Monday, September 30, 2019

Carrie Chapter Thirteen

She had done it; that was enough; she was satisfied. (maybe he'll fall in love with her) She looked up as if someone had spoken from the hallway, a startled smile curving her lips. That would be a fairy-tale ending, all right. The Prince bends over the Sleeping Beauty, touches his lips to hers. Sue, I don't know how to tell you this but The smile faded. Her period was late. Almost a week late. And she had always been as regular as an almanac. The record changer clicked; another record dropped down. In the sudden, brief silence, she heard something within her turn over. Perhaps only her soul. It was nine-fifteen. Billy drove to the far end of the parking lot and pulled into a stall that faced the asphalt ramp leading to the highway. Chris started to get out and he jerked her back. His eyes glowed ferally in the dark. ‘What?' she said with angry nervousness. ‘They use a P.A. system to announce the King and Queen,' he said. Then one of the bands will play the school song. That means they're sitting there in those thrones, on target.' ‘I know all that. Let go of me. You're hurting.' He squeezed her wrist tighter still and felt small bones grind. It gave him a grim pleasure. Still, she didn't cry out She was pretty good. ‘You listen to me. I want you to know what you're getting into. Pull the rope when the song is playing. Pull it hard. There will be a little slack between the pulleys, but not much. When you pull it and feel those buckets go, run. You don't stick around to hear the screams or anything else. This is out of the cute-little-joke league. This is criminal assault, you know? They don't fine you. They put you in jail and throw the key over their shoulder.' It was an enormous speech for him. Her eyes only glared at him, full of defiant anger. ‘Dig it?' ‘Yes.' ‘All right. When the-buckets go, I'm going to run. When I get to the car, I'm going to drive away. If you're there, you can come. If youre not, I'll leave you. If I leave you and you spill your guts, I'll kill you. Do you believe me' ‘Yes. Take your fucking hand off me.' He did. An unwilling shadow-grin touched his face. May. ‘It's going to be good.' They got out of the car. It was almost nine-thirty. Vic Mooney, President of the Senior Class, was calling jovially into the mike.. ‘All right, ladies and gennelmen. Take your seats, please. Ifs time for the voting. We're going to vote for the King and Queen.' ‘This contest insults women!' Myra Crewes called with uneasy good nature. ‘It insults men, too!' George Dawson called back, and there was general laughter. Myra was silent. She had made her token protest. ‘take your seats, please!' Vic was smiling into the mike, and blushing furiously, fingering a pimple on his chin. The huge Venetian boatman behind him looked dreamily over Vic's shoulder. ‘Time to vote.' Carrie and Tommy sat down. Tina Blake and Norma Watson were circulating mimeographed ballots, and when Norma dropped one at their table and breathed ‘Good LUCK!' Carrie picked up the ballot and studied it. Her mouth popped open. ‘Tommy, we're on here!' ‘Yeah, I saw that,' he said. ‘The school votes for single candidates and their dates get sort of shanghaied into it. Welcome aboard. Shall we decline?' She bit her lip and looked at him. ‘Do you want to decline?' ‘Hell, no,' he said cheerfully. ‘If you win, an you do is sit up there for the school song and one dance and wave a sceptre and look like a goddam idiot. They take your picture for the yearbook so everyone can see you look like a goddam idiot.' ‘Who do we vote for?' She looked doubtfully from the ballot to the tiny pencil by her boatful of nuts. ‘They're more your crowd than mine.' A chuckle escaped her. ‘In fact, I don't really have a crowd.' He shrugged. ‘Let's vote for ourselves. To the devil with false modesty.' She laughed out loud, then clapped a hand over her mouth. The sound was almost entirely foreign to her. Before she could think, she circled their names, third from the top. The tiny pencil broke in her hand, and she gasped. A splinter had scratched the pad of one finger, and a small bead of blood welled. ‘You hurt yourself?' ‘No.' She smiled, but suddenly it was difficult to smile. The sight of the blood was distasteful to her. She blotted it away with her napkin. ‘But I broke the pencil and it was a souvenir. Stupid me.' `There's your boat,' he said, and pushed it toward her. ‘Toot, toot.' Her throat closed, and she felt sure she would weep and then be ashamed. She did not, but her eyes glimmered like prisms and she lowered her head so he would not see. The band was playing catchy fill-in music while the Honour Society ushers collected the folded-over ballots. They were taken to the chaperones' table by the door, where Vic and Mr Stephens and the Lublins counted them. Miss Geer surveyed it all with grim gimlet eyes. Carrie felt an unwilling tension worm into her, tightening muscles in her stomach and back. She held Tommy's hand tightly. It was absurd, of course. No one was going to vote for them. The stallion, perhaps, but not when harnessed in tandem with a she-ox. It would be Frank and Jessica or maybe Don Farnham and Helen Shyres. Or – hell! Two piles were growing larger than the others. Mr Stephens finished dividing the slips and all four of them took turns at counting the large piles, which looked about the same. They put their heads together, conferred, and counted once more. Mr Stephens, nodded, thumbed the ballots once more like a man about to deal a hand of poker, and gave them back to Vic. He climbed back on stage and approached the mike. The Billy Bosman Band played a flourish. Vic smiled nervously, harrumphed into the mike, and blinked at the sudden feedback whine. He nearly dropped the ballots to the floor, which was covered with heavy electrical cables, and somebody snickered. ‘We've sort of hit a snag,' Vic said artlessly. ‘Mr Lublin says this is the first time in the history of the Spring Ball-‘ ‘How far does he go back?' someone behind Tommy mumbled. ‘Eighteen hundred?' ‘We've got a tie.' This got a murmer from the crowd. ‘Polka dots or striped?' George Dawson called, and there was some laughter. Vic gave a twitchy smile and almost dropped the ballots again. ‘Sixty-three votes for Frank Grier and Jessica MacLean, and sixty-three votes for Thomas Ross and Carrie White.' This was followed by a moment of silence, and then sudden, swelling applause. Tommy looked across at his date. Her head was lowered, as if in shame, but he had a sudden feeling. (carrie carrie carrie) not unlike the one he had had when he asked her to the prom. His mind felt as if something alien was moving in there, calling Carrie's name over and over again. As if ‘Attention!' Vic was calling. ‘If I could have your attention, please.' The applause quieted. ‘We're going to have a run-off ballot. When the people passing out the slips of paper get to you, please write the couple you favour on it.' He left the mike, looking relieved. The ballots were circulated; they had been hastily torn from leftover prom programmes. The band played unnoticed and people talked excitedly. ‘They weren't applauding for us,' Carrie said, looking up The thing he had felt (or thought he had felt) was gone ‘It couldn't have been for us.' ‘Maybe it was for you.' She looked at him, mute. ‘What's taking it so long?' she hissed at him. ‘I beard them clap. Maybe that was it. If you fucked up-‘ The length of jute cord hung between them limply, untouched since Billy had poked a screwdriver through the vent and lifted it out. ‘Don't worry,' he said calmly. ‘They'll play the school song. They always do.' ‘But-‘ ‘Shut up. You talk too fucking much.' The tip of his cigarette winked peacefully in the dark. She shut. But (oh when this is over you're going to get it buddy maybe you'll go to bed with lover's nuts tonight) her mind ran furiously over his words, storing them. People did not speak to her in such a manner. Her father was a lawyer. It was seven minutes to ten. He was holding the broken pencil in his hand, ready to write, when she touched his wrist lightly, tentatively. ‘Don't . .' ‘What?' ‘Don't vote for us,' she said finally. He raised his eyebrows quizzically. ‘Why not? In for a penny, in for a pound. That's what my mother always says.' (mother) A picture rose in her mind instantly, her mother droning endless prayers to a towering, faceless, columnar God who prowled roadhouse parking lots with a sword of fire in one hand. Terror rose in her blackly, and she had to fight with all her spirit to hold it back. She could not explain her dread, her sense of premonition. She could only smile helplessly and repeat: ‘Don't. Please.' The Honour Society ushers were coming back, collecting folded slips. He hesitated a moment longer, then suddenly scrawled Tommy and Carrie on the ragged slip of paper. ‘For you,' he said. ‘Tonight you go first-class.' She could not reply, for the premonition was on her. her mother's face. The knife slipped from the whetstone, and in an instant it had sliced the cup of her palm below the thumb. She looked at the cut. It bled slowly, thickly, from the open lips of the wound running out of her hand and spotting the worn linoleum of the kitchen floor. Good, then. It was good. The blade had tasted flesh and let blood. She did not bandage it but tipped the flow over the cutting edge, letting the blood dull the blade's edge, then she began to sharpen again, heedless of the droplets which splattered her dress. If thine right eye offend thee, pluck it out If it was a hard scripture, it was also sweet and good. A fitting scripture for those who lurked in the doorway shadows of one-night hotels and in the weeds behind bowling alleys. Pluck it out (oh and the nasty music they play) Pluck it (the girls show their underwear how it sweats how it sweats blood) out The Black Forest cuckoo began to strike ten and (cut her guts out on the floor) if thine right eye offend thee, pluck it out The dress was done and she could not watch the television or take out her books or call Nancy on the phone. There was nothing to do but sit on the sofa facing the blackness of the kitchen window and feel some nameless sort of fear growing in her like an infant coming to dreadful term. With a sigh she began to massage her arms absently. They were cold and prickly. It was twelve after ten and there was no reason, really no reason, to feel that the world was coming to an end. The stacks were higher this time, but they still looked exactly the same. Again, three counts were taken to make sure. Then Vic Mooney went to the mike again. He paused a moment, relishing the blue feel of tension in the air, and then announced simply: `Tommy and Carrie win. By one vote.' Dead silence for a moment, then applause filled the hall again, some of it not without satiric overtones. Carrie drew in a startled, smothered gasp, and Tommy again felt (but for only a second) that weird vertigo in his mind (carrie carrie carrie carrie) that seemed to blank out all thought but the name and image of this strange girl he was with. For a fleeting second he was literally scared shitless. Something fell on the floor with a clink, and at the same instant the candle between them whiffed out. Then Josie and the Moonglows were playing a rock version of Pomp and Circumstance, the ushers appeared at their table (almost magically; all this had been rehearsed meticulously by Miss Geer who, according to rumour, ate slow and clumsy ushers for lunch), a sceptre wrapped in aluminium foil was thrust into Tommy's hand, a robe with a lush dog-fur collar was thrown over Carrie's shoulders, and they were being led down the centre aisle by a boy and a girl in white blazers. The band blared. The audience applauded. Miss Geer looked vindicated. Tommy Ross was grinning bemusedly. They were ushered up the steps to the apron, led across to the thrones, and seated. Still the applause swelled. The sarcasm in it was lost now; it was honest and deep, a little frightening. Carrie was glad to sit down. It was all happening too fast. Her legs were trembling under her and suddenly, even with the comparatively high neck of her gown, her breasts (dirtypillows) felt dreadfully exposed. The sound of the applause in her ears made her feel woozy, almost punch-drunk. Part of her was actually convinced that all this was a dream from which she would wake with mixed feeling of loss and relief. Vic boomed into the mike: ‘The King and Queen of the 1979 Spring Ball – Tommy ROSS and Carrie WHITE' Still applause, swelling and booming and crackling. Tommy Ross in the fading moments of his life now, took Carrie's hand and grinned at her, thinking that Suzie's intuition had been very right. Somehow she grinned back. TOMMY (she was right and i love her well i love this one too this carrie she is beautiful and it's right and i love all of them the light the light in her eyes) and Carrie (can't see them the lights are too bright i can hear them but can't see them the shower remember the shower o momma it's too high i think i want to get down o are they laughing and ready to throw things to point and scream with laughter i can't see them i can't see them it's all too bright) and the beam above them. Both bands, in a sudden and serendipitous coalition of rock and brass, swung into the school song. The audience rose to its feet and began to sing, still applauding. It was ten-o-seven. Billy had just flexed his knees to make the Joints pop. Chris Hargensen stood next to him with increasing aura of nervousness. Her hands played aimlessly along the seams of the jeans she had worn and she was biting the softness of her lower lip, chewing at it, making it a little ragged. ‘You think they'll vote for them?, Billy said softly.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

