Friday, December 27, 2019

Report Of A Devastating Famine Of Malawi - 2250 Words

Reports of a devastating famine in Malawi first surfaced as rumors coming from rural areas of the country around October 2001. Malawians in the cities, including government officials in Lilongwe, the capital, were slow to believe, or act on, the persistent accounts. Even when well-known advocacy groups like the Malawi Economic Justice Network (MEJN) and the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace presented data to back up the reports, they were dismissed as lacking credibility. But incredible as it may have seemed, Malawi - hardly a desert state, but a densely-populated country in a lush region - really was facing catastrophic food shortages in the wake of a combination of flooding and a regional drought, and after over a decade of â€Å"structural adjustment† policies designed by the IMF. The crisis in rural Malawi finally hit the headlines on February 22, 2002, when MEJN succeeded in attracting attention to its call for government and donor action. It dewmanded that â€Å"the Government should acknowledge that there is hunger in Malawi; make the holding of maize a crime, subsidize the price of maize in Malawi; government and civil society should provide food supplies to vulnerable groups.† At this point, the mainstream international media started broadcasting reports of a famine emergency, desperation and critical food shortages. An international blame game has emerged between the government of Malawi and the IMF. Malawi’s President, Bakili Muluzi, declared: â€Å"The IMF is to blameShow MoreRelatedThe Key Skills Needed By A Social Worker?2352 Words   |  10 Pagescounselling and support through a crisis that may be due to death, illness, relationship breakdown or other reasons. Guide small groups of people to share their experiences, support each other and learn social skills. Provide letters of referral or reports that will help client to obtain other services such as crisis accommodation or social security (From Job Guide 2014). What kinds of jobs are available in Australia and AfricaRead MoreDiscuss the Importance of Non Verbal Communication to Education24125 Words   |  97 Pagesadult prevalence, high impact levelFocus on REHABILITATIONNational-level examples: the United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda. | Phase 3: High HIV/AIDS adult prevalence, high impact levelFocus on IMPACT ALLEVIATIONNational-level examples: Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. | 48. Since HIV/AIDS is a long-wave disaster, measures to reduce its spread and impact are required before, during and after the peak of the epidemic. Before an HIV epidemic makes its impact felt, response

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Aging During Place Is It The Best Alternative For The...

Option number 2. A Position Paper TOPIC: Aging in Place: Is it the best alternative for the elderly. Abstract As the older adult population in the United States continues its accelerated growth, there is a growing concern about the long-term care options for these elders. While nursing homes are no longer desirable and costly for federal and state governments, viable alternatives are being sought to meet this need. The development and rapid expansion of the numbers of assisted living communities have grown as older adults, family caregivers and government bureaucrats are looking for lower cost options. How beneficial are assisted living communities for the older adults that live in them? Most older adults seek to avoid multiple moves to meet their care needs and desire to age in place within a residential setting. The findings of this study conclude that assisted living communities provide significant benefits to older adults by the provision of supportive services to help in areas of activities of daily living. There are some assisted living communities that are more able to accommodate re sidents to age in place based on the provision of necessary services, highly personalized service and reasonable accommodations that are needed to help with physical decline. Finally, the assisted living communities operate along the continuum of care and facilitateShow MoreRelatedWorking With The Elderly Population1475 Words   |  6 Pagesgrandmother s illness during the adolescent years in my life I knew that I had a passion to care for the elderly (aging) population. From this passion, it ignited a fire so strong that I pursue my certified nursing assistant certification to gain a better understanding of working with the elderly population. By doing so, it has been a great benefit to my life; aging is an inevitable experience that we all will go through during our life. It is important to ensure that our elderly individuals are stillRead MoreIntern Reflection Paper871 Words   |  4 PagesIntern Reflection Paper The internship that I acquired during the summer of 2010 at the Greenwood Sports and Industrial Rehabilitation Center (GSIRC), allowed me to gain an immeasurable amount of experience during my tenure at this facility. Within this period, the exposure to new concepts within the physical therapy industry allowed me to observe and work hands on with patients of all ages and disabilities that exposed me to various treatment plans and programs to restore client’s mobility. TheRead MoreFor the most part, I have to agree with the critical theorists: learning barriers do exist. In1400 Words   |  6 Pageslessons to our children, offer free classes at convenient places such as local churches, parks and community centers. Local representatives can take the message to their constituents by visiting their neighborhoods; holding BBQ’s and showing people that they matter. Television advertising campaigns are not the solution, they send the message that â€Å"you should fix it yourself† rather than as a nation, â€Å"we can fix this together†. ITEM TWO: Alternative B1: According to Kinsella and He (2009),Read MoreEssay on Later Adulthood Development1040 Words   |  5 Pagessituation, family relationships, and social relationships are all things that can be affected in some way by later adulthood. It is important for one to understand to the best of their ability the processes and events that take place in later adulthood, because it is something that almost everybody will eventually experience. During the stage of later adulthood individual’s roles in life begin to change. â€Å"Older people are erroneously thought to be senile, resistant to change, inflexible, incompetentRead MoreThe Aging Population Of America9973 Words   |  40 PagesIntroduction The aging population in America is growing quickly and is projected to double by the year 2050. The current growth in the number and proportion of older adults in the United States is unprecedented in our nation’s history. By 2050, it is anticipated that Americans aged 65 or older will number nearly 89 million people (The State of Aging and Health in America, 2013). Along with this increase in the aging population, it is estimated that by the year 2020, 157 million Americans will haveRead MoreSocial Security a Challenge to Public Finance1824 Words   |  7 Pagessecurity. (ssa.gov) Social Security was enacted as part of the New Deal. Its purpose was to provide a safety net for the elderly and their direct survivors, as well, temporary unemployment benefits. The funding was a compulsory taxation of the employed workforce in shared responsibility with the employers (Hyman 2010 p. 312). The legislation was clear on the system design during the time of creation. Pensions were f unded through tax payrolls, a separate tax for health insurance and finally the taxRead MoreLife Cycle Of A Human Being Essay1769 Words   |  8 Pagesactivities of daily living. Similarly, the elderly population requires aid and advice to maintain independence in the later years of life. In this paper, I will discuss laws that have affected this community, services available in Florida to assist the elderly, the role of social workers in aged care and my personal experience being a caregiver for an elderly family member. Aging Services History Two federal acts have impacted the elderly. The first act took place in 1935; Title I forged a partnershipRead MoreEssay about Retirement of The Baby Boomer Generation2578 Words   |  11 Pagesolder population is age eighty five and older. The baby boomer generation will soon reach the retirement age, and expected to redefine old age. Just as they have redefine every stage of their lives because boomers will be the largest generation of elderly, they will impact everything from housing to health care as the market and society caters to their wealth, longevity, and interest in new technology (Dytchweld K. 1999). The baby boomer generations also the first to have the luxury to examine personalRead More Aging:The Original Human Condition Essay3397 Words   |  14 PagesAging:The Original Human Condition Aging is a phenomena we are all familiar with, a trait characteristic of all humankind, in fact, of all living organisms. What are the effects of aging, especially those which go beyond the biological aspects and effect the social aspects of changing roles, seniority, and treatment of the aged? What was the original human condition before high-tech medical interventions redefined death and dying, before the industrial age changed the nature of the nuclear andRead MoreAge Is Just a Number1540 Words   |  7 Pagesdate the Elder was born; the Elder too tends to look beyond that number and will follow along leading to experiences one might not think Elders of LTC facilities might still accomplish. Here is what Betty has shared with me about her experiences with aging. I have had the privilege to care for Betty for six years. I have traveled with her to Baltimore Md., Albany, NY, and have shared eight weeks of cake decorating classes with her. The magic number inside Betty’s char t today reads 85. Just how important

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Educational autobiography free essay sample

Most people go back to school because they need a degree to obtain a higher paying job or for the thrill of lifelong learning. Its hard to gain proper employment without it these days. Employers prefer someone with a Liberal Arts degree lacking experience over someone with years of experience and no degree. My neices struggles and constant encouragement from my supervisor were some factors that lead to my decison to return to school. I realized that continuing an education will be good for my personal and professional growth. Ive been working with the Intellectually Disabled population since 2004, I received a promotion from Direct Support worker to Group Leader supervising a group of 3 staff teaching the disabled individuals in a classroom setting. I remembered being asked by my supervisor if I had plans on furthering my education. She recommended enrolling at Audrey Cohen (she is an allumuni) for a Bachelors degree. We will write a custom essay sample on Educational autobiography or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Taking her advice I attempted to enroll, passed the entrance exam then faced roadblocks. Denied financial aid because of outstanding loans, I was forced to put attending school on hold. The loans since then have been resolved. Passing that hurdle did not motivate me to reapply. I had become complacent for 7 years comfortable with my status, Crystal ( my niece) had since enrolled in college and will graduate from BMCC later this year. I admire the dedication she has. Her journey has been a rough one tempting her to quit numerous times. At 24, single mother dealing with the loss of her fiance, she attends school, completes her assignments and remains focused. She shared her plans on becoming a PA (Physican Assistant) which will require her continuing school after graduation. Her relentless struggle has inspired me to want it to. Not qualifying for more promotions, and the fear of being stuck as a Group Leader for 7 more years frightened me. Seeing job openings for MSC ( Medicaid Service Coordinator), Manager, Assistant Manager, knowing the only thing that kept me from them was a college degree filled me with resentment. I needed a change, I decided to go back to school. I enrolled and received financial aids approval. I started my first semester on January 27, 2014 at the College of New Rochelle. I will be working towards a Bachelors degree in Liberal Arts (Psychology). My plans upon completion are to assist others with identifying the obstacles in their lives that are preventing their emotional growth, and overcoming them. During my first class the instructor ( Mr. Gaddy) mentioned a quote by George Elliott. Its never too late,to be what you might have been. I felt he was speaking directly to me. It felt lie he was speaking directly to me. It seemed that everything in my life up to this point was preparing me for where I am today. I needed to experience the roadblocks, encounter the motivators, even the resentment I felt was pushing me in the direction I needed to go, towards success!.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

