Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Righteous Dopefiend by Philippe Bourgois and Jeffrey Schonberg Essay

Righteous Dopefiend by Philippe Bourgois and Jeffrey Schonberg - Essay Example TIn addition to being homeless, the individuals have to face the structural forces that govern their miserable lives. The book tries to give profiles of various homeless people residing on the encampment. This is crucial in understanding the reasons that lead to homelessness. In addition, there is need to learn and appreciate the problems faced by these homeless individuals. This information is crucial in formulating strategies to reach out and help these people. The gruesome dependence on drugs is highlighted in the paper. The homeless addicts are dirty and some urinate on themselves. They steal, beg and engage in prostitution in exchange for drugs. The book concentrates on approximately 10 people in the Bernal heights a popular area in San Francisco (Elsa 178). It is evident that the majority of the writing assesses the method through which the dynamics of race, gender and class affect the lives of the homeless and drug addicts. The themes that stand out in this book include race, sexuality, suffering, trauma and inequality in the society. The authors writing style includes the use of flashback in the lives of the ten individuals depicted in the book to make the book more realistic. The author writes about the love stories, family trauma and embodied suffering in most situations to highlight the plight of these individuals. The use of pictures and flash back creates an actual scenario as described. This makes an individual to understand the inequality and the facts highlighted in the book effortlessly. This powerful book makes the reader to fully integrate into the world of drug addiction, extreme poverty and homelessness in the most developed country, the United States of America (Bourgois & Schonberg 214). Photographs in this book include the scars brought about by addiction, social closeness among romantic pairs and partners who are on the run because of drugs, and the homeless people covered in the book (Angela 200). They are pictures of homeless people who reside in shacks on the encampment. These shacks are off the street and they comfortably rest on their beddings, and take drugs. The most intriguing pictures are of Tina and Carter (a homeless couple that is deeply in love). One cannot help but admire this couple. They may be poor, but they are happy as they have each other. They are oblivious of their surroundings and happily hug and show affection to each other. Through the pictures, it is evident that most of the homeless people are drug addicts. It seems that the homeless people use the drugs to counteract feelings of desperation, anxiety and fear. The commonly abused drug is heroine and intoxication of the drug elicits feelings of euphoria. The homeless on the encampment derive great solace from drug abuse. This is a true picture also in the society, and individuals should avoid drugs such as heroin and crack. The pictures were ethical since a writer has authority to utilize any style of writing which includes pictures and other literature. A writer should be able to pass the informa tion to the reader effortlessly. This style of including pictures is acceptable and ethical since it gives emphasis on the texts in the book. The pictures are not pornographic in nature neither do they discriminate both gender, and race they are appropriate and relevant to the book (Elsa 178). Substance abuse

