Ideology in Heart of Darkness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Ideology in Heart of Darkness - Essay Example As per , Yanse(2008)â€Å"Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad is a story of a man’s journey into Africa’s dark heart to find a missing explorer. This is a metaphor for the journey into the dark heart of man†. This journey gave realization to the author that white and black skin color does not have relativity to the purity of the heart. He in this book focuses on the ideologies like White ideology, imperialism and slavery on the black race of Africa. â€Å"Conrad warns us of the â€Å"fascination of the abomination† and the â€Å"regrets, the longing to escape, the powerless disgust, the surrender, the hate, that would ensue when we encounter the truly wild other out there†(Harkins). Here the main ideology reflected by the writer is the white ideology, imperialism and slavery practiced by the white over the black men. It is unfortunate to know that white considers themselves to be a superior race and attempts forcefully to conquer the black for the purpose of slavery. According to Conrad, the white men are considered white only because of their skin surface and their heart is completely covered with evilness and darkness. The dominant white ideology largely reflects the aspect of cruelty, violence and arrogance of Europeans race. Here Kabala (2001) states that, â€Å"Africa's campaign for reparations for the injustices of slavery and colonialism recently gained significant ground.†Slavery and the slave trade were appalling tragedies ... a crime against humanity, and should always have been so,† Dominance of White Ideology White ideology is the core racist thoughts and principles of Europeans which gives an idea that only whites are exceptionally beautiful, ideal and perfect among all races. In olden times, the white men considered their race to be superior and believed that all the richness and wealth belongs to them exclusively. According to Post Colonial (2002)â€Å"A large part of colonial expressions of dista ste for African treatment of women and consequent reformist zeal arose in the fact that women's work effectively removed African men from the control of colonial power, ideology, and economic pressures†. White practiced hostile attitudes to the other races and treated them as slaves and servants, which is a heinous act. This can be counted as a sort of imperialism where a stronger race or nation takes over other race by power or by force. Caswell(2003)writes that,â€Å"Imperialism occurs when a strong nation takes over a weaker nation or region and dominates its economic, political, or cultural life† .This white ideology lead to the emergence of violence and atrocities of the west to the people of other ethnic backgrounds. The author Joseph Conrad in his book â€Å"Heart of darkness† states that men of white clan show their dominance on black people, just because their skin is black in color. Europeans, who took over the lands of Africans and exploited their nati onal wealth and power, also did not forget to torture them to great level. The author in his book mentions that just being white in complexion does not imply that they are good at heart. The author being white could never separate himself from his white racial background and on the other hand, he also despised the cruel mentality of white men towards the black race. The

Visual Arts of the World Essay Example for Free

Visual Arts of the World Essay Visual arts ranged from a variety of objects. These are works of art that are crafted with visual in nature such as paintings, photography, architecture, filmmaking and sculpture. Thus, these pieces of art are primarily meant for visual consumptions. This study will tackle on wooden sculptures belonging to two different cultures: the bulol or Ifugao rice god of the Philippines and one of the early wooden sculptures of Yoruba Nigeria of Africa. The said art forms will then be examined, analyzed, compared and contrasted. The formal elements or physical appearance of the work will be discussed first and second, its cultural representations and significance. According to the British Council Arts, sculpture is the art or process of creating representational or abstract forms, either in the round or in relief. It is a form of art that is being carve either on wood, ivory or any material that the artist decide to do so. Ifugaos are inhabitants of the Central Cordillera in northern Luzon in the Philippines. Their origin is derived from the term Ipugo which means â€Å"from the hill†. According to Ifugao mythology, the name â€Å"Ifugao† is derived from Ipugo which refers to the rice grain given to them by their god Matungulan. Until today, this kind of rice grain is cultivated by the Ifugaos (Sianghio). On the other hand, according to The Africa Guide, Yoruba are people who live in Southwest Nigeria and Benin. They have developed a variety of diverse artistic forms which include pottery, weaving, beadwork, metalwork, and mask making. There are more than 401 known Yoruba gods so most of the artworks, which include sculptures, are made in order to honor the gods and ancestors The bulol, generally means deity, is specifically a granary idol. It is considered as an effigy of deceased ancestors (Asian Studies 63). In accordance to the C. E. Smith Museum of Anthropology, it is carved human figurines that is usually made in pairs—male and female—and are kept in the house or granary. Some bulols are standing while some are squatting with folded arms (Masferre and de Villa 54). It is an abstract art, according to Alfredo Evangelista of National Museum of the Philippines (1970), because the Ifugao carver expresses his feelings rather than attempts realistic representation. The deformations are results on the emphasis on the quality of other worldliness or the preternatural. The bulol is the most crucial art form because it embodies the Ifugao’s most sacred traditional values (Asian Studies 62). On the contrary, the Yoruba Nigeria sculpture follows the typical form of an African sculpture—cylindrical. African wooden sculptures are primarily cylindrical in appearance and are also made of wood. The statues are carved from trunks or branches (Segy 14). According to Frank Willet, the head is very much depicted because the Yoruba believes that it is the seat of one’s destiny, therefore it must be symbolically bigger and more prominent than any other part of the body. He has also identified three characteristics of Yoruba sculpture: bulging eyes, protruding lips and simplified ears which can clearly see in the chosen piece. The selected sculpture is not defined whether the art form is a female because the chosen Yoruba sculpture is naked, showing its stout breast or a male, exposing its phallus. Carving a bulol usually takes six weeks to finish and it is accompanied by rituals and dancing. The male and female bulols are carved at the same time (Masferre and de Villa 54). In contrast, the Africans believe that trees are home of spirits so in order to pacify the spirit of the tree, a special ritual is done before the cutting of the tree. The two selected sculptures are both anthropomorphic in forms which mean that the works of art ascribe human characteristics. They are both made of wood. If the bulol is often placed in a granary to protect the harvest, the Yoruba sculpture is used as an adornment and indicates a social status. The chosen works of art have utilitarian and historical relationship with the culture of the carver. They are both religious symbols and are accompanied by certain rituals. If bulols are considered as ancestors whose spirits can protect the living (Alvina and Sta. Maria 199), the Yoruba sculpture is a manifestation of the relationship of the African and the spirits of dead members of his family, which is extremely important in their culture. From the cultural background of bulol, it can clearly be seen that Ifugao are farmers. They live in an agricultural area where they primarily rely their lives. On the other hand, the Yoruba sculpture, as a social symbol, indicates that the owner is from a wealthy class, however, it is not clearly indicated or stated that the carver is also from a domineering class in their society, thus, the carver can come from the lower class in the society. Those chosen visual arts need to be seen, perceived and judged with an open mind. They should not be anchored to the Western standard of defining â€Å"what is beautiful† or â€Å"what is aesthetically pleasing† because they will definitely fail to abide to the Western standard with regards to â€Å"what is art,† which is confined then to fine arts—paintings, sculptures of artists that appeal to the senses and emotions—pieces that express the Western notion of â€Å"beauty† and portrays realistic figures especially when it comes paintings and sculptures just like how Michelangelo comes up with his â€Å"David,† the famous depiction of male beauty (History of Beauty). If the wooden sculptures of Yoruba and Ifugao are anchored to the Western standards and notions of ‘art’ and ‘beauty,’ those pieces will then categorically be labeled as â€Å"primitive† due to their irregular proportions and eerie appearance. Illustrations This Yoruba sculpture has originated at Yoruba Nigeria in Africa. It is an anthropomorphic figure and a manifestation of the nexus of the dead African family members to the living. It is a religious and status symbol. It is an early Yoruba sculpture. The artist or carver of the sculpture has not been stated but definitely he belongs to the culture of Yoruba. It is 34. 3 inches or 87 cm tall and made of wood (not specified). . This bulol is one of the forms of a rice god—sitting with folded arms. It is usually put in a house or in a granary for protection. It is often carve in pairs—a male and a female. It has a length of 6. 5 inches, a width of 6. 5 inches and a height of 24 inches. The artist or carver is not also stated but definitely he is an Ifugao. The sculpture is made of wood (not specified). Works Cited Asian Studies. University of the Philippines: Philippine Center for Advanced Studies Philippine Center for Advanced Studies, 1972.Alvina Corazon and Santa Maria Sta. Maria. Halupi. Capital Publishing House, 1989. Gagelonia, Pedro A. Concise Philippine History. Philippines: Far Eastern University Consumers Cooperative Incorporation, 1970. Masferre, E. and Jill Gale de Villa. A Tribute to the Philippine Cordillera. Makati City, Philippines: Brier projects, 1999. Perkins, Morgan and Howard Murphy. Anthropology of Art. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2006. Segy, Ladislas. African Sculpture. New York: Dover, 1958. Willet, Frank. African Art: An Introduction. Singapore: Thames and Hudson, 1971. â€Å"African People and Culture. † The African Guide. 02 December 2008. http://www. africaguide. com/culture/tribes/yoruba. htm. â€Å"Cutting: The Woodcarver. † 18 April 1995. Yoruba. Conner, Michael. 02 December 2008. http://www. fa. indiana. edu/~conner/yoruba/woodcarver. html â€Å"History of Beauty. † Answers. com. 02 December 2008. http://www. answers. com/topic/beauty â€Å"Ifugao. † Tripod. Sianghio, Christina. 02 December 2008. http://litera1no4. tripod. com/ifugao_frame. html. â€Å"Sculpture. † British Council Art. 02 December 2008. http://www. britishcouncil. org/arts-art-sculpture. htm List of Illustrations

Mantras Essay -- Mantra Spiritual Ancient Asia Essays

Mantras The Mantras are very spiritual things used by the ancient in Asia, now a days this form of meditation has expanded and everyone has access to it. A Mantra can improve your life style by teaching you the art of meditation, by bringing peace to your soul and by helping you control difficult situations. A Mantra is a form of meditation that has existed for a long time; it is used in the whole world and you don’t need to be religious to use it. A Mantra is a word of wisdom that brings you strength when going through a hard time; this word could be related to your religion but this isn’t obligatory. The most common Mantra is the â€Å"OM† which means God in an impersonal way but now days almost any holy word no matter what religion can be used as a Mantra. For example; the Catholic can...