The Importance Of The Mining Industry Essays - Mining,

The Importance of the Mining Industry The importance of mining is definitely significant to Canada. Mining, is an important industry, and Canadians are very advanced in their mining technology, but during the mining process, there is certain level of pollution produced. The Canadian government and the mining companies have very good plans and controls toward this problem, while ensuring the smooth running of the industries, and also helping to create strong economy and employment. The world of today could not exist without mineral products. Canada produces about 60 minerals and ranks first among producing countries1. As well, Canada is the largest exporter of minerals, with more than 20 per cent of production shipped to world markets2. In a typical year, the mining industry is responsible for almost 20 per cent of Canada's total export earnings3 (See Appendix A). As for the employment rate, over 70 per cent of the mines are owned by Canadians and approximately 108,000 Canadians are directly employed in the mining industry4. Mining is very important in Canadian life. Not only do the products power the family car and heat the family home, the manufacturing sector, the high tech industries and even the better known resource industries are all dependent, in some way, on the mining industry. The mining industry will continue to be an important support to the economy. Mining is taking full advantage of the quick expansion of computers and microelectronics. These technologies are found in nearly every aspect of mineral development activity - from exploration methods, through production, mineral processing and even marketing. Computers and related equipment now have a lot of different applications in geophysical logging, geochemistry, geological mapping and surface contouring5. At the mine planning stage, the job of designing a mine is now greatly simplified by automation. Through the use of advanced software, geological mod els can be produced from drill hole data. Computers are also being used to develop plans for mine expansion, develop mining schedules for yearly, quarterly and in some cases, weekly operations. At the operating stage, this new technology is everywhere6. Both in research and operational applications, automated mine monitoring systems now determine immediate information on the status of equipment in underground or remote locations. Canada produces its 60 mineral products from roughly 300 mines across the country7. Before these products can make the trip from mines to the marketplace, they must be searched for, staked, tested, analyzed, developed. There are many difference methods to mine for minerals, an "open pit" mine is one of the method we use today. The ore - waste material along with the minerals, is recovered directly from the surface. Drilling rigs are used to drill holes into the ore areas and blasting charges will be set in them to br eak loose the ore. The ore: first stop is at the primary crushing station, often located underground, where the large chunks of ore are crushed to a finer size. Further crushing is required prior to sending the ore to the mill where it is ground to a fine powder8. The purpose of crushing and grinding is to free the minerals from the rock. Treatment may consist of gravity or chemical concentration techniques. The end product of the mill is a concentrate, whereby the percentage of valuable mineral has been increased by a factor of 10 to as much as 50 times contained in the ore9. The concentration operation may be complicated or relatively simple, depending on the mineral content of the ore. Milling processes are designed to separate the valuable minerals from the undesired minerals. Although the milling process separates valuable minerals from waste, it does not actually recover the metals in final form. The smelting operation treats the metal-bear ing concentrate further, up-grading it to purer form called "matte". Basically: The ore concentrates are mixed with other materials and treated at high temperatures to change the material to other chemical forms. The metal in the matte can be separated further. Further treatment is applied to the final purification of the metal and finishing to the standards required in the metal-using industries. Mining, as we understanding, is a very important industry. But there are underlying dangers to our environment. Mining companies and the government have realized

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Blake Chapman Essays (525 words) - Cinema Of The United States

Blake Chapman Period 1 3/5/17 The Help Welcome to Jackson, Mississippi, in 1963, a place where African-American maids work in the homes of white women cleaning, cooking, and raising the children. Most of them are treated shamefully and are forced to listen to nasty comments on their failings and derogatory remarks about their race, including charges that colored people carry disease. What is forgotten is the patience, loyalty, and tender loving care the maids give to the often neglected children of their employers. The (2011) film "The Help", based on a novel by Kathryn Stockett, Starring Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Octavia Spencer, takes place in the world of Southern women. The white men may rule the world but not their own households so they are deliberately shut out here. The prejudice they display toward their wives or girlfriends sets up a chain reaction where the white women take their own insecurities and inadequacies out on the black help. The book tells the story of Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960s, starting in 1962 and ending in 1964. These are turbulent times for the entire country but especially turbulent for the people in Jackson, who are being forced to face up to their old ways - ways that are no longer acceptable to many. For the most part those ways revolve around segregation and the mistreatment of the blacks that live and work in a white man's town. Skeeter plans to write a book to change white people's minds. Aibileen and minny are the oppressed maids searching for acceptance. Hilly is the white woman that mistreats blacks and doesn't want equality for blacks. Stone is one of our very best young actresses and she acquits herself well in this role. She makes you imagine that this might be how Scout from Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird might have turned out had she become a journalist: Too inquisitive, sensitive and empathetic not to brush aside the common wisdom of the day to see eternal truths about human beings. There are small moments in the film though that make you long for a movie that is not so deep-dish serious and self-conscious, a contemporary movie that could take advantage of the viewpoint of a half century to look at the past with a kind of cock-eyed grace such as the TV ser ies Mad Men . These moments come when you see a maid absurdly vacuuming a large stuffed bear. The Help is a serious drama that also has plenty of comic moments. You will care for all these characters. You will find yourself trying to figure out what makes them tick and the larger social context in which they live. You will worry with them, laugh with them, and, best of all, celebrate with them. This film has all the qualities of an engaging and heart-affecting movie. It was one of the Best Films of 2011 and even resulted in an Academy Award nomina tion for Viola Davis and a win for Octavia Spencer as Best Supporting Actress.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Compare and contrast the two worlds of Venice and Belmont depicted in Shakespears The Merchant of Venice Essays

