Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Why Multinational Corporations Seek To Transfer Their Home-Country HRM Essay

Why Multinational Corporations Seek To Transfer Their Home-Country HRM Policies to Their Overseas Subsidiaries - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the strategies of multinational organizations are quite complex having to address a wide range of issues related to different cultural and economic conditions. In this context, many firms chose to promote similar policies in regard to their various sectors aiming to reduce relevant risks. In the HRM area, such practices are quite common. In fact, it has been proved that a high percentage of organizations prefer to transfer their home-country human resource management policies to their overseas subsidiaries. At a first level, this practice can be possibly considered as justified allowing the easier establishment of the organization in the host country, at the level that no time is wasted on the preparation of locals for working in key positions of the organization’s branch in the host country. The reasons for which organizations transfer their home-country human resource management policies to their overseas subsidiaries are pres ented and evaluated in this paper. Emphasis is given on the difficulties of this project and on the possible ways for resolving the problems involved. The most common reason for the transfer of home-country human resource management policies to overseas subsidiaries is the need of organizations for promoting homogenous policies in all their sectors so that conflicts and failures are minimized. Such issue is highlighted in the study of Wilton where reference is made to the example of Japanese firms that had to establish branches and operational units abroad. Japanese firms tend to promote team working and task sharing; however, after entering the US market the Japanese firm had to align their HRM strategies with the US laws and ethics. In order to avoid conflicts with local laws and culture, the Japanese firms transformed their HRM policies promoting ‘task demarcation and functional specialization’. From a similar point of view, Sparrow notes that firms may choose to tra nsfer their home-country human resource management policies to their overseas subsidiaries in order to reduce costs related to training of new employees. Such perspective can be valuable only if the time during which the home country HRM policies are used in the overseas subsidiary is limited; if such practice is continued for a long period of time, then the cost involved would be much higher compared to the development of new HRM policies, aligned with the local culture.

Monday, October 28, 2019

Consider William Blakes presentation of love in the poem The Clod and the Pebble Essay Example for Free

Consider William Blakes presentation of love in the poem The Clod and the Pebble Essay (b) Paying close attention to language and form, write a critical appreciation of the following poem, considering William Blake’s presentation of love in the poem ‘The Clod and the Pebble’. The Clod and the Pebble Love seeketh not itself to please, Nor for itself hath any care, But for another gives its ease, And builds a Heaven in Hells despair. So sung a little Clod of Clay 5 Trodden with the cattles feet, But a Pebble of the brook Warbled out these metres meet: Love seeketh only self to please, To bind another to its delight, 10 Joys in anothers loss of ease, And builds a Hell in Heavens despite. The ostensible cuteness of the poem The Clod and the Pebble perhaps masks a more morbid and deeply cynical assessment of love by the poet William Blake. Initially, the contrast between the clod and the pebble’s speeches on love might encourage a positive response to the clod’s optimism about how love can rescue us from even the most hellish position. The pebble’s pessimism about love, on the other hand, is unpleasant and unsettling, but it’s also a more accurate reflection of the brutal nature of the world as it is depicted in the poem. Blake’s presentation of love, then, is ambivalent. While the ideal that love is able to overcome any circumstance is appealing, it might not be a realistic assessment in the context of the world’s cruelty. Blake’s personification of the clod and the pebble captures two very different human experiences. We are told that the clod is â€Å"trodden with the cattle’s feet.† With the word â€Å"trodden† Blake captures the experience of continual hardship, and being repeatedly downtrodden, subjugated and abused. There is also tactile imagery of weight and pressure from the â€Å"cattle’s feet,† restricting the clod and forcing it into a new shape. In this way, the clod is described as though it experiences human suffering. It makes us think about someone who has had to become flexible to fit the continual hardship of their circumstances reflected in the physical properties of a soft clod of clay. It is then pleasantly surprising that the clod sings about love in the most optimistic way. On the one hand, the clod’s optimism concerning love is deeply admirable, and the parallel structure used to present this speech alongside the pebble’s emphasises that optimism in the most appealing way. The clod states that love â€Å"builds a Heaven in Hell’s despair,† while the pebble states that it â€Å"builds a Hell in Heaven’s despite.† The clod speaks from the context of a hellish existence that entails pain and suffering, and endows love with the capacity to transcend such an experience and create a heavenly existence of joy and happiness. The pebble, on the other hand, speaks from a comparatively heavenly existence and instead endows love with the capacity to corrupt that existence with the pain and suffering suggested by the word â€Å"Hell.† Our feeling that the clod is admirably optimistic ten evolves into a feeling that we too want and even believe that love will rescue and provide solace to this figure. Conversely, the parallel structure also helps to emphasise the pebble’s pessimism. The clod declares that â€Å"love seeketh not itself,† while the pebble answers that â€Å"love seeketh only self.† The phrases â€Å"not itself† and â€Å"only self† create a clear juxtaposition here of the two views of love. The first underscores it as essentially selfless, while the other underscores it as absolutely and solely selfish. Moreover, while the clod sings happily about how love â€Å"for another gives its ease† the pebble responds with how love â€Å"joys in another’s loss of ease.† The clods words suggest an action of willing self-sacrifice, while the pebbles words suggest a selfish acquisition that leaves another diminished. Of course, the pebble’s view means that there is no hope for the clod and that love in fact provides no Heaven. Furthemore, the pebble’s assessment of love is deeply cynical and ugly. It is, however, true to both its own experience and that of the clod. The clod is â€Å"trodden† upon while the pebble is â€Å"of the brook.† We imagine a gentle and tranquil existence within the soft current of a stream. Traditionally, however, rivers also symbolise a journey from innocence to worldliness. The water represents the experience that flows over us during life, leaving us more aware. This experience has left the pebble implacable. We imagine someone who has become hardened from experience and this is reflected in the physical properties of the pebble. Now the water is forced to bend around the pebble, just as the clod must bend around the feet of the cattle. This is a depiction of the world’s harshness and cruelty, and we cannot help but appreciate that it is the pebble’s assessment of love that more accurately reflects it. To conclude, perhaps the poem is as much about idealism and realism as it is about love. Love, after all, is subject to our tendency to be both idealistic and realistic. Ultimately though, it seems that the depiction of the world as harsh and brutal confirms a negative view of love as equally harsh and brutal. At the very least, the poem encourages us to be ambivalent of love and not suppose it to be a kind of saviour capable of transcending all.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Advanced Export Marketing :: Free Essay Writer

Advanced Export Marketing ADVANCED EXPORT MARKETING MAJOR ASSIGNMENT There are already many federal programs that assist exporters in various ways including Progam for Export Market Development (P.E.M.D.), Canadian International Development Association (C.I.D.A.) and Canadian Commercial Corporations (C.C.C.). These programs help exporters secure and enhance access for Canadian goods and services in world markets. They also strengthen Canada's international marketing effectiveness and help promote awareness of export markets and opportunities. These exporting programs also promote Canada's economic, political, security and other interests, both bilaterally and through international institutions. They advise the government on international developments and on the international implications on the domestic policies. There is alot of help out there for exporters but new programs should be introduced and old programs should be updated. I will introduce a new program where anybody can apply for help in exporting which will be called " A FOOT AHEAD "(A.F.A.). A.F.A. will be fully examined and explained in the following report and Iwill also show some very interesting improvements to the existing government exporting program called P.E.M.D. A FOOT AHEAD (A.F.A) There are many problems facing Canadian companies in gaining export competiveness. A.F.A. wants to reduce these problems and make it much easier for the exporters to crack the foreign markets. These problems consist of: 1) Lack of market analysis 2) Lack of market strategy 3) Pricing problems - Labour - Transportation cost - Economics of scale - Outdated manufacturing facilities 4) Distance from market (serviceability aspects) 5) Lack of management initiative (no long range plans - lack of know how) 6) Subsidiary relations (affects marketing and research and development) 7) Risk takers - lack of - (companies and banks) A.F.A. knows these problems exist and wants to take care of them for the exporter who may be to confused and/or unsure of themself to become involved in foreign investment. A.F.A. consists of 7 graduates from the Sir Sanford Fleming College International Trade Program. Each of its staff are fully capable of helping any exporter in the above problems. With the quality of education learned from the profs at Fleming no solution is unatainable. For each of the above problems, people will be assigned to fully understand the exporters situation and apply there capabilities in helping them out. The first employee, we will refer to him as Das Fut, will be responsible for finding business's that look as though they are capable of creating a profit from exporting there service or good that don't already do so. So instead of companies coming to us, we will go looking for them to export. Das Fut will obtain documents (balnce sheets and company profiles) and statistics on domestic markets and if they look promissing he will then suggest back to headquarters Advanced Export Marketing :: Free Essay Writer Advanced Export Marketing ADVANCED EXPