting with peers, being graded and research work introduced in class has med me better my writing skills.  

Westward Hilton Hotel Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Westward Hilton Hotel - Case Study Example Credit acquiring rules had increased the capital cost making it difficult for buyers to get the loan and acquire the property. In Phoenix market also the supply was increasing and demand to reduce. This means that the customers were declining and this could be as a result of United Stated recession (Cathy, 2009). In choosing to retain the hotel in the portfolio the organization could face some consequences. The hotel business was declining through the rest of portfolio was operating effectively (Cathy, 2009). This means that in keeping the hotel in the portfolio, income from other portfolios will be used to support the hotel business. If the hotel is not generating profit or enough income to cater for expenses like wages, power then it means money will be outsourced from another portfolio to cater for the expenses. This will lead to the collapse of all portfolios if the hotel will not peek in a short period of time (Chen and Clarke, 2007). Question Three Some of the Hillers general b usiness and human resources strategies are compatible while others are not compatible. Green focused on removing the obstacles or things which hindered the business from progressing. Buying of the undervalued properties can sometimes lead to the loss. Hiller can fail to obtain a buyer due to raising in the loan interests. If the organization does not get a buyer for some time, it may lack capital for future operations. The human resource strategies currently in place are compatible with training is offered to employees.

Audience Analysis Memo Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Audience Analysis Memo - Assignment Example Offering these descriptions have considerable influence on the completion of the presented project since these descriptions provide the focus points. The primary audiences are decision makers of the senior level who include CEOs and other executives involved in global business. The secondary audiences are the middle management that usually facilitates communication between the senior management and workers without management roles (Adebi, 2008). Other audiences may comprise of business players in the industry and regular workers. The audiences have profound educational backgrounds and their job responsibilities may include change management, eradicating barriers and creating an organizational culture (Adebi, 2008). The age ranges between 25-65 years with the gender being well distributed throughout the company’s positions. The audience possesses diversified ethnic background with most being from China, which serves as the host country. The religious beliefs ought to be considered due to the diversity of the employees (Didier, 2002). The audiences have little knowledge concerning the topic and, therefore, require deep training regarding the matter. The audiences have considerable interest regarding the topic and offer positive attitudes towards the topic. The audiences require cross-cultural knowledge, since they have to cope with individuals possessing diverse cultures in China. Therefore, the audiences expect to acquire knowledge concerning cultural diversity, and ways to avert bias at the

Isaiah verse 1.1-2.1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Isaiah verse 1.1-2.1 - Essay Example God expresses his anger towards those who try to bribe him using sacrifices that he may let them continue with their sins and save them from punishment. In the second chapter God goes beyond Judah and promises his judgment for the entire universe, promising the wicked anguish in a punishment that would purify the land of the wicked and save the just and righteous. God, through Isaiah, promises â€Å"the day of the Lord,† when those who are proud will be ashamed and suffer. There are questions concerning the authorship of the entire book of Isaiah, with some suggesting that it could have been contributed towards by different authors (Bratcher, 2015). However, the first and the second chapter show a clear flow of events, thus indicating that it was authored by one individual. The first verse of the first chapter of the book of Isaiah includes an addition of the editor aimed at identifying the prophet of God in the book and the circumstances that underlie his ministry. It is important to note that the name Isaiah means â€Å"the Lord’s salvation†, giving a glimpse of the mission of God towards saving his people, and clearly indicating that the people had turned away from God for them to need salvation (Young, 1992). The chapter involves a series of oracles that collected at different periods during the ministry of Isaiah. The people of Israel had lost their way and intended to establish alliances and political alignments with other nations that served pagan gods such as Egypt and Assyria (Kickert, 2009). God sent Isaiah to speak God’s voice among the people of Israel to remind them of their origin, and what God expected of them. In this first chapter, Isaiah used animals such as Ox and Ass considering their stubbornness and stupidity to define the failure of the Israelites to heed the voice of God. Israel was a term that was used by various prophets

Shiite Festivals in Iran and Iraq Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Shiite Festivals in Iran and Iraq - Essay Example Although the Shiites were considered a minority in most of the Islamic world, they were the majority in countries like Iran and Iraq. Shiites who venerate Ali and his son Husayn or Hussein commemorate their death in the hands of the Sunni's in the 7th century battle in Karbala. Karbala is located in Iraq (Associated Press). The other holy site located in Iraq is Najaf. Shiites in Iraq comprised sixty percent of the Iraqi population but the most oppressed and marginalized during the regime of Saddam Hussein. There is a basic difference between Shiite Muslims in Iran and Iraq. Primarily, Iran's ethnic origin was Persian while Iraq's is recognized as Arab. The most significant festival for Shiites all over the world is the observance of Ashura, a ten-day commemoration of the martyrdom of Hussein. Its observance followed the Shiite calendar usually on the tenth day of the first month of the lunar year or Muharram (Rauf). The Shiites observed it as a day of mourning when Hussein and his kinsmen were killed in 680 AD or 61 AH (Shiite calendar) ("Everyday is Ashura and Every land is Karbala", Rauf). Shiites observe the day with public display of mourning, self-flagellation or wounding to commemorate the sacrifices of Hussein. Hussein opposed against the corrupt rule of Yazid, a Muslim caliph and he and his family paid for it with their lives. Unlike the Shiites in Iran where they enjoyed majority rule and political power, the Shiites of Iraq underwent severe oppression and misfortune for decades under Saddam Hussein despite outnumbering Sunni's by 2 to 1. Many of the Shiites in Iraq sought refuge in Iran. The Shiites of Iraq had to celebrate and practice their beliefs with restraint. It was not until Saddam Hussein was deposed in 2003 could they openly commemorate Ashura. In Iran, however, Shiism was the recognized Islamic denomination and therefore everyone could observe customs and traditions freely. The Origins of the Shiite Branch of Islam Conflict ensued concerning succession after Prophet Muhammad died in 632 AD between the Sunni and Shiites. According to the Shiites, succession should come from the bloodlines of Prophet Muhammad. The Sunni's believed otherwise. For them, the selection of a successor should be a consensus among community members, on political ascendancy and individual merit. (Armanios CRS-2). However, the closest companion of the Prophet, Abu Bakr was elected by majority of the community as caliph. Although majority would accept this decision, some felt that Ali ibn Abi Talib, a cousin and the Prophet's son-in-law and husband to the Prophet's daughter Fatima was bypassed. Several members of the community supported Ali's ascension as caliph (Armanios CRS-1). The Shiites would later consider Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman as usurpers and illegitimate successors. Shiites considered Ali as the one deserving the recognition as successor. Ali would later be assassinated in 661 AD and his sons, Hassan and Hussein would die in the hands of the Sunnis (Armanios CRS-2). Those that supported Ali's leadership

Annotated Outline and Bibliography Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Annotated Outline and Bibliography - Assignment Example Criminal psychopaths engages in severe antisocial behavior, such as serial murder, animal cruelty, or sexual crimes while non-criminal have their manifestation of their pathology limited to non-criminal acts such as cheating or lying. On the other hand, antisocial personality disorder is a form of chronic mental condition in which an individual’s ways of thinking, perceiving situations and interaction with others are dysfunctional and destructive (Andrews & Bonta,2010). Victims of this condition shows no regard for right and wrong and often disregard the rights, wishes and feelings of others while general criminal involves deliberate contravention of the state law. Ted Bundy qualifies to be identified as a psychopathic serial predator due to his deceitful and well organized tactics of luring, killing and evading the law. It is important to note that criminal psychopathy is reflected in behavior such as substance abuse, sex addiction, drug addiction, addiction to gambling among other related compulsive behaviors. On the other hand, on-criminal psychopaths exhibit mild compulsive behavior such as internet addiction, procrastination, television watching (Dekle,2011). In regard to these concepts, the case of Bundy can be classified as criminal psychopathy due to his addiction to sex related crimes. In connection with the case of Bundy, Criminal profiling can be seen as an act of developing a psychological profile of an offender based on the state of the crime scene. This is always carried out by the forensic psychologist. This differs with other forensic evaluation procedures in that it crime scene helps to label the perpetrator as organized, disorganized, or mixed and the investigator uses this to study the behavior of the culprit for possible prosecution. The meticulous plan of Bundy in his many cases of crimes could only be managed by this method of

