Ethnic Groups and Racism Essay

Race and ethnicity are important concepts in the field of sociology and are ones that are studied a great deal. Race plays a large role in everyday human interactions and sociologists want to study how, why, and what the outcomes are of these interactions. A race is a human population that is believed to be distinct in some way from other humans based on real or imagined physical differences. Racial classifications are rooted in the idea of biological classification of humans according to morphological features such as skin color or facial characteristics. An individual is usually externally classified (meaning someone else makes the classification) into a racial group rather than the individual choosing where they belong as part of their identity. Conceptions of race, as well as specific racial groupings, are often controversial due to their impact on social identity and how those identities influence someone’s position in social hierarchies. Ethnicity, while related to race, refers not to physical characteristics but social traits that are shared by a human population. Some of the social traits often used for ethnic classification include: †¢nationality †¢tribe †¢religious faith †¢shared language †¢shared culture †¢shared traditions Unlike race, ethnicity is not usually externally assigned by other individuals. The term ethnicity focuses more upon a group’s connection to a perceived shared past and culture. II. CONTENT/ CREATIVE REPORT DEFINITION OF RACE AND ETHNICITY Race is a socially defined category, based on real or perceived biological differences between groups of people. Ethnicity is a socially defined category based on common language, religion, nationality, history or another cultural factor. Sociologists see race and ethnicity as social constructions because they are not rooted in biological differences, they change over time, and they never have firm boundaries. Example: White The distinction between race and ethnicity can be displayed or hidden, depending on individual preferences, while racial identities are always on display. THE SOCIOLOGICAL MEANING OF ETHNIC GROUPS AND RACISM The classification of people into races and ethnic groups carries deep implication on the social and political life of different racial and ethnic groups. These classifications led to the notion of racial superiority and racial inferiority, culturally advanced groups and culturally disadvantaged, the use of derogatory undertones and parody, apartheid policy, discrimination and prejudice, and stereotyping of groups of people. Ethnic conflicts have been regular process within the same territorial borders and among the nations of the world. Ethnic conflicts have been pervasive and dangerous because they cause massive humanitarian suffering, civil wars, and destabilizing effects. Sociologically, â€Å"race† refers to a group of people whom others believe are genetically distinct and whom they treat accordingly. This term is commonly used to refer to physical differences between people brought about by physical characteristics of genetic origin. This commonness of genetic heritage may be manifested in the shape of the head and face, the shape and color of the eyes, the shape of the nose, lips, and ears, the texture and color of the hair, the skin color, height, blood type and other physical characteristics. Among the significant racial categories studied by early social scientists were the Caucasoid, Mongoloid, Negroid, and the subgroups of primary and derived races. Racial differences are seen as physical differences singled out by the community or society as ethnically significant. It is preferable to refer to ethnicity or ethnic groups rather than race for its historical and biological connotations. An ethnic group represents a number of persons who have a common cultural background as evidenced by a feeling of loyalty to a given geographical territory or leader, a feeling of identification with and unity among historical and other group experiences, or a high degree of similarity in social norms, ideas and material objects. Members of ethnic groups see themselves as culturally different from other groups in the society and are viewed by others to be so. SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF MEMBERSHIP IN RACIAL AND ETHNIC GROUPS. Membership in racial and ethnic groups influences people’s social status and roles as they interact with others. Physical characteristics, especially skin color and certain distinctive cultural traits, complexes, and patterns, become badges for social and economic status. Frequently, they establish a person’s or groups position in the social stratification system and make up the foundation for prejudice, discrimination, and other forms of differential treatment. Furthermore, when an ethnic group becomes a target of discrimination, such group may utilize the unique physical or cultural traits as the rallying force for promoting common loyalties and enhancing collective action. When people’s definition of physical characteristics greatly affects their relationship, such definitions generally become interlinked with cultural differences. A classic example is the white man’s justification of his technological, economic, political and military superiority. Examples are such ideologies as the God-chosen race, the white man’s burden and more recently, the apartheid policy. Since the early days of the United States, Native Americans, African-Americans and European-Americans were classified as belonging to different races. But the criteria for membership in these races were radically different. For Africans, the government considered anyone with African appearance to be purely African. Native Americans, on the other hand, were classified based on a certain percentage of Indian blood. Finally, European-Americans had to have purely white ancestry. The differing criteria for assigning membership to particular races had relatively little to do with biology; it had far more to do with maintaining a group’s defined roles and position. Racial and ethnic membership leads to a sense of people-hood. By this, we mean a sense of identification with a relatively small segment of the world’s population- those who by virtue of common ancestry or heritage we consider â€Å"our own kind†. Erich Fromm wrote in 1941: â€Å"The identity with nature, clan, religion, gives the individual security. He belongs to, he is rooted in, structuralized whole in which he has an unquestionable place. He may suffer from hunger or suppression, but he does not suffer from worst of all pains- complete aloneness and doubt. † PATTERNS OF ETHNIC GROUP RELATIONS. People who occupy a subordinate status are usually called a minority group. What determines a minority group is not the unique racial or ethnics traits nor their great number but the relationship of different groups in the society of which they are a part. A minority group, then is one that, because of the power of differences among the groups, is singled out for unequal treatment in the society. A minority refers to a group which, because of physical and cultural characteristics, occupies a subordinate position in the society and subjected to collective discrimination, in some cases, even segregation, oppression, slavery, peonage, military subjugation, religious persecution, and economic, political, educational, and social suppression. The patterns of ethnic group relations include the following: 1. Patterns of Racism a. Prejudice and discrimination †¢Racism – is behavior that is motivated by the belief that one’s own group is superior to other groups that are set apart on the basis of physical characteristics Structural racism refers to inequalities built into an organization or system. An example of structural racism can be seen in recent research on workplace discrimination. [37] There is widespread discrimination against job applicants whose names were merely perceived as â€Å"sounding black. â€Å" These applicants were 50% less likely than candidates perceived as having â€Å"white-sounding names† to receive callbacks for interviews, no matter their level of previous experience. †¢Prejudice – prejudged negative attitude or opinion about a group without bothering to verify the merits of the opinion or judgment The relationship between prejudice and discrimination is complex. Robert Merton’s study and typology of the relationship between prejudice and discrimination Four patterns 1. Unprejudiced nondiscriminatory – integration 2. Unprejudiced and discriminatory – institutional discrimination 3. Prejudiced and nondiscriminatory – latent bigotry 4. Prejudiced and discriminatory – outright bigotry In his study, (1974), Bulatao listed impressions on some ethnic groups by respondents from five Philippine cities: Ilocanos and Chinese were viewed as most industrious, serious, thrifty; Tagalogs, progressive; Bicolanos and Cebuanos, humble, friendly, warm, and peaceful; Warays, lazy but strong; and Ilongos, proud and extravagant. b. Discrimination refers to the act of disqualifying or mistreating people on the basis of their group membership or on ascriptive rounds rationally irrelevant to the situation. Whereas prejudice is a state of mind, discrimination is actual behavior. Prejudice and discrimination work hand in hand to create and sustain racial and ethnic stratification, (Jarry J. 1987) THEORIES OF PREJUDICE Light gives the following explanations on the origin of prejudice: 1. Economic Theory- assumes that racial prejudice is a social attitude transmitted by the dominant ethnic majority class for the purpose of stigmatizing some group s as inferior so that the exploitation of the group resources will be justified. 2. Symbolic Theory- asserts that prejudice arises because a racial or ethnic group is a symbol of what people hate, fear, or envy. 3. Scapegoat theory- maintains that human beings are reluctant to accept their mistakes for their troubles and failures so they look for an ethnic-minority to shoulder the blame. 4. Social norm theory- asserts that ethnocentrism is a natural development of group living. Hatred and suspicion for the out-group are the standard and normal way of doing things, particularly in dealing with people. c. Stereotypes are often simplified and unsupported generalizations about others and are used indiscriminately for all cases. A few examples are Ilokano, â€Å"bantay kuako† (heavy smokers) and â€Å"kuripot† (stingy); Pampangueno, â€Å"dugong aso† (dog blood or traitors); Batangueno, â€Å"balisong† (knife-wielding); Bicolanos, â€Å"sili† ( pepper or hot people). 2. Patterns of Competition, Conflict and Domination When ethnocentric attitudes are coupled with intergroup competition for territory and scarce resources, an explosive social situation may arise. When two groups both strive for the same things- and they perceive their respective claims to be mutually exclusively and legitimate- the stage is set for conflict. In modern societies, the state has become the vehicle that enables one group to dominate and keep the other group subordinate. In sum, competition supplies the motivation for systems of stratification, and ethnocentrism directs competition along racial and ethnic lines, but power determines which group will subjugate the other (Noel, 1972; Barth and Noel, 1975). 3. Economic and Political Subjugation The economic takeover of one nation by a more powerful one and the subsequent political and social domination of the native population is called colonialism. If the takeover of one nation is trough the military superiority of the more powerful one for the purpose of territorial expansion and establishing colonies, it is termed as military colonialism. On the other hand, if the economic takeover is made through the great technological superiority of the more powerful one, the institutionalization of their businesses in their former colonies, the control and domination of most of a colony’s natural resources, the imposition of trade policies and economic treaties favorable to their side; the establishment of outlets for their surplus capital; the need for more cheap labor, raw materials, and markets to fuel their growing economy, the process is termed neo-colonialism or economic imperialism. 