Learning another language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Learning another language - Essay Example There are hundreds of languages in the world and it is quite impossible to learn every language which is spoken within the planet. Why to learn other language? Many people are leaned to learn other language for the sake of their personal interest while others are required in official sense. Study of language and translation has gained international and globalized importance since the time from when international trade has grabbed vital and significant importance. People throw their competitive edge by gaining command on the communication. Communication is the key to success in each transaction when we talk about business. Many traders are interested to have transactions with the people who know their language. For this purpose the people who need to be indulged in foreign transactions prefer to learn the languages of their interest. Some business men never let it spare to know about the other party’s language and they only accept the deals from those who are alike in communica tion. In this sense, learning a second language can aid the individuals in actively participating in economic activity. Through learning the other languages, we can actively communicate with others at international level for various purposes (Ellis, 22). The other mean to lean other languages is for academic purposes. For instance, people who aspire to study in the world class universities are required to learn their languages. For example whenever a foreigner applies in any university of UK or Australia, they ask for IELTS qualifying certificate. Similarly, many countries in Europe like Germany, Italy and France are rigid about their languages. They seldom accept any admission application with the certificate of the concerned language. Rigidity about language comes up because of the fear of cultural amalgamation. The people do not want to be merged with other so that they do not allow anyone else to bring their own practices at their place. The most practical example is about Walma rt when they started their business in Germany. Walmart is an international stores’ chain with headquarter in USA. Walmart was badly hatred by the locales just because they were not complying with the German culture. The main mistake done by the American chain was the language; they did not adopt German language. They were inclined to sustain their own identity because of international recognition (American Linguistic Society). Another constraint to learn second language is for international communication. Since English has been recognized as an international language and every piece of documentation at upper level is commenced in English. For the people who live in other than English countries, English is a second language but they need to learn the language for the sake of their personal interests (Ellis, 32). Advantages of Learning a Second Language There are several benefits of learning a second language which are explained by Sociologists and several Psychologists. A sec ond language can help a person to broaden his or exposure about the outer world. No doubt, learning another language is the most difficult task of the world but it is a task which can only be completed by talented people. Psychology states that second language can be learnt by the people who have significant intelligence quotient. Without this, a person cannot remain successful to gain full command over a language. It is a continuous learning and continually developing process.

John Paul Jones Essay Example for Free

John Paul Jones Essay John Paul Jones was an officer of the infant Continental Navy who took the War of Independence all the way to British soil and carried out surprise raids. Responding to Britains looting and burning of Colonial America, John Paul Jones damaged or destroyed strongholds and absconded with needed supplies. He is regarded as America’s greatest Revolutionary naval commander and the founder of America’s naval traditions. John Paul Jones was born in 1747 to an estate gardener in Scotland. His maritime career began at the early age of 13 when he started work as an apprentice to a ship owner. He was initially into the slaving trade that happened between England, America, West Indies and Africa. But soon, he started to hate the slaving trade. At the age of 21, he received his first chance to captain the brig when the captain and first mate succumbed to a fever. He soon became a successful merchant sailor (Blythe, 2006). In 1773 on the island of Tobago, he was forced to counter mutinous sailors fighting for more pay. In the act of defending himself, he killed one of sailors. Scared of legal punishment, he escaped to America and took the name John Paul Jones. This was the period when America was at odds with Britain over taxes and a revolution was brewing. Empathizing with the Americans, due to his familiarity with the highhandedness of the British at Scotland, Jones joined Americas quest for liberty. When the war broke out in 1775, Jones volunteered for service in the brand-new Continental Navy. America did not have any kind of naval power during the initial stages of the Revolutionary War. But soon, the Congress decided to convert merchant ships to ships of war and also began to build new naval ships. Jones was able to contribute his knowledge of ships and his naval experience towards the building of the American navy (Blythe, 2006). During the four years of his service in the navy during the American Revolution, he gave repeated and brilliant examples of naval warfare that was best suited to the forces of the colonies. He found that he was the only officer in the service who was capable of formulating effective plans for the improvement of the navy. He immediately began to shape his ideas into practical suggestions calculated to bring order out of the utterly chaotic conditions which existed in the government at Philadelphia. His knowledge of the rules and standards of the British navy helped him formulate the rules and standards for the American navy with due regard for the differing conditions in the colonies (Russell, 1927). The Congress, on November the 2d, voted one hundred thousand dollars for the purchase of four ships, and empowered the naval committee to engage officers and seamen. John Paul Jones first took over as second in command of the Alfred (Russell, 1927). In January, 1776, Commodore Ezek. Hopkins arrived in Philadelphia, and escorted by an eager throng of citizens, went down to the Delaware where lay eight ships of the new fleet. On his boarding the Alfred, Captain Saltonstall gave the signal and Lieutenant Jones pulled up to the masthead the first American naval flag. This was not the banner with thirteen stripes, but a rectangle of yellow silk bearing a picture of a rattlesnake and the legend â€Å"Don’t Tread on Me†. Thus Jones came to be known widely as the â€Å"Founder of the American Navy† (Koven, 1913). John Paul Jones was later put in charge of Providence, with 21 mounted guns. Jones soon captured 16 British vessels on a single cruise. While on Providence, Jones was ordered to do convoy duty for ships carrying supplies for the defense of New York. To do this, he had to pass through the widespread fleet of Lord Howe, which was blockading the Northern ports. He got himself chased several times, beat off the British frigate Cerberus which attacked him near Block Island, and saved the supply ship Hispaniola from threatened capture (Russell, 1927). Here it is important to note that John Paul Jones enjoyed being chased. He liked to linger until almost overhauled, and then tack and be off before the wind before the enemy had waked up. He was never overtaken and never boarded. For two reasons: he knew what to do, both by training and instinct; and he never took a ship which was not fast. He returned to Philadelphia from his successful convoy voyage three weeks after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Joseph Hewes who recruited him into the American Navy was satisfied that his find was a talented genius (Koven, 1913). According to Jones’ Journal, he suggested to Hewes that he be sent to the west coast of Africa, to intercept and harass British trading ships. He desired an offensive naval war. Hewes gave Jones an unlimited order to Jones for a free-lance cruise to last six weeks or two or three months. Jones loaded stores at once and on August 21, 1776, aboard the little Providence, carrying only twelve long-four guns and seventy men, sailed for the Bermudas on the first extensive open-sea cruise ever undertaken by a lone American warship. He met with many saucy adventures. He had to escape from the British frigate Solebay with twenty guns. The next saucy incident occurred off Sable Island, after the Providence had turned northward. The British frigate Milford surprised him while his crew was fishing. Jones permitted the frigate to chase him for eight hours, the latter meantime wasting valuable shot and shell and then made his escape. The adventure aboard the Providence lasted six weeks and five days, and during this period, he took six brigantines, one ship, and one sloop and destroyed six schooners, one ship and one brigantine. Jones also demolished the fishing at the islands of Canso and Madame. He returned to Newport, Rhode Island, on October 7, laden with spoils and glory (Koven, 1913). On November 2 Jones again sailed for Newfoundland in the Alfred, it was with the hardy crew transferred from the Providence. However, he had to give this treasured ship to Captain Hacker and take the latter along. He faced trouble because of Captain Hacker who slipped back stealthily to Rhode Island just in time to be taken by the British. During this voyage, John Paul Jones faced a lot of treachery and disobedience. Even John Adams, who reflected the New England viewpoint, viewed Jones with suspicion as he was a British man. In the Alfred, when he sailed up to Isle Royale, Jones found that his plan to free the imprisoned Americans had been balked by the winter ice. But he also had some luck. He captured a sixteen gun privateer from Liverpool. On November 12, 1776 in American waters, the Alfred captured the H. M. S. Mellish, a 350-ton armed ship that was carrying a cargo of winter uniforms and other British supplies, along with 60 British soldiers, to Quebec for His Majestys army. Jones was elated to later learn that some of the clothing reached General George Washingtons army before the Battle of Trenton. He also had to face the British frigate Milford during his voyage. The frigate came up about nightfall. Jones lured the Milford to the chase and he tacked. The enemy followed his light, thus permitting his prizes to escape. The next morning he had to decide whether to fight the Milford. He accordingly signaled Lieutenant Saunders, in charge of the captured Liverpool ship, to drop back until he could discover the enemys force. Saunders obeyed, but stupidly dropped so far back that the frigate overtook and captured him. Jones, after exchanging a few shots with the Milford, made sail for Boston, where he arrived with only two days water and provisions left. Jones felt most hurt when he was superseded in the command of the Alfred by a man who had been his junior officer by eight numbers. In May, 1777, the Marine Committee sent Captain Jones to New Hampshire to take command of the French ship Amphitrite. Jones was to sail direct to France and report to Commissioners Silas Deane, Benjamin Franklin, and Arthur Lee, who would purchase a fine frigate for him and give him orders. But the French Captain was not informed of the command and hence he was willing to take Jones as a passenger but not as the commander. Jones returned to Boston to await a new suggestion as to what he should do. After a few more days of deliberation the marine committee gave Jones command of the Ranger. On the 14th of June Congress passed two notable resolutions: the first, adopted the stars and stripes as the national banner of the United States; the second appointed Paul Jones to the command of the Ranger. Benjamin Franklin, had been taken to France by Captain Lambert Wickes so Franklin could serve as Americas first foreign diplomat to seek desperately needed help from France. John Paul Jones met with Franklin and began a fruitful relationship with the diplomat, who had been impressed with Jones exploits aboard the Providence. Jones became the first American to attack a British port, although a number of his restless crew members, preferred to attack merchant ships for the loot and avoid attacking settlements or strongholds on shore. The Ranger brought the war to Whitehaven, the very place Jones had been when he first went to sea. Jones ordered some of his men to go ashore and destroy dozens of ships in the harbor and take weapons from them. But his men were not all obedient. Some of these men became insubordinate by helping themselves to distilled spirits in a nearby pub. Despite the failure to totally destruct, this was the first surprise attack on a British seaport since 1667. Jones had sent a clear message to the British authorities: the Americans fighting for independence were not to be trifled with and were willing to bring the battle to Britain. This was truly a turning point in the American Revolution. Jones had with him Lieutenant Wallingford, Midshipmen Arthur Green and Charles Hill, and twenty-nine men. The alarm caused by this raid was absurdly out of proportion to its actual accomplishments; but beneath the hysteria was a very real fear born of the realization that Englands long untouched shores had been violated by a daring enemy who might soon strike again. Whig newspapers attacked the government for having brought this upon the people. The raid had another serious effect. It enormously increased the insurance rates on British shipping, thereby adding another burden to the growing expense of the war. After the Whitehaven raid, Jones headed toward his birthplace of Kirkcudbright to locate Selkirk Castle, the home of the Earl of Selkirk. Jones believed by capturing the earl he could use him as a bargaining chip to gain release of American prisoners. This plan did not work out as the earl was away and his crew was keen on looting the castle. Upon meeting the dignified Lady Selkirk, Jones disallowed any violence and permitted his men to take only the family silver. Some time later, Jones wrote Lady Selkirk a long letter of apology, promising to buy back the silver and return it. After the war Jones did indeed return the silver as promised at considerable personal expense, which the earl announced in Edinburgh newspapers. The next day Jones crossed the Channel and came abreast of the Irish port of Carrickfergus. There some fishermen, whom he took on board, told him that the British war sloop, the Drake, which had been at anchor in the roadstead as a guardship, was coming out to look for him. This was welcome news to Jones. He had been itching for a fight with the English in their own waters, and here was an opportunity laid in his hand. Though already informed of the Whitehaven raid, the Drakes captain had no suspicion of Joness presence, but on sighting the Ranger, he sent out a boat to reconnoitre. The midshipman in charge could not make her out because Jones kept his ships stern toward the boat, and he finally boarded her. He was astounded when informed he was the prisoner of the dreadful John Paul Jones. Instead of sinking the English ship, Jones decided to take her and carry her into a French port. Instantly he ordered his gunners to cease firing at the enemys hull and to aim instead at her sails and rigging. This was a favorite French tactic of the period, of which John Paul had doubtless been advised by the French officers back at Brest. The gunners took the hint and as their muzzles rose at the swell of the sea, they brought down the Drakes fore and main topsail yards in a heap. In a moment the ship was as helpless as a log. Jones boarded the enemy after a fight lasting an hour and four minutes. Jones lost only two killed and seven wounded. Raising the stars and stripes, he lured the Drake into deeper waters and bested her in a one-hour battle. The captured British ship, with its flag flying upside down beneath an American flag, was sailed into Brest, France, with 200 British prisoners aboard. While in France, Jones was given a ship for his personal use the Duc de Duras a merchant ship that Jones upgraded and renamed the Bonhomme Richard, which was Jones way of honoring Franklin and his famous Poor Richards Almanac. The battle between the Bonhomme Richard and the Serapis was to become among the most famous sea battles of all time. The seasoned skipper of the Serapis, Richard Pearson, knew his American enemy was close and was on the lookout. Just after 6:30 p. m. , the American commander, who had displayed a British Union Jack to cause confusion, suddenly took it down and sent up the Stars and Stripes before engaging the Serapis. Soon the two ships were locked in point-blank combat in what became known as the Battle of Flamborough Head. Hundreds of people gathered on the chalk cliffs of Flamborough Head to watch the battle, which lasted for nearly four hours with unremitting fury and was later regarded as one of the most desperate and sanguinary fights in naval history. Cannon fire boomed in both directions, ripping the ships apart piece by piece. As the citizens looked on, the two frigates became entangled together so tightly that the muzzles of the cannons from both ships at times were touching each other. Jones purposely positioned the Richard close to the swifter, copper-bottomed Serapis to deny the larger ship the advantage of its larger and more numerous cannons. Meanwhile, the Alliance, which was sailing with Jones and commanded by a Frenchman, engaged the Countess of Scarborough. Jones won that battle even though the other ships in his fleet were only marginally helpful. During the battle, Jones wisely ordered the release of all British prisoners in the Richards hold so they could man the pumps. This tactic freed his men to return to battle, where they emerged triumphant in a seemingly hopeless situation. This was the first time an American vessel had taken so powerful a British warship. Jones went back to France and was showered with honors. King Louis presented him with an inscribed sword that credited him for defending The Freedom of the Seas. Jones also was invested with the Order of Military Merit, allowing him to use the title Chevalier. King Louis even requested that a noted French sculptor cast a beautiful marble bust of Jones (Russell, 1927). The open French support garnered by John Paul Jones for the American Revolution was one of the main reasons that the American Revolution ended successfully on the side of the colonists. Jones returned to America in 1781, where he accounted for his actions at sea. His answers were so thorough that Congress approved a formal resolution thanking him for service to the cause. He was also cleared of any charges from his pre-war days in Tobago. Although Congress awarded him command of a new ship, the America, the war was ending and enthusiasm for an American navy was beginning to wane. But, even with the war over and the America out of his reach, Jones strongly urged Congress to establish a formal navy and create schools where junior officers could be taught. The principles he established provided the basis for todays U. S. Naval Academy. Bibliography: Blythe, Bob (2006). John Paul Jones (1747-1792). http://www. nps. gov/revwar/about_the_revolution/jp_jones. html Koven, De Reginald (1913). The Life and Letters of John Paul Jones Vol. 1. C. Scribners Sons, 1913 Russell, Phillips (1927). John Paul Jones: Man of Action. Brentanos, 1927.