High Stakes Testing: Education and Technology Essay

In the early 1960s, policymakers began to gather information about the condition of American education and the effectiveness of mandated programs by examining standardized results. State school boards and legislatures began to use test results as mechanisms of power. They began to add minister rewards and sanctions based on students’ performance on mandated tests, making them high stakes tests. Rewards and sanctions were seen as a way to motivate students, teachers, and schools. Test results in effect became a â€Å"triggering device† to make good and bad things happen automatically to individuals and schools. As a result, an educational environment was created where test scores were the sole barometer of school district success (Corbett & Wilson, 1991 Wraga et. al. , 2000 p. 305). Policy makers also began to use standardized test data as indicators of the effectiveness of compensatory programs and curriculum development efforts tried during the 1950s and 1960s (Maduus. 1988 cited in Wraga et. al. , 2000 p. 304). In theory, educational tests are an unobtrusive method of estimating students’ knowledge. Depending on the circumstances related to the test and test results, this can be true. In some situations, students take standardized exams and the scores are used appropriately; however, many educators, thinking of their own experiences in classrooms as students or as teachers, assert that tests influence students and teachers when they perceive that important consequences are connected results (U. S. Congress. OTA. 1992 cited in Wraga et. al. , 2000 p. 305). Due to the initiations of these events, the utilization and expansion of high stakes testing occurred in the field of education and technology. Discussion An examination or test is said to have high stakes attached to it when sanctions or rewards are linked directly to performance. Attaching high stakes to performance on tests, whether public examinations or national assessments, has important consequences. Students, teachers, and curriculum are affected in many ways: curriculum and teaching revolve around the examinations, students and teachers put considerable effort into test preparation, and potential low scorers may be prevented from taking the examination to boost the school’s overall performance (Madaus and Greaney 1985 cited in Greany et al. , 1996 p. 96). High-stakes tests may also affect the validity of measurement through the test corruption and test score pollution that seem to accompany them (Greaney and Kellaghan 1996 cited in Greany et al. , 1996 p. 96). High-stakes testing is now entrenched in U. S. public school due to its adverse impact on many minority students such as Chicano, Mexicans (i. e. , disproportionate rates of high school diploma denial and grade retention). Given the political nature of the standard-based school reform movement, legal claims of adverse impact brought forth by minority plaintiff appear difficult to win in the courts (e. g. , as seen in the defeat of plaintiff in the GI Forum case (see Valencia and Bernal, 2000). In light of this political basis of high-stakes resting, reform of such resting will likely only be attainable through the source from which high stakes emanated—the legislative process itself. Such activities need to be pursued with vigor. Critics of high stakes testing need to rally around assessment principles that promote (a) the use of multiple indicators to assess a student’s progress, and (b) the use of test scores for diagnosis of student’s strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, critics of high-stakes testing need to make the case that the standards-based school reform movement is inherently misdirected because it treats the symptoms (i. e. , low academic achievement) rather than the cause (i. e. , inferior schools; unequal educational opportunity) of racial/ethnic differences in academic achievement (Valencia, 2002 p. 294) Case studies have also been used to examine the effects of high- stakes testing on practice. In a study published in 1991, Smith et al (cited in Hamilton et. al, 2002 p. 84) conducted detailed observations of teachers in two Arizona elementary schools whose students took tests that had significant consequences. During the fall 1987 semester, the authors conducted daylong observations in 29 classrooms. Lessons were also audio- taped. The researchers also observed and recorded staff meetings. In January 1988, they selected a subset of 20 teachers for detailed open- ended interviews covering the validity of the tests, the effects of the tests on teachers, test preparation methods, and the effects of the tests on pupils. Subsequently, six teachers were selected for more extensive observations occurring one, two or three days a week during the spring of that year. In total, the six classes were observed for 81 days. The purpose of the observations was to understand â€Å"ordinary instruction†; therefore, the observers focused on what was taught, methods, allocation of time, language and interaction among teachers and pupils, teaching materials, and classroom interruptions. The researchers used a variety of techniques to review and summarize the data and compare the situation in these classrooms to the literature on testing and its effects (Hamilton et. al, 2002 p. 84). Conclusion One might think of a number of ways to modify public examinations to provide information for a national assessment. A public examination used for certification might be expanded to provide adequate curriculum coverage—although this might have adverse effects on the examination system by, for example, making examinations too long. The emphasis on norm-referencing in public examinations would remain a problem, but it too could possibly be dealt with. As far as the population of interest is concerned, information on students who are too young to take public examinations could be obtained by introducing a public examination in the primary years. This would not be cost-effective, however, and the introduction of public examinations at an early stage in the educational process may not be beneficial to student’s education. These include the use of public examinations primarily for selection; the difficulty of using them for monitoring standards; and their use to drive instruction in a high-stakes context. References Greany, V. (1996). Monitoring the Learning Outcomes of Education Systems. World Bank Publications. Hamilton etal, L. S. (2002). Making Sense of Test-Based Accountability in Education. Rand Corporation. Valencia, R. R. (2002). Chicano School Failure and Success: Past, Present, and Future. Routledge. Wraga etal, W. G. (2000). Research Review for School Leaders. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Abercrombie & Fitch Guys Stripped in Singapore Essay

Concept Branding: How A&F used branding in the new market- Singapore. Brands convey the information to customers and then induce loyalty. Good brands create distinct brand personalities and trigger emotional associations that help the customers connect with brands. This article will analyze A&F’s branding strategies Summary Abercrombie & Fitch, the brand that is well loved for its American-style, cool, casual and trendy clothing, is now aggressively expanding into Asia. Before its grand opening in Singapore, 40 muscular half-naked men stood outside the still unopened store. The alluring smiles and eyes, free hugs, and photo shoot caused a stirring riot. In addition, A&F launched the giant four-floor advertisement at a traffic-heavy shopping area, the muscular topless man wearing extremely low-slung jeans caught people’s eyes in Singapore. See more: Analysis of Starbucks coffee company employees essay It is not the first time A&F has done a marketing campaign like this. It has been a standard practice for all its flagship stores in recent years. However, these â€Å"hot guy† strategies exploded in Singapore. The Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore claimed that the ad is in contradiction of its â€Å"code of decency†, and the giant ad, which is charged as â€Å"lewd and inappropriate†, was ordered to be removed. News of the ad’s possible suspension provoked Singaporean to comment furiously. People were discussing the topics like: â€Å"Is A&F too sexy for Singapore?† â€Å"Is this ad too indecent for Orchard Road?† Eventually, since many Singaporeans supported A&F, the billboard is now safe and sound on Orchard Road. Analyze A&F is good at marketing campaigns and possesses a strong brand personality: sexy and young. A&F did the campaign like it usually does, but the promotions in Singapore had great success since it occurred different contexts and conflicts of culture. A&F triggered people’s emotion and created the special experiences that helped the company to connect to its customers. The Singaporeans who had joined the campaign were excited to share the photos and comment on social media. Those actions induced more and more people to respond and be attracted by A&F. Otherwise, the controversy of the campaign in Singapore is an opportunity for the Singaporeans who are unfamiliar with A&F to know the brand, and it provokes a desire to walk in the stores to satisfy their curiosity. However, there are so many disparities in the clothing preferences between Asian and American: physical shapes, sizes, styles and cultures. Indeed, A&F did an excellent job on catching Singaporeans’ eyes with its opening. But the question is, does masculine image really match the Asian market trend? I am concerned with how A&F maintains its sales for long term via the sexy image in the conservative market. Furthermore, the apparel competition is fierce in Singapore. Competitors for A&F included western brands which are ambitious with Asian market as well as Asian brands which are familiar with the market. Conclusion and Recommendation A&F cleverly built up its brand image and conveyed information through the controversy in Singapore. However, except for the opening campaigns, in order to enhance its brand loyalty, I suggest A&F do more events to focus on Asian customers. For example, use more Asian models on catalogues to show the customers that American style outfits are also fit and look good on Asian people’s body shape. Meanwhile, A&F should do more events to collaborate with celebrities or magazines to lead the new fashion trends in Asia. Last but not least, I suggest A&F conduct more marketing research to understand Asian purchase behaviors and fashion points. Thus, A&F can do some adjustments on the products to fit the Asian consumers’ needs. How â€Å"hot† could A&F be in Singapore? Well, definitely not only the topless hot guys, but also with the right marketing strategies.