International Terrorism – the World’s Greatest Challenge Today

Today the threat of terrorism is becoming more and more serious. Terrorism is considered the greatest threat against the safety of the world, and especially the USA, today. The extent of the terrorism has increased significantly over the last couple of years, since the terrorist attacks against the US on the 11th of September 2001. After these attacks former president of the US, George Bush declared a war against terrorism. There are various opinions about what can be defined as terrorism. Because there are so many situations that can be defined as terrorism, it is be very difficult to find an exact definition. Many countries have different definitions, and the definitions have also changed over the years. Not even the UN has managed to agree about one common definition. In short we can say that terrorism is some sort of attack at civilians to achieve a political goal. Terrorism has existed for many centuries, but in the last couple of years the attacks have become more extensive and the devastations has become greater. In the future scientists expect that the terrorists will carry out actions with weapons of mass destruction such as chemical, radiological and biological weapons. The war on terrorism is a global campaign led by the USA. The goal is to fight international groups that are considered to be terroristic. They especially focus on radical Islamic terror groups, such as the Al-Qaida. Today the war on terrorism goes on in countries such as Afghanistan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Iraq, and Israel. Many human rights organizations have criticized the war on terrorism because they think it in many cases can lead to violations of the human rights. Around the globe there are various terrorist organizations, all with different goals and reasons for their terrorist-activities. The most known group today might be the Al – Qaida which origins form Afghanistan, but has become an international organization. The Al-Qaida became known after the terrorist actions on the 11th of September 2001 when 4 airplanes were hijacked. Two of them were flown into the two main buildings of the World Trade centre in New York. One airplane was crashed into the Pentagon, and the last airplane crash-landed in a field in Pennsylvania. After these attacks the USA decided to attack Afghanistan. The leader of Al-Qaida is Osama Bin Laden who has been hiding from the US troops ever since the war started. The reasons for Al-Qaida’s actions are based on the Islamic â€Å"Sharia† – laws. They want to fight the states they consider a threat against Islam, and especially the USA and Israel. The Al-Qaida leaders encourage all Muslims to kill American citizens, both military and civilians. We can separate the terrorist actions into two main groups; local and international terrorism. Local terrorism consists of actions such as suicide missions, car bombings and so on. International terrorism is actions where the citizens and/or territory of several countries are affected. There are many situations that can lead to the use of terrorism. Terrorism can occur in both poor as well as wealthy countries, and in both democracies and states under different kinds of dictatorship. However, terrorism is most likely to occur in countries that are characterized by poverty and oppression. People in poor countries might feel like they are subjected to an unfair distribution of the world’s wealth. Poverty is claimed to be an underlying part of all the causes of terrorism. Terrorism is a global issue that has to be fought globally. Organizations like the UN, NATO and the EU have the war against international terrorism as their highest priority. The UN is currently working on a convention that can be an important part of handling terrorism. They have also established a strategy on how we can fight the terrorism. But we still have a long way to go, and the world might never be completely terror-free. However, if we work on preventing planned terrorist-actions and focus on improving the circumstances that lead to terrorism, the amount of terrorism could be decreased significantly.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Capital Markets and Investment Banking Process Essay

Capital Markets and Investment Banking Process - Essay Example The different types of capital instruments that constitute an investment portfolio have also been described. Lastly, recommendations have been provided regarding the selection of assets for the construction of an effective and efficient portfolio. Investment Banking Process for an IPO Initial Public Offering (IPO) refers to the process of issuing shares by a company to the public for the first time in its history. It is mainly done to raise capital or funds in the form of share capital to be utilized by the company in its business processes. An IPO process typically consists of three key steps. They are: a) Preparation; b) Market approaching strategies; and c) Going public. Investment bankers are selected by the company for the purpose of coordinating the whole process of IPO. Hence, investment bankers form an important part of the IPO process and perform various functions during the whole process. The investment bankers give valuable advice to the company regarding how to go about t he whole process of IPO. The underwriting functions related to the IPO are also performed by the investment bankers. ... The investment bankers are mainly selected by the companies because of their expertise in the field of obtaining the best selling price of the shares to be issued by the companies (O'Rourke, 2007, p. 209). Hence, investment bankers are found to have three tasks to be performed by then in case of IPOs. They are: a) Given the existing conditions in the market, the investment bankers help the companies to design the securities of the companies to be offered by them in a way that are most attractive to the public; b) The investment bankers buy those securities from the companies; and c) They resell those securities to the investors or the public (Besley & Brigham, 2008, p. 83). Asset Class Selection for an Investment Portfolio Portfolio of an investor consists of combination of assets or asset classes. An asset class can be defined as a combination of different types of securities such as shares, bonds, mutual funds, etc. which, taken together, serve the purpose of providing specific con tribution to the portfolio of the investors. Such contributions are in the form of risks associated with the securities chosen, the return generated from the assets and covariance of return that exists between other classes of assets. The diversification of assets included in a portfolio can be achieved at two levels. One is while choosing a large number of assets and the other one is while choosing different types of asset classes to form the portfolio. Various factors are needed to be considered while selecting asset classes to form an investment portfolio. They are: a) Expected return of the portfolio; b) Diversification benefits; c) Required scale of investment; and d) Liquidity. The returns that are expected from the asset

Friday, September 27, 2019

What are the similarities and differences in the operations management Essay

What are the similarities and differences in the operations management of bmibaby and in the case of Fuller, Smith & Turner PLC (Brewery) - Essay Example It was founded in 1845 in Chiswick as the Griffins brewery. The logo for the Fuller, Smith and Turners brewery states that quality, service and pride are provided in equal measures by them. The main product of the company is beer and it also operates pubs. The geographical area that Fuller, Smith and Turner and Bmibaby cater to is the same. Both of them are located in England but there is a huge difference in the market they cater to. There is a huge difference in the history and background of both companies. The brewery is well known because of its ancient roots and traditional methods whereas Bmibaby is a company which hasn’t even completed a decade of existence. Smith, Fuller and Turner currently own 363 pubs and supply their products to them. The range of products is very wide and includes Chiswick Bitter, London pride and ESB. A major factor of their success is the companys recent acquisition of the Gale group which added another 111 pubs to its empire. This move ensured the elimination of a major competitor from the scene. Besides that Smith, Fuller and Turner are well known because of the quality of their products. The Chiswick Bitter has been known as the Champion beer of Britain and the record has been unmatched. The brewery also operated by adding more and newer beers to its portfolio thereby reducing monotony of products. Michael Turner, the CEO of the company once said that We have a long-term strategy, strong balance sheet, excellent cash flow generation and an experienced management team and are well placed to meet the challenges ahead. (Review) In contrast Bmibaby works by providing its services at the lowest cost possible. They provide services which are already there in the market but its core competency lies in the fact that it custom provides those, thus charging the customer for what it wants. As compared to the brewerys 363 locations, it operates from four