Preparing for the Olympics :: Olympics Sports Athletics Essays

Preparing for the Olympics Every two years, countries around the world join together in excitement for the Olympic Games. Either winter or summer, the Olympics are something everyone seems to look forward to in one way or another. Olympic preparation is no easy task, for the athletes, nor for the event staff. When the idea of Olympic preparation is brought up, two main ideas come to mind. How is the site for the Olympics picked? And how is it decided who carries the Olympic torch? After careful research, the answers to these questions have been found. First, the topic of how an â€Å"Olympic City† comes to be. All cities applying to become candidate cities to host the Olympic Games are subject to a candidature acceptance procedure, conducted by the IOC Executive Board. IOC stands for International Olympic Committee. In the end the IOC Executive Board will determine which cities are accepted as candidate cities. There are several criteria that a host city must meet in order to be considered a candidate for the job. Two of these are: ability to host, organize and stage high level international multi-sports events and compliance with the Olympic Charter and the IOC Code of Ethics. Once the candidates are chosen based on more general elements, the process of choosing an Olympic host can begin. There are usually five cities chosen as possible candidates for the prestige honor of hosting the Olympic Games. From here each city must fill out a lengthy questionnaire about their plans for the Olympic Games. The main topics on the questionnaire concern Motivation and Support, Political and Public Support, General Infrastructure, Sports Infrastructure, Logistics and Experience, and the Financing of the games. After this long and in depth form, the IOC has a better knowledge of each city’s plans for all the events and coordination for the Games. After the questionnaire is received the IOC can send experts to the city to further investigate certain matters pertaining to the questions answered. This is usually done to ensure that the correct choice is made to further the â€Å"Olympic Movement.† Each of the five candidate cities receives a visit by not only the experts, but by the IOC to discuss matters more in depth to get a better feel for the city and it’s ideas for the Games. Preparing for the Olympics :: Olympics Sports Athletics Essays Preparing for the Olympics Every two years, countries around the world join together in excitement for the Olympic Games. Either winter or summer, the Olympics are something everyone seems to look forward to in one way or another. Olympic preparation is no easy task, for the athletes, nor for the event staff. When the idea of Olympic preparation is brought up, two main ideas come to mind. How is the site for the Olympics picked? And how is it decided who carries the Olympic torch? After careful research, the answers to these questions have been found. First, the topic of how an â€Å"Olympic City† comes to be. All cities applying to become candidate cities to host the Olympic Games are subject to a candidature acceptance procedure, conducted by the IOC Executive Board. IOC stands for International Olympic Committee. In the end the IOC Executive Board will determine which cities are accepted as candidate cities. There are several criteria that a host city must meet in order to be considered a candidate for the job. Two of these are: ability to host, organize and stage high level international multi-sports events and compliance with the Olympic Charter and the IOC Code of Ethics. Once the candidates are chosen based on more general elements, the process of choosing an Olympic host can begin. There are usually five cities chosen as possible candidates for the prestige honor of hosting the Olympic Games. From here each city must fill out a lengthy questionnaire about their plans for the Olympic Games. The main topics on the questionnaire concern Motivation and Support, Political and Public Support, General Infrastructure, Sports Infrastructure, Logistics and Experience, and the Financing of the games. After this long and in depth form, the IOC has a better knowledge of each city’s plans for all the events and coordination for the Games. After the questionnaire is received the IOC can send experts to the city to further investigate certain matters pertaining to the questions answered. This is usually done to ensure that the correct choice is made to further the â€Å"Olympic Movement.† Each of the five candidate cities receives a visit by not only the experts, but by the IOC to discuss matters more in depth to get a better feel for the city and it’s ideas for the Games.