China Essay Example

China Essay Example China Essay China Essay Ask the ordinary businessperson on the street what is their impression of China, and two answers emerge. The first presents China as a vast and largely untapped potential market for Western goods, the ‘1 billion new customers’ approach which sees China as either a mecca or a minefield, depending on one’s attitude to the associated risks and obstacles (Barro 1995). The second sees China as a vast workshop, turning out low-cost consumer goods for both domestic consumption and export. China is the largest developing country in the world. The country has vast territories and abundant natural and human resources. The country has huge domestic markets of great potential. Through trade and economic cooperation, China can achieve resource complementarity and market sharing. Combining capital, technology, and management expertise with Chinas low-cost labour and huge domestic market will bring enormous opportunities of common interest to other countries. The expansion of th e Chinese economy is not a phenomenon that affects China alone, or even East Asia alone. All of us are touched by this growth, and will be even more affected by it in the future. If we wait for this phenomenon to reach its full form before discussing it, it may be too late and great opportunities will have slipped away. It is time to start thinking about the presence and impact of Chinese-based international and multinational businesses, even if the practical outcome may be long deferred. This paper will discuss how the political, economic and cultural issues may affect the attractiveness of China. The determinants of FDI for market-seeking investors are mainly related to market attractiveness, trade barriers, investment risks and the host countrys attitude to provide foreign investors with positive conditions for business activities. Market-seeking MNEs are attracted by the market potential (size and growth), the costs of market access (entry/participation), the governments control over supply, pricing and distribution, etc. Since European MNEs in China are strongly oriented towards RD intensive industries, intellectual property protection may also have a substantial impact on the entry path and on the type of resources committed by these firms. As trade barriers are often associated with other entry conditions such as the allowed degree of foreign ownership, the sectoral and geographic location requirements or incentives they equally influence the investment decisions by MNEs. The economic size of the Chinese market has significantly expanded since the end of the 1970s. The total GDP of China reached US$ 961 billion in 1998, which brought GDP at a per capita level at US$ 776. The average annual growth rate of Chinas GDP reached 9.8 per cent between 1977 and 1987 and 10.3 per cent during the period 1988-1998. The existing market size and its expected expansion are undoubtedly among the driving forces of the enormous FDI flows into China during the last decade (Chen 2001). The structure of the Chinese economy has changed tremendously. The proportion of the industrial and service sectors in the GDP increased, respectively, from 47 and 23 per cent in 1977 to 49 and 33 per cent in 1998. The increasing importance of the industrial sector, in particular manufacturing, resulted in the integration of China into the Asian production system and to a certain extent even in the global one. The exports of China increased from US$ 9 billion in 1977 to US$ 208 billion in 1998, an annual growth of 18 per cent during the period 1977-1987 and 14 per cent between 1988 and 1998. This economic performance, especially of manufacturing production and exports, largely explains the boom of Chinas economy (Kaufman 2001). The existence and the level of trade barriers, such as tariff duties and quotas, customs procedures and specific standards as well as all kinds of technical requirements, have been major determinants for market-seeking investors in China. China often uses prohibitively high tariffs in combination with import restrictions to protect its domestic industry. As import tariffs are much higher for finished goods than for upstream inputs, they result in a high effective rate of protection. Tariffs may range from 3 per cent on promoted imports to over 150 per cent on discouraged imports, such as automobiles. These tariff measures are often associated with a lack of transparency in customs procedures with regard to the necessary documents, registration procedures or licensing system. Chinas tariff and non-tariff barriers present major obstacles to foreign companies waiting to penetrate the Chinese market by way of exports. These trade barriers consequently encouraged many foreign companies to shift from exporting to local assembly and move on to a local production activity, especially when there are local content requirements. European MNEs producing in the automotive industry have typically followed such a sequence in China (Burkett 2004). Over the last 2-3 years, China has gradually reduced its tariffs in order to be admitted to the WTO. To facilitate negotiations for its membership requests, China already in 1996 cut its import duties on some 4,600 items, from an average rate of 35.9 to 23 per cent and scrapped a third of its import quotas (Chen 2001). While such reductions of import tariffs increased export opportunities for foreign companies, industries such as automotive and consumer electronics are still highly protected. A further reduction of import tariffs and the elimination of many non-tariff barriers by the Chinese government, as a result of its newly gained membership of the WTO, will also lower protection in a number of specific industries. As a result, the foreign MNEs that are producing in previously protected industries within China will be facing stronger competition from imported products. For these reasons, many European MNEs that moved into China at an early stage are rationalising their operations within the country by engaging into larger-scale operations and more specialised activities. A number of MNEs are reorganising their links with suppliers, especially by creating local sourcing capabilities and/or bringing with them suppliers from the home country into China. The lack of a well-structured and transparent legal system in China poses serious problems for foreign-owned firms. A clear and strict hierarchical system of norms does not really exist yet. Moreover, there are many diverse regulations issued by different ministries and offices of the central and local/regional governments. Western companies, especially SMEs, are often unable to find out which regulations exactly apply to them. In some cases, unpublished regulations may have precedence over officially published ones. Sometimes, the officially published and unofficially applied rules from the central and local governments are simply contradictory. However, since the liberalisation of FDI, the Chinese government has made great efforts to build up an appropriate business environment for foreign investors within the context of the transition of the Chinese economy towards a more market-oriented system. With regard to market-seeking foreign investors and their initiatives to expand their scale of operation and their specialisation based activities, the measures taken by the Chinese government mainly consisted of the introduction of market mechanisms that allow for a better resource allocation and product distribution. First, the foreign exchange restrictions that were the main barrier for foreign enterprises to sell in the domestic market were gradually lifted by the introduction of new regulatory and administrative measures. Also, the unification of the dual exchange rate system in 1994, through the elimination of the so-called Foreign Exchange Certificates (FECs), which existed alongside the local currency Renminbi, was an impor tant step towards the convertibility of the Chinese currency. Second, the centrally controlled and unified pricing system was converted into a mechanism based on demand factors and production costs. The state plan for the supply of inputs and the distribution of products was gradually eliminated and replaced by market transactions. Market mechanisms such as stock exchanges and labour markets were established and a number of new economic institutions were set up and opened for foreign investors to facilitate transactions of capital, technology, labour and commodities. In 1995, the Chinese government allowed foreign companies to invest through the stock exchange and to set up foreign joint stock companies and investment-oriented companies. The introduction of such flexible investment forms not only improved the investment climate in general, but also allowed foreign companies to achieve a better co-ordination among their different activities in China and thus to operate more efficiently. Additionally, more intensive vertical and horizontal linkag es with Chinese domestic enterprises were fostered. Third, with the increasing use of the market mechanism for business transactions in China, the government introduced a set of regulations to explicitly facilitate market transactions and to stimulate efficiency. Also, the national regulatory framework was brought more into line with international standards, for example, in the areas of contract law, dispute settlement procedures, patent and trade mark protection, accounting systems and copyright protection. Between 1979 and 1994, the Chinese government promulgated more than 500 regulations and laws concerning foreign trade and economic co-operation, of which about seventy concerned FDI. China also signed bilateral and multilateral treaties to protect and promote FDI activities within its territory with no less than sixty-five countries (Child 1999). Most EU countries signed such bilateral treaties with the Chinese government during the 1980s. The most significant change in the Chinese business regulations for foreignowned firms was the introduction and improvement of intellectual property rights during the 1990s. The introduction of patent law has removed a major obstacle to attract foreign investment in high-tech sectors and has extended the perspectives for the development of industries with high RD investments and high specialisation. Yet, the full implementation of these regulations is not completed yet. In reviewing the development of the Chinese FDI policy and its impact on the attractiveness of Chinese LSAs for FDI during the last two decades of the twentieth century, three major characteristics can be identified. First, the liberalisation and upgrading process of LSAs by the Chinese government has been closely linked with the geographical extension of FDI incentives on the basis of special tax measures and administrative regulations. Second, China has gradually introduced a set of sectoral and performance requirements for FDI within the context of its economic development strategy that is based on import substitution, export promotion and technological upgrading. Third, the control about ownership/entry forms of FDI has been gradually liberalised with the improvement of the market mechanisms and expansion of the private sector. The specific FDI measures, which were introduced by the Chinese government to support its geographical and sectoral monitoring system, consist of the liberalisation and upgrading of local resources, the introduction of a market system to improve resource allocation and product distribution, the building-up of a legal system geared to market transactions, the decentralisation of macroeconomic management, the diversification of ownership control and the introduction of performance requirements. These measures will be briefly analysed within the geographical and sectoral dimensions of the Chinese FDI policy. China has emerged as one of the leading international traders of textile products. According to official statistics compiled by the WTO, China was the worlds largest exporter of both textiles and clothing in 1999, accounting for 9 percent and 16 percent of the international market, respectively. (Overall, China leads the world industry with a total market share of 13 percent) While China is not a big importer of clothing, it is the worlds second largest importer of textiles (many of which are reexported after processing), taking in 7 percent of total international sales in 1999 (Child 1999). By any measure, therefore, China has become a major player in the world industry. Indeed, textile trade is critical not just to the Chinese industry itself (e.g., exports account for slightly more than one-half of Chinas production of textiles and clothing by value), but to the entire Chinese economy, as well. While the share of textile and clothing products in Chinas total exports had declined t o 22 percent by 1999 from a high of 30 percent in 1994, it was still close to the 23 percent share recorded in 1980. This record is especially remarkable given the quantity-based restrictions placed on China under the MFA. Indeed, it suggests how successful the industry has been in moving upmarket. While the relative share of textile and clothing products in Chinas total exports has declined modestly over time, the absolute value of these sales has continued to rise steadily, reaching U. S. $43 billion in 1999. In fact, only in 1996 did the textile sector finally relinquish its leading position in Chinas export profile to the machinery and electronics sector. Rather amazingly, therefore, nearly U. S. $1 out of every U. S. $4 of Chinese exports is still earned from the sale of textiles and clothing, this despite the rapid growth of Chinese exports across an increasing number of industrial sectors (Hansen 1996). China has also made commitments to grant foreign companies foreign trade and distribution rights, which include wholesaling, retailing, maintenance, after-sale services, and transportation. American businesses can distribute imported products and products that are made in China, which will in turn provide export opportunities for American products. After China joined the WTO, the investment environment was further improved. Foreign investment in China was increased as a result of the increased attractiveness of the vast market. For some companies the rise of Chinese business can be seen as a threat, but for others prepared to think creatively, there will be plenty of opportunities. Important though Honda’s announcement that it will begin to build cars in China may be, an arguably still more important announcement was made later in 2002. The Chinese car maker Brilliance China is hooking up with a series of Western car makers in joint ventures in different areas. A BMW joint venture is allowing Brilliance to effectively become the BMW distributor for China, which should be good news for both parties as the market for luxury cars in China is growing. But Brilliance is also establishing technical joint ventures with Western car makers which will allow it to participate in RD projects and learn the latest methods of both designing and building cars. The global car industry is a tough one to enter; the barriers are high, and the investment required is substantial. Brilliance is taking its first tentative s teps in this industry by learning from its bigger overseas partners. More cogently, there is a tendency to think of China as a developing country, and of Chinese businesses as under-managed and inefficient. Once upon a time, yes, but the picture is rapidly changing. ‘Developing country’ is a label which many Chinese are beginning to question, regardless of the fact that certain parts of the country, at least, are still very much in an early industrial or even a pre-industrial mode. And the typical Chinese business is no longer the SOE, grossly over-manned and insolvent, its tens of thousands of workers housed and fed from the iron rice bowl, churning out its quota of goods regardless of market demand. The typical Chinese business today is a small to medium enterprise run by a close group of family or friends, perhaps graduates from the same university class, often young, conscious of the fact that they still have a lot to learn but acutely focused on a particular business opportunity and prepared to work until they drop to make it happen. These young Chinese managers are tough, flexible and determined. They know they have before them an opportunity which might not come around again. They are, in terms of intellect and commitment, our equals if not our superiors, and they deserve our respect. One of the biggest changes in China in the last few years has been the emergence of this new generation of entrepreneurs. Born at the tail end of the Cultural Revolution or early in the reform era, they were still at school at the time of Tiananmen Square. They are well-educated and used to living with Western influences. They are prepared to take on the world. In other words, they see us as a potential market very much as Westerners see them. In that common outlook, we should be able to arrange a meeting of minds on other issues as well. China, according to a series of reports in the Financial Times, is becoming the workshop of the world. With companies sourcing everything from toys to electronics components there, China is finding that its economic strength is turning from being a vast market (and occasional dumping ground) for Western goods to being a supplier of cheap retail goods and, increasingly, a supplier of labour and materials for the manufacturers of the West. And already, the trend towards exporting more sophisticated finished goods is beginning. The most important implication of all this is to repeat the comment that doing business with the Chinese is no longer just a matter of doing business in China. Chinese customers, partners and competitors are beginning to come to the West to do business on their own account, and are doing so with increasing confidence, competence and financial backing. More and more Western managers will end up doing business with, or in competition with, Chinese firms as the year s go by, and this without the Western side ever setting foot in China. This is all part of globalisation, of course, but it is part to which more thought must be given. We are accustomed to the triad America, Europe and Japan, though the last is steadily losing power and influence as its economic crisis shows no sign of ending running the show. The idea that China could be a new entrant into this power game is not always taken very seriously. But if current trends carry on, by 2020 maybe earlier China’s economy will overtake Japan’s and China will be the number 2 economic power in the world. It may be only a matter of time before it goes on to become number 1.