Human Rights Essay Example for Free

Human Rights Essay Human rights are commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being. Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in local, regional, national, and international law. The doctrine of human rights in international practice, within international law, global and regional institutions, in the policies of states and in the activities of non-governmental organizations, has been a cornerstone of public policy around the world. The idea of human rights states, if the public discourse of peacetime global society can be said to have a common moral language, it is that of human rights. Despite this, the strong claims made by the doctrine of human rights continue to provoke considerable skepticism and debates about the content, nature and justifications of human rights to this day. Indeed, the question of what is meant by a right is itself controversial and the subject of continued philosophical debate. Many of the basic ideas that animated the human rights movement developed in the aftermath of the Second World War and the atrocities of The Holocaust, culminating in the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Paris by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948. The ancient world did not possess the concept of universal human rights. The true forerunner of human rights discourse was the concept of natural rights which appeared as part of the medieval Natural law tradition that became prominent during the Enlightenment with such philosophers as John Locke, Francis Hutcheson, and Jean-Jacques Burlamaqui, and featured prominently in the political discourse of the American Revolution and the French Revolution. From this foundation, the modern human rights arguments emerged over the latter half of the twentieth century. History of concept  Although ideas of rights and liberty have existed in some form for much of human history, they do not resemble the modern conception of human rights. According to Jack Donnelly, in the ancient world, traditional societies typically have had elaborate systems of duties conceptions of justice, political legitimacy, and human flourishing that sought to realize human dignity, flourishing, or well-being entirely independent of human rights. These institutions and practices are alternative to, rather than different formulations of, human rights. The modern sense of human rights can be traced to Renaissance Europe and the Protestant Reformation, alongside the disappearance of the feudal authoritarianism and religious conservativism that dominated the Middle Ages. One theory is that human rights were developed during the early Modern period, alongside the European secularization of Judeo-Christian ethics. The most commonly held view is that concept of human rights evolved in the West, and that while earlier cultures had important ethical concepts, they generally lacked a concept of human rights. For example, McIntyre argues there is no word for right in any language before 1400. and constituted a form of limited political and legal agreement to address specific political circumstances, in the case of Magna Carta later being recognised in the course of early modern debates about rights. One of the oldest records of human rights is the statute of Kalisz, giving privileges to the Jewish minority in the Kingdom of Poland such as protection from discrimination and hate speech. The earliest conceptualization of human rights is credited to ideas about natural rights emanating from natural law. In particular, the issue of universal rights was introduced by the examination of extending rights to indigenous peoples by Spanish clerics, such as Francisco de Vitoria and Bartolome de Las Casas. In the Valladolid debate, Juan Gines de Sepulveda, who maintained an Aristotelian view of humanity as divided into classes of different worth, argued with Las Casas, who argued in favor of equal rights to freedom of slavery for all humans regardless of race or religion. In Britain in 1683, the English Bill of Rights and the Scottish Claim of Right each made illegal a range of oppressive governmental actions. Two major revolutions occurred during the 18th century, in the United States and in France, leading to the adoption of the United States Declaration of Independence and the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen respectively, both of which established certain legal rights. Additionally, the Virginia Declaration of Rights of 1776 encoded into law a number of fundamental civil rights and civil freedoms. These were followed by developments in philosophy of human rights by philosophers such as Thomas Paine, John Stuart Mill and G. W. F. Hegel during the 18th and 19th centuries. The term human rights probably came into use some time between Paines The Rights of Man and William Lloyd Garrisons 1831 writings in The Liberator, in which he stated that he was trying to enlist his readers in the great cause of human rights. In the 19th century, human rights became a central concern over the issue of slavery. A number of reformers, such as William Wilberforce in Britain, worked towards the abolition of slavery. This was achieved in the British Empire by the Slave Trade Act 1807 and the Slavery Abolition Act 1833. In the United States, all the northern states had abolished the institution of slavery between 1777 and 1804, although southern states clung tightly to the peculiar institution. Conflict and debates over the expansion of slavery to new territories constituted one of the reasons for the southern states secession and the American Civil War. During the reconstruction period immediately following the war, several amendments to the United States Constitution were made. These included the 13th amendment, banning slavery, the 14th amendment, assuring full citizenship and civil rights to all people born in the United States, and the 15th amendment, guaranteeing African Americans the right to vote. Many groups and movements have achieved profound social changes over the course of the 20th century in the name of human rights. In Europe and North America, labour unions brought about laws granting workers the right to strike, establishing minimum work conditions and forbidding or regulating child labor. The womens rights movement succeeded in gaining for many women the right to vote. National liberation movements in many countries succeeded in driving out colonial powers. One of the most influential was Mahatma Gandhis movement to free his native India from British rule. Movements by long-oppressed racial and religious minorities succeeded in many parts of the world, among them the African American Civil Rights Movement, and more recent diverse identity politics movements, on behalf of women and minorities in the United States. The establishment of the International Committee of the Red Cross, the 1864 Lieber Code and the first of the Geneva Conventions in 1864 laid the foundations of International humanitarian law, to be further developed following the two World Wars. The World Wars, and the huge losses of life and gross abuses of human rights that took place during them, were a driving force behind the development of modern human rights instruments. The League of Nations was established in 1919 at the negotiations over the Treaty of Versailles following the end of World War I. The Leagues goals included disarmament, preventing war through collective security, settling disputes between countries through negotiation and diplomacy, and improving global welfare. Enshrined in its charter was a mandate to promote many of the rights later included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. At the 1945 Yalta Conference, the Allied Powers agreed to create a new body to supplant the Leagues role; this was to be the United Nations. The United Nations has played an important role in international human-rights law since its creation. Following the World Wars, the United Nations and its members developed much of the discourse and the bodies of law that now make up international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Philosophy The philosophy of human rights attempts to examine the underlying basis of the concept of human rights and critically looks at its content and justification. Several theoretical approaches have been advanced to explain how and why human rights have become a part of social expectations. One of the oldest Western philosophies of human rights is that they are a product of a natural law, stemming from different philosophical or religious grounds. Other theories hold that human