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Systems Modelling Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Systems Modelling - Lab Report Example MATLAB inbuilt function ss() is then called and given the matrices as input arguments so as to generate the state space model. The ss() function takes state matrices as inputs and generates the state space model. The program begins with the definition of variables to be used i.e. mass, spring constant and the damping coefficient. Next, the transfer function is defined and it poles computed. The function pole() returns a pair of poles that have real and complex parts. To establish stability, the sign of the real parts are checked. Negative real part means the pole is in the LHS of the S-Plane thus implying that the system is stable. Otherwise the system will be unstable if poles have positive real parts. The program then illustrates the response of the system to initial conditions. Step input could also be used to demonstrate response of the system. From Figure 1.2 the conjugate pair has negative real parts. According to our criterion, the system is stable. The 2 poles are on the left hand side of the S-Plane indicating that the system is stable. Figure 1.3 demonstrates how the MSD system responds to initial condition of x0 = [1, 0]. From the graph it can be seen that the system undergoes a transient state and attains steady state as time increases. The code above has been modified in order to allow stability of the system to be determined for different values of gain. Gain is usually multiplied by the numerator of the transfer function, therefore the program will prompt the user to enter a value for the gain then the program computes the stability. First the constants are defined. The user is then prompted to enter the gain for the system which forms the numerator of the transfer function. The denominator is defined as a vector containing mass, spring and dumping constants. The transfer function is then determined and its poles computed. The sign of the poles is checked and stability determined. When run with 8 as the gain, the system shows it is stable.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Weekly ass. #9 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Weekly ass. #9 - Essay Example We wanted someone who could supply the linen to us at a considerably cheaper price. Therefore, we are offering the contract to a candidate who is supplying the linen at a price that is within our range. However, the good work that you have been doing is not forgettable and we are keeping your tender in our system. If at any time you feel that you can review the range at which you supply the materials to us, you will be among the first to be considered if there is any other opportunity for tenders. There are many other products that Anytown General Hospital needs and you can present your tender for supplies in any other department. We are starting classes for free disaster preparedness. We need suppliers for some of the products that we will be using; you can check on our website for details and present your tender if you would wish to bid. On behalf of Anytown General Hospital, I thank you for your time, interest, effort and continual cooperation when you worked with us. I wish you the best in your business proceedings, and if you have any questions regarding the same issue, please do not hesitate to contact us through

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

From the streets to the libraries Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

From the streets to the libraries - Assignment Example History is important as it gives the people who relate to it a cultural identity. Among the major cons of this genre is the vulgarity of the language and too much sex and violence. It raises a conflict. Critics challenge the ill manner in which the genre strives to air the message. Vulgar language, sex and violence is purported to impact the readers and giving it a lot of priority erodes morality. It is also not ideal for people of tender ages as it exposes them to graphic sex and violence too soon. Therefore, it does not suit all ages or the conservative people. I support this statement. Basically, Miller means that the only concern is that people read and therefore have the chance to benefit from the lessons. This dismisses the claim of inappropriate ways of delivering the message. Despite having graphical sex, violence or vulgar language, what matters is the conclusion rather that the language, sex or violence. Given the nature of urban lifestyle, it is inevitable to include the inappropriate details. However, using the inappropriate details to deliver a strong message after reading is the main agenda. The authors of this genre get their work published by their own publishing companies that they have started. In addition, the popularity of the genre had persuaded other publishers to accept publishing urban fiction works. The popularity of this genre emerged from increased acceptance by libraries. Librarians began bringing them to the libraries where people would be interested in them (Barnard 1). The popularity of best sellers in this genre increased interest from people. There are lessons from urban fiction. They are not only real and interesting but also have a valid reason for their popularity. This genre proves useful and it deserves the audience it continues to enjoy. By addressing the real issue in the society, this genre keeps people aware at all times. They can live accordingly. It also impacts the

Monday, September 23, 2019

The Development of Architecture through the Different cultures Essay

The Development of Architecture through the Different cultures - Essay Example Architecture is a visible indicator of the culture and beliefs of the people highlighting their qualities and abilities in life. Architectural designs serve the society and are responsible for improving the quality of life of the people and are therefore a manifestation of the wishes of the society to be civilized. It helps in identifying the different beliefs and forms of art of the people in a specific period since architecture communicates the different qualities and principles that the designers had in mind as they were making the buildings. Architectural designs last for many years and are therefore part of the past culture as identified by the constructs that can be viewed in the present. The designs are delivered mainly through buildings and the environment making it possible to create new innovations and ideas in the construction and building of a new environment. It is a continuous process and changes over time due to the different characteristics and features that are prese nt in a specific culture. Architects play around with space and aim to convert the space into a specific form given the equipment and level of advancement that is available. The Greeks has great buildings that were later adopted by the High Renaissance in Italy. This was mainly because of the humanist philosophy that had been adopted in the High Renaissance and was similar to the ancient civilization. It is therefore a roadmap to the different developments and milestones that have been witnessed in the world and in different cultures.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Cultural profiling tools for global business leaders 2281 Essay

Cultural profiling tools for global business leaders 2281 - Essay Example Leadership being an important part of an organizational culture is also included in the discussion section. Based on the culture profiling tools discussed in the current paper, few examples relating to how culture effects decision making process of leaders have been discussed. Culture profile can be described as the cluster of cultures which determine the characteristics of a firm. The motive of culture profiling is to present the culture of an organization from different perspectives. In the system of profiling, the various categories of culture existing with an organization are attributes which reflect the same are identified. An entity can be viewed upon like as an individual. Like every individual, a firm is also seen to possess a set of values and cultures which determine the manner in which the organization interacts with different stakeholders. The set of values present in an organizations culture profile determines the way in which interaction takes place between different organizational factors and the manner in which information gets transferred (Cameron and Quinn, 2011). Culture profiles get portrayed through such interactions. Culture profiles also refer to common set of beliefs and understanding which is shared by the members of an organizati on. As members of an organization continue to interact with each other on a regular basis, they become habituated with each other and develop their own ways and styles of interaction. Cultures are often developed in a manner such that it suits motives and functions performed by the organization. Apart from communication styles, culture existing within an organization gets reflected through dress codes, slogans, interiors and ceremonies held. Existence of a strong culture is essential to provide a strong identity (SÃ ¸ndergaard, 1994). Culture also facilitates motivating employees to perform better. It is essential that the culture existing within an organization

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Intrinsic Properties and Abortion Debate Essay Example for Free

Intrinsic Properties and Abortion Debate Essay The philosophy of intrinsic property rights has created many problems for those who can justify abortion but believe that new born infant has to be treated as a human being. The intrinsic property philosophy also makes it difficult to justify killing animals but not humans. This soul searching debate is the subject of this essay. An intrinsic property is a property within the object or organism. Mass of a body is an intrinsic property, while weight of the body would depend on its location and its gravity and is an extrinsic property. The debate regarding protecting moral and legal rights of a living being when applied to fetuses creates a new set of problems for the pro-abortionists. Is a fetus entitled to the same rights and privileges as a new born? Can we regard a fetus with the same rights and privileges as a living human? It is morally and legally wrong to kill innocent human beings. The fetus is capable of developing within itself, meeting its needs with the ability it has within itself to appropriate nourishment and grow. These intrinsic properties qualify the fetuses as living organism and if we consider this living organism as an innocent human being, the conclusion would be that it is morally as wrong to abort (or kill) a fetus as it is morally wrong to kill an infant. The pro-abortionists argue that the fetus cannot be given the same importance as a newly born infant [McNeil, 2000]. Many feminist philosophers argue [Warren, 1973] that this approach to morality is based on abstract rules and conflict of rights and is inappropriate. Some feminist philosophers have declared that the concept of moral right may be inconsistent with the social nature of persons [Wolgast, cited in Warren, 1973] The philosophical views on the right of fetuses have debated various aspects of the morality or otherwise of abortion. The acknowledgment of intrinsic property rights means that an individual has certain moral rights. The presence or absence of a single determining factor of that intrinsic property which entitles an individual to these moral rights has been open to interpretation. This single criterion [Warren, 1973] which distinguishes between those who have intrinsic property rights and those who do not is in itself a dilemma. Accepting the intrinsic property argument makes the right of the woman carrying the fetus as irrelevant as the moral right of the fetus demands that its right be protected and it is allowed to develop as a separate entity. The single criterion and intrinsic property right taken together give a new born baby the same rights as a nearly mature fetus, if we accept this argument than late abortion tantamount to infanticide. [Summer, 1983] argues that sentience (ability to sense) should be used as the criteria for permissible abortion. Summer uses the sentience argument to limit abortion to first trimester. The problem with the intrinsic property and single criterion becomes more complicated when we find that philosophers like Tooley argue that both infants and nearly mature fetuses are incapable of desiring their own existence as they have no concept or experience of being a person. The conclusion drawn by him are rather shocking as he shows that infanticide in past history was not treated at par with other murders. [Warren, 1973] rightly points out that sentience alone, cannot be considered a criterion for comparing moral equality of the fetus and of an infant, as if we were to give equality on the basis of sentience mice and other animals which have much higher recognizable sentience are not treated as such. Sentience argument unlike fetus viability however draws an identifiable boundary as fetus viability can change with time and place. In developing countries with poor medical resources even a nearly mature fetus cannot be kept in an incubator and have the required life support to survive. In developed countries with excellent health care facilities nearly half term fetuses already have a reasonable chance of survival. Treating infants and fetuses at par as necessary under to doctrine of intrinsic property would subject the women undergoing a miscarriage to investigation for murder. [Warren, 1973] cites an actual example when an irresponsible pregnant woman was charged for negligent homicide as she failed to observe the precautions and suffered a miscarriage. It is clear that an infant and an unborn fetus cannot be treated as equal in terms of intrinsic property rights. Warren rightly concludes that birth marks an important point of distinction of rights for the infant, the fetus and for the woman. An infant can have a life of its own, in mothers care or even with foster organization/parents. Even if the infant is still dependent on others for survival the birth marks the beginning of a socially responsible individual or person. Pregnancy whether in advance term or at the beginning does not award the right of parenthood, the birth is the clear difference between the fetus and infant and while fetuses in advance state of development need to be protected as indeed they are, they cannot be considered equal to infants in their rights. In brief Warrens philosophy is to give people the rights of a moral community and have moral rights. She defines personhood as meeting five important criteria; ability to recognize internal and external objects, ability to feel pain, ability to reason, self motivated activity, capacity to communicate and self awareness [McNeil, 2000] Peter Singers is an advocate of utilitarianism. His views, although though provoking cannot be described as mainstream, he appears to believe in sentience theory but without a species distinction. He believes that species-ism is a kind of racism or gender based discrimination. [Singer, 1999] also refuses to acknowledge that human lives are more precious because of humans are more intelligent. He argues that if intelligence were to be the criterion we would permit medical experiment on mentally retarded! He appears to be less concerned about infanticide or abortion and his theory is that of great moral good. Singer presents very thought provoking debates but several of his arguments would create serious social right issues. He considers experimentation on animals as immoral but the possible benefit to millions by the sacrifice of a few is permitted in Singers logic. This type of logic can be used to justify slavery, genocide of a minority and create many more similar dilemmas. Warrens philosophical views on the moral and legal status of abortion on the other hand are a serious and practicable discussion and presents logical views. Singer defends a quality-of-life view in ethics and has little regard for sanctity-of-life view. Bibliography McNeil, M. A. , (2000), The Real Problem with Abortion, [Online] retrieved from Internet on May 05, 2007, http://www. abortionessay. com/files/realproblem. html Singer, P. , (1999), Practical Ethics, Cambridge University Press 2nd Edition, ISBN-10: 052143971X Tooley, M. (1983), Abortion and Infanticide, Oxford: Oxford University Press, Cited in [Warren, 1973] Warren, M. A. , (1973), On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion, The Monist, LaSalle, Illinois, Vol. 53. Also published in James Rachels’, The Right Thing to Do: Basic Readings in Moral Philosophy (2nd Ed. , McGraw-Hill College, 1999)