4. Displacement and Segregation of the Native Population. Economic and political subjugation of a minority population by a more powerful group is not the only pattern of conquest that occurs when different racial and ethnic group meet. Displacement of native population can be made possible through the influx of powerful settlers or invaders with their vastly superior weapons. It is typically found in areas rich in natural resources and similar in geography and climate to the homeland of the invading group. Displacement takes the following forms: a. ) by attrition, that is, numbers of the weaker group may die of starvation or disease either deliberately or not; b.) by population transfer; and c. ) by genocide- deliberate and ruthless extermination of the weaker group. Segregation involves the enactment of laws and/or customs that restrict or prohibit contact between groups. Segregation may be ethnic or racial or based on sex or age. 5. Patterns of Accommodation and Tolerance Interracial and interethnic accommodation can be carried out through miscegenation or amalgamation- the intermarriage of members of the majority and minority groups. This can result in the blending of their various customs and values and the creation of a new cultural hybrid. This involves a cultural and biological blending in which the customs and values of both groups are to some extent preserved and their biological characteristics appear in the offspring. 6. Patterns of Acculturation and Assimilation Acculturation and assimilation are two very important concepts in sociology and anthropology that describe cross cultural effects on both minorities as well as majorities in societies that are multi ethnic and multi cultural in nature. Assimilation is a broader concept as described by sociologist Jean Piaget and refers to the manner in which people take new information. There are many people who think of the two concepts as same and even use them interchangeably. If you belong to a minority community in a country and retain your own culture but cannot remain isolated and are affected by the majority culture in such a way that you adapt to some aspects of the majority culture, the process is referred to as acculturation. Assimilation is a process whereby people of a culture learn to adapt to the ways of the majority culture. There is a loss of one’s own culture as a person gives more value to the cultural aspects of the majority community in the process of assimilation. What is the difference between Acculturation and Assimilation? †¢ Meeting of cultures always produces results in terms of changes in both the cultures, and acculturation and assimilation refer to two important and different changes in these cultures. †¢ Assimilation refers to the process where some of the majority community’s cultural aspects are absorbed in such a manner that the home cultural aspects get mitigated or lost. †¢ Acculturation is a process where the cultural aspects of the majority community are adapted without losing the traditions and customs of the minority community. †¢ Minority culture changes in the case of assimilation whereas it remains intact in the case of acculturation. 7. Patterns of cultural Pluralism or Ethnic Diversity Cultural pluralism refers to the coexistence of different racial or ethnic groups each of which retains its own cultural identity and social structural networks, while participating equally in the economic and political systems. (Light, 1985) In pluralistic society, each group retains its own language, religion and customs, and its members tend to interact socially primarily among themselves. Yet all jointly participate in the economic and political systems and live in harmony and peaceful â€Å"coexistence†. A prime example of such an arrangement can be found in Switzerland. There, people of German, French, and Italian heritage preserve their distinct cultural ways while coexisting peacefully and equally. No one group enjoys special privileges or is discriminated against. ETHNIC GROUPS IN THE PHILIPPINES Ethnic groups in the Philippines are classified according to certain physical, cultural, linguistic, religious and geographic criteria. A. According to distinctive physical traits 1. The Negritoes who are regarded as the aborigines of the Philippines. 2. The Indonesian- Malayan stock which is predominant among the Filipinos. 3. The Chinese who make up the largest national group. 4. The Americans and the Spaniards, and a few other Europeans who came as colonizers. B. According to cultural standpoints 1. Cultural minorities or cultural communities 2. Muslims 3. Christian groups C. According to linguistic groupings PANAMIN reports that there are about 87 ethno linguistic groups in the Philippines-e. g. , Tagalog, Ilokano, Waray, Hiligaynon, Kapampangan, Ilonggo, etc. D. According to religion 1. Roman Catholics 2. Muslims 3. Aglipayans 4. Protestants 5. Iglesia ni Cristo 6. Buddhists 7. Jehovah’s witnesses 8. Other religious sects. E. Muslims of Southern Philippines The Muslims make up the largest single non-Christian group. They have nine ethno-linguistic groups, namely: 1. Taosug 2. Maranao 3. Maguindanao 4. Samal 5. Yakan 6. Sanggil 7. Badjao 8. Molbog 9. Jama Mapun From the Spanish regime to the present, Muslim and Christian intergroup relationships have been characterized by animosity and suspicion. This has been expressed in the Muslims’ ongoing resentment of Christian settlers and attempts at secession to form an independent Mindanao. Muslim revolutionary groups the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Bangsai Moro Liberation Front (BMLF) want Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan to secede from the Philippines. THE CULTURAL COMMUNITIES AND THE CHRISTIAN FILIPINOS The non-Christian Filipinos now known as cultural communities make up 10% of the total national population. They have maintained their culture in their clothes, art, religion, ethnic dialect, customs, traditions and other superficial differences. There are 77 major ethno-linguistic groups in the Philippines. A. Northern Luzon 1. Isneg 11. Ivatan/Itbayat 21. Malaweg 2. Kalinga 12. Ilocano 22. Yogad 3. Ifugao 13. Apayao 23. Pangasinan 4. Bontok 14. Balangao 24. Palanan 5. Kankanai 15. Bago 25. Kapampangan 6. Ibaloi 16. Kalanguya 26. Tagalog 7. Gaddang 17. Iwak 27. Bicol 8. Tinggian 18. Isinay 28. Negrito 9. Ilongot 19. Ibanag 29. Sambal 10. Ibalahan 20. Itawit B. Smaller Groups in Luzon 1. Aetas 2. Dumagats of Quezon Province 3. Mangyans of Mindoro 4. Hanunoo C. Visayas 1. Bataks 7. Aklanon 13. Solud 2. Keney 8. Rombloanon 14. Bukidnon. 3. Negritoes 9. Bantoanon 15. Boholano 4. Alangans 10. Hiligaynon 16. Cebuano 5. Masbateno 11. Kiniray-a 17. Waray 6. Abakon 12. Hamtikanon D. Mindanao 1. Tagurays 8. Mansakas 15. Kamiguin 2. Tagabilis 9. Maranao 16. Mamanwa 3. Bilaans 10. Sangil/Sangir 17. Butuanon 4. Mandayas 11. Ilanun 18. Kamayo 5. Manobos 12. Maguindanao 19. Bagobo 6. Tasadays 13. Tiboli 20. Kalagan 7. Magtisalugs 14. Subanon 21. Kalibugan E. In Sulu/Tawi-Tawi 1. Yakan 2. Sama 3. Sama Dilaut 4. Tausug 5. Jama Mapun F. In Palawan 1. Tagbanua 2. Agutayanen 3. Kuyonen 4. Molbog 5. Palawan 6. Batak 7. Tau’t Baten III. GROUP REFLECTION Within sociology, the terms race, ethnicity, minority, and dominant group all have very specific and different meanings. To understand the sociological perspective on race and ethnicity, it is important to understand the meanings of these concepts. An ethnic group is a social category of people who share a common culture, such as a common language, a common religion, or common norms, customs, practices, and history. Ethnic groups have a consciousness of their common cultural bond. An ethnic group does not exist simply because of the common national or cultural origins of the group, however. They develop because of their unique historical and social experiences, which become the basis for the group’s ethnic identity. For example, prior to immigration to the United States, Italians did not think of themselves as a distinct group with common interests and experiences. However, the process of immigration and the experiences they faced as a group in the United States, including discrimination, created a new identity for the group. Some examples of ethnic groups include Italian Americans, Polish Americans, Mexican Americans, Arab Americans, and Irish Americans. Ethnic groups are also found in other societies, such as the Pashtuns in Afghanistan or the Shiites in Iraq, whose ethnicity is base on religious differences. Like ethnicity, race is primarily, though not exclusively, a socially constructed category. A race is a group that is treated as distinct in society based on certain characteristics. Because of their biological or cultural characteristics, which are labeled as inferior by powerful groups in society, a race is often singled out for differential and unfair treatment. It is not the biological characteristics that define racial groups, but how groups have been treated historically and socially. Society assigns people to racial categories (White, Black, etc. ) not because of science or fact, but because of opinion and social experience. In other words, how racial groups are defined is a social process; it is socially constructed. A minority group is any distinct group in society that shares common group characteristics and is forced to occupy low status in society because of prejudice and discrimination. A group may be classified as a minority on the basis of ethnicity, race, sexual preference, age, or class status. It is important to note that a minority group is not necessarily the minority in terms of numbers, but it is a group that holds low status in relation to other groups in society (regardless of the size). The group that assigns a racial or ethnic group to subordinate status in society is called the dominant group. There are several sociological theories about why prejudice, discrimination, and racism exist. Current sociological theories focus mainly on explaining the existence of racism, particular institutional racism. The three major sociological perspectives (functionalist theory, symbolic interaction theory, and conflict theory) each have their own explanations to the existence of racism. Functionalist theorists argue that in order for race and ethnic relations to be functional and contribute to the harmonious conduct and stability of society, racial and ethnic minorities must assimilate into that society. Assimilation is a process in which a minority becomes absorbed into the dominant society – socially, economically, and culturally. Symbolic interaction theorists look at two issues in relation to race and ethnicity. First, they look at the role of social interaction and how it reduces racial and ethnic hostility. Second, they look at how race and ethnicity are socially constructed. In essence, symbolic interactionists ask the question, â€Å"What happens when two people of different race or ethnicity come in contact with one another and how can such interracial or interethnic contact reduce hostility and conflict? † The basic argument made by conflict theorists is that class-based conflict is an inherent and fundamental part of society. These theorists thus argue that racial and ethnic conflict is tied to class conflict and that in order to reduce racial and ethnic conflict, class conflict must first be reduced.