Critical approach

Critical approach Introduction Critical theory sets out to critically examine organisations in contemporary society. This approach has emerged from the radical humanist paradigm (Morgan, 1995, Burrell, 2000). This approach argues that a positivist (functionalist/modernist) approach to the management of organizations if not utilised cautiously it may result in the dehumanisation of the employee and the workplace. Individuals are generally seen as machines and work as a technical process (Robbins and Barnwell, 2006, pp. 21-22). It is the humanist approach that focuses on placing people first rather than those of the organisation. It also argues that organisations need to be ethical and humane. Unfortunately, these ideals are not always pursued by organisations. A critical approach sets out to improve the practices and traditions of the positivist/functionalist approach to management. For example, a critical perspective sees work as the problem rather than the positivist view of the worker as the problem. However, critical theorists are not focused on removing the system but rather prefer to improve it through raising awareness, critical reflection and self analysis (Robbins and Barnwell, 2006, p. 22). Learning outcomes After completing this module/topic, you should be able to Outline and analyse the basic assumptions of the radical humanist paradigm. Outline the various critical theories and analyse the implications they have for managing organisations. Analyse the basis of and the need for an ethical approach to managing organisations Analyse the link between critical theory and the radical humanist paradigm Define and explain the concept of ‘alienation and its implications for organisations Develop an understanding of the radical humanist concept of power Critically evaluate the concept of ‘ideological trap Explain and analyse issues such as diversity, equity and fairness in organisations Critical theory Critical theory has its origins in the Radical Humanist Paradigm (see Crowther and Green, Chapter 9 on E.Reserve). This approach questions the current accepted views of organisations and their impact on society. Previous examples of now outdated views that would not be accepted today would include ideas such as, women should not be encouraged to work and that organisations can freely pollute the environment. The basic assumptions of this paradigm are according to Morgan (1995), Ideological traps: Tunnel vision is based on our previous experience becoming the blueprint for interpreting our current experience (we often let myths and our past experience becomes our reality). We are unable to interpret reality without prejudice. Power dimension: The right to define reality or the right of some to have power over others overt use of power. Power is also used in a subtle or covert way (soft domination) and its use and abuse is often unquestioned. Eg. How is power distributed in organisations? We discuss empowerment and participation but we rarely see this happening in organisations. Ethical dimension: Organisations need to act in an ethical manner. How do the actions of managers and organisations impact on employees and society? People first Work is the problem Critical theory proposes that the functionalist approach to management is based on a technical and mechanistic view of organizations rather than understanding organizations as social and human activity. This technical view of organizations reinforces the view that managing organizations can be achieved by developing more efficient and effective technical control (Alvesson and Willmott, 1996). However, the focus on efficiency and effectiveness may overlook the needs of people in organisations. The use of control in organisation may become authoritarian if not carefully monitored. A critical approach is often viewed as being negative; however, a critical approach is important skill to develop. A critical approach means that we do not take things at face value and question the current way things are done. Contemporary social movements such as environmentalism, feminism and consumer issues often take a critical approach because they question the current belief systems and practices in society and organisations (Crowther and Green, 2004, p. 115). Conflict: Questioning may give rise to conflict but this does not necessarily mean that the conflict needs to be dysfunctional. Critical theory is clear that any conflict should be dealt within the system and in democracies this is done through political debate, academic debate, education, legislation, Television (Australian Story ABC; 7.30 Report, ABC), Documentaries (Who Killed the Electric Car: An Inconvenient Truth), Films (see Erin Brockevich; The Devil Wore Prada) and good journalism (eg. Financial Review; Washington Post; The Economist; The Observer; New Scientist; Business Week). Functionalist theories focus on unifying different ideas and blending peoples ideas into one view of the world. While this idea has merit, taken to its extreme it can result in the demise of the company eg. One Tel and Enron and others. So some conflict, questioning and critique is important in order to ensure that organisations do not descend into group think (see module 6). An example of a critical approach that has been viewed as negative until recently has been the environmental movement. This movement has been seen by business and governments to be overly negative toward business and in particular energy organisations. However, the scientific support (Stern Review and the Report by the United Nations) is so strong that people now take this movement seriously. Therefore organisations need to examine the implications that climate change may have for their business otherwise they may not survive in the long term. In addition a critical approach recognises that there are different and shifting realities and that the interpretation of the issue should be considered within the framework of the context in which it occurs (Crowther and Green, 2004, p. 118). A critical approach (Radical Humanism) consists of many theories that were developed to critique the excesses of the capitalist/business world. Theorists include the Frankfurt school who argued that the over use of technology may prove to dehumanise the workplace. Other critical theorists include; Marcuse argued that consumerism was becoming a problem for society and people were becoming ‘one dimensional. In other words individuals did not question whether they needed to consume but rather they consumed unquestioningly, for example buying bigger cars when oil supplies are diminishing and the problems associated with global warming (The West Australian, 2007). He argued that the creation of ‘false needs that serves to keep people happy and working long hours and in difficult conditions (cited in Burrell and Morgan, 1988, p. 293-294). An important aspect of this theory is the unquestioning acceptance of technology. Habermas argues that work is the dominant form of social action in society. Habermas also suggests that work is a form of communicative distortion because the power relationships in organisations are not equal. Organisational structures do not enable the empowerment of individuals so that they can be free to communicate so that genuine consensus can occur. An ‘ideal speech situation is one where dialogue is open and not influenced by those who are more powerful (Burrell and Morgan, 1988, pp. 294-295; Crowther and Green, 2004, p. 121). An example of this would be the ‘One Tel situation where employees could not discuss the organisations problems with Jodee Rich because he did not want to hear bad news (Robbins and Barnwell, 2006). Habermas proposes that there a three main issues that need to be addressed to ensure empowerment. They are, Technical Reason: the value given to science and technology has taken precedence over human and ethical issues. Control is the main aim with the ends being more important that the way things are done. Practical Reason: this concept refers to the importance of achieving mutual understanding instead of focusing on prediction and control. The means are as important as the goal. The needs of employees and society should be taken into account. Emancipatory reason: communication needs to focus on consensus and be conducted in a climate free from domination. Critical self reflection is important. That is individuals must question their own ideas and values. This self questioning enables the development of critical thinking and frees individuals from past practices (ideological traps) which may not be relevant for the present or the future (Crowther and Green, 2004, pp. 121-122). Critical theorists agree with the interpretivists that assumptions and beliefs are taken for granted by people. However, although they share the idea that organisational life should be explored from a subjective, they prefer to question these beliefs rather than just understand them. Therefore a critical approach is more concerned with developing a questioning and critical approach to organisational life. Journalists, lawyers and researchers are trained in this approach. Academic training focuses on questioning and extending knowledge rather than accepting the status quo. A good example of this focus on questioning are Barry Marshall and Robin Warren who are from Western Australia and received the ‘Nobel Prize† for their work on ulcers in 2005 and made Companions of the Order of Australia in 2007. Their findings challenged the prevailing beliefs and assumptions that ulcers were caused by stress. They found that ulcers were caused by bacteria could be cured by antibiotics. However, the consultant specialists in the field were unimpressed and it took Ten years before they were listened to and almost 20 years before their findings were accepted by the medical establishment and business (Knowles, 2007). Another group that have challenged conventional wisdom have been the environmentalists. Our headlines now are raising the issue of climate and its impact on society (Hartcher, 2007; Stern Report) scientists now are in agreement that climate change has the capacity to severely impact life on earth as we know it is still seen by business as not a major issue. Although the Stern Report (commissioned by the British Government) concluded that climate change is the consequence of the greatest market failure and called for business to take action to control greenhouse emissions, American CEOs were far less concerned about climate change than the Europeans (Kitney, 2007, p. 40). Critical thinking is concerned with the development of foresight and learning (Fulop, 1992). Organisations and society cannot always wait until the problem has been experienced objectively because by the time we experience the event it may too late to rectify the situation. The lack of a Tsunami warning system in the Indian ocean was an example of this problem. Scientists had been warning for many years that a warning system was needed. Many lives and businesses were lost as a result of the Tsunami. Without critical thinking we cannot have innovation and change. Change requires questioning what we are doing currently and if it can be done better. The radical humanist concept ‘ideological trap illustrates how people can become trapped in a non-reflective and unquestioning way of thinking. Stop and Consider: Why should people and society question current thinking? Can you outline any examples of ‘ideological traps Business leaders have that need to be challenged to ensure a focus on the human side of organisations? A critical approach to organisations: Placing people first Critical theory proposes that organisations should be concerned with the emancipation and empowerment of employees in organizations. Critical theory also recognises that the placing of people first is not always the primary concern of organisations. For example, although organisations argue they foster empowerment, there is evidence that employees are working longer hours and extreme jobs are becoming the norm (Hewlett and Buck Luce, 2007). If employees are over controlled then organizations face the prospects of employees experiencing alienation. Alienation results in employees experiencing low motivation, low morale, poor mental health, job dissatisfaction, job stress, anxiety and depression (Kanungo, 1992). Work alienation is defined as ‘an experienced psychological state of the individual that represents a cognitive separation from ones job and other work contexts; a sense of frustration and accompanying negative affect, that is the result of the workers perception that they have failed to achieve their objectives through their job, and results in the experience of apathy (Kanungo, 1992, p. 414). Empowerment is considered by critical theorists to be a way of overcoming