Friday, September 20, 2019

Decline And Fall Of Empires In The World History Essay

Decline And Fall Of Empires In The World History Essay Published on the Cappuccino Culture page of the Spectator web site on 23rd November 2009 under the heading Decline and Fall is an animated cartoon representing the relative sizes of empires from 1800 until the present day.  [i]  Each empire is represented by a blob that either increases or decreases in size over the period. The collapse of the red blob representing the British Empire, the biggest, is of course marked in the period from the end of the First World War. The only comment this web page elicits is one which notes, this was not interesting you stole three and a half minutes of my life. I offer this counter factual observation at the start of an essay which will set out to show that the British public do indeed have an interest of sorts in the history of their empire, but one that perhaps is not entirely at one with the views of historians. As a listeners comment on the BBC Radio 4 history of the empire puts it,  [ii]  half the world may hate the English for the su ccess that was the empire, the other half for the scourge inflicted upon them, but please stop it with the apologies. Put simply my argument is that while post colonial theories of empire may still be in the van for academics, the British publics view has developed a more Whigish tendency born of nostalgia. Niall Fergusson has come to be portrayed as the primary advocate of the notion of the benefits of empire. Niall Fergussons book, Empire: how Britain made the modern world,  [iii]  was accompanied by a television series on Channel 4. The success of the programme was to set up its presenter alongside the likes of Simon Schama and Kenneth Clarke, as a well known personality with his own cult of popularity. For Fergusson it raised a profile which is now established in neo-conservative circles in the US, and he has become a prolific commentator on current affairs for a number of media outlets. He is widely recognised as clever and provocative, and has continued to develop his controversial argument that the British empire was good for the world.  [iv]  While Fergussons forte is undoubtedly economics and finance, an area of scholarship where much of his other publications are situated, he does not skimp on ranging across the panoply of empire history including setting out where the British empire went wrong the horrors of slavery or the brutality that occurred at the Battle of Omdurma n. In asking whether the empire was on balance good or bad, his view can be summed in his own words that, no organisation has done more to promote the free movement of goods, capital and labour than the British empire in the 19th and 20th centuries. And no organisation has done more to impose western norms of law, order and governance around the world.  [v]   A Gallup poll taken in 1998 found a British populace who were unapologetic about the Empire. As the Economist noted, the politically correct idea that there was something shameful about colonising large swaths of the world had little resonance amongst the public.  [vi]  This was the same year that Tony Blair was busily articulating Britain as, Cool Britannia, a model 21st century nation to the Labour party conference. Whilst 60% of those polled regretted the empires passing, only 13% thought that the country could have retained its imperial possessions if it had wished. But the way Tony Blair talked about empire had changed to reflect this public mood. It had developed from what had been the normal reference in the leaders conference speech to decolonisation. By the 1997 conference the creation of a significant empire was one of a long list of British achievements. A minor change but perhaps significant given the New Labour ability at the time to sense and articulate the centre g round of the electorate. It is a tautological statement to say that nations develop differing narratives of their imperial legacy. Such narratives will help shape contemporary popular views. In particular, it will colour the judgement as to whether the loss of an empire was viewed as a defeat, and if so, whether there was a consequential impact on perceptions of national self esteem. Kumars comparison of the French and English experience is instructive.  [vii]  He notes that for the English the distinction between past and present is pointless: the future is viewed through the resource of a thoroughly assimilated history. This is contrasted with the turbulence of recent French history where the past remains alive. The result for Kumar is that the French now have a significant tradition of self reflection which manifests itself in a strong sense of nationalism and national identity. He contrasts this strongly with the English case. And in considering this more specifically within the context of empire, th e overall French perception was driven by their not being as successful as their imperial competitors, in either the scale of the empire they achieved, or the subsequent management of decolonisation. The end of the British Empire was not only rapid but also remarkably peaceful, notwithstanding some outbreaks of nationalist hostility. It was not accompanied by radical political upheaval: in Britain itself, all was calm. The British had seeming accepted the collapse of their empire with an equanimity bordering on indifference,  [viii]  which was a contrast with France and Portugal, where decolonisation was followed by political convulsion at home. As David Cannadine cogently puts it in a book of essays on Britains adjustment to the loss of empire, the British Empire may have been won in a fit of absence of mind, but as far as the majority of the population seems to have been concerned, it was given away in a fit of collective indifference.  [ix]  This is not a nation grieving a collective sense of loss. But such analysis maybe a little too simple. There could have been in the popular British psyche a deliberate trade off between the perceived benefits of keeping the empire as opposed to the alternatives. The eclipse of empire could have passed unnoticed against a backdrop to a shattering of the faith of imperial markets which occurred before decolonisation took place, and then after 1945 the social priorities that were accorded to the welfare state and industrial intervention to deliver material improvement.  [x]  It is clear this argument can be developed further to include other events in post war Britain such as the European Union dimension, and the unwillingness or ability to afford high levels of defence expenditure and its consequential impact. The reorientation from the east to Europe was well on the way by 1998 as the Gallup survey noted. 50% thought Europe rather than the empire meant more to Britain.  [xi]   A further complication to the popular view of empire can be developed, which is a tapestry of opinion that reflects the internal boundaries of the United Kingdom. The title of Condor and Abells work says it all in this regard, Romantic Scotland, tragic England, ambiguous Britain.  [xii]  The conclusions from the interviews that formed the basis of the research showed that in Scotland, respondents inferred heroic national character from Scotlands role in the Empire. Whereas in England, the story of empire was understood to represent a product of excessive nationalism. However, the concept of Britishness was in both groups understood to predate and postdate the history of empire. This is in fact just another way of saying that as a nation the British had assimilated the empire rise and fall to their own historical narrative. A consequence of the decolonising experience in Britain appears to have been that the recent teaching of history is devoid of content when it comes to the empire. Indeed if I recall both my O and A level history courses in the late 1970s, empire did not prominently figure. Such a notion was explored by a Prince of Wales summer school in 2003. The rub of the question was that if European imperialism was the most important historical trend of the 19th century, and the British Empire was the biggest and most important of the empires, why did it not it figure more prominently in schools teaching? As the Guardian reported, schools do week after week of British social history and only one week on the empire. In terms of significance it is not enough.  [xiii]   The knowledge of empire amongst a generation now one step removed from the Second World War and the decolonisation afterward is too superficial. Our aggravation Fergusson summed the point,  [xiv]  we can teach the British Empire without saying its either a good or a bad thing. It is both good and bad. One simply needs to know about it how it arose and how it declines. These questions arent in anyway politically loaded. Theres an incredible hangover from the 60s left that says anything about empire must be bad. Im in no way pushing my own interpretation of empire. Its just that it should be at the core of what we teach people about modern history. The reluctance of schools to teach the history of empire and even more the examination boards to set the syllabus is bamboozling and rather smacks of avoidance. But avoidance as a consequence of what embarrassment at the event or the analysis? An Ofsted report on the teaching of history in schools questioned whether a lesson on empire in a three year history course was sufficient given the subjects significance and concluded it was not.  [xv]  It found that pupils aged 16 would have had 3 or 4 lessons on the subject of empire in their previous 5 years at school. But this is not about providing a unitary explanation of empire in the classroom. The advice Ofsted gave to schools was that pupils should know about the empire and that it has been interpreted by historians and others in different ways. However, others in education were more strident in their criticisms. Dr Andrew Cunningham, a teacher, argued that while the empire might be forgotten in the UK, around the world this was far less likely to be the case where the imperial legacy was the English language, a strong sense of liberty, an impartial legal system and stable parliamentary government.  [xvi]  He also noted that the legacy lived on within the UK with an ethnically diverse populace drawn from across the former colonies and living together in relative harmony. In an increasingly globalised and interconnected world the existence of old links between peoples, such as language and law, are fundamental building blocks for future relationships. They together with immigration to Britain are important legacies from empire. The Commonwealth bruised and battered in the 1960s and 1970s retains a surprising utility as a dense global network of informal connections, valued by its numerous small states.  [xvii]  Whether or not this judgement shows a transition in the historical analysis of the empire by the BBC is only a question that the corporation itself might answer. But the analysis has moved on from that of an earlier BBC website for school children which starkly noted,  [xviii]  the Empire came into greatness by killing lots of people .. and stealing their countries. The issue of hindsight is key in considering historical perspective, and that is as true for analysis of the British Empire as for other events in the past. Time and distance aid the historian by answering the question of what happened next. It is only in the recent 10 to 20 years that histories of the British Empire can begin to be written by those for whom the ideology of decolonisation is a historical phenomenon. Now they are able to judge the claims and successes of what the Ghandis and company of the world constructed as well as assailed.  [xix]  In chronological terms, Fergusson fits neatly into the category of young historians that Richenberg had identified and to whom he offered such a proposition. As he says, many of the sins of dictatorship, tribalism and exploitation which the British committed in Africa have been overshadowed by those of their colonial successors. It is not that this legitimises the wrongs of the Empire, but it makes it easier for many to attempt to i nterpret what was a liberal empire as an intellectually flawed but not dishonourable attempt to solve problems. With little adjustment such observations would suffice for a publishing editors summary for the back cover of Fergussons book. While retrospection is an aid to comparative analysis it is also an equally useful tool for those who believe the legacies of empire might not always be viewed quite so benignly through such an optic. Jack Straw, when Foreign Secretary, identified Britains imperial past as the cause of many of the modern worlds political problems, including the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Kashmir dispute.  [xx]  Fergusson, perhaps predictably commented that Mr Straw was guilty of chanting the old National Union of Students refrain we are to blame.  [xxi]  Conversely though, there is a view for example that the partition in India/Pakistan was now far more important as the defining context for contemporary and future politics, than the legacy of the empire. Perhaps while retrospection helps it does need to be treated with a degree of caution. It is always easy to be wise after the event or as Barry Buzan from the LSE noted in the same article, like looking back at a game of chess; its much ea sier afterwards to work out what the moves should have been. In doing so he captured the views of other historians such as Andrew Roberts and J B Kelly. This gradual development of the view of Empire from apologist during decolonisation to now more benignly contemplative is most clearly reflected in the Commonwealth. Here former colonies are individual nations bonding of their own volition as equals. It shows too that the assimilation of history into a continuous narrative is not solely a British experience. As an institution during the 60s and 70s the Commonwealth was viewed by most as an irrelevance. Indeed during the 1980s, Britain was isolated over its stance on South Africa. Now it is a family of 54 member countries with membership across all the worlds continents, including 1.8 billion people, or 30% of the worlds population. Extraordinarily 50% of that combined population are under 25 and so, many are in some cases 2 or 3 generations removed from direct experience of colonial rule.  [xxii]   The Royal Commonwealth Societys website describes how all its members are united by agreed common values, principles, heritage and language. They also share similar systems of law, public administration and education and work together in a spirit of cooperation, partnership and understanding. The increasing status of the organisation is such that membership continues to grow to countries that were outside British colonial rule, for instance Rwanda. There is a binding of human experience and values implicit in what the Society says: it is not unrealistic or even nostalgic about the past but in effect says, we are where we are, lets look forward. Given the ethnic diversity of the British population, the Commonwealth is a link by which various disaporia can remain in touch around the world. The Commonwealth is for most of the British public the most visible living legacy of the empire, with its link championed by a monarch who has lived through the decolonisation process. A living body, not a colonial relic, the Commonwealth is a successful story which looks set to strengthen in the future. It has 5 of the worlds economically fastest growing countries (including India) as members and the connections arising from the legacy of British rule mean trading costs 15% less than elsewhere in the world.  [xxiii]  The Commonwealth has developed into a consensual, informal and adaptable organisation that could be uniquely useful. Such a view cannot help strengthen the bodys reputation in the British publics perception. As the number of Britons with recollections of colonialism are relatively few, such a modern image could well colour perceptions of empire and make its legacy appear benign. The passage of time might have started to heal some of the rawness that underpinned the harsher views of empire that were prevalent in the latter half of the twentieth century during the decolonisation process. The link between many of the liberation movements in the old colonies and Marxism was strong. The subsequent defeat of communism in west and the strengthening of liberal explanations of the benefits of market capitalism and democracy has also helped to soften the often black and white terms in which empires were viewed during decolonisation. But it is the case too that the political left might be leaving its traditionally hostile view of the colonial legacy behind. Clare Short as the Minister for International Development wrote to her Zimbabwean opposite number in 1998, (we are as a government) without links to our colonial interests.  [xxiv]   An example of overall softening of the retrospective views of empire was set out by Michael Palin in an interview when he became the new President of the Royal Geographical Society.  [xxv]  Believing that it might now be the time for Britain to stop fixating on the negative aspects of empire, he said, if we say that all of our past involvement with the world was bad and wicked and wrong, I think we are doing ourselves a great disservice. It has set up lines of communication between people that are still very strong. We still have links with other countries culturally, politically and socially that perhaps we shouldnt forget. Commenting on the interview the historian, Andrew Roberts,  [xxvi]  said, alleluia! Mr Palin is quite right to acknowledge that the British Empire has been taught in particularly abject way in recent years. But before we all get somewhat carried away, some sense of proportion is important. Historians do consider themselves the purveyors of what might be the inconvenience of truth. Though even they are sometimes forced to criticise the over enthusiasm of their profession. My point is ably demonstrated by David Anderson in a review of the work of the American historian Caroline Elkins.  [xxvii]  She had assessed the number of Africans killed by the British in the Mau Mau rebellion as 300,000. The figure had provoked considerable criticism including from Anderson who had personally researched the field. Noting the affect of such exaggeration was to give succour to defenders of the legacy of empire, he was quick to make the counter point. While the British were no more atrocious as imperialists that anyone else, they were no better. It is time we set aside British amnesia and squared up to the realities of our empire, he wrote. In British politics there has been for most of the 20th century amongst the left a perceived connection between colonialism and capitalism. The expectation was the demise of empire would facilitate the building of a socialist society. But even where over time the economic arguments against colonialism splintered or faded the principles of the right to national determination and a generalised internationalism survived.  [xxviii]  Movements such as that for Colonial Freedom, launched in 1954, had at heart a deeply held view that colonialism was an evil for British society as well as for the colonised because it was morally corrupting to the identity of the British self. If it is the development of broader political thinking in society that helps set the context for the acceptability or otherwise of fresh historical analysis, then there has been some perceptible recent shifts. A speech by Gordon Brown on Britishness in 2004 it drew both on leading historians of the British national story and cast a net into more right wing territory too. The reasoning was that it was politically disastrous for centre left parties to abandon the ground of national identity and patriotism.  [xxix]  As Brown reflected on the historical aspects of being British, there was a Whigish air to his account. Any sense that the political aspect of decolonisation is the pervading approach amongst historians has long started to ebb. Whilst the initial veer away from an Anglo-centric perspective on the break-up of empire still maintained some elements of a political theme, the focus has moved to the study of individual countries achievement of self-determination.  [xxx]  There is still a considerable way to go in the historiography of empire, for instance in terms of the study of womens history. Coincident with the increasing profile of Fergusson in the mid-noughties, a number of historians have delivered grounding breaking research into the legacy of empire along these new lines. Andersons research on the Mau Mau uprising in Kenya in the 1950s was one such case. Undermining the received wisdom of an orderly retreat and deals done at conferences is that empires are not glorious being concerned with the power relations, the domination, often de-humanisation, of one race by another. For Anderson the British empire was no different.  [xxxi]  His research has been more focused, not the coffee table book tableau view, but dealing with specific events or countries shining a light upward into how we might view the empire enterprise as a whole. The irony here though is not that Fergussons work is viewed as novel or controversial: rather it is the thesis that must be challenged, rather than challenge. However, Stephen Howes claim that Andersons work will transform our understanding of how the British Empire ended and force a wide re-evaluation of Britains modern history is pushing the point.  [xxxii]  The issue remains that a considerable body of the new work that is aimed at the wider readership is still Anglo-centric. The charge here is that Fergusson is not a heavyweight historian, with his works relying too heavily on secondary texts. As the reassessment of empire progresses with old mythologies being re-evaluated as opposed to rehashed there is a danger that work like Andersons are not permeating effectively enough into the popular histories  [xxxiii]  . Tapan Raychaudhuri in considering the legacy of empire from the Indian perspective argues that few serious historians in India see much that was good in Britains imperial record. However, there is little evidence to suggest that in terms of empires legacy with the British public that such a view has entered the genera l consciousness. The impact on Britain of the loss of an empire is different from that on the former colonial states who composed it. It can be hypothesised that the recent British experience was one of becoming a new nation born from a loss of identity (empire) rather than through the more normal moment of achievement of self-determination and sovereignty. The British and maybe its currently subordinate identities have only begun to value their status as a nation as they have lost its as an empire. Looking to the future, rather than embraced tradition, the past is a foreign country.  [xxxiv]  However, this thesis rather misses the point. The relationship to football that Robinson uses is not strong enough. Past results, whether triumphant or ignominious, are sustained in the pantheon of the football clubs history together with the folklore that accompanies them. It is no guide to future performance on the pitch but it is not dumped, as history becomes part of the living entity that is the club . Extrapolating to Britain, the same is true: history has not been forgotten but assimilated. The notion of popular imperialism is not a new one. Indeed the Falklands war in 1982 could be argued to be the last visible outpouring of such sentiment, though the peaceful return of Hong Kong is another somewhat less jingoist example. It should not be a surprise that a positive idea of the empires legacy or receptiveness (even amongst the cynicism of the Channel 4 commissioning editors) to the work of authors such as Fergusson does exist. The success of imperialism as a popular cultural phenomena during the 20th century was set out by MacKenzie.  [xxxv]  The empires popularity was a core ideology in Britain which later morphed into nostalgia. However, given natural human emotions, it would be hardly surprising that the visible and quick end of empire after 1945 would not evoke such sentiment. Equally the extent though that nostalgia was a means of escaping the harsh realities of the day is of course a moot point. Though as the Economist noted,  [xxxvi]  having taken the loss of empire relatively lightly, the British publics concept of identity had been fortified by a comforting set of images of national heroism derived from the Second World War. But nostalgia can be both melancholic as well as euphoric. In the late 1970s the economic and political challenges in Britain were different from today and discussion was focused on how their malaise coupled with the loss of an empire could be met.  [xxxvii]  Events like Suez summed up the sense of decline associated with decolonisation, but in the public consciousness, victory in the South Atlantic in 1982 has to some extent become linked with economic reform and major so cial readjustment. Today notions of nostalgia continue to be reinforced by newspaper articles,  [xxxviii]  for instance those covering the current troubles in Yemen. In an article headed, We regret driving out the British, ex-Marxist revolutionaries spoke nostalgically of imperial masters they had fought to remove. Whilst patently British rule is not going to return to Yemen, the continued theme of such articles together with similar ones that most of us have read with regard to the Indian sub-continent reinforce a narrative that underpins the articulation of the some of the putative benefits of imperial rule; albeit driven more by nostalgia than rigorous analysis. Whilst the revival of the neo-Whig view of empire is associated with Fergusson it is possible to see the earlier emergence of the same train of thought. Max Beloff noted that for younger historians coming of age when he was writing in 1995, an optimistic view of empire was not difficult to find, where the sins of empire had been redeemed by a legacy of democratic institutions and liberal ideas, notably represented by the Commonwealth.  [xxxix]  He continued, the history of the British Empire could be studied to see how this glorious consummation had been achieved. I would not be so bold as to argue that this was an executive instruction to Fergusson, but my point is that the structure of the argument was already there, albeit in an embryonic way. However, when Clements at a similar time made his plea for more analysis of the economics of empire as a means to aiding its public reassessment, he probably did not have the direction that Fergusson subsequently took in mind.  [xl]  Its conclusions were probably 180 degrees out from what he had anticipated. We have all engaged around the dining room table or at the pub in those rather spurious conversations along the lines of what if we hadnt won the first world war. Such counter factual analyses of history are popular but their value debateable. But it is unsurprising in the sense of the determination to provoke that Fergusson edited a book of counterfactual essays. Such work as Fergusson himself points out challenges conventional approaches to the study of history. E H Carr dismissed counterfactual history as a mere parlour game and red herring, while E