The truth about how women become leaders essay

The truth about how women become leaders essay The truth about how women become leaders essay The truth about how women become leaders essayThis paper is a written response to the readings and the videos of Anne-Marie Slaughter and Dee Dee Myers concerning the future of women in businesses. It covers such issues as Eagly Carli’s concept of the labyrinth as a complicated made of barriers that women must navigate.According to Eaglyand Carli (2007), womens paths toward advancement are indirect and littered with barriers at various stages in their careers, rather than being hindered by a fixed barrier. I completely agree and support the concept of labyrinth given by these authors. The labyrinth is a path of women with its elaborate and confusing twists and turns. It is an idea of a complex journey with a goal worth striving for. Passage through a labyrinth is not simple or direct, but requires persistence.Women have made a tremendous progress through this labyrinth during the past years. I also tend to agree with Dee Dee Myers (2008), who states that women have made a huge progress but still are held to a different standard than men. Women are forced to overcome much more obstacles in order to receive what they want. At the same time, men, with the same goal, meet much less problems on their way.Another important question that we need to ask ourselves: â€Å"Can women have it all?†. I support the statements of Anne-Marie Slaughter (2013), who basically answers negatively to the previous question. When a woman has a demanding job and kids, she is too busy to spend regular time with them. She is often stressed, tired, and brings her work home with her. You may have a great job and a family, but you will not be able to really own it. I think that woman can be a mother with a demanding job, but she will never be able to be a good mother.In conclusion I would like to add that in order to make successful careers for women we needto redefine the work place for both sexes. Society needs to create a more compassionate and caring infrastructure focused on flex time to deal with family complications.Cox and Maitland (2009) suggest that companies that learn to adapt to women will be better able to respond to the challenge of an ageing workforce and the demands of the next generation of knowledge workers.

Violaciones migratorias por las que te pueden deportar

Violaciones migratorias por las que te pueden deportar Todos las personas extranjeras que se encuentran presentes en Estados Unidos pueden ser deportadas o expulsadas si comenten ciertos delitos o violaciones migratorias o de alguna forma incumplen cualquiera de las leyes de los Estados Unidos. Es decir, la remocià ³n puede afectar tanto a migrantes indocumentados como a extranjeros con visas temporales no inmigrantes como a residentes permanentes legales que tienen una tarjeta de residencia, tambià ©n conocida como green card. En este artà ­culo se explican cules son las violaciones migratorias y quà © se puede hacer si las autoridades migratorias inician un procedimiento para la deportacià ³n de una persona. Cules son las violaciones migratorias Obviamente, si ninguna autoridad se da cuenta de que la has hecho, no va a pasar nada. Pero si te agarran, dependiendo de las circunstancias del problema, te pueden deportar o  expulsar automticamente. Si ya ests fuera de Estados Unidos,  no te van a dar ningà ºn tipo de visa o documento para ingresar legalmente al paà ­s, porque se te considera inadmisible, salvo casos muy concretos en los que se puede pedir un perdà ³n. Las siguientes, entre otras, se consideran violaciones migratorias: 1. Ingresar a Estados Unidos ilegalmente 1 vez: esto es, cuando se entra sin pasar por el debido control de las autoridades de Inmigracià ³n en un puesto fronterizo terrestre, puerto o aeropuerto. Para haber ingresado legalmente es preciso que un oficial de la CBP (policà ­a fronteriza) nos dà © el OK como admitido (admitted) o parole.  Hay que tener en cuenta que ingresar ms veces o despuà ©s de haber sido deportado produce efectos ms complicados. 2. Quedarse en Estados Unidos ms tiempo del permitido: eso es lo que se conoce como overstay. Sucede con las visas no inmigrante tipo turista, estudiante, intercambio, etc (mucho cuidado con confundir la fecha de vencimiento del visado con el dà ­a tope para salir de Estados Unidos. Son dos cosas muy distintas). Tambià ©n afecta a las personas que pertenecen a un paà ­s que puede venir a EEUU como turista sin visa (estos à ºltimos sà ³lo pueden estar 90 dà ­as corridos, ni uno ms). Relacionado con este punto hay que tener en cuenta que que es posible ser removido de Estados Unidos cuando ya se ha acabado el permiso de dà ­as de estancia y se est pendiente de una solicitud de extensià ³n pedida dentro de plazo. Estos son casos raros, pero si es posible. 3. Ser un fugitivo migratorio: es decir, una persona que tiene una orden de deportacià ³n y no sale de Estados Unidos para cumplirla (es posible tener una orden de deportacià ³n y no saberlo, asà ­ te puedes enterar). Tambià ©n entran dentro de esta categorà ­a todos los extranjeros que tienen una cita para presentarse ante un oficial del ICE y no lo hacen y se les declara la deportacià ³n in absentia. Los fugitivos migratorios son un objetivo prioritario para ser deportados. 4. Violar las condiciones de la visa: en este apartado pueden darse diferentes comportamientos. Por ejemplo, trabajar con una visa de turista, no ir a clases cuando se tiene una visa de estudiante, utilizar la visa de turista en vez de la de estudiante, no abandonar Estados Unidos inmediatamente cuando el empleador en una visa J-1 de intercambio pone fin a la relacià ³n laboral, etc.   5. Matrimonio de conveniencia: cuando se obtiene la residencia por matrimonio y à ©ste finaliza por anulacià ³n o divorcio antes de que transcurran dos aà ±os desde la fecha en la que el cà ³nyuge extranjero ingresà ³ a Estados Unidos con una visa de inmigrante u otro documento emitido por razà ³n de ese matrimonio.   6. Finalizar la residencia condicional sin convertirla en permanente: Esto sucede en dos situaciones: En primer lugar, si obtienes la tarjeta de residencia por matrimonio y desde el dà ­a de la boda hasta el dà ­a en que te conviertes en residente han transcurrido menos de dos aà ±os, entonces tu residencia es condicional. Y hay que esperar dos aà ±os desde el dà ­a en que se obtuvo la residencia para convertirla en definitiva. Pero si no se produce ese levantamiento de la condicionalidad porque el matrimonio ha finalizado, porque el cà ³nyuge americano se niega a firmar o por otras razones, entonces debes abandonar Estados Unidos (a menos que por otra causa puedas quedarse legalmente). Esto tambià ©n es asà ­ para tus hijos que obtuvieron su tarjeta de residencia tambià ©n condicional, en virtud de tu matrimonio. Y en segundo lugar, si obtienes la tarjeta de residencia por inversià ³n, tà º, tu cà ³nyuge y tus hijos tienen una residencia condicional por dos aà ±os. Si no se cumplen las condiciones para levantar la condicionalidad de la residencia tienes que abandonar Estados Unidos. Si te quedas estars cometiendo una violacià ³n migratoria. 7. Contrabando de personas, lo que en las leyes de inmigracià ³n se conoce como smuggling. Te pueden acusar de esto si has ayudado, asistido o incluso simplemente animado a que otra ingrese o intente ingresar ilegalmente a los Estados Unidos. Si bien hay importantes excepciones y formas de luchar contra una acusacià ³n de contrabando de personas. 8. Mentir en cualquiera de sus formas para obtener una visa o cualquier beneficio migratorio, como por ejemplo un ajuste de estatus, etc.   Quà © pasa cuando Inmigracià ³n descubre una  violacià ³n migratoria Ninguna de las acciones mencionadas anteriormente son un delito. Sin embargo, pueden tener consecuencias migratorias muy graves: que no se puede regresar a EEUU por ser inadmisible (salvo los casos de perdones cuando es posible) y que si ests en EEUU puedes acabar siendo objeto de una remocià ³n, mediante una expulsià ³n inmediata o mediante una deportacià ³n.   El no ser un delito eso quiere decir que si ests en EEUU y una Corte de Inmigracià ³n te envà ­a una citacià ³n si se inicia un procedimiento de deportacià ³n (pero no en el caso de expulsià ³n inmediata). En estos casos  tienes que pagar tà º por el abogado, o conseguir uno pro bono que decida no cobrar. A diferencia de lo que ocurre cuando te acusan de un delito, el gobierno no te pone un abogado si no te lo puedes pagar. La consecuencia es que la mayorà ­a de inmigrantes con casos abiertos en cortes de inmigracià ³n no tienen abogado, se intentan defender a sà ­ mismos, no presentan evidencias y acaban perdiendo casos en nà ºmeros altà ­simos.   Es muy importante contar con un buen abogado, es decir, que tenga conocimientos, reputacià ³n y consideracià ³n de honesto.   Con el abogado hay que debatir cul es la mejor estrategia a seguir, ya que va a depender de las caracterà ­sticas del caso de cada uno. No hay la misma solucià ³n para todos.   Es importante analizar si puede ser conveniente solicitar una salida voluntaria. O, por el contrario, ver si es posible luchar la deportacià ³n mediante la obtencià ³n de alguna medida de alivio, como por ejemplo el asilo o la cancelacià ³n de la deportacià ³n. En corto: consecuencias de una violacià ³n migratoria si te agarran Puede significar la remocià ³n de Estados Unidos mediante una expulsià ³n inmediata, una deportacià ³n o una salida voluntaria, dependiendo del caso. O puede ser que signifique que no se puede regresar a Estados Unidos porque no se obtiene visa en los consulados por ser considerado inadmisible o porque el oficial migratorio en un puesto de control considera que la persona no puede ingresar. En este punto tener en cuenta que en los puntos de ingreso a Estados Unidos los oficiales migratorios estn autorizados a pedir acceso a aparatos electrà ³nicos como telà ©fono o computadoras. Adems, el sistema informtico de las aduanas es uno de los ms completos del mundo y contienen mucha informacià ³n.  ¿Es posible pedir un perdà ³n (waiver)? Depende del tipo de infraccià ³n que convierte a una persona en inadmisible a veces es posible pedir un perdà ³n y asà ­ regresar a Estados Unidos. Y si  se desea obtener una visa no inmigrante, como la de turista, estudiante, trabajador temporero, etc o una green card habr problemas muy serios. Si bien es cierto que en algunos casos es posible  solicitar un perdà ³n, tambià ©n conocido como waiver o permiso, cuyos requisitos operan de manera diferente segà ºn se pide una visa no inmigrante o una inmigrante y tambià ©n de cul es la causa de la violacià ³n migratoria. Por à ºltimo, tener en cuenta que los perdones son difà ­ciles de obtener y requieren que se cumplan todos los requisitos. Es muy importante evitar ser và ­ctima de abogados sin escrà ºpulos que aseguran conocer a una persona que los arregla a cambio de dinero. En la actualidad todos los perdones se tramitan en los Estados Unidos. Para tener una oportunidad para obtener el perdà ³n lo fundamental es cumplir los requisitos que pide la ley y contar con un abogado competente y honesto. Ley que aplica en caso de violaciones migratorias Para los interesados se recomienda leer la Ley de Inmigracià ³n y Nacionalidad INA 237 (a)(1) en varios apartados. Este artà ­culo es sà ³lo informativo. No es consejo legal.