Sunday, October 27, 2019

The Culture of Italy Architecture, People and History

The Culture of Italy Architecture, People and History The main focus of this culture project will be the nation of Italy. Italy is a peninsula, with two main islands which include Sardinia and Sicily, located in south central Europe and extending into the Mediterranean Sea. Italy has a land mass, including the islands, of about 116,300 square feet. To get a better proportion in mind, Italy is only slightly larger than the state of Arizona. Italy is the land neighbor of several countries including Austria, France, San Marino, Slovenia, and Switzerland (Cia.gov). The country of Italy has a unique range when it comes to climate. In northern Italy, the weather is more extreme with temperatures dropping below freezing with snow typically blanketing the region. Southern Italy on the other hand has more a more moderate climate with warmer weather. Southern Italy is the less populated region, and despite the hot temperatures the area is more known for its rural areas and farming communities (GoAbroad.info). Throughout the nation, Italian cultur e is as alive today as it ever has been, but it goes back a long way. Evidence of human existence has been shown through recent excavations in Europe, which date back to the Paleolithic and Mesolithic time periods (Italy1.com). Italy is a nation rich in culture and customs, and this will be an interesting journey. 4C Archaeology To understand any culture, it is first important to get an understanding of the history of the location. One way to do this is to study from an archeological stand point. Archaeology is one of four subplots of Anthropology, and is the excavation, recovery, and analysis of remains of past human behavior. Archaeologists look for artifacts (such as tools, ceramics, textiles) to give them an idea of and show evidence for past human behavior. Italy, especially Northern Italy and around Rome, is rich in archaeological findings. Currently there about 56 active sites around Italy, which include sites in Pompeii and Rome. Rome may be the most well known area, because it is still populated today, but the ruins of Pompeii are full of findings of a civilization over 2000 years old. Pompeii (located near the present day Naples) was completely buried by a volcanic eruption that basically set all signs of life in stone for years ahead. The earliest signs of life show that this city was destroyed in 79 AD, which gives archaeologists insight to a city that was popular at the same time as the Roman Empire was at its peak. This site was left virtually untouched until about 1748 when one man found the site and would dig at random searching for treasure only for his own personal gain. Not until 1861 was the proper approach taken, and this included an extensive and systematic excavation led by an Italian appointed representative who was responsible for making plaster casts of the victims. Many objects are still being excavated to this day; these objects include paints (found still in the pottery), tiles, paintings, and floorings. The most interesting is the large amount of brothels found in the city (GoEurope.about.com). Photographer Corrine Gill captured some of the erotic images found, and below is one of her more famous pieces. 4D Culture Culture, in its simplest form, is a set of beliefs, ideas, behaviors that are shared and learned. The culture of Italy is a beautiful and unique one. From greetings to the food, Italian culture is something special. One really distinct difference between foreign and Italian culture is the way Italians will greet each other. The most common way to greet someone and see them off is with a light kiss on each cheek. This practice will usually seem strange to a foreigner and Italians expect this and most Italians will usually stick to the typical handshake to make the outsider feel more comfortable. Another aspect of this culture that may seem strange to foreigners is the way Italians dress. A foreigner will be the obvious stand out if they have not dressed in the same, up to date fashion as the rest of the culture. Italians of all ages typically dress in the same way, following the newest trends and fashion codes. The only real clothing restrictions come when you are entering a church or sometimes even a museum, there will typically be written rules for proper attire (ItalyHeaven.com). Growing up in a mostly Italian family, I know the part of Italian culture that is most important to me: food. Italy has nearly 20 different regions, all of which have their own style of food. Food is a great tradition in Italy, and this is usually paired with a love of wine. Wine is not looked at in the same light in Italy as it is in America. In Italy, wine is the typical drink to have paired with a fine Italian meal. An example of when a large meal would be prepared would be after a funeral. The whole family would be together, and they would celebrate the life of the lost loved one together. An Italian funeral is a beautiful ceremony that gets many of the loved ones involved, with most of the family holding candles throughout the service and most of them offering prayers in front of the casket. The whole family will then lead the deceased to his final resting place. Italians like t o make a big deal out of their ceremonies, most notably their wedding ceremonies and Christening services (Windsor-Communities.com). The Italian wedding has a few special traditions that are worth noting. One of these traditions is that the groom will carry a small piece of iron ore which is meant to ward off the evil eye. The other tradition unique to Italian weddings is when the bride and groom shatter a vase or piece of glass, they do this so that each piece will represent one year of happy marriage (CompletelyWeddings.com). Both events (weddings and Christenings) will be held in a church for a special service, and then will be followed by a special party afterwards. The party will usually include lots of families and friends, food, wine, and also music. The music typically played at these events will be Opera or anything that can be danced to. Italians love most styles of music, as it is a major part of their daily lives. Opera has the largest following in Italy because that is the origin of this style (Windsor-Communities.com). Below is a picture taken from CompletelyWeddings.com (the photographer is unknown), and it shows what a typical Italian wedding is like. 4E Domestication Much of Italy is covered in mountains which therefore include forests which are home to many different plants and trees. Tuscany, part of the northern region of Italy, has many trees which include beech, pine, fir, yew, oak, wild oak, and ash. The mountains of Tuscany are also home to animals like the fox, mountain goat, bear, and both the Apennine wolf and lynx (KidCyber.com). On top of the many trees and plants throughout the country, Italy has many herbs including rosemary, lavender and thyme. 4F Cities/States For most of Italys history the country was run by a dictator and for some time before that it was ruled by the Catholic Church with the Pope having control of the territory. Until 1948, the nation was ruled by different dictators. In 1948, after World War II, Italy switched over to become a Republic (EveryCulture.com). A Republic is the most common form of government, and it is basically where citizens of a nation have the ability to help control the government. A Republic government leaves a lot of room for change, but the static point is that citizens have the right to vote for their elected officials (WiseGeek.com). Italy is currently led by the Head of State Giorgio Napolitano. Napolitano was elected, as is any Head of State, for a seven year term by the Electoral College. Below Napolitano is Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi who was elected for a 5 year term. Italian government is easy to understand because it is very similar to the United States government (Fco.gov). An interest ing point when looking at Italy and their form of government is the Vatican City, which is the only surviving city-state left in the world. A city-state is, as stated by Professor Kuba from class, a political system of an independent city to rule over a fixed area. The Vatican City has not always been an independent state though, as it was only made to be its own state in 1929 due to a treaty that was signed between the city and Italy. The ruler of the Vatican is not necessarily an elected official either, because the leader of the Vatican is actually the Bishop of Rome, who is the Pope to the rest of the Catholic community. The Vatican City is actually very small in land size, as it is only slightly larger than The Mall in Washington, DC (Buzzle.com). 4G Social Stratification To judge if a society is socially stratified, we look at three main traits which include prestige, power, and economic resources/wealth. It is difficult to place Italy in any of the categories, but it is best represented by a Class Society due to the unequal access to everything. The major differences within the nation fall between the northern and southern parts of Italy. The unemployment rate of the nation is very high, which causes the differences in wealth to be highly noticeable. Wealth is especially apparent in immigrants because they typically come from poorer countries. Lower classes have been affected recently by budget cuts to the welfare system which were required by the European Union (which Italy founded in 1957). The most prominent markers of social class are speech and dress. The closer ones dialect is to the national language, it is common that the speaker is wealthier than others. Also, fashion is a big deal in Italy, and it is also a statement in class. Certain desi gners or labels will be out of reach for the lower class, and they will stand out because of how up to date Italy is with fashion. Another factor to judge someone by is the amount and style of their leisure time. Where a person goes for a vacation, the amount of time they spend there, and where they stay are usually good ways to gauge an Italians social status. Fashion, leisure, and food are three key factors when looking at Italian culture. Two of these have been discussed; the third and not yet talked about is food. Food is a universal constant and no matter what your social status, you will eat it. Food can also help gauge a persons social status by what kind of food they are eating. Meat will usually be eaten mainly by the wealthy, while the less fortunate will stick to just Pasta or simpler foods (EveryCulture.com). In Italy there are differences in classes, but there are no noticeable different groups. The only difference lies within a persons social status, such as their pres tige, power, or economic resources. 4H Marital Residency and Kinship Italy is not unique in any real fashion when it comes to marriage practices in comparison to the rest of the world. When it comes to marriage, Italians have followed practices common throughout. In the past, marriages were typically arranged by the parents and the daughter would bring a sum of money to the husband at the time of the wedding. It was not uncommon though for the son or daughter to have the chance to influence their parents decision, and this practice was much easier for the poorer class. Most people in Italy will eventually marry, but it is not unheard of to have a restriction for the child to hold off marriage so they can care for their older parents. When the marriage does take place, most couples will move in with the brides parents and follow the matrilocal residency. Alongside of this, it is typical for two nuclear families to live together (EveryCulture.com). Kinship in Italy is a little more difficult to understand. Italy and people of Italian decent are known for their large families, so the question is, how are they related? The family will typically extend and include both the fathers and mothers side of the family. There a couple of generalizations that can be drawn from Italian kinship. One of these is the bond that is typically found between the males of a family and to his mothers sisters. It is believed that is due to the fact that the son chooses to be with the more loving side, rather than the strict side that the father offers. Following this line of thinking, it would mean that I would be really close with my two aunts from my mothers side but have a typical, not resistant, relationship with those on my fathers side of the family. 4I Religion and Magic Religion is a set of beliefs, attitudes, and practices pertaining to the supernatural (Notes). Religion is also one universal constant. No matter when or where society has existed, signs of some form of religion or magic have been found. As discovered through writings or archaeological sites, Italy is no different. Witches and sorcerers are now all but forgotten, but they used to hold a strong position in the past. These practices led many to believe in spells, charms, and many different types of omens. Many of these beliefs have succeeded to modern day religion, but some people still believe in this ancient line of thinking. Italy, home to the Vatican City (the home of the Catholic Church), is a highly religious country. Over 90% of all of Italy is Roman Catholic, with the other religions being a mix of Jews, Muslims, and Orthodox. Italy is full of religious history, with Rome and the Vatican being the focal point for tourist attraction. The cities are full of churches and religious relics, and people flock from around the world to view them first hand. The Roman Catholic Church is very strict with its practices and holds many events throughout the year. The main holidays celebrated in Catholicism are the Immaculate Conception, Christmas, Easter, and the Pentecost. These are celebrated throughout the world, but for a nation nearly all Catholic, they are very important. In Italy, death and the celebration of the death are regarded as highly important. Most Italians believe in the afterlife, and view heaven and hell as reality (going along with Catholicism, they also believe in Purgatory). The funeral for a deceased loved one is held in a funeral home, and Italians view attendance as mandatory. Missing the funeral of a loved one can cause serious harm to that persons relationship with other friends and family (EveryCulture.com). So far I have identified Italy by three major things: family, friends, and food. Religion, and specifically Catholicism, can be added to this list. The Vatican City Home to the Catholic Church, a religion followed by over 90% of Italy 4J Linguistics The official language of Italy, not surprisingly, is Italian. Italian is the number one used language, while German is second, and French and Slovene have a small role in the nations linguistic history (Cia.gov). Italian has a long history, and it is said to be a part of the Romance group, a subplot of the Indo-European family. All Romance languages were spawned from Latin, and Italy is the one that closest resembles it to this day. One issue with the Italian language has always been the number of different dialects found within the country. Dating back to the early 13th century, different dialects can be found in different regions, and this caused many different writings and schools of thought in numerous dialects. It was not until the 17th century, when Tuscany began to be one of the most successful regions in the nation that the Tuscan dialect began to take over and is now considered to be the true national language and dialect. The earliest form of the written word of Italian is said to be from the 13th century, where we find numerous popular plays and stories. Dante Alighieri is one of Italys most famous authors for his work, Devine Comedy, which was written in Latin. The Italian language is basically entirely derived from Latin, and Latin is the official language of the Vatican City (Italian.about.com). The Italian language has a less than half of the letters that English does, as their language only has 14 letters. Italian is a very romantic language, and because of this many common Italian phrases are well known to much of the English speaking society.   4K Sex and Gender Italy is surprisingly equal when it comes to gender roles. I would have viewed Italian culture as very old fashioned, with women staying at home while the husband went off to work, but this is not entirely true. It could be said they are old fashioned in the sense that they have stuck to their almost original gender roles, but that means the men and women are treated as equals. Archaeological sites have shown evidence that men and women were almost equal in the amount of work they contributed to society. In modern society, prior to World War II, men would be the ones who went to work while the woman would stay at home, but these practices have changed and stayed the same since. Now, men and women are equals in every aspect of Italian culture. The numbers of men and women enrolled in universities and the work force is almost the same throughout Italy. Women still hold the same role as the leader of home life, but have taken on new roles to make themselves equals with men in social, ec onomic, and political areas of life. These facts show that Italian women are the most liberated in all of Europe (EveryCulture.com). One major difference between Italian men and women is the effects of having a child. Italian men typically have little to do with the child rearing process and offer little support and guidance to the mother. This absence leaves a very heavy job for the mother to handle alone. The job market is very tough, and it is nearly impossible for a mother of even one child to re-enter the job market after a short absence. This puts a strain on a family because of the difficulty it brings to the family because they have to live off of one income. These facts have caused a dramatic decrease in the amount of children being born in todays Italy (Family.jrank.org). 4L Genetics and Evolution The first sign of any human life comes from nearly 200,000 years ago when signs of human remains were found at villages excavated just west of Rome. The evidence of the existence of Homo Erectus humans is shown with the flint axes that were excavated from this site. About 100,000 years old, signs of more humans were found in Rome, and these people are believed to have been Neanderthals. In terms of modern day Italians, the first existence of modern day humans came about in 10,000 BC during the Upper Palaeolithic. Stone tools and engravings of animals in caves and on bones have been excavated from these sites. The engravings were not as detailed or impressive in comparison with those found elsewhere in Europe such as in France and Spain. It is believed that this is a sign that the population of Italy was rather small at this period in time (HistoryForKids.org). List of Resources http://www.everyculture.com/Ge-It/Italy.html Used for general information throughout the project https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/it.html Used for: 3A, 3B, 4J http://italy1.com/history/ Used for 3B http://www.goabroad.info/Italy.html?gID=3207 Used for 3C http://www.loc.gov/rr/international/european/italy/it.html Used for basic search engine http://mapsandflags.com/it.html Used for general information http://goeurope.about.com/cs/italy/a/pompeii.htm Used for information on Pompeii http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/pompeii/ss/BrothelsPompeii_2.htm Used for Pompeii brother picture, Corinne Gill http://www.italyheaven.co.uk/manners.html Used for 4D http://www.windsor-communities.com/italian-traditions.php Used for 4D http://completelyweddings.com/ethnic-wedding-themes/ Used for 4D http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/italyflora.htm Used for 4E http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1108/897192220_3020362cf4.jpg?v=0 Used for Pine Forest in Tuscany, Italy picture http://www.caninest.com/types-of-wolf/ Used for Apennine wolf picture http://bubbles6612.wordpress.com/2007/11/ Used for Apennine mountains picture http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-republican-form-of-government.htm Used for 4F http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/country-profile/europe/italy/ Used for 4F http://www.buzzle.com/articles/vatican-city-facts.html Used for 4F http://www.mapsofworld.com/flags/vatican-city-flag.html Used for picture of the flag of the Vatican City http://scrapetv.com/News/News%20Pages/Everyone%20Else/pages/Popes-appeal-for-Mid-East-peace-falls-on-surprisingly-deaf-ears-Scrape-TV-The-World-on-your-side.html Used for picture of Vatican City http://italian.about.com/library/weekly/aa060699a.htm Used for 4J http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/language/italian-phrases.html Used for 4J and phrase chart http://family.jrank.org/pages/979/Italy-Education-Gender-Roles.html Used for 4K http://coquinadaily.com/daily/htmldaily/080305.shtml Used for picture in 4L http://www.lifeinitaly.com/potpourri/fun-facts.asp Used for 4M http://fragmentssynapses.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/thermometer.jpg Used for thermometer picture http://stephaniedoes.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/easiestloaf.jpg Used for picture of bread http://jonjonsmith.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/mcshit.jpg Used for picture of cologne http://www.webweaver.nu/clipart/img/entertainment/music/baby-grand-piano.jpg Used for picture of piano http://www.thedailygreen.com/cm/thedailygreen/images/1-30days-pour-wine-lg-63555269.jpg Used for picture of wine

Friday, October 25, 2019

Use of Color in Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye :: Bluest Eye Essays