Thursday, September 19, 2019

JANE AUSTEN: PRIDE AND PREJUDICE Essay -- English Literature

JANE AUSTEN: PRIDE AND PREJUDICE A Critical Analysis The opening chapter of the novel gives us a brief introduction to the lives of the Bennets. Mrs Bennet’s sole purpose in life is to marry of her daughters to wealthy young men. It begins with Mr and Mrs Bennet having a conversation about marrying of their daughters as soon as possible. Mrs Bennet tells her husband about a young man who has taken possession of Netherfield and about how they should make it a point to visit him and introduce their daughters to him so he can marry one of them. Mr Bennet is seemingly uninterested and is sarcastic about the idea, which partly angers his wife. The use of humour in the opening chapter is brought out by Mr Bennet through his responses to his wife, and also through Austen’s own comments. This is first outlined after Mr Bennet says to his wife, â€Å"You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it.†, Austen comments ‘This was invitation enough’. This is a funny statement and in its humour Austen manages to bring out character trait of both Mr and Mrs Bennet. Mrs Bennet is shown to be very enthusiastic, talkative, and ultimately a bit of a gossip. Mr Bennet, on the other hand, is shown to be a passive person. When Mr Bennet says, â€Å"for as you are handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley might like you the best of the party.†, it shows him to be a humorous person and has the effect of bringing life to the text. Towards the end of the chapter Mr Bennet once again brings out the aspect of humour when he says, â€Å"I have high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty years at least.†. This once again brings out his wife’s character, as a relativ... ...en also creates tension in the first chapter by not introducing Mr Bingley. We are simply made aware of his existence. This makes the curious about his character. Many aspects of the book, for example any ideas that the reader might have about how the story will unfold, are not confirmed by Austen, thus creating tension and leaving the reader curious if the story unfolds the way they thought it would. Austen manages to captivate the reader in the first chapter. She mainly uses humour and sarcasm to achieve this effect. In this chapter we are shown the importance of Mr and Mrs Bennet to each other. Mrs Bennet needs her husband to keep her from going out of hand, and he needs his wife to add humour to his life through her being ridiculous. The firs chapter of Pride and Prejudice is extremely well written and makes the reader not want to put down the book.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Transformational School Leadership Essay -- transformational leaders

School leadership in recent times has involved more and more time and consideration as schools are being made held responsible for significant changes in the outcomes of students learning (Leithwood & Riehl, 2005, p. 12). With pressures coming from all levels of government, Principals are not the only ones being held accountable to the outcomes of students (Leithwood & Riehl, 2003). Davis (2012) identifies strongly with this as middle executive roles and teachers within a school are being required to work collaboratively to achieve objectives and to transform cultural change into reality. This paper will discuss the traditional social construction of leadership and how the use of transformational leadership has planned, developed and established an alternative learning within a rural New South Wales high school. This paper will also discuss and analyse effectiveness of the leadership that has taken place This programme was designed and is being run to address poor attendance and retention of targeted students from 14 to 17. This programme ran in partnership with local employment providers, Aboriginal Training Groups as well as the local tertiary training centre. School X is an isolated high school within a town with a populace of 3000 people (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2011). The student population currently resides at 210 with 50% of the students recognising themselves as Indigenous (McDonald & Levinston, 2011). A large percentage of the town’s vocation consists of unskilled labour, with a best part of these also being small business owners (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2011). These include earthmoving companies, primary industries service companies and only a small percentage of the town has a post-sec... ...about leadership? Leadership for the disillusioned: Moving beyond myths and heroes to leading that liberates (pp. 17-34). Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin. Stogdill, R. M. (1948). Personal factors associated with leadership: A survey of the literature. The Journal of Psychology, 25(1), 35-71. Tobin, T., & Sprague, J. (1999). Alternative Education Programs for At-Risk Youth: Issues, Best Practice, and Recommendations. Oregon school study council bulletin, 42, 20. Watkins, P. (1986). A Critical Review of Leadership Concepts and Research: The Implications for Educational Administration: Publication Sales, Deakin University Press, Deakin University, Victoria 3217, Australia ($12.50 Australian; quantity discounts). Williams, B. P. (2011). An analysis of participation in servant leadership as self reported by elementary school principals in southwest Georgia.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

The Differences Between Men and Women Essay -- essays research papers

For countless generations it has been a mystery, almost creditable for extensive research and investigation, why men and women are viewed as complete opposites. Men and women have never and will never be the same. From the beginning, men have been trained and conditioned to be the dominant hunters in society, where as women were generally the less aggressive individuals in any given population. But after all, they were born to be different, excluding anatomical distinctions. In spite of medical enhancements, women live four to five years longer than men. They both have various reactions to certain prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Women are more susceptible to certain diseases like lung cancer and some HIV, although more men tend to carry the A.I.D.S. virus. But what makes them special in today’s social order? There are hundreds of variables to be considered to answer this question. However, with constant deliberation, the differences seem quite comprehensible as to why Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus, as the title of a recent book states. Family upbringing and society as a whole play an important role in the reason for men and women’s planetary diversity. First of all, whoever said men and women are equal had to have been naà ¯ve. Not only in the United States, but also in all countries of the world, women have always come in second to men. It begins in the hospital, boys get blue blankets whereas girls get pink. Then it is established in the household, the daughter does the dishes and helps mom with laundry, where as the son takes out the trash and lends a hand to his father building a doghouse. According to Student One, â€Å"throughout history, women were always the stay at home type who always cooked and cleaned ... ...and brag. Thus, it is not that â€Å"women are viewed as ‘scardy cats’, as Student Twenty-one stated, when their fears are brought out in the open. Family upbringing, and values, as well as society, as a whole, have surprisingly survived this inequality for many years, as a result it most likely will never change. â€Å"Only in a perfect society could woman†¦be as [free] as the average man† (Student Eight). It is possible, if given time, for such a utopia to exist. Women would be, called upon to open pickle jars, â€Å"let off easy† for harming their two-timing husbands and/or boyfriends, and will feel safe walking alone at night. Just as Student Six wroteâ€Å"[If] men can do it, why not women?† But for now, this obvious and sometimes overlooked inequality is needed because through cooperation, the lopsidedness of the relationship between men and women become one and the same.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Impressionistic Painting and Music Essay