The Return: Midnight Chapter 2

Elena couldn't have been out for more than a few seconds. When she came to, everything was the same – although she wondered how she hadn't lethal y cut her own throat on the knife. She knew that the tray with the dishes and cup had gone flying into the darkness in that first instant when she couldn't help flinging out her arms. But now she recognized the grip, she recognized the scent, and she understood the reason for the knife. And she was glad that she did, because she was about as proud of fainting as Sage would have been of doing it. She wasn't a fainter! Now she wil ed herself to sag in Damon's arms, except for where the knife was. To show him that she was no threat. â€Å"Hel o, princess,†a voice like black velvet said into her ear. Elena felt an inner shiver – but not of fear. No, it was more as if her insides were melting. But he didn't change his grasp on her. â€Å"Damon†¦Ã¢â‚¬ she said huskily, â€Å"I'm here to help you. Please let me. For your sake.† As abruptly as it had come, the iron grip was withdrawn from her waist. The knife stopped pressing into her flesh, although the sharp, stinging feeling at her throat was quite enough to remind her that Damon would have it ready. Substitute fangs. There was a click, and suddenly the room was too bright. Slowly, Elena turned to look at Damon. And even now, even when he was pale and rumpled and haggard from not eating, he was so gorgeous that her heart seemed to plummet into darkness. His black hair, fal ing every which way over his forehead; his perfect, carven features; his arrogant, sensual mouth – right now compressed into a brooding line†¦ â€Å"Where is it, Elena?†he asked briefly. Not what. Where. He knew she wasn't stupid, and, of course, he knew the humans in the boardinghouse were hiding the star bal from him deliberately. â€Å"Is that al you have to say to me?†Elena whispered. She saw the helpless softening in his eyes, and he took one step toward her as if he couldn't help himself, but the next instant he looked grim. â€Å"Tel me, and then maybe I'l have more.† â€Å"I†¦see. Wel , then, we made a system, two days ago,†Elena said quietly. â€Å"Everyone draws lots for it. Then the person who gets the paper with the X takes it from the center of the kitchen table and everyone goes to their rooms and stays there until the person with the star bal hides it. I didn't get the lot today, so I don't know where it is. But you can try to – test me.†Elena could feel her body cringing as she said the last words, feeling soft and helpless and easily hurt. Damon reached over and slowly slipped a hand beneath her hair. He could slam her head against a wal , or throw her across the room. He could simply squeeze her neck between knife and hand until her head fel off. Elena knew that he was in the mood to take out his emotions on a human, but she did nothing. Said nothing. Just stood and looked into her eyes. Slowly, Damon bent toward her and brushed his lips – so softly – against hers. Elena's eyes drifted shut. But the next moment Damon winced and slid the hand back out of her hair. That was when Elena gave another thought as to what must have become of the food she had been bringing to him. Near-scalding coffee seemed to have splashed her hand and arm and soaked her jeans on one thigh. The cup and saucer were laying in pieces on the floor. The tray and the cookies had bounced off behind a chair. The plate of steak tartar, however, had miraculously landed on the couch, right side up. There was miscel aneous cutlery everywhere. Elena felt her head and shoulders droop in fear and pain. That was her immediate universe right now – fear and pain. Overwhelming her. She wasn't usual y a crier, but she couldn't help the tears that fil ed her eyes. Damn! Damon thought. It was her. Elena. He'd been so certain an adversary was spying on him, that one of his many enemies had tracked him down and was setting a trap†¦someone who had discovered that he was as weak as a child now. It hadn't even occurred to him that it might be her, until he was holding her soft body with one arm, and smel ing the perfume of her hair as he held an ice-slick blade to her throat with the other. And then he'd snapped on a light and saw what he had already guessed. Unbelievable! He hadn't recognized her. He had been outside in the garden when he'd seen the door to the storage room standing open and had known that there was an intruder. But with his senses degraded as they were he hadn't been able to tel who was inside. No excuses could cover up the facts. He had hurt and terrified Elena. He had hurt her. And instead of apologizing he had tried to force the truth out of her for his own selfish desires. And now, her throat†¦ His eyes were drawn to the thin line of red droplets on Elena's throat where the knife had cut her when she'd jerked in fear before col apsing right onto it. Had she fainted? She could have died right then, in his arms, if he hadn't been fast enough in whipping the knife away. He kept tel ing himself that he wasn't afraid of her. That he was just holding the knife absentmindedly. He wasn't convinced. â€Å"I was outside. You know how we humans can't see?†he said, knowing he sounded indifferent, unrepentant. â€Å"It's like being wrapped in cotton al the time, Elena: We can't see, can't smel , can't hear. My reflexes are like a tortoise's, and I'm starving.† â€Å"Then why don't you try my blood?†Elena asked, sounding unexpectedly calm. â€Å"I can't,†Damon said, trying not to eye the dainty ruby necklace flowing down Elena's slim white throat. â€Å"I already cut myself,†Elena said, and Damon thought, Cut herself? Ye gods, the girl was priceless. As if she'd had a little kitchen accident. â€Å"So we might as wel see what human blood tastes like to you now,†Elena said. â€Å"No.† â€Å"You know that you're going to. I know you know. But we don't have much time. My blood won't flow forever. Oh, Damon – after everything†¦just last week – â€Å" He was looking at her too long, he knew. Not just at the blood. At the glorious golden beauty of her, as if the child of a sunbeam and a moonbeam had entered his room and was harmlessly bathing him in light. With a hiss, narrowing his eyes, Damon took hold of Elena's arms. He expected an automatic recoil like the one when he'd grabbed her from behind. But there was no movement backward. Instead there was something like the leap of an eager flame in those wide malachite eyes. Elena's lips parted involuntarily. He knew it was involuntarily. He'd had many years to study young women's responses. He knew what it meant when her gaze went first to his lips before lifting to his eyes. I can't kiss her again. I can't. It's a human weakness, the way she affects me. She doesn't realize what it is to be so young and so impossibly beautiful. She's going to learn someday. In fact, I might accidental y teach her now. As if she could hear him, Elena shut her eyes. She let her head fal back and suddenly Damon found himself half-supporting her weight. She was surrendering al thought of herself, showing him that despite everything she stil trusted him, stil †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦stil loved him. Damon himself didn't know what he was going to do as he bent toward her. He was starving. It tore at him like a wolf's claws, the hunger. It made him feel dazed and dizzy and out of control. Half a thousand years had left him believing that the only thing that would relieve the starvation was the crimson fountain of a cut artery. Some dark voice that might have come from the Infernal Court itself whispered that he could do what some vampires did, ripping a throat like a werewolf. Warm flesh might ease the starvation of a human. What would he do, so close to Elena's lips, so close to her bleeding throat? Two tears slipped from under the dark lashes and slid a little way down her face before dropping into golden hair. Damon found himself tasting one before he could think. Stil a maiden. Wel , that was to be expected; Stefan was too weak to stand yet. But on top of the cynical thought came an image, and just a few words: a spirit as pure as driven snow. He suddenly knew a different hunger, a different thirst. The only place to ease this need was close by. Desperately, urgently, he sought and found Elena's lips. And then he found himself losing al control. What he needed most was here, and Elena might tremble, but she didn't push him away. This close, he was bathed in an aura as golden as the hair he was touching gently at the ends. He was pleased himself when she shivered in pleasure, and he realized that he could sense her thoughts. She was a strong projector, and his telepathy was the only Power left to him. He had no idea why he stil had it, but he did. And right now he wanted to tune into Elena. The wench! She wasn't thinking at al ! Elena had been offering her throat, truly surrendering herself, abandoning al thought but that she wanted to aid him, that his wishes were hers. And now she was too deeply enmeshed in the kiss to even make plans – which was extraordinary for her. She's in love with you, the tiny part of him that could stil think said. She's never said so! She's in love with Stefan! something visceral answered. She doesn't have to say it. She's showing it. Don't pretend you haven't seen it before! But Stefan – ! Is she thinking about Stefan in the slightest right now? She opened her arms to the wolf-hunger in you. This is no one-day stand, no quick meal, not even a steady donor. This is Elena herself. Then I've taken advantage of her. If she's in love, she can't protect herself. She's stil a child. I have to do something. The kisses had now gotten to the point that even the tiny voice of reason was fading. Elena had lost her ability to stand. He was either going to have to put her down somewhere, or give her a chance to back out. Elena! Elena! Damn it, I know you can hear me. Answer! Damon? – faintly. Oh, Damon, now do you understand – ? Too well, my princess. I Influenced you, so I should know. You†¦? No, you're lying! Why should I lie? For some reason my telepathy is as strong as ever. I still want what I want. But you might want to think a minute, maiden. I don't need to drink your blood. I'm human and right now I'm ravenous. But not for that mess of bloody hamburger you brought me. Elena broke away from him. Damon let her go. â€Å"I think you're lying,†she said, meeting his eyes directly, her mouth kiss-swol en. Damon locked the sight of her inside the boulder ful of secrets he dragged around with him. He gave her his best opaque ebony stare. â€Å"Why should I lie?†he repeated. â€Å"I just thought you deserved a chance to make your own choice. Or have you already decided to abandon little brother while he's out of commission?† Elena's hand flashed up, but then she dropped it. â€Å"You used Influence on me,†she said bitterly. â€Å"I'm not myself. I would never abandon Stefan – especial y when he needs me.† There it was, the essential fire at her core, and the fiery golden truth. Now he could sit and let bitterness gnaw at him, while this pure spirit fol owed her conscience. He was thinking this, already feeling the loss of her dazzling light receding when he realized he no longer had the knife. An instant later, horror just catching up with his hand, he was snatching it from her throat. His telepathic blast was entirely reflexive: What in Hell are you doing? Killing yourself because of what I said? This blade is like a razor! Elena faltered. â€Å"I was just making a nick – â€Å" â€Å"You almost made a nick that spurted six feet high!†At least he was able to speak again, despite the constriction of his throat. Elena was back on stable ground too. â€Å"I told you I knew you knew you'd have to try blood before you'l try to eat. It feels as if it's flowing down my neck again. This time, let's not waste it.† She was only tel ing the truth. At least she hadn't seriously hurt herself. He could see that fresh blood was flowing from the new cut she'd so recklessly made. To waste it would be idiotic. Utterly dispassionate now, Damon took her again by the shoulders. He tilted up her chin to look at her soft, rounded throat. Several new ruby cuts were flowing freely. Half a mil ennium of instinct told Damon that just there was nectar and ambrosia. Just there was sustenance and rest and euphoria. Just here where his lips were as he bent to her a second time†¦and he had only to taste it – to drink†¦ Damon reared back, trying to force himself to swal ow, determined not to spit. It wasn't†¦it wasn't utterly revolting. He could see how humans, with their degraded senses, could make use of the animal varieties. But this coagulating, mineral-tasting stuff wasn't blood†¦ it had none of the perfumed bouquet, the heady richness, the sweet, velvety, provocative, life-giving, ineffable attributes of blood. It was like some sort of bad joke. He was tempted to bite Elena, just to skim a canine over the common carotid, making a tiny scratch, so he could taste the little burst that would explode onto his palate, to compare, to make sure that the real stuff wasn't in there somehow. In fact he was more than tempted; he was doing it. But no blood was coming. His mind paused in midthought. He'd made a scratch al right a scratch like a scuff. It hadn't even broken the outer layer of Elena's skin. Blunt teeth. Damon found himself pressing on a canine with his tongue, wil ing it to extend, wil ing it with al his cramped and frustrated soul to sharpen. And†¦nothing. Nothing. But then, he'd spent al day doing the same thing. Miserably, he let Elena's head turn back. â€Å"That's it?†she said shakily. She was trying so hard to be brave with him! Poor doomed white soul with her demon lover. â€Å"Damon, you can try again,†she told him. â€Å"You can bite harder.† â€Å"It's no good,†he snapped. â€Å"You're useless – â€Å" Elena almost slid to the floor. He kept her upright while snarling in her ear, â€Å"You know what I meant by that. Or would you prefer to be my dinner rather than my princess?† Elena simply shook her head mutely. She rested in the circle of his arms, her head against his shoulder. Little wonder that she needed rest after al he'd put her through. But as for how she found his shoulder a comfort†¦wel , that was beyond him. Sage! Damon sent the furious thought out on al the frequencies he could access, just as he had been doing al day. If only he could find Sage, al his problems would be solved. Sage, he demanded, where are you? No answer. For al Damon knew, Sage had managed to operate the Gateway to the Dark Dimension that was even now standing, powerless and useless, in Mrs. Flowers's garden. Stranding Damon here. Sage was always that blindingly fast when he took off. And why had he taken off? Imperial Summons? Sometimes Sage got them. From the Fal en One, who lived in the Infernal Court, at the lowest of the Dark Dimensions. And when Sage did get them, he was expected to be in that dimension instantly, in mid-word, in mid-caress, in mid – whatever. So far Sage had always made the deadline, Damon knew that. He knew it because Sage was stil alive. On the afternoon of Damon's catastrophic bouquet investigation Sage had left on the mantel a polite note thanking Mrs. Flowers for her hospitality, and even leaving his gigantic dog, Saber, and his falcon, Talon, for the protection of the household – a note doubtlessly pre-prepared. He had gone the way he always did, as unpredictably as the wind, and without saying good-bye. Undoubtedly he'd thought that Damon would find his way out of the problem easily. There were a number of vampires in Fel ‘s Church. There always were. The ley lines of sheer Power in the ground drew them even in normal times. The problem was that just now al those vampires were infested with malach – parasites control ed by the evil fox-spirits. They couldn't be lower in the vampire hierarchy. And of course Stefan was a complete nonstarter. Even if he hadn't been so weak that trying to change Damon into a vampire would have kil ed him; even if his anger over Damon's â€Å"stealing his humanity†could be assuaged, he would simply never have agreed, out of his feeling that vampirism was a curse. Humans never knew about things like the vampire hierarchy because the subjects didn't concern them – until suddenly, they did, usual y because they had just been changed into a vampire themselves. The hierarchy of vampires was strict, from the useless and ignoble to the fanged aristocracy. Old Ones fit in that category, but so did others who were particularly il ustrious or powerful. What Damon wanted was to be made a vampire by the kind of women Sage knew, and he was determined to have Sage find him a vampire lady of quality, one who was real y worthy of him. Other things tormented Damon, who had spent two entire sleepless days pondering them. Was it possible that the white kitsune who had given Stefan the bouquet had engineered a rose that turned the first person to smel it permanently human? That would have been Stefan's greatest dream. The white fox had listened to days upon days of Stefan's ramblings, hadn't he? He'd seen Elena weeping over Stefan. He'd seen the two lovebirds together, Elena hand-feeding a dying Stefan her blood through razor wire. Fortune only knew what ideas that fox had gotten into his furry white head when he'd prepared the rose that had â€Å"cured†Damon of his â€Å"curse.†If it turned out to be an irreversible â€Å"cure†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ If Sage turned out to be unreachable†¦ It suddenly broke into Damon's thoughts that Elena was cold. It was strange, since the night was warm, but she was shivering violently. She needed his jacket or†¦ She's not cold, the smal voice somewhere deep inside him said. And she's not shivering. She's trembling because of al you've put her through. Elena? You forgot all about me. You were holding me, but you completely forgot my existence†¦ If only, he thought bitterly. You're branded on my soul. Damon was suddenly furious, but it was different from his anger at kitsune and Sage and the world. It was the kind of anger that made his throat close and his chest feel too tight. It was an anger that made him pick up Elena's scalded hand, which was rapidly turning scarlet in patches, and examine it. He knew what he would have done as a vampire: stroked over the burns with a silky cool tongue, generating chemicals to accelerate the healing. And now†¦there was nothing he could do about it. â€Å"It doesn't hurt,†Elena said. She was able to stand now. â€Å"You're lying, princess,†he said. â€Å"The insides of your eyebrows are up. That's pain. And your pulse is jumping – â€Å" â€Å"You can sense that without touching me?† â€Å"I can see it, at your temples. Vampires,†with vicious emphasis on what he stil was, in essence, â€Å"notice things like that. I made you hurt yourself. And I can't do anything to help. Also† – he shrugged – â€Å"you're a beautiful liar. About the star bal , I mean.† â€Å"You can always sense when I'm lying?† â€Å"Angel,†he said wearily, â€Å"it's easy. You are either the lucky holder of the star bal today†¦or you know who is.† Again, Elena's head drooped in consternation. â€Å"Or else,†Damon said lightly, â€Å"the entire story of the drawing of the lots was a lie.† â€Å"Think what you like,†Elena said, with at least some of her usual fire. â€Å"And you can clean up this mess, too.† Just as she turned to leave, Damon had a revelation. â€Å"Mrs. Flowers!†he exclaimed. â€Å"Wrong,†Elena snapped. Elena, I wasn't talking about the star ball. I give you my word on this. You know how hard it is to lie telepathically – Yes, and I know that therefore, if there's one thing in the world you'd†¦practice†¦at†¦ She couldn't finish. She couldn't make the speech. Elena knew how much Damon's word meant to him. I'll never tell you where it is, she sent telepathical y to Damon. And I swear to you that Mrs. Flowers won't either. â€Å"I believe you, but we're stil going to see her.† He picked Elena up easily and stepped over the smashed cup and saucer. Elena automatical y grabbed his neck with both hands to balance herself. â€Å"Darling, what are you doing – ?†Elena cried, then stopped, wide-eyed, two scalded fingers flying to her lips. Standing in the doorway, not two yards away from them, was petite Bonnie McCul ough, a bottle of Black Magic wine, nonalcoholic but mystical y exhilarating, held high in her hand. But as Elena watched, Bonnie's expression changed al in an instant. It had been triumphant joy. But now it was shock. It was disbelief that couldn't hold. Elena knew exactly what she was thinking. The whole house had devoted itself to making Damon comfortable – while Damon stole what rightful y belonged to Stefan: Elena. Plus he'd lied about not being a vampire anymore. And Elena wasn't even fighting him off. She was cal ing him â€Å"darling†! Bonnie dropped the bottle and turned, running.