Belonging Band of Brothers

Admat-2 by Matthew Humphreys, Band of Brothers Band of Brothers is a television series based on easy company from the 101st Airborne division, during their training and deployment to Europe throughout WW2. It follows the story of the soldiers and officers throughout the war. It is narrated throughout by Major Richard Winters from his time as a second lieutenant all the way through until he is battalion commander.It is based on a true story and shows a sense of belonging that the solders feel throughout their time together along with a sense of not belonging felt by â€Å"replacements† and also by the soldiers themselves as they think of home. It has many links with Romulus in this sense because of the challenge that migrants face to belong and also through the hardships that Romulus and Raymond face with Christina`s illness. Belonging will be shaped by the challenges faced.This can be linked to band of brothers through the greater sense of belonging felt as an individual becau se of the struggle and challenges that the group faces. Throughout the war individuals become closer because of the battles won as a group it gives them commonality to build on. For example after easy company parachute into Normandy they are ordered to go and take out artillery positions that are defended by several machine guns. These positions are targeting Utah beach and their elimination is key to success of the landings on that beach.The German strength is estimated at 50 men; however the strength of Winters Company is 13 men, none the less they are successful in the attack. This attack is still repeated at West point as an example of how to assault a fixed position, the success of this attack gained much respect from both his superior and the men that he commanded. This respect allows them to work effectively together and gain a sense of belonging through this mutual respect for each other.This allows them to continue to build on this throughout the numerous other challenges t hat they face as a battalion including the charge during operation market garden in which he led a platoon of men against two battalions of German SS and drove them back over a river inflicting heavy losses. This accumulates throughout until the men see each other as family towards the end of the war. This is also evident in Romulus my father when they first come to Australia through Romulus seeking out other Romanians, this is because they face the same challenges to belong and adapt to Australian society.They gain each other’s respect through their actions for example Romulus allows them to stay with him and they return this favour by looking after Raymond when Romulus is unable to do so. Commonality is essential to belonging; this is evident in Romulus My Father as many of the characters are faced with common experiences throughout the book from living in a rural area, to being discriminated against for being a migrant and also in dealing with a family member who has a men tal illness.This allows those who have experienced this commonality to feel a greater sense of belonging. In Romulus My Father Raymond and Romulus are brought closer together through Christina`s illness and mental instability. This is also evident in Band of Brothers as replacements are brought into Easy Company to replace wounded and killed solider they are not accepted into the company as they don`t have the commonality with the soldiers.They haven’t been in battle before and therefore are not trusted like those before them however once trust is gained through new common experiences allows them to understand and fell the same sense belonging. This is also evident as the original solider returns to the company after the Battle of Bastogne, it was the worst battle the company faced and because of this it was felt throughout the company that no else could understand what they had been through.It is also evident towards the end as a replacement is on patrol with a Normandy vete ran, the veteran deliberately forgets and calls him by the wrong name. When the replacement asks â€Å"when are we going to jump into berlin† he is meet with a replies that this is the best of the war, boots that are enclosed, a hot shower every night and a warm bed to sleep in at night and no trees exploding in your face. This shows the lack of understanding from the new solider and therefore doesn’t allow him to belong.Techniques used in Band of Brothers include recount by winters throughout the series, another technique used is emotive music and enhanced sound effects. It also uses cut away shots during the siege of Bastogne, the camera cuts from Lt. Dyke back to winters during the attack giving the impression that it is happening real time and that decisions must be made that will cost lives. Sarcasm is also used towards replacements and all of the other soldiers realise what is happening except for the replacement adding to the sense of belonging felt by the other soldiers.

Tree of Knowledge

The Tree of Knowledge It is important for society to find a reliable source of knowledge, as it is a powerful factor which helps society to attain success. As a good example of the significance of knowledge for society, the Tree of Knowledge from the Garden of Eden represents, not just a source of absolute knowledge, but how desperately human nature seeks that perfect source. However, the Tree of Knowledge does not exist in the real world.Thus, society is facing a problem of finding the most effective way to produce accurate knowledge because mistaken knowledge has no value. In his essay â€Å"The Hive,† historian and writer Marshall Poe points out two sources for knowledge: social consensus and experts. In the past, it was hard to gather knowledge efficiently due to equivocation, and experts were considered to be the most reliable source of knowledge. But today, the Internet has provided society with the convenient environment for finding and storing information.In his essay, Poe discusses the phenomenon of the web-site Wikipedia as an example of a successful effort in collaborative knowledge, which is produced during the process of communication and negotiation by society and experts concerning the information regarding an object of study. A professor at Harvard University and author of â€Å"Reporting Live from Tomorrow,† Daniel Gilbert suggests relying on the experiences of others, whom he calls â€Å"surrogates,† in order to obtain more reliable knowledge. Collaborative knowledge is based on society’s collective experiences.It is meant to accumulate and constantly update information from society. On the other hand, experts are a key for progress in society as they perform deeper research about a subject. Therefore, in order to produce reliable knowledge, society must consult with experts, while experts should consider the experiences of other people when conducting their research. It might seem at the first sight that the only r eliable source of knowledge are experts, as they have more intense and prolonged experiences through practice and education in a particular field.Therefore, it is a common belief that in order to obtain true knowledge, society has to rely on the competence of experts. In his essay, Poe says that one of the criticisms of Wikipedia in its early stage was the point that â€Å"unless experts were writing and vetting the material, the articles were inevitably going to be inaccurate† (Poe 275). However, human history provides evidence that refutes this statement by proving that what once was considered as absolute knowledge was later questioned.For example, in the 18th century, Isaac Newton’s laws of motion became a revolution in a scientific world and for the next 200 years they remained incontestable until Albert Einstein introduced his ideas that revealed shortcomings of Newton’s theory. Thus, society cannot blindly rely on the conclusions of experts because, at th eir core, they are like all other people who â€Å"pass along [their] beliefs in an effort to create people whose minds think like [theirs]† (Gilbert 171).According to Gilbert, â€Å"almost any time we tell anyone anything, we are attempting to change the way their brains operate – attempting to change the way they see the world so that their view of it more closely resembles our own† (Gilbert 171). Experts attempt to do same thing, but their reputation in society gives their ideas an advantage to be successfully transmitted and accepted as knowledge. Still, accuracy of this knowledge might be questionable in the future. In order to understand how society decides if a certain idea or belief can become knowledge, it is important to look at the process of producing knowledge.Individuals generate personal beliefs from their own views. However, these views are based on already existing socio-cultural knowledge. Afterwards, using shared language, individuals bring th eir ideas and beliefs to society by making public statements. Further, these beliefs may become knowledge through social interaction, communication, discussion, clarification, and negotiation. According to Gilbert, â€Å"any belief †¦ that increases communication has a good chance of being transmitted over and over again† (Gilbert 173). Therefore, social interaction is a medium that allows ideas to become a part of collaborative knowledge.However, in his essay, Gilbert points out that while â€Å"accurate beliefs give [society] power, which makes it easier to understand why they are so readily transmitted from one mind to another,† false beliefs have a great chance to be propagated if they â€Å"happen to promote stable societies †¦ because people who hold these beliefs tend to live in stable societies, which provide the means by which false beliefs propagate† (Gilbert 173). Thus, even false ideas may become knowledge if society decides so. Such decisi ons might lead to absurd conclusions that have no value for society.According to Poe, â€Å"the community decides that two plus two equals four the same way it decides what apple is: by consensus †¦ [but] if the community changes its mind and decides that two plus two equals five, then two plus two does equal five† (Poe 275). In other words, society has an ability to make judgments of truth and falsehood, and knowledge produced by social consensus can be misleading and inaccurate. Nevertheless, inaccurate knowledge, sooner or later, will be revealed and questioned by society because the primary purpose of knowledge is to serve the needs of society and help it to improve and grow.Individuals, as well as the whole society, can only attain success and progress if they have a reliable source of knowledge. It is a strong incentive that makes people search for truth. In his essay, Poe points out that people who contribute into Wikipedia have â€Å"no interest other then truth in doing all this work† (Poe 277). Today, the vast interconnectedness of the Internet makes it possible for individuals from all over the world to share their experiences and ideas on the global level.Thereby, collaborative knowledge can be constantly negotiated, updated, and renegotiated, and its quality may improve just like â€Å"the quality on articles [in Wikipedia] generally increases with the number of eyeballs† (Poe 276). As the process of producing collaborative knowledge improves its reliability, efficiency, and fecundity with the new era of Internet technologies, it creates a very valuable database for experts, who can use collaborative knowledge as a resource of information and experiences collected by society for expertise.According to Gilbert, â€Å"humanity is a living library of information about what it feels like to do just about anything† (Gilbert 171). Every individual possesses a great deal of unique accumulative knowledge that he or she gai ned throughout life. That is why experiences of other individuals should be taken into account by experts in order to produce more accurate and objective knowledge. Today, in the Internet environment, it has become much easier to find surrogates with particular experiences.Experts should consider these experiences during their research and constantly update their data and information based on collaborative knowledge. On the other hand, the fact that the Internet has gained so much popularity in society might make people neglect the role of experts in the process of producing knowledge. Since it has become relatively easy to find surrogates in the virtual environment and ask them directly about their experiences, collaborative knowledge might be sufficient enough to fulfill society’s needs as a dependable source of knowledge. In his essay, Poe points out that given the right technology, large groups of self-interested individuals will unite to create something they could not p roduce by themselves† (Poe 267). Wikipedia is a good example of this phenomenon. â€Å"Instead of relying on experts to write articles according to their expertise, Wikipedia lets anyone write about anything† (Poe 264). Based on a large number of individuals who are constantly working on improving articles and people’s tendencies to strive for truth, Wikipedia could become the end of the search for a reliable source of knowledge. However, it is important not to underestimate the role of experts in society.In his essay, Gilbert noticed that, if you ask a child what to do when an individual is hesitating about making some decision, the child will say that â€Å"[he or she] should ask the teacher† (Gilbert 170). Throughout all human history, experts were called in for advice on their respective subject because of their extensive knowledge or ability based on research, experience, or occupation in a particular area of study. Their knowledge and experiences are already unique, simply because experts spend more time studying the subject than an average person. It explains the fact that most innovations in human society were made by experts.Moreover, by collecting and systematizing experiences of other individuals, experts serve as surrogates for society as well. Overtime, results of their research projects accepted as knowledge become a part of social consensus. Thereby, expertise is still very important and must be taken into consideration by society as a source of knowledge. In order to be completely reliable, knowledge requires absolute certainty, as opposite to belief or opinion about which there is more doubt. However, as a process of social communication, knowledge is never absolute.Although its character is to be taken as final truth, knowledge remains as a subject of possible future questioning, reinterpretation, and negotiation. The Tree of Knowledge, as a source of true knowledge, is an unattainable aim for society. Neither exper tise nor collaborative knowledge alone can be considered as the best way to produce knowledge. Only their collaboration can bring the most reliable results. Today, the Internet helps to speed up the processes of communication, storage, and negotiation of information that play a significant role in producing collaborative knowledge and positively affecting its quality.Thus, referring to society’s collaborative experience, experts can produce more objective and reliable knowledge. Works Cited Gilbert, Daniel. â€Å"Reporting Live from Tomorrow. † Emerging: Contemporary Readings for Writers. Ed. Barclay Barrios. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010. 169-189. Print. Poe, Marshall. â€Å"The Hive. † Emerging: Contemporary Readings for Writers. Ed. Barclay Barrios. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010. 264-277. Print.

