Monday, September 30, 2019

Rizal and the World at the Time

Jose Mercado â€Å"Rizal† lived in a time that had quite the background. Globally, slaves were getting freed, powers were rising, powers were declining. Locally, it was more oppression and religious brainwashing than progression. How could these events influence Rizal? Of course, being an individual of high intellect, how could he not? You have to imagine what Rizal could see and learn around him at that time. He was one of the few who were that of a well-to-do family.This meant that he could attend school and receive education. He read books when he wanted, he learned history and philosophy, and many others that when combined with a brilliant mind, could see things more objectively without being clouded by passion. If he could take an objective stand on situations and yet as reflected in his works, be passionate about them, then that means that his passion is backed up by something objective. The whole world was entering a time that respected the rights of the human being.Sla ves were being freed and because of this, a lot of human rights laws were being made. At the same time, the world’s powers were expanding and decreasing at the same time. Locally, news of oppression spread. These things give you a good idea why Rizal took his stand against the rebellion as he did. The oppression around him was definitely not acceptable in the eyes of Rizal because human rights were being spread around the world by the intellectuals of North America and backed up by the actions of Russia.But Rizal knew that the Philippines definitely cannot hold itself as a country yet. He’s a smart guy and with that he probably looked up the history of war and what was needed to have strength as a country. If one were to look at the circumstances of the country with just the country in your sights, you would have taken the route of a Katipunero and decided to wage war against the oppressors. Rizal didn’t. Why?This is because he had the circumstances of the whole world to back up his ideals. He was influenced by the events globally and not just locally. He was an intellectual who was influenced by the works during and before his time. He thought of the welfare of the country in the long run and not just the shortest way out. It’s too bad he had to die as he did. He definitely would have come up with a revolution that would have put the Philippines in a better state than it is now.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Multicultural Psychology

Multicultural Psychology Multicultural Psychology Multicultural psychology is the study of human behavior and mental processes through multiple cultures. The focus of this field of psychology incorporates theories on culture-specific issues and behaviors. Study models can be used as comparisons in understanding ethnic identity in viewing similarities and differences of the structure of the culture. In recent years, the original concept of one size fits all psychology has changed to include multicultural psychology that focuses on specific cultures and uniqueness within the culture. The study focuses on how a culture varies from other cultures to how they are similar. â€Å"It is apparent that the â€Å"old rules† in psychology have moved away from monoculture to a multicultural premise and that these â€Å"new rules† recognize both an appreciation of differences as well as an understanding of the inherent ambiguity and complexity in psychological practice† ( Pack-Brown & Williams, 2003). Defining Multicultural Psychology Multicultural psychology can be defined as â€Å"the systematic study of behavior, cognition, and affect in settings where people of different backgrounds interact† (McGraw-Hill, 2009). The focus on multiculturalism started in the 1960s as minority issues became more prevalent in society, especially in the Anglo dominated countries such as North America. Multicultural was primarily defined in association to race or ethnicity. The focus has broadened to include age, gender, religion, sexual preferences, and social class. Much of the focus on multicultural issues was directed toward issues in society regarding equality; many were caused and generated by political biases, programs, and policies. Nagayama Hall (2010) stated, â€Å"Multicultural psychology is the study of the influences of multiple cultures in a single social context on human behavior† (p. 8). Brief History of Multicultural Psychology The study on human behavior labeled as psychology, has been traced back as far as the Greeks and into the medieval period of history, studing language, human behavior, and various human traits. In the early 1800s Darwin’s theory focused on an explanation of the evolution of humans and focused on the transformation of mankind. Throughout time numerous psychologists such as Freud, Kant, Mach, Hegel and Galton, to name a few, focused their studies on human behavior. The focus of these early psychologists’ studies relied primarily on a monoculture focus of human behavior. Cultural diversity has been overlooked for centuries and only in the past two decades has a stronger focus begun on how cultures vary from each other in their influences on human behavior currently are incorporating cultural trends. â€Å"During the 1980s, the percentage rate of articles in psychology on people of color remained at 3%. There was a percentage increase in the 1990s but the percentage rate has remained at about 4. 5% throughout the 2000s† (Nagayama-Hall, 2010). Opinions on the reason for such low percentages primarily focus on the lack of cultural (diverse) backgrounds of the psychologists. In 2002, the American Psychological Association Council approved and released a document of guidelines titled â€Å"Guidelines on Multicultural Education, Training, Research, Practice, and Organizational Change for Psychologists† (APA, 2002, p. 1). This document has provided a guideline for psychologists to refer to as the concepts of multicultural psychology continues to evolve and emerge into a specialized area of study in psychology. With APA guidelines in place more focus on the variety of cultures and the similarities and differences within cultural groups will create awareness of cultural diversity and increase educational efforts targeted toward a greater understanding of various ethnic groups. Rationale for the Establishment of a Subspecialty for Multicultural Psychology Although ethnic diversity is growing in North America and in many other countries there is also needs to have a growth in psychologists trained on multicultural issues to expand the focus to a broader spectrum of study. The need to encourage and recruit individuals with diverse ethnic backgrounds into the field of psychology has become crucial and providing educational opportunities to support the development of the field of multicultural psychology needs to continue to support the future of psychology. Many business organizations are expanding their focus to international levels that will increase a new level of human resources issues that will need to be considered and developed. With the development of international business along with cultural influences continuing to grow in the United States more multicultural research studies will be needed and the results recorded and published to maintain successful on various levels. Greater understandings of the variance in cultures need to be created and known by business professionals expanding their businesses abroad. The needs for multicultural professionals are growing and psychological research will be vital on many levels. For example, many businesses are required through the guidelines instituted by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to recruit a specific percentage of individuals from different ethnic backgrounds. The EEOC has placed guidelines when hiring and firing individuals and serves as a protection agency for possible issues and concerns of discrimination because of diversity or ethnic differences. â€Å"The U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information† (2010, EEOC). Through an improved focus on multicultural psychology, stronger guidelines can be set in place for education, the workforce, institutions . and society all that involve the interaction of a multitude of multicultural environmental backgrounds. Nagayama Hall (2010) stated â€Å"Rather than ignoring, neglecting, or reacting to cultural diversity, as has been the tradition of mainstream psychology, multicultural psychology is proactive and is helping to shape the discourse on race, ethnicity, and culture† (p. 19). Now is the time to grow diversity and eliminate the â€Å"cookie cutter† approach to the field of psychology. With the growing number of ethnic groups from so many countries, the make-up of society is constantly changing. Schools, businesses and entire neighborhoods are continuously changing as more ethnic groups integrate into these areas. The guidelines set forth by the APA provide psychologists strategies to work with society to educate and remove barriers that can come from the unfamiliar and lack of understanding of those individuals from different cultural backgrounds and ethnicities. The concept of monoculture in psychology must be eliminated and replaced with an active focus on multicultural issues in psychology to continue to evolve within society on a personal and professional level. References About the EEOC: Overview. (2010). U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Retrieved on April 2010, from http://www. eeoc. gov/eeoc/index. fm Guidelines on Multicultural Education, Training, Research, Practice, and Organizational Change for Psychologists. American Psychological Association. (2002) Retrieved on April 14, 2010 from http://www. apapracticecentral. org/ce/guidelines/multicultural. pdf Nagayama Hall, G. C. (2010). Multicultural Psychology (2nd ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall Pack-Brown, S. & Williams, C. Ethics is a multicultural context. (2003). Psych Board. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications What Is Multicultural Psychology? (2009) Retrieved April 14, 2010, from http://highered. mcgraw-hill. com/sites/dl/free/007338271x/591940/Chapter1. pdf

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Crime Causation and Diversion Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Crime Causation and Diversion - Research Paper Example In general, these programs try to alleviate crime and recidivism, alter the juvenile offender’s attitudes and behaviors, target reduction of cost in the juvenile justice system and provide protection of a juvenile’s criminal record (Delta County, 2012). Major goals, objectives and beliefs Cognitive-behavioral programming aims to ensure that the young adults under this program should be able to learn important life skills, problem solving, conflict resolution, critical thinking and reasoning skills (Denver District Attorney’s Office, 2012). In other words, this program is generally all about life skills training in which it seeks to give the best opportunity for juveniles to learn the most essential things in life rather than committing crimes and other related unlawful activities. Community service on the other hand usually exposes the clients or youths to activities such as graffiti removal, trash pick-up, providing help to food banks, homeless shelters and comm unity events upon request (Denver District Attorney’s Office, 2012). ... For example, graffiti removal, a simple activity from a straightforward unlawful act, will substantially help the clients understand the value of being responsible for certain things in life. In other words, community service is believed to substantially divert the youth’s attention to things that would make them become responsible citizen with a high sense of purpose in life. How do these programs work Cognitive-behavioral programming would substantially help reduce crime because young people would basically learn to maximize their potential which in the long run would make them productive individuals in the society. Juveniles are known to be potentially able to commit crimes because the bottom line is that they might have different perceptions about the world which can make them become likely to pose certain dangers (Champion, 2010). This can be basically illustrated on their actual behaviors which at some point would result to vandalism, theft, and other bloody or heinous c rimes such as rape, murder, robbery and the list goes on. In other words, young people can become so serious and even pose a significant potential threat to the society because the crimes they committed could speak about how their minds could become so violent and harmful at some point. Thus, cognitive-behavioral programming would actually make sense because this program substantially diverts the cognitive capability of young adults to things that would help them develop their skills, reasoning and mental ability instead of giving focus on things that could lead them to creating detestable matters under the law. Community service on the other hand, as a community program for juveniles to divert their attention to productive things, ensures that juveniles should become more responsible citizen

Friday, September 27, 2019

The Future of Energy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Future of Energy - Essay Example Occupiers in New York demand a lot of energy services and energy use in buildings. This ranges from energy they use at home in home appliances, electricity, and energy they use on travels, gasoline (Dallas, 2006). Occupiers currently demand energy efficiency improvements and these must be addressed. The energy authorities and building developers need to optimize performance of the buildings and running costs in such away to improve energy efficiency and avoid traditional incorporations of property management services. In addition, developers need to focus on optimization of property assets encompassing facilities management, sustainability and flexibility of space. These are what the typical demand of occupiers is currently. Occupiers also challenge developers to meet their power load reduction goals. Therefore occupiers demand that developers ensure that they meet modern mandates and energy conservation goals. They must therefore ensure transmission, generation, and distribution entities work together effectively. Occupiers also demand that available load demand side management assets are identified and unified and hosted DSM is provided for utilities throughout the distribution of infrastru cture (Egan, 2002). Occupiers demand that energy requirements in buildings be reduced and sourced alternatively. They also need energy conservation solution with benefits such as: insight and visibility from generation to device unifying data throughout ecosystem of the energy; achieve compliance and reduction of load through the unified controls which execute and measure created diverse load control programs; cost savings through controlling peak charges; rapid adoption allowing utilities to participate in centralized programs; and future proofing with standard based system device agnostic supporting hardware legacy, data sources and

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Analyse the movie <The TrueMan show> Essay

Analyse the movie - Essay Example Truman Burbank is the main character who has an ordinary and routine life, and he seems to have all what is needed – a steady job which doesn’t bring happiness but is enough for a normal life; a close childhood friend who is near at the pivotal moments; beautiful wife who is always smiling and artificially happy; kind neighbors and a vague dream about Fiji which makes him alive. The truth is that everything what he has and knows is an invented delusion for a show that ultimately wins attention of the entire world, but he became a super star without his wish for that. Sooner or later each program can glitch and it became a reason of Truman’s suspicions about everything what surrounds him. That is the moment when his life starts crashing and only two variants are left, either to stay in the comfort zone or to fight the fear facing life which has always been under the curtain. Such a key point of the movie teaches that only mortifying the fear a person becomes an in dividual. Who is a real victim of "The Truman Show†? At first sight, looking at Truman, people could call him a victim of the events predefined by Christof. Even though it took thirty years to suspect something wrong, by questioning his reality, he finds the truth and enough of courage to make a step into the world which is unknown and enigmatic, while people watching after him don’t ask any questions. The audience is an actual victim of the situation which is proved by the following: One point seven billions were there for his birth. 220 countries tuned in for his first step. The world stood still for that stolen kiss. And as he grew so did technology. An entire human life – recorded on an intricate network of hidden cameras and broadcasted live and uninterrupted 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to an audience around the globe (The Truman Show). But among all of those people Christof was the most dependent on the show because, in hindsight, all his life was turning around