Life Experience Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Life Experience - Personal Statement Example I recognized that I needed a mentor or role model that exemplified those characteristics, but I just didn't have the good fortune of finding one to which I could easily relate. In my earlier years, I dropped out of high school then ultimately obtained a GED so that I could pursue my dream of going back to school and study to become a nurse. I started in a college program, but dropped out. I'm sure my feelings of inadequacy about not being smart enough to do well in school were attributable in part to not completing high school. Additionally, I had gained more responsibility and as a result, less time to work on my own goals and objectives. I had gotten married and had children to care for, so the responsibility of managing a family and home along with making a commitment to a significant academic goal was difficult to imagine. Initially my husband was who I counted on for support and motivation. He and my children were my life and I was happy until circumstances ultimately led to a divorce. The life change and trauma of that event further reinforced my thoughts of inadequacy and I struggled with my "failure" in dealing with life. Of course, that was a fool ish thought since the experience ultimately demonstrated I had the strength to continue and to thrive regardless of his involvement, but that realization came much later. As a

Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology Essay

Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology - Essay Example As per the rating system based on animal and human data by The International Agency for Research on Cancer, where an agent, mixture, or exposure circumstance is assigned to one of five categories, Bis chloromethyl ether, Benzene and Styrene belong to group 1, which means that the agents are carcinogenic to humans (Gottschall et.al, 2002). Of the three, Benzene is the most potential carcinogen causing carcinoma of various internal organs and tissues. It is followed by Bis -chloromethyl ether in potency, which is a known carcinogen of the lungs and Styrene known for its mutagenic effects. The Bologna experiments at the Bentivoglio Experimental Unit of the Bologna Institute of Oncology proved for the first time that benzene is an experimental carcinogen. These experiments demonstrated that benzene was carcinogenic when administered by ingestion and by inhalation and could cause tumors in the various tested animal models. They also showed that benzene is a multipotential carcinogen, as it produces a variety of neoplasias in one or more of the tested animal models, including Zymbal gland carcinomas, carcinomas of the oral cavity, nasal cavities, skin, fore stomach, and mammary glands, as well as angiosarcomas of the liver, hemolymphoreticular neoplasias, tumors of the lung, and possibly hepatomas. The Bologna experiments have also provided a clear-cut dose-response relationship in benzene carcinogenesis (Maltoni et.al, 1989). Bis-Chloromethyl ether

The Biography Of Blue Jeans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Biography Of Blue Jeans - Essay Example The basic motive of this project is to show that the blue jean, which had been widely used by working class individuals as an inexpensive and long-lasting piece of clothing, saw a boom in interest from all classes of society when it began appearing in Hollywood films as the clothing of choice for the era’s biggest heroes, the cowboys. â€Å"Western movies from Hollywood elevated ‘authentic’ cowboys, who were often portrayed wearing the garment, to mythic status. Just as Easterners were beginning to appreciate the tremendous comfort and durability of the new clothing style, World War II forced changes in manufacturing techniques. However, soldiers preferring to wear blue jeans while relaxing overseas helped further change the image of the blue jean from a working class, working style pant to one of relaxation and leisure, as well as of the natural abundance and enviable condition of the American lifestyle. After the war, Hollywood again helped to spread the popula rity of the blue jean by clothing their popular ‘bad boys’ such as James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause and Elvis Presley, in the popular garment, immediately associating it with the rebellious youth. Today blue jeans enjoy an unequaled status among the clothing styles of the world. Blue jeans have become the comfort clothing of the world. Recognized as an art form and enjoying numerous types of treatments from painting, stonewashed, acid dying and fancy stitching, blue jeans have proven themselves to be as versatile as they are long-lasting.

Equality and debt case assignment 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Equality and debt case assignment 5 - Essay Example Debt financing has a fixed term for repayment. Like loans the terms can be either short or long and is normally raised from banks and small business administration (SBA). It has a fixed rate of interest payable. However equity financing is not repayable; the lender has a right over the business and can participate along with the board of directors, in the annual shareholder’s meeting, to have an active role in the decision making of the company. It is generally raised by family or friends, who are normally called ‘Angel investors’ (Samuels et al, 2000). Also financing can be got by venture capitalists, private equity firms and the investors are normally referred to as ‘Venture Capitalists’(Samuels et al, 2000). This form of financing does not have a fixed cost, but the cost varies based on the performance of the company. Also with newer investors becoming a part of the business makes the business more credible and gains higher attention from the lende rs network (Weston and Copeland, 1988). In debt financing there is a tendency of businesses to rely too much on the mode of financing, however if the company does not generate enough revenues to pay back the loans it could cause a lot of problems for the business like bad credit ratings and can even lead to closing down of the business. Also it makes the company unattractive to investors. If the company has a lot of loans investors would view and classify the company as ‘High Risk’ which would cause them not to make investments in the business (Samuels et al, 2000). The debt to equity ratio normally affects the cost of debt; hence if the ratio is high it would make it difficult for the business to obtain debt financing. Both the sources of financing require to be well balanced, and it is essential that the company carries out enough debt to balance the equity investment however care needs to be taken not to affect the chances of getting

Research paper in Internet Activism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Research paper in Internet Activism - Essay Example Thus besides entertainment, such information is critical for education and informative purposes. The use of social networks has particularly had diverse impacts on the populations’ perceptions of relative social themes. The objectivity and reliability of relative information has been in most cases compromised by the subjective nature of the contributions made by various factions of the society. Most importantly, this tendency has had direct impacts on the social ties that the society holds in high regard. Through face-book, you-tube, my space and other social networks, important information has been relayed to populations across the globe. Apart from educators, activists have employed social media to reach various factions of the population and communicate important issues to these. Through these, they have been able to understand and appreciate the views of the global populations about emergent social issues. Perhaps the most critical information pertains to that relating to sensitive issues that affect the populations in different ways. Besides being instrumental in informing the public, these social networks have in most cases undermined the credibility of the information relayed across. It is against this background that this paper provides an explicit review of internet activism in light of the Kohn 2012 video. To address inherent concerns, it greatly relies on secondary research. The internet has become the latest technological tool through which information is passed on to the population within the shortest time possible. According to research, it only requires a single click to publish important information about emergent issues and concerns within the society. It is pervasive as exemplified by Giridharadas who cites the Kenyan Ushahidi initiative stating it has â€Å"been used in India to monitor elections; in Africa to report medicine shortages; in the Middle East to collect reports of wartime violence; and in Washington† (Giridharadas, 3). Through social networks, this is visible to a diverse population who have subscribed to the relative services. Likewise, these are able to present their views on the particular issue within the shortest period possible. It only requires access to internet and knowledge about its use to utilize this facility. The first world countries have taken immense practical steps to ensure that their populations have access to the electronic infrastructure. Although the third world countries such as Kenya and Uganda have not readily succeeded in enhancing the use of internet, use of phones has really been useful. According to Zuckerman â€Å"the most important activist technology of the last five years is the mobile phone â€Å". Specifically, the use of Short Text messaging provision has been important in information dissemination in third world economies. Through this, populations are able to communicate useful insights regarding wide ranging issues to a diverse population base. The lau nch of Kony 2012 video in March, 2012 triggered various arguments and controversies about the credibility of use of social media in activism. Initially, the intention of this online video was to raise awareness about the leader of Lord’s resistance army, Joseph Kony. Towards the end of the video, viewers were requested to help in different was to capture the war lord so that he could face the law. The video spread so fast and within six days, it had been viewed by a significant one

FACTORY LIVES PAPER Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

FACTORY LIVES PAPER - Essay Example The working conditions in the factories had become worse as the industrial revolution took place. Workers had long working hours, poor working conditions, and instability of their jobs. There were no effective government regulations to prevent unsafe and dangerous conditions for workers. A great number of accidents used to take place in factories. One such accident is narrated by William Dodd who was a factory cripple. William worked for 18 hours in an English textile factory and was given a job as a piecer which led to great pressure on his right knee, leaving him crippled. He attended his evening classes and was later given the job of a clerk in the factory which made him badly crippled1. Another story is the Factory Girl written by Ellen Johnston telling about her experiences as a child worker in a factory. She writes how she was physically abused and so was her mother. She was a writer but she worked in factories all her life which also lead to her bad health and eventually she had to shift to Scotland as the doctor suggested change of air2. Women and children were made to work for long hours in dangerous conditions that cost people their lives. William Dodd led a bachelor’s life because no woman wanted to marry a cripple. The Cry of the Children by Elizabeth Barrett demonstrates the tough working conditions for children as they had to work in mines and manufactories. The factory workers’ lives weren’t just torturous while at work, they struggled with a working life outside factories too. Ellen explains in her autobiography how she suffered physical abuse at the hands of her mother when she tried to run away from the factory work. She also received a bad reputation in the society just because she wanted to run away from the tough factory working life her mother was living. These workers lived a tough life as they had to spend long hours at work, their wages were low, and they had low

Research paper in Internet Activism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Research paper in Internet Activism - Essay Example Thus besides entertainment, such information is critical for education and informative purposes. The use of social networks has particularly had diverse impacts on the populations’ perceptions of relative social themes. The objectivity and reliability of relative information has been in most cases compromised by the subjective nature of the contributions made by various factions of the society. Most importantly, this tendency has had direct impacts on the social ties that the society holds in high regard. Through face-book, you-tube, my space and other social networks, important information has been relayed to populations across the globe. Apart from educators, activists have employed social media to reach various factions of the population and communicate important issues to these. Through these, they have been able to understand and appreciate the views of the global populations about emergent social issues. Perhaps the most critical information pertains to that relating to sensitive issues that affect the populations in different ways. Besides being instrumental in informing the public, these social networks have in most cases undermined the credibility of the information relayed across. It is against this background that this paper provides an explicit review of internet activism in light of the Kohn 2012 video. To address inherent concerns, it greatly relies on secondary research. The internet has become the latest technological tool through which information is passed on to the population within the shortest time possible. According to research, it only requires a single click to publish important information about emergent issues and concerns within the society. It is pervasive as exemplified by Giridharadas who cites the Kenyan Ushahidi initiative stating it has â€Å"been used in India to monitor elections; in Africa to report medicine shortages; in the Middle East to collect reports of wartime violence; and in Washington† (Giridharadas, 3). Through social networks, this is visible to a diverse population who have subscribed to the relative services. Likewise, these are able to present their views on the particular issue within the shortest period possible. It only requires access to internet and knowledge about its use to utilize this facility. The first world countries have taken immense practical steps to ensure that their populations have access to the electronic infrastructure. Although the third world countries such as Kenya and Uganda have not readily succeeded in enhancing the use of internet, use of phones has really been useful. According to Zuckerman â€Å"the most important activist technology of the last five years is the mobile phone â€Å". Specifically, the use of Short Text messaging provision has been important in information dissemination in third world economies. Through this, populations are able to communicate useful insights regarding wide ranging issues to a diverse population base. The lau nch of Kony 2012 video in March, 2012 triggered various arguments and controversies about the credibility of use of social media in activism. Initially, the intention of this online video was to raise awareness about the leader of Lord’s resistance army, Joseph Kony. Towards the end of the video, viewers were requested to help in different was to capture the war lord so that he could face the law. The video spread so fast and within six days, it had been viewed by a significant one