Free Essays on Women In History

I. The Differences between â€Å"Rosie† and the Woman in â€Å"That Damned Fence† During the time of World War Two, there were hard working women taking over the jobs in industry that were usually held by men. But these women working as welders and miners were not the only women in America. There is a tendency in American history scholarship to generalize. Not only does taught history tend to be nonspecific when it comes to women, in most cases, some women are never mentioned at all. The reasons for this ignorance may include the embarrassment that Americans feel for horrid realities like slavery and internment camps and the fact that our society is male dominant. Whatever the cause may be, it is necessary to reveal the truths of our histories as Americans and as American women. In the song â€Å"Rosie the Riveter†, written by two men, Redd Evans and Jacob Loeb, a woman is described heroically as she is protecting her â€Å"Charlie† (husband). The depiction of Rosie the Riveter was to symbolize the working women of the war. Men created Rosie to build excitement for women to want to enter the work force. Essentially, Rosie was war propaganda that lead many women to earn a living and maintain the economy while the men were serving in the military. Rosie was a woman who led by example. She was making history and proud to be a true patriot working as hard or harder as men doing the same job. With the money that the â€Å"riveters† earned, they could buy nice things like fur coats and pretty dresses. This gave them a sense of independence never before experienced. However, behind the faà §ade of perfect working situation, there was much conflict between the women workers. Not all of these women earned great wages. Black women were left to do the dirtier less paying positions and weren’t allowed the same privileges as white women. For example, they were not encouraged to use the showering facilities after working hard labor. Black wome... Free Essays on Women In History Free Essays on Women In History I. The Differences between â€Å"Rosie† and the Woman in â€Å"That Damned Fence† During the time of World War Two, there were hard working women taking over the jobs in industry that were usually held by men. But these women working as welders and miners were not the only women in America. There is a tendency in American history scholarship to generalize. Not only does taught history tend to be nonspecific when it comes to women, in most cases, some women are never mentioned at all. The reasons for this ignorance may include the embarrassment that Americans feel for horrid realities like slavery and internment camps and the fact that our society is male dominant. Whatever the cause may be, it is necessary to reveal the truths of our histories as Americans and as American women. In the song â€Å"Rosie the Riveter†, written by two men, Redd Evans and Jacob Loeb, a woman is described heroically as she is protecting her â€Å"Charlie† (husband). The depiction of Rosie the Riveter was to symbolize the working women of the war. Men created Rosie to build excitement for women to want to enter the work force. Essentially, Rosie was war propaganda that lead many women to earn a living and maintain the economy while the men were serving in the military. Rosie was a woman who led by example. She was making history and proud to be a true patriot working as hard or harder as men doing the same job. With the money that the â€Å"riveters† earned, they could buy nice things like fur coats and pretty dresses. This gave them a sense of independence never before experienced. However, behind the faà §ade of perfect working situation, there was much conflict between the women workers. Not all of these women earned great wages. Black women were left to do the dirtier less paying positions and weren’t allowed the same privileges as white women. For example, they were not encouraged to use the showering facilities after working hard labor. Black wome...

The Terrible Transformation - A short video-tape critique essays

The Terrible Transformation - A short video-tape critique essays The 17th century was an altering time in history. Britains population had grown to an unmanageable amount and the poverty and unemployment were at an all time high. The poor needed a second chance in life. The word spread around Britain about a New World offering this second chance to those willing to go. It was the opportunity that many indignant poor people within Britain were looking for. In 1607, hundreds of families left their lives and set sail to Jamestown, Virginia. They built new homes, farms and a new way of life. By 1610, Virginia had suffered a hard summer and winter which took a toll on the new colonists. Unable to cultivate the land the settlers faced starvation resulting in them eating their livestock and ultimately eating one another just to stay alive. By 1611, only 60 of the new colonist were living. The failure of the first colonists did not stop the hopes of Britain for a new beginning. By 1613, over 200,000 people left their old way of life to travel to the New World. Desperate to find an edge for economic growth, they discovered that the lands favored the seeds of tobacco. They created plantation throughout Virginia and sold their goods to England. As time went on more and more people left the poor economy of Britain for America. They were unemployed servants given the promise of freedom from poverty if they worked a tour of several years as a servant in the New World. This promise would guarantee them food, sheltered and clothes in exchange for their work. Once their work tour was completed the servants were granted their freedom. The opportunity was too good to pass up. As the demand for more exported goods grew in American the need for more laborers grew also. The rich plantation owners began looking for alternative methods for obtaining workers. In 1619, a Dutch ship landed in Jamestown in need of food and supplies. They had captive Africans on b...

Consejos para casarse como turista en Estados Unidos

Consejos para casarse como turista en Estados Unidos Si est en Estados Unidos como turista y est considerando la posibilidad de casarse y le asaltan las dudas sobre si puede hacerlo, la respuesta es que sà ­, es posible casarse con una visa de turista en Estados Unidos. Otra cosa muy distinta es poder quedarse legalmente en el paà ­s y conseguir la tarjeta de residencia por matrimonio. Si esto es lo que se pretende, es altamente recomendable leer con mxima atencià ³n este artà ­culo y evitar errores que pueden costar muy caro. En este artà ­culo se explica cules pueden ser los problemas para los extranjeros que entran a Estados Unidos con una visa de turista y se casan con un ciudadano americano. Asimismo, se hace referencia a las opciones legales para evitar problemas.  ¿Quià ©nes son turistas desde el punto de vista migratorio? Esta pregunta puede parecer una tonterà ­a, pero no lo es. Son turistas los que entraron con esa visa, pero tambià ©n  los espaà ±oles y los chilenos que viajan a Estados Unidos como turistas y sin visa, por formar parte del grupo de paà ­ses para los que rige el Programa de Exencià ³n de Visados. En estos casos espaà ±oles y chilenos, en la mayorà ­a de los casos, solamente  tienen una autorizacià ³n electrà ³nica que se conoce como ESTA que les permite estar en el paà ­s por un mximo de 90 dà ­as, que jams se pueden extender.   Tanto los turistas con visa como los que sà ³lo tienen la ESTA pueden casarse en Estados Unidos.   Otra cosa distinta es que el matrimonio, à ºnicamente por sà ­ mismo, produzca efectos migratorios. Requerimientos civiles  para casarse y que el matrimonio tenga efectos migratorios Hay que cumplir con los requisitos del estado o, en su caso, el condado o municipalidad  en el que se celebra el matrimonio.   Destacar que en todos los estados de Estados Unidos asà ­ como en los territorios que componen la Commonwealth -como por ejemplo Puerto Rico-  es legal el matrimonio entre personas del mismo sexo. Por otra parte, en ninguno est permitido la bigamia, es decir, estar casado al mismo tiempo con ms de una persona. Asuntos y precauciones migratorias que deben tenerse en cuenta En teorà ­a, cuando un extranjero que est en Estados Unidos como turista y un ciudadano estadounidense contraen matrimonio, el cà ³nyuge extranjero deberà ­a salir del paà ­s antes de que expire su autorizacià ³n para quedarse legalmente. A continuacià ³n, si asà ­ lo desean, el ciudadano pedirà ­a a su cà ³nyuge mediante un procedimiento consular y mientras esperar fuera de los Estados Unidos a que llegue el  momento de la entrevista en el consulado y se obtenga la visa de inmigrante. Pero lo cierto es que en la prctica en muchos casos eso no ocurre asà ­ y el cà ³nyuge extranjero decide quedarse en los Estados Unidos mientras se tramita los papeles. Para evitar problemas migratorios muy serios es aconsejable tener en cuenta la siguiente informacià ³n: Primero: evitar problemas relacionados con la intencià ³n, o lo que en inglà ©s se conoce como intent.   Cuando persona que entra en Estados Unidos como turista debe tener necesariamente esa intencià ³n: pasear por el paà ­s y antes de que se le acabe la visa o el periodo de estancia legal debe regresar a su paà ­s. Y nunca debe ingresar al paà ­s con la intencià ³n de contraer matrimonio. Cosa muy distinta y que puede admitirse es que dos personas decidan en un instante casarse. Es decir, que cuando el extranjero llegà ³ a USA no tenà ­a esa idea pero el amor a veces es impulsivo y se puede cambiar de opinià ³n. Pero,  ¿cà ³mo evitar problemas y estar en condicià ³n de poder demostrar que la intencià ³n de casarse no existà ­a antes de entrar al paà ­s? Hasta hace poco, eso se garantizaba  siguiendo la regla 30/60 que una norma del Departamento de Estado que el USCIS solà ­a  aplicar en los casos de matrimonios entre extranjeros y ciudadanos americanos y que deberà ­a entenderse asà ­: Cuando se pedà ­a  un ajuste de estatus por matrimonio en los 30 dà ­as siguientes a la llegada del extranjero, se presumà ­a que se estaba actuando de mala fe. En otras palabras, que su intencià ³n fue siempre casarse y que, por lo tanto, no debà ­a concederse la peticià ³n de  ajuste de estatus. Cuando se solicitaba entre el dà ­a 31 y el 60 habà ­a y una fuerte sospecha de que puede haber habido una intencià ³n de contraer matrimonio desde el principio. En esos casos habà ­a que esperar un examen muy exhaustivo del matrimonio y de sus intenciones. Sin embargo, la cantidad de dà ­as ha cambiado recientemente con la Administracià ³n Trump. Segà ºn un comunicado del Departamento de Estado, se considerar salvo raras excepciones que los matrimonios con el objetivo de pedir un ajuste de estatus celebrados en los 90 dà ­as siguientes al ingreso a Estados Unidos son un fraude de ley. Y la consecuencia de ello es que no se aprobar el ajuste de estatus, no se renovar la visa, que podr ser cancelada, no se aprobar ningà ºn cambio de visa y, si el extranjero permanece en Estados Unidos, se convierte en elegible para la deportacià ³n. Este es un cambio importante y muy serio. Es importante entender que no importa que familiares y amigos no tuvieron problemas por este asunto en el pasado. Las reglas han cambiado y lo que importa es lo que se aplica en estos momentos. Segundo: tener claro el proceso de  residencia por matrimonio  y todos los requerimientos.  La tramitacià ³n costa bsicamente de dos partes. Por un lado la peticià ³n per se y por otra el ajuste de estatus. Pero antes de comenzar asegurarse de que se cumplen requerimientos bsicos como, por ejemplo, el de ingresos mà ­nimos para patrocinar. Tercero: es muy importante tener en cuenta que mientras dura este proceso, la estancia del cà ³nyuge extranjero probablemente se encuentre por varios meses no cubierta desde el punto de vista migratorio por una visa o por la ESTA. Es por ello que no se debe salir de Estados Unidos. Lo recomendable es permanecer dentro del paà ­s o bien hasta que reciba la tarjeta de residente o bien un permiso que se conoce como advance parole. Si sale antes o sin esa autorizacià ³n, se arriesga a que cuando quiera regresar se le prohà ­ba la entrada en la frontera de EEUU. Incluso es recomendable consultar con un abogado si conviene salir aà ºn teniendo el advance parole. Cuarto: tener muy claro que en este artà ­culo siempre se habla de matrimonio con un ciudadano americano y nunca del caso de una pareja conformada por extranjero turista y residente permanente. Y es que estos casos son muy diferentes ya que si el turista se queda sin la proteccià ³n legal de la visa o de la ESTA porque permanece en el paà ­s ms tiempo del permitido no va a poder ajustar su estatus y, por lo tanto, no va a poder obtener la residencia dentro de los Estados Unidos. Esta es una gran diferencia desde el punto de vista migratorio. Quinto: tener en cuenta que siempre se habla de turista que ingresà ³ con visa o con ESTA. Nada de lo que dice este artà ­culo aplica a los migrantes que llegaron a los Estados Unidos sin pasar por un control migratorio, es decir, aquellos que ingresaron ilegalmente por la frontera. Estas personas no pueden nunca ajustar su estatus por matrimonio. Sexto: no olvidar que los problemas pueden comenzar en el control migratorio. Es perfectamente posible que el oficial de Inmigracià ³n en la frontera de Estados Unidos (puerto, aeropuerto o frontera terrestre) prohà ­ba la entrada de un extranjero con una visa de turista cuando sospeche que su intencià ³n es venir al paà ­s para casarse. El oficial de Inmigracià ³n siempre tienen una pequeà ±a conversacià ³n con la persona que procesa (y se recomienda no mentir) y  puede llegar a la conclusià ³n de que viene a casarse. Adems, pueden abrir el equipaje y descubrir cosas sospechosas como el traje de novia, regalos, muchà ­simas maletas para un viaje en teorà ­a de sà ³lo un par de semanas, etc. En estos casos, Inmigracià ³n est en su derecho de prohibir la entrada del extranjero, por mucha visa que tenga. Y es que es muy importante entender que para obtener la aprobacià ³n de una visa no inmigrante, como es la de turista, o su renovacià ³n o la garantà ­a de ser admitido al llegar a un control migratorio de los Estados Unidos es necesario ser, en todo momento, elegible para la visa y admisible para ingresar a USA. Estas son  20 causas que convierten a una persona en inelegible  y estas son  22 que la convierten en inadmisible.  ¿Quà © pasa si migracià ³n  no aprueba el ajuste de estatus por matrimonio? Es muy raro que el Servicio de Inmigracià ³n y Ciudadanà ­a (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) niegue la aprobacià ³n del I-130, es decir, la parte inicial de la tramitacià ³n donde realmente lo à ºnico que se confirma es que el que pide es un ciudadano y est casado legalmente con la persona pedida. Nada ms. El problema surge en ajuste de estatus. Las razones pueden ser muy variadas. Por ejemplo, que se considere que se ingresà ³ a Estados Unidos con la intencià ³n de casarse. Eso puede ser considerado un fraude de ley, ya que implica una mentira cuando se solicità ³ la visa de turista o cuando se cumplimentà ³ la ESTA. Otro problema es cuando se considera que el matrimonio es falso y su à ºnica finalidad es que el cà ³nyuge extranjero obtenga asà ­ los papeles. Esto puede dar lugar a castigos legales, adems de no aprobarse la green card. Finalmente, puede negarse la tarjeta de residencia por cualquiera de estas ms de 40 razones que aplican a todos los casos de solicitudes de residencia. Demoras en la tramitacià ³n de los papeles Aunque las peticiones de green card por matrimonio con ciudadano se encuentran entre las ms rpidas, lo cierto es que pueden demorarse varios meses. Es posible aprender cà ³mo verificarlo. Opciones migratorias para pedir al novio o cà ³nyuge En primer lugar, si la pareja no est casada, el estadounidense puede solicitar una visa de prometido o de novia cuando à ©ste todavà ­a no est en los Estados Unidos y que es  conocida como K-1. Con esta visa podrn entrar al paà ­s los prometidos y los hijos de estos. En los casos en los que un ciudadano est casado con un extranjero y à ©ste est fuera de los Estados Unidos puede pedirlo mediante un I-130 y luego un procedimiento consular o, en casos muy especà ­ficos puede merecer la pena solicitar una visa K-3, pero es recomendable consultarlo con un abogado migratorio. Por à ºltimo, si el ciudadano vive fuera de los Estados Unidos y est casado con un extranjero y deciden mudarse a USA tener en cuenta que pueden surgir problemas a la hora de probar ingresos. Asesorarse antes de iniciar los trmites. Informacià ³n relevante para evitar problemas Para evitar problemas es fundamental estar informado. Este test sobre visas de turista contiene informacià ³n esencial sobre cà ³mo obtenerla y cà ³mo conservarla. Este otro, sobre la autorizacià ³n que se  conoce como ESTA para los ciudadanos de paà ­ses que pueden viajar sin visa. Asimismo, este sobre la tarjeta de residencia permite tener claros puntos fundamentales para obtenerla y para conservarla. Finalmente, tener en cuenta que la informacià ³n de este artà ­culo no aplica a los extranjeros que ingresan ilegalmente en Estados Unidos, ya que no podrà ­an ajustar su estatus por matrimonio con ciudadano. Y en el caso de matrimonio con residente permanente es siempre requisito imprescindible que se està © legalmente en el paà ­s para poder ajustar su estatus. No ser posible tanto si se entrà ³ ilegalmente como si se ingresà ³ con visa y se quedà ³ ms tiempo del permitido. Este artà ­culo es informativo. No constituye consejo legal para ningà ºn caso concreto.