Compare and contrast the two worlds of Venice and Belmont depicted in Shakespears The Merchant of Venice Essays Compare and contrast the two worlds of Venice and Belmont depicted in Shakespears The Merchant of Venice Paper Compare and contrast the two worlds of Venice and Belmont depicted in Shakespears The Merchant of Venice Paper Essay Topic: Back in the World Stories Merchant Of Venice Play The Lord Of the Rings the Fellowship Of the Ring The Merchant of Venice is a play written by Shakespeare. It corresponds two very contrasting stories and settings. One of these stories takes place in 16th century Venice and the other from Shakespeares imagination, Belmont. Both the stories have such different settings in them, which Shakespeare deliberately does. Theres The Bond Story, which takes place in Venice and then theres The Casket Story which takes place in Belmont. Both have totally different atmospheres and conflicting stories. Each setting forms the backdrop to two very different stories. The two settings have very dissimilar natures. Venice is a trading city with a thriving community. Venice is the centre of International trade making it a wealthy city. Shakespeare makes passing references to the citys features; Signor Antonio, many a time and oft In the Rialto you have rated me About my monies and my usances He continues; Since that the trade and profit of the city Consisteth of all nations. Therefore go. Belmont on the other hand comes from Shakespears imagination. Belmont is very femininely dominated. Its a wealthy city like Venice. Belmont is a fairy tale world of love and romance, which Shakespeare imagines it to be. It is a harmonious and tranquil city. Although we are not told if it is an island or not, we get passing references that give us a hint it is an island as it is described as a beautiful, opulent mansion; The watery kingdom, whose ambitious head Spits in the face of heaven, is no bar To stop the foreign spirits, but they come This shows the reader that the house must be a luxurious mansion. The phrase the watery kingdom shows it is Neptunes realm. Portia also shows the reader that her house is great; when Bassanio picks the right casket describes her house as this fair mansion. Belmont is the home of the rich Portia. Portia lives in a beautiful great mansion; But now I was the lord Of this fair mansion, master of my servants This shows that Belmont is magnificent, peaceful and tension free. The complete opposite to Venice. There are two main stories The Bond Story and The Casket Story. The bond story takes place in Venice and the casket story takes place in Belmont. Venice is a wealthy, trading city where much business man live. It consists of dramatic, tense events and is a place full of unhappy and unkind people, however it could be said that it also has a vibrant street life. The scenes in Venice mostly take place on the streets. It is very masculine. It is a mercantile risk-taking city. This is where the serious side of the play takes place. On the other hand Belmont is a city, which reflects tranquil, harmonious comedy. The main character of the bond story is the rich Jew, Shylock. He is the moneylender. The other characters in the casket story are Bassanio, an Italian lord who is a suitor to Portia, Antonio, a merchant of Venice. The main plot of the story is, that Bassanio wants to go to Belmont to marry Portia, however doesnt have enough money, so his good friend Antonio wishes to borrow money from Shylock to give to Bassanio to go to Belmont. Yet Shylock and Antonio hate one another; You call me misbeliever, cut throat dog, And spit upon my Jewish gaberdine This shows that Antonio has such hatred of Shylock. However Shylock lends Antonio three thousand ducats, but for a very harsh price; let the forfeit Be nominated for an equal pound Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken In what part of your body pleaseth me As you can see Shylock is asking for exactly a pound of fair flesh from Antonio, from whatever part of the body he chooses. This makes the bond a murderous one especially between Shylock and Antonio. Shylock wants revenge for the many times he as a Jew has been hurt. This side of the play is dominated by hate. The main themes that take place in Venice are hatred, religious intolerance, revenge, greed and prejudice. This reflects upon the city as being murderous, dramatic and tense. Whereas Belmont on the other hand is a city of Love, marriage, romance and comedy. Belmont is an aspect of the play, which brings the comedy, fairytale romance into perspective. It changes the play from tense and murderous to fun and comedic. It breaks up the dark, horrid features of Shylock and adds gentle, beautiful features of Portia and Bassanio and Lorenzo and Jessica; an equal pound of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken to How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank! This also shows that Belmont is a peaceful, moonlit and calm place to be whereas Venice is masculine and tense. The casket story is set in Belmont; it mainly captures Portia, and her great beauty; In Belmont is a lady richly left, And she is fair, and fairer than that word- Of wondrous virtues. Sometimes from her eyes I did receive fair speechless messages The prince of Morocco repeatedly calls Portia as fair Portia. This shows her beauty. He also says all the world desires her. The comedic features take place in Belmont, when the suitors arrive. Before Portias father died he wanted to make sure she would marry the perfect man so he planed a test. He made three caskets; one gold, one silver and one lead. First came the prince of Morocco, he choose the Gold casket which was incorrect, then came the prince of Aragon, he choose the Silver casket which too was incorrect then finally came Bassanio he choose the casket that was made from lead and that was correct. Bassanio and Portia rejoice, Gratiano marries Nerissa and Lorenzo marries Jessica. The main themes here are love, marriage, romance and comedy. The societies represented in the two settings are very different. The Venetian society is energetic, opulent, full of wealthy confident young men for example; Bassanio, Lorenzo, Gratiano, Salarino and Salanio. They enjoy good fellowship and help each other through life for example when Gratiano and Salarino help Lorenzo elope with Jessica. Another example is when Antonio helps Bassanio court Portia. However they make life intolerable for those outside their group; Fair say, you spat on me on Wednesday last, You spurnd me such a day, another time You calld me dog: and for these courtesies Ill lend you thus much monies This shows that Antonio makes life intolerable for Shylock. This shows that Antonio has been so cruel to him simply because hes a Jew. Venice is a city full of dramatic tensions, especially racial tension; between the Christians and Jews. Shylock says; I hate him for he is a Christian This shows his hatred towards Christians, especially Antonio. They both hate each other simply for the fact that they are different religions; Antonio being Christian and Shylock being Jewish. Belmont is very different to the Venetian society. Belmont is a place of wealth and luxury. Portia lives in a mansion and when the prince of Morocco arrives there, he enters to a flourish of cornets. This shows Belmont is a place of harmony and ease free from the commercial bustle of Venice, and the racial tension. Both Belmont and Venice have different atmospheres, Venice being energetic and exciting. A city full of dramatic tensions for example racial tension, mercantile risk taking, when Antonio borrows money from Shylock in the hope that several ambitious business ventures will produce large profits; Why, fear not, man, I will not forfeit it. Within these two months, thats a month before This bond expires, I do expect return Of thrice three times the value of this bond This shows there is a lot of competition and rivalry, especially between two of the plays central figures Antonio and Shylock. Belmonts atmosphere on the other hand is calm, peaceful, and free from the tensions of Venice; How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank! Here will we sit, and let the sounds of music Creep in our ears; soft stillness and the night Become the touches of sweet harmony Shakespeare has chosen to set The Merchant of Venice in two very different settings because the play has two very different stories in it. One reason could be to provide a sharp and dramatically effective contrast. Another reason maybe The Venetian setting provides us with the serious side of tension. Conversely Belmont gives us the Casket story, which lightens the mood throughout the whole play, because Shakespeare has chosen to go back and forth from Belmont to Venice. For example the great drama of the court scene just before the plays end is immediately followed by the romance and gentle comedy of the plays final scene, the coming together of the three lovers, Bassanio and Portia, Gratiano and Nerissa and Lorenzo and Jessica. The play finishes in Belmont on a note of love and harmony rather than in Venice on a note of hatred, vengeance and betrayal.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Jane Addams and the Hull House Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Jane Addams and the Hull House - Term Paper Example As a small child, Jane wanted to be a doctor but there were only two fields that were acceptable at the time for women: getting married and having children or becoming a schoolteacher. When Jane was eight, her father re-married. Her stepmother had a big influence on the Addam's girls in the area of arts. Jane received a lot of attention from her father and because of this she realized that her potential as a woman was not as limited as she thought. She entered into the Rockville Female Seminary in 1877. She was very popular among her classmates because of her ability to write and speak.1 Soon after she graduated, she became ill and depressed, but wasn't sure how to deal with it. In 1881, her father suddenly became ill and died. She enrolled in medical school, but after the first semester, she became ill again and was put in the hospital for an extended period of time. Her brother also took a turn for the worse and had a mental breakdown, which in turn was an emotional setback for her . After Jane and her friend, Ellen Gates Starr opened the Hull House; they started to realize how bad conditions were in Chicago. They would take care of children so mothers could work; children were made to work long hours, and many other things that opened their eyes. Because of how many people they helped, Addams went around to many different women's clubs, church groups, and college students to talk about settlement houses, social reform and the ways that these people could help Chicago and the nation.2 Addams gave up a lot, considering her background; to live in the slums of Chicago and to help people the way she did was amazing. During the 1890's, settlement houses became more and more popular.3 She was a leader in this movement because of her writings and her lectures. Addams became more involved in national concerns. The US was declaring war on Spain and because of that, violent crime rates went up in Chicago. Because of her works, her protests eventually reached Charles R. Crane, a close friend of President Woodrow Wilson. These are meant to try to help people get back on their feet. These houses provide a way for parents to get jobs and not have to worry bout their kids. Once they get a steady job and keep it, then they can try to work and take care of their kids. One example of this concept would be a foster home. A foster home takes kids into the home for as long as is needed. Sometimes the kids go to another home and sometimes they stay and are adopted. After Jane and her friend, Ellen Gates Starr opened the Hull House, they started to realize how bad conditions were in Chicago. They would take care of children so mothers could work; children were made to work long hours, and many other things that opened their eyes. Because of how many people they helped, Addams went around to many different women's clubs, church groups, and college students to talk about settlement houses, social reform and the ways that these people could help Chicago and the n ation.4 Addams gave up a lot, considering her background; to live in the slums of Chicago and to help people the way she did was amazing. During the 1890's, settlement houses became more and more popular. She was a leader in this movement because of her writings and her lectures. 5 Addams became mor

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

What are the characteristics of the Mediterranean welfare state and Essay

What are the characteristics of the Mediterranean welfare state and what particular challenges do they face (Politics) - Essay Example Such a model of governance has been applied in varying degrees and forms throughout the world; however, the largest concentration of these has been noted within the continent of Europe. As a function of the horrors of the Second World War and a long history of social activism, many nations within the European model is the most developed form of the welfare state in existence in the world today. Although it may be simple and concise to simply lump all of these welfare states in together as a means of better understanding their core components and the ways in which they interact within the lives of their citizens, such an approach would necessarily miss many of the nuances that different cultures that and economic realities have with respect to the way the welfare state itself is exhibited. As a function of this, the following brief analysis will seek to consider the ways in which the so-called â€Å"Mediterranean Welfare states† differ from those that are in place throughout mu ch of the rest of Europe and indeed throughout the rest of the world. In this way, it is the hope of this author that such a level of analysis will help the reader to come to a better understanding of the social and economic externalities that define the way that these respective governments interact with their shareholders (Bover, 2011). Moreover, as a function of this level of critique and review, the author will also seek to provide a level of critique with regards to the challenges that such systems face as a function of the policies and actions that define them. Accordingly, such a report will include a high degree of economic analysis and consideration as a means of trying to understand the ways in which the central governments of these nations seek to divide and redistribute wealth while at the same time balancing job creation, FDI, and labour demands that define the

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Barriers to International Trade in the Current Economic Climate Essay

Barriers to International Trade in the Current Economic Climate - Essay Example The administrative cost of trade are not negligible in costs and are thus making businesses across countries appears expensive and leads to minimized profits (Farole & Akinci, 2011). A good example of an administrative trade barrier can be seen in the trade between the United States of America and Spain. Administrative costs of doing business between these two countries can be captured in where the cost of trade documentation and customs procedures is so numerous and inhibits trade. The administrative cost barrier can be solved by proper negotiations between the business community with the government of various states so that they can find a way of minimizing documentation and customs procedures (Daniels, Radebauch & Sullivan, 2011). Trading countries should also find a way of harmonizing their administrative means so that they avoid being prohibitive to trade between countries. Cultural differences Different places on earth are associated with different cultures that dictate the kin d of consumer lifestyle and behaviours with respect to different goods and services. The biggest the cultural difference, the increased economic distance between traders of that comes from different parts of the world. Cultures also bring in different norms and values that implicate the ease in which businesses are done between cultural diverse groups of people. Cultural familiarity increases decreases with an increase in cultural familiarity and this is also proportional to the ease with which trade can be conducted between those countries (Adekola & Sergi, 2007). An Indian doing business in Germany should also be similarly be ready to adapt to the local cultural... This paper offers a comprehensive theoretic analysis of the impacts of numerous economic factors, that hamper growth of the international trade. There have been many liberalization efforts that have been put in place to solve the barriers that affect international trade but they are still available. This has resulted in a scenario whereby trade between countries is smaller than trade within the country. The speed at which trade can take place between countries is a very important component of trade especially when it involves more than one country. Time affect the trade of perishable commodities like agricultural goods. The speed at which trade can take place between countries is a very important component of trade especially when it involves more than one country. Time affect the trade of perishable commodities like agricultural goods. Different places on earth are associated with different cultures that dictate the kind of consumer lifestyle and behaviours with respect to different goods and services. The biggest the cultural difference, the increased economic distance between traders of that comes from different parts of the world. Transporting goods between one place to another acts as a natural barrier due to high prohibitive costs needed to move some kind of goods. Tariffs are tax imposed by local government on goods and services that operate within their country to generate incomes for their country government. Safety regulations are sometimes a big barrier to the way in which businesses are done in most countries