alienation. Empowerment involves giving the worker more control over their work by participating in decision-making. In addition it involves giving the worker encouragement, and to provide workers with meaningful goals. According to Kanungo (1992) empowerment has an ethical foundation and goes beyond the focus on the bottom line. Thus Kanungo (1992) argues that organisational ethics begins with the humane treatment of workers. Soft domination The central tension in organisations is often between resistance and obedience. Management control excessive use of coercion invites overt resistance because is used in an obvious manner. However, power as a form of control can also be used in a more subtle way. According to Courpasson soft domination is characterised by the administration of rule that give managerial discretion to managers while reinforcing the strength of centralised authority. It is based on the appearance of equality and fairness but ultimately in organisations the power lies with only a few (Cited in Clegg, Kornberger and Pitsis, 2005, p. 169). Processes such as performance appraisals, promotion systems, discipline procedures and being made redundant all contribute to feelings of powerlessness and that others have the right to define the workers reality. Teamwork is often seen associated with the rhetoric of empowerment but it can be a form of soft domination. Single solutions such as TQM, Lean production, Learning organisations, and BPR appear to reverse the individualistic approach of Scientific Management. Teamwork and in particular self managing teams does not isolate workers and set them competitively against each other. In contrast to scientific management teamwork encourages communication and sociability among workers. However, Barker notes that it is a form of ‘concertive control because the team members watch over each other because the responsibility for rule making is shifted to the team who then set their own limits. It is more difficult to argue with team members than it is to argue with a supervisor. The subtlety of ‘concertive control is powerful and very difficult to escape (Cited in Clegg, Kornberger and Pitsis (2005, p. 172-174). Concertive control has the capacity to promote the notion of overwork and extreme jobs because people feel they cannot take time off such as a sick day because they will let others down. A study by Deery, Iverson and Walsh (2002) studied five call centres (480 telephone service operators) in the communications industry has show that the use of teams alone cannot overcome problems in the workplace. The study also showed that elements of scientific management contributed to worker exhaustion. These researchers carried out a well designed study and used good quality scales of measurement and analysis. Workers in this industry are often subject to customer hostility and verbal abuse. Workers were measured on employee withdrawal, emotional exhaustion, customer interactions and scripted conversational rules. Workload items included were the pace of work, role overload, and routinisation of work, team leader support and physical health. They found that customer abuse along with scripted and rigid rules of response also contributed to emotional exhaustion. Workers experience exhaustion because although the scripted approach facilitates a more efficient approach to the custom er, less time is spent with them so that workers can deal with more calls. Consequently customers feel that they are not important and often become abusive. This streamlined approach is based on Taylors scientific management principles. However, it only serves to dehumanise the worker and irritate the customer. The researchers initially thought that the longer a person stayed with the organisation they would become more competent and therefore less likely to experience exhaustion. However, this was not the case. The longer workers stayed the more they were likely to experience emotional exhaustion. Emotional exhaustion was also associated with withdrawal (levels of absence). Withdrawal was related to a high workload and customer abuse. The symptoms of withdrawal and emotional exhaustion are linked to the concept of ‘alienation. A critical approach: Are organisations ethical? A critical approach argues that organisations should have an ethical approach when conducting their business. This means dealing with their employees, clients, society and other business associates in an ethical manner. This contrasts with the functionalist theories that are concerned with efficiency and effectiveness. Functionalist theories focus on survival and profits. Now these are important for without organisations the majority of people would not be able work and survive. However, if organisations only focus on their own interests then the ramifications may ultimately be detrimental for their survival and lose the good will of the community. The pursuit of efficiency and effectiveness may become an ideological trap (tunnel vision) that prevents organisations from seeing the bigger picture. Activity: Read James Hardie from fibro in suburbia to mesothelioma and the US siding market in Robbins and Barnwell (2006, p.254). The focus on organisational success in terms of profits etc can lead an organisation and its management to develop tunnel vision (ideological trap) which stops them from considering ethical issues and how society views its actions. The idea of unquestioned obedience needs to be explored. The question ‘why do people do morally bad things whey they are asked to do so by those in authority? What aspects of organisational life make unquestioning obedience occur? The technique of power, i.e. the right to define reality enables leaders to ask people to do things they would not normally do. Therefore if employees are authorised to do something then it takes away the responsibility for questioning their leader. Milgram (cited in Clegg et al., 2005, p. 181-182) showed how easily this could be done. He found that individuals are inclined to follow the commands of people who are in authority. He created an experiment where ordinary people were directed by scientists to do cruel things to other people (participants) as part of a laboratory experiment. When the individuals were instructed to deliver electric shocks to the participants they did so (however, they did not know that the shocks were not real and the parti cipants were actors). The individuals believed that each shock they gave was higher than the previous one. If the individuals could see the participants only 30% administered the shock if they, however, if they could not see the participant then 62% were willing to administer the shock. Milgram showed that the obligations of the situation were stronger than the individuals ethical and moral values. Milgram also found that when the expert was questioned then individuals were less likely to follow instructions unquestioningly If organisations do not empower employees to speak up and contradict ideas and thinking, then CEOs will not be exposed to different perspectives and/or limit the probability of unethical behaviour in organisations. Therefore it is easy to regard the person speaking against the issue to be incompetent, a trouble maker and/or a whistleblower. In module five it was noted that the functionalist to culture focused on developing a single corporate culture. However, a critical approach would argue that this may lead to an organisations downfall if taken to the extreme (One Tel, Enron) or experience major problems such as James Hardie (Robson, 2007; Robbins and Barnwell, 2006, p. 254). The power of the organisation to facilitate organisational commitment and loyalty has advantages and disadvantages. A study by Ahern and McDonald (2002) found that nurses who were more traditional in their behaviour and deferred to the surgeon and others in authority in a hospital were less likely to report misconduct. However, nurses who were committed to their profession and the nursing code of ethics tended to report misconduct because they were advocates for their patients. Traditional nurses felt powerless to alter the status quo were restricted in their moral and ethical development. Nurses who believed they were advocates for the patient were more likely to blow the whistle in hospitals. These results are not good for either the patients or the organisation because patients like to think their life and health is placed first. In contrast organisations such as hospitals would prefer to have undivided loyalty and that the problem be dealt within the organisation rather than read ing about it in the newspaper. Ethical issues such as insider trading have created difficulties for organisations and their shareholders. It is difficult to prove; however, in 2002 the burden of proof was lowered with the introduction of civil penalties. One of the recent cases involved Steve Vizard who was fined $390, 000 and banned from managing a corporation for more than 10 years. (Johnston, 2007, p. 32). Johnston (2007) also draws attention to other Australians and overseas people who have been prosecuted for insider trading. The Australian Securities Investment Commission (ASIC) is a corporate watchdog that oversees companies to ensure they abide by Australian company laws. The legal system attempts to ensure that corrupt and unethical behaviour does not occur in organisations, however, the legal framework, cannot ensure businesses are ethical and moral. For example, large mining companies now accept that closing a mine is not just walking away from a ravaged landscape. Closing a mine is now an environmental and sustainable process (Mellish, 2007). Legislation and public sector organisations in Australia attempt to ensure that employee and community safety is ensured, that minorities are treated fairly and that the environment is not compromised. Until recently Australia had one of the best legal systems in the world for ensuring the workplace treated workers fairly. The new ‘Work Choices legislation, according the Professor of Law at Sydney University is now comparable with the US and Australians will find that their jobs in the future will be less secure and less well paid (Mccallum, 2007). An ethical approach: Diversity in organisations A critical approach to organizations also examines the decisions and practices of organizations for their ethical approach. It challenges the notion that management is a scientific and impartial process. The pursuit of gender equity in organizations is a humanist and ethical approach to organizations. For many years women in organizations were not given equal pay for equal work. The view that women should receive less pay than men was an outcome of the historic industrial wage decision by Justice Higgins in the Harvester Judgement in 1907. Justice Higgins determined what was needed by a man to support his wife and children at a reasonable standard of comfort. It was also argued that women should receive 54% of the male wage because she only had to support herself and/or supplement her husbands salary. Societys values supported this approach and the unequal pay and unfair treatment of women at work continued until 1972 . Married women usually had to resign their positions on marriage and married women were not allowed to join the Public Service until 1966. Following the introduction of the Equal Employment Opportunity Act in the states of Australia the workforce was generally gender segregated. However, there are still very few women in senior management positions in large organizations and fewer women directors of Australian Companies. Barriers to womens progression in organizations occur through social and organizational practices and the final barrier to senior position is called the ‘glass ceiling (Robbins and Barnwell, 2006). Learning Activity: Read pages 501 to 512 in Robbins and Barnwell (2006) and outline the different barriers that inhibit womens progression in the workplace. What does the ‘glass ceiling mean? Do question three on page 528 of your text. A critical approach by women and men has questioned the early ideas of women and work and enshrined a fair go for both women and minority groups into legislation. The main feminist theories that emerge from critical theory are Radical Feminist Theory, Psychoanalytic Theory and Anti-capitalist feminist theories (see table 16.1 in Robbins and Barnwell, 2006, p. 516). These theories explore the reasons for the unfair and discriminatory treatment of women. In 1986 Federal legislation was introduced to ensure that women were treated fairly at work was the introduction of the Affirmative Action (Equal Opportunity for Women) Act 1986. The Act specified a number of provisions that organizations must meet to fulfil the requirements of the Act (Robbins and Barnwell, 2006, p. 522).