Compression test Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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Residency Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Residency Change - Essay Example I wish to change my resident student status as my parents have now moved to West Virginia and would prefer me to stay with them. We are very close knit family and my mother, being of delicate health, would be mentally relaxed if I could continue my education from local academic college or University. The multicultural environment of the state is also strong motivating factor that I believe would help me and my family to acculturize more easily within the mainstream society. I also believe that the University of West Virginia promotes the concept of constructive ideologies and proactive participation of the students from diverse backgrounds, in forging better understanding of evolving socio-economic and environmental dynamics. Indeed, it not only offers excellent academic programs but also huge opportunities for personal growth. Hence, change of student residency would considerably help me to be with my family and also help me achieve state of the art

Phrmceuticl Indutry Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

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Virtual Norms To Live By Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Virtual Norms To Live By - Case Study Example The virtual world makes it possible to interact with each other without being physically present. The availability of email, chat rooms, video conferencing, texting and calling on mobile and landline phones makes virtual collaboration more convenient. As it is with groups working face-to face, virtual teams also need norms to live by. Karten (2003) explains that team norms should be formed in order for team members to be guided accordingly as to how they interact, communicate and conduct themselves as members of the team. It follows that such norms should be agreed upon and clearly understood and interpreted by all the members of the group. Norms are not really set in stone. Should some norms prove to be ineffective or unsuitable already to the group, then they may be amended. I have enumerated ten norms that I believe will work with virtual teams and help them work together better. Communication Norms 1. Be open to each other’s ideas. Give each other the chance to communicate them and listen well without judgment. Objectively listening to other people’s ideas can actually be an enriching experience. Richmond & McCroskey (2005) defines organizational communication as â€Å"the process by which individuals stimulate meaning in the minds of other individuals by means of verbal or nonverbal messages in the context of a formal organization.† (P. 20). ... When one sends a message to another team member, it may be possible that the recipient is not online to receive the message at that particular moment, so the sender needs to give allowance of time before his message is received and acknowledged. It must be considered that members are not online on a round-the-clock basis and is also living a life offline that is has no relation to the project. This should be clearly understood so that disappointments are avoided. If there is an urgent message to be expected, one should be informed by mobile phone right away so he can check his email. 3. Acknowledge receipt of messages. In relation to the previous communication norm, it is but polite to acknowledge the receipt of a message so that the sender is aware. If there is a question in the message, it needs to be answered by the recipient as soon as he can so there is less time wasted on waiting. 4. Ask questions if things are not clear. This is a very basic practice. Members should not be int imidated to ask questions because it is crucial that they are clear on what they should do. If one is unsure of what to do and just goes by what he just feels is right without clarifying with the others, he might end up doing it wrong, hence, repeating the whole process. Asking questions and getting the right answers for it saves the team a lot of time and effort. 5. Always be motivating to others. Members of a team should be constantly motivated and encouraged to go on with the tasks in order to achieve the set goals. Motivation may come in many forms - intrinsic motivation or the inner drive to learn which leads to personal fulfillment; extrinsic motivation, which consists of rewards or a prize for

Economics Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economics Paper - Essay Example On the other hand if the local currency is strong, the foreign rate of exchange will be high thus making company's products to be expensive. At this situation, the company may opt for a domestic market for its products. In domestic market, the company has some power to decide on the price of its products. However this will depend on market structure of its product i.e. Whether it is a perfect competition, monopoly, or duopoly. In perfect competition market, the pricing strategy will be based on the forces of demand and supply of its product, which will be determined by the level of competition from other players in the market. Perfect competition market has a perfect elastic demand curve. Here the market determines the equilibrium price level. At this equilibrium price, the company will sell as much as it can. A slight increase in price will mean the company will sell nothing. In monopoly market structure, the company has the sole power to decide on the price it will sell its product. That is why monopolist is known as notorious in charging higher price of their products. Monopoly can interfere with the demand of its product by lowering it's output here the prices will go up and make more profit. In case of the company being a duopoly, it may collude with the other company that produces the same type of product and charge high prices provided that, there is trust between them. Therefore pricing strategy here will be dependent on trust and cooperation among the two market participants. Question two Most companies are profit maximizing and therefore their core objective is to maximize profit. However others aim at maximizing their sales. Profit oriented searcher will aim to produce the quantity and charge the price given by the point where marginal revenue equals marginal cost. This is as illustrated in the diagram below Price searcher aiming at maximizing sales will produce as a point total cost curve (TC) cuts total revenue curve m (TR) i.e. at the highest point possible. This is as illustrated below. Price searcher aim at maximizing sales, if his intentions are to promote the welfare of the producers i.e. to create the market to the producer's products. In a nutshell, price searcher must therefore choose between maximizing profit and maximizing sales. Question three Elasticity refers to the responsiveness of quantity demanded or supplied due to change in prices or income i.e. Change in quantity demanded or supplied due to a unit change in price or income. In this scenario I would expect demand for a specific brand of running shoes to be less elastic than the demand for running shoes in general. This is because specific brand limits the taste and preferences of a customer. This in turn limits the ability of the customer choice from a wider variety. Therefore a change in price of that specific brand is likely to be highly elastic. Consumers do not have substitute. Demand for a general brand of shoes will be more elastic since customers have