Pauline saw the beauty of life through the colors of her childhood down South. Her fondest memories were of purple berries, yellow lemonade, and "that streak of green them june bugs made on the trees the night we left down home. All them colors was in me"1. Pauline and Cholly left the colors of the South when they moved North to Ohio to begin their life together. Through Cholly, Pauline hoped to find those colors of beauty that she left "down home". For a while she did find her colors, her beauty, in the eyes of Cholly. He released in her all the colors of life which were sealed down in her soul. Everything about their early married life was described in vivid colors. This was true even of her sexual experiences with him. Everything was fine, ordered and beautiful in both Pauline and Cholly's life until they moved "up North". Once they moved North everything changed. The colors went out of Pauline's life. "I missed my people. I weren't used to so much white folks...Northern colored folk was different too"2. Cholly only became "meaner and meaner and wanted to fight all of the time"2. He did not help the situation and contributed to his wife's dissatisfaction and disillusionment by not coming home. He found his satisfaction through other people, thus he neglected Pauline. To make up for this neglect and her own insecurities, Pauline sought comfort through movies. Here she would sit and watch the perfect "white" world of Hollywood. Here she would find her colors on the "silver screen". She had a longing for these colors which was going to affect her life and the lives of her family until it destroys them, especially Pecola. When Pecola was born, a major change occured in Pauline's life. According to Susan Willis, "Adjectives become substantives, giving taste and color and making it possible for colors to trickle and flow and finally be internalized..."3. She now wished to live her life like this, through the colors in herself. Right after Pecola was born Cholly again began to pay attention to Pauline again the way he used to when they lived down South. The only problem was that the colors had dimed in Pauline. By working for a white family, she found her order and her colors again but not with the intensity that she once did.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Can we trust our emotions in the pursuit of knowledge Essay

I feel that knowledge is learning or feeling something that you didn’t know before. The pursuit of knowledge comes through sheer experience. Knowledge surpasses formal schooling. Schooling is educational but neither textbook nor teacher can allow one to experience knowledge that is experienced when on a journey, a journey to explore new things. With emotion on will delve deep and learn more than ever opening up avenues never seen before. That is the pursuit of knowledge. With emotions aiding the pursuit of knowledge one will learn a broader spectrum of things. Using emotions in history and the arts is a trustworthy action. In history one will see that emotions are entwined in every story because that is what history is, a compilation of stories from different sources and point of views. Who’s to say what the truth in history is? Who is the judge on whether a historical account is true or not? No one is the judge. This is what makes the pursuit of knowledge in history a purely emotional experience. It is hard to really know what is true because in different cultures and regions of the world history is told from different angles. History that one learns in school is not told from different angles. It is told from an angle that portrays a certain attitude from the compiler of historical facts. Depending on what side you are on in history reflects the publicity of certain events. In schools certain topics are talked about more often, such as victories. Although the events in history may be emotional the pursuit of this knowledge is not emotional. It is only information; therefore, emotions should not be trusted when dealing with this type. Familial history is different for every person because everyone has backgrounds that are of many origins. When a person learns about their history it is many times oral history that has been told for generations. Oral history is bound to change dramatically because as the story is told, different variations and exaggerations are added. When one person tells a story one portion of the story may be enhanced and talked about more, but that parts that aren’t told as much may be the truth and most important parts of the story. Familial history is emotional. This history encompasses struggles and successes. Each thing that happens in a family’s history holds an emotional impact on the person or people that witnessed these things. Many times if the past is hard to talk about, due to heavy emotional impact, the story is changed or not reported. Tying emotions to pursuit of knowledge in history is unpreventable because history is an emotional subject. When a person sees art many emotions arise that causes wonderment. The journey to understanding what art is conveying is what brings forth emotion that lead one to understanding. African drumming and dancing is something that I grew up doing and listening to. In the beginning it was something that I did and never wondered about. After my retirement from drumming and dancing I saw a performance and it set me on a roller coaster of thoughts. Through the gyrations and deep thuds moving in synchronization I experienced something I never felt while playing all of those years. Through the drumming I felt the rhythm of my own heart and through the movements life was breathed into the auditorium. The swift and acrobatic movement represented structure and valor. The drums often turned into a rough chant that spoke belligerent tones and softened, as the movements became more fluid. The drums spoke and the movements of the dancer’s bodies told a story. Through emotions, art comes alive and new knowledge was gained from that single experiences. Because there is not a wrong answer in art it is often easier to trust emotions. Art is emotional. Emotional is what humans are; this makes us all artist. Because trusting emotions in art is simple one can challenge their mind and try to understand what is behind the art form. Through paintings and mixed media different thoughts could be conveyed according to what emotions it causes a person to have. The artist could have intended for it to convey one emotion when according to past experiences of the viewer it conveys a different tone. In the language arts†¦ Although one can trust emotions in the pursuit of knowledge one mustn’t trust emotion to validate knowledge. People have their own truths. Truth changes, but knowledge doesn’t. Truth changes because of a different perception that each person has. Truth is what we all believe to be valid. Knowledge is different in every person. The pursuit of knowledge is a journey. When the destination is met one can’t trust emotions to thread through the truths and falsifications, but trusting your emotions on the journey is definitely possible and makes the expedition unique to the traveler.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Parliamentary sovereignty Essay

Critically discuss this statement. A.V Dicey gives an introduction to the doctrine of Parliamentary sovereignty as, â€Å"the principle of Parliamentary sovereignty means neither more nor less than this, namely, that Parliament thus defined has, under the English constitution, the right to make or unmake any law whatever; and, further, that no person or body is recognised by the law of England as having the right to override or set aside the legislation of Parliament’. However, there are many discussions as to whether the UK joining with the European Union and adherence to the Human Rights Act 1998 renders sovereignty irrelevant. It will be argued that although following these rules may appear to be contradictory to sovereignty, co-operation is entirely voluntary, necessary, and there are many examples as to why sovereignty is not irrelevant, nor archaic. Firstly, Parliamentary sovereignty is not a constitutional relic. It may seem to be the, as part of the UK constitution continues to rely on extremely early Acts such as The Magna Carta or the Bill of Rights Act , however, these statutes continue to remain as they set out important constitutional principles. Even since 1215, it has been recognised that it is important to limit the power of the monarch, and transfer powers to parliament, in interest of balance, and the separation of powers. Up until present day, supporting Dicey’s summary above, UK courts cannot strike down an Act of Parliament, this is unlike many Supreme Courts in other countries, for example the USA, who are bound to reject legislation which contradicts the written constitutional rights. For example in the case of Mortensen v. Peters , it notes that in the event of a contradiction between international law and Act of Parliament, courts within the UK are bound to apply the UK legislation, and discount the international law. This shows that, while Parliamentary sovereignty is based on ancient fundamental principles, it still has a modern, every day importance, which is key to our constitution, as supported by Jennings ; ‘The supremacy of Parliament is the constitution’. The doctrine of legislative sovereignty dictates that  parliament has power to legislate on constitutional matters, thus parliament can change the constitution by an act of parliament. There is a challenge posed to parliamentary sovereignty by EU law, as in 1973 the UK joined the European Union. Member states must not be permitted to deviate from EU rules common to all, thus overriding Parliamentary sovereignty. This seems to conflict with Dicey’s view of sovereignty. The European Communities Act 1972 tries to establish the relationship between domestic law and EU law ; ‘Any enactment passed or to be passed†¦ shall be construed and have effect subject to the foregoing provisions of this section’. This provides a problem with sovereignty, as it means that the UK will have to adhere to the EU court, rather than our own supreme court. Parliament in the future may no longer be considered as sovereign, as they may no longer be free to make or unmake law. However, courts have tried to find a middle ground with EU and Parliamentary sovereignty, in the case of Macarthys . Lord Denning stats that if Parliament every clearly and deliberately passes an act which is inconsistent with EU law, ‘the duty of our courts to follow the statute of our Parliament’. This shows that Parliament has retained some of its independence, and only acts in accord with EU voluntarily, and because the UK agrees with the EU laws. Leading on from the UK’s voluntary cooperation with the EU laws, is the case of Factortame (No. 2) . Justification for the decision in Factortame was offered by Lord Bridge, which emphasised that; â€Å"whatever limitation of its sovereignty Parliament accepted when it enacted the European Communities Act 1972 was entirely voluntary†; the ECA 1972 was the domestic source of the supremacy of EU law; and there was nothing novel about this decision. Lord Bridges’ speech traces the source of the limit of legislative power to the ECA 1972, suggesting that if Parliament wishes to create a new Act, contradicting EU law, it need only expressly state in the new statute that it is to take place regardless of the ECA 1972. This, supported by Denning’s Obiter in Macarthys , brings us in a compete circle, to Dicey’s view; ‘that no person or body is recognised by the law of England as having the right to override or set aside the legislation of Parliament’, as it suggests that the UK can decide not to follow EU law, therefore Parliamentary sovereignty is not obsolete or irrelevant.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