An Overview Of Meningitis

An Overview Of Meningitis Meningitis is swelling and inflammation of the protective membranes that cover brain and spinal cord. Depending on the duration of symptoms, meningitis may be classified as acute or chronic. Acute meningitis denotes the evolution of symptoms within hours to several days, while chronic meningitis has an onset and duration of weeks to months. Meningitis is mainly caused by infection with viruses, several different types of bacteria, or sometimes by a fungus, and less commonly by certain drugs. Meningitis can be life-threatening because of the inflammation’s proximity to the brain and spinal cord. All types of meningitis tend to cause symptoms that include fever, headache and stiff neck. Knowing whether meningitis is caused by a virus or bacterium is important because the severity of illness and the treatment differ depending on the cause. Viral meningitis, the most common form of meningitis, is less severe than bacterial meningitis. Bacterial meningitis is usually more serious than viral meningitis and is sometimes fatal, particularly in infants and the elderly. Bacterial meningitis is a major cause of death and disability world-wide. [1] b. The etiology and risk factors Meningitis is usually caused by infection from viruses or micro-organisms. Most cases are due to infection with viruses, with bacteria, fungi, and parasites being the next most common causes. It may also result from various non-infectious causes. The etiology of bacterial meningitis varies by age group and region of the world. Worldwide, without epidemics one million cases of bacterial meningitis are estimated to occur and 200,000 of these die annually. [1] Before antibiotics were widely used, 70 percent or more of bacterial meningitis cases were fatal; with antibiotic treatment, the fatality rate has dropped to 15 percent or less. Bacterial meningitis is most common in the winter and spring. Beyond the perinatal period, three organisms, transmitted from person to person through the excha nge of respiratory secretions, are responsible for most cases of bacterial meningitis: Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae, and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Bacterial meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis bacteria (meningococcal disease) can be fatal and should always be viewed as a medical emergency. About 10% of infected people die from the disease. [5] In non-fatal cases, those affected experience long-term disabilities, such as brain damage, loss of limb, or deafness. Preventing the disease through the use of meningococcal vaccine is important. Although anyone can get meningitis, pre-teens and adolescents, college freshmen who live in dormitories and travelers to countries where meningitis is always present are at an increased risk for meningococcal disease. Before the availability of effective vaccines, bacterial meningitis was most commonly diagnosed in young children. Now, as a result of the protection offered by current childhood vaccines, bacterial meningitis is more commonly diagnosed among pre-teens and young adults. As children reach their pre-teen and adolescent years, protection provided by some childhood vaccines can begin to wear off. As a result, pre-teens and adolescents are at a greater risk for catching certain diseases. Introducing vaccinations during the pre-teen years increases the level of protection during adolescence. College freshmen, especially those who live in dormitories, are at a slightly increased risk for bacterial meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis bacteria (meningococcal disease) compared with other persons of the same age. vaccination against bacterial meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis bacteria (meningococcal disease) is recommended to persons who travel to or reside in countries in which the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis is hyperendemic or epidemic, particularly if contact with the local population will be prolonged.