Ophelia and Hamlet :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Ophelia and Hamlet      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Norrie Epstein in â€Å"One of Destiny’s Casualties† presents her testimony in favor of Ophelia in Shakespeare’s Hamlet outranking the protagonist in her ability to draw an empathetic reaction from the audience:    It is Ophelia, not Hamlet, who most commands our sympathy. One of destiny’s casualties, she’s swept along by political events just as she is borne by the river at her death. . . .At her first appearance we see an innocent, trusting, and spirited young girl, but by her last scene she is contaminated, mad, and knowing. Whatever she might have become has been blighted. Insane, Ophelia at last speaks the truth, although no one understands her, and Shakespeare gives her one of the most cryptic lines in the play: â€Å"Lord, we know what we are, but know not what we may be.† Ophelia goes mad because she discovers what others â€Å"may be.† (74)    It is the intent of this essay to examine the victimized and empathetic aspect of Ophelia, as well as many other facets of the interesting personality of Hamlet’s girlfriend – with the help of literary criticism on this subject.    The protagonist of the tragedy, Prince Hamlet, initially appears in the play dressed in solemn black, mourning the death of his father supposedly by snakebite while he was away at Wittenberg as a student. Hamlet laments the hasty remarriage of his mother to his father’s brother, an incestuous act; thus in his first soliloquy he cries out, â€Å"Frailty, thy name is woman!† Ophelia enters the play with her brother Laertes, who, in parting for school, bids her farewell and gives her advice regarding her relationship with Hamlet. Ophelia agrees to abide by the advice: â€Å"I shall the effect of this good lesson keep as watchman to my heart.† After Laertes’ departure, Polonius inquires of Ophelia concerning the â€Å"private time† which Hamlet spends with her. He dismisses Hamlet’s overtures as â€Å"Affection, puh!† Polonius considers Ophelia a â€Å"green girl,† incapable of recognizing true love: â€Å"These blazes . . . you mu st not take for fire.† He gets her assurance that she will not talk with Hamlet anymore.    When the ghost talks privately to Hamlet, he learns not only about the murder of his father, but also about the unfaithfulness and adultery of his mother. Gertrude was seduced by â€Å"that incestuous, that adulterate beast,/With witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts† – Claudius himself – prior to his brother’s passing.

Industrial Agriculture and the Loss of Biodiversity Essay -- Argumenta

Industrial Agriculture and the Loss of Biodiversity Preserving Diversity By Way Of Old Crop Varieties Traditional methods is indeed the most advantageous way to retain sustainable success in farming suggested by Stephen B. Brush in his research of the effect of diversity in agriculture. In "Genetic Diversity And Conservation In Traditional Farming Systems," he explains how analyzing genetic erosion and the loss of genetic resources eventually leads to environmental degradation. Various factors have led to nations turning to improved adoption varieties, primarily the Green Revolution and commercial markets. Brush explores the effects that the Green Revolution has had on resources and agriculture, and explains why nations are turning to markets. The Green Revolution brought an introduction and increase in genetic diversity, to all domains of agriculture, especially too much needed third world countries. Due to alterations in genetic resources, conventional methods were being replaced with modern agriculture that was producing exceptional yielding varieties. This surplus of yield led many small farmers to sell their products and also become principal players in the market. The success from this established the need for movement toward modern techniques and away from traditional cultures. On the contrary, Fowler and Mooney present a different viewpoint in their article "Shattering: food, politics, and the loss of genetic diversity." They assert that the Green Revolution only provided a short-lived solution to hunger, but not to the protection of the ecosystem (Fowler 176). They discussed the history and origin of the introduction of modern varieties, in which they ultimately stated that they might have created temp... ...ect diversity with traditional cultures (Nazarea 4). In my opinion, traditions need to be protected because they are the methods that have been working for so many years. Nevertheless, technology is crucial to helping to stabilize diversity. Improved varieties may not have been the best, enduring solution yet. There are other options out there that can be discovered with more research. I believe that the scientific world can find a precise median that will continuously nurture biodiversity. Until the optimal resolution is found we need to turn our ways back to traditional farming before it is too late. Works Cited Fowler, Cary, Mooney, Pat, "Shattering: food, politics, and the loss of genetic diversity."University of Arizona Press, Tucson. C.1990. Nazarea, Virginia, D., Cultural Memory and Biodiversity. The University Of Arizona Press, Tucson c.1998.

Direct and Indirect Representation :: essays research papers

Direct and Indirect Representation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Living in a democratic society, we as Americans have the right to vote on just about all aspects of our lives. The votes that we cast either have a direct or an indirect representation of our beliefs. In cases such as city and statewide laws, our beliefs are directly represented; in all national and organizational matters our votes have an indirect impact. The decisions are made by elected officials who we vote into office to represent our beliefs. One example of this indirect representation can be found in any citywide school board where the elected members make decisions on everything ranging from teacher employment to class curriculum. It is debatable whether, on situations as sensitive as class curriculum, we should be directly involved in such decisions or have them made for us by our elected officials. As we will find, however, class curriculum is something that must continue to be an indirect representation of the public’s beliefs, rather than the di rect result of a democratic vote. The people we have voted onto the school board were elected because they have the education and experience to make the decisions that the public is not qualified to make. They try, to the best of their abilities, to represent us with their decisions, but no matter what there will always be people who are not satisfied. In some instances the school board must make a decision which the majority of people will not agree with, but nonetheless will benefit our children. Our representatives have done the research and the public has not, which is why the public should not make judgement calls on the importance and relevance of certain materials and subjects within our school systems. An example of what happens when the public is allowed to decide can be found in the case of evolution vs. creationism. Some states have, in the past, outlawed the teaching of evolution because the public didn’t agree with it, even though almost all scientists had accepted it. The children in school at th at time were deprived of important information. There is no reason why a scientifically recognized subject should be banned from schools simply because the public doesn’t â€Å"agree† with it. Our society is obligated to keep our citizens informed. A direct vote on class curriculum only perpetuates the older generation’s perspective, as their children grow up to take their place.