No Pets Allowed! Professor Ramos Blog

No Pets Allowed! Lisa Towell has been a volunteer at her local pet shelter and tells a story about what happened to an animal which the owner surrenders to them. â€Å"I remember one handsome, friendly black-and-white tuxedo cat who was dropped off at the shelter a while ago. We had lots of other cats available, and the tuxedo cat wasn’t adopted quickly. He handled his new world very well at first, but as the weeks turned into months, he became irritable and unhappy. Eventually, the shelter staff made the difficult but humane decision to end his suffering by euthanizing (to death humanely). He was just 5 years old† (Towell). No Pets allowed! This event is the worst and common to see while looking for a new place to move into. Driving around and you see starving scared stray dogs and cats on the streets, and why is that? That is because approximately 6.5 million companion animals enter the U.S. animal shelters nationwide yearly (ASPCA.org). This event could be for many reasons but one of reasons is abandonment. One way that we can fix that is by more landlords letting renters have animals, and landlords don’t like pets for these reasons. They can cause damage to the property, animals being snuck in, and animals cause liability. Pets for landlords can benefit landlords also by making them more money. Many animals can cause from little to major damage to a property. They do this by going to the bathroom inside, chewing on things, and scratching and shedding. landlord will continuously have to replace carpet and furniture especially if the tenant has a miss behaved dog. This event can be fixed by having pet rent, and a deposit for the future cost. Also, the landlord can limit the sizes of the dog to smaller dogs. This event would lessen the damage if there is any. According to AAOA (American Apartment Owner Association) constant problem landlords face is tenants who sneak in their pets. The Balance Small Business says â€Å"if you allow pets, it will decrease the chances of tenants trying to sneak in pets that you have not approved (Eberlin). Also, you could state on the lease agreement if an unexpected pet is found the violator will be charged a fee plus pet rent from the beginnings of their contract. Some dogs can be aggressive or vicious by nature and landlords are afraid of being held liable. If you are a landlord to lessen the chance of that happening, you can restrict the breeds and avoid the more well-known aggressive or vicious breeds. However, the landlord’s liability is limited. According to Nolo’s legal encyclopedia, â€Å"in general courts hold a landlord liable only if the landlord knew the dog was dangerous and could have had the dog removed; or harbored or kept the tenants dog- that is, cared for or had some control over the dog† (Randolph). If you are worried that a dog might be a problem for you, landlords could ask that the owner would produce of go get a Canine Good Citizen title. According to AKC (American Kennel Club) a Canine Good Citizen â€Å"is designed to reward dogs who have good manners at home and in the community† (AKC). With the restriction on breeds, limited liability, and the Canine Good Citizen landlords should have a pi ece of mind. All worries you might have can be fixed and maintained, but allowing these animals open up the opportunity’s for landlords to make much more money. By allowing animals to your renters opens up a mass pool of candidates. â€Å"that almost 50% of renters own a pet. Therefore, if you make your property pet-friendly tenant as you will have a larger group to choose from† (Eberlin). More tenant options make it more likely for you to lease units much faster. For example, â€Å"David Last, a property manager, developer, and the founder of Last 2 Development, also in Boston, agrees and offers this example, â€Å"If you have 30 units that you can lease even 10 days faster by allowing pets, that’s the equivalent of an additional 300 days of rent. Assuming the average monthly rent is $2,000 per unit, that’s about $20,000 of extra (annual) income† (Gallant). Pet owners make more money and are better tenants. â€Å"According to Practical Apartment Management, b y Edward N Kelly, 65% of pet owners earn over $50,000 a year† (Eberlin). Responsible Pet owners are more responsible because if they are able to take care of a pet they are able to be more responsible about what they are renting. Pet owners tend to stay longer with their lease. This event is because it is harder for them to find a pet friendly place. Because there are fewer pet friendly places landlords can get away with charging a little more for rent if you allow pets. If we bring down the wall of fear that landlords have about pets on how they can cause damage to the property, animals being snuck in, and animals cause liability we can decree the chances of animals being abandoned on the streets or being put into shelters. And we knock down that wall by making the pet having tenants have a pet deposit and pet rent, not harboring known aggressive animals, and have a pet policies and restrictions in place for animals. By doing this, we can save an animal’s life because â€Å"each year, approximately 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized (670,000 dogs and 860,000 cats)† (ASPCA), and avoid the pain of family’s separation from their pets. â€Å"6 Reasons to Allow or Not Allow Pets.† AAOA, 18 Jan. 2016, https://www.american-apartment-owners-association.org/property-management/latest-news/6-reasons-allow-allow-pets/. Eberlin, Erin. â€Å"The Pros and Cons of Renting to Tenants Who Have Pets.† The Balance Small Business, The Balance Small Business, 30 May 2019, https://www.thebalancesmb.com/should-you-make-your-property-pet-friendly-2125005. Kriss, Randa. â€Å"What Is Canine Good Citizen?†American Kennel Club, 26 Oct. 2017, https://www.akc.org/products-services/training-programs/canine-good-citizen/what-is-canine-good-citizen/. â€Å"Make Your Rental Properties Pet-Friendly.†Buildium, 4 Mar. 2019, https://www.buildium.com/blog/pet-friendly-properties-can-make-more-money/. â€Å"Pet Statistics.† ASPCA, https://www.aspca.org/animal-homelessness/shelter-intake-and-surrender/pet-statistics. Randolph, Mary, and J.d. â€Å"Landlord Liability for Tenants Dogs.†Www.nolo.com, Nolo, 23 June 2014, https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/free-books/dog-book/chapter4-7.html. Towell, Lisa. â€Å"Why People Abandon Animals.†PETA Prime, 20 Sept. 2018, https://prime.peta.org/2018/09/why-people-abandon-animals/.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Kaplan SAT Book - Full Review

Kaplan SAT Book - Full Review SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Kaplan is a giant in SAT prep, but that doesn't mean its prep materials are good. In fact, they tend to be far from excellent. In this review, we'll examine Kaplan's SAT 2015 book for its strengths and weaknesses. Why trust this review? When you get advice on the internet, it's important to understand why you should believe the advice you're receiving. Because your SAT score is important, follow the wrong advice, and it might be too late to improve your score. To be transparent, here’s why you might be able to trust this review more than others: I like to think that I know what I’m talking about.I scoredtwo perfect scores on the SATand have worked personally with thousands of students prepping for the SAT. I’ve worked with students at all levels, from people at a 1200 level to people aiming for a 2300+. Other writers often don't have the expertise to differentiate between books, and they recommend books as an afterthought (and you can probably tell). I don’t get paid for these recommendations, and I don’t get paid if you buy these books.I’ve studied dozens of books for SAT prep, and I review the books that I come across. Other sites, especially about.com and reviews.com, get paid for featuring books and get a kickback when you buy a book they recommend. One disclaimer: I’m co-founder ofPrepScholar, an online SAT/ACT prep program. I believe we’ve built the best prep program available right now. Itdiagnoses your strengths and weaknessesand gives you a structured all-in-one program, combining the best aspects of the books below, so you know exactly what you need to study at every point. But I want to stress that you don’t need a program to excel at the SAT. In fact, writing this guide may lose us some customers, since you might decide that you don’t need a program at all. But if you decide that you don’t want to manage 10 books and want an integrated complete program that customizes to your learning,check PrepScholar SAT out. Kaplan SAT Prep Book Review When I consider the quality of a book, I think about a few important questions: Who's the author, and what is his or her experience with the subject matter? How effective is the book, and why? What are the book's main pros and cons? About Kaplan If you've researched SAT prep, you've most likely heard of Kaplan. One of the first SAT prep programs, Kaplan established a reputation for being able to improve student SAT scores while the College Board maintained it was impossible to prep for the SAT. Unfortunately, since its heyday in the 20th century, Kaplan has taken a huge fall. Its classes are consistently rated to be bad, and its prep books tend to receive poor ratings. In some sense, its success was its downfall. Because it's such a mainstream company, it needs to cater to a large span of students. To cut costs, instead of tailoring programs to different students, it shoots for the lowest common denominator. This means it provides a lot of students with subpar experiences, just like most Kaplan SAT books. The specific authors of this book aren't clear, but they're likely internal writers in Kaplan. It's therefore hard to judge the credentials of the authors, but you can guess that they're likely not superbly impressive. How Effective is the Book? I'll say it outright - if you're serious about SAT prep and want to improve your SAT score by over 150 points, this is not the book for you. I know there are some students who just want to put in 5 hours, get some exposure to the test, and then take the SAT and forget about it. I personally believe that for most students, improving your SAT score is, hour for hour, thebest way to improve your chances of college admission. So I would say that if you feel this way, you should re-examine your approach. But if you just want a book that does a mediocre job of a lot of things, the Kaplan book is reasonable.It’s an all-in-one book that covers the three sections and contains practice questions and practice tests. It doesn’t excel at any of what it’s doing, but it covers the important bases. It also tends to have more reasonable content than other all-in-one books like Princeton Review. What's wrong with it? The strategies aren't very helpful - the tricks it offers might help students scoring in the 400 range, but they quickly lose effectiveness once you gain familiarity with the SAT. The content isn't thorough - for example, it doesn't cover all the grammar rules you need to know. The questions also tend to not be realistic, compared to official SAT practice questions. By training on low-quality questions, you risk learning the wrong patterns of the actual SAT test. I don’t love this book. I don’t even really like it. I don’t recommend it if you at all want to improve your score seriously and are willing to put in study time. But if you just want a single source that can do an OK job and is easily digestible, this is the best one out there. Kaplan SAT Book Pros and Cons Pros: Covers all three sections and contains practice tests. It's an all-in-one book that provides an acceptable broad introduction to the tests. At $15, affordable for the breadth that it covers. Contains some basic strategies that can get you a few easy points if you get stuck answering questions, or if you're performing at a low level. Cons: Practice questions tend to be unrealistic – they often don’t phrase questions the way the SAT would, and they don’t test concepts in the right way. The questions also don’t trick you in the same ways that the SAT does. Answers and materials can have errors – not great quality control. Strategies are not helpful once you move beyond a 600 score level in the section. Overall Rating Once again, if you're not too committed to SAT prep, want to spend fewer than 10 hours, and want a brief whirlwind introduction to the SAT, this book is fine for you. If any of these isn't true for you, then other top SAT prep books will be much better for you. Overall Rating:50/100 What's next? Read our detailed guide to theBest SAT Prep Booksto put together your own study program based on the best SAT books available now. What's a good SAT score for you?Figure it out with our step by step guide based on the colleges you're applying to. Aiming for a high score? Read ourguide to scoring a perfect SAT score, written by me, a perfect SAT scorer. Check out our industry-leading online SAT program. We've designed it to cover all the advantages of books and tutors at an affordable price. Featuring in-depth strategy lessons and thousands of practice questions, we have the content from the leading books. Beyond that, the programacts like your personal tutor. It guides you step-by-step through what you should be working on at every moment to best improve your score. Itcustomizes to your strengths and weaknesses, then gives you focused practice so you learn the patterns on the SAT. Furthermore, it motivates you to study so that you put in enough time. There's a 160 point guarantee - if you don'timprove your score by 160 points, you get all your money back.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Think Personal Development is Optional Think Again