Research design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Research design - Essay Example eralization, or the aptitude of the study to take a broad view of the results across the different situations, groups of people, or even experimental procedures. In other words, internal validity essentially says that the study is measuring what it actually sets out to examine, while external validity says how useful the answers are to more than just one sample, circumstances, or process. In designing a study, the aim is to achieve good internal and external validity. With regards to my research and Chapter 8 of Lee and Lings (2008), the research achieves both the internal and external validity. In terms of the internal validity, the study set out to highlight the past mistakes of the marketing strategies. This was comprehensively addressed thereby giving the research a substantial amount of internal validity. Another aim of the research was to suggest new ideas backed up by evidence for future marketing strategies. Again the research achieved this thereby lending credence to the fact that it achieved the internal validity a great deal. It The external validity also plays out significantly in this research. The data was primarily collected through questionnaires. The information was collected from a sample of people in Bangkok who visit fashion retail stores. The 364 participants targeted by the research are deemed very representative, therefore, giving it external validity. This comes about in the sense that the researcher is able to manipulate the findings in such away as to make them apply across the board. The respondents issued with the questionnaires represent the entire population and not just themselves. It is, therefore, very clear that this research shows both internal and external validity. This is what any effective research aims to achieve and this research is no exception. In the research design, therefore, the research is rich in both the internal validity, achieving its aims and external validity, applying to the entire universe of study. The

Compares three broad themes found in the film The Atomic Cafe and the Essay

Compares three broad themes found in the film The Atomic Cafe and the book Lost Girls by (kolker) - Essay Example The prominent themes found in both the pieces of work are violence, social callousness, and the deceptiveness of the government authorities. The callosity of few social institutions and the deceptive nature of the governmental authorities affect the public welfare leading to calamities that have some long-lasting impact on the society. These acts of violence tend to show the vulnerability of the society and are clearly evidenced in the incidents discussed in both the novel and the film. Kolker’s book recounts the traumatic life of five young sex workers, Shannan Gilbert, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Overstreet Costello, who were gone missing and later found to be murdered by unidentified serial killer. It takes place from 1996 to 2012. This represents a sad cycle of poor families raised in declining towns. Their poor choices and economic problems lead to child neglect, child abuse, behavior disorders, and drug habits. Those are the partial cause of prostitution today. In the book, the author focuses on this sensitive case, compiling all the known facts along with the biographies of the victims. On the other hand, the documentary film titled The Atomic Cafà © talks about misleading political propagandas and its consequences on the society. The film discusses the emergence of nuclear threats and the misinformation doled out to the public by the governmental authorities, with a view to manipulate the reality of the situ ation. This is an era rife with paranoia, anxiety and misapprehension, while the film also exhibits a genuine nostalgia for an earlier and more innocent nation. The footages used in the film clearly capture the effects of the political pressures of war as well as the impact resulting from these destructive weapons, since the World War II to the Cold War years. The callousness of the American authorities who were responsible for the atom bomb calamity is well portrayed in the film. The

Finding proper article from the daily press or other sources n writing Essay

Finding proper article from the daily press or other sources n writing 2 pages report about article - Essay Example This brief paper discusses some of the important issues in international trade relations. The world economy is in a recession brought about by the sub-prime mortgage crisis in the United States which started sometime in 2007 but later spread worldwide. Because of it many developed countries are facing financial and economic crises as a consequence as seen in the sovereign debt crisis in European countries such as the PIIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain) which undermined the euro currency and unity of the European Union. It is a crisis of unprecedented proportions which had adversely affected world trade in general. Recent news reports as seen in the international media point to a lingering crisis that had defied easy solutions. World trade today is conducted mostly under the WTO supervision but there are many trade blocs now in existence that grant special most favored nation status (MFN) to some countries that trade with each other. This is a violation of the WTO rules that state countries should let free trade prevail through its non-discrimination policy in place. An example of a specific trade bloc is the so-called G-20 (or group of 20) consisting of the twenty most economically powerful countries of the world. However, this group failed to produce a single plan of action that will adequately address the Great Recession in contrast to the Great Depression of 1933. The world today is facing similar challenges in world order as economies are facing stubbornly high unemployment rates such as the U. S. and Europe. A G-20 meeting held in Seoul (South Korea) last year to address the most pressing issues failed to come up with a solution as member-countries could not agree on what steps to take. This is a dangerous situation which had frayed international trade relations because of some massive international trade imbalances of some countries (China and Germany in

Personal and Organisational Development Report Essay

Personal and Organisational Development Report - Essay Example This way, understanding the link between my own attributes and required characteristics for employment will help me in being clear about my goals, responsibilities and challenges that can be possibly attached with the profession itself. Task One I am aware of how competitive the business environment is that obtaining a financial analyst position in successful firms will be incredibly challenging especially for those with fewer experiences or less idea on this profession’s tasks and responsibilities. As a means of preparing for employment, the use of a SMART career plan has allowed me to outline all my goals that I intend to successfully achieve over a period of time as I develop goals which are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time framed. My very first concern is my resume and cover letter as employers first look through these regardless of how capable, knowledgeable, or experienced a candidate is; what matters first is to present an impressive resume that pro vides an overview of educational attainment and relevant job experience in an honest, concise, and professional manner. Since I only have limited work history and do not have actual employment experience even in a short duration, I intend to use the unconventional format for presenting my abilities and other attributes in a better structure. Moreover, asking feedback from other people may also allow for further improvements. Next goal is to attend at least four events every month to establish connections with other people who have more experience and knowledge. This can be achieved by attending programs and other training opportunities that can allow me to both meet individuals who intend to learn the best practices and skills for financial analysis and other finance-related tasks. Aside from making valuable connections, it is most likely that the necessary knowledge and skills are developed. For instance, I have learned about the Financial Analysis Specialist (FAS) Program that is an online designation program implemented for financial analysis professionals to improve their training and verify their knowledge for them to land a job within the industry. It has presented a number of objectives for trainees such as being able to understand and use financial analysis tools and practices, the basic principles of accounting, and online resources for a more efficient financial analysis, to name a few- addressing my needs to considerably improve on my own set of skills. Programs like these will also help my potential employers in knowing that I possess specialized knowledge with regards to this particular area, possibly much more than others who are competing to have this job. This will also suggest that I am serious about my professional goals and that I immediately take relevant action for my career development. Participating in exams such as the Series 7 or 63 may also equip me with terms and practices for accounting and other finance-related while reviewing for and taking the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exam will considerably improve my technical knowledge. Additionally, several tests and modules gave me a clearer view on aligning my

Summarize and analyze, from a rhetorical perspective, the documentary Essay

Summarize and analyze, from a rhetorical perspective, the documentary film Parrot Confidential - Essay Example He was able to survive the ordeal thanks to a neighbor who called Animal Control. Lou found a new home in a sanctuary called Foster Parrots. In another scene, Allison highlights the life of another rescue called Fagan. Before his arrival at the Feathered Friends of Michigan sanctuary, Fagan lived in a stressful home. The heightened stress levels led to self-mutilation, which entailed plucking feathers from the chest and infliction of a bad wound on the stomach (Argo, 2013). One scene focuses on Boston residents Liz and Russ Hartman who own a yellow-napped Amazon parrot named Basil. After the return of Russ from a long business trip, the couple noticed Basils strange behavior of plucking feathers from his chest area. The self-mutilation alarmed and devastated them as they tried to understand what would drive Basil to expose himself to pain. In another scene, Jamie McLeod shares a similar outlook as the Hartmans. He views parrot rearing as a lifelong commitment. His extensive knowledge emanates from his experiences as a former breeder and those from his current job at the Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary. McLeods friend Lavanya Michel takes advantage of the day-care services offered by the sanctuary. She brings her Molucaan cockatoo named Dolly to the sanctuary when she needs to attend to many errands (Argo, 2013). It is crucial to note that majority of the breeders featured are currently conservationists. For instance, Phoebe and Harry Linden abandoned their parrot-breeding project in order to provide sanctuary to abandoned birds. In another scene, Marc Johnson and his wife Karen transformed an old poultry farm in Hope Valley into a rescue center for abandoned parrots. Foster Parrots Ltd. is now home to over 500 displaced parrots cared for by a small staff and volunteers (Argo, 2013). Aristotle, a prominent ancient philosopher identified ethos, logos and pathos as the key elements of persuasion. Ethos centers on establishing an

Customer relationship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Customer relationship - Essay Example All the environmental factors along with the target market must be properly analyzed in order to determine the strategic plans so that the company can reach every customer easily. When wants and needs are very clearly understood, a company can therefore find the spot which is also known as the sweet spot and thus can easily address it on the particular target. The ESSENTIAL PHONES basically defines a market by clearly focusing on the services and also on the products that are currently meeting the customer needs and wants. (Hennig, 2000, pp. 459-500) In order to pinpoint the customers wants and needs, ESSENTIAL PHONES is trying to look at the bigger picture and is trying to obtain the key data such as geographic, population, cost of living, and languages which are spoken in the particular areas that may help in driving the wants and needs of the customers. ESSENTIAL PHONES is obtaining this information by doing simple observation and by the local knowledge. When people buy different things, they are therefore engage in a special kind of process known as the decision making process. Same is the case with the ESSENTIAL PHONES. People when try to buy the goods or the products of this company, they first pass the decision making process that whether to buy or not. (Paul, 2003, pp. 300-382) The decision making process or also known as the consumer decision making process is the process through which the consumers go through when they decide to purchase or to buy something. The very first step in this process when consumers are trying to buy the cell phones from the ESSENTIAL PHONES is to recognize that they actually need a new and a branded cell phone. Though they may have an idea that which cell phone they would like to buy or to purchase, therefore they probably want to do some kind of research in order to know and also to narrow down a few