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

British Industrialization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

British Industrialization - Essay Example Historians have pointed in great detail the changes which occurred in the heights of British population since the 1800s to the improvement in the standard of living of the whole population and groups within it. This is mainly because welfare of the population reflected the ability to produce both agricultural goods on which it can feed and the industrial goods and services which it can sell. Between 1750 and 1850, the population of England and Wales virtually trebled, rising from about 6.5 to about 18 million as the population rose at the rate of 10 percent each decade. (Hall et al., 133) Another result of industrialization which worked in tandem with population growth was the growth of cities. In 1750, there were only two cities in Britain with a population of over 50,000 inhabitants – London and Edinburgh - but by 1801 there would be eight of such cities and by 1851, twenty-nine. (Hall et al. 1996, 133) People, especially disposed agricultural workers, naturally trooped to the cities with its increased opportunities for work. In slightly over one hundred years, the urbanism moved through a cycle of expansion, restructuring and decline, driven by shifts in the capitalist economy and by changing sources of power. Large-scale industry moved along with steam engines into an array of British cities. Manufacturing cities first reaped the benefits of industrial growth because they captured a major share of capital investment. Monumental factories sprang up everywhere to house the huge stationary engines and machines. The new urban working class was relegated to the role of machine minders. Cities were bursting to the seams. For instance, the population in Liverpool reached a density of 3000 people per hectare – people lived anywhere they could, even cellars were packed full. (Girardet & N’Dow, 50) With this kind of urban development came some consequences as

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Connecting my teaching style with what adult leraners need to know Research Paper

Connecting my teaching style with what adult leraners need to know - Research Paper Example While the quantity of lessons may matter with ample significance at anytime, such an instructor does not afford to neglect providing quality in his unique creative style of teaching which naturally earns appreciation by colleagues and pupils alike. An effective teacher exhibits a character of passion toward mastery of specialization or subject being taught so that in this manner, adult learners are concretely addressed as they meet their maturing scholastic needs. Because it is part of his chief objective to sustain learning with excellence, he finds a way to exceed the standards of his profession. He even considers exploring knowledge of the yet unknown for the benefit not only of improving his intellect but also of inspiring the students with the wonderful idea of gaining the intended proficiency through their individual endeavors both at present and in the future. Adult students, similarly, are able to show regular attendance and to listen and perform in a stimulating atmosphere f ostered by a teacher who demonstrates skilfulness in classroom management. Given this condition, no matter how busy an adult learner is with non-academic cares, valuable learning becomes accessible. An effective teacher serves a huge contributing factor in making such student figure ways of putting valuable ideas to application when solving problems and handling studies with the favour of working under alternative situations as seen fit. Having the initiative and discerning what to do upon encounter of conflict make the anticipated output of learning valuably. Positive development among adult learners, on the other hand, may be perceived once a creative style of teaching facilitates belief that new experiences could be found and used as a tool for an advancement in an adult’s learning capacity. Based on Kolb’s theory (1984), the impetus for the development of new concepts is provided by new experiences where Kolb himself stated that â€Å"Learning is the process where by knowledge is created through the transformation of experience† (Mcleod, 2010). Hence, as one develops positively, it may occur pleasingly worthwhile to construct awareness and social growth with the rest of the academic community. Around this stage, productive motivation is sought to come along since the learning process allows each adult learner to seek greater essence in connecting an individual’s well-being or ultimate identity to a set of tasks assigned by the motivational instructions. Because there ought to be harmony of interaction between the teacher and the student in order to translate effective teaching into remarkable outcomes with knowledge, hence, both parties must converge onto a common interest or point of similarity as through behaviour and way of thinking. The effective teacher may draw an adult pupil to this convergence if his technique of instruction is built on resourcefulness, for a resourceful character tends to adopt the mood of exhausting pos sibilities for the teacher and the learner to function within transparent relationship. Strategizing an effort to know each student at depth such that it yields back similar action in response would assuredly cause higher degree of motivation for the learner to trust and utilize the concepts with pertinent

Monday, September 23, 2019

Terrance McNallys Its Only a Play Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Terrance McNallys Its Only a Play - Essay Example Terrance McNally’s It’s Only a Play There was a moment when a line in the first act was given by Noah Mittman, playing Gus, that seemed to break the realism within the work. Much of his performance, while good, seemed to be a bit stalled in places. The character played by J. Nick Dickart, by the name of James, picked up the pace when it seemed to have fallen slightly short. The interactions between these two characters seemed to have some pacing difficulties which created a problem for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the character of the producer, Julia, played by Ilasiea Gray. While imperfect the part seemed to reflect the imperfections of the character so that those moments that might not have been as believable pass for character flaws. The interpretation of the role made it seem natural to the theater, even in its naivetà ©, a position in which she ‘interprets’ theatrical phrases to members of the play as if they would not understand them. In some ways, it was easier to relate to her as she was somewhat on the outside of the theater looking in when she related to the other characters, which placed her in a similar position as the audience.As some of the humor was above the education of the audience, so too was the situation above her experience, thus making her more easily relatable. She was a space between the audience and the action of the other characters which eased the tension that can exist between ’theater people’ and those who only atte nd or help from the outside. While she was a producer, she was still not fully immersed or as experienced. 4. Acting is more than just a collection of individual performances. The entire company needs to work together as a unit (this is sometimes called ensemble): each actor must not only perform his or her own role but also support the other performers. Discuss how the performers re ­lated or failed to relate to one another. Did they listen to each other and respond? Did any actor seem to be "showing off' and ignoring the others? Answer Question 4 The one aspect of the play that seemed very successful was that the characters seemed to be in concert with one another and they were working together to make all of the scenes work. The actors were engaged with one another, each scene seeming to flow naturally with very few of those moments when an audience member will think about that fact that they were attending a play. The humor was designed with the concept of exaggeration and exp loitation of the

Sunday, September 22, 2019

The Fashion Industry - Zara Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Fashion Industry - Zara - Coursework Example The paper "The Fashion Industry - Zara" will look into the marketing environment of Zara. The fashion industry is greatly effectually by the political variable that’s are present in different nations. According to Holmquist (2003), there is certain liberty when it comes to the quantity of material import related to the fashion industry. This is a positive approach for them, especially in the Euro zone. Zara creates very good social connections and is also involved in CSR activities that has helped Zara a good brand name in the global political environment. The government is involved in the changes that affects the environment at large. The fashion industry is rapidly changing with the several trends that keeps on changing from a day to day basis. However, they also involve a lot of environmental wastage (Allen, 2013). According to Allen (2013), that the per capita income or in other words the GDP is also an important decision making factor for the fashion industry. UK in this case, has a strong GDP and that is why all the companies are concentrating on entering the UK market. However, there are different market where many people also prefer to buy cheap apparels. The economy of Europe is rising gradually and that is why the future is bright for the fashion and retail industry especially because the rise in the disposable income in the general public, gives them the opportunity to buy the fashionable clothes to stay with the current trend of the market. From the point of view of the currency.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

The Four Most Important Financial Statements Essay Example for Free

The Four Most Important Financial Statements Essay What are the four most important financial statements? Briefly describe each Much success in today’s business world is tied in with numbers in the form of accounting and financial statements. Being able to understand and properly read these statements is a critical component in truly knowing a business and properly assessing its overall financial performance. Financial reporting is the issuance of written documents in the form of the financial statements by the companies to the shareholders, stakeholders and other interested parties. The objective of these financial statements is to provide information about the reporting entitys financial performance and position that is useful to the wide range of users for assessing the stewardship of the entitys management and for making economic decisions. To be useful, this information must be represented faithfully, should be complete, prudent and free from material errors at least. The purpose of imposing regulations on accounting practices and setting standards is to fulfil the objectives of financial statements. In the accounting world there are several financial statements but the four main financial statements that are universally understood and prepared for most publically traded companies and many small and medium sized businesses are the income statement, the balance sheet, the statement of cash flows, and the statement of retained earnings (sometimes referred to as shareholders’ equity). A fundamental ability to properly interpret the information these statements contain allows internal and external users to make a wide array of decisions affecting company operations and decisions on whether or not to invest. Users of financial statements look to the income statement to learn and assess a company’s performance over a set period of time, often a month or a year. This statement depicts the company’s revenues and expenses with the difference reflecting the net income (or loss) resulting from the firm’s business activities. The revenue will be broken down by the category from which it derived with expenses broken down in a similar fashion. Those most interested in a company’s income include shareholders, potential investors, banks (for the purpose of assessing past performance and potential loan risk), creditors, and executives charged with ensuring profitability for the business. The complexity of an income statement will vary based on that of the company from whence it derives and the depth of its business activities (www.accountingcoach.com). In larger corporations an accrual basis of  accounting is commonly used where revenues are recorded when the money is actually earned, as opposed to cash being received. Income Statement A firms revenues, gains, expenses and losses are listed on the income statement. Revenue is money earned from a company’s normal business operations. The expenses on the income statement are the costs associated with earning the revenue. When a company sells one of its assets, it can experience a capital gain or loss. Revenues minus expenses, plus gains minus losses, equal net income or net loss. The dollar amount of net income listed on the income statement is also found on the cash flow statement under the operating activities section. Balance Sheet The balance sheet includes the elements of the accounting equation: assets equal liabilities plus shareholders’ equity. The assets on a balance sheet are classified as either current or fixed assets. Current assets are the most liquid, meaning they easily convert to cash. Fixed assets are long-termed assets. Similar to assets, liabilities are also classified as current or long-term. Current liabilities include money owed to creditors in less than a year. Long-term liabilities are due in one year or later. Shareholders’ equity is the total amount of equity in the firm. The shareholders’ equity section of the balance sheet is explained in further detail on the statement of shareholders’ equity. Cash Flow Statement The cash flow statement shows the amount of cash within a company. Items that affect the cash balance are listed on the statement. The first section of the cash flow statement is operating activities, which shows the cash flowing in and out of the company in relation to its business operation. The operating activities section also includes net income and the change in dollars of certain accounts listed on the balance sheet. The next section, investing activities, shows cash the company received and spent on a companys capital investments. The financing activities section shows the inflows and outflows of cash related to the company’s issued financial securities, which is also listed on the balance sheet and statement of shareholders equity. Statement of Shareholders’ Equity This statement shows the changes in the shareholders’ equity account. The first line item is the beginning balance for common stock. The amount of newly issued common stock is added to the beginning balance to get the ending balance. The same goes for preferred stocks. Listed next is the beginning balance to retained earnings, which is also listed on the balance sheet. The net income listed on the income statement is added to the beginning retained earnings balance and the amount of dividends paid out to shareholders is subtracted to get the ending balance. The ending balance for common and preferred stock and the ending balance for retained earnings is added together to get the total of the shareholders’ equity.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Introduction to Crime and Punishment