Zulu Traditional Dance

Zulu means the people of heaven, which is a friendly and hospitable culture. They have an expressive language punctuated with distinctive click sounds. The Zulu people are proud of their nation and treasure their heritage. During the 16th and 17th centuries, they had a powerful king named Shaka Zulu. He helped expand the Zulu tribe territory and claimed that he was king of all Africa. Many cultures in Africa today still have traditions that were influenced by the Zulu people even after their downfall. One of the most noticeable rituals that most cultures in eastern and southern Africa have in common is the Zulu dance. Dancing and singing is a big part of the Zulu people lifestyle, â€Å"Each dance or movement symbolizes an event that is happening within a clan†. Dancing is one of the most important types of community rituals and it is included in most Zulu ceremonies. The Zulu dance is a sign of happiness, and it occurs at significant events like childbirth, weddings and war victories. As in most cultures, â€Å"dances serve the purposes of rite of passage or bonding, or matchmaking in a supervised environment†. Their traditional dances celebrate important community events. The dances are taught to young boys and girls at an early age. Through dance, the Zulu people tell the â€Å"journey of their clan bridging generational gaps to a unique form of story telling†. Zulu dance involves high stepping and stomping the ground in rhythm. Dancers hold weapons and shields with their hands often raised high. Some times the dancers kick over their head and fall to the ground in a â€Å"crouch† position. In Zulu dances, ankle rattles, shields, headdresses and belts are used as props and to â€Å"differentiate social class and societal roles. Traditional Zulu dance dress code is animal skin for men and skirts decorated with hardwood beads for women. The children don’t cover their thighs but adults are expected to. Both male and females â€Å"wear limited clothing which consists predominately of cowhide and bare chest, adorned with garlands of beads†. Unmarried women dance bare- breasted and don’t have red beads in their skirts because that color is reserved for married women. Everything worn in the Zulu traditional dance has a symbolic meaning; the colors of the beads and their arrangement dictate the language of the dance. Different types of beads are worn to send a message to the opposite sex during the courtship dance. There are five main dance types that most cultures in Africa perform. The welcome dance is to show the guests how talented the villagers are, and to show the visitors that they are happy to receive them. Celebration or love dance is performed certain festivals like weddings and anniversaries. The coming of age dance is to celebrate the coming of age of young men and women, many tribes follow and celebrate this festival. The dancers perform in front of tribal members which gives them immense pride and confidence. Last but not least are the warrior dances, the warrior dance â€Å"movements are fusions of warfare movements such as stabbing with the artistic movement of the body according to the drum beat. Summoning and possession dances are the most common folk dances in Africa because they are very important in many religions. This dance is performed in almost all tribes for calling a spirit. The Zulu culture practices these different dance styles even though it has different names fo r them. When Shaka Zulu was king, he began the reed dance as a symbol of unity with his people. During September, Zulu girls congregate at the royal palace before the king for the traditional reed dance to celebrate virginal purity. In order for a girl to part in this dance, they have to be virgins between the ages of 16 to 20. It is called the reed dance because the girls pick reeds from the river and bring them to the palace for the king. During this dance most kings chose their wives. The purpose of the reed dance is to â€Å"allow Zulu maidens to meet their king and mingle with princesses while delivering reed sticks†. The reed dance is said to promote marriage, loyalty and chastity. Today it is still practiced in effort to stop the spread of Aids. Ingoma is another type of dance of the Zulu tribe. It is performed by boys and girls accompanied with people chanting without drums in the background. The girls are bare-chested and wear woollen skirts; they also wear seed pod rattles around their ankles to allow their high kicks. In the Ingoma dance, the boys and girls dance separately are helped by another group that claps for rhythm. This dance is performed for ceremonies such as coming of age, weddings and before going hunting. Indlamu dance is â€Å"derived from the war dances of the warriors†. It is danced before battle and after winning a war. It is performed by men of all ages wearing full traditional attire like head-rings, ceremonial belts, ankle rattles, shields and spears. Drums and people whistling accompany the dancers when performing the Indlamu. Dancers form a â€Å"mock combat, showing off their strength and mastery of weapons†. One of the movements done in the Indlamu dance is fighting imaginary enemies with spears and swords, their facial expressions make the dance feel real. The dancers lift one leg in the air, bringing it down and switching it with the other one, after a certain amount of leg lifts the dancers purposely fall to the ground on their back. Dancers are more likely to make eye contact with the audience during the Indlamu dance. Imvunulo is a parade to show off the traditional attire of Zulu men and women. It is danced by one participant at a time indicating ones role in the society. The dress code is determined by age and gender; young girls don’t cover their thighs while adults do. Men wear cotton shorts called the â€Å"amabeshu† while women wear leather skirts and beaded aprons. A leather skirt worn by woman sends a message to the opposite sex that she desires to become pregnant. Colors in the beaded aprons also help indicate where the dancer comes from. This dance would fall in the welcome dance category under the African dance types. Last is the Isicathamiya dance, â€Å"it is danced by men and boys in a line or an arc†. This dance is accompanied with a lead singer that sings about modern issues but â€Å"uses ancient melodies†. The lead singer provides rhythm for the dancers. This dance is also danced at weddings, and it is internationally known. Families of the bride and groom take turns to â€Å"out do each other in the beautiful dancing and songs†. Dancing is very important in the Zulu clan because â€Å"Zulu history survives through dance in similar fashion as cultures built on oral tradition†. Dance ceremonies bring the community together as everybody takes responsibility to for training others especially the young ones. Many Zulu dances today deal with social issues like Aids, crime and migrant labour work. This helps to â€Å"promote global sensitivity and social awareness† in South Africa. In Zulu land, the dances are usually performed by males and involve a high level of athletism. Zulu dances help the people to praise, criticize and even work with each other.

Ontology

The Ontological argument would be that by the use of reason and intuition, if man can think of or conceive God, then God must exist. The Teleological argument would be that there is agreed upon evidence that everything in nature has a purpose or reason for being. This being true, then God has to exist by reason that God created all of this and gave it purpose. The Cosmological argument would be that everything is created with for a reason and the God gave everything that reason. I think Cosmological and Teleological arguments are similar in this way of thinking. The philosopher I believe made the strongest impact on me would be Leibniz and the Cosmological argument. Our lives and existence on this planet our so complicated, yet everything seems to fit together and serve a purpose. I know that things happen in the world and we wonder what purpose did that serve, why did that have to happen. In the end, if we really look at the event objectively and without emotion, we can find the reason. I think of just one thing, the human body, and I have to marvel in its design. How could someone come up with the idea and design which allows our bodies to function? We are, in essence a perpetual motion machine. Our systems are more complicated then any other piece of machinery out there and even with all of our advancements in computers, not one can compete with the human brain. They are amazing, yet they are only as smart as the person who programmed it. Yes, some of them are able to learn but this is only because the programmer has taught them to do so. This is just one aspect of life. You do not have to believe in God per say, but you can not go outside and look around you and not believe that there has to be something out there.

4G WIRELESS TECNOLOGY

4G WIRELESS TECNOLOGY Abstract Today is the day of internet. In most field wireless system is very widely used. Currently a number of technologies like1G,2G,2. 5G,3G etc A new technology is introduced which is called as 4G technology. Fourth generation wireless system is a packet switched wireless system with wide area coverage and high throughput. It is designed to be cost effective and to provide high spectral efficiency. Data rate of 20mbps is employed.Mobile speed will be up to200km/hr. The high performance is achieved by the use of long term channel in both time termchannel in both time and frequency ,scheduling among users and smart antennas combined with adaptive modulation and power control. Frequency band is 2-8 GHz. it gives the ability for world wide roaming to access cell anywhere. It uses OFDM (ortogonal frequency divisional multiplexing) and Ultra Wide Radio Band(UWB), and Millimeter wireless and smart antenna. G uses a multi network functional device software which is very helpful for multiple user. Advantages -support for interactive multimedia, voice, streaming video, Internet, and other broadband services -IP based mobile system-High speed, high capacity, and low cost per bit. -global access, service portability, and scalable mobile services -Seamless switching and a variety of Quality of -Better spectral efficiency.Service driven services. – Better scheduling and call admission control techniques Disadvantages -Expensive and hard to implement -bettery usage is more -needs complex hardware Conclusion There is a need for next generation of wireless technology i. e. 4G which will be a platform for seamless technology providing widespread coverage ,band width and power consumption with higher data rates . .