Assisted Suicide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Assisted Suicide - Essay Example A suitable way to deal with the matter is increased participation and involvement of the government in the cases of assisted suicide, to discourage the patient and the families from going for assisted suicide and provide them with medical help and resources to reduce the load on the patient and the family. Why Assisted Suicide should be Illegalized There are innumerable justifiable and reasonable arguments against assisted suicide. Firstly, it is a murder from the religious perspective. Secondly, there are many past cases in which the family members regret having led the patient to assisted suicide. Thirdly, there are always chances of recovery. Proponents of the assisted suicide criticize the illegalization of assisted suicide considering it driven by the religious beliefs of the people in power. However, â€Å"the most current opposition coalitions include many people and organizations whose opposition is based on their progressive politics. Among those are disability rights group s; many nationally prominent disability rights organizations oppose the legalization of assisted suicide† (â€Å"Why Assisted Suicide†). We live in a democratic society where everybody has a right to live. In this context, assisted suicide is subjugation of the rights of the person who is being killed. Even if the consent of the patient is involved, it mostly happens because of the family pressure upon the patient. In an attempt to get free from their responsibility, family members tend to induce negative feelings and emotions in the patient that lead him/her to opting for the assisted suicide. Brian Johnston is an anti-euthanasia activist. In his book, he writes, â€Å"In addition to their own emotional needs, it is the family and friends, more than anyone else, who will influence the mood and mindset of the patient. They may, even unwittingly, reinforce negative thoughts and attitudes.† (Johnston 17). In a vast majority of cases, assisted suicide of a family me mber leaves the rest of the family particularly the parents with a life-long trauma and guilt. They are not able to forgive themselves for being so selfish at a point in time back in their life when they got rid of their loved one when even the personal consent and will of the deceased was not involved. In certain cases, assisted suicide of one family members leads to subsequent suicides committed by the guilty conscious family members. According to a research conducted by the UK Voluntary Euthanasia Society (VES) in 2003, at least 30 per cent of the suspects of assisted suicide commit suicide. Deborah Annetts, the chief executive of VES says that the number of sufferers is much greater than the 30 per cent statistic of the suicide committers (â€Å"Impact of Euthanasia†). Proposal to Reduce the Cases of Assisted Suicide The government should form a committee to look after the cases of assisted suicide to make sure that most of the patients are saved from being killed. The go vernment should deem all such cases of assisted suicide illegal in which the consent of the patient is not involved. In cases where the consent of the patient is involved, once the family as well as the patient have given their consent to go for the assisted suicide, the case should be referred to the committee. The committee should extend help to the patient to make him/her aware of the possible effects of assisted s

Gates of Fire Essay Example for Free

Gates of Fire Essay Why I chose this book: I have no particular reason why I chose this book. While searching through the commandant’s new reading list, the title of the book stood out to me. It did not seam like a boring documentary or and endless biography that goes on and on but rather an interesting read that would keep me interested. When I went to go check it out from training I read the summary on the back of the book and was immediately intrigued about the storyline. I like the adventure and thrill of the Spartans as well as reading about war battles. Give a brief description about this book: This book is about a legendary Battle of Thermopylae and the Spartan culture. In 480 BC the Persian Empire marched with a force of two million men against Greece. In Greeces defense a small army of 2,500 Greek soldiers marched out in an attempt to slow the Persian advance. 300 Spartans were among this squadron, willing to fight to the death for their homeland. The two armies crashed at the narrow pass of Thermopylae. For six days the small force held off the entire Persian army, inflicting an estimated 20,000 casualties on the enemy. On the seventh day the main Greek force withdrew. The remaining Spartan force and a small number of Thespians stayed giving their comrades time for escape. The residual Greek forces fought heroically to the death. The slowed Persian advance gave Greek forces added time to muster men and eventually repel the invasion. The author depicts the story from a Spartan soldiers squire (armor bearer) point of view. The armor bearer, Xeo, tells his life story from his youth as an outcast to his acceptation into the Spartan military. Through the eyes of Xeo, the author tells of an armor bearers duties, soldiers thoughts and attitudes, Spartas military training, and Spartas military based culture. While he tells that Sparta is a cruel and brutal military society he also tells of the beauty and love that the civilization also possesses. Tactical lessons learned from this book: Some of the tactical leassons I learned from this book come from the battle at Thermopylae. Some of the tactics that interestead me, even back in those days, is when the Spartan army first arived at Themopylae. They scouted the area to see it they could possibly be flanked by the opposing army. They rounded up all of the random people that were not part of the battle so that their opposition could not use them for land navigation. The Spartans even burnned all the fields of crops so that their foe could not use the crops for rations. It is clear to me that fighting a battle is not all about who is the better fighter. I learned that witts and logistics are key elements for victory. Leadership lessons learned from this book: One of the leadership lessons that could be learned from this book involves courage. On multiple occasions in the book the leadership tries to instill in their men the philosophy that training for war has little to do with strengthening the war fighter physically but rather to toughen the mind. Polynikes also had the men realize that any army can win a battle with its legs still under it, it is when all strength has fled and the men must produce victory on will alone. I learned that if I want my Marines to be the best, I have to expect the best as well as adopt this mentality so that I may lead by example. How can the lessons learned be used today: The spartans trained to achieve victory while face whith constant adversity. Today the younger generation has adopted the attitude of, if it can’t be done with a reassonable amount of effort, then it can’t be done and they give up. We as leaders can learn from the spartans will to push through anything against all odds. So, by pushing our Marines until they give up and then pushing them more with expectaions of exelence can be a useful tool in teaching our Marines that they can jump over the wall instead of running into it. I would or would not recommend this book to my peers, and why: The author gives interesting facts about Spartan culture, its soldiers, attitudes of religion, and gripping battle scenes. The novel is extremely entertaining and gives a fascinating insight into courage, discipline, love, and war. Based on all of these reason I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading of history or war.

La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre :: Our Lady of Charity South Florida

La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre One of the primary unifying forces of the Cuban community in South Florida is La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre, or Our Lady of Charity. In 1898, after Cuba won its independence from Spain, she became the official patroness of the island. The Cuban soldiers credited their victory to the Virgin's intervention in their crusade for independence. The Virgin is seen as a religious tradition that strongly unites Cubans on both sides of the Florida Straits. In South Florida, Cubans throughout the United States gather each year to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Charity on September the eighth. Alongside the traditional Catholic service, many within the exile congregation offer their hopes and prayers, to the Virgin, for a Cuba free from communism. Though Cuba is where the celebration of La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre originated, each year, her statue, which was smuggled out of Cuba in 1961, is ferried by boat to Miami Marine Stadium. The reason for smuggling the statue, a scant two years after Fidel's revolution, was because the Catholic religion was not allowed to be openly practiced within Cuba. In recent years, a mass has been celebrated to honor La Virgen at the Hialeah racetrack. Taking all these South Florida celebrations into account, one could say that the Virgin plays an important role in the lives of many Cuban men and women who make the journey from Cuba to the free shores of the Florida coastline. They rely on her for protection and guidance while journeying across the Caribbean Sea. La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre as well as La Ermita de la Caridad del Cobre, the church that was constructed in her honor, have both become important Cuban cultural landmarks. Built along a stretch of Biscayne Bay, her shrine was completed with the donations of newly arrived Cuban exiles. The $420,000 raised helped pay for the construction costs. La Ermita can be seen as a unifying force for the Cuban population in South Florida; with the entire community contributing to the construction and maintenance of this site, she belongs to everyone.

The Cather in the Rye :: Free Essay Writer

The Cather in the Rye Nog voor hij het de klas instapte wist hij het al. Moest hij dit wel doen? Was het wel zo verstandig? Al maandenlang had Bertus B. rondgelopen met het plan. Steeds opnieuw hadden angst en onzekerheid hem ervan weerhou-den het ten uitvoer te brengen. Dagen lang had hij staan kijken bij dit, op het eerste gezicht lege en onschuldige klaslokaal. Maar plotseling op dat midder-nachtelijk uur, nam hij de beslissing en liep met zekere passen het lege donkere klaslokaal binnen. Het duurde even voordat zijn ogen gewend waren aan het donker en het lokaal. Stap voor stap kwam hij dichter-bij het gat in de vloer vliering. Langzaam kroop hij op zijn knieà «n naar een doos. Hij klikte het slotje open en pakte er een pistool eruit. Het had het al diverse malen gebruikt om zijn zogenaamde klusjes te klaren. Hij vergrendelde het pistool met de veiligheidspal en stopte het in z’n jaszak. Hij deed de doos weer op slot en liep zachtjes het lokaal uit. Bertus liep op zijn tenen om de congiere maar niet te wekken uit zijn verdoving, als die wakker werd waren de poppen aan het dansen. Hij t rok de rits van zijn leren zwarte jas helemaal dicht en sloop de nooduitgang uit. De lamp buiten sprong aan. Zonder naar te denken zette Bertus het op een lopen en verdween in de donkere nacht. Toen hij thuis kwam sloop hij zachtjes naar de schuur. Tegen de wand stond een breekijzer, hij wikkelde deze in kranten en hield het ijzer onder zijn jas. In zijn hoofd ging hij alle mogelijkheden na. Had hij alles? Kon iemand hem? Of nog erger HAD iemand hem gezien? Hij zette deze gedacht uit zijn hoofd en liep zachtjes naar buiten. Hij liep zonder na te denken naar de afgesproken plaats waar hij Arie zou ontmoeten. Van een afstand zag hij Arie al staan. Arie was helemaal in het zwart gekleedt. Arie liep op hem af, en ging naast hem lopen. "Vanmiddag gaat het beginnen en komen ze langs, tot dan hebben wij de tijd", zei hij. Bertus knikte instemmend. Hij rook aan Arie dat hij weer gedron-ken had. "Ik dacht dat je opgehouden was met drinken, dit valt me van je tegen. Zeker als we een klus gaan klaren heb ik liever dat je nuchter bent.