Introduction to Crime and Punishment Theories were developed to help to explain and understand certain events, behaviors and/or situations. Over the years, sociologists have created these theories in hopes of explaining why things happen in society. For instance, social conflict theories try to explain why society creates conflict due to inequalities that are present in everyday life. In Karl Marx and Engels, economic determinism, economic activity shapes and defines all political, cultural, social and technological aspects of society. It proposes that laws and norms are made in the interest of powerful members of society. This conflict theory proposes three propositions. The first proposition explains that the more inequality the more conflict. The second explains that those who receive less needed resources question the legitimacy of social order, and the third proposition says that those who are getting fewer resources will organize and expose conflict to the public. Marx and Engel saw that unjust exploitation of one social class and social solidarity could be regained if we overthrown capitalism. In the interactional theory, developed by Terrence Thornberry, suggests that delinquent behavior is a result of a relationship between an individual, peer groups, social structures, weakened bonds and learning environment. This theory is broken into three different stages in a life course. The first stage is delinquent behaviors are developed during childhood, primarily because of a dysfunctional family, school failure and association with delinquent peers. The second stage is during mid-adolescence where they are no longer influenced by family, but their peers. The third stage is during adulthood where their delinquent behaviors are shaped by their place in society and his or her own family. According to Durkheim, Punishment is an expression of social solidarity. He believed that punishment serves positive functions in society. There are three parties that help enact punishment. The controller is the person that administers the act, the controlled is the person being punished, the one who committed the crime, and the onlookers which is the general public. Durkheim saw punishment as a moral education. Punishment is an essential part of moral order in society and it helps limit the spread of deviance and disobedience. The two theories that I found interesting were Marx and Engels economic determinism and Durkheims punishment as a moral education. I agree with Marxs idea of the inequality of power in society and how it influences deviant behavior among people who cant get the resources that they need in society. When an individual seem to not have the resources, they go about getting it another way. This relates back to Robert Mertons strain theory that focused on the emphasis of the American Dream. Those who cant obtain it, find other ways, such as stealing or selling drugs. The conflict theory explains that inequality causes more conflict. Those who receive less needed resources would organize and come forth to open it up to the public. Capitalism is considered the root of conflict because it is taken to be the source of unjust inequality. I agree that we should overthrow capitalism and form a just social solidarity, like communism, as Marx and Engel suggests. This way everyone is on the same lev el of social class and has the opportunity of receiving the same resources needed in society. In Durkheims, punishment as a moral education, I agree that punishment is essential for social order. For most children, when they are born they are taught morally right from wrong, such things like, stealing, lying or fighting. This is reinforced with punishment that can range from time-outs to physical beatings. As a result it ensures that whenever the child has an urge to do something wrong, they know the consequences. Personally, for as long as I can remember I have always been reprimanded by my parents whenever I did something I knew I wasnt suppose to. So as a result at any time I felt like misbehaving I would avoid it so that I wouldnt get punished for it. The same idea relates to when an individual thinks about committing a crime, they know that punishment will be a result of that. Like many other theories they arent concrete. They are developed to make sense of why and how certain things happen in society, but there are some criticisms that can be made about them. Durkheim says that punishment is a positive function in society. It reinforces social solidarity and strengthen common values. Although I agree, I question whether he believes punishment of criminals has more of a positive function than reforming criminals? I do believe that some criminals deserve to punished for their actions, but I also believe that developing systems or policies where we can help an individual, that has committed crime, become a better person in society. There are circumstances where an individual had to commit a crime not because they wanted to but because they had to. For instance, a mother that is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her family, steals food from the grocery store because she has no money. In a technical sense she has committed a crime of stealing, but I m sure if she had the money she wouldnt steal. Instead of punishing her by putting her into a correctional institution, why not help her find a job where she can have steady income. This way she is able to provide for her family and we dont have to separate her from her kids.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Impact of an Educator on Sustaining and Enhancing a Child’s Learning an

Educators have long been accountable for their student’s ongoing learning and development. The way in which an educator views both their students and their profession, will determine the way they perceive their pedagogical role in sustaining children’s learning and development. Given Australia’s focus on standardised testing in recent years, educators and society have become consumed by these results rather focusing on the process and personal needs of children’s development (Lingard 2010). In exploring the child-centred, constructive approach evident throughout Finnish educational frameworks, Australian educators can adapt these facilitative methods within their own pedagogy to ensure that the child, and society, equally benefit from the child’s overall development throughout their early childhood years. Education as a vocation is ever changing and evolving. There are no cases where a situation surrounding the learning or development of a child can be viewed in black and white or any teaching methods or techniques that can be immediately regarded as ‘right’ or ‘wrong’, rather educators need to be prepared â€Å"for different learners within the framework of research-based learning† (Tryggvason 2009). Given the vocation’s fluidity, world-wide value and perceived necessity, many educators in the field come from a variety of backgrounds. Whether they vary by cultural, socioeconomic, or personal philosophies the factors that contribute to an individual’s perspective surrounding the field are endless (Tryggvason 2009; Dockett & Fleer 1998). This idea has been represented in a variety of ways across the academic field, whether they are specific, such as an educator’s attitude towards a particular subject based on the way in which they w ... ... Tryggvason, M. T. (2009). Why is Finnish teacher education successful? Some goals Finnish teacher educators have for their teaching, European Journal of Teacher Education, 32(4), 369-382, DOI: 10.1080/02619760903242491. Van Hoorn, J. L, Nourot, P. M., Scales, B. R. & Alward, K. R. (2011). Play at the Centre of the Curriculum, (5th ed.), Boston: Pearson Education Inc. Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes, USA: the President and Fellows of Harvard College. Woodrow, C. (1999). Revisiting images of the child in early childhood education: Reflections and considerations, Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 24(4), 7-12. Woodrow, C. & Press, F. (2007). (Re)Positioning the Child in the Policy/Politics of Early Childhood, Educational Philosophy and Theory, 39(3), DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-5812.2007.00328.x

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Comparing Romeo and Juliet and Maxine Hong - Kingstons China Men :: comparison compare contrast essays

In Maxine Hong - Kingston's China Men a teacher meets students who perceive Romeo and Juliet very differently than is commonly accepted. These students see it as a horror story rather than a tragic love story. What they witness in their real lives (war, death, murder, etc.) affects how they view everything they encounter. Although these students may have a "colored" view, everything that they see in Romeo and Juliet is actually there. They have not imagined anything. They have gone beyond the commonly accepted reading of the play, and have found what lies underneath the surface of all the romance and poetry. However, because they have not examined the romance and poetry in addition to seeing what lies beyond the commonly accepted reading, the story is disturbing to them. The students read Romeo and Juliet and do not see the love story that society would have them see. Instead they examine what lies beyond this. They see a story of secrecy, sex, murder, suicide, and disease. All of these things are found within the play, but are masked by poetry and romance. For example, these students see Romeo and Juliet as a story of "whispering, tiptoeing, making love, and (children) driven mad in the dark." To the "normal" reader this is romantic. It is viewed as a story about the most amazing kind of love imaginable - true love ending in tragedy. What happens around them certainly must affect how the students understand everything. In these students' real lives they are surrounded by war, torture, and death. Horror is a part of their every day lives, and so it becomes a part of them. It manifests itself in their thoughts and ideas. It has even affected their reading of Romeo and Juliet despite their teacher's efforts to show them the other side of the story. Another reason that this play is so disturbing to the students is that the characters in the play are approximately the same age as the students. Because of this, anything that the characters do has a greater meaning to the students. The characters are their peers. Because of the student's everyday experiences they miss the poetry in the play. They have ignored the motive, the tremendous force that drives the characters Romeo and Juliet to do the things found within the play. This force is love. It is the main reason for all actions in the play. Comparing Romeo and Juliet and Maxine Hong - Kingston's China Men :: comparison compare contrast essays In Maxine Hong - Kingston's China Men a teacher meets students who perceive Romeo and Juliet very differently than is commonly accepted. These students see it as a horror story rather than a tragic love story. What they witness in their real lives (war, death, murder, etc.) affects how they view everything they encounter. Although these students may have a "colored" view, everything that they see in Romeo and Juliet is actually there. They have not imagined anything. They have gone beyond the commonly accepted reading of the play, and have found what lies underneath the surface of all the romance and poetry. However, because they have not examined the romance and poetry in addition to seeing what lies beyond the commonly accepted reading, the story is disturbing to them. The students read Romeo and Juliet and do not see the love story that society would have them see. Instead they examine what lies beyond this. They see a story of secrecy, sex, murder, suicide, and disease. All of these things are found within the play, but are masked by poetry and romance. For example, these students see Romeo and Juliet as a story of "whispering, tiptoeing, making love, and (children) driven mad in the dark." To the "normal" reader this is romantic. It is viewed as a story about the most amazing kind of love imaginable - true love ending in tragedy. What happens around them certainly must affect how the students understand everything. In these students' real lives they are surrounded by war, torture, and death. Horror is a part of their every day lives, and so it becomes a part of them. It manifests itself in their thoughts and ideas. It has even affected their reading of Romeo and Juliet despite their teacher's efforts to show them the other side of the story. Another reason that this play is so disturbing to the students is that the characters in the play are approximately the same age as the students. Because of this, anything that the characters do has a greater meaning to the students. The characters are their peers. Because of the student's everyday experiences they miss the poetry in the play. They have ignored the motive, the tremendous force that drives the characters Romeo and Juliet to do the things found within the play. This force is love. It is the main reason for all actions in the play.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Tobacco Addiction: Hookah