Virtual Norms To Live By Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Virtual Norms To Live By - Case Study Example The virtual world makes it possible to interact with each other without being physically present. The availability of email, chat rooms, video conferencing, texting and calling on mobile and landline phones makes virtual collaboration more convenient. As it is with groups working face-to face, virtual teams also need norms to live by. Karten (2003) explains that team norms should be formed in order for team members to be guided accordingly as to how they interact, communicate and conduct themselves as members of the team. It follows that such norms should be agreed upon and clearly understood and interpreted by all the members of the group. Norms are not really set in stone. Should some norms prove to be ineffective or unsuitable already to the group, then they may be amended. I have enumerated ten norms that I believe will work with virtual teams and help them work together better. Communication Norms 1. Be open to each other’s ideas. Give each other the chance to communicate them and listen well without judgment. Objectively listening to other people’s ideas can actually be an enriching experience. Richmond & McCroskey (2005) defines organizational communication as â€Å"the process by which individuals stimulate meaning in the minds of other individuals by means of verbal or nonverbal messages in the context of a formal organization.† (P. 20). ... When one sends a message to another team member, it may be possible that the recipient is not online to receive the message at that particular moment, so the sender needs to give allowance of time before his message is received and acknowledged. It must be considered that members are not online on a round-the-clock basis and is also living a life offline that is has no relation to the project. This should be clearly understood so that disappointments are avoided. If there is an urgent message to be expected, one should be informed by mobile phone right away so he can check his email. 3. Acknowledge receipt of messages. In relation to the previous communication norm, it is but polite to acknowledge the receipt of a message so that the sender is aware. If there is a question in the message, it needs to be answered by the recipient as soon as he can so there is less time wasted on waiting. 4. Ask questions if things are not clear. This is a very basic practice. Members should not be int imidated to ask questions because it is crucial that they are clear on what they should do. If one is unsure of what to do and just goes by what he just feels is right without clarifying with the others, he might end up doing it wrong, hence, repeating the whole process. Asking questions and getting the right answers for it saves the team a lot of time and effort. 5. Always be motivating to others. Members of a team should be constantly motivated and encouraged to go on with the tasks in order to achieve the set goals. Motivation may come in many forms - intrinsic motivation or the inner drive to learn which leads to personal fulfillment; extrinsic motivation, which consists of rewards or a prize for

Financial Management and Accounting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Financial Management and Accounting - Assignment Example revenues, and expenses attributable to a business that would eventually lead to either a surplus or deficit in the case of a not for profit business. The total profit margin should be used as a metric that is helpful in the assessment of the financial strength of a company. The strength of a company in terms of finances is determined by analyzing the percentage of money that remains after total expenses are deducted form the income of a company. The total profit margin is calculated using the following formula; In a business, there are 2 forms of cash flows; cash inflow, and cash out flow. Cash inflow to a business is the revenue that may is incurred from the normal running of the business. The other forms of cash inflows include dividends that a company receives from investing in other businesses. Cash out flows are the cash amounts that a business uses in the running of the business. They may include the payment of business expenses, acquisition of equipment, and the payment of dividends to shareholders of the business. The cash flow to Brandywine Homecare is $12 million that results from the revenue of the business. The doubling of the depreciation charge as a result of changes in calculation procedures would make it to be equivalent to $3 million. The increase in depreciation charge would make the net income to be less by an amount equivalent to the increase in the depreciation charge. However, the increase in the value of the depreciation charge would not affect the cash flow of the company. This is because depreciation charge is termed as a non cash item and therefore has no effect on the cash flows of the business. If the depreciation expense was reduced by a half, the net profit would increase by an amount equal to the decrease. That means that the depreciation charge would be equal to $0.75 million. The total profit margin would reduce by a half while the cash flow would remain

Reading strategy Essay Example for Free

Reading strategy Essay The SQ3R strategy which stands for survey, question, read, recite, and review. This five step strategy can be integrated into many areas. students can learn more effectively by engaging in the pre-reading, during-reading, and post-reading steps of this strategy. There are five strategy of reading to better understand the material. The strategy contain survey, question, read,recite and review. In survey, it contains chapter titles, introductory paragraphs, bold face, italicized headings and summary paragraphs. Question includes turn section headings into questions; have questions for which answers are expected to be found in the passage. In read purpose is to answer the questions. In recite also allow to answer question without referring to the text or notes. In review includes reviewing the material by reading parts of the text or notes to verify answers.The SQ3R is great way to actively read difficult material. It does not promise to make it student love or even like the subject but it facilitate the student to reading and ultimately, teach learning. with time and practice find this approach great study skill to develop.These students can benefit from using the SQ3R because it requires them to activate their thinking and review their understanding throughout their reading. It also helps students from waiting and then cramming for tests since the five steps requires them to review information and create notes during their initial reading. Their notes from the initial reading become their study guides. The SQ3R strategy which stands for survey, question, read, recite, and review. This five step strategy can be integrated into many areas. students can learn more effectively by engaging in the pre-reading, during-reading, and post-reading steps of this strategy. There are five strategy of reading to better understand the material. The strategy contain survey, question, read,recite and review. In survey, it contains chapter titles, introductory paragraphs, bold face, italicized headings and summary paragraphs. Question includes turn section headings into questions; have questions for which answers are expected to be found in the passage. In read purpose is to answer the questions. In recite also allow to answer question without referring to the text or notes. In review includes reviewing the material by reading parts of the text or notes to verify answers.The SQ3R is great way to actively read difficult material. It does not promise to make it student love or even like the subject but it facilitate the student to reading and ultimately, teach  learning. with time and practice find this approach great study skill to develop.These students can benefit from using the SQ3R because it requires them to activate their thinking and review their understanding throughout their reading. It also helps students from waiting and then cramming for tests since the five steps requires them to review information and create notes during their initial reading. Their notes from the initial reading become their study guides.