Classical and Operant Conditioning

Classical and Operant Conditioning Classical conditioning is a basic form of learning in which one stimulus comes to serve as a signal for the occurrence of a second stimulus. During classical conditioning, organisms acquire information about the relations between various stimuli, not simple associations between them. (Psychology, pg. 170). In classical condition a stimulus, or a physical event capable of affecting behavior, that initially doesn’t elicit a particular response can obtain the capacity to elicit that response as a result of repeated pairing with a stimulus that can elicit a response.Classical conditioning became part of a careful study in the early twentieth century, when the Russian psychologist Ivan Pavlov identified it as an important behavioral process. Pavlov started out his research focusing on the process of digestion in dogs. Along his research he noticed that the dogs from his studies often began to salivate when they saw or smelled food but before they even tasted it. Some of the dogs even salivated at sight of the pan where the food was kept, or at the sight of the person who usually brings the food. Pavlov said that the stimuli had somehow became signals for the food itself.The dogs had learned that when the signals were present, food would soon follow. Pavlov quickly recognized the potential importance of his observation and started shifting his research. His experiment started out with a neutral stimulus, or a stimulus that has no previous effect of salivation such as the bell. He rang the bell then immediately followed it by a second stimulus know to produce salivation, such as a dried meat powder that was placed directly in the dogs mouth. The meat powder is considered to be the unconditioned stimulus or UCS, because the ability to salivate was automatic and not learned.On the flipside the salivation of the dog to the meat powder is the unconditioned response or UCR. The bell now is termed the conditioned stimulus or CS beca use the ability for it to elicit saliva from the dog is dependent on being paired with the meat powder. Salvation in response to just the bell is called the conditioned response or CR. He found that if you ring the bell then give the god the meat powder soon or later the dog will start to salivate just to the ring of the bell without the meat powder even present.Extinction is the process in which you lose the ability to evoke conditioned response when it no longer is followed by a unconditioned stimulus. In the case of Pavlov’s dogs, extinction could occur if Pavlov kept ringing the bell and not following it up with the meat powder. This means the dog no longer salivates in response to the bell. If Pavlov keeps ringing the bell sometimes the dog might remember about the meat powder and salivate even though no meat powder is present. This is called reconditioning.This means the rapid recovery of a conditioned response (CR) to a conditioned stimulus (CS)- unconditioned stimulus (UCS) pairing. Let’s say Pavlov stops working with the dogs for several weeks because he is working on other research, then suddenly goes back to the dogs and rings the bell, the dogs should in theory then salivate due to a process called spontaneous recovery. This is the reappearance of a weakened conditioned response (CR) to a conditioned stimulus (CS) after an interval of time following extinction.If Pavlov was cooking something and the timer goes off making a ringing sound, the dogs most likely would salivate because of a process called stimulus generalization, or the tendency of stimuli similar to a conditioned stimulus (CS) to evoke conditioned responses (CR). Through the process of stimulus discrimination, or the process by which organisms learn to respond to certain stimuli but not to others, the dogs will salivate to the ring of a bell but if the door bell rand they would not salivate because they discriminate and can tell the difference between the bell and the doo r bell.Psychology. about. com says that classical conditioning is used in everyday life by many dog trainers helping to train people’s pets. Some techniques are also helpful in the treatment of many phobias or anxiety problems. Teachers can apply classical conditioning in the classroom by creating a positive classroom environment to help students overcome anxiety or fear especially with classroom speeches. It helps to get the student relaxed instead of anxious. Operant conditioning is a process through which organisms learn to repeat behaviors that yield positive outcomes.In operant conditioning it is broken down into reinforcements and punishments. In the reinforcement part there are two reinforcers, positive and negative. A positive reinforcement is a stimulus that strengthens responses, and a negative reinforcement is a stimulus that strengthens responses that permit the organism to avoid or escape from their presence. An example of a positive reinforcement is when I broug ht home my report card in 6th grade and there were all A’s my mom and dad gave me 5 dollars for every A.The target behavior for that example would be the getting A’s and the positive reinforcement would be my parents giving me 5 dollars an A. An example of a negative reinforcement would be on a cold and dark morning your all snug and warm under your covers, and suddenly your alarm clack goes off across the room. Getting out of the warm bed is the last thing you want to do but the noise is intolerable. The target behavior is turning off the alarm, and the negative reinforcement is getting out of the warm bed in order to turn off the annoying alarm clock.The punishment section of operant conditioning is broken in half just about the same way. There is negative and positive punishment. In negative punishment, the rate if a behavior is weakened or decreased because the behavior is linked to the loss of potential reinforcements. An example of a negative punishment is in a k indergarten class a young boy lashes out and hits the teacher in the stomach with a pencil as he throws it. The teacher sentences him to 10 minutes in the time out corner. The target behavior is the lashing out and throwing the pencil.The negative punishment is the 10 minutes of isolation in the corner. In positive punishment, stimuli weaken responses that precede them. For example you are driving home from work at an excessive speed, About 25 mile per hour over the speed limit. As you go over the little hill you see a state trooper parked on the side of the highway with his radar gun pointed right at you. The next thing you know is the flashing lights are right behind you and pulling you over. You get a pretty hefty ticket for your speeding. After you pay your fine you always obey the speed limit signs.The target behavior in this example is the speeding and the positive punishment is the speeding ticket you receive for speeding. B. F. Skinner is known as the father of operant condi tioning. He invented a box called the Skinner box where a rat is trapped inside with a lever. Every time the rat presses the lever it receives a food pellet. Shaping might have to be used in order to get the rat to press the lever. Shaping is a technique in which closer and closer approximations to desired behavior are required for the delivery of positive reinforcement.Basically this means Skinner might have had to shock the rat’s feet when the rat started going the wrong way. That way it will remember to not go that way. When it finally presses the lever the food pellet drops and it works as a positive reinforcement because if the rat got a food pellet from pressing the lever maybe he will do in again and remember that whenever you press the lever you get rewarded with a food pellet. There are many different schedules of reinforcement you can follow. A schedule of reinforcement is rules determining when and how reinforcements will be delivered.A continuous reinforcement sch edule is a schedule in which every occurrence of a particular behavior is reinforced. A fixed interval schedule is a schedule of reinforcement in which a specific interval of time must elapse before a response will yield reinforcement. There is also variable-interval schedule which is a schedule in which a variable amount of time must elapse before a response will yield reinforcement. A fixed ratio schedule occurs only after a fixed number of responses have been emitted.Variable-ratio schedules are delivered after a variable number of responses have been performed. The last is a concurrent schedule of reinforcement. It is situations in which two or more behaviors each have its own reinforcement schedule and are simultaneously available. Works Cited * Baron, Robert A. Psychology (With Mind Matters CD-ROM). Danbury: Allyn & Bacon, Incorporated, 2000. * â€Å"Classical Conditioning – Introduction to Classical Conditioning. † Psychology – Student Resources – Psychology Articles. 06 Jan. 2009 . * Plotnik, Rod, Haig Kouyoumdjian, Dennis Coon, and John O. Mitterer. Introduction to Psychology 1505. Cincinnati State Technical & Community College. Mason, Ohio: Cengage Learning, 2008. * Skinner, Burrhus F. About Behaviorism. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. , 1974. * Staddon, John. The New Behaviorism : Mind, Mechanism and Society. New York: Psychology P, 2000. * Wade, Carole, and Carol Tavris. Psychology. New York: Addison-Wesley Longman, Limited, 1996. * Watson, John B. Behaviorism. New York: The People's Institute Company, Inc. , 1924.