Friday, November 15, 2019

The Relationship Between Nature and Architecture

The Relationship Between Nature and Architecture What has landscape architecture and industrialized society to learn from indigenous cultures and their symbiotic relationships with nature? ‘Despite nature’s many earlier warnings, the pollution and destruction of the natural environment has gone on, intensively and extensively, without awakening a sufficient reaction; it is only during the last century that any systematic effort has been made to determine what constitutes a balanced and self-renewing environment, containing all the ingredient’s necessary for man’s biological prosperity, social cooperation and spiritual stimulation.’ (Ian McHarg, Design With Nature) At the dawn of the twenty-first century it becomes clearer and clearer daily to scientists, environmentalists, and landscape architects alike, what massive climatic and ecological devastation has been caused by one-hundred-and-fifty years of human industrial activity. Mankind can no longer avert its eyes from environmental catastrophe by pretending that the science behind such doom-full asseverations is unsound, that the results are ambiguous, that the evidence is dubious. As these delusions are blown away by ever more certain evidence, there appear in their place the horrific spectre of rivers and oceans sated with pollution and filth, rainforests ravaged by deforestation, deserts extending at unnatural speeds, and   the atmosphere a toxic and noxious fog filled by the vast emissions of our industrial societies. In less than two centuries, man’s industrial and technological acceleration has brought him to the brink of environmental collapse. It is now evident to all but the most blinkered or obstinate governments that comprehensive action is needed urgently to prevent our follies from going past the environmental ‘tipping-point’ that we have neared and whereafter we risk permanent and irreparable devastation. There have been   myriad suggestions from environmentalists as to which solutions must be implemented to reverse this damage of the past two centuries; there have likewise been many summits, conferences and treaties convened to discuss these issues – the most recent major one being the Kyoto Agreement ratified by all countries except the United States. This essay however examines what landscape architects and conservationists may learn from the relationship with nature and the environment known by indigenous peoples for tens of thousands of years. It looks, in particular, at what may be understood from the ‘ways of life’ of the Bushmen of the Kalahari in Botswana and Namibia in particular, and also the aborigine peoples of Australia, the indigenous Indians of the Brazilian rainforest and the nomads of the Mongolian steppes. These peoples have lived in many instances, in a near perfectly harmonious and undisturbed relationship with nature for thousands of years in the case of the Kalahari Bushmen for over ten thousand years! The philosophies and mythologies of these peoples reveal how they understand and rejoice in the benevolence and fecundity of nature and the profound generosity of the gifts that she has continually bestowed upon them. Universally amongst these peoples there is an intense respect and gratefulness for nature and for what, in McHarg’s phrase, is the ‘glorious bounty’ that she provides. It seems almost too simple and too obvious to say that modern man, who has wreaked enormous damage in fifteen decades, might have a great deal to learn from peoples who lived without any such damage for more than one thousand decades!   In this essay’s analysis the term ‘symbiotic’ will be a key criteria of investigation; the notion of two organisms (man and nature) feeding from each other and using each other for mutual benefit. After a section of historical reflection where it glances at the seminal and pioneering ideas of Ian McHarg and J.B. Jackson, this essay goes on to explore how the knowledge of indigenous cultures about the environment might be fused with modern technology to create an ideal, sustainable and environmentally-friendly form of landscape design and city-planning. Moreover, the essay studies the notion of ‘collective consciousness’ amongst society as to the planet we inhabit and our collective responsibilities towards it. Throughout these last sections references are made to modern examples of the themes under discussion, as well as contemporary designers such as James Corner, Mark Treib and Sebastian Marot.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is vital for students of landscape architecture to know something of the genesis of the theory and practice of landscape architecture; this historical orientation informs the student as to how landscape architecture can be a medium through which the understanding of nature by indigenous peoples may be fused with the technological advances of our own societies to form and develop environmentally friendly and sustainable sites for the future. Within this history, perhaps no one’s ideas are more seminal than those of the father of the discipline: Ian McHarg.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Before the 1970’s mankind did not possess a comprehensive or total understanding of his relationship with nature and his environment; his knowledge was splinted and fragmented and so unification of environmental theories and ideas was a very rare event. Moreover, no detailed and systematic philosophy of environmental design had yet been conceived. The creation of this philosophy fell, above all, to Ian McHarg. Lewis Mumford’s eloquently tells us of the significance of McHarg’s, the ‘inspired ecologist’, for environmental studies and landscape architecture. Mumford says:   ‘. . . his is a mind that not only looks at all nature and human activity from the external vantage point of ecology, but likewise sees the world from within, and a participant and as an actor, bringing to the cold dry colourless world of science the special contribution that differentiates the higher mammals, above all human beings, from all other animate things: vivid colo ur and passion, insatiable curiosity, and a genius for creativity’. McHarg’s work was vital because he showed that man must conceive of his environment as a totality and respond to that totality with a dedication and awakened consciousness yet unparalleled in human history. McHarg opened man’s eyes to the destructive capabilities and tendencies of man with respect to his environment; he showed ‘. . . the way in which modern technology, through its hasty and unthinking application of scientific knowledge or technical facility, has been defacing the environment and lowering its habitability.’ McHarg nurtured a nascent consciousness amongst environmentalists and academics as to the threat of pesticides, herbicides, green-house gases etc; and his epoch-making book Design With Nature established the fundamental principles of a philosophy of landscape architecture and city-design that is harmonious with nature and seeks to benefit from nature’s gen erous fruits without consuming them exhaustively. McHarg’s philosophy had and has a practical aspect and a tremendous efficacy upon environmental renewal if people are willing to implement its advice. This knowledge must ‘. . . be applied to actual environments, to caring for natural areas, like swamps, lakes and rivers, to choosing sites for further urban settlements, to re-establishing human norms and life-furthering in metropolitan conurbations’. McHarg imbued landscape design and city-planning with a distinctive and previously all-together lacking moral and ethical dimension, and swung round the aesthetic sensibilities of these disciplines to exalt and revere the principle of harmonious inter-action and inter-dependence with the environment. In Mumford’s words, again: ‘McHarg’s emphasis is not on either design or nature herself, but upon the preposition with, which implies human cooperation and biological partnership’. By this philo sophy a design is not imposed upon nature and does not therefore run the risk of being unsuccessful due to its incompatibility with the environment; but instead a design emerges out of the natural features of the landscape. By this approach, the meeting of design upon environment will be a natural and harmonious fit. To use a medical metaphor: the landscape will not reject the organ that is transplanted within it: the two are intimately joined. Perhaps, at bottom, there emerges out of the work and philosophy of McHarg, Jackson, Rachel Carson and all who have come after them, the conviction, that if done in the correct way and with the correct attitude, man can even ‘improve or ‘perfect’ nature by adding the element of himself to it.   For more than ten thousand years the Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert, a vast 500,000 kilometre square area of southern Africa, have lived a lifestyle that has changed nearly nothing for this entire period. The Kalahari Desert appears to the softened Western observer as a barren, inhospitable and intolerably difficult place to survive – yet alone live continually! But the Bushmen have not only lived here amongst the dunes, plains and brush for countless millennia, but they have prospered also. At the heart of this ancient way of living is the harmonious and balanced relationship that the tribes of the Kalahari share with the environment that supports them. This is a ‘symbiotic’ relationship where man takes what he needs from nature, but only enough, so that nature in return profits by being treated respectfully. A useful analogy is the one Courtlander makes between the shark and the little fish that clean it: the shark is cleaned by these fish as they remove its parasites and in return the fish are fed by the parasites of the shark. The relationship between the Bushmen and nature is similar: the Bushmen feed from nature’s bounty and then nature benefits also to the extent that she is treated respectfully. This relationship is symbolised in the abodes and dwelling places of the Bushmen: their huts are made of materials taken from the immediate environment: grass, wood, animal skin, earth. These products are all used with maximum efficiency so that nothing is wasted and nothing in nature is harmed; these features are elaborated in the sacred places of worship of the Bushmen (mounds, mountains, watering-holes) where these materials are used more extensively. Klaus has shown in his three-volume work The Sacred Rituals and Magical Practices of the Bushmen of the Kalahari the Bushmen’s celebration of nature by way of numerous religious rituals and magical practices. Other cultures that share an such an intimate and delicate relatio nship, and such a direct reflection of this the style of their dwelling places, include the aborigine peoples of Australia who live a very similar lifestyle to the bushmen and venerate Ayres rock as the acme of nature’s munificence – as has been well documented by Kama’eleiwiha in Native Land and Foreign Desires; also, the myriad indigenous tribes of the Amazon basin in South America as recorded by Davies in his Indigenous Tribes of Brazil; and the nomadic peoples of the Mongolian steppes. What then has the modern landscape architect to learn from the symbiotic relationship of indigenous peoples with nature? Landscape architects of 2005, often working on sites at the derelict fringes of society, on industrial waste-grounds, the edges of motorways, close to airports and so on are often forced to work with sites that are sated with pollution, toxins, scrap materials and waste products. The rejuvenation of sites as these by landscape architects must be in accordance with principles of sustainability and environmental balance. The Bushmen of the Kalahari, the aborigines of Australia and so on have, above all, a certain ‘control’ about the way they occupy and use their environment. The Bushmen will only kill as many animals as suffice to satisfy their hunger; by not hunting to excess the Bushmen ensure the stability of the livestock populations and the other species that depend upon them. The aborigines of Australia and the nomads of Mongolia are intimately awa re of the maximum amount that they can take from nature without forcing deprivation upon her; there is a ‘collective consciousness amongst these peoples as to their responsibility towards nature and as to what the relationship is between nature and society. For an aborigine or South American Indian to do damage to or pollute his environment is tantamount to an act of self-harm and self-destruction; and as such acts of mass pollution are undocumented amongst such peoples. Landscape architects must adopt a similar collective consciousness and try to emit this through their designs so that their audiences and users come to take up a similar consciousness. Landscape architects must also learn something of the ‘control’ exhibited by indigenous peoples towards the environments, and do this by building their landscape creations with the same centrality of control. This has been shown particularly by the work of Martha Schwartz in the United State and the Schouwburgplein in Rotterdam.   Instead of vast landfill sites that forever plant more toxins and pollutants in the soil, designs must embrace the technologies of recycling, bioengineering and so on. Notable examples of attempts as such design include the, the Evergreen Estate in Chicago, USA, the BMW building in Berlin, and, less well-known but perhaps most persuasively of all, in the Plaza de Paz in Bogota, Colombia. In each of these designs the materials used for construction are environmentally friendly and were produced in an environmentally friendly manner; the energy used by these places is clean and comes from renewable sources. Every aspect of these designs is intended to foster harmony and equilibrium between man and his environment, and to promote amongst users of these sites a deeper environmental consciousness that they might then extend to their families and colleagues and thus, eventually, force the governments who represent them to take up similar attitudes also. It is almost need less to say, that future opportunities for such design are endless.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the final analysis, landscape architects of the twenty-first find that they have an immense amount to learn about their discipline from the ways of life and symbiotic relationship with nature that have been known and practised by indigenous and nomadic peoples for several millennia. A landscape architect might indeed conclude that buried within this intimate and intricate relationship with nature are the ideal principles with which to compensate the rapacious appetite for and consumption of the environment by modern industrial society. At the heart of the indigenous and nomadic attitude to nature are the concepts of ‘balance’ and ‘equilibrium’: it is by these principles that mankind may continue to enjoy the bountiful fruits of nature without exhausting her ability to produce them. It is this exhaustive, relentless and apparently inexorable ‘taking from nature’ by our economies and cultures without returning anything to nature that has distur bed the delicate balance cherished by indigenous and nomadic peoples. Nonetheless, it is impossible for our age to dispense with the sophisticated technologies and industries that we have developed and to return to a state of indigenous lifestyle; what is needed is to create an architectural philosophy of design that fuses the simplicity and balance of the indigenous relationship with nature, with the technological advances of our own age. The duty and responsibility of the twenty-first century landscape architect is to produce designs and structures that bring these two philosophies together. It is therefore essential that landscape architects work intimately with scientists, ecologists, botanists, businessmen and others so as to bring the greatest amount of environmental consideration and reflection to the development of a particular site or project. By convening all of the particular parties interested in a site in this way, a dialogue may be opened between them and therefore the greatest hope arises that action will be implemented to guarantee the environmental health of a site. It must always be in his mind that as the world races towards the environmental ‘tipping-point’ of no return, that this responsibility upon the landscape architect is a heavy one. The realization of such ambitious landscape architecture has begun with the works of James Corner, Sebastian Marot and Mark Treib. BIBLIOGRAPHY Academic Books, Journals Articles Bachelard, Gaston (1994) The Poetics of Space; Beacon Press, Boston. Casey, Edward (1993) Getting back into place towards a new understanding ofthe place world; Indiana University Press Courtlander, H. (1996). A Treasure of African Folklore. Marlowe Company, New York. Ed: Corney, James (1999) Recovering Landscape; Princetown Davies, P. (1971). The Indigenous Tribes of Brazil. Farenheit Press, Preston.   Heidegger, Martin (1977) Building/Dwelling/Thinking; New York, ed: Krell   Heizer, Michael (1999) Effigy Tumuli; New York, Harry N. Abrams Heizer, Michael (1997) Cities Natural Process; London New York, Routledge. Jackson. J.B. (1994) A Sense of Place, a Sense of Time; Yale. Kame’eleiwiha, L. (1992). Native Land and Foreign Desires. Frontham Books, Sydney London. Klaus, Walter. (1951). The Sacred Rituals and Magical Practices of the Bushmen of the Kalahari. Ford Books, Edinburgh. Ford Books. Mathur, Anuradha, da Cunha, Dilip (2001) Mississippi Floods: Designing aShifting Landscape; Yale Univ. Press McHarg, Ian L. (1971) Design with Nature; Doubleday/ Natural History Press Mumford,L. ‘Introduction’ in McHarg, M.L. (1971). Design With Nature. Doubleday, Natural History Press. Roy, Arundhati (1999) The Cost of Living; Flamingo Smithson, Robert (1996) The Collected Writings; California Press Ed: Swaffield, Simon (2002) Theory in Landscape Architecture A Reader; Univ. of Penn Press Weilacher, Udo (1996) Between Landscape, Architecture Land Art; Birkhaà ¼ser

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Globalization: A Closer Look at the Ford Company

A Closer Look at the Ford Company Ford Motor Company multinational cooperation that uses outsourcing to lower costs and boost productivity. Until the sass's Ford had a supply chain that allowed them to control every aspect of the making and distributing of their automobiles. From the steel and rubber plants that make the parts, to building the vehicles, storage and shipping. Though this was a good way for the companies to promote local made in America vehicles it was not however time or cost effective.As a result of competition from other automotive companies Ford made the drastic changes of outsourcing the making of parts and manufacturing to other countries to speed productivity and lower costs. The advantages to the local communities as a result of outsourcing is that there are Jobs added to the community. The local communities that may have been struggling were given the opportunities to work for a company that produces good quality parts and manufacturing vehicles more quickly. The negative effects that this may have on a community is that more people would want to work for the outsourced company which leaves more local Jobs open.Also if the cost of living may increase because of the growth from the industry, which would ultimately make living harder in those countries for the people that do not work for the outsourced company. Global stratification affects the United States positively because it decreases the cost of manufacturing as well as the cost to pay the employees. This helps the companies to save more money than to keep the business in the United States. By outsourcing the company can save more money to pay the people higher p employees in the companies.At the same time global stratification has a negative effect on the United States because it takes Jobs away from the local people. If more companies kept their businesses in the United States it would create more jobs for the people that live here instead of adding to the employment of other count ries. The outsourcing of manufacturing Jobs may be contributing to the increasing unemployment rates that the United States is experiencing. The big winner in the companies that use outsourcing is the company that does the outsourcing, in this case it is the Ford Company.Ford was able to decrease their production time from 45 to 60 days per vehicle to only 15 days with the outsourced jobs. Ford was able to keep more finished vehicles ready to be shipped to waiting customers. Ford was also able to decrease the costs of manufacturing to make a higher profit off each vehicle sold. Though the countries that are fortunate enough to be chosen to be a part of the outsourced company gains Jobs and an increase in their economy but they are still on the short end of the stick.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Filipino Customs and Traits Essay

Every nationality has its own customs, traits, characteristics, values, attitudes, and beliefs that were inherited from their great ancestors. They have the possessions of uniqueness as a nation. Filipino people are one of the sole nations in the world. They have their own norms and manners. Until now, those traits are still alive and most of it is continuously transferring to the next generations. Filipinos are best well-known for being hospitable. One good example is whenever there is a visitor, it may be expected or unexpected, they really take such good care, give their full attention, and even serve foods for their visitors. Filipinos are also prominent for their close family ties. Filipinos are close to their families and relatives. They value a big family and they surely help a relative that is someone in need or who needs help. They always have a shoulder that can lean on especially during the hard times. In other countries, once an individual turns 18, it’s their responsibility to be independent and to stand on their own. On the other hand, Filipinos are totally opposite with them because of the close family ties. One concrete example is, almost the third generation of the family still lives on the same house together with the first and second generation. Another instance is, in every occasion, specifically Christmas, new year, birthdays, wedding celebrations, christening, anniversaries, etc. , almost all the members of the family, or even the extended families and relatives are present on those occasions. And also, the parents work hard and sacrifice much for their children, in return, the children love and respect them and take good care of them in their old age. That’s how Filipino families are commonly defined. It is said to be that the Filipinos are clever, with retentive memory, rapid insight, and talents for arts and sciences. They are also known for being jolly. The Filipino nation loves to laugh. In every problems and disturbances, still, the Filipino people are smiling and they still find way to laugh. They do believe in the saying: â€Å"Laughter is the best medicine. † Filipinos are not only known for being jolly but also being friendly and chatty. They can stand talking for an hour or more just to chat and talk with their friends. Gratitude is another authentic attribute of the Filipinos. They are appreciative to those who have settled them favors or who are good to them. Their high sense of gratitude is expressed in the phrase â€Å"Utang na loob† or the debt of honor. Another one is being courteous. They always show respect especially to the elders. â€Å"Pagmamano† is one of the things to show respect. Saying â€Å"po† and â€Å"opo† is attached to a sentence addressing someone in the third person are signs of respect. Filipinos owing to their beautiful country, liberty-loving and courageous are ardently idealistic. They are enthusiastic in love as they are violent in battle. An example is, they bravely opposed the Spanish, American and Japanese conqueror of their native country. They are one of bravest people of the world. Filipino courage has been proven in the Battle of Mactan, Tirad Pass, Bataan, Corregidor, World War II, and in many other battlefields. Filipinos are helpful, supportive, cooperative and accommodative. They give importance to the asset of helping one another. They treasure the inherited trait of â€Å"bayanihan†. One concrete example, in cleaning a barangay, all the members of the barangay are present just to help in cleaning their community. And another one is, whenever there is calamities, they help one another to surpass the different kinds of disasters. All the Filipinos in the different regions in our country believe in â€Å"Gaba† or karma which is one of the universal concepts among them. It may happen to those who deserted other people in the time of their needs. It may also happen to those who do injustice, unfairness, inequality, and discrimination to other people. The â€Å"bahala na† attitude or fatalism is also one of the common traits of Filipinos. If they don’t know what to do and no options in a situation, most probably, that’s the point wherein the Filipinos says â€Å"bahala na†. The other one is the â€Å"Maya na† habit. It is an attitude wherein they will do the things later or tomorrow that should be done right now. And the last one is the â€Å"Ningas Kugon† habit. It is a manner of doing things good at first only, as it goes along it is getting worse. this habit is expressed in the phrase â€Å"Sa una lang magaling. † The belief on â€Å"Kapalaran† (fortune) provides self-assurance and audacity to the Filipino. But even if kapalaran is not the way they want it to be, he/she can search for defense or guard and improved fortune by having â€Å"anting-anting†(amulet) that keeps him/her from bad luck. The amulet makes the Filipino that’s someone who is not a risk taker. Now, here are some common Filipino customs. A refusal to make an eye contact implies dishonesty, the eyebrows raised in recognition and to answer â€Å"yes†, the lips are used to point things, nod upwards to greet someone, scratching one’s head when one does not know the answer. â€Å"Psst! † is use to get an attention of someone in the workplace but not as social function. Filipinos are renowned for their toughness and flexibility. Through the ages, Filipino people have met all kinds of catastrophes and calamities – revolutions, wars, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, typhoons and epidemics. They can incorporate any culture and prosper in any climate. Against the hardships of life, they simply bend, but never break. Just like a bamboo tree, it merely let go with the wind, follows where the direction of the wind would go but in never breaks. Just like a narra tree, it is tough and strong. Whatever disasters it suffers, it can surpass it but it never breaks. They go with the flow of life. That’s Juan Dela Cruz is. That’s how Filipino is.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Free Essays on Bergamot Station Arts Center

The Bergamot Station Arts Center at Santa Monica constantly displays art works to those who wishes to be exposed to art. This makes Bergamot Station a perfect place for art students to gain a slice of the contemporary art scene. The collective works by the artist Laura Lasworth titled, â€Å"The Gray†, was on display in the Hunsaker/Schlesinger Fine Art Gallery on March 25th. The gallery is located at one of the corners of the plaza and seems rather distant and alienated to the rest of the displays. Interestingly, this alienation and perhaps loneliness was echoed by Lasworth’s works inside the gallery. The Hunsaker/Schlesinger gallery itself, even compared to other galleries in the plaza, is rather small, and the display area conveys a sense of closeness. The size of the displaying area made the personal touch in the works even more pronounced. The gallery was quiet, with few audiences, perhaps a result of being distant to the main cluster. The gallerists worked quietly in the back room leaving the viewing area undisturbed. The main entrance to the gallery remained closed after each guest entered, thus separates the gallery from the rest of the world. Perhaps this is intentional as to create an overall artistic experience. In the gallery, the viewers emerge themselves to the surreal world that Lasworth created. The works exhibited by Lasworth were mostly paintings consist of very dull and desaturated colors. Black, white and gray, were used heavily, and worked fittingly to the winter sceneries found in many of the paintings. Some of the works were almost grayscale. The painterly bush strokes and the use of few, but soft colors reflected a feminine impression on all of the works. The subject matters were presented through a surrealistic manner and mostly consist of large areas of emptiness. With the exception of a few, most of the works are small, easel-sized paintings, bordered in simple, black framings. The dimens... Free Essays on Bergamot Station Arts Center Free Essays on Bergamot Station Arts Center The Bergamot Station Arts Center at Santa Monica constantly displays art works to those who wishes to be exposed to art. This makes Bergamot Station a perfect place for art students to gain a slice of the contemporary art scene. The collective works by the artist Laura Lasworth titled, â€Å"The Gray†, was on display in the Hunsaker/Schlesinger Fine Art Gallery on March 25th. The gallery is located at one of the corners of the plaza and seems rather distant and alienated to the rest of the displays. Interestingly, this alienation and perhaps loneliness was echoed by Lasworth’s works inside the gallery. The Hunsaker/Schlesinger gallery itself, even compared to other galleries in the plaza, is rather small, and the display area conveys a sense of closeness. The size of the displaying area made the personal touch in the works even more pronounced. The gallery was quiet, with few audiences, perhaps a result of being distant to the main cluster. The gallerists worked quietly in the back room leaving the viewing area undisturbed. The main entrance to the gallery remained closed after each guest entered, thus separates the gallery from the rest of the world. Perhaps this is intentional as to create an overall artistic experience. In the gallery, the viewers emerge themselves to the surreal world that Lasworth created. The works exhibited by Lasworth were mostly paintings consist of very dull and desaturated colors. Black, white and gray, were used heavily, and worked fittingly to the winter sceneries found in many of the paintings. Some of the works were almost grayscale. The painterly bush strokes and the use of few, but soft colors reflected a feminine impression on all of the works. The subject matters were presented through a surrealistic manner and mostly consist of large areas of emptiness. With the exception of a few, most of the works are small, easel-sized paintings, bordered in simple, black framings. The dimens...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Summary and Analysis of Platos Euthyphro