Think Personal Development is Optional Think Again Many of my blog articles are about topics that might fall under â€Å"personal development.† These articles are often my favorites to write, and yet there’s sometimes a voice in my head saying, â€Å"Brenda, your readers want to read about something practical! Don’t go overboard here or get too â€Å"woo-woo.† An article I read today gave me encouragement to keep writing these â€Å"self-growth† or â€Å"personal development† articles. August Turak, author of Business Secrets of the Trappist Monks, wrote a piece for Forbes that spoke to me strongly. In it, he lamented that the business world and much of society compartmentalizes personal growth as if it’s something we do on the side to get somewhere or get business results- including becoming a better leader. On the contrary! Turuk argues vehemently that the essence of leadership is to use every opportunity as a means for personal growth. Become a CEO to grow yourself rather than growing yourself so you can get that CEO position. Focus on your higher mission or spiritual development- and success in other aspects of life will be a natural by-product. He asserts, â€Å"The reason you were born is to become the best human being you can possibly be.† So make personal development your mission, rather than using it as a â€Å"means to a more limited end.† Turak holds up the example of Fyodor Dostoevsky, who wrote some of the world’s most classic Russian novels. Said Dostoevsky, â€Å"Man is a mystery. If you spend your entire life trying to puzzle it out do not say that you’ve wasted your time. I occupy myself with this mystery because I want to be a man.† I personally must cop to doing personal growth trainings in part so I will succeed in business, in relationships, in my health, and in every aspect of my life. I have also done what Turak advocates so strongly: taken on new ventures and new relationships with the intention of having those challenges contribute to my growth. Even within my personal development circles, such as my learning group with the Wright training I’m in right now, I take risks and stretch myself in every way I can. That is the fastest path to growth and to being a fully realized human being. This journey is never over, and the puzzle will never be solved. That’s what makes it so worthwhile, regardless of whether I become as successful in business as the Trappist monks. I, for one, intend to keep exploring the mystery. Category:For ClientsBy Brenda BernsteinJanuary 20, 2014

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Supermarket Prices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Supermarket Prices - Essay Example There are a lot of assumptions about the grocery market in Australia. One of the assumptions is that markets like the Coles and Woolworths have large economies of scale and hence they have cheaper products as compared to other supermarkets. It is also argued that different states have different market sizes, and costs resulting in different prices across the states. It is also assumed that the prices differ according to the location of the store. Further, managers at ALDI claims that they have different prices in the three states. Answer 1 Hypothesis: The null hypothesis is one in which we assume that the difference between the sample means is because of chance. The alternate hypothesis supposes that the samples are affected by some non-random clause (Prince, 2000). The Null hypothesis will be the one which assumes that the average price of all the stores is same. The alternate hypothesis will assume that there is significant difference between the average prices of the 4 supermarkets. Null Hypothesis: H0:  µ1 =  µ2 =  µ3 =  µ4 Alternate Hypothesis: H1:  µ1 ≠   µ2 ≠   µ3 ≠   µ4 Where,  µ1 is the average price at Coles/BI-LO  µ2 is the average price at Woolworths/Safeway  µ3 is the average price at independent stores  µ4 is the average price at ALDI Appropriate Test Since, we are required to compare the means of 4 samples; the appropriate test that shall be performed is the one-way ANOVA (Karris, 2003).

Friday, October 18, 2019

Term paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 4

Term Paper Example The stores of this company are designed in a very systematic way. Earlier the company was owned by Oak Hill Capital Partners. It was a private equity firm. In 2010 Duane Reade was acquired by Walgreen Company. This case study explains some aspects of Duane Reade business in a detailed way. The firm is operating its business in retail industry. In USA, there are many big players present in the retail market. Duane Reade is experiencing strong competition in this industry. It is also facing threats from its strong competitors like Walmart, CVS etc. Some of the strategies of Duane Reade provide it competitive advantage which is explained in this case study. The firm is also experiencing some benefits and issues for its merger with Walgreen Company which are highlighted in this case study. I am an employee of Duane Reade. I am working in this company for a long time. In Duane Reade I am holding the position of shift manager. I have learned many good things from this organization and have a very good experience with it. As a shift manager I have got the opportunity to know many vital things from this company. Duane Reade has faced different types of situations for performing its business activities. I have experienced those situations and observed many things. Earlier Duane Reade had huge amount of debts. But presently the company has repaid its debts and it is now expanding at a faster rate. In New York, Duane Reade is the largest drugstore chain. The sales volume of this company is very high. So Duane Reade is able to sell its products at a lower rate that its competitors. For this reason the company has a large customer base. It acts as a strong advantage to the firm. I have seen the company in implementing various marketing and operational strategies which are tailored to meet the needs and requirements of its targeted customers of New York. This helped Duane Reade to acquire and retain more number of

Applying Philosophy to Life Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Applying Philosophy to Life - Assignment Example these setups are extremely vulnerable due to their illness and if the services of hospitals are not under ethical controls, the visitors can possibly get affected by the behavior of hospital staff. Another reason that makes ethical oversight necessary is the sensitive nature of information about patients that is accessible by the hospital staff. The availability of information in digital format renders the hospital patients more vulnerable to misuse of information. This misuse can have far reaching detrimental consequences for the patients and it is therefore necessary to associate this access to information with certain ethical principles to ensure patients are not harmed in any way (Stahl et al, 2013). In the view of Immanuel, moral requirements are interlinked to rationality standards; an immoral behavior is therefore irrational by nature. It therefore follows that for any action to be morally acceptable, it has to be rational; Immanuel has referred to this rationality standard as ‘Categorical Imperative’. Other proponents of this philosophy include Hobbes and Locke. An extension of this notion is the idea of good will which clearly associates the nobility of any action to the principle that governs that action. If this underlying principle follows a moral law, the action regardless of its outcomes should be considered as being moral. As far as the application of principles of this philosophy is concerned, there is a need to apply a high degree of rationality in decisions that are being made. The responses of interviewees need to be judged on rational basis and irrational responses should be regarded as indicators of unethical behavior. Secondly, since morality is re lated to the underlying principles upon which actions are based; the questions asked during interview should attempt to get an insight into the basic principles upon which interviewees base their decisions. This will enable the interviewer to understand the capability of interviewees to work

Speech Code Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Speech Code - Essay Example The speech code of University of Pennsylvania, for instance, is created with an aim to protect the wider student community on the campus. The code clearly places limitation on the speech and conduct when it comes to the rights of other students. No student is allowed to use threats, violence and hostility against the other. The university provides strict rules against such events and protects students from the discrimination and biases that prevail in the modern globalized world. The disciplining habits and codes of the university mentioned are aimed at preparing students for their future lives. The code of University of Pennyslvania can undergo a constitutional test and may be pronounced unconstitutional because it does not allow the students to freely speak (Lewin 2003). My current workplace has a speech code and it is adopted to avoid any kind of hate crimes occurring within the workplace. Before the speech code was implemented the workplace saw many fights happening between the w orkers. The workplace without a speech code can have several problems because of the minorities participating in the jobs. Blacks are the most targeted in the workplaces because of their lower ranks.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Introduction to counselling- module 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Introduction to counselling- module 3 - Essay Example Needs which could be found at the higher levels of the hierarchy are not strongly geared towards physical survival, instead their focus are more on the psychological well-being and growth. These needs have lesser power in motivating individuals and they are more influenced by the individual’s life experiences and even formal education. The ensuing hierarchy of needs is frequently portrayed as a pyramid, with physical survival needs situated at the bottom of at the foundation of the pyramid whereas the needs for self-actualization are situated at the top. During the time the hierarchy of needs was developed, psychology in the early 1960s was dominated by two views of human behavior. These views are the behaviorist as well as the psychoanalytic. The psychoanalytic view places its emphasis on the unconscious conflicts and makes, drawing a lot of of its conceptions from case studies of neurotic people. On the other hand, the behaviorist view places more attention on the function of learning and generated a lot of its principles from observations of animal behavior. Maslow put forward the observation that the psychoanalysts fell short to take into account the behavior of healthy human beings, at the same time as the behaviorists were very mechanistic and basically took notice of the subjective experience. Maslow possessed the conception that that no theory of human personality would be absolute without a systematic investigation of healthy functioning, in this case he ventured out to inspect the conscious motivations as well as experiences of individuals who are healthy. One essential result was that psychologically healthy people have more tendencies to put into account what Maslow referred to as "peak experiences." Maslow described a peak experience as one in which the individual loses a sense of place and time and goes through a fleeting feeling of harmony

GBST300 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

GBST300 - Essay Example For example in the book â€Å"How to get filthy rich in Asia† by Hamid a poor person who is the protagonist moves to city and becomes an industrialist. In a city, the education, health and security is better in village than city. Education a person can get from a school or college in village because comparing to health and security, education takes a second place. In city health and security is less and in village people can get fresh air, food and water. In village people can feel safe as there are no crowding people and there is no traffic of strangers. In a village the people know each other and feel safe. There is good health due to the reason that people are physically active. They do not spend their time leisurely and get enough time to walk or get active. Moreover they do not eat fast food or other processed food like city dwellers. They raise their own food and eat wholesome food which give them good nutrition and health. They also have access to fresh water and are not subjected to pollution. The â€Å"White horse village† is a documentary which shows the unhealthy ways of city dwellers that in greed of money and power are destroying a village in China. Getting ahead in cities is not easy. For this one person need to be competitive and need to be selfish and be materialistic. They need to be thinking of earning money by any means and others interests does not stand in their way. One needs to sacrifice their morals and ethical standard. In city one need to avoid love friendly attitude and should be ready for debt. In the book by Hamid the characters are all thinking that they are the hero which is the attitude needed in city life. The people should be ready to be unethical and the protagonist of his novel wants to go back to rural life after being rich and lost in a city lifelike the protagonist in the novel by Hamid who ignores religion, value and love