Jared Fujikuni Psych 22 April 5, 2013 Tobacco Addiction: Water Pipes An addiction is the compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance which is defined by physiological symptoms upon withdrawal. Addiction is more commonly referred to activities in a negative sense because the substance is often harmful to the user. One of the most addicting substances is nicotine, which is found within tobacco. The first thought that comes to mind when referencing to tobacco addiction is smoking cigarettes, but there are many other ways to consume tobacco such as: dip (chewing tobacco), cigars, and water pipes.Although the water pipe has been around for hundreds of years, it has only recently become popular. It has spread throughout the Middle East to Europe, all the way to North America, targeting pre-teens to young adults in college. There is an abundant amount of research done on the damaging effects of cigarettes, but as the water pipe craze is relatively new, there is still very littl e information on the health risks that this fresh social nicotine addiction may contain. The water pipe has many different street names which are a lot more exotic and alluring: hookah, shisha, boory, goza, nargile, arghile, and hubble bubble/hubbly bubbly.Smoking hookah is a sensual and relaxing experience which is often done with a group of people. This bonding social activity gives smoking a different dimension of appeal compared to the normal singular act of smoking a cigarette, but may also contribute to the development of addiction. The water pipe is often an elegant looking device resembling a flower vase that sits on a table in between the party. The group will usually be sitting comfortably around the hookah which encourages long sessions that often include over fifty puffs of the hookah.The type of tobacco that is smoked through the water pipe is called maassel, which is fermented in molasses and fruit essences. There are many different flavors that appeal to all smokers. The smoke is often sweet or minty and cooled by the water filter which makes it easy for even nonsmokers to enjoy. First the tobacco is placed within a clay bowl covered by aluminum foil which heads the water pipe. Coals are placed on top of the head to heat the tobacco. The vase of the hookah is filled half way with liquid (usually water). The smoker inhales through a tube that is connected to the vase.The smoke is drawn through the stem of the pipe and filtered through the water before going through the tube that the smoker is inhaling on. The smoker is able to inhale clouds of smoke while simultaneously drawing air over the coals which further burns the tobacco. There are many cafes and bars that are dedicated to smoking hookah. These cafes have become increasingly popular among college students and are popping up all over the United States. Hookahs are also easily purchased through smoke shops or online. Smoking hookah has become a very popular social event because of its slow p ace and relaxing feel.It allows people to partake in an activity which doesn’t require any concentration and allows them to socialize for an hour or so. It is more active than getting together for a coffee but not distracting enough to take away from a conversation. Yet the slow pace of the hookah experience is part of why it might be very dangerous. The total amount of exposure to nicotine through the prolonged smoking pattern is extremely unhealthy. Researchers from the American University of Beirut analyzed smoking patterns at a hookah lounge and reported that smokers inhaled ten times as often as a typical cigarette smoker would.Not only this, but each inhale contained about ten times as much smoke volume as a single cigarette puff. A single hookah session could have the smoke volume equivalent of one hundred cigarettes. To defend the health risks of hookah smoking, many argue that when inhaling, it is nott necessary to inhale all the way into the lungs, but to simply pla y with the smoke in the mouth like with a cigar. However, researchers have collected data that estimate absorption of nicotine and other substances contained in hookah smoke state otherwise. Despite the volume of exposure, hookah smokers are still exposed to fewer toxins than cigarette smokers. The studies indicate that hookah smokers are absorbing high levels of toxins and carcinogens that contribute to the development of heart disease, lung cancer, and respiratory diseases† (Harvard, 2008, p. 3). Hookah is often argued as a healthier way of smoking because the smoke is filtered through water, but clearly it does not filter out all of the toxins. There is still enough nicotine getting through to become addicted. The amount of nicotine that is produced by smoking hookah can vary depending on multiple variables: type of tobacco, number of coals, duration of use, and the inhaling technique.The number of coals which is related to the temperature that the hookah would be burning a t has a huge impact on the amount of toxins that are inhaled. If the coals are actually burning the tobacco instead of â€Å"baking† or â€Å"steaming† the shisha, the tar in the tobacco could be burned which is very unhealthy to inhale. Researchers found that chronic respiratory symptoms were found in younger hookah smokers rather than older ones which suggest that the younger users were smoking more intensely or not being as careful to not burn the tar.Saliva samples showed that carbon monoxide exposure was twice as high in hookah smokers as in cigarette smokers. As far as long-term health effects, there hasn’t been much research to make any solid conclusions but like in other tobacco related addictions, there was increased chance of periodontal disease, cardiovascular problems, increased heart rate and blood pressure and problems with the child of women who were pregnant while smoking. Despite the health risks (that the majority of smokers don’t even k now about), smoking hookah has a huge appeal.It is a social activity that gives bored young adults something to do as well as relaxes the body. The social aspect of the water pipe makes quitting the addiction much different than quitting smoking cigarettes. The hookah smoker is not only addicted to nicotine but also addicted to a fun activity that encourages socializing. It is easy to see how and why young adults would become addicted to smoking hookah. It is also easy to see why hookah lounges are rapidly popping up across the world as addiction equals profit. â€Å"While hookah is alluring, it also appears to be a health hazard.Clearly, there are safer ways to relax† (Harvard, 2008, p. 3). Two studies were recently done on hookah smokers. The first study wanted to figure out if hookah smoking encouraged cigarette addiction, while the other sought to decipher the demographics of those who smoke hookah based off a study done on female college freshmen. The first study was don e on students in Denmark. They tested men that were all non-smokers who occasionally smoked a cigarette but were not yet addicted. Through surveying, they discovered that the men that also occasionally or regularly smoked from a water pipe were more likely to become regular cigarette mokers. Although this is a rather weak study, it shows that the tobacco in hookah still contributes to nicotine addiction. A side point that the study made was that hookah could be a potential gateway for smoking cigarettes. â€Å"Special features such as the lower temperature of the smoke and the aromas of water pipe tobacco can contribute to enforcing this mechanism, leading toward smoking cigarettes regularly† (Jensen, 2010, p. 1256). The second study helped determine the appeal of smoking hookah. Syracuse University did a study on female freshmen at a private university in New York through online participation which was paid.The study based the results on the volunteers who had not smoked hoo kah before their freshman year. There were many factors that were predicted to determine whether the students would partake in smoking or not. The protective factors: high school GPA, religion, health value, and self-esteem. The risk factors: impulsivity/sensation-seeking, depression, anxiety, and social comparison. â€Å"†¦experimenting with hookah might be part of a normative process of seeking new experiences, as a rate of other substance use peak during the 18-25 age range† (Fielder, 2012, p. 64). Freshmen year is where students are insecure, seek self-discovery, and take risks. â€Å"†¦the transition to college is a likely time for hookah initiation given the increased freedom enjoyed by residential students, the popularity of hookah lounges in college towns, the ability of students under age 21 to get into hookah lounges but not regular bars, media portrayals of hookah smoking as exotic and trendy, permissive social norms about substance use typical of the co llege environment, and the developmental task of identity exploration† (Fielder, 2012, p. 46). All of these factor into the study and reasoning behind the engagement in hookah addiction. The study results showed that twenty-three percent initiated hookah use during their freshmen year which is not a huge percentage but there were many limitations to this study. A volunteer survey that took place at a private school that targeted women was the make-up for a limited study. The results showed that the biggest correlation with smoking hookah was alcohol intake.The other predicted factors weren’t strong enough to make a correlation. The study also showed that one-third of the surveys had already smoked hookah before their freshman year which shows the popularity. Despite the actual addiction to nicotine and the appeal of the head rush, one of the biggest aspects to smoking that is often over-looked is the smoke itself. Although the smoke is in some ways mysteriously uncontro llable, the art of the smoke cloud projecting out of the smoker’s mouth gives off a sense of creativity and ownership.The smoke is art whether it is blown out through technique such as a ring or simply as a cloud. The clouds achievable by smoking hookah are by far the largest. The water pipe’s allure combined with its targeted consumer is the perfect set-up for a generation of nicotine addicts. With still very little known about the long-term health risks, too many risk-seeking college students are falling into the social nicotine trap. It may start off as an innocent activity, but soon enough it could become a daily routine, henceforth an addiction.Harvard Medical School. (2008). Why waterpipe smoking raises concerns about addiction and other health problems. The Hazards of Hookah. Jensen, Poul Densoe. (2010). Waterpipe use predicts progression to regular cigarette smoking among Danish youth. Tobacco: Waterpipe Smoking. Fielder, Robyn L. , Carey, Kate B. , & Carey, Mi chael P. (2012). Predictors of initiation of hookah tobacco smoking: a one-year prospective study of first-year college women.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Diana Cazares Photo Write Essay Nightlife

He was born on October 7, 1891 in New Orleans, Louisiana and died on January 16, 1981 at the age Of 89 in Chicago, Illinois. He is one of the major contributors to the Harlem Renaissance, or the New Negro Movement, a time in which African American art reached new heights not only in New York but across America. His early paintings of night scenes, and crowd scenes were influenced by jazz culture, and are perhaps his most popular and most prolific. It looks like with all the dancing, drinking, and socializing going on, they would forget the outside world.I can imagine how troubles would slide off, for a moment of fun and abandon. I hope can give this painting justice with my words. Sincerely, Diana Cares Dry. Marcia Mitchell English. 1301 . VII Archibald John Motley Jar. American, 1891-1981 Nightlife, 1943 â€Å"Nightlife† came across this painting after searching and searching all of the links provided. I am drawn to vibrant colors, music, and dancing, so it was no surprise th at this particular painting had caught my eye. Music helps me in my troubled times, somehow sways my thoughts to more positive ones.What Archibald depicts in this painting is a contrast as to what was going on in reality. Racism roamed among African-American society but in the midst of this club, all you can see is people making the most Of their life, relishing in the jazz music. As stare at this picture, I see a crowd of African-American people enjoying a night at a cabaret, as it was called back then. In the background you see two bartenders tending to the needs of their customers. The wall is lined with countless selection of spirits, tempting the already intoxicated patrons.You can see people sitting down at the counter, awaiting someone to pull them up to dance and forget the outside world. Others are already looking three sheets to the wind, their heads on the counter. Couples sitting at tables, equally taking pleasure in the music, yet still caught up in each other. The musi c seems to be stimulating their senses into wild abandon. There's a jukebox to the right blasting the invigorating tunes. So much movement every. Veer with people dancing to the music, you could almost hear it from the look on their faces.The women fully clad in their best dresses outfitted for exactly this scene. Blue, green, yellow, purple, red colors inviting you to look intently at such uninhibited fun, almost making you wish you were in that scene yourself.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Tax and Gearing

W22Extra: Tax and Gearing: More Questions Multiple Choice 1) Which of the following statements is false? A) In general, the gain to investors from the tax deductibility of interest payments is referred to as the interest tax shield. B) The interest tax shield is the additional amount that a firm would have paid in taxes if it did not have leverage. C) Because Corporations pay taxes on their profits after interest payments are deducted, interest expenses reduce the amount of corporate tax firms must pay. D) As Modigliani and Miller made clear in their original work, capital structure matters in perfect capital markets.Thus, if capital structure does not matter, then it must stem from a market imperfection. As Modigliani and Miller made clear in their original work, capital structure does not matter in perfect capital markets. Thus, if capital structure matters, then it must stem from a market imperfection. ————————— Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€ Rosewood Industries has EBIT of $450 million, interest expense of $175 million, and a corporate tax rate of 35%. 2) Rosewood's net income is closest to: A) $450 million B) $180 million C) $290 million D) $95 million Net income = (EBIT – Interest expense)(1 – ?C) = (450 – 175)(1 – . 35) = $178. 75 3) The total of Rosewood's net income and interest payments is closest to: A) $270 million B) $355 million C) $290 million D) $450 million Net income + Interest = (EBIT – Interest expense)(1 – ? C) = (450 – 175)(1 – . 35) = $178. 75 + $175 = $353. 73 4) If Rosewood had no interest expense, its net income would be closest to: A) $405 million B) $160 million C) $450 million D) $290 million Net income = (EBIT – Interest expense)(1 – ? C) = (450 – 0)(1 – . 35) = $292. 50 5) The amount of Rosewood's interest tax shield is closest to: A) $115 million B) $290 millionC) $175 million D) $60 million Interest tax shield = Interest expense(? C) = 175(. 35) = $61. 25 ——————————————————————————— Fly by Night Aviation (FBNA) expects to have net profit available for shareholders next year of ? 24 million and Free Cash Flow of ? 27 million. FBNA's marginal corporate tax rate is 40%. 6) Establish FBNA's EBIT A) ? 43 million B) ? 40 Million C) ? 45 million D) ? 60 million EBIT = NI + Taxes + Interest expense FCF = NI + Interest expense => 27 = 24 + interest expense = 3 (EBIT – Interest Expense)(1 – 0. ) = NI (EBIT – 3)(0. 6) = 24 (EBIT – 3) = 24/0. 6 = 40 EBIT = 40 + 3 = $43 7) IF FBNA increases leverage so that its interest expense rises by ? 1 million, then the amount its profit for shareholders will change is closest to: A) -? 400,000 B) -? 600,000 C) ? 400,000 D) ? 600,000 (EBIT – Interest Expense – chg IE)(1 – 0. 4) = NI + chg NI (- chg IE)(0. 6) = chg NI -1m (. 6) = -600,000 Or, -$1m (1 – . 4) = -$600,000 8) IF FBNA increases leverage so that its interest expense rises by ? 1 million, then the amount its Free Cash flow will change is closest to: A) -? 600,000 B) -? 400,000C) ? 600,000 D) ? 400,000 FCF = NI + Interest expense chg FCF = chg NI + chg Interest expense = – 600,000 + 1m = +400,000 Or, $1m (0. 4) = $400,000 ————————————————————————— LCMS Industries has ? 70 million in debt outstanding. The firm will pay only interest on this debt (the debt is perpetual). LCMS' marginal tax rate is 35% and the firm pays a rate of 8% inte rest on its debt. 9) LCMS' annual interest tax shield is closest to: A) ? 2. 8 million B) ? 2. 0 million C) ? 3. 6 million D) ? 5. 6 million Annual Tax shield= annual debt interest ? C = ? 70M ? 0. 08 ? .35 = 1. 96M 10) Assuming that the risk is the same as the loan, the present value of LCMS' interest tax shield is closest to: A) ? 45. 5 million B) ? 20. 0 million C) ? 24. 5 million D) ? 35. 0 million PV of Tax shield = debt ? ?C = ? 70M ? .35 = 24. 5M 11) Assuming that the risk of the tax shield is only 6% even though the loan pays 8%, then the present value of LCMS' interest tax shield is closest to: A) ? 24. 5 million B) ? 18 million C) ? 33. 0 million D) ? $20. 0 million PV of Tax shield = debt ? ?C ? rD / rD2 = $70M ? .35 ? .08/. 06 = 32. 67

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Research Paper about Premarital Sex Essay