Summary and Analysis of Plato's 'Euthyphro' The Euthyphro is one of Platos most interesting and important early dialogues. Its focus is on the question: What is piety?  Euthyphro, a priest of sorts, claims to know the answer, but Socrates shoots down each definition he proposes. After five failed attempts to define piety Euthyphro hurries off leaving the question unanswered. The Dramatic Context It is 399 BCE.  Socrates and Euthyphro meet by chance outside the court in Athens where Socrates is about to be tried on charges of corrupting the youth and impiety (or more specifically, not believing in the citys gods and introducing false gods). At his trial, as all of Platos readers would know,  Socrates was found guilty and condemned to death. This circumstance casts a shadow over the discussion.  For as Socrates says, the  question hes asking on this occasion is  hardly  a  trivial, abstract issue that doesnt concern him.  As it will turn it will turn out, his life is on the line. Euthyphro is there  because he is prosecuting his father for murder. One of  their servants had killed a slave, and Euthyphros father had tied the servant  up and left him in a ditch while he sought advice about what to do.  When he returned, the servant had died.  Ã‚  Most people would consider it impious for a son to bring charges against his father, but Euthyphro claims to know better.  He was probably a kind of priest in a somewhat unorthodox religious sect.  His purpose in prosecuting his father is not to get him punished but to cleanse the household of blood guilt.  This is the kind of thing he understands, and the ordinary Athenian does not. The Concept of Piety The English tern piety or the pious translates the Greek word hosion.  This word might also be translated as holiness or religious correctness.  Piety has two senses: A narrow sense: knowing and doing what is correct in religious rituals. For example, knowing what prayers should be said on any specific occasion, or knowing how to perform a sacrifice.A broad sense: righteousness; being a good person. Euthyphro begins with the first, narrower sense of piety in mind.  But Socrates, true to his general outlook, tends to stress the broader sense.  He  is less interested in correct ritual than in living morally. (Jesus attitude toward Judaism is rather similar.)   Euthyphros 5 Definitions Socrates says, tongue in cheek, as usual, that hes delighted to find someone whos an expert on piety.  Just what he needs in his present situation. So he asks Euthyphro to explain to him what piety is.  Euthyphro tries to do this five times, and each time Socrates argues that the definition is inadequate. 1st Definition: Piety is what is Euthyphro is doing now, namely prosecuting wrongdoers. Impiety is failing to do this. Socrates Objection:  Thats just an example of piety, not a general definition of the concept. 2nd Definition:  Piety is what is loved by the gods (dear to the gods in some translations). Impiety is what is hated by the gods. Socrates Objection:  According to Euthyphro, the gods sometimes disagree among themselves about questions of justice.  So some things are loved by some gods and hated by others.  On this definition, these things will be both pious and impious, which makes no sense. 3rd Definition: Piety is what is loved by all the gods. Impiety is what all the gods hate. Socrates Objection:  The argument Socrates uses to criticize this definition is the heart of the dialogue. His criticism is subtle but powerful.  He poses this question: Do the gods love piety because it is pious, or is it pious because the gods love it?  To grasp the point of the question, consider this analogous question:  Is  a film funny because people laugh at it, do people laugh at it because its funny?  If we say its funny because people laugh at it, were saying something rather strange. Were saying that the film only has the property of being funny because certain people have a certain attitude towards it.  But Socrates argues that this gets things the wrong way round.  People laugh at a film because it has a certain intrinsic property, the  property of being funny.  This is what makes them laugh. Similarly, things arent pious because the gods view them in a certain way.  Rather, the gods love pious actions such as helping a stranger in need, because such actions have a certain intrinsic property, the property of being pious. 4th definition: Piety is that part of justice concerned with caring for the gods. Socrates Objection: The notion of care involved here is unclear. It cant be the sort of care a dog owner gives to its dog since that aims at improving the dog, but we cant improve the gods. If its like the care a slave gives his master, it must aim at some definite shared goal.  But Euthyphro cant say what that goal is. 5th Definition: Piety is saying and doing what is pleasing to the gods at prayer and sacrifice.   Socrates Objection: When pressed, this definition turns out to be just the third definition in disguise. After Socrates shows how this is so, Euthyphro says in effect, Oh dear, is that the time?  Sorry, Socrates, I have to go. General Points About the Dialogue The Euthyphro  is typical of Platos early dialogues: short; concerned with defining an ethical concept; ending without a definition being agreed upon. The question: Do the gods love piety because it is pious, or is it pious because the gods love it? is one of the great questions posed in the history of philosophy.  It suggests a distinction between an essentialist perspective and a conventionalist  perspective.  Essentialists apply labels to things because they possess certain essential qualities which make them what they are.  The conventionalist view is that how we regard things determines what they are.  Consider this question, for instance: Are works of art in museums because they are works of art, or  do we call them works of art because they are in museums?   Essentialists assert the first position, conventionalists the second. Although Socrates generally gets the better of Euthyphro, some of what Euthyphro says makes a certain amount of sense.  For instance, when asked what human beings  can give  the gods, he replies that we give them honor, reverence, and gratitude.  The British philosopher Peter Geach has argued that this is a pretty good answer.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Philosophy - Essay Example Wisdom about origin, therefore, can be said to have come from traditional religious practices, from people who are thought to have supernatural powers as declared by â€Å"God†. These are very religious by nature. However, by 6 BC there are non-religious thinkers in Greece that were called the Milesians. Unlike the traditional, supernatural people, these people are thought to have conducted their thinking through reason and observation, not by tradition or by a right from the Gods. These people are the first philosophers. Although their view is quite simple, the basic thought of thinking (which is secular inquiry) is considered philosophy. However, there are many forms of secular inquiry these days, so what makes philosophy different from, say, science? Before, at the beginning, there was no distinction but as time went by, they went and formed new disciplines. First, it was mathematics then it was natural philosophy (or science, as it is called now). Now, whenever a question cannot be answered by these two fields, it is then referred to modern philosophy. Questions like â€Å"What is the meaning of life?†. But of course, philosophy is best known for asking the most difficult and most basic of questions, like if Gods do exist or not, or what is good or evil. Philosophy is also defined by its methods. Although not as conceptual as science, philosophy is governed by logic. Like scientists, though, they formulate hypothesis that would answer the question by reason. Unlike religion, which is usually found on mysticism. There are four branches of philosophy: logic, epistemology, metaphysics and axiology. II. The Milesians The earliest known philosophers are from Miletus, hence they are called the Milesians. They are Thales, Anaximander and Anaximenes. They are also called Presocratic Philosophers – basically philosophers before Socrates. Thales is most famous for his three beliefs: everything is made up of water, magnets have souls and everythin g is full of gods. Now back then, everyone thought that matter is made up of four distinct elements: water, air, fire and earth. These elements, with different combinations, can transform into different objects. Now, Thales argued that these elements are actually just other forms of water. Thales probably observed that water has three forms and phases: solid, liquid and gas – leading him to say that. Perhaps, he thought, that water in the solid state could become metal; it would be vapor at some point and it may form fire. There is also this theory that Thales observed that when you water the plant, the plant becomes healthy – as if water is transformed from its liquid state and into a plant. Magnets have souls – magnets seem to have life as they behave like living things. They move. Thales took this as evidence that magnets have souls. Ancient Greeks have this distinction between living and nonliving things. Things with souls are alive and anything with a soul would be active. For him, the soul is not something that is added onto an object that can be separated, but rather, it is an inseparable part of an object. For the third belief about â€Å"everything is full of gods†, then maybe Thales is insinuating that maybe everything is also full of souls as in souls = gods. If that is the case, then Thales would be insinuating that all things are living things but they may not move actively like the magnets that only move at certain times and situations. Anaximander claims that everything is mad

Friday, November 1, 2019

Comparing Traditional Catholicism to Catholicism in Africa Essay

Comparing Traditional Catholicism to Catholicism in Africa - Essay Example For the Africans, man is not just homo religiosus in the classical sense. He eats, drinks, sleeps, works and does practically every thing religiously. The Catholic presence in Africa was re-shaped by the twin events of decolonization and Vatican Council 2 between 1962-65 (Hastings, 1989). In Vatican's aim to evangelize, priests and missionaries were encouraged to use the vernacular in worship called vernacular liturgy as well as the development of African hymnody and instrumentation "...The most important single effect in Africa in popular terms of the Council has been the change in singing, in hymns, in music, in the use of musical instruments," (Hastings, 1989). It was also noted that Vatican II also encouraged African Catholics to read Protestant vernacular translations of the Bible. But the "westernization" of Catholicism, particularly reduction of approval on healing shrines, holy water, statues and candles, resisted by African Catholics. Likewise, by 1994, ninety percent (90%) of the hierarchy was African as symbolized by the African Synod. Catechists mostly married lay men also became instrumental in the spread of Catholicism in the 20th century. In the African Synod led by the late pope John Paul II, emphasized marriage to be in-cultured for it had been a problem within the African Catholic community having irregular marriages. Since traditional African marriage was not recognized, African priests were encouraged to incorporate the sacramental blessings of the church to the traditional marriage ceremony. Problems arose when traditional African marriages is not finalized until a woman proved her fertility through childbirth, which did not fit into Catholic practices. Intermarriages of religions, with Protestants, likewise, banned children from committing communion and this further widen the gap. One particular incident in Rwanda was the inciting of racial hatred and genocidal violence between Tutsis and Hutu between both Catholics and the church was not able to contain nor control the violence, although today, confession, repentance and reconciliation are being worked out (Lettinga, 2000). By the time the Pope John Paul II died, there were already about 100 million Catholics in Africa and nearly 30 million are Congolese (Quist-Arcton, 2005). Interestingly, Lamin Sanneh reported that Senegal, a Muslim majority with about 90 percent of its population as Islam believers, include Catholic holidays as national holiday (Suarez, 2005) that include the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. Cardinal Thiandoum, the Relator-General for the African Synod remarked (qtd, Isizoh (1996): Many Christians, at "breaking points of life", have recourse to practices of the traditional religion, or to prayer houses, healing homes, "prophets", witchcraft or fortune-tellers. Some turn to African Independent Churches (sometimes considered a syncretistic Christian cum African Traditional Religion) where they feel that certain elements of their culture are more respected. Few of them return to African Traditional Religion. All these movements indicate that the spiritual yearning of these people for an authentic expression of the African spirituality

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

No Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

No - Essay Example In discussing Tiffany in the context of the forces considered in performing and environmental scan, it has been evident that the last couple of years, politics and economics have continued to play a critical role in driving different companies in the jewelry industry so as to stay competitive. The issue of blood diamonds continue to elicit mixed reactions. The current economic conditions has made the jewelry industry face a downturn especially in occasions like the Valentine’s Day and Christmas. The risks that Tiffany needs to consider in conducting its operations include the abundance of counterfeit goods which is adversely affecting the sales of the branded accessories for Tiffany. This is further worsened by the increasing internet retailing which continues to make Tiffany’s efforts in fighting counterfeit goods more challenging and consequently makes the company to lose its brand equity hence a threat because of increases customer dissatisfaction due to the detrimental image of the company. Another threat continues to be the slowdown in the US economy which continues to depress the purchasing power of the retail customers hence having a counter effect on the growth of revenue and the margins of the company. The fact that this does not augur well for retail chains like Tiffany makes it threat that needs serious consideration. To establish whether TIF can take on more debt, we computed the company’s debt ratio or capital gearing ratio which measures the proportion of debt finance capital employed by the company. The debt ratio of Tiffany is 43.41% hence the company’s financial position as regards to debts is healthy as it is less geared. The debt equity ratio provides a measure of the proportion of non-owner supplied funds to owner’s contribution. Tiffany’s debt equity ratio is 59.25% meaning that the