Traditional Hmong Ideas of Health and Life Case Study

Traditional Hmong Ideas of Health and Life - Case Study Example Their Health Belief and Practices According to Fadiman (1997), the Hmong fail to believe in Modern Medicine because of their evident distrust of hospitals, especially when a woman decides to deliver a baby at her residence with the assistance of her husband. The husband cuts the â€Å"umbirical cord† of the baby, yet he lacks satisfactory knowledge expected in that field (Fadiman, 1997). According to Hmong traditions, a woman should avoid ponds and lakes in fear of the spirits that lurk within them. Indeed, her mother in law and husband should guide her during labour. Her husband carries out succeeding births and, when a problem occurs, assistance from the third party is an option. The woman giving birth is expected to be silent irrespective of the pain she is experiencing in order not to scare the baby. Before the pregnancy a â€Å"shaman†, who is a spiritual healer, consults the expectant woman. If she has doubts on her safety at some stage while delivering, the †Å"shaman† will conduct a ritual to cast off all evil spirits the woman presumes harmful to her (Fadiman, 1997). His aides assist him as he enters into a stupor when his soul departs from him to restore the woman’s lost soul. Her freedom from the evil spirits is shown by tying strings on her wrist and a copper bracelet to protect her against bad spirits. If the woman’s child bearing is extremely painful, undertaking certain rituals is imminent; those can include: drinking water with a key in the cup to unlock the birth canal or making attached dolls of paper, then ritually cutting them to take apart the baby’s soul and that of her mother (Fadiman, 1997). Hmong women and men believe that evil spirits are liable for several sicknesses being evident in simple things, such as a fall, stolen or even traded by these spirits. According to Fadiman (2009), Lias’ parents believe that her epileptic condition happened because Lias’ older sister had slamme d the door. This resulted in her soul being frightened to the extent of escaping her body which, in turn, led to epilepsy. Hmong people believe that if the soul abandons the body, a person can become epileptic or even die. A patient’s treatment is reunification with his/her soul through a ceremony conducted by the â€Å"shaman†. The shaman will release the spirit from its world back to the body of the affected. In the case of the person’s spirit being stolen or sold, ceremonies are orchestrated to encourage the evil spirit to return the soul to her body. According to Fadiman (2009), the Lee family carried out similar acts in order to reunite Lias’ soul to her body. The distrust of the Hmong people in Western medicine brought about medical anthro by the Western world of the Hmong people. Additionally, there are beliefs associated with a child’s health concept. Children born with physical disabilities witness the fate of their former lives or that of their parents or ancestors. When there is a recurrence of a certain disease in a family, such as deafness or mental illness, they are to be suffering a curse. They assume a person’s ancestors to have mocked a person undergoing that condition prior to his/her birth. Therefore, a superior spirit forces a similar disease upon them. Hmong people consider children born with elongated head shapes are special. It is their conviction that these children have mystical powers, like anticipating the future, and are

Dominant designs Essay Example for Free

Dominant designs Essay Dominant designs tend to help everybody. Good ones reduce production costs, benefiting suppliers and competitors as research and development costs are reduced to near-zero. They also greatly improve the situation for complementors, who are able to produce a wide variety of easily standardized, low-cost complementary products. Consumers benefit too, as costs are driven down by fierce competition to produce the dominant design at lowest cost. The process at its best can be seen in one of the most commonly used and least commonly thought-about products in the world: the lightbulb. There are thousands of brands of lightbulbs produced using a standard design, yet they are entirely indistinguishable. Lightbulbs from China, from Korea, Vietnam, and even America are all produced at roughly the same cost to exactly the same standards. The main variability between them, wattage, is clearly marked and well-understood. Costs are low, and innovation survives. The dominant design in the lightbulb consists of the screwing-in part and the wattages. However, lightbulbs can be developed at all shapes and sizes, and with different color filters. Key innovations, like compact florescent bulbs and floodlights, were seamlessly integrated into the existing system. Even exotic designs, including LEDs and blacklights, were developed using the dominant design. And, of course, the number of available lamps to house them is enormous and standardized. You can even get one with a fan. Computer operating systems, on the other hand, represent a failure of the dominant design. Because each OS behaves differently, a dominant platform like Windows forces programmers to develop their programs either exclusively for Windows or invest lots of time and effort rewriting the program. But since the platform is proprietary, it leads to a powerful monopoly on operating-system technology that creates excessive costs and relatively poor performance, since there are no direct competitors. However, I believe this situation is rare.

Great Ormond street hospital Essay Example for Free

Great Ormond street hospital Essay This is because we all agreed that we would be keen to make money for this charity. This charity raises money for the hospital to provide exceptional care for young patients and to discover new treatments and cures for their illnesses. Before deciding this charity, we looked on their website (www. gosh. org) to see exactly where our contribution would go, and how it would benefit the charity. They state that donations help fund the most up-to-date medical equipment, refurbish the hospital, support the research of developing break-through treatments and provide accommodation and support for children and their families. In addition when looking up this information, we found Fundraising Guidelines that GOSH supplied for people running fundraising events. We read the guidelines and found them extremely helpful for running our first event. These guidelines can be found in Appendix -. Other events that were being contemplated are listed below: Formal Winter Ball   Halloween Fair   Car Boot Sale   A Cake Fair However, these ideas were not taken further as it was believe they would not be as successful as holding a Christmas Fair. This is because; a Formal Winter Ball subjects to only couples, and would find people being uncomfortable if they had no date, this means our amount of attendees would be smaller which would not bring as much profit. Our Christmas fair is open to all of the public, an event that you can go to with family, friends or partners. There is no limit to amount of people helping our chances of greater profit. After discussing a Halloween event, we concluded it would not be as successful because not everybody celebrates Halloween in great detail, and usually only celebrate with kids, also narrowing our attendees. Furthermore, we agreed that we would not be able to organise ourselves in enough time, whereas we had more time to prepare to hold the Christmas Fair because of seasonal timings. Also a, Cake Fair is too limited, and finding stallholders who would want to attend would be limited as there would be too much competition for them narrowing the chances of selling cakes. Finally we decided against a Car Boot Sale as not many of us were enthused by the idea, and felt a Christmas Fair would get people in a good mood before the celebrations begin. A copy of our research for these events and our Christmas Fair research can be found in Appendix 4. We chose the Christmas Fair to be our event as it can appeal to a large amount of people and therefore has a wider target demographic. By creating an event that appeals to a wide range of people will reduce the risk of not making a profit. This will help the success of an event, rather than a failed attempt. With more customers open to the event, means there is more potential for the event to be profitable. Also due to the Christmas season being celebrated by many, more people will be willing and interested to participate. The day will be full of excitement and entertainment for all members of the community to attend and enjoy them. It also seems relevant, as Christmas is an extremely popular annual holiday which dominates the end of November all the way through to December 25th. Being able to work in a team is essential in planning any event and also quite important to many businesses and therefore seems a skill that should be taken professionally. As the Christmas Fair was open to the public, it is even more important that the team work well together. Therefore it was the best event to stage in order to improve our skills. The event is also to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital, which suggests that more people are likely to attend and support our school to raise money for a great charity. The objectives that we created used SMART, in order to help the day become a success. SPECIFIC MEASURABLE ACHIEVABLE RELEVANT TIMES These are our objectives: 1. Have over 100 attendees and supply great customer service. The objective is to have over 100 attendees; this will allow us to see how well our advertising techniques were used. In addition it is imperative to have good customer service throughout the function. Without customer satisfaction, people are less likely to buy products or help to achieve our aim of producing an enjoyable festive event. Without customer satisfaction could also relate to a negative impression of our school, and making stallholders look bad too as they are associated with our event. This objective is more than achievable and sensible when creating an enjoyable day for families. The amount of profit and products being sold could also measure the rate of customer satisfaction. This is because, if people are not happy with the service they are getting less raffle tickets are likely to be sold, as well a the amount of people in the event. 2. Diverse Target Market The objective is to have leaflets given to different schools, and areas of Royston by 2nd November. By appealing to a wide target market means that the day has more chance of being successful and making a maximum profit. If the day only appealed to a limited audience, less profit is likely to be made. The wide target market also helps to achieve the aim of making a profit. This is very achievable and sensible in order to create a profitable day, as the amount of people that will enjoy the day is not limited. By creating a day for all ages means it is appealing to the maximum amount of people possible and therefore not leaving anyone out voluntarily. It is achievable by aiming stall, activities and prizes to a wide range of ages, and personalities. 3. A diverse amount of stalls Another objective of ours is to have 15 stalls by 15th September. By offering diverse stalls means it more likely that people will buy more products. It also helps produce a day for families by targeting all ages within the stalls taking part. Offering a wide variety of stalls also means that more money is likely to be made and therefore increases the chance of making a profit overall. If there were not a wide variety of stalls, less products will be sold as there will be a limited target audience. This could be measured through the range of ages, as well and products and prizes on the day. 2. Research   Primary Primary research is the technique of collecting data yourself. It is the process of collecting completely new and original information. These techniques include questionnaires, interviews, and surveys. The form of primary research used to collect information concerning the Christmas Fair was a questionnaire. This included relevant questions aimed at all ages in order to make the day as successful as possible and make it as easy as possible to reach the aim of the event. A questionnaire is not a very time consuming method of primary research and also means a lot of different information is found from a variety of different people. A questionnaire allows people to create questions that fit the audience, in this case, families and allows you to ask relevant specific questions to fit the purpose. A questionnaire also means fairly reliable answers are received. We asked a large variety of people that live in our surrounding area. A large variety of people including young children, teenagers, adults and elderly people were asked in order to get a wide variety of results and to ensure that our aim can be reach with this type of event. This is because, if the event is aimed at families, it is important to create an event that will appeal to all ages. Also, a total of 100 people were questioned, as it is easier to summarise and accurately measure. This means better results will be found. A copy of the questionnaire and the results can be found in Appendix 1 2. The results of the questionnaire show that we will benefit from including aspects such as having a raffle; refreshments and childrens stall such as painting as some of the activities and choices, in order to please the customers and meet the customer service objective created. The Santas Grotto and a chance to have a photo with Santa are also beneficial and would help raise more money for Great Ormond Street Hospital as well as meeting the requirement of younger children and parents. The majority of the responses was positive and therefore shows that a Christmas Fair would be extremely beneficial to stage. This means there is no reason to dispute over any other events as them Christmas Fair has a high chance of being successful due to all of the positive feedback. We also went to a surrounding areas annual Fate on the 19th June and asked stallholders if they would be interested in our Christmas Fair at the end of the year. We created a slip on Word Processor that they could fill out with their name, business name, number, e-mail address and nature of stall so that we would contact them in the near future. It also gave us an advantage to see what activities and layout that they had to use for our Christmas Fair. A copy of our information collected from Therfield Fate can be found in Appendix 4.   Secondary. Secondary research is information conducted and found by someone else used as part of your market research. This could be any information you see useful or need to find out information of your own, for example a school website with information of their Christmas craft fairs. There are a number of benefits and drawback to using secondary research. It is a very cheap method of collecting data as no effort or money has to be spent on creating, conducting or analysing of the results and source. As secondary research we looked at a variety of websites to find information about surrounding schools craft fairs such as dates and times.