Influences of Biological Factors on Individual Personality

Influences of Biological Factors on Individual Personality Examine to what extend biological factors account for an individuals’ personality? The term ‘personality’ is used in general conversation in many ways. When psychologists discuss personality they are concerned primarily with individual differences – the characteristics that distinguish one individual from another. This essay discusses personality in terms of the biological approaches that view characteristics as traits and considers the roles of genetics and environmental influences in the stability of individual characteristics. A lot of evidence points to the conclusion that individual differences, mostly measured as psychological traits are substantially influenced by genetic factors (Carver Scheier, 2000). This conclusion raises questions about research and theory in Psychology in terms of the variation of these traits in the population and the existence of psychopathology (Bouchard, 2004). Trait psychology has a clear set of assumptions including the heritability of traits and a causal model attributing individual differences in brain function into behavioural and learning differences (Gale Eysenck, 1992). The behaviour and molecular genetic evidence confirm that biology has its role in personality traits (Carey, 2002). Since the 1950’s Eysenck claimed that most of the differences we observe between people’s personalities can be accounted for by just three factors, expressed as bi-polar dimensions: (1) introversion-extraversion; (2) neuroticism-stability and (3) psychoticism. Eysenck (1994) also gave his typology a biological basis, linking it not with body fluids but with the central nervous system (introversion-extraversion) and the autonomous nervous system (neuroticism-stability). He proposed that individual differences in introversion-extraversion are explained by inherited differences in the excitatory potential of central nervous systems (CNS). Individuals whose excitatory potential is low are predisposed towards extraversion since the bias in their CNS is towards cells being inactive (inhibition) rather than active (excitation). This means extraverts require more going on around them for their brains to function adequately, and to maintain a reasonable level of alertness, than introverts do. Extraverts are ‘stimuli-hungry’ and not only have a CNS which switches off more readily, they take longer to dissipate the inhibition that has built up in their CNS while attending to a stimulus. Conversely, introverts, through their high excitatory potential, are already reasonably alert and thus less prone to switching their attention to other sources of stimuli; in other words, introverts are less easily distracted than extroverts. Introverts would also be less likely to have what is termed as ‘micro sleeps’ (switching off for a few seconds), because they dissipate any inhibition much more rapidly than extraverts do. Even before Eysenck’s theory was available, large individual differences had been observed in the ease with which individuals, in some occupational settings, doing jobs like radar and sonar operations, could cope with the low levels of signals on their screens or reported signals when none were present, while the performance of others seemed relatively unaffected by the low level of simulation (Eysenck Eysenck, 1985). Eysenck’s theory seemed to offer an explanation of this and other similar differences of behaviour. Extraverts because of the low level of activation in their nervous systems, find it difficult to cope with environments which provide low levels of unvarying stimulation. Introverts, on the other hand, with central nervous systems already reasonably activated find these environments ideal. Conversely they would be swamped by high levels of stimulation, which would cause a considerable reduction in their performance. Much of the impact of these physiological differences on psychological differences between individuals was presumed to arise from its effect on an individual’s conditionability (Eysenck, 1994). Introverts, since they build up inhibition slowly, are easier to condition than extraverts. This implies that introverts are constitutionally more likely to assimilate, through conditioning, the rules, obligations and attitudes of their social environment. Conversely, the impact of socialisation on extraverts is attenuated by their weaker conditionability. Extraverts are therefore less likely to acquire conforming and conscientious behaviour patterns than introverts. Though Eysenck, for the most part, has focused on exploring the biological substructure of the introversion-extraversion dimension, he has suggested that an individual’s position on the second dimension, neuroticism-stability, reflects the stability of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS is the part of the nervous system, not directly under the conscious control, that carries a number of reflex activities; it is also involved in certain emotional responses. Some people inherit a labile ANS, which responds vigorously to stress and also takes some time to return to baseline. In addition, they experience more spontaneous activity, that is, shifts in activation which are not clearly attributable to external events. Conversely, some individuals are born with stable ANS characterised by weaker responses to stress, a more rapid return to baseline and spontaneous activity. This means individuals with a labile ANS are constitutionally more prone to worry, anxiety, embarrassment and stress than those with a stabile ANS. Thus, individuals towards the neuroticism end of the dimension have greater ‘free floating’ anxiety which, through conditioning, can become attached to events or people. This may mean that social interaction can, for some individuals, become ‘loaded’ with a considerable amount of anxiety. However, an important implication of Eysenck’s theory is that neuroticism is normally distributed along a continuum. In other words, there is not a discontinuity between normal people and conditions such as agoraphobia (i.e. fear of open spaces), which are simply the result of somewhat higher levels of anxiety response. If the agoraphobics can learn a more neutral response he or she will be able to resume a normal life. However, despite clear connections between an individual’s biological status and neuroticism, there are clearly very significant environmental considerations. Tong et al., (2000) found that levels of neuroticism (N) were causally related to environmental factors and, in particular, to the failure of affect ional bonds provided by a social network of friends and acquaintances. Similarly, Bouchard (2004) found that women with children at home under 15 years old and men and women who are unemployed are more likely to have neurotic problems. Thus, 25.4% of unemployed women and 13.6% of unemployed men had neurotic illness as compared with 8.9% of employed women and 5.5% of full or part-time employed men. The employed status of the subject’s spouse also plays a part in the prevalence of neurotic symptoms. Men with a wife at home are less at risk than those who have a wife at work. In women, those with an unemployed husband at home are more at risk than their peers with a husb and at work. Thus neuroticism, though having a large genetic component, seems to be also partly environmental, although the direction of cause-and-effect in such studies should not be presumed. Children in maturation process value immensely consistent parental, familial and peer encouragement and emotional support (Bouchard, 2004). Inadequate or culturally atypical child rearing practices, parental illness, marital disharmony and family disturbance are all associated with personality disorder. Nevertheless, the role of learning cannot be over-estimated. Many personality disorders, for example, can be described in terms of inappropriate thresholds to incoming stimuli (Krueger Markon, 2006). Low thresholds to frustration or tolerance lead to impulsive behaviour or loss of temper. A high threshold in relation to emotional sensitivity leads to over defensiveness and emotional coldness. Thus, a child with little innate tendency to loss of temper but, in a family where tempers are regularly lost and are socially effective and valued, will model this behaviour and lower her threshold. Impulsive behaviour may be more likely in children where impulsive behaviour flourishes in the f amily and subculture. In terms of genes and cognitive abilities, several researchers have estimated the separate effects of genes and environment in the expression of intelligence by comparing monozygotic and dizygotic twins raised in the same environment with those raised in different environments (Bouchard et al., 1990). These can be viewed as experiments of nature (monozygotic and dizygotic twins) and experiments of nurture (raised in birth or adoptive families). Genes and environment are both correlated in birth families because the same parents provide both genes and environment. In adoptive families, the birth parents provide the genes and the adoptive families provide the environment. These studies have demonstrated that the correlation of the IQs of siblings raised in different environments is low, just over 0.20 (Bouchard McGue, 1981). Monozygotic twins of course share 100 percent of their genes, whereas dizygotic twins and other siblings share 50 percent. Clearly genes have stronger effect on I Q. However, the outcomes of twins studies do not refer to individual members of the populations under investigation. In other words, conclusions about the relationship between genes and IQ do not apply to individuals regarding the research evidence available. Nevertheless, the decreasing role of the environment in IQ seems to be counter-intuitive because research by Petrill et al., (1998) has shown that the longer twins experience different environments the more dissimilar should become. In other words, the effect of the environment on IQ is important in childhood but becomes increasingly unimportant in adulthood (Petrill et al., 1998). Nowadays, trait psychology has been challenged in terms of whether or not should we maintain individual differences in the functioning of broad neural systems as the principal explanations of personality? Cognitive and social-cognitive models may provide viable alternatives considering the impact of moderating factors. Further, both Eysenck and Gray assume that each trait relates to a single, key underlying system, but there might not be any simple one-to-one mappings between brain functions and traits (Zuckerman, 1991). These challenges presented by cognitive theorists and multiple-systems models of traits may be met in various ways. For example, improvements in the methodology for assessing brain functions may reveal that Eysenck and Gray are correct. Another approach maintains the centrality of neurophysiological explanations and seeks to develop more complex physiological models (e.g. Zuckerman, 1991). Furthermore, an alternative is to consider cognitive variables as mediating co nstructs so that they facilitate neural processes. In conclusion, some personality characteristics (such as general mood and energy level) are influenced by inherited biological factors. Eysenck (1985; 1994) thought that personality was determined more by genes than by environmental factors. Various personality attributes seem to be identifiable within weeks of birth and remain relatively stable in each child during the first three years. Although this clearly attests to the large genetic influence on early personality development, these biological factors cannot be viewed in a vacuum. Experiences that are common to the culture and the subculture group (such as gender roles) and experiences that are unique to the individual interact with inborn predispositions to shape personality. Personality develops in a constant interactive process between biological potential, environmental circumstances and social opportunity. References Bouchard, T. J. Jr. (2004). Genetic Influence on Human Psychological Traits: A Survey. Current Directions in Psychological Science, Vol 13 (4), August, 148-151. Bouchard, T.J. Jr. McGrue M. (1990). Genetic and rearing environmental influences on adult personality: an analysis of adopted twins reared apart. Journal of Personality, (58), 263-292. Carver, C.S. Scheier, M.F. (2000). Perspectives on personality. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Carey, G. (2002). Human Genetics for the Social Sciences. London: Sage Eysenck, H. J. (1994). Personality: Biological foundations. In P. A. Vernon (Ed.) The Neurophysiology of Individual Differences. London: Academic Press. Eysenck, H. J. Eysenck, M. W. (1985). Personality and individual differences. New York: Plenum. Gale A Eysenck M W (Eds.)(1992). Handbook of individual differences. London: Sage. Krueger, R. B. Markon K. E. (2006). Understanding psychopathology: melding behavior genetics, personality, and quantitative psychology to develop an empirically based model. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 15 (3), 113-117. Matthews G. Gilliland K. (1999). The personality theories of H. Eysenck and J. A. Gray: a comparative review. Personality and Individual Differences, 26, 583-626. Petrill, S. A., Plomin, R., Berg, S. (1998). The genetic and relationship environmental relationship between general and specific cognitive abilities in twins age 80 and older. Psychological Science, 9, 183-189. Tong, H. J., Donald, W. P. Wade H. (2000) Genetic Influences on Neural and Behavioral Functions. CRC Press. Zuckerman, M. (1991) Psychobiology of Personality. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay -- Frankenstein Shelley Essays

Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" In order to illustrate the main theme of her novel â€Å"Frankenstein†, Mary Shelly draws strongly on the myth of Prometheus, as the subtitle The Modern Prometheus indicates. Maurice Hindle, in his critical study of the novel, suggests, â€Å"the primary theme of Frankenstein is what happens to human sympathies and relationships when men seek obsessively to satisfy their Promethean longings to â€Å"conquer the unknown† - supposedly in the service of their fellow-humans†. This assertion is discussed by first describing the Promethean connection. Thereafter, the two forms of the myth, Prometheus the fire-stealer and Prometheus the life-giver are reviewed in the context of Shelly’s use of the myth in her novel and their relationship to the main theme. Finally, the character of Frankenstein as a modern Prometheus of the scientific age is discussed in the context of English Romantic literature. This â€Å"Promethean longing† mentioned by Hundle, is the connection between Victor Frankenstein and Robert Walton. They both seek to gain knowledge of the unknown. Victor Frankenstein’s obsession with occult scientific knowledge results in the destruction of his family and friends, whilst Walton, the narrator of the story, causes many deaths by his obsessive journey to the North Pole. Shelly’s use of the Prometheus myth combines the two versions of the legend, Prometheus the â€Å"fire-stealer† and Prometheus the â€Å"life-giver†. According to the Ancient Greeks, in the first version of the myth, the Titan, Prometheus, in rebellion against Zeus, took fire from the sun and gave it to humankind to warm them and enable them to make tools and weapons, thereby allowing them to rise above other animals. Zeus was incensed by Prometheus’ disobedience, and as punishment, ordered Prometheus chained to a rock, where his liver was eaten by eagles each day and restored each night so that his torment could be prolonged for eternity. The second, Roman version of the myth, comes from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, which, according to Newey (1993), Mary Shelly read in 1815. In this version Prometheus was the Creator who made man from clay and breathed life into him. This relates directly to the quotation on the title page of Shelly’s book. â€Å"Did I request thee Maker, from my clay to mould me man. Did I solicit thee from darkness to promote me? Although a quotation from Milton’s... ...fe-giver. However, it could be argued that Frankenstein is better connected to Prometheus the fire-stealer. Frankenstein’s experiments with the two edged sword of forbidden knowledge had the possibility of bestowing great good upon humanity or perhaps the destruction of humankind. Shelley has utilised both versions of the myth to great effect in the development of the main theme. Her character, Frankenstein, effectively destroyed all he held dear as a consequence of his obsession with the pursuit of forbidden knowledge. Works Cited: Griffith, G. V. 1997 Frankenstein in the Context of the Romantic Era. Retrieved April 2004 from http://www.enotes.com Hindle, M. 1994, Mary Shelley Frankenstein Penguin Books, London Hunter, J. P. (ed.), 1996, Mary Shelley Frankenstein. The 1818 Text, Contexts, Nineteenth-Century Responses, Modern Criticism, W.W. Norton & Company, New York Newey, K. 1993, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Sydney University Press, Sydney Schmidt, A. 1999, The Myth of Prometheus, Retrieved April 2004 from http://www.enotes.com Oates, J.C. 1984 Frankenstein’s Fallen Angel, in Critical Inquiry, Vol 10 No.3. Retrieved April 2004 from http://www.enotes.com