Monday, October 28, 2019

Chapter 32 Ap World History Outline Essay Example for Free

Chapter 32 Ap World History Outline Essay A. Postcolonial Crises and Asian Economic Expansion, 1975–1990 I. Revolutions, Depressions, and Democratic Reform in Latin America 1. The success of the Cuban Revolution both energized the revolutionary left throughout Latin America and led the United States to organize its political and military allies in Latin America in a struggle to defeat communism. 2. In Brazil a coup in 1964 brought in a military government whose combination of dictatorship, use of death squads to eliminate opposition, and use of tax and tariff policies to encourage industrialization through import substitution came to be known as the â€Å"Brazilian Solution. † Elements of the â€Å"Brazilian Solution† were applied in Chile byte government of Augusto Pinochet, whose CIA-assisted coup overthrew the socialist Allende government in 1973 and in Argentina by a military regime that seized power in1974. 3. Despite reverses in Brazil, Chile, and Argentina, revolutionary movements persisted elsewhere. In Nicaragua the Cuban-backed Sandinista movement overthrew the government of Anastasia Somoza and ruled until it was defeated in free elections in1990. In El Salvador the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) fought guerrilla war against the military regime until declining popular support in the 1990s led the rebels to negotiate an end to the armed conflict and transform themselves into a political party. 4. The military dictatorships established in Brazil, Chile, and Argentina all came to an end between 1983 and 1990. All three regimes were undermined by reports of kidnapping, torture, and corruption; the Argentine regime al so suffered from its invasion of the Falkland Islands and consequent military defeat by Britain. 5. By the end of the 1980s oil-importing nations like Brazil were in economic trouble because they had borrowed heavily to pay the high oil prices engineered by OPEC. The oil-exporting nations such as Mexico faced crises because they had borrowed heavily when oil prices were high and rising in the 1970s, but found themselves unable to keep up with their debt payments when the price of oil fell in the 1980s. 6. In 1991 Latin America was more dominated by the United States than it had been in1975. This may be seen in the United States’ use of military force to intervene in Grenada in 1983 and in Panama in 1989. II. Islamic Revolutions in Iran and Afghanistan See more: what is essay format 1. Crises in Iran and Afghanistan threatened to involve the superpowers; the United States reacted to these crises with restraint, but the Soviet Union took a bolder and ultimately disastrous course. 2. In Iran, American backing and the corruption and inefficiency of Shah Muhammad Reza Pahlavi’s regime stimulated popular resentment. In 1979 street demonstrations and strikes toppled the Shah and brought a Shi’ite cleric, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, to power. The overthrow of an ally and the establishment of an anti-western Islamic republic in Iran were blows to American prestige, but the United States was unable to do anything about it. 3. In the fall of 1980 Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein invaded Iran to topple the Islamic Republic. The United States supported Iran at first, but then in 1986 tilted toward Iraq. 4. The Soviet Union faced a more serious problem when it sent its army into Afghanistan in 1978 in order to support a newly established communist regime against a hodgepodge of local, religiously inspired guerilla bands that controlled much of the countryside. The Soviet Union’s struggle against the American-backed guerillas was so costly and caused so much domestic discontent that the Soviet leaders withdrew their troops in 1989 and left the rebel groups to fight with each other for control of Afghanistan. III. Asian Transformation 1. The Japanese economy grew at a faster rate than that of any other major developed country in the 1970s and 1980s, and Japanese average income outstripped that of the United States in the 1990s. This economic growth was associated with an industrial economy in which keiretsu (alliances of firms) received government assistance in the form of tariffs and import regulations that inhibited foreign competition. 2. The Japanese model of close cooperation between government and industry was imitated by a small number of Asian states, most notably by South Korea, in which four giant corporations led the way in developing heavy industries and consumer industries. Hong Kong and Singapore also developed modern industrial and commercial economies. All of these newly industrialized economies shared certain characteristics: discipline and hard-working labor forces, investment in education, high rates of personal savings, export strategies, government sponsorship and protection, and the ability t o begin their industrialization with the latest technology. 3. In China after 1978 the regime of Deng Xiaoping carried out successful economic reforms that allowed private enterprise and foreign investment to exist alongside the inefficient state-owned enterprises and which allowed individuals and families to contract agricultural land and farm it as they liked. At the same time, the command economy remained in place and China resisted political reform, notably when the Communist Party crushed the protests in Tiananmen Square in 1989. B. The End of the Bipolar World, 1989–1991 I. Crisis in the Soviet Union 1. During the presidency of Ronald Reagan the Soviet Union’s economy was strained by the attempt to match massive U.S. spending on armaments, such as a space-based missile protection system. The Soviet Union’s obsolete industrial plants, its inefficient planned economy, its declining standard of living, and its unpopular war with Afghanistan fuel dean underground current of protest. 2. When Mikhail Gorbachev took over the leadership in 1985 he tried to address the problems of the Soviet Union by introducing a policy of political openness (glasnost) and economic reform (perestroika). II. The Collapse of the Socialist Bloc 1. Events in Eastern Europe were very important in forcing change on the Soviet Union. The activities of the Solidarity labor union in Poland, the emerging alliances between nationalist and religious opponents of the communist regimes, and the economic weakness of the communist states themselves led to the fall of communist governments across Eastern Europe in 1989 and to the reunification of Germany in 1990. 20. The weakness of the central government and the rise of nationalism led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in September 1991. Ethnic and religious divisions also led to the dismemberment of Yugoslavia in 1991 and the division of the Czech Republic in 1992. III. The Persian Gulf War, 1990–1991 1. Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990 in an attempt to gain control of Kuwait’s oil fields. Saudi Arabia felt threatened by Iraq’s action and helped to draw the United States into award in which American forces led a coalition that drove Iraq out of Kuwait but left Saddam Hussein in power. 2. The Persian Gulf War restored the United States’ confidence in its military capability while demonstrating that Russia—Iraq’s former ally—was impotent. Cather Challenge of Population Growth I. Demographic Transition 1. The population of Europe almost doubled between 1850 and 1914, and while some Europeans saw this as a blessing, Thomas Malthus argued that unchecked population growth would outstrip food production. In the years immediately following World War I Malthus’s views were dismissed as Europe and other industrial societies experienced demographic transition to lower fertility rates. 2. The demographic transition did not occur in the Third World, where some leaders actively promoted large families until the economic shocks of the 1970s and 1980sconvinced the governments of developing countries to abandon the pronatalist policy. 3. World population exploded in the twentieth century, with most of the growth taking place in the poorest nations due to high fertility rates and declining mortality rates. Tithe Industrialized Nations 1. In the developed industrial nations of Western Europe and Japan at the beginning of the twenty-first century, higher levels of female education and employment, the material values of consumer culture, and access to contraception and abortion have combined to produce low fertility levels. Low fertility levels combined with improved life expectancy will lead to an increasing number of retirees who will rely on a relatively smaller number of working adults to pay for their social services. 2. In Russia and the other former socialist nations, current birthrates are lower than death rates and life expectancy has declined. III.The Developing Nations 1. In the twenty-first century the industrialized nations will continue to fall behind the developing nations as a percentage of world population; at current rates, 95 percent of all future population growth will be in developing regions, particularly in Africa and in the Muslim countries. 2. In Asia, the populations of China and India continued to grow despite government efforts to reduce family size. It is not clear whether or not the nations of Asia, Africa, and Latin America will experience the demographic transition seen in the industrialized countries, but fertility rates have fallen in the developing world where women have had access to education and employment outside the home. IV. Old and Young Populations 1. Demographic pyramids generated by demographers illustrate the different age distributions in nations in different stages of economic development. 2. The developed nations face aging populations and will have to rely on immigration or increased use of technology (including robots) in order to maintain industrial and agricultural production at levels sufficient to support their relatively high standards of living and their generous social welfare programs. 3. The developing nations have relatively young and rapidly growing populations but face the problem of providing their people with education and jobs while struggling with shortages of investment capital and poor transportation and communications networks. D. Unequal Development and the Movement of Peoples I. The Problem of Growing Inequality 1. Since 1945 global economic productivity has created unprecedented levels of material abundance. At the same time, the industrialized nations of the Northern Home to enjoy a larger share of the world’s wealth than they did a century ago; the majority of the world lives in poverty. 2. Regional inequalities within nations have also grown in both the industrial countries and in the developing nations. II. Internal Migration: the Growth of Cities 1. Migration from rural areas to urban centers in the developing world increased threefold from 1925 to 1950 and accelerated rapidly after 1950. 2. Migrants to the cities generally enjoyed higher incomes and better standards of living than they would have had in the countryside, but as the scale of rural to urban migration grew, these benefits became more elusive. Migration placed impossible burdens on basic services and led to burgeoning slums, shantytowns, and crime in the cities of the developing world. III. Global Migration 1. Migration from the developing world to the developed nations increased substantially after 1960, leading to an increase in racial and ethnic tensions in the host nations. Immigrants from the developing nations brought the host nations the same benefits that the migration of Europeans brought to the Americas a century before. 2. Immigrant communities in Europe and the United States are made up of young adults and tend to have fertility rates higher than the rates of the host populations. In the long run this will lead to increases in the Muslim population in Europe and in the Asian and Latin American populations in the United States, and to cultural conflicts over the definitions of citizenship and nationality. E. Technological and Environmental Change I. New Technologies and the World Economy 1. New technologies developed during World War II increased productivity, reduced labor requirements, and improved the flow of information when they were applied to industry in the postwar period. The application and development of technology was spurred by pent-up demand for consumer goods. 2. Improvements in existing technologies accounted for much of the world’s productivity increases during the 1950s and 1960s. The improvement and widespread application of the computer was particularly significant as it transformed office work and manufacturing. 3. Transnational corporations became the primary agents of these technological changes. In the post-World War II years transnational corporations with multinational ownership and management became increasingly powerful and were able to escape the controls imposed by national governments by shifting or threatening to shift production from one country to another. II. Conserving and Sharing Resources 1. In the 1960s, environmental activists and political leaders began warning about the environmental consequences of population growth, industrialization, and the expansion of agriculture onto marginal lands. Environmental degradation was a problem in both the developed and developing countries; it was especially severe in the former Soviet Union. In attempting to address environmental issues, the industrialized countries faced a contradiction between environmental protection and the desire to maintain rates of economic growth that depended on the profligate consumption of goods and resources. 2. In the developing world population growth led to extreme environmental pressure as forests were felled and marginal land developed in order to expand food production. This led to erosion and water pollution. III. Responding to Environmental Threats 1. The governments of the United States, the European Community, and Japan took a number of initiatives to preserve and protect the environment in the 1970s. Environmental awareness spread by means of the media and grassroots political movements, and most nations in the developed world enforced strict antipollution laws and sponsored massive recycling efforts. 2. These efforts, many of them made possible by new technology, produced significant results. But in the developing world, population pressures and weak governments were major obstacles to effective environmental policies.