Leaderships Social And Ethical Issues Leadership Essay

Leaderships Social And Ethical Issues Leadership Essay Nothing of the above is true since leadership is not about magical abilities. Leadership is basically the relationship between people who belong to the higher-rank and those who belong to the lower one. The relationship which shows that we understand one another and that we co-operate. Being the leader is more about offering your services to others rather than ordering others. Overall, one person cannot have all the abilities necessary to the society to satisfy thoroughly the significant role of a leader. However, obtaining a leading position does not automatically make you a leader. A leader can be found at all levels of society because leadership is both an individual and collective condition which develops throughout ones life and not just at one stage. Proceeding, I will present the definition which Robert Terry has given for the notion of leadership, who was for years the principle of the Reflective Leadership Center and a professor at the Hioubert H. Hamfrey Institute of Public Relations of the University of Minnesota. According to Terry, leadership is a notion which everyone knows well however, it cannot be easily described because for each one of us it has a different meaning. Leadership is not only about abilities a person has neither specific features that describe a case. Leadership is the courage to take action in society with authentic and genuine goals. When he refers to genuine energy and action he means everything a person can do to discover the truth about a situation which unfolds itself as a public case influencing everyone. However, the most important aspect for a real leader is to have a vision, followers, hence, people who follow and support him, share and maintain his vision as the years go by. A leader is someone who constantly has new ideas and innovations to achieve his dreams for the advantage of the group he is working for, without being discouraged whenever he is unable to materialize them. The most important aspect that characterizes a leader is being authentic and constantly trying to learn more things in order to achieve what is good for the company or organization he is working for. In the current essay I have decided to elaborate on the social and ethical issues in leadership. Therefore, it is worth-mentioning that to become a leader someone must have ethics which are necessary for him, such as morality and willingness to offer to the society. It is of high importance for a leader to be moral and act in an ethical way as he sets the example to others, his followers and supporters. The leading position cannot be held by a person that is immoral and whose actions and desires are opposite to the principles of ethics otherwise, many problems will occur in the company he leads. For example, if he speaks in a rude way to the employees, does not respect their desires and selfishly demands his orders to be fulfilled without being able to solve any disagreements that may occur with a dialogue then, tension takes over and failure follows. On the other hand, a moral leader must have the feeling of equality and justice developed and be familiar with the principles of business-ethics in order to bring about win-win situations and win-lose situations. Also, he must solve any disagreements occurring with dialectic-methods. The principles of the dialogue have to do with the Socratic-methods, the maieutic and dialectic method. Consequently, a leader must see things from the point of view of a philosopher and combine many advantages together. Some people might be born to be leaders however, they must constantly cultivate their leading abilities in various ways for his professional progress. Leading abilities come from the inner world of a person combining a philosophic approach with qualifications acquired. One of the qualifications a leader must have is the ability to constantly offer to his society in order to develop and improve it towards the best possible result. The term social leadership or social leader denotes the part of the society or the social class , the class of leaders as Plato calls it, which is responsible to organize effectively the productivity of the society and lead his/her society to a better situation for everyone. Briefly, he/she is responsible to bring prosperity and development to the whole. In the case where a social leader is unable or refuses to fulfill his promises and lead the society to evolution, crisis of social leadership is created. Consequently, a proper leader must be moral and try to offer as much as possible to his society. Continuing, I will describe something that happened to me that managed to convince me for the significance of the two principles a leader must have (social principles and morality). It was the summer of 2009 and I had just finished my studies in Greek Language at the University of Athens and returned to Cyprus. Therefore, I began searching for a job permanent or temporary one. Having in mind that it would be difficult for me to find a job relevant to the studies I had completed, I applied to various companies and some private schools who advertised their need for teachers. Therefore, I did not hesitate to go for a job interview at GC School of Careers, one of the biggest private schools in Cyprus, after being informed by the secretary of the Principle of the school, Mr Aimilios Hadjipetris. Mr. Hadjipetris secretary told me that I would have to speak with him after the procedure of the interview as he would be the one to judge if I was suitable for the position. When the day of the interview arrived I went to Mr. Hadjipetris office and introduced myself. He began asking me some questions in order to see my personality and my abilities for the position available. After the professional procedure of the interview, I noticed a frame with a photo on the wall of Mr. Hadjipetris office and found the courage to ask him who that man was. He proudly replied that it was his father Mr. Stelio Hadjipetri and as a consequence, our discussion went to a more friendly level rather than a serious professional one. Mr. Aimilios spoke to me about his father with all the respect and admiration he had in his heart. That lead me to the conclusion that we could easily include Mr. Stelio in the Cypriot leaders as he had all the characteristics a leader should have (vision, followers, goals, morals). Additionally, he was one of the pioneers of the foundation and development of private education in Cyprus and fought for the improvement and discipline in Cyprus educational system. As he went on talking about the achievements of his father, I was paying attention to Mr. Aimilios words with great interest and admire wanting to learn more about Mr. Stelios Hadjipetris whom without meeting I greatly admired and began to consider him one of the most important leaders of Cyprus in the field of private education. His admirable character and personality, justice, decisiveness and self-discipline were some of the morals that characterized and facilitated him to create and offer to his descendants one of the most well-organised schools in Cyprus, well-known for its success in every educational domain. It is worth to mention that an institution has been founded dedicated to the name of this man who envisioned and materialized quality and discipline as we conceive it nowadays, in the islands private educational system. Stelios Hadjipetris was born in 1936, in Agros, in a very poor family with many children. After elementary school he went to Apeiteio Gymnasium and because of his familys financial difficulties he had to work hard both in Limassol and Nicosia, during his summer holidays. His desire to proceed his education at a University level made him work even harder so, in 1955 when he finished High School he was employed at the Water Supplying Council in Nicosia. Due to his qualifications he was then hired by the Government until the British troops discovered that he was a terrorist and therefore fired him. At the same time, he had passed the Accounting Higher Exams through correspondence he got his degree in Accounting from the Kleismakis Accounting School of Athens. With his degree he worked at a private college in Nicosia and later at Apeiteio Gymnasium. During the difficult years of 1955-59 he was an excellent fighter for E.O.K.A. and his island. After he got married he went to Athens with his wife to study from where he got the degree of Merchant and Financial studies as well as Journalism. During his return to Cyprus he worked for the Apeiteio Gymnasium and later on the College of Nicosia. The most important point of his career in education and for the Cyprus society was the creation of GC School of Careers along with Mr. Pantelis Andreou. He was the first Cypriot who founded a private English school in Cyprus without ending his studies abroad via correspondence. In 1976, he obtained the degree of International Accountants. In 1978, he decided to dedicate himself to fulfill his dream: to create a school that would offer knowledge to its students and good people with morals to the society. He went on working as a teacher and principle at GC School until his sad death in October 2001. To his village which he worshipped, he offered many services either as a president or a member of its committees or organizations. In the memory of the schools first principle an institution called Stelios Hadjipetis has been founded which is responsible of organizing seminars for students, teachers and parents having to do with educational politics, technology and learning problems. Also, its goal is to continue Mr. Stelios work towards progress and cultivation of education and the Greek culture of Cyprus. Moreover, it seeks to maintain the importance of books, education, freedom, democracy and peace amongst young people. Also, it offers prizes and all kinds of scholarships to students. Proceeding, I will present the reasons Stelios Hadjipetris is considered to be a leader: He had a vision: to set the basis for private education in Cyprus as he was the first Cypriot to create a private English school in Cyprus. He had followers: After founding GC School of Careers, a lot of people imitated Stelios Hadjipetris by creating similar private English Schools, for ex: Pascal, English school, Grammar school e.t.c. He never ceased to educate himself throughout his life trying to enhance his spiritual horizons. He constantly tried to develop his school. He always had a progressive point of view. He was a pioneer in what he did. He had strong personality as he was clever, authentic, progressive and confident. It is important to note that Hadjipetris is an example of a moral leader with admirable social offer and a personality characterized by justice and equality. As his son told me, he was a lawful citizen with respect towards the rights of his followers. At his work he was a perfectionist with high expectations and fought for the best results. As a person he had set ethical values which he always respected. A leader must always share his values with his followers, as Ambert Svaitser said: Morals maintain life at the top point of progress. Concerning, Mr. Hadjipetris offer to the society, we have to highlight its importance since the foundation of his school is recognized as a social and educational offer in both private and public domains as one of todays best English schools. Conclusion: Mr. Hadjipetris is a proper leader because of his personality, his moral actions and his social offer in the educational domain. This was the end of our discussion with Mr. Aimilios with which we began a professional interview and ended up talking in a friendly way about his respectful father. Therefore, I was no longer concerned whether I would be offered the position as I had already gained a lot from my discussion with Mr. Aimilios. Through this talk I learned a lot about improving my career and evolving as an individual, I gained useful advises which will be unforgettable for the rest of my life. We should have in mind that you are born a leader however, one can cultivate his leading abilities for his professional evolution as leadership comes from the internal world of a person. Leadership therefore, is a philosophical approach as well as a variety of abilities that can be acquired.