This chapter contains the significance of the study, the statement of the problem, the group hypothesis, the scope & limitation, the theoretical framework and definition of terms. The Problem and Its Background Introduction Pre-marital sex is a sexual intercourse engaged by persons who are not married. It is a mortal sin in Christianity for the reason it is against the Law of Moses: Thou shall not commit adultery. In some countries (particularly in Asian countries that practice Christianity), they banned pre-marital sex in order to prevent unwanted pregnancy, prostitution and abortion. The importance of this study is to let the people know the following problems and their answers/reasons behind pre-marital sex. Significance of the Study The research aims to know the causes and effects of pre-marital sex for teens and adults ages 13 to 25 within Paco Area. This study will systematically investigate the nature behind pre-marital sex and the reasons behind it. Read more:  Essay About Causes of Premarital Sex Statement of the Problem The study seeks to answer the following questions: †¢What are the factors that cause pre-marital sex? †¢What are the possible and actual results of pre-marital sex? †¢What influences adults and teens to engage in pre-marital sex? †¢Who influences adults and teens to engage in pre-marital sex? †¢Why do they continuously engage in pre-marital sex with many different partners? †¢What reasonable advice can you give to the people who engage in pre-marital sex? Hypothesis We think that media exposure such as pornography is one of the factors why adults and teens are engaging into these kinds of unhealthy habits. Another factor is alcoholism, the more alcohol involved the higher the  possibility to engage in pre-marital sex because alcohol has often been considered to be a powerful facilitator. Parent’s lack of guidance for their children and bad influence from friends are also one of the main reasons why they engage into pre-marital sex. The usual results in engaging to it includes AIDS, HIVS, unwanted pregnancy, prostitution and repeat of sexual intercourse with others or â€Å"sex addict†. Scope and Limitation This study limits only the ages 13-25 within Paco Area. Theoretical Framework In order for the researchers to fully understand this case study, they adopted the Social Learning Theory proposed by Albert Bandura. Social Learning Theory The Social Learning Theory proposed by Albert Bandura becomes perhaps the most influential theory of learning and development. While rooted in many of the basic concepts of traditional learning theory, Bandura believed that direct reinforcement could not account for all types of learning. (Cherry, 2010) Social Learning Theory explains about how environmental and cognitive factors interact to influence human learning and behavior. It focuses on the learning that occurs within a â€Å"social context†. It considers that people learn from one another, including such concepts as observational learning, imitation, and modeling. (Abbott, 2007) This theory added a social element, arguing that people can learn new information and behaviors by watching other people. Known as observational learning (or modeling), this type of learning can be used to explain a wide variety of behaviors. (Cherry, 2010) In exploring the greater depth of this theory there are four types of concepts. First, i s people can learn through observations, second is mental states are important to learning, lastly, learning does not necessarily lead to change in behavior. (Bandura, 2007) Behavior can also influence both the environment and the person, this is called reciprocal causation. Each of the three variables: environment, person, behavior influence each other. (Bandura, 2007) This model shows an individual learner is affected by observing the environment, directly or indirectly. According to Bandura, people can learn and imitate behaviors they have observed in other people. But Bandura noted that external, environmental reinforcement was not the only factor to influence learning and behavior. He described intrinsic reinforcement as a form of internal reward, such as pride, satisfaction and sense of accomplishment. This emphasis on internal thoughts and cognitions helps connect learning theories to cognitive developmental theories. Moreover, while behaviorists believed that learning led to a permanent change in behavior, observational learning demonstrates that people can learn new information without demonstrating new behaviors. (Cherry, 2010) Self-efficiency means learners self-confidence towards learning. People are more likely to engage in certain behaviors when they believe they are capable of implementing those behaviors successfully, this mean that they have high self-efficacy. (Bandura, 2007) Self-regulation is when the individual has his own ideas about what is appropriate or inappropriate behavior and chooses action accordingly. There are several aspects of self-regulation. (Bandura, 2007) Modeling means doing what others do. There are different types of models. †¢Live model: and actual person demonstrating the behavior. †¢Symbolic model: a person or character portrayed in a medium such as television, videotape, computer programs, or a book. †¢Imitation: An individual uses another person’s behavior as a discriminative stimulus for an imitative response. The observer is then reinforced in some way for display imitation. An individual uses another person’s behavior as a discriminative stimulus for an imitative response. The observer is then reinforced in some way for display imitation. (Bandura, 2007) When your behavior is acceptable it is considered as â€Å"vicarious reinforcement†. When your behavior is unacceptable it is considered as â€Å"vicarious punishment†. (Bandura, 2007) Definition of Terms In order for the researchers to fully understand their study, they have used different terms and definition to be easily understood by the readers. These terms are established while doing the research and some are shared meanings by the participants and from other sources of the study. Abstinence the fact or practice of restraining oneself from indulging in something, typically alcohol. Abortion is the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo before viability. Adultery voluntary sexual relations between an individual who is married and someone who is not the individual’s spouse. Aids a disease in which there is a severe loss of the body’s cellular immunity, greatly lowering the resistance to infection and malignancy. Alcoholism an addiction to the consumption of alcoholic liquor or the mental illness and compulsive behavior resulting from alcohol dependency. Casual Sex/Premarital Sex is a sexual activity between two people who are not yet married. Chastity the practice of refraining from extramarital, or especially from all, sexual intercourse. Facilitator one that helps to bring about an outcome by providing indirect or unobtrusive assistance. HIV a condition in humans in which progressive failure of t he immune system allows life- threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive. Intimacy an intimate act, especially sexual intercourse. Lust very strong sexual desire. Oral Sex sexual activity in which the genitals of one partner are stimulated by the mouth of the other. Pleasure give sexual enjoyment or satisfaction to. Pornography is the portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purpose of sexual arousal. Prostitution the practice or occupation of engaging in sexual activity with someone for payment. Reproduction the production of offspring by a sexual or asexual process. Sex is the act of having sexual intercourse. Sex Addict is best described as a progressive intimacy disorder characterized by compulsive sexual thoughts and acts. Sexual Intercourse is chiefly the insertion and thrusting of a male’s penis, into a female’s vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. Taboo is a vehement prohibition of an action based on the belief that such behavior is too sacred for ordinary individuals to undertake, under threat of supernatural punishment.

A Guide to Social Climbing

Have you ever noticed that every school has cliques and that each clique has its own rules that determine whether you are accepted or rejected? For many students the clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ that they belong to will play a major role in who they are and what their schools days will be like. For this reason I believe it is of crucial importance that the younger generations of students are educated in the 3 tenets of coolness. By acquiring these skills, they will have a higher probability of growing up to become mature adults who suffer little or no emotional trauma, at the hassle of their peers. Depending on the category of school you attend and the area in which it is located, its social hierarchy may change. Nevertheless, typically the popular people are at the top, the losers at the bottom, and in between are several different classifications. Being conscious of where you belong is vital. It is easy to put yourself within a division, unless you understand complex nature of school cliques. The â€Å"losers† are at the bottom of the social ladder, forced to function outside of the cliquish system. No one truly wants to associate with them. The majority of students emotionally abuse the losers and use them as scapegoats. They're teased relentlessly and, as a result, are shy. Their shyness and quietness are a way of deflecting unwanted attention to themselves. But no matter how quiet they are, they often find themselves as the object of a cruel joke. Common characteristics here are quietness, low self esteem, â€Å"doormatish† behavior, unusual calmness, and homicidal impulses. Above the losers are Nerds. These teens average A's and maybe some B's. During lunch, in the corridors is where you'll find them. Usually them pretend to do school work but are actually playing computer games. And just in case a teacher walks by they utilize their ability to quickly change the computer screen from Space Invaders to an English Literature essay. If they are not, they find other things to occupy their time with that make the ‘preps' and ‘populars' laugh at them. If you have between thirty and forty friends, you are usually classified as a Prep, Preppy, or Lemming. Attending extra curricular activities such as basketball, student council, and debate team are in your record of achievements folder. This kind of student would probably do whatever it takes to maintain his or her reputation as supreme student; after all, it would go nicely in your certificate jammed record of achievements folder. So for your own selfish benefits you use your ability to pretend that you like someone, when in fact you hate them. For example, one minute you're sneering at the obese loser at the back of the classroom who always wears black and has the same pair of glasses as your grandmas. And then two minutes later you go back there and be buddy-buddy with him, while he does your math work for you. One thing to take note of is to not become an enemy. There is always the probability that this kid is secretly planning some mastermind scheme to arrive at school flying an Apache attack helicopter with twenty M-16 automatic rifles, which are to be used at his discretion for â€Å"peace settling purposes†. Therefore it would be wise to stay on their good side to make sure you are spared if this occurs. If you have fifty friends or more, you are at the top of the social ladder, in other words you are categorized as ‘popular'. These people are extremely unfriendly to anyone outside their highly exclusive clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. If an outsider tries to communicate with them, they are ignored or receive a pair of rolling eyes for their efforts. A populars daily routine includes gossiping about others and backstabbing. Now that you understand the complex behaviors and characteristics in which school cliques function, your next step is to understand the 3 tenets of coolness. These are based on guidelines of how to become cool: 1. Getting Dressed This is the most crucial aspect of fitting in. Mainly because in this day and age countless numbers of people will determine if you are worthy enough to say, â€Å"Hi† to them depending on your choice of apparel, rather than attempting to get to know you. Therefore if you want to get accepted among a certain clique you must dress like them. But being accepted is not just limited to clothing. This goes for hairstyles, music, movies, and hobbies. I doubt any self respecting wanna-be, such as yourself would hang out in the mall with their friends, who all have their hair died blonde, while you are still brunette. Eventually you are going to feel like the outsider and this type of attitude will stop you from being who you really are, which is a clone of your friends. So dress like your friends, but try to add some originality to your wardrobe, as this will help to gain attention. This actually leads on to my next point. 2. Getting Attention. Not only must you have a sense of originality and confidence to be cool, but you must also stand out from the herd. Part of this can be achieved through your sense of style and the rest is through your attitude. So the first thing to have is a killer pick up line, something to use when you try to meet someone at the coffee house or the record store. Something so suave so sophisticated, so irresistible that it's frightening. Try, â€Å"The only thing your eyes haven't told me is your name†, or † I bet you $20 dollars you're going to turn me down†. Practice these lines while raising one eyebrow and smiling out of the corner of your mouth. You may look around, but always keep one eye on your potential date, so that they know you mean business. This may not be appropriate in hospitals, libraries, and churches, but go with your instincts; after all you are tiring to be cool. 3. The Fonz Speaking of cool, it is universally known that Fonzie is cool. Therefore you should aim at making references to Fonzie at least five times in a conversation. You know, utilize his moves like the two thumbs up and the famous, â€Å"Ehhhhhhh†. So now that you have the basic knowledge of achieving coolness you are guaranteed to be accepted among any cliques in your school. After reading this article I hope that you will pass the three tenets of coolness down from generation to generation, so that your children (or future children) and their children can be equipped with the knowledge and skills, which are vital for social school survival.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Ecotourism in China Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Ecotourism in China - Term Paper Example Some of the core areas where ecotourism intends to operate are: facilitating environmental sustainability and ecological conservation of different types of habitats that may exist in a certain geographical region. In addition to this, ecotourism pre-dominantly accentuates upon the social aspects and dimensions of tourism, rather than focusing on acquiring commercial and monetary gains only. Different agendas and programs, which are launched and initiated under the banner of ecotourism policies, intend to launch schemes and awareness programs. By the help of these programs, they can educate and inform people at a massive level. This education looks at different ways through which people can play a proactive role in bettering their very own environment. At the same time, it also urges them to make efforts through which sustainable development of environment is possible. Case of Yixian valley and Ecotourism in China The Yixian Valley is located about 450 km from Shanghai, in the south o f Anhui Province and close to Huangshan. It’s famous for "Yellow Mountains", landscapes and pleasant weather. This valley is a member of the global network of UNESCO Geoparks. By the end of 2004, benefiting from very high investments, the region implemented 290 projects in eight key programs. These programs were aimed at the development of ecotourism, organic farming, and preservation of scenic beauty, energy enhancement, water work industry, development planning and transport. The key selection criteria due to which Yixian has been selected, is the fact that it is one of those places in the country where some serious and high level efforts for the development of ecotourism have taken place in recent years. This place has also been a centre of ecotourism investment, even for... The paper describes some of the fundamental organizations which are playing a proactive part and role in ensuring the sustainability of ecotourism in China. An important company to mention in this context is Wild China. This company was founded in 2000 by entrepreneur Zhang Mei, a Chinese native of Yunnan Province, who was educated in the United States. The company decided to help the government of the province to develop its tourist economy while preserving the beauty of places and cultures. Since its founding, Wild China is naturally oriented towards ecotourism. It started by organizing custom tours for individual travelers and has always proposed routes outside areas traditionally popular with mass tourism. It deliberately started its operations in the western provinces, such as Qinghai and Gansu, where no one was operational in 2000. At that time, all agencies were facing east, the most developed region of China. From the very beginning, the company only worked with local guides, train and paying tourists. It was a revolution since many guides in China are poorly paid and are forced to pay commissions to stores from where they take groups. It also marketed on saving paper by printing brochures on recycled paper and refraining from using plastic in its operations. In places like Beijing, they tried to take tourists to areas less frequented and organized meals with the residents, as well as the traditional tai-chi workshops. Since then, that unique business proposition of Wild China has been copied! For them, the goal is not to "make China" but to meet Chinese people.