Feminism in Pop Culture

Many myths and misconceptions float around the term ‘Feminism’. It is a movement that is frequently projected as being violent, aggressive, and full of ‘bra burning’ extremists. The word alone often evokes reactions among people that are negative, uncomplimentary and stereotypical. The disturbing of the patriarchal paradigm was a phenomenon that became prominent only in the Twentieth Century. Historically speaking women have always numerically outnumbered men, but through the system of patriarchy they have been suppressed by political, economic and social machinery. The difference between Gender and Sex When trying to examine feminism we must keep in mind the subtle difference between ‘gender’ and ‘sex’. For example, if a man were to dress or behave like a woman, it would not change the fact that he is still biologically a man, and here is where the difference lies. When we use the term ‘gender’, we are referring to a social construct, a store knowledge that has developed over generations that helps us in our identification of a person as a man or a woman. A person’s sex on the other hand is purely biological. A primary argument of feminist theory is that arbitrary allocations such as this that are constructs of society are completely devoid of any genuine value. Thus the duty of feminism, in one sense, involves the subversion of existing patriarchal paradigms by questioning phallocentric, or penis-centred, sources of power. Patriarchy and the Woman The term ‘Patriarchy’ itself can be broadly defined as an ideological system of belief that privileges males over females. This is a complex system that employs androcentric values, rituals and practices in order to maintain status quo. Another means of control involves patriarchy passing itself off as the so-called ‘norm’ or the ‘right’ way in which a society must divide itself, and regards the Female as a departure from this ‘norm’ and treats her as ‘the other’, a notion that only reinforces the sharp cleavage between the two sexes. As a result of this treatment, the decisions of a society are based on whatever the man decides, whereas everything else is lumped together as ‘the other’, the Female. It is however ironic that patriarchy itself requires the co-operation of the Female in order to subjugate her, making her a willing participant in her own suppression. As the French feminist Simone de Beauvoir put it so aptly in her seminal book, ‘The Second Sex’, published in 1949, ‘One is not born, but rather becomes a woman. ’, a statement that raises our consciousness to the disparity between the male ‘norm’ and the female ‘other’. It was indeed French Feminism that first brought to light the fact that all western languages are irredeemably male-engendered, male constituted and male-dominated. Discourse itself is phallocentric as seen in its vocabulary, syntax, rules of logic and its tendency for classification and opposition as well as the need for objective knowledge. Definitions of Feminist Literary Criticism There are multiple definitions that can be applied to Feminist Literary criticism. It differs from other schools of critical theory in that it does not derive its literary principles from a single authoritative figure or from a body of sacred texts. This is quite unlike other approaches such as Psychoanalysis, Marxism or Deconstruction, which can all be attributed to their primary exponents, Freud, Marx and Derrida respectively. Feminist theory has evolved from several sources, with several feminist thinkers contributing to the canon. Moreover, critical theory used in readings of Woman’s literature borrows from other disciplines such as History, Anthropology, Linguistics, Psychoanalysis and Marxism. It was a form of criticism created by literary and academic women who participated in the women’s liberation movement in the late 1960s. Kate Millet’s book, ‘Sexual Politics’ (1870) was the first major treatise on feminist criticism, and also represented a strong political argument for women’s rights. The Dictionary of Concepts in Literary Criticism and Theory defines Feminist Criticism as ‘The understanding and analysis of and response to literary works, and/or language and/or the institution of literary study or theory from the point of view of women’s experience. ’ â€Å"Feminist Criticism†, says Elaine Showalter, in her book ‘New Feminist Criticism’, â€Å"has established gender as a fundamental category of literary analysis. † Her article, ‘Dancing through the Minefield’ has also made some observations on the politics and practice of feminist criticism. She also points out that the earlier groups of feminist critics were preoccupied with the gender bias in writing, whereas the later group of gynocritics studied women as writers. Another columnist, Annette Kolodny, defines feminist criticism as â€Å"An acute and impassioned attentiveness to the ways in which primarily male structures of power are encoded within our literary inheritance, and the consequences of that encoding for women†¦ not only for a better understanding of the past but also for an improved recording of the present and the future. This form of criticism, as a self-aware and concerted approach to literature came into being in the late 1960s, as a part of the international woman’s movement. One of the first areas it looked into and challenged was literature, where it was always assumed that the representative reader, writer and critic were all male. The historical background and watershed marks in Feminist Criticism Behind the movement in the 1960s, however, lay two centuries of struggle, represented only by a few texts such as Mary Wollstonecraft’s ‘The vindication of the Rights of Women’ (1792). A later book, this time by John Stuart Mill, ‘The Subjection of Women’ (1869) was also brought to the fore. It suggested that the Wife was a family’s source of sustenance, and therefore the empowerment of the generations could be achieved only by empowering The Woman. The next seminal work in Feminist Criticism was penned by Virginia Woolf in 1929. Called ‘A Room of One’s Own’, the book talked about the major directions in which feminist explorations of literature needed to develop. The book is rich with insights about the absence of women writers and readers, and the probable fate to which the hypothetical ‘Sister of Shakespeare’, blessed with equal or greater genius, would have been consigned to thanks to socio-cultural obstacles of the age. In it, Woolf’s contention is that ‘A woman must have money and a room (referring to space, privilege and opportunity) of her own if she is to write [fiction]. † Other significant books include Toril Moi’s ‘Sexual/Textual Politics’ (1985) and Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar’s ‘No Mans Land: The Place of the Woman Writer in the 20th Century’. These texts introduced the principles of feminist literary theory to the world. Their purpose was to offer feminist readings of texts that looked at the images and the stereotypes of women in literature as well as the omissions and misconceptions about women in criticism and ‘women-as-sign’ in semiotic systems. This kind of criticism concerns itself with developing a specifically female framework for dealing with works written by women, in all aspects of their production, including analysis and interpretation in ll literary forms and expressions, including journalism and popular culture, like Patricia Mayers-Spack’s ‘The Female Imagination’, Ellen Moer’s ‘Literary Women’, Elaine Showalter’s ‘A Literature of their Own: British Women Novelists from Bronte to Lessing’, or Gilbert and Gubar’s ‘The Mad Woman in the Attic’, a reference to Bertha Mason, who is ‘usually in some sense the author ’s double, (the other) an image of her own anxiety and rage. ’ Through the women’ liberation movement, literary criticism drew a connection between the lived lives of thousands of women who studied and taught literature. An important area of research was the limited secondary roles of fictional heroines and other feminine stereotypes in canonical literature. The Role of Feminist Criticism Feminist criticism, developing in tandem with the women’s liberation movement brought in a dual perspective that brought about a reappraisal of texts, looked at the construction of gender through language and the gendering of text, and examined the representation of women in literature and the exclusion of women as fictional characters, authors and readers. As far as literature is concerned, the role of Feminist criticism was to look at canonical literary works and the manner in which they represent women as stereotypes, and to develop theories for sexual differences in reading, writing and literary interpretation. It brings to the fore and establishes ‘gender’ as a fundamental category of literary analysis, and takes into account the fact that the vast majority of what is conceded to be the ‘literary canon’ is by and large authored by men, based on masculine norms and values, and women’s writing therefore is either excluded or undervalued in canonical literature, criticism and theory. Feminist critics also look at the representation of female experiences in literature. They reason that because a major aspect of literature is the reporting of our biological sense experiences, it would be impossible for the male to authentically capture an entirely feminine experience such as menstruation or childbirth. Feminist criticism also bases itself on two other primary assumptions: That gender is constructed through language (by way of political incorrect words and phrases such as ‘chairman’, ‘male nurse’ or ‘actor and actress’), and that writing strategies are sex-related and therefore misogynistic. Feminist criticism also shows that women readers, critics and writers bring different perceptions and expectations to their literary experiences, and insist that women have important stories to tell of their own culture. This kind of criticism opened space that now extended beyond the study of only women writers and now included the reappraisal of all literature that makes up our heritage. Feminist critics look at literary representation of sexual differences, and how literature shapes masculine and feminine values, privileging one set over another. The aim of feminist criticism therefore becomes to re-examine male texts, emphasize writing by women by charting a new literary history that includes neglected texts, a female tradition created by a sub-community of women writers who found support from their literary foremothers and so become role models for younger female writers. They also look at the oral tradition and other extra-literary expressions. Another aim involves the creation of new reading and writing collectives, libraries, publishing houses, social centres, colleges and so on. Feminist criticism confronts the problem of the feminist reader by offering new methods and fresh critical evaluation of issues, such as the mother-daughter cultural and relational aspect. Another major concern of Gynocritics is to identify what is taken to be distinctly feminine subject matter in literature written by women, the idea of sisterhood and female bonding, domesticity, gestation, birth, motherhood, mother-daughter or woman-woman relationships, etc. They also undertake to show that there is a distinctive feminine mode of experience or subjectivity in thinking, feeling, valuing and perceiving the self and others. French Feminism Related to this is the specification of the traits of women’s language and its distinctive style of speech and writing. Women must write in a way in which they can avoid the pitfalls of phallocentric language mentioned earlier, in a style represented by the term ‘ecriture feminine’ or writing in the feminine, a concept that was a product of French feminism. Helene Cixous, its main exponent, credited with authoring its manifesto, ‘The Laugh of Medusa’ (1975), stated that ecriture feminine is to be found in metaphors of female sexuality and women’s libidinal differences. Another critic, Luce Irigary, talks about women’s writing and its evasion of the male monopoly by replacing the monolithic phallus by the diversity, fluidity and multiple possibilities represented by female sexuality. These critics believe that women must try to resurrect the ‘feminine-feminine’ which possibly lies in the unconscious of all women. Julia Kristeva speaks of a pre-natal, pre-linguistic, pre-oedipal and unsystematic signifying language between the mother and the infant centred on the mother that she labels as semiotic and abstract, as opposed to the symbolic or letter based language of the father. Semiotic writing disrupts phallocentric writing because it is free from oppressive order and rationality. Both men and women can write in this mode, which deconstructs masculine structures of knowledge and attacks patriarchy and its language. The overall aim of ecriture feminine is therefore to allow a woman to write of, from and about their bodies. French feminist theory has contributed significantly to feminist literary criticism by studying the relationship between women, psychology and language. Currently feminist criticism employs a wide range of approaches and addresses a variety of issues of feminist interest. This is called ‘Playful Pluralism’. The oft-asserted goal of feminist critics has been to enlarge and re-order, or in some cases entirely displace the (patriarchal) literary canon. Feminist studies have served to raise the stakes of many female authors who were erstwhile neglected or even overlooked.