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Introduction to counselling- module 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Introduction to counselling- module 3 - Essay Example Needs which could be found at the higher levels of the hierarchy are not strongly geared towards physical survival, instead their focus are more on the psychological well-being and growth. These needs have lesser power in motivating individuals and they are more influenced by the individual’s life experiences and even formal education. The ensuing hierarchy of needs is frequently portrayed as a pyramid, with physical survival needs situated at the bottom of at the foundation of the pyramid whereas the needs for self-actualization are situated at the top. During the time the hierarchy of needs was developed, psychology in the early 1960s was dominated by two views of human behavior. These views are the behaviorist as well as the psychoanalytic. The psychoanalytic view places its emphasis on the unconscious conflicts and makes, drawing a lot of of its conceptions from case studies of neurotic people. On the other hand, the behaviorist view places more attention on the function of learning and generated a lot of its principles from observations of animal behavior. Maslow put forward the observation that the psychoanalysts fell short to take into account the behavior of healthy human beings, at the same time as the behaviorists were very mechanistic and basically took notice of the subjective experience. Maslow possessed the conception that that no theory of human personality would be absolute without a systematic investigation of healthy functioning, in this case he ventured out to inspect the conscious motivations as well as experiences of individuals who are healthy. One essential result was that psychologically healthy people have more tendencies to put into account what Maslow referred to as "peak experiences." Maslow described a peak experience as one in which the individual loses a sense of place and time and goes through a fleeting feeling of harmony

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

What are the potential benefits and pitfalls in promoting a new cinema Essay

What are the potential benefits and pitfalls in promoting a new cinema that places its emphasis on issues of identity and difference - Essay Example When motion pictures were first devised in the late 19th century, it was viewed as a medium for documentation of historical artefacts, in much the same way as still photographs were regarded. By the early 20th century the value of motion pictures as a form of entertainment and education was firmly established; however, it is only in the recent past, during the period of globalization, that the capability of film as a powerful tool for cultural dissemination has been recognized. Academic studies have turned to a determination of the effect of film in creating cross-cultural bridges between societies. A recent genre of film has been developed that explored the clashes among cultural influences and the ensuing resistance, assimilation, or adaptation of these elements. What emerges is the depiction of the evolution of identity, its definition in contemporary terms, and its differentiation from the status quo. There are both benefits and pitfalls to this new mode of filmmaking, which this paper will explore. It is however important to first describe the nuances of identity and differentiation, that becomes a defining force in the creation of motion pictures. Issues of identity and difference The driver for the depiction of cultural identity and its differentiation from â€Å"the other† is born by a universal need for public recognition of the distinctiveness of societies. The desire to preserve identity in one form or another is in response to the challenges of multiculturalism and the politics of recognition in democratic societies. The cultural context is valued by individuals as among their basic interests, and their right to this is universal. The problem resides, however, is in the reconciliation of the conflicting content of the various valued cultures. This implies limits that must be placed on political recognition of particular cultures (Amy Gutmann, 1994: 3). In Liberal democracies, citizenship cannot be regarded as a comprehensive universal identit y, for the reasons that: (1) people are unique, self-creating, and creative individuals; and (2) people are also â€Å"culture-bearing† whose cultures differ depending on their past and present identifications (Amy Gutmann, 1994: 7). Citizenship, therefore, is a unifying and equalizing factor in terms of rights; it does not, however, erase cultural distinctiveness. The liberal value of diversity should not be associated with the nullification, but rather the expansion and preservation of the â€Å"cultural, intellectual, and spiritual horizons of all individuals,† enriching and exposing us to differing intellectual and cultural perspectives, allowing for growth, exploration and enlightenment (Amy Gutmann, 1994: 9) The problem of cultural homogenization and cultural heterogenization is that there exists the indigenization of new cultural influences as they are constantly introduced into mainstream society (Arjun Appadurai). The new global cultural economy may no longer be understood in terms of simple models involving centers and peripheries, but instead as â€Å"a complex, overlapping, disjunctive order†. An elementary framework for exploring these disjunctures is suggested by Arjun Appadurai involves â€Å"five dimensions of global cultural flow†: (1) ethnoscapes; (2) mediascapes; (3) technoscapes; (4) finanscapes; and (5) ideoscapes. Each of these dimensions is a deeply imbued with historical, linguistic, and political context of nation-states, multinationals, diasporic communities (i.e., sharing common national or ethnic identity), and other such aggrupations. The five dimensions form the multiple worlds that are constituted by historically situated collective imaginations of persons and groups flung to various parts of the world (Appadurai, 2003). Deterritorialization generally is one of the major phenomena in contemporary times. It results from the mass movement of people of similar culture to other

Monday, October 14, 2019

Psychology of Aesthetics: Overview of Theories

Psychology of Aesthetics: Overview of Theories How is aesthetic experience linked to familiarity and information? Critically discuss at least two theoretical perspectives and provide evidence based on the literature. The phenomenon of aesthetic experience refers to a preference judgement to sensory experience. This hedonic response has its roots from the philosopher Baumgarten 1750 (as cited in Reber et al, 2004) who likened the concept of sensation and perception pertaining to beauty, appreciation and art. The philosophical approaches influenced the endeavor to discover contributors to aesthetic experience. Conversely, Fechner adopted an empirical approach rather than the complex philosophical approaches to understanding aesthetic experiences. For instance, experimentation on stimulus properties and preference responses provided a more organized bottom – up approach. (Shimura and Palmer, 2014) Gestalt psychologists took on a holistic approach to the principles of perceptual organization. For instance, the principle of familiarity suggests that objects appear to be grouped if the groups are assured to be familiar or meaningful. (Goldstein, 2002) Another principle proposed is that stimulus patterns are pictured in a style that is the most simplistic. For example the Olympic symbol is not usually perceived as nine shapes within five circles but simply as five circles. Thus, Gesalt account does provide a reason into the perception of stimulus. However, Gesalt principles do not explain the role of familiarity and simplicity of information in aesthetic experience. (Goldstein, 2002) One explanation introduced by the processing fluency is the ease of processing information which consists of perceptual fluency and conceptual fluency. (Reber et al. 2004) Perceptual fluency refers to the ease of processing the perceptual features of a stimulus (Jacoby and Kelley,1987). Whilst, Conceptual fluency is the ease of processing the meaning of a stimulus, or the fluency of conceptually driven processing (Whittlesea, 1993). Prior exposure to stimuli can increase processing fleuncy this is the mere exposure effect report by Zajonc (1968) He theorized the more often an individual is exposed to an object the more likely they are to develop a preference for stimulus that is familiar than unfamiliar. He demonstrated the causal relation between mere exposure and attitude enhancement. Through a series of experiments nonsense words, Chinese ideographs and photographs of faces were presented in counter balanced order to participants and rated on a scale of how good or bad stimulus words meant and how favorable photographs were. Liking for a stimulus was found to be positively related to the amount of stimulus exposure. The proximity of experienced fluency and preference judgment can lead participants to misinterpret fluency as their preference reaction to the stimulus. Hence, repeated exposure of a stimulus increases perceptual fluency, which in turn increases the likelihood of misattribution to preference for stimulus. (Bornstein and D’Agostino, 1994).The mere exposure effect can provide an account for, different cultural preferences seen in society. For instance, Hannon et al. (2012) used simple rhythms common in American and Turkish music, complex rhythms common in Turkish music and highly complex rhythms not found in Turkish and American music. Turkish participants performed accurately in simple and complex conditions. However, they performed less accurately in highly complex condition. Conversely, Americans performed accurately when detecting disruptions to the simple rhythm. However, they performed less accurately on the complex and highly complex conditions. Nonetheless , the robustness of the mere exposure effect is controversial. Kali (1974) exposed children aged seven, nine and eleven years old to Chinese characters. Children then ranked the stimuli according to liking. The seven and nine year olds preferred the familiar characters and the eleven year olds preferred the novel stimuli. Another set of ranks taken three weeks after indicated that eleven year olds preferred the more familiar characters. It was proposed boredom effects intervened on preference ratings. Indeed, Borstein et al. (1990) suggests That, simple stimuli become boring in comparison to complex stimuli. Berlyne 1960,1974 (as cited in Messinger,1998) proposed that intermediate levels of information produce the highest ratings.Thus, Uncertainty of information is related to aesthetic preference in the inverted U shape function rather than the linear function proposed by the mere – exposure effect. Whilst, preference was based on stimulus related arousal, preference increases to maximal liking, as arousal potential reaches the optimal level. Furthermore, arousal leads to a decrease in liking thus displeasure increases. ( Martindale et al. 1990) This idea of information on preference derived from information theory which is based on mathematical principles. (Berlyne,1957) utilizing a logarithmic equation to measure information yielded by all possible combinations of a given number of stimuli. When there are equally likely possibilities in a stimulus set, the higher the figure the more informational stimulus tends to be, since more combinations are involved. Martindale et al. (1990) tested Berlyne’s predictions. In the first experiment they asked participants to rate their liking for a series of random polygons varying in size and number of turns. A rating scale has the advantage that it provides a degree of opinion rather than a binary response. Results indicated that polygons with ten turns were preferred and that size had no effect on preference. However, when the same experiment was repeated with a larger range of size and complexity levels. Preference was linearly related to complexity. This questioned the ecological validity and generalizability of Berlyne’s model. Martindale et al. (1990) This contradiction challenges the processing fluency account as a simple stimulus should be preferred as there is less information compared to complex stimulus. Perhaps the mediation of other factors plays an important role, such as expertise and expectation. Reber et al (2004) when expectections of complex stimuli are violated by e asy processing then this creates pleasure. Reber et al. (2004) Asethetic pleasure has been found to vary among experts and novices. People who are novices tend to prefer simple, protypical stimuli such as symmetry whereas experts prefer complex, asymmetrical stimuli. (McWhinnie, 1968) Preference for symmetrical sequences in body movement was investigated by Orgs et al. (2013). Participants were exposed to either symmetrical or asymmetrical sequences. Both groups, then rated the sequences. Results indicated that both groups rated symmetrical sequences higher. Participants in the asymmetrical group displayed an increase preference for asymmetrical sequences. This can be explained by the mere exposure effect. The influence of aesthetic preference on compositional structure and postural information may differ among novice and experts. Moreover, other behaviours such as the ability to identify the structure in aesthetic experience and if participants are asked to perform actions instead of using rating scales is to be explored. Jacobsen and Hoefel (2003) showed symmetrical and non symmetrical patterns and recorded whether participants judged them as beautiful or not beautiful. They correlated this to Event related potentials. The results indicated that symmetrical patterns were positively correlated to beautiful judgements. Aesthetic judgements related to anterior frontomedian and right hemisphere activation. This does provide an account of processing aesthetic appreciation occurring in specialized brain areas. Nevertheless, this correlation does not mean that specialized brain activation causes aesthetic preference for symmetrical patterns. Event related potentials (ERP) are difficult to detect in the electroencephalograms (EEGS) the ERP is combined with other electrical signals. However the procedure offers a non-invasive technique compared to other procedures which expose participants to radiation or injection. (Kolb and Wishaw, 2009) In addition, the variety of aesthetic preferences are not captured by the forced choice methods. Preference for symmetrical patterns may be due to fluent processing as there is less information to process. (Reber et al. 2004) The preference towards a given feature over another is not well explained. Bar and Neta (2006) Adopted an evolutionary perspective, they proposed sharp objects signal danger and curved objects signal safety. They found a preference for curved objects. Furthermore, there was no difference in reaction time, which challenges the perceptual fluency account. Findings support the mere exposure effect as real objects was preferred over novel patterns. Evolutionary perspective poses issues of falsification however, Carbon (2010) used realistic images of cars from 1950 to 1999 and found a preference for curved models, although fashion trends can also have an impact. The stimuli used is more realistic than rating polygons. In addition, this illustrates aesthetic experiences can change over time. The majority of the studies discussed explore aesthetic liking, however, many dimensions of aesthetic experiences exist. Such as, the pleasure of negative emotions is not captured well. In overview, the studies discussed suggest that the familiarity, novelty, complexity, simplicity of information plays an important role in aesthetic experiences. ( Zajonc,1968; Messinger ,1998) That is, preference for something is in between familiarity and novelty. As boredom intervenes with preference and familiarity. (Borstein et al.1990)Novelty can violate expectations and signal danger. (Reber et al.2004;Bar and Neta, 2006) This is similar for complex and simple information. Preference for something is between easy and challenging stimulus. ((McWhinnie,1968) Preference for things that is known can explain cultural differences in aesthetic experiences. (Hannon et al, 2012) Through neuroaesthetic approaches, specialized brain areas can be linked to aesthetic experience. (Jacobsen and Hoefel, 2003) Despite, different tastes neuroaesthetics can offer a way of investigating the underlying mechanisms involved in the aesthetic experience to generate a set of principles that influence aesthetic experiences. In a nutshell, the theoretical perspectives indicates detecting regularities and understanding information is something humans find aesthetically pleasing. References Bar.M,Neta.M (2006) Humans prefer curved visual objects. Psychological science,17,645-648. Berlyne.D.E. (1957) Uncertainity and conflict: A point of contact between information-theory and behaviour – theory concepts. The psychological review. 64,6. 329-339. Borstein.E.R,Kale.R.A,Cornell.R.K. (1990) Boredom as a Limiting Condition on the Mere Exposure Effect.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.58, 5, 791-800 Borstein.R.F, D’Agostino.P.R. (1992) Stimulus recognition and the mere exposure effect. Journal of personality and social psychology, 63, 545-552. Carbon.C.C. (2010) The cycle of preference: long –term dynamics of aesthetic appreciation. Acta psychologica, 134, 233-244. Goldstein.B.E (2002) Sensation and perception (6th edn) USA: Wadsworth. Hannon, E. E., Soley, G., Ullal, S. (2012, February 20). Familiarity Overrides Complexity in Rhythm Perception: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of American and Turkish Listeners. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance. Jacobsen.T, Hoefel.L. (2003) Descriptive and evaluative judgement processes: Behavioural and electrophysical indices of processing symmetry and aesthetics. Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience.4, 289- 299. Jacoby, Larry L. and Colleen M. Kelley (1987),Unconscious Influences of Memory for a Prior Event, Personality Social Psychology Bulletin, 13 (March), 314-336. Kali.V.R (1974) Familarity and attraction to stimuli: Developmental change or methological artifact ? Journal of experimental child psychology. 18, 504 – 511. Kolb.B,Whishaw.Q.I (2009) Fundamentals of Human Neuropsychology. (6th edn) New York: Worth publishers. McWhinnie.J.H. (1968) A review of research on aesthetic measure. Acta psychologica. 28, 363-375. Martindale.C,Moore.K,Borkum.J. (1990) Aesthetic preference: Anomalous findings for berlyne’s psychobiological theory. The American journal of psychology. 103,1, 53-80. Messinger.M.S (1998) pleasure and complexity: Berlyne revisted. The journal of psychology. 132, 5, 558-560. Orgs.G,Hagura.N,Haggard.p (2013) learning to like it: Aesthetic perception of bodies, movements and choreographic structure. Consciousness and cogition. 22, 603-612. Reber.R,Schwarz.N,Winkielman.P. (2004) processing fleuncy and aesthetic pleasure: is beauty in the perceiver’s processing experience ? Personality and social psychology review, vol: 8, 4, 364-382. Shimaura. P.A,Palmer. E.S.(2014) Aesthetic science connecting Minds, Brains and Experience. New York: Oxford university press. Whittlesea. A.W.B (1993) Illusions of familiarity. Journal of experimental psychology: Learning, memory and cognition. 19,6,1235-1253. Zajonc. R.B (1968) Attitudinal effects of mere exposure. Journal of personality and social psychology. 9, 1- 27.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

MBA Admissions Essay - My Most Significant Leadership Role :: MBA College Admissions Essays

MBA Admissions Essays - My Most Significant Leadership Role During the last three years I have devoted a significant amount of time and energy to the betterment of young entrepreneurs, who in this country are mistreated, stripped of opportunities, and looked down upon. In my quest to start my own business, I faced many obstacles that I later found to plague all entrepreneurs in my country. Established family heads discourage their younger members from starting separate businesses; they would rather their younger members join them in the so called "safe business." Moreover, companies and government organizations will not award contracts to young people since older people earn respect for their age rather than their ideas in this traditional sub-continental culture. With an uncooperative family and no sources of funding, young entrepreneurs face little chance of success. In these difficult conditions, I realized there were many young people who were full of potential but lacked support. By meeting with these people, I motivated them to believe that together we could help improve collective situation. In October 1996,the seventeen of us founded the "Young Entrepreneurs Society" (YES). I served as the coordinator for the first two years. We figured that in order to get our message heard, we needed to prove ourselves a significant lot. We started with social activities like helping poor students with registration fees for matriculation exams and organizing blood donation activities, etc. We held our first seminar on the "Prospect of Software Development Business in Bangladesh and the Government's Role, " and five months later we had our second seminar on the "Obstacles for Young Entrepreneurs in Bangladesh' with the finance minister as the chief guest. MBA Admissions Essay - My Most Significant Leadership Role :: MBA College Admissions Essays MBA Admissions Essays - My Most Significant Leadership Role During the last three years I have devoted a significant amount of time and energy to the betterment of young entrepreneurs, who in this country are mistreated, stripped of opportunities, and looked down upon. In my quest to start my own business, I faced many obstacles that I later found to plague all entrepreneurs in my country. Established family heads discourage their younger members from starting separate businesses; they would rather their younger members join them in the so called "safe business." Moreover, companies and government organizations will not award contracts to young people since older people earn respect for their age rather than their ideas in this traditional sub-continental culture. With an uncooperative family and no sources of funding, young entrepreneurs face little chance of success. In these difficult conditions, I realized there were many young people who were full of potential but lacked support. By meeting with these people, I motivated them to believe that together we could help improve collective situation. In October 1996,the seventeen of us founded the "Young Entrepreneurs Society" (YES). I served as the coordinator for the first two years. We figured that in order to get our message heard, we needed to prove ourselves a significant lot. We started with social activities like helping poor students with registration fees for matriculation exams and organizing blood donation activities, etc. We held our first seminar on the "Prospect of Software Development Business in Bangladesh and the Government's Role, " and five months later we had our second seminar on the "Obstacles for Young Entrepreneurs in Bangladesh' with the finance minister as the chief guest.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

The United States Contribution to the Rise of Pinochet Essay -- Pinoch

The United States Contribution to the Rise of Pinochet The date September 11th is not only a date of terror for the United States, but for the country Chile it also marks the anniversary of a new error of fear. On September 11th, 1973 General Augusto Pinochet overthrew President Salvador Allende, a democratically elected socialist. For seventeen years after this Pinochet dictated over Chile and caused for the murder of over three thousand Chileans, the disappearance of over a thousand, and the torture and jailing of tens of thousands more. What might be even more shocking though, is that the United States had a direct contribution to this brutal dictators rise. The United States’ fear of communist nations developing and the ignorance of secretary of state Kissinger to mention the human rights abuses that Pinochet was responsible for, allowed for the United States to assist in the brutal tyranny (Kornbluh 2003, pages 19-22). The United States dire fight to end communism caused them to severely overlook the evil of Pinochet. In search around the globe for rising communism President Nixon instructed the CIA to cause the downfall of Allende, despite a 1970 CIA report that stated â€Å"‘the US has no vital national interest within Chile,’ and that the world ‘military balance of power would not be significantly altered’ if Allende came to power† (Kornbluh 2003, page 19). Even before Allende became President the fear of having a successful socialist or...

Friday, October 11, 2019

Indus River Essay

The Indus and Ganges river valleys are ideal locations for early settlements. Some of the reasons are good water supply, good farmland, and rivers for trade. And those are just some of the reasons people choose to live there. Why were the Indus and Ganges river valleys ideal locations for early settlement? They were ideal because they were ideal because they were by rivers so you would always have drinking water. The valleys also had some of the best farmland. The farmland was so fertile because, the snow on the mountains would melt and flood the rivers, so the silt would make the soil fertile. They were also ideal because you could use the rivers for trading. How were the Indus and Ganges river valleys affected by the land nearby? They were affected by the mountains because, the melted ice carried down from the mountains to provide a good supply of water. The mountains affected the Indus and Ganges river valleys in bad ways also. In the fall they got their heaviest rains so the rivers flooded destroying the crops on the banks of the rivers. Another physical feature that is UNSUITABLE is the Thar Desert. It is unsuitable because the only time there is water is during monsoon season. Well, actually there is water but you might have to walk for days to find it. You also would be at risk of no food because the only animals that live in the Thar Desert are lizards, snakes, gazelles, quail, ducks, and geese. Another UNSUITABLE physical feature is the Himalaya Mountains. The Himalayas are unsuitable because fierce storms can dump ten feet of snow at a time on one area. Another reason is you have no food because nothing wants to live in the cold mountains. You also have no water, and when you get to the timberline you will need an oxygen tank. The Indus and Ganges river valleys are ideal locations for early settlements. Some of the reasons are good water supply, good farmland, and rivers for trade. And those are just some of the reasons people choose to live there. If I had to choose somewhere to live in ancient India I would choose the Indus and Ganges river valleys.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Porter Airlines Swot Analysis Essay

TCAA (Billy Bishop City Airport) – The location of this airport, combined with the TCAA/Porter strategic partnership offered significant advantages to Porter. Owning airport infrastructure allowed Porter to better handle operational coast and better control the customer experience. Fleet – Only using a single aircraft (Bombardier Q400 with 35%) resulted in cost savings in maintenance, training, employee pay rate and airport fees. Amenities – In flight and airport value-added services fortify Porter’s brand help attract target market. Weakness Brand Awareness in America – Porter’s international strength lies in Canadian customers flying to the U.S. It is much more costly to attract American passengers heading to Canada. Developing awareness in the U.S. could be very costly. No U.S. customs pre-clearance – passengers must pass through customs upon arrival. This can cause delays and inconvenience to customers. Opportunities Customer Loyalty – The highly flexible fare structure Porter offers to customers is very appealing to business travelers who need to travel on short notice and often rearrange their travel plans. Porter also offers the VIPorter customer reward program. Free travel is very appealing to frequent travelers. Corporate Focus – Combine with large companies whose employees travel frequently. Offer these companies a reduced price and high frequency of flights based on certain popular business routes. Threats Competition – Air Canada has sufficient market share to attempt to undercut Porter and push it out of the market by using very low prices and frequent –flyer programs much like they did against City Express in the early 1990’s. Generating Capital – Growth requires enormous capital in the Airline industry. As a private company, Porter’s financial performance is unknown. This could make it very difficult to raise capital without releasing important performance information. Air Canada Law Suit – A federal court is to rule on whether or not Jazz was pushed off of the Island Unfairly. If Jazz is permitted to return to the island they could compete directly with Porter and will likely undercut Porter as they did with City Express.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

The Necklace

The Necklace About the Author Henri Rene Albert Guy de Maupassant was born on August 5, 1850, to an affluent family at the Chateau de Miromesnil, in France. As a child, Guy adored his mother and loathed his absent father. His mother was very literary and passed on her love of books to her son, Guy, and his brother, Herve. Much of Guy’s childhood was spent in the countryside playing sports or simply spending time outdoors. Point of View Third-Person Omniscient The story's focus is certainly on Mathilde, but the narrator does not speak from her point of view.Instead, he talks about Mathilde as if he were from the outside looking in. When he brings her up at the beginning, she's just â€Å"one of those girls† (1). It sounds like he's seen a lot more of them than just this one. That's omniscient, all right. Mathilde's also not the only character whose thoughts he can see into; he's able to speak into her husband's thoughts just as easily, when he wants to. Overview Mathilde Loisel is â€Å"pretty and charming† but feels she has been born into a family of unfavorable economic status.She was married off to a lowly clerk in the Ministry of Education, who can afford to provide her only with a modest though not uncomfortable lifestyle. Mathilde feels the burden of her poverty intensely. She regrets her lot in life and spends endless hours imagining a more extravagant existence. While her husband expresses his pleasure at the small, modest supper she has prepared for him, she dreams of an elaborate feast served on fancy china and eaten in the company of wealthy friends. She possesses no fancy jewels or clothing, yet these are the only things she lives for. Without them, she feels she is not desirable.She has one wealthy friend, Madame Forestier, but refuses to visit her because of the heartbreak it brings her. Theme The Necklace Theme of Wealth â€Å"The Necklace† gets its title from the gorgeous piece of diamond jewelry that drives the story' s plot. The expensive nature of the necklace is not the only way in which wealth is central to this story. The main character of â€Å"The Necklace† is obsessed with wealth. She wants nothing else than to escape from her shabby middle-class life with a shabby middle-class husband and live the glamorous life for which she was born. She's so jealous of her one wealthy friend it hurts.When Mathilde's given the chance to get decked out in diamonds and go to a ritzy party to mingle with all the beautiful people, it seems like her dreams have finally become a reality. Then she loses the borrowed diamond necklace, gets cast into poverty, and learns what it means to truly live without money. The Necklace Theme of Women and Femininity Mathilde Loisel, the main character of â€Å"The Necklace,† is a 19th century French version of a desperate housewife. Because she's a woman in a man's world, she has almost no control over her life. She finds herself married to a husband she does n't care for, and cooped up in a house she despises.What she wants more than anything else is to be desirable to other men. And what's particularly irritating is that she has all the â€Å"womanly virtues† she needs in order to be desirable: she's charming, graceful, beautiful. She's just doesn't have the necessary wealth. Does Mathilde Loisel capture the tragic plight of the modern, middle-class woman? Is she a victim of the patriarchal society in which she lives? Or is she just a shallow and materialistic character? Characters * Madame Jeanne Forestier Madame Forestier is a school friend of Mathilde Loisel, and she lends her the necklace that Madame Loisel wears to the ball. Madame Mathilde Loisel It is Madame Loisel’s desire to be part of the upper class which sets the story’s events in motion. * Monsieur Loisel Monsieur Loisel’s complacency and contentment with his social situation contrasts markedly with his wife’s desire to experience life am ong the social elite. Settings It is set in 19th century Paris, France The events take place at Rue de Martyrs where the Loisels live The Seine-Mathilde waits for a cab The Palais Royal- Mathilde buys a necklace to replace the lost one The Champ Elysees- The street where Mathilde meets Madame Forestier Plot Conflict It's a party and I'll cry if I want to†¦The action proper begins when M. Loisel (Mathilde's husband) comes home with the invitation to the fabulous ball and Mathilde reacts by having a fit. Now we have a specific problem: Mathilde's now has the best opportunity she's ever had to have a taste of the high life, but she has nothing to wear. That problem sets the rest of the plot in motion. Complication Diamonds are this girl's best friend Mathilde solves the first problem when her husband gives her money for a dress. But then she runs into a second problem: she's needs to have some jewels. Luckily, her friend Mme. Forestier is able to provide her with a fabulous diamon d necklace.But now Mathilde's been entrusted with something expensive that belongs to someone else and we have the potential for disaster. It's true that the complication is often when things â€Å"get worse,† and that doesn't really happen here (for that, we have to wait for the climax). In fact, after borrowing the necklace, Mathilde has the time of her life. But it's when she borrows the necklace that the possibility opens up for something really bad to happen†¦and it does. Climax The necklace is missing! Mathilde's discovery is the most exciting and dramatic moment in the story (until that crazy twist in the last line).It's also the turning point in the plot. Before, the story was a build-up to Mathilde's one glorious night with the rich and famous. Now it transitions into a desperate search. We have a feeling things are not going to end well. Suspense Diamonds, when lost, are a girl's worst nightmare After the loss of the necklace, we're kept in constant suspense. F irst, there's the search for the necklace: will it be found? When it becomes clear it isn't going to be, the question becomes: what will the Loisels do? Will they find a replacement? And when they do, the question is: how the are they going to pay for it?It turns out paying for it takes quite a toll on them – their lives are ruined for ten years. Denouement A fateful stroll down the Champs Elysees When Mathilde meets Mme. Forestier on the Champs Elysees, it looks like we're just about to tie up the last loose end in the story. The main action is over – the Loisels have finally finished paying off their debts for the necklace. All that remains is for Mathilde to see whether her friend ever noticed the substitute necklace, and tell her the sad story of the whole affair. But then things don't quite wrap up the way we expect. Conclusion Come on baby, let's do the twist†¦Sometimes critics say that the twist ending is the climax of the story. You could think that the tw ist is the most exciting moment of the story, and represents a turning point since it reverses everything that came before. But we're sticking to our guns, and saying that the twist ending isn't the climax, but the conclusion. A climax is technically the point of the plot that everything builds up to, and that's not true of the twist. What makes the twist so effective is that by the time it happens the plot has already â€Å"risen and fallen,† and seems to be wrapping up naturally. Then, right in the denouement, everything changes.Unlike your run-of-the-mill conclusion, this conclusion is exciting, and it upsets everything. Analysis â€Å"The Necklace† clearly demonstrates Maupassant’s fixation with facts and observations. Rather than explore Mathilde’s yearning for wealth or unhappiness with her life, Maupaussant simply tells us about her unhappiness and all the things she desires. At the end of the story, he provides no moral commentary or explanation a bout Mathilde’s reaction to Madame Forestier’s shocking revelation; he simply reports events as they happen. There is no pretense, idealizing, or artifice to Maupaussant’s prose or treatment of his characters.