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Jihad in Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Jihad in Islam - Essay Example In any case, as various studies show, the interpretation of jihad as a call to use violence against all non-Muslims is unfounded (Ali & Rehman 2005). The fact is that the main source of this concept is the Qur’an. In turn, the study of the Qur’an makes it possible to understand that Islam focuses primarily on the spiritual struggle with one’s own passions and vices, while physical violence is seen as an extreme measure, which may be applied only in exceptional cases. In addition, despite the conventional wisdom, Islam can be seen as a much more peaceful religion compared for example with Christianity since Christianity demonstrates very careful attention to the concept of a just war and offers a much clearer conception of it than Islam. This paper analyzes the concept of jihad and provides its comparative analysis with the concept of holy war presented in Christianity. As noted above, a number of theologians, including Muslim ones, insist that jihad involves aggressive and violent methods of struggle for the Islamic faith. In particular, Professor Roda Mushkat (cited in Ali & Rehman 2005) insists on the idea that Islamic law enjoins Moslems to maintain a State of permanent belligerence with all non-believers, collectively encompassed in the dar al-harb, the domain of war. The Muslims are, therefore, under a legal obligation to reduce non-Muslim communities to Islamic rule in order to achieve Islam’s ultimate objective, namely the enforcement of God’s law (the Sharia) over the entire world. The instrument by which the Islamic state is to carry out that objective is called the jihad (popularly known as the ‘holy war’) and is always just, if waged against the infidels and the enemies of the faith. In turn, according to other contemporary Muslim theologians, who refer to the views of their predecessors, there are several types of jihad. In particular, it is believed that the Qur’an presents the

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Business Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 24

Business Law - Essay Example dismissing the contract because they no longer have confidence in Lewis to continue with the business because he does not have sufficient equipment, but they will still win so long as they demonstrate that there is an existing law, which is related to the issue of market price. In addition, the court may not be able to grant a summary of judgment if both parties dispute against a material fact. In this case, Lewis can defend himself by providing evidence that such law does not exist, or that it affect their contract, if it exists (Jorgensen 250). Both Nine Mile Mine and Lewis can defend their position; in support of the motion or opposition of the motion respectively, by use of information obtained during the initial stages of the proceedings, such as answers to interrogatories, deposition testimony, and answers to wishes for production. In addition, the disputing parties can use affidavits from experts to oppose or support the motion. If any parties lose on the judgment, then they are free to seek appeal, though the chances of overturning summary judgments on appeal are extremely rare (Jorgensen

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Exhibit Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Exhibit - Assignment Example Consequently, it gives a description of the relationship exhibited between the five art works and how they are related to the exhibition theme, which is War. This exhibition will entail a scenario where artworks depicting effects of war, beginning from the world war would be placed next to each other; however, it the first artwork that will be presented will describe events that occur just before war. The arrangement of all the five artworks is made in a more chronological manner. This is considered one of the most creative artwork in London; it was created by Walter Bayes in 1918. It shows a scenario of the underworld who sought refuge in a Tube-like station in London, when it was raided through air, hence making it relevant to the exhibition theme. It is an effective representation of the consequences of war and how it affects grass root community as depicted in this picture (The underworld society are left homeless and have sought refuge in a Tube-like station). Just like the above art exhibitions, this piece narrates an event of World War I as it happened in London This art work, which is a photograph represents the effects of war in Africa, specifically, the Central African Republic. It shows a soldier, captured after being suspected to belong to a former rebel group. The photograph was taken by Issouf Sanogo. Unlike the first art work exhibited in this discussion, this is art work is referred as a photograph usually created by cameras that take instant images. The first art work is a drawing made by hand and may usually take longer periods of time to create. Similarly to the third exhibition, this artwork represents the effects of war. It was created by John Singer in 1919 to exhibit how Western Front soldiers suffered an attack through the use of Mustard Gas. In addition, this piece was meant to show the magnitude of bravery as it was shown by the Soldiers who lost their lives from the Mustard gas as well as those who survived. The relevance of this

Monday, September 9, 2019

Research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 14

Research paper - Essay Example This implies that racist organizations, as well as other antisocial organizations, exploit Internet to achieve their objectives. Social media networks are widely being used propagate vilification and hostility against other groups. In most cases, cyber-racism and hate speech in social media networks are characterized by cultural and ethnic divides. Although the Internet has revolutionized many areas of the human society, it also has far-reaching negative consequences when abused, misused or used without proper guidance. Dixit and Green (188) assert that the Internet is one of the platforms through which people propagate racial violence. It is observable that people can freely interact and express their views on the Internet without jurisdiction or geographical restriction. However, this freedom has not been accompanied by the responsibilities that it deserves. For this reason, cyber racists have seriously abused that freedom. Such groups often use the Internet as the avenue in which to unleash hostile sentiments against whom they consider detestable or unwelcome. In many cases, the groups or individuals that have been attacked do not take such prejudice kindly. They are likely to respond to such negativity in a similar negative manner or with a higher degree of counter-retaliatory abuse. Ultimately, it is easy to observe that the Internet is a potential battlefield for racist groups. It is also an avenue for extending extreme ideologies that result in social divide. Sexism is another largely contested consequence of the Internet usage. Sexism refers to the discrimination against women. It could be true that men and women have equal access to the Internet globally (Szoka and Marcus 69). However, the same cannot be said about online experiences of both sexes. It this case, women face a wider spectrum of discrimination. The discrimination is in many cases, multifaceted and to a greater extent

Sunday, September 8, 2019

First Degree Murder Overview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

First Degree Murder Overview - Essay Example On that point, the degree of murder entails the whether the murder was carried out directly or indirectly. On the contrary, in this particular paper we delve into the study of the first degree murder in detail for instance the factors that fuel murder among other issues. In addition to that, the subsequent section will serve to analyse the criminal laws pertaining to the first degree murder. First and foremost, first degree murder can be defined as the killing of an individual unlawfully which may be both out of will or premeditated. Apparently, most countries in the world follow the concept of felony murder. On that note, the perpetrator of the act are usually categorised as arson, burglary, kidnapping, rape and robbery. Notably, in a bid to solve the cases pertaining to the first degree murder, it is essential to study some of the key elements that serve to describe the case. Firstly, the elements are wilfulness, premeditation and deliberation. Moreover, this may differ from one country to the other. On that note, some countries may also include malice aforethought in the elements of these kinds of cases. Furthermore, in some cases the case is usually declared as a first degree murder without the need to look into the intention and deliberation of the perpetrator. In contradiction, in some state, murder cases are not usually categorised based on degrees but classify t hem based on priorities given to the case, in other words top level murder crime among other. Evidently, since intent has been named as one of the elements of first order crime, we are going to elaborate on the fact. Apparently, this is the willingness of the murderer to end another person’s life. Notably, a case is usually classified as a first degree murder case, if the perpetrator had beyond reasonable doubt intent to end the victim’s life. It is worth noting that, even if the murderer mistakenly murdered another

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Heartsaver EAD Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Heartsaver EAD - Personal Statement Example My goals in taking this training were to learn basic lifesaving skills. These included CPR techniques for both adults and children, using barrier devices to conduct CPR, and how to stop someone from choking. I also wished to learn the signs of severe medical emergencies such as cardiac arrest, choking, heart attack, and stroke. I also wanted to learn about the Heartsaver AED, which is also known as an automated external defibrillator. I learned that it delivers a shock to the heart and can save the life of someone who is suffering from a heart attack, as well as learning how to use it. I wanted to be fully prepared to use the device in case I am ever in a situation where someone's life around me depends on it. Also, I wanted to polish my CPR skills. Learning these things was, to me, a way to show my community that I care about their safety and health and want to do my part to help protect it. It is difficult to pick a principle or two that stands out from the others, because they are all equally important to me. It does not matter if a person is having a heart attack or if they are choking: they still need someone fully trained to step in and save their life. I liked this course since I found that it taught me first aid on the four major life-threatening emergencies. References Heartsaver AED. (2008). American Heart Association. Retrieved February 18, 2008, from

Friday, September 6, 2019

The Benefits of Reading Essay Example for Free

The Benefits of Reading Essay Reading is the best thing we can do for ourselves. Not only does reading enrich our lives, it can also enrich the world around us. It has been stated that, â€Å"The more you read, the better you get at it; the better you get at it, the more you like it; the more you like it, the more you do it. And the more you read, the more you know; the more you know, the smarter you grow†. The benefits of reading last a lifetime. Reading well affects a person’s academic and professional success. However, it has been found that Malaysians do not read enough. Many students do not read beyond the materials of the school curriculum. With the existence of television and the advancement of computers with the internet, books have taken a backseat. The young today prefers sprouting roots in front of the television, surfing the internet or playing console games. Many perceive reading as a chore rather than pleasure. There is a need to bring back the creative culture of reading among Malaysians. Since the birth of our nation in 1957, there have been numerous campaigns held to encourage the reading habit among Malaysians because our government knows that only an educated and knowledgeable nation can climb up the ladder of success. However, campaigns launched to encourage reading are unable to achieve much as progress cannot be seen in the short time limit. Reading is the habit that has to be ingrained and inculcated from young. An environment that encourages reading needs to be created by parents in the home. Research has shown that the early years in a child’s life have the highest rates in forming and establishing the habit of reading. Habits formed at a young age will stay with them for a long time. Thus, parents and teachers should teach the young to appreciate and enjoy reading beyond their school text books. The reading time should not be turned into a task but into a pleasurable and enthralling experience. The benefits of reading are many. Reading fiction materials can transport the reader to another world and provides relaxation. It has a therapeutic effect as it stimulates the right side of the brain to the beauty and rhythm of language which has the ability to calm and relax us. Leisure reading can lead to an input of language acquisition as well as language competence. Through carefully graded and selected reading materials learners can gain a wide range of vocabulary and good expressions, thereby improving their language skills. In general, those who have more literacy in English reads more. Teachers and lecturers of higher institution of learning are appalled when students or undergraduates cannot even comprehend reading passages or communicate their thoughts. The drop in the standard of English is definitely due to lack of reading materials in English. Reading is a profitable pursuit in which we can obtain beneficial insights and knowledge. Hence, Malaysians cannot ignore the habit of reading. The habit needs to be exercised and allow to flow from a regular routine. Then, only with literate and educated citizens can our nation succeed and be raised to greater heights. After all, â€Å"A nation that reads, is a nation that succeeds. †

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Japanese animation and how its been influenced by American culture in the 20th century