European Immigration Essay -- Globalization, UK Government, Ethnic Min

This paper is going to discuss the differences between well managed immigration and poorly managed immigration and how globalisation and the inclusion of the A8 countries into the European Union have changed the migration patterns to the United Kingdom. It will also examine how Eastern European migrants are perceived and treated by the majority and ethnic minority populations. Globalization has increased the mobility of capital and labour which has led to a greater labour demand for the production of goods and services worldwide. Consequently, labour requirements outside the services sector, are being met via the growing class of economic migrants who are either escaping unemployment in their home countries or seeking improved employment abroad (UNCTAD, 2009). Globalisation and the inclusion of the A8 countries into the European Union (EU); Poland, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungry, Slovakia, Slovenia, Cyprus and Malta, in 2004 and Bulgaria and Romania in 2007, has created the world’s largest free-trade bloc giving over 100 million people open access to live and work in the United Kingdom (UK). The influx of approximately 1.5 million EU workers, mainly Polish, to the UK has fundamentally changed the migration patterns to the UK (Kegley, 2008; Polish Migrants UK, 2010; Sumption & Somerville, 2009). The UK government acknowledge that in a globalised economy well-managed immigration can provide a powerful boost to the British economy whilst others in Europe stagnate (May, 2010). Therefore, these highly educated migrants can aid economic growth and reduce inflationary pressures by keeping wages low, fill existing skills shortages and make positive contributions to the tax system. They have a lower unemploym... ...ings of each other's backgrounds and ways of living† due to "The European Union expansion has had an impact on the number of jobs going to those in the ethnic minority communities – it's easy to bring in outsiders who will work for less but we run the risk of leaving people behind†. Therefore, "They're taking out their aggression on the newer immigrants for what they've had to suffer themselves in the community for years." (Smithard, 2008 NPN). Lastly, whilst immigration has been beneficial to the business sector of the UK, too many people have experienced the negative connotation of immigration via social tension, cultural racism and discrimination. However, Britain could cope with migration providing people feel that the immigration system is fair and does not undermine the employment status of the indigenous populations.

Muhammad Ali Is NOT a Hero Essay -- Sports Argumentative

Muhammad Ali Is NOT a Hero To be a hero, someone could save others, respect their country, and care. The firefighters from the Fire Department of New York have all of these characteristics, even thought they aren't perfect. Everyday, they risk their lives to save others. They show their patriotism even on the trucks they drive through the cities. Most of all they don't just do it because it's their job; they do it because they care. Unlike the people at FDNY, Muhammad Ali is violent, separatist, and rude. The first reason Muhammad Ali isn't a hero is because he is violent. For almost all of his life he fought in boxing matches that all started when he was a boy because he wanted to beat up the kid who stole his bike. For 14 years, on-and-off, he was heavyweight champion and before that a lightweight champion. To do this, you had to have the rage to hurt your opponent. Muhammad Ali even said, â€Å"I believe in the eye-for- an-eye business, I got no respect for a man who won’t hit back. You kill my dog, you better hide your cat† (Myers 36). Now, in his 60’s,...

Gender & Jim Crow: Book Review Essay -- essays research papers fc

In Glenda Elizabeth Gilmore’s book Gender & Jim Crow, Gilmore illustrates the relations between African Americans and white in North Caroline from 1896 to 1920, as well as relations between the men and women of the time. She looks at the influences each group had on the Progressive Era, both politically and socially. Gilmore’s arguments concern African American male political participation, middle-class New South men, and African American female political influences. The book follows a narrative progression of African American progress and relapse. Gilmore argues that African American male political participation between 1890 and 1898 represented a movement toward greater inclusion. She claims that African American males in politics strove for the balance of power between political parties in North Carolina, and that the Populist-Republican victory in 1896 kept African American votes in contention and maintained some African American men in political office for a short period of time. There was an agreement between African Americans and whites that the â€Å"Best Men,† middle class African Americans, were to be the only African Americans to hold office. This was because by being dubbed the â€Å"Best Men,† they had met certain standards and were suitable for office according to the white politicians. The â€Å"Best Men† clashed with the South’s â€Å"New White Man,† who sought to re-monopolize voting rights and political power, as well as to completely dominate African Americans. Gilmore attri butes the â€Å"New White Man’s† goals to these men’s bitterness towards their fathers who were blamed for the defeat in the Civil War, southern underdevelopment, and black progress. Nonetheless, African American men rapidly increased power in politics when many positions became publicly elected. Gilmore reasons that the progress of African American men in politics caused upwardly mobile and middle-class New South men, Southern Progressives, to formulate disenfranchisement and Jim Crow laws, and to later blame the deficient â€Å"cracker† for acting on their verbal violence. She also says that white supremacists reacted to white women’s movement into public space, urbanization, industrialization, and African-American advancement, and â€Å"responded to black power even as [they] capitalized on black weakness† (p 118). The â€Å"Best Men† were blamed for the supposed rapists and malingerers in the Afr... ...th Carolina. I agree with her arguments, and found a great deal of the information in this book surprising, and also disturbing. I did not know a lot of the history of race relation in North Carolina, which was different from the rest of the south since whites barely outnumbered African Americans at that time in North Carolina. Because of this legal segregation came late and was more intense since the African Americans were able to put up more of a fight. All of Gilmore’s evidence supports her arguments, and makes a lot of sense. She did enough research and knows enough about the South that there is no reason any of the standpoints that she makes should be false. Glenda Gilmore’s book Gender & Jim Crow shows a different point of view from a majority of history of the south and proves many convictions that are not often stated. Her stance from the African American point of view shows how harsh relations were at this time, as well as how hard they tried for equity in society. Gilmore’s portrayal of the Progressive Era is very straightforward and precise, by placing educated African American women at the center of Southern political history, instead of merely in the background.

Art of War Summary Essay

Art of War is a famous Chinese military strategy book written by Sun Tzu, an ancient Chinese military general. He was famous during his time and for his work entitled Art of War, which made him known even up to our century. According to Wallace (2010), Sun Tzu is the author of one of the most prominent pieces of literature during the era of the Warring States in which China entered around the first millennium B.C.E. In this work of art Sun Tzu takes a rational approach to the problem of conflict and dissects every aspect of it. Sun Tzu is undeniably an historical figure. The book is all about how to win a war by employing strategies and tactics given the information and ideas that every general must know from laying plans, handling his army, giving commands, positioning, maneuvering and all other important aspects mentioned by Sun Tzu. The book is concentrated on war strategies and tactics but Sun Tzu’s philosophies from the Art of War can be viewed from many perspectives. It can be applied on many circumstances including strategic management, the strategies and tactics that were laid on the book can be applied to many aspects of business management. Sun Tzu’s ideas believed that laying plans is vital before making any move. This idea is the same as careful planning and gathering reliable information before making any decision in strategic management. Assessing one’s environment is helpful in a business perspective, too. Know yourself, know your enemies. Knowledge is as important as guns and bullets in engaging war. Knowing the enemies and your own strengths and weaknesses is similar to SWOT analysis. Economic aspect must be considered in engaging business same as engaging in a war. Time is of essence that’s one thing that is common to war and strategic management. In business, decisions must be made in a timely manner. Be moral and ethical. Sun Tzu included Moral Law as one of the constant factors. In business, customers usually patronize those who are known for their ethical behaviour.   The true leader knows both how to utilize his resources and when to make a decision. He plans by making a combination of direct and indirect tactics. Handling resources and decision making are constant activities both in war and in managing business. Sun Tzu’s classical book was intentionally written for the conduct of war but his ideas and perceptions don’t just fit for war. The book addresses strategy in broad manner making it applicable to strategic management. II. Summary The first chapter of the book concentrates on ideas and information that a general must be aware of. The art of war is governed by five constant factors, all of which need to be taken into account. They are: the Moral Law; Heaven; Earth; the Commander; Method and discipline. These factors should be known to every general because this will serve as guidelines in conduct of a war. Knowledge on one’s environment and assessment of it is important to achieve victory. Sun Tzu believes that deception and intelligence will bring home the bacon. Second chapter’s central idea focused on how to do the battle, the tactics that must be employed when the battle is on and the economic aspect of war. Sun Tzu mentioned in this chapter that when you do battle for a long time it will dull your forces and exhaust your resources. Prolonged warfare only brings poverty to a country. Proper timing on when to attack, valuing every minute during the war, and making victory as the objective of every war will prevent prolonged warfare. Be flexible. Be a clever fighter. These are Sun Tzu’s message in the next two chapters. The fifth chapter tackles force and domination as a tool to build momentum. â€Å"The control of a large force is the same in principle as the control of a few men: it is merely a question of dividing up their numbers. Fighting with a large army under your command is not different from fighting with a small one: it is merely a question of instituting signs and signals.† This just means that a large size of the army doesn’t secure victory, proper handling of men and right commands somehow does. Avoid being deceived and shaped. The army must remain invisible to its enemy and maintain unity. Sun Tzu emphasizes in the sixth chapter that an army must know their own strengths and weaknesses. Then, figure the enemy’s strengths and weaknesses with the help of deception. By this, one can see the opportunities and threats brought by the environment. Maneuvering is the seventh chapter’s focus. Sun Tzu said that tactical maneuvering is difficult. Yes it is. Keeping an advantage is hard to maintain but this is very essential to shield your army from defeat. The next chapters are focused on how to respond on different war situations. Adaptation is elaborated in the eighth chapter of the book. Sun Tzu focuses on the need for flexibility in this chapter. He explains how to successfully respond to shifting circumstances. The succeeding entitled â€Å"The Army on March† describes how the army must move from one place to another, paths that requires expertise before you can go through it and the areas that must be avoided to maintain advantage. Chapter ten looks into the general aspects of resistance and the six kinds of terrains or field positions which each of which offers advantages and disadvantages both in terms of advancing position and defending the army. Sun Tzu said that the art of war recognizes â€Å"Nine situations† and these are elaborated in the eleventh chapter. These are: dispersive ground; facile ground; contentious ground; open ground; ground of intersecting highways; serious ground; difficult ground; hemmed-in ground; desperate ground. Translators say that these nine situations can be generally grouped into early, middle, and late-stage conditions, and they range from scattering to deadly. In each of these situations, there is one and only one appropriate response. As the title says, â€Å"Attacking by fire† this chapter is basically lays down the five different ways to attack the enemy using fire. First, burn the soldiers in their camp. Second, burn their stores. Third, burn their equipment. Fourth, burn their weapons. Lastly, burn their supplies. The ways mentioned have been widely used by many battles. The last chapter focuses on the importance of gathering information from reliable sources and managing them. It specifically discusses the value and methods of developing good information sources. It describes five kinds of spies: local spies, inside spies, reverse spies, dead spies, and living spies. Reliable information can help mold your own strategy and gain competitive advantage.