The invasion in Afghanistan was consistent with the Brezhnev doctrine

The invasion in Afghanistan was consistent with the Brezhnev doctrine that relied on the concept of socialist internationalism that involved help to states that have already joined the bloc of Communist states.The campaign was most probably enabled by a change in the doctrine that involved extra-bloc interventions and more expansionist policies. Although this explanation sounded weak with respect to Afghanistan that never had so much as a mutual assistance treaty with the Soviet Union, the Soviet Union barged in to take control of the area that seemed ‘nobody’s territory.Most probably, the basic reason behind the invasion was to set up a military zone in Southwest Afghanistan that would yield control of the Persian Gulf area. The geostrategic position of Afghanistan was also convenient for reaching India, Burma, and Pakistan with Soviet missiles. Besides, the regime in Afghanistan was to certain extent pro-Soviet, and it was imperative to show that revolutionary gains we re irreversible. Besides, the prospects of an Islamic state established in the area seemed undesirable to the Soviets, because the Soviet Central Asian republics could become influenced by radical Muslim ideas. At the time of the invasion, the USSR could have feared antisocialist encirclement that would include Pakistan, China, and now, Afghanistan.The departure was difficult because the Soviet leaders probably felt the need to bring the war to a victory because of the enormous time and costs that already been committed to the enterprise.They felt that they needed the victory to buttress the pro-Socialist government in this Eastern nation in order to provide support for their nation in this area. The international prestige of the Soviet Union would have been ruined by the loss in the war against a Third-World nation.2. The West reacted with strong disapproval of the Afghan campaign and tough measures including boycott of the Moscow Olympic Games in 1980, economic sanctions, and dela y in the ratification of the SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty) II. The negative reaction in the Third World triggered the disapproving resolution from the UN General Assembly. The Carter Doctrine emerged that warned against any attempt to take control of the Persian Gulf.The reaction from Socialist nations was mixed. Nations like Romania, China, Yugoslavia, and Albania were opposed to the idea, whereas East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Bulgaria were enthusiastic. Others like North Korea and Cuba were undecided on the issue.3. The war started with a surprise attack as 200 military transports arrived in Kabul, occupying the land with 90,000 troops. The attack proved successful as it allowed the Soviets to kill Amin, establish the government led by Babrak Karmal and effectively seize control of a large territory. However, the later tactics were not that successful.Discovering large guerrilla operations, the army tried to wipe out whole areas, trying to weaken the local population . This further set the local people on edge, perpetuating support of guerrillas. The split of the army into 20% of counterinsurgency units and 80% of occupational forces led to decrease in morale of the occupational forces. The scorched earth policy in particularly hostile areas and provision of incentives for peasants to support the Soviets did not work very effectively either. The low popularity of the puppet Afghan government and its inability to reduce factionalism were other reasons of failure4. The decision to withdraw was made largely because of coming certainty that the war could not be won effectively. An 8-year campaign had failed to establish effective control of the whole territory and damaged the reputation of the Soviet military.At home, the support for the war dropped to dramatic levels, and it was causing deterioration of the morale of the military because of psychological stress and substance abuse. Financial costs also weighed in, as the Afghan campaign competed fo r a share of the Soviet budget with other conflicts in Ethiopia, Angola, Nicaragua, and Vietnam.The international relations were expected to improve in case the war ended. The removal of Soviet troops reduced pressure on NATO to ward off the Soviet threat and could improve relations with the West, accelerating dà ©tente. Improvement was also expected in the relations with China and Muslim nations.

Reflection paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 20

Reflection paper - Essay Example Unfortunately, without any consideration on the possible consequences that such an action or decision may have on the society as a whole. The chapter tries to outline the adverse impacts that a capitalist society has on the development of the entire community, whilst negatively getting biased towards such an economic system. To help create the picture of the situation, three persons are used, A, B and C, who put their funds in a use that best suits them. The example of landholding, whereby A leases its holdings to B. if checked into considerably, the after effect on the society mainly depends on the actual purpose that the ultimate user of the property puts it into. In other words, the output of the property determines its usefulness to the society in a capitalistic system. A property may be leased out or sold from one individual to the next, say A to B. for A, they shall have gotten the value worth their property, hence not suffered any loss. However, the problem remains in the sense that the ultimate output of the property is rolled to the society. In the case of A, the society benefits depending on the use to which they put the property. If they, for instance, decide to squander the money accrued in the sale or lease of the property, it remains up to the society. Another problem falls on person B, who has bought the property. They may have it channeled in a use that is beneficial to them, or worse still, have it put in an investment that may be considered unproductive. For example, say B has a series of employees, who manage their property. If the employees choose to rip him of the property or divert the usage, the loss shall have been suffered by him, yet the eventual loss stills fall on the community. In a capitalist society, the government also falls a victim of blame depending on the use to which its various assets and revenues are put. To help outline the precept from the perspective of the

Diversity Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Diversity - Article Example I stayed in the country for two weeks. This was a good thing because I needed a few days to recover from jet lag. By the third day, I was beginning to feel more like myself and could appreciate some of the differences surrounding me. The culture in South Africa was very similar to my own in many ways. People were wearing western style clothing and everything was very modern. I was in Cape Town the entire time, so I did not get to see any of the more rural areas in South Africa. My colleagues assured me that the rural areas looked more like stereotypical Africa than did the city. One part of the business culture that was different than at home is the number of ethnically uniform meetings I had. This is perhaps a left-over from the age of Apartheid in South Africa. When I met with one firm, all of the participants in the meeting were white. In another firm, everyone was native. I do not know if this is the norm for South Africa, but it was my experience. In the few meetings that were interracial, there did not appear to be any animosity between races, but racial tensions seemed to be an unfortunate part of the business environment in South Africa to a much larger extent than they are at

I am a new manager for a failing division in a company Assignment

I am a new manager for a failing division in a company - Assignment Example To optimize the utility of the human capital asset business organizations must have effective communication among its employees. An important goal of all business entities is to maximize shareholder’s wealth. Introduction Sometimes organizations have business divisions that struggle. These divisions fail because of operational problems that are inhibiting the division from becoming efficient. Some of the problems the organization faces are outdated product lines, loss of market share, adversarial interdepartmental communication, and fierce competition for corporate funding. This paper discusses the main problems the organization is facing. Organizational structures are discussed in order to select the optimum organizational structure for the company. Suggestions are provided to help the transitional process between the old and new organizational structure. 1. The consumer marketplace has become extremely competitive due to the globalization movement. Corporations must use inno vation to achieve success since it is imperative to differentiate your product to stand out from the competition. Outdated product lines are a problem that can devastate a company. For instance during the past two decades the American car industry was not able to compete with Japanese manufacturers because the car models the Big Three were offering were outdated based on the consumer needs. The higher fuel prices increased the demand for fuel efficient vehicles. Outdated product lines are not attractive items. The sales of the corporation will decrease as a consequence of outdated product lines. Adversarial communication is an undesirable organizational problem. The employees of a company must display good communication skills when dealing with internal and external stakeholders. Three important stakeholder groups are employees, investors, and lenders (Tutor2u, 2011). Tensions associated with communication can hurt employee morale and reduce productivity. The resources of an organiz ation should be shared among the different profit centers. Fierce competition for funding is a problem because it can increase the interest costs to obtain capital. Under those conditions many small businesses are denied access to credit. Battle over the resources of a firm can lead to conflict. 2. There are different types of organizational structures that companies can use to run a business. Five types of organizational structures are matrix, functional, product, customer, and geographic (Patricia, 2002). Matrix organizations utilize teamwork and group projects a lot. Functional organizations are the most often utilized business structure. The customer structure is used by small firms that have a short list of customers where each customer generates the company a lot of money. The company has to change its organizational structure and fix its internal problems. I think that due to the lack of innovation demonstrated by the firm the best option is to choose a matrix organizational structure. 3. The old company must perform a complete overhaul. All the old divisions are going to be dissolved. The old divisional managers will become project managers. A new breed of managers will be recruited to lead new team formations. An emphasis will be place on R&D projects to create new ideas for new products and services. The old communication hurdles and employee conflicts will not impact the firm as much since the matrix structure will give the firm new life. 4. The external