Japanese animation and how its been influenced by American culture in the 20th century Introduction In this essay I shall investigate to what extent twentieth century American culture has influenced Japanese animation. I shall examine the history of Japanese film, paying close attention to the rise of animation as an independent art form; determine what facets of American culture have appeared and influenced Japanese animation, including language, pop culture and consumerism; present two case studies of Japanese animated productions that adhere to the American influence; and draw conclusions from my findings. For my research I shall be referencing literature on Japanese animation, American culture and film history. The case studies shall consist of films by Osamu Tezuka and Mamoru Oshii. History of Japanese Animation The Japanese film industry was born out of the fascination with Edisons Kinetoscope. The Kinetoscope had been first shown in New York in 1894, and two years later the Japanese imported several to their cities. This was a period of celebration and novelty as the Sino-Japanese war had been won in 1895 with Japan forcing the Chinese invasion out of Korea; proving that Japan could adjust to the modern civilization [sic] which less than fifty years earlier had arrived knocking at the closed gates of the country in the person of Commodore Perry. It was the reign of Emperor Meiji, spanning 44 years from 1868 to 1912, which welcomed an era of rapid commercial expansion. In 1897, the Lumià ¨re brothers Cinà ©matographe arrived with a mixed bill of films including Baignade en Mer and LArrivà ©e dun Train en Gare. This was followed by the Edison Vitascope and its films The Death of Mary Queen of Scots and Feeding Pigeons. These innovative projectors were extremely popular with the Japanese, including the future Emperor Taisho. The public were arriving in their thousands to watch these films and continued to do so for another twenty years. Throughout this period the Japanese were importing films from Europe and the United States. It was only in 1912 that Japan founded its first production company; Nikkatsu Motion Picture Company. Established as an independent company under the title Japan Cinematograph Company, Nikkatsu started mass distribution and production of films in the 1920s. This meant that Japan was still dependant on films produced in the West to exhibit in its cinemas in the 1910s. During the First World War (1914-1918) European films were unavailable and to fill the void Japan began to heavily import films from Hollywood. One particular film that was to change the way the Japanese read film narrative was D.W. Griffiths 1916 feature, Intolerance. Perhaps the director nost influenced by Griffith in this early period of Japanese film was Norimasa Kaeriyama. Kaeriyama introduced advanced film technique into Japan and helped establish the Film Record, the countrys first motion picture magazine. His films were heavily inspired by the Hollywood narrative structure and were dedicated to: the introduction of long-, medium-, and close-shots, together with editing principles; the conversion to realistic acting; and the use of actresses in womens roles instead of oyama (oyama impersonators were previously used instead of actresses for female roles). After the death of Emperor Taisho in 1926 Japans new Emperor, Showa (Hirohito), began to reject the liberal attitudes towards Western influence of his predecessor. There was more emphasis on creating greater armies and a more powerful navy than building diplomatic relations. Before the Great Depression rocked the United States and Europe, Japan had already suffered; this was accelerated by the population boom across the country. Japan now put emphasis into its manufacturing and exportation of goods. Japans foreign policy had become one of aggressive expansion; they had seized control of the railways in Shandong, China, but were forced to withdraw after China boycotted Japanese exports. There was unrest in the country as labour unions were growing and dissatisfaction bred. Strikes and boycotts were rife, and this was reflected in the films of the time. Period drama films afforded the public the luxury of escapism while, on the other end of the scale, left-wing tendency films that soug ht to encourage, or fight against, a given social tendency played to the nation. This period of filmmaking in Japan proved that the industry had grown up from its humble origins and was establishing its own themes. The influx of the talkies from Hollywood finally pushed Japanese filmmakers to produce their own sound filmes. In the early 1930s sound became the norm for Japanese productions and therefore pushed the boundaries of the industry; allowing directors such as Teinosuke Kinugasa to create lavish dramas that were adored by the public. Suddenly the door was open for filmmakers to adapt historic tales dramatically. These dramas were singled out by the Emperor who saw them as an important tool to boost the nations morale, showing the masses how important history was; and how important it was to actually make their own history. The second Sino-Japanese war was not unexpected. The film industry had to develop the skills to produce the war genre. The first Japanese war movie was Tomotaka Tasakas 1938 feature, Five Scouts (Gonin no Sekkohei). It is interesting to note that this film does not include the pride, nationalism or propaganda that was being released in the United States, Britain or Ger many. The story dealt with the lives of five soldiers caught up in a battle that they know they must fight. This narrative development of character over plot is still used in modern cinema, most recently in Sam Mendes Jarhead (2005). After the destruction of the Second World War, Japan was forced to rebuild as a nation. The Emperor saw the need to keep the cinemas open (at least those that still remained). Production continued, some unfinished films were abandoned due to their military narrative, and projects that had been discarded before the outbreak of war were completed. The occupying Allied interim government announced a list of prohibited subjects, these included militarism, revenge, nationalism, religious or racial discrimination, feudal loyalty, suicide, cruelty, exploitation of children and opposition to the occupation. Editorial power had been taken away from the filmmakers and left with a foreign military presence. Out of this period two important directors were to emerge; Kurosawa and Kinoshita.In 1950, Akira Kurosawas Rashomon was released. The film introduced new ideas to Japanese, and world, cinema. It was the first film to use flashbacks that disagreed with the action they were flashing back to. I t supplied first-person eyewitness accounts that differed radically; one of which came from beyond the grave. The final scene saw no Hollywood resolution with three self-confessed killers and no explanation. His later films included Seven Samurai (Shichinin no samurai) (1954), The Hidden Fortress (Kakushi-toride no san-akunin) (1958) and Yojimbo (1961). Keisuke Kinoshita directed Japans first colour film in 1951 with Carmen Comes Home (Karumen kokyo ni kaeru). Kinoshitas work is much lighter than that of Kurosawa and his influences seem to come from French comedies; most notably in the two Carmen movies featuring the stripper-with-a-heart-of-gold Carmen. Both these and other films explore the need for a character to leave the countryside and head to the new cities. This was echoed in Japans successful attempts to join the United Nations in 1956. In 1958 the first cartoon feature from Japan was released from the Toei studios. Panda and the Magic Serpent (Hakuja den) was directed by Kazuhiko Okabe and Taiji Yabushita and tells of two lovers in ancient China who must battle evil to find happiness. The film combines bizarre supernatural sequences, psychedelic montages and instantly likeable songs. Even though it can be argued that this is the Japanese interpretation of Disneys 1940 classic Fantasia, Panda and the Magic Serpent heralds the beginning of the Japanese animation industry (anime). Anime is the term used to describe Japanese animation. Since the 1950s Japan has been at the forefront of not only producing animation but is a world-leader in comic book art, or Manga. It is best described by Gilles Poitras: Anime (pronounced ah-nee-may), as defined by common non-Japanese fan usage, is any animation made in Japan. In Japan, the word simply means animation. While anime is sometimes erroneously referred to as a genre, it is in reality an art form that includes all the genres found in cinema or literature, from heroic epics and romances to science fiction and comedy. Whereas anime is what people would refer to as cartoons, Manga is the illustrated storyboards that the reader animates in his or her head. The fact that Manga is read by a whole cross-section of society is notable because it is; simply too fascinating, colorful [sic], and rich a literary medium to be left solely to children. The 1960s saw a host of anime films released. In The Enchanted Monkey (Saiyu-ki), directed by Daisaku Shirakawa, Taiji Yabushita and Osamu Tezuka in 1960, the story is a retelling of part of the epic Chinese classic, The Journey to the West, written by Wu Cheng-En in the sixteenth century. This technique of updating early stories was a popular theme in anime and is still used today. However, it was not only the cinema that was releasing anime productions. Japanese television aired Mighty Atom (Tetsuwan Atomu) from 1963 to 1966. Mighty Atom was the creation of Dr Osamu Tezuka, an influential figure in the early development of Manga. It was the first animated series produced by Tezukas television and film production company, Mushi Studios. The initial episode was shown as a television special on New Years Eve (one of the most widely viewed evenings on Japanese television) and became an instant success. When the series was shown in the United States the characters name was changed to As troboy due to DC Comics already owning a character called The Mighty Atom. The series proved to be extremely popular with children, and sparked controversy amongst parents who, even though the translation was greatly softened and sometimes edited for juvenile audiences, complained that the often dark subject matter was not suitable for impressionable young minds. Some episodes exhibited increasingly dreamlike and surreal imagery. This argument still persists today with the debate on whether graphic violence in cartoons (or anime) can prove detrimental to a young audience. The 1970s was a time of consolidation for the animation studios. The worldwide popularity of anime had afforded hundreds of studios to be set up to produce a plethora of films and television series. The moon landing in 1969 fired the imagination of the world with more emphasis on science fiction; and that is what the audience wanted. Fans of anime, or otaku, from around the world demanded new productions from these studios, and in turn the studios delivered new and advanced films. Otaku derives from the Chinese character for house and the honorific prefix o-. This translates as your honourable house. It is an extremely polite way of saying you when addressing another person in conversation; the writer Akio Nakamori proposed that the term be applied to the fans themselves. Another interpretation, as used by the Japanese media, is that of extreme fixation, which is probably closer to the truth. Either way it is the fans of anime that have been the driving force behind its success. In 1971 an animator directed 24 episodes of an anime series called Lupin III (Rupan sansei). It was the start of a very important career for perhaps the most important animator to come out of Japan. This man was Hayao Miyazaki. The series ran from 1971 to 1972 and was so successful that a number of sequels were made as well as theatrical releases. Lupin III describes the life of gang members in 1970s society. The action targeted the adult audience with its violence, sex, dark humour and contemporary soundtrack. Eight years later Miyazaki went on to direct The Castle of Cagliostro (Rupan sansei: Kariosutoro no shiro). The film is a continuation of the Lupin franchise that started with the television series in 1971. The emphasis is on the characters rather than the plot; a trait that Miyazaki develops over the course of his career. Even though the film is far from being one of the best examples of anime from the 1970s, the pace, comedy and willingness to show anti-heroes captures the f eeling of the decade. Another example of an anime series that became global was Gatchaman Science Ninjas (Kagaku ninja tai Gatchaman). This series originally ran from 1972 to 1974 in Japan before being renamed Battle of the Planets when it aired in the United States in 1978. Yet again the re-dubbed, re-edited version was toned down for the Western audience, so much so that the series was moved from Earth to outer space; sequences with a robot (7-Zark-7) were added to patch the safer storylines together, make up for the lost (edited) footage and jump on the Star Wars R2-D2 bandwagon; exploding planes and ships were always robot-controlled and Spectra forces constantly ejected. The original Gatchaman series introduced characters that had feelings and motivation; there was character development and ongoing sub-plots. They sought revenge, felt jealousy and fear, had relationships, and got hurt. The villains were unabashedly evil, not misguided. The heroes didnt always win, at least not completely.It was as if the West was still not ready to embrace anime and Manga as an art form that was acceptable for adults to enjoy. Anime was still widely seen as cartoons for children in the 1970s. The Japanese animation industry went from strength to strength in the 1980s. It was the decade that saw the Western world finally succumb to the power of anime. This was a two-pronged attack; a Manga pincer movement. For those that still believed animation was for children there was the extraordinary global phenomenon that was Transformers, and for those that were looking for an alternative cult classic there was Akira. In 1984, American toy manufacturer Hasbro bought the rights to produce transforming robots from Japanese company Takara. To bolster the sales of their new line Hasbro decided to use anime as the frontline attack on the target audience (children). The result was the extremely successful Transformer series. This series led to the production of the 1986 feature film, Transformers: The Movie. This was the first real evidence of American culture, in its consumer form, influencing Japanese animation. In stark contrast of the animation-as-advert, Katsuhiro Ôtomo directed the 1988 classic Akira. The film was soon to become a benchmark for anime in Japan, and across the world. This was a film that was aimed at adults with dark, subversive themes. The futuristic settings of Neo-Tokyo were apocalyptic and tinged with doom. After Akira it was widely accepted that anime was not just for children. The 1990s saw anime reach mass appeal as the release of such films as Patlabor (Kidà ´ keisatsu patorebà ¢) (1990), Patlabor II (Kidà ´ keisatsu patorebà ¢ 2) (1993) and Ghost in the Shell (Kà ´kaku kidà ´tai) (1995) by Mamoru Oshii found an international audience; Hideaki Anno and Kazuya Tsurumakis 1997 feature End of Evangelion (Shin seiki Evangelion Gekijà ´-ban: Air) followed on where the original Japanese television series left off; and of course Hayao Miyazakis Crimson Pig (Kurenai no buta) (1992) and Princess Mononoke (Mononoke-hime) (1997). The American influence