Looking at the painting of the great Impressionist painter Claude Monet entitled Impression: Soleil Levant and listening to Claude Debussy’s Claire De Lune produces a potent mixture of tranquillity of the senses. This is because the eyes see a very relaxing image in Monet’s Impressions Soleil Levant; while the ears find a very relaxing tune while listening to Claire De Lune. Both works of art possess certain characteristics that made both of them an ideal tool for making the person feel relaxed, tranquil and steady. For Monet, this is found in his style, as well as his use of color. Monet was not afraid to mix warm colors (like red, yellow and hues of orange-red) with cool colors (particularly blue and shades of white) (Web Museum, 2006). What makes it all the more relaxing as an image as a whole is the fact that the combination of these colors created an image combining land, sea and sky. The image of a tranquil and peaceful sea with very little moving ways detected by the eye only through the reflection of the light in it is often a very relaxing image. The colors used to create the image improved the feeling. Debussy, for his part, utilized the power of slow tempo and the use of a solo piano in effectively evoking the hearts of the listener via his melodic (even dramatic) piece Clair De Lune (Last. fm, 2009). The shared similarities of the two may include the presence of something constant that do not break away from a pattern: Debussy played Claire De Lune in a consistent tempo, never going any faster or any slower in any time during the piece. If there were any noticeable breaks from patterns, it was not a break in tempo or speed of the musical piece as it was being played. In this piece it is noticeable how Debussy often resorted to using pauses in between the playing of the slow tempo and the slow rhythm of the music; while the image made by Monet creates an image of a still water; the boat seemed to lay still somewhere in the middle; while everything else – the sky, the waters, the land in the background, all seemed unmoving, as if frozen in time or captured by a moment of peace and stillness of the soul. Debussy’s and Monet’s work are also similar in the sense that they are neither happy nor sad. Some paintings, as well as musical pieces, instantly evoke extreme or polar emotions which the artist/composer might be looking for as effect or result, either displaying happiness or sadness. But in Impressions: Soleil Levant and Claire De Lune, the feeling is somewhere between happiness and sadness. Another similarity is the absence of textual cues to guide the audience/viewer/listener regarding what he or she should feel upon being exposed to the works of art. In Monet’s work, there are no images or no parts of the painting that indicate anything. There are no aspects that contain text which may trigger emotions that the painter may or may have not consciously placed in the painting. It is no secret that some paintings use textual components to assist the viewer/audience in reaching the specific emotion or reaction towards the work of art. But it is not present in Monet’s work, giving the audience a freer hand with regards to reacting without the intrusion of visual textual cues. This is the same case for Claire De Lune. While most (if not all) of the classical music pieces are focused mainly on featuring sounds coming from one or several musical instruments, still, the absence of accompanying lyrics or voice over to the musical piece allows the audience to react to the music on his/her own, in a personal way and not influenced by text or words heard during while listening to the musical piece. An abrasive, scandalous or powerful word found in Monet’s work and a scream, shrill, or powerful utterances of vocal sounds placed inside Claire De Lune, no doubt, has the power to alter the impression that it can make compared to its original state. The beauty of these two works of art is that both relies purely on letting the audience be affected in his or her own personal way through the use of the basics of their own forms: color and image for Monet’s Impressions: Soleil Levant; and the a solo piano performance and pure musical instrument audio for Claire De Lune of Claude Debussy.

World challenges in the next fifty years and computer technology

In this century many nations throughout the world are facing many challenges. Most of these challenges are caused by population and technologies. Population has been increasing thereby straining the available resources as a result of inadequate measures being put in place. The steps taken to solve the problems experienced in the world are inefficient and are not concentrated on the main issues. In addition to that they do not address the root cause of the problems. Technology is also affecting the world adversely as some of the innovations are not protecting or preserving the environment. Consequently, there are economic problems as the economy of most nations is declining. The world is experiencing an economic recession. Inflation rates are also going up in most nations thereby leading to increased prices for commodities. In the next fifty years the world will face many challenges and some of these challenges include; energy, water, environment, education, poverty and many others. a) Energy At present, nations are investing many funds in research and exploiting natural resources in their territories. The use of non-renewable energy has grown tremendously as almost every invention is using this type of energy. Most modes of transportation are using this type of energy. Most vehicles, public or private are using petroleum products. Similarly, all airplanes are using non-renewable energy for engine combustion. Consequently, the first ships which were invented utilized renewable energy sources but currently for high speed purposes are using non-renewable energy sources. As result of the high demand for non-renewable energy, the reserves are getting depleted. Because of increased demand, oil companies are forced to increase their supply thereby leading to investment of more funds in exploration of more fuel reserves. In the next coming years this trend will continue thereby leading to excessive energy demand and this will affect the world negatively (Organization for Economic Cooperation and development 8). As a result of increased energy demand, the entire world will experience fuel shortages thereby leading to excessive increase in the cost of energy. At the present times, problems related energy has started to emerge and people are feeling its effects as energy prices are going up. This is reflective of what the next fifty years will be. The energy problem is expected to worsen in the next fifty years if alternatives are not sought. In solving the energy problems in the next fifty years computer technology will be very useful and especially if utilized effectively. Innovations in this technology will provide alternative energy sources. As result of more innovations and developments in the computer technology better chips which can power large buildings, automobiles, airplanes among others will be developed. Such technology will reduce the strains experienced by the energy reserves as a result of high energy demand. Currently, such chips have begun to be built (Borealis) and this can be viewed to be a step in the right direction as it leads to better energy sources. Some companies have begun investing financial resources in such innovations; therefore in the next fifty years energy problems will be eliminated. In addition to that computer technology will be helpful in exploration of more energy sources. Currently, the use of computer technology is increasing in energy exploration, but in the next fifty years its use will become more extensive. ) Environment and Water As result of the concentration of large populations in the large towns different forms of transportation have come up and are utilized. Most commonly used mode of transportation include; automobiles, trains, subways, and airplanes. These modes have made people more flexible as they can choose where to work, live and even invest their resources. However, in spite of the benefits provided by these modes of transportation, they have le d to problems related to safety and health of the people as they cause environmental pollution. This can mainly be attributed to fossil fuel combustion as most of them use non-renewable energy thereby leading to high carbon emissions (Benn). Consequently, as a result of industrialization the number of industries has increased and will continue to increase in the next fifty years. These industries are causing much pollution through machineries or technologies used in the production of goods and services. Most of these industries and especially the construction industries are causing noise pollution and in addition to that are degrading agricultural land as most of their raw materials come from land. As a result of land degradation in the next fifty years there will be increased cases of food shortages since they will not be enough land for cultivation. In the next fifty years the world will face more and tougher challenges related to environmental pollution due to increased number of industries and in addition to that the demand for transportation will increased greatly. More vehicles, airplanes, trains among others will be used greatly thereby causing much pollution in the environment. Consequently, as a result of increased environmental pollution a hot debate has emerged concerning global warming. Environmental pollution is leading to changes in the climate as temperatures are increasing. In the next coming years, as result of increased pollution, the world will be affected adversely and the safety and health of individuals will be reduced greatly as a result increased chances of disease infection. Furthermore, as a result of increased pollution caused primarily by industries, water shortages might be experienced as many sources of water and especially rivers will be polluted thereby making water unsafe for human consumption (Molden). Water pollution will occur as a result of industries not disposing their wastes properly thereby allowing industrial wastes to get into rivers and lakes. Additionally, water shortages might also occur as a result of changes in climate thereby leading inadequate rainfall. With increased climate changes temperatures will increase thereby leading to drying of rivers and other water reserves. This will in turn have a negative effect on food as crops in the field will dry-up thereby leading to food scarcity. However, in the next fifty years as a result of improvements in the computer technology problems related to environment and water will be solved. If utilized effectively and efficiently in the next fifty years computer technology will contribute much in relieving the world environmental and water problems. Through the computer technology modes of transportation which are environmental friendly will be invented. This can be attributed to the efficiency and effectiveness provided by the computer technology in doing research. Therefore, in the next fifty years vehicles which are cleaner, greener, safer and more energy efficient will be developed and used (Yang & Parent 17). Currently, the effects of computer technology have begun to be felt as scientists are concentrating on developing such vehicles. Furthermore, computer technology will also be useful in wastage management through development of software that control and manage wastes in industries. It will also be use for development of better technologies or systems for waste disposal thereby leading to reductions in wastes getting in the water sources. Consequently, computer technology will contribute greatly in water treatment thereby relieving water shortage problems. As a result of computer technology contribution in improving research better ways of treating water will be discovered thereby leading to increased quantity and quality of water. c) Education and poverty The world population has been increasing at a very fast pace thereby straining the resources available. For instance, in 1990 the population was more than 5. 2 billion while in 2000 it grew to more than 6 billion (Infoplease). At that rate the world population will reach more than ten billion in the next fifty years. People are moving from rural or smaller cities towards larger cities thereby increasing population size in these cities. In the next fifty years, more than a hundred cities are expected to contain over ten million people (Parent 1). As a result of population increase, learning institutions will be strained. Materials for learning will not be adequate due to excessive number of students. This to some extent will lower the quality of education as the number of students per teacher will become greater that the required number. As a result of high population increase and increased demand for education, teachers and lectures will be overloaded and this will affect their performance adversely. Consequently, poverty will increase as a result of increased rate of illiteracy. With high education demand, the cost of acquiring education will be increased greatly thereby locking out individuals from the lower social class. Education will therefore belong to individuals of high and middle social class. Since lower class individuals constitute majority of the world population, there will be increased illiteracy rate and in turn increased poverty level. Education is essential in improving the lives of people as it equips them with knowledge and skills which are helpful in building a great future. It also opens up their minds thereby enabling them to solve issues or problems in their lives with much ease. Furthermore, the level of poverty will also increase in the next fifty years as a result of increased demand for basic commodities. Because of increased population, prices of basic commodities will go up thereby becoming expensive to a large number of individuals. Many people will not affordable to meet their basic needs as a result of increased prices thereby increasing the level of poverty. Additionally, as a result of the current economic downturn and high inflation rate, in the next fifty years many people will become poor. Many businesses will be closed as a result of incurring many losses thereby leading to increased unemployment level. People will lose their jobs as a result of deterioration economy and volatile global markets (Monks). Currently, technology has boosted education greatly. Through the internet individuals can acquire knowledge and skills wherever they are regardless of their distance from the learning institution. As a result of technology learning materials are sufficient for the students and they can use them regardless of their location. In the next fifty years because of increased population size demand for education will increase thereby raising the need for more innovative and efficient technology. Technology will therefore contribute greatly in reducing congestion in the learning institutions and in ensuring maintenance of high quality education. Conclusion. In the next fifty years computer technology will play a vital role in relieving the problems facing the world. In spite of the finances which will be required in developing computer technology, investing in this technology will not be a financial wastage. In ensuring that computer technology is adequate developed and thus helpful in the future, financial support is essential. Companies and other organizations need to invest more funds in innovations that are geared towards improving this technology. In the coming years the need for computer technology will increase and will become a necessity in improving the people's lives.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