My Dream Vacation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

My Dream Vacation - Essay Example If I have a lot of money and unlimited time, I would like to go on vacations to India. I have heard a lot about India, its unique culture, exotic natural beauty and cuisine, but have never been there. I want to visit India because she is so unlike my country i.e. the USA. People of India not only look different, they speak a different language and are entirely different from us Americans from every aspect. For one, I love the Indian race because of its facial features. I want to explore the diversity of India. From what I have read about India in the books and seen in the media, I have come to know that it is a land that unites people belonging to different subcultures. I particularly have a great taste for the Indian cinema. Although I don't understand Hindi or Urdu languages, yet they sound very sweet to the ears. The Indian cinematography is one of its kind. I love the heavily beaded dresses, their taste for heavy jewelry and makeup, and most importantly their respect for their ro les and responsibilities as members of a family. One thing that I could never understand about the Indian culture was how the Indians manage to live in the joint family system. Despite all the generational differences and gaps, they spend all their life together. This is something truly remarkable and worth-observing from a closer view, which is one of the main reasons I want to go to India for.

Why banning the use of cell phones while driving should be mandatory Essay - 1

Why banning the use of cell phones while driving should be mandatory nationwide - Essay Example Lawmakers should ban cell phone use while driving because a human life is more important than a simple phone call. Even if a driver is using a phone for something important, such as work, they are still putting others at risk. Another persons life is more important than a phone call and there really can be no comparison between the two. Second, driving and talking on the phone should be outlawed because most phone calls are not emergencies. A person would not talk on the phone while in a business meeting, so why should they when they are driving? Discounting work or emergency calls, most calls are either personal or social. If a call is not the matter of a life or death situation then it can wait until the driver can safely stop their vehicle. Finally, drivers need their full attention on the road, so by law they should not be able to use a cell phone while driving. Drivers are required to sit license tests before being able to drive, so this proves that driver have to be skilful. Talking on the phone takes away from these skills. Also, it is just common sense not to talk on the phone while driving, the same way that people would think it is silly to drive and read a book at the same time. To sum up, drivers should not be allowed to use cell phones for all of the reasons listed previously. Not only is a human life more important than a phone call, but also the majority of phone calls are not emergencies and drivers need to be fully focused on the road ahead of

A German Retailing Icon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A German Retailing Icon - Essay Example These strategies are strongly in line with the company’s goal to provide offerings at lower cost but with high quality standard. The reason why customers should buy the products of Aldi is due to the firm’s success in instilling products into the market at a lower cost but with high quality standard. This is just a way of saying that at a lower cost, Aldi does not compromise the quality of its products. This can be the company’s competitive edge and it adds value to its value particularly for those customers who are after of good quality at a reasonable price. Aldi’s lines of offerings are viewed cheaper but of high quality and this perception has significantly created specific value to particular customers. 2. How are different components of Aldi’s retail strategy aligned with one another? Answer As mentioned in the case, Aldi tries to apply limited assortment for its merchandise and it particularly adheres to principle that the increase of item actually increases expenditure (Aldi: A German Retailing Icon 3). Product pricing for Aldi’s offerings is said to be 20 to 30 percent below those of regular supermarkets (3-4). Its basic design for store and open display adhere to one of its core principles, simplicity at a minimal cost (2). The communication of its products is said to apply minimal ads through its flyers and website (3-4). Its location is particularly located off land which is its own so as to ensure minimizing cost (4). Its service is through fast check out through cash and there is inclusion of entertaining returns at high speed (5). The case of Aldi simply shows that in maintaining overall cost leadership as its competitive strategy, there is a need to actually control the costs that have to be incurred in the operation. It is clear that in order for Aldi t o come up with lower cost but not to sacrifice quality of service and product offering, there is a need to consider minimizing costs that are not actually creating significant impact on product quality. This is how in particular the different components of Aldi’s strategy are aligned with each other. 3. Explain the key internal and external reasons why the company has been so successful over the past decades. Answer Aldi’s success over the past decades is due to its successful entry in the market. Part of this successful entry is its proper aligning of the different components in its retail strategy. As an effect, Aldi is creating competitive strategy which is remarkably in line with overall cost leadership. This in particular has created value not just to the company but to the customers who are after of cheaper products but with high quality. Thus, this enables the company to come up with products that are highly differentiated when it comes to price and quality. The extent of this is the achievement of specific market focus which is a market segment that over time, Aldi is willing to serve with its line of offerings. Over the course of time, this develops customer loyalty as one of Aldi’s external factors for success. This customer loyalty is a sustainable competitive advantage of the company and through this; the company has remarkably gained high buying power which means that it can further demand for low price. In return, this added to the capacity of the company to maintain its competitive edge when it comes to overall cost leadership. As it can be observed, the combined effects of both external and internal factors for Aldi’

Development, impacts, implications of a contemporary political movment Essay

Development, impacts, implications of a contemporary political movment for change (Environmentalism) - Essay Example The beginnings of an environmental crisis which looms large over the world can perhaps be traced to the Industrial Revolution in Europe which led to natural resources being used, often indiscriminately, for the purpose of scientific progress (Reynolds, A Brief History of Environmentalism, n.dd). At a parallel level, European colonies in Asia, Africa and Latin America were also subjected to much ecological damage for industrial growth. Though Henry David Thoreau pioneered environmentalist thinking in the USA, it was John Muir who laid the foundation of the Sierra Club in 1892 through which the government received ample financial aid for it to undertake wilderness conservation measures (Reynolds, n.d.). The emergence of environmental activists such as Wangari Mathai from Kenya shows that environmental concerns cannot be divorced from an engagement with the imbalances of power engendered by colonialism. In contemporary times ecocriticism has become an integral part of most academic disc iplines. It has been particularly influential in the field of postcolonial studies where scholars have found a close connection between the discursive and economic power wielded by the West and the environmental damage inflicted by Western nations upon the nations of the Third World. The first breakthrough in American environmentalism came with Rachel Carson’s work Silent Spring (1962) which spoke of the impact of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), a commonly used pesticide on the environment. The work created immediate controversies and numerous American industrialists clamoured for its ban, accusing the author of baseless indictments. However, the work caused enough stir for President John F Kennedy to order a thorough investigation into its claims. The research revealed the hugely detrimental effect that DDT had not merely upon the physical environment but also on human health since it was commonly used as an agricultural pesticide. Following this the use of DDT was ba nned in the USA (Lear x-xi). This is an important episode in the history of environmentalism for it fortified American environmentalist movement besides proving the efficacy of protest movements led by seemingly politically disempowered individuals against multinational conglomerates. It is a sad fact that even today, several countries continue to use DDT and many such pesticides. These continue to affect the lives of millions of people and their health even today. The reasons for this can be traced to the lobbying power of the corporate firms that produce these pesticides and the lack of civic action on the part of the citizens of these nations. This can be remedied to an extent through the spread of awareness of environmental issues. In short, the issue of environmentalism needs to extend its reach to these nations in order for it to be an effective tool. In the 1970s began the era of international cooperation on the subject of ecological conservation, the manifestation of which w as the Earth Summits summoned by the United Nations. The first among these was held in Stockholm in 1972 and was titled â€Å"UN Conference on the Human Environment, Stockholm† (â€Å"Earth Summit,† The United Nations Official Website n.p.). These forums of international debate and discussion have laid bare not merely the urgent need to incorporate the