was still rife as the toy industry, in particular the computer and video game market, provided the plotlines to a number of films and television series including Street Fighter II: The Movie (1994), Battle Arena Toshinden (1997) and the original series of the next big thing, Pokà ©mon (1998 onwards). In 1999, Michael Haigney and Kunihiko Yuyama directed the feature length version of the popular Pokà ©mon ser ies; Pokà ©mon: The First Movie. Whereas the 1980s saw Transformers flood the childrens market, the beginning of the new millennium saw the Japanese revenge. Pokà ©mon originally began as a video game, on the Nintendo Gameboy: The Pokà ©mon game was the platform for the Pokà ©mon brand to kick-start what would become the worlds largest success story in the game-licensing card-collecting business. The video game gave the characters identities, the collection cards gave them powers, the movie added life to the brand, and word-of-mouth spread the news. The Pokà ©mon invasion is still evident nearly ten years later as the television series is still in production, with two feature film sequels having followed the original cinematic release. The consumerism powers of America had truly influenced anime. American Cultural Invasion The cultural invasion from the West began in earnest at the turn of the twentieth century. Japans industrial revolution had been slow to start but quickly gathered momentum. By 1890 there were two hundred large steam factories where twenty years earlier there had been none; steamship tonnage increased from 15,000 to over 1,500,000 tons in the period between 1893 and 1905; and by 1896 things Western were in full fashion derbies or straw boaters were worn with formal kimono, the big gold pocket-watch was tucked into the obi, and spectacles, whether needed or not, were esteemed as a sign of learning. Ironically, the period when Japan found itself bowing down to the pressure of American influence was directly after fighting a war against it. When the atom bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki it was not just the radiation that remained in Japan. Any country that has been invaded will always have traces of the invaders culture embedded into the normal life of its habitants. The All ied (most notably the American) control of Japan directly after the war was to allow Western influences to develop into the Japanese way of life. This influence was both highly visual as well as subliminal. America saw the clandestine operations there were not only as part of an effort to defeat Japan but also as the opening wedge for post-war Southeast Asia. The Japanese were suspicious of the Western approach to education and the governing of their homeland. The Occupation, they thought, had destroyed traditional Japanese virtues and unleashed a wave of selfishness and egotism. In an interview with the elderly president of a real estate company in Oita City, author Jeffrey Broadbent discovered the feelings of the former owbers of the land: Due to American influence, the heart of our people has been lost our way of thinking that, if its good for the progress of the whole, its good to sacrifice yourself The Japanese strength from group unity has been lost. The other side of the coi n is the very noticeable, consumer-led American cultural assault on Japan.The way in which American culture has seeped into the Japanese way of life is what Koichi Iwabuchi writes as: strategies that incorporate the viewpoint of the dominated, who long ago learned to negotiate Western culture in their consumption of media products imported fro the West. Depending on the viewpoint of the individual, culture and life in Japan, and especially that in the densely populated areas, are influenced by the same commercial culture that defines the American way of life today. Japanese streets are now littered with the flashing neon signs that are found (admittedly all over the world) adorning the pavements of any American town or city. Western branding has left its mark on Japan. The American phenomenon of the fast-food culture such as McDonalds, Burger King, Dunkin Donuts, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Baskin-Robbins, and other outlets dominate the Japanese urbanscape more than in America. As a mat ter of fact the first Disneyland outside the United States was built in Japan. Even when taking into consideration the immense popularity of Japanese culture (for example, the growth of Yo! Sushi restaurants in the UK) and the Wests embracing of Eastern philosophies (in this case Shinto and Buddhism), it is safe to say that Japanese culture has been more extensively shaped by its American counterpart than vice versa. If it is indeed true that Japans exports of products and manufactured goods far outweighs its imports, then it is also true that Japan imports vastly more information about or from the United States than the other way round. Japan is today regarded as one of the leading powers in the world especially in the representation of its national media; the Japanese population of more than 120 million people and its economic wealth make the Japanese audiovisual market, along with that of the United States, one of the only two self-sufficient markets in the world. However, this does not mean that foreign popular culture is no longer consumed in Japan; American popular culture has continued to strongly influence and saturate Japan. Japan is one of the biggest buyers of Hollywood movie and many Japanese television formats and concepts are also deeply influenced by and borrowed from American programmes; yet the format is quite often changed to make it more suitable to a Japanese audience: What was marked as foreign and exotic yesterday can become familiar today and traditionally Japanese tomorrow. Kosaku Yoshino writes that although Japan has developed a relative maturity of its cultural industries, it still hasnt fo und itself fully expanding on the exportation of its television programming and films to other regions of the world. This unexportability of Japanese media can be explained by the term cultural discount: A particular programme rooted in one culture and thus attractive in that environment will have a diminished appeal elsewhere as viewers find it difficult to identify with the style, values, beliefs, institutions and behavioural patterns of the material in question. Included in the cultural discount are reductions in appreciation due to dubbing or subtitling. The biggest media products that the Japanese have managed to export, despite cultural discount, is Manga and anime; but is this due to American cultural influences shaping the genre into a more Western-friendly medium? Case Study 1 Alakazam the Great (Saiyu-ki) The first example of a Japanese animation that has been influenced by American culture is the 1960 feature, The Enchanted Monkey (Saiyu-ki), directed by Daisaku Shirakawa, Taiji Yabushita and Osamu Tezuka for Toei Studios. It was released in America as Alakazam the Great in an attempt to win a bigger audience by moving away from the emphasis of the ancient Eastern tale, the story is a retelling of part of the epic Chinese classic The Journey to the West (Xiyouji), written by Wu Cheng-En in the sixteenth century. The title name-change and the subsequent character name-changes point to the influence that America held over Japanese culture at the time. The original story chronicles the many encounters of Sanzo, a monk who travels from China to India to obtain a copy of the original Buddhist scriptures to bring back to his country and teach the purity of Siddhartas original messages. In Osamu Tezukas film the star of the show is not Sanzo but Son Goku, the monkey king. Son Guko is a tale nted but arrogant warrior that is sent on a journey by Buddha to learn the virtues of humility and compassion. However, when re-dubbed and released in the United States the characters changed. Sanzo became Prince Amat and turns out to be the son of Buddha. Buddha in turn is named King Amo, Sir Quigley (Pigze), Lulipopo (Sandy), and Son Goku is renamed the titular Alakazam. Considering the fact that the storyline was centuries old there is more than a passing resemblance between the character of Alakazam (Son Guko) and the way in which Japan was seen by the rest of the world. In the tale the protagonist is king of his surroundings (Japan in the late 1930s and early 1940s) before he discovers the existence of a people that are more powerful than him. In an attempt to beat them he sneaks into their world and begins a pre-emptive strike against them (Pearl Harbour attack). He is then disciplined by a greater being (America) before being allowed to continue his journey under the agreement that he learns from his mistakes (the Occupation and the subsequent acceptance into the United Nations). I believe the fact that Tezuka decided to use the story to create this, the third Japanese feature length animation, demonstrates an understanding of the ever present American dominance over Japan. The aesthetics of the production borrow from the American animations of the time. In the post-war period it was evident that the biggest influence on the explosion of Manga style artwork came from the imports of European and American comic books and animation. The most famous being the work from the studios of Walt Disney. Osamu Tezuka was originally a Manga artist before he became involved with anime. His style and technique was heavily influenced by Disney (he admitted to watching Bambi 80 times and Snow White 50 times). The studio that he worked for, Toei, strived for that same cross-cultural, cross-generational appeal of Disney, albeit using more Asian scenarios. Considering that he had studied Disneys Bambi to the point of obsession it is not surprising to learn that Tezuka noted how Bambis childish attributes, such as his big eyes and large head, were an ideal way of conveying complex emotions. The influence of the West is truly evident in this film, and many that followed it. Case Study 2 Ghost in the Shell (Kà ´kaku kidà ´tai) (1995) The second film I am looking at in detail is Ghost in the Shell (Kà ´kaku kidà ´tai) (1995), directed by Mamoru Oshii. It is widely accepted that anime has been inspired by a number of different factors that draws simultaneously on medieval Japanese traditions, on American cyberpunk styles, and on an imagery of ethnic and cultural mixture (of the sort envisioned in Blade Runner) that never quite evokes any specific human society, but that in various ways hints of the American dream of a multicultural society and suggests the extent to which the American science fiction film has become a key narrative type for much of contemporary culture. This cyberpunk culture has been lapped up by the Japanese and features heavily in Manga and anime. Perhaps the most famous writers and contributors to this particular genre are William Gibson, author of the cult Neuromancer and Philip K. Dick, author of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the novel that was the basis of the 1982 classic Blade Ru nner. Both these writers provided a futuristic world that could be further advanced by the medium of animation. The plot of Ghost in the Shell parallels Neuromancer very closely, except that rather than an artificial intelligence seeking to be free by merging with its better half, an artificial life form (the Puppet Master) seeks to free itself by merging with the protagonist (cyborg Major Motoko Kusangi). Developing similar themes to Gibson and Dick, Oshiis interest in mankinds over-reliance on technology is brought to a logical conclusion in Ghost in the Shell, which foregrounds fundamental questions about what it is to be human in an increasingly computerised cyberworld, where a computer programme gains sentience and also questions its own function in the acquisition of power, autonomy and longevity. In Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and later Blade Runner the plot and characterisation are centred on the struggle to determine what is human and what is machine. It can be argued that Neuromancer borrows from modern Eastern culture as the locale is set in Japan, however, it is the significance of the characters rather than the setting that has cemented it as a science-fiction classic. In Dicks novel, the opening image of the book, comparing nature to technology, sets the tone of this narrative. The protagonist, Case is a combination of man and machine; a now common trait amongst Cyberpunk literature and animation.It is this imagery that Oshii has borrowed from the West that has provided the background to his work; Blade Runner has been labelled as one of the finest examples of post-noir with its anti-heroes, atmospheric lighting and dark storylines, and Oshii replicates this in his film. He uses sound, and in particular the score written by Kenji Kawais to achieve an emotional response from the viewer that is a million miles from any Disney cartoon. He presents Ghost in the Shell with the feeling of a bona fide film noir that just happens to be an anime production. As such Oshii has admittedly borrowed American ideas, themes and culture but he has formed his own creative style out of it. He uses the medium not only to entertain but to put forward questions of morality to an audience that are not treated like children: Oshii develops the form by refusing innocence and indifference, insisting upon only the maturity of the medium. Indeed, while in an accessible, orthodox model, it only advances the case further that all animation is in some sense experimental, even within populist forms. Conclusion From my research I have drawn the conclusion that Japanese animation has indeed been influenced by twentieth century American culture. This has happened side by side with the country as a whole accepting elements of Western popular culture. As early as the beginning of the century under the leadership of Emperor Meiji Japan began to embrace the West after years of being an insular island race. It was immediately after the end of the Second World War, when Japan was occupied by the Americans under General MacArthur from 1945 to 1951, that the floodgates opened. American control influenced education, culture and general living. Whereas the older generation saw this as Japan losing its heart the younger generation thought of it as a fresh start. This is evident in Japans rise to power in the 1960s onwards. The Feudal system of Japan that had reigned until 1868 had been disregarded; the way of the samurai had been supplanted by the power of the microchip. The nation had taken on board Am erican culture and adjusted it for their own purpose. This ability to progress with outside influences paved the way for animators such as Kazuhiko Okabe, Taiji Yabushita, Osamu Tezuka, Hayao Miyazaki, Katsuhiro Ôtomo and Mamoru Oshii. It is worthy of note that it has not completely been one-way traffic. The Japanese animators have been influenced by American culture (Disney, comic books, Cyberpunk, etc.) but in turn the Americans, and the West, have imported attributes specifically found in Manga and anime. The creative team behind The Matrix trilogy, Andy and Larry Wachowski, are Japanese anime fans and were the driving force behind the 2003 animated film The Animatrix. Advertising agencies in the United States have also picked up on the popularity of anime with the Coca Cola group producing the Obey Your Thirst Voltron campaign, combining anime and hip-hop to sell Sprite.Sales of Manga comics and picture novels in North America grew over 40 per cent to $140 million in 2004. This trend was also boosted when director Hayao Miyazaki won the Oscar for Best A