After Twenty Years Essay

â€Å"After Twenty Years† by O. Henry, is a great story. It is about two men who are great friends; they schedule a meeting so they can meet after twenty years, hence the title of the story. This story illustrates that people change but that does not necessarily mean in a good way! I had many friends when i changed schools and none of the friends i had changed in a good way, they now smoke and dress inappropriately. â€Å"After Twenty Years† really grabs the reader’s attention and O. Henry made a surprise ending that caused the story to end with a BANG! it truly was an amazing story. Bob and Jimmy were great friends and scheduled an appointment to meet after twenty years in front of an old restaurant. BY the time the day comes, the restaurant is now a shop. Bob was waiting in front of the locked doors that night when a cop approaches him and right away, Bob explains why he is there to assure the cop its okay for him to be there. To me, it seems a little suspicious to explain right away. The cop listens and planned to stay. Then he lights a cigar and the cop got glimpse of his face. After hearing the story he walks away. Twenty minutes later, JImmy shows up. They go walking and talk about how Bob is wealthy and that he lives out West. Jimmy listens for a bout ten minutes then Bob notices his nose. â€Å"Twenty years is a long time but not long enough to change a Roman into a Pug.† He explains concerned. Then the under cover cop explains and hands him a note. The note said, Bob, I was at the appointed place on time. when you lit the cigar i saw the face of a man wanted in Chicago, i knew i couldn’t arrest you myself so i sent and under cover officer, Jimmy. The ending really surprised me and it was a good story. My friends may have never robbed anything from the West but they were bad. Do you have anyone who changed? Perhaps yourself?

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Mayan Culture

Modern Mayan culture has its roots in a very ancient culture. Ancient Mayan civilization spanned more than 3000 years and featured a written language, agriculture, a well-ordered social class system, a well-developed religious system, development of a calendar and trade. Much of the ancient tradition and culture has survived and been incorporated into the modern Mayan culture.ReligionMayan religion is a hybrid of Christianity and ancient Mayan beliefs and rituals. The sixteenth century church, a central institution in the process of conquest, set the tone of the future relationship by working to replace Mayan religion with Spanish Christianity and to Hispanicize Mayan culture in general. (Stoll, 2003)Although many of their Gods have been replaced with statues of Christianity, the stories barely resemble the Christian versions. Today, devout Maya worship at mountain and cave shrines, making offerings of chickens, candles and incense with a ritual alcoholic drink.The Maya are a very su perstitious people and have countless superstitions regarding events in mature which forewarn the observer of sickness, disaster, and death. Shaman/ daykeepers keep count of the 260 day ritual calendar and provide healing by identifying curses and offended ancestors, counting seeds and crystals in their divinations, and performing curando rituals.MarriageMayan marriage is not prearranged by the family, although in ancient times it was accepted practice. In the more traditional villages, the young man must still ask the father for his daughters hand in marriage and certain rituals are followed. There is a traditional engagement and wedding  ritual dance that many Maya use in their wedding ceremonies. Most young married couples will live with either set of parents until they can begin a household on their own.The average marriage age of Maya people is 16 for females and 19 for males. Very few Maya remain unmarried as family and children are very important to the Maya.FamilyFamily is a very important part of Maya culture. The average Maya family will have 6-8 children and most newlyweds have their first child within a year of marriage. In the domestic life of the Maya, family ties are strong, although outward displays of affection, such as kissing and embracing, are rare. Couples are considered affectionate if they carry out their respective duties faithfully. To their babies, however, the Maya are demonstrative and fondle and caress them, using baby talk as white parents do. It is evident that most parents are very fond of their children. Very rarely do fathers chastise their children physically and the mothers resort to harsh punishment only occasionally.  Ã‚   (Steggerda, 1941, p. 49)Food Production StrategiesMany of the Mayan still live much the way they did when the Europeans came, weaving, cultivating corn and beans and collecting firewood to cook and heat their adobe houses. Electricity and road access have not changed the local traditions. Corn, which was cultivated by the ancient Mayans, remains the main crop. Most farmers still use the slash and burn method of farming used by their ancestors.Other strategies are share cropping and renting land to grow corn crops. The Maya form groups of up to twenty men, usually kin, rent a large piece of land, and divide it among themselves. Although this arrangement is much preferred to wage labor on the plantations, it   requires a minimum amount of capital for transportation, food, tools, seed, and so on, and expertise in dealing with the Ladino world. Many lack these resources and are forced into the largest of the temporary migratory streams. (Early, 1982, p. 88)Outside ContactThe Maya, like most people who live in small and homogeneous groups where strong social controls operate, are conservative and unprogressive. Slow to take up new ideas, their attitudes and their material culture have been very little changed by modern trends and technological developments. Their pottery, weaving, and cross-stitch work have remained very much the same during the entire history of Yucatan. In general, they have not adopted the Spanish language but rather the Spaniards have adopted the Maya language.Their mode of dress has not changed appreciably for hundreds of years, and it is my belief that their daily life is very similar to that which their ancestors led. Only in the large Yucatan towns and cities, where social contacts are freer and where social controls cannot be maintained as strongly as in the smaller communities, are there signs of change. In such towns the European mode of dress is gradually being adopted, especially by the women, and cosmetics are commonly used. The people petition the government for radios, electric lights, and corn-grinding machines, and the idea of progress is gaining a hold in their minds. The cooperative movement and similar modern methods of economic organization are being tried. (Steggerda, 1941, p. 37)In Belize, the founding of the Maya Vil lage Indigenous Experience is attempting to change the limited outside contact of the Maya culture by exposing it to tourism. They hope to bring money to the communities and improve the quality of life in the villages. (Steinberg, 2004)Many other Mayan communities are following this example in an effort to become more modern but they maintain the ancient rituals and beliefs, much like modern day New Orleans.These five concepts show the history and persevering culture of the Mayan people. Traditions with religion and family provide a rich background to pass on to the next generation. While they are struggling to enter the modern age, many of the more traditional Maya see no problem with the lifestyle they currently possess.Living in the United States, technology is readily available and most people are adept at using it. Things we take for granted such as telephones, computers, television, and automobiles are slow to make their way into the more rural areas of the Maya culture but th ey live full lives without these things. This is a huge culture difference because most Americans do not believe they can live without technology.The family tradition is also vastly different. Americans live a much faster paced life and many things must be balanced: work, children, marriage. Mayan women are traditional homemakers and Mayan men do the heavy labor. American women do many of the heavy labor jobs and not many people can afford to stay home with the children full time.Both cultures have pro’s and con’s to their lifestyle and culture but both are ever changing and adapting to the world around them. Both realize the importance of religion within a culture and continuing the race through children. The United States, however, is not one culture but hundreds and this gives it a unique background. It is much more varied than the ancient Mayan history the modern Maya still cultivate.ReferencesEarly, J. D. (1982). The Demographic Structure and Evolution of a Peasan t System: The Guatemalan Population. Boca Raton, FL: University Presses of Florida.Steggerda, M. (1941). Maya Indians of Yucatan. Washington, DC: Carnegie Institution of Washington.Steinberg, M. K. (1994, Summer). Tourism Development and Indigenous People: The Maya Experience in Southern Belize. Focus, 44, 17+. Retrieved June 08, 2007, from Questia database: https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-19897117/tourism-development-and-indigenous-people-the-mayaStoll, D. (2003). Dow, James W. & Alan R. Sandstorm (Eds). Holy Saints and Fiery Preachers: The Anthropology of Protestantism in Mexico and Central America. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 9(3), 595+. Retrieved June 09, 2007