Divorce Should Be Legalized in the Philippines Essay

I. Introduction Marriage is meant to last forever and vows usually include the phrase, â€Å"’til death do us part†. These are the words that most of us believed. Marriage is regarded as a sacred union between a man and a woman, thus, it must be cherished and valued with love. But what if the love that a couple once shared together fades away? What if the love becomes weak and unstable as time passes by? What if everything changes and a person started to live a life full of misery? One of their options to solve these problems would be the divorce. It should be implemented in the Philippines. Present situation demands it. Reality tells us that there are many failed, unhappy marriages across the nation. Marriage is never as blissful as people expect. Divorce is never as devastating as people imagine. Divorce gives people a fresh start to lead better lives. Living in a marriage where love, respect, friendship, and compatibility are gone is a life without hope. Let us think about other people suffering due to unhappiness brought by their marriage. What is the sense of being binded by a piece of paper when it is actually ruining your whole life? Divorce nullifies marriage, therefore, giving couples the freedom to remarry and to escape from an unhappy relationship. Divorce should be legalized in the Philippines. II. Background of the Paper This research paper entitled â€Å"Divorce should be legalized in the Philippines† aims to convince the readers by presenting different evidences that could change the reader’s perspective regarding the issue. The pieces of evidence that we gathered are from the articles of Evelyn Ursua (Positively Filipino) and Anne Umil (Bulatlat) entitled â€Å"Why the Philippines needs a divorce law?† and â€Å"Divorce bill, providing a remedy for women in abusive marriages†, an excerpt from Sen. Pia Cayetano’s privilege speech, annual comparative statistics on violence against women (2004-2011) and a poll result in an online website. The purposes of this research study are to define divorce and its concepts and to better understand the benefits of divorce when legalized in the Philippines. This paperwork also intends to review the issues and arguments that are being raised by the Filipinos. Also, this aims to clarify points about the issue. This paper covers the situation of fail and unhappy marriages in the country. Beyond all, this research paper is made to encourage and persuade the Filipinos to support the legalization of divorce in the country. A divorce is a legal action between married people to terminate their marriage relationship. It can be referred to as dissolution of marriage and is basically, the legal action that ends the marriage before the death of either spouse. The purpose of a divorce is to terminate the parties’ marriage. Marriage is a legal contract or a social union that unites people of the opposite sex who agree to live as a husband and a wife. It is a binding contract between two people who decide to join their lives, income and possessions. Marriage relationship forms a family unit that consists of a father, mother and children. It is also an institution where people acknowledge interpersonal relationships, which is usually sexual and intimate. Most people and cultures formalize a marriage union through a wedding ceremony. Reasons for marriage include emotional, social, legal, religion and spiritual obligations. An annulment is legal decree that states that a marriage was never valid. The legal effect of an annulment is to void the marriage as though it never existed. Cases where annulments have been granted in the past based on fraud includes citizenship, sexual relationship, character, honesty, health, financial, and religi on III. Body Divorce has become one of the major issues in our society for the past years. The social acceptability of divorce has varied widely across historical periods, religious faiths, and cultures but not in the Philippines. Other than the Vatican City, Philippines is the only nation that outlaws divorce. The Philippines is known for being a strong Christian nation, with over 80% of its population as Roman Catholics. They are the group that is known to be against the divorce issue. According to the article from Positively Filipino Magazine entitled â€Å"Why the Philippines Needs a Divorce Law† by Evalyn Ursua, the Catholic Church will be the greatest opponent of the divorce bill. It was once argue against the bill on moral grounds. But the Catholic Church does not need to worry. The institutions of marriage and the family have survived to this day, as they will survive a Philippine divorce law. We are a secular state, where no religious group has the right to define law or policy for the entire population. The law should only give people a choice, to be exercised according to their own personal beliefs. We can clearly see that our Catholic orientation has been a dominant factor. Divorce is something that we should adopt. Remember that Spain is the root of Christianity yet divorce had been implemented. They are now benefiting from it. A lot of people fear that divorce might erode the values and teachings of the Catholic Church. The cases of Italy and Spain (two Catholic countries which practice divorce) are clear evidences of its invalidity. In accordance with House Bill No. 1799 filed by the Gabriela Women’s Party last July 27, 2010, Italy had only 7% while Spain registers 15% of divorce rate. In addition to that, over 90% of the poll respondents are in favor of divorce. In an official poll that ran from December 19 to January 3, 92.44 percent or 40,414 voted â€Å"Yes† to the question, â€Å"Are you in favor of divorce in the Philippines?† This shows that the public, regardless of their marital status, is now more open to accept the possibility of divorce. Everyone should have the right to escape from a bad marriage and be happy again. Falling into wrong decision actually happens. If we legalize divorce in our country, people with fail marriage will be given a chance and freedom to choose the right one for them so they will not have to suffer from a marriage that is not working anymore. Moreover, there’s no assurance that people who get divorced want to find a new spouse. Everyday, there are Filipinos who get married, bear children, separate and get into other relationships, regardless of what the law says. The lack of a divorce law for Filipinos complicates further the marital and family problems of many Filipinos. Our Government has clearly failed to respond to their needs. If the country wants to move forward, it has to confront the realities of marital and family life of Filipinos in the Philippines. Let’s give other people another chance to live life with their desired happiness. The divorce law needs to be legalized in the Philippines now. The researchers also put forward the claim that the process of Annulment is allowed in the Philippines but why not divorce? After all, Annulment and divorce are just the same – it targets separation. However, Annulment only allows a legal separation through a legal settlement. This will not allow any of the parties to remarry. Because of the Family Code, some Filipinos think that we do not need a divorce for it already provides to cease a marriage through â€Å"annulment†. This argument misleads. The remedy of annulment is based on specified grounds that occurred at the time of the celebration of the marriage, such as lack of parental consent and vitiated consent. The remedy of annulment expires, and the defect may actually be cured by ratification through free and voluntary cohabitation (Positively Filipino, 2013). When lay people speak of â€Å"annulment† as a means of terminating a marriage, they actually refer to the remedy under Article 36 of the Family Code. Article 36 declares that a marriage is void from the beginning when one or both spouses are psychologically incapacitated to perform the essential marital obligations. Under Article 36, a court does not terminate a marriage but only declares it void. One must prove psychological incapacity by presenting evidence on three essential elements of the condition: that it already existed before the marriage; that it is grave or serious; and that it is incurable. To do this, one usually needs the help of a psychiatrist or psychologist to testify as an expert witness (Positively Filipino, 2013). Article 36 of the Family Code only nullifies a marriage when one has proved that he or she is psychologically incapacitated (Bulatlat, 2011). Therefore, annulment has no defined grounds and terms for terminating a marriage. Here is why the writers assert that divorce should be implemented in the Philippines. In support to this, Senator Pia Cayetano once stated in her privilege speech, â€Å"I’ll tell you why. I’ve talked to lawyers, psychologists and psychiatrists and it’s so traumatic to go through annulment because under our Philippine laws, you have to blame someone, you have to say you’re incapacitated, you’re saying that this marriage never existed, which is not true,† A divorce law will provide a remedy that Article 36 does not. Divorce does not concern itself with validity or invalidity of a marriage. It terminates a marriage based on a ground that occurred during the marriage, which makes the marital relationship no longer tenable, regardless of the spouse’s psychological constitution. A divorce law will provide a straightforward remedy to a marital failure. It will benefit Filipinos wherever they are. Conforming to an article (Bulatlat, 2011), an annulment case takes two years or longer to arrive at a conclusion. It could reach P250, 000 which includes attorney fees, court docketing fee and filing fees, etc. In 2010, a little over 7000 couples were granted annulment; most of these are well-to-do, because it takes a lot of money to have an annulment (WordPress, 2011). A blogger whose marriage is annulled claims that she disbursed P100, 000 for the judge, solicitor general and initial investigator, as well as everybody involved in the case since her annulment case is not moving after one year. After shelling out P100, 000, the case was concluded within a month. The total cost of the process was P175, 000 (Bulatlat, 2011). Thus, if the law is passed, divorce will be cheaper than annulment. Given the fact that most of the people in our country are financially challenged to stop unhealthy married life, divorce is the way to get peace out of a futile marriage. Divorce is the answer for both men and women who feel used, battered or tortured mentally in their marriage. Today, divorce is one way to le ssen violence. Annulment is just a legal separation and does not allow women to have a right to be happily remarried. This completely rejects the idea of new life– divorce does. The last and final argument that the researchers want to specify is the increasing rate of battered wife in the Philippines. The most common violence against women in the Philippines is the intimate partner violence – but married women in the Philippines have no way out. The abuse can be verbal, physical or psychological. According to the Annual Comparative Statistics on Violence against Women (2004 – 2011), wife battery ranked highest at 49% of all forms of violence and abuse against women. This is one of the reasons why divorce should be legalized in the Philippines. Women, nowadays, lack confidence because they know that there are no laws to support them. Couples remain living together due to the lack of a law that would allow them to legally and properly part ways, and seek the peace and happiness that they couldn’t find in their present partner. It would be best for a couple to part ways rather than to live together under one roof and sin through their violence that will affect and traumatize the innocent children. In millions of households, both men and women who are trapped in marital commitment constantly quarrel, often in front of their helpless children who grow up in a confused and violent environment. Often, men turn to other women and bear illegitimate children, and then abandon their legal wives and children because of laxity of laws that should have held them accountable. As stated in an article entitled â€Å"Philippines needs divorce law.† by Val G. Abelgas, â€Å"It is not a coincidence that those pushing for the divorce bill in Congress are women. It is also not a coincidence that all over the world, a big percentage of those filing for divorce are women. It is not difficult to understand that in most failed marriages, it is the women who suffer more – victims of domestic abuse and violence, and neglected or abandoned by philandering or alcoholic husbands.† Many of these women suffer in silence in the Philippines. And yet, they are confined to their hopeless situation because of the lack of a divorce law. It is obvious that most of people who are in favor in legalization of divorce in Philippines are women. We cannot deny the fact that they are the usual victims of abusive marriages. Divorce might be the solution to these problems. It could provide protection to the battered women and their children. It could save a wife from being beaten daily by a drunken husband. Divorce wouldn’t necessarily destroy the foundation of the family. It gives hope to the couples to rebuild their lives and have a normal relationship. It’s a reality that many are suffering from abusive marriages. Why let someone be stuck in a marriage where love and respect don’t exist anymore? Why deny them the chance to regain their liberty and happiness? Not legalizing divorce is a total injustice to these people. IV. Counter Argument The opponents, particularly the Catholic Church, claim that â€Å"What God has put together, let no man put asunder† or â€Å"Marriage is sacred, what was bound by God can’t be dissolved by man†. They believe that God did not make man and woman to be united and then separated if they got into some problems. For this reason, Catholic Church argues that divorce is contrary to the law of God, â€Å"Divorce breaks the contract to which the spouses freely consented to live with each other till death†. Therefore, people who opposed the divorce bill think it was only men who want it, not God. Furthermore, â€Å"moralists† feel that the divorce bill will just result to the breakdown of families. They concede that strong family foundation is the backbone of a stable society. Divorce threatens this foundation that can lead to the erosion of the society. It weakens the bond between the couple that tends to lessen the chance of facing the hardships and difficulties of a married couple. This instability of the families may yieldto the rearrangements and readjustments of the familial relationships that may bring psychological problems to the children. Children will become maladjusted and potentially harmful or destructive adults. Hence, they suppose that divorce will make the value and institution of marriage meaningless. Moreover, critics said that divorce is unconstitutional. They contended that it is stated in the 1987 Philippine Constitution that â€Å"Marriage is an inviolable social institution, is the foundation of the family and shall be protected by the State†. Divorce will be a threat against the family which the constitution pledged to protect as an inviolable institution. Therefore, to be able to allow divorce, the constitution would need t o be amended first. V. Conclusion We, the researchers, therefore conclude that divorce should be legalized in the Philippines because couples should have the option to choose for remedies that will help them in obtaining their self actualization. The remedy is divorce. They should have the right to escape from marriages that they entered before and let them live a new and happy life. Given the aforementioned evidences, the researchers strongly claim that legalizing divorce would be a big help for Filipinos. The lawmakers should prioritize the divorce bill because the existing laws are not enough to address their needs. What we need is a divorce law that defines clearly and unequivocally the grounds and terms for terminating a marriage. Life is too short to be married to someone you don’t want to be married to. Divorce is a choice and we all should have the freedom to make choices. Simplify the divorce process and let the couples continue on with their lives in to find the partner they will be happy with to live their lives. Furthermore, in cases where a union is more harmful than beneficial, a divorce can be a benevolent and less hurtful way of severing ties with your partner. When the marriage is no longer viable, divorce should be an option. . References Abelgas, V.G. (2012, May 29). Philippines needs divorce law. Global Balita. Retrieved from http://globalbalita.com/2012/05/29/philippines-needs-divorce-law/ Umil, A.M.D.(2011, June 14). Divorce bill, providing a remedy for women in abusive marriages. Retrieved from http://bulatlat.com/main/2011/06/14/divorce-bill-providing-a-remedy-for-women-in-abusive-marriages/ Ursua, E.G. (2013, February 1). Why the Philippines needs a divorce law? Positively Filipino Magazine. Retrieved from http://positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/ 2013/2/why-the-philippines-needs-a-divorce-law Statistics on violence against Filipino women. Philippine Commission on Women. (2012, October 2). Retrieved from http://pcw.gov.ph/statistics/201210/statistics-violence-against-filipino-women Over 90% of poll respondents favor divorce in PH. Inquirer News. (2013, January 3). Retrieved from http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/334579/over-90-of-poll-respondents-favor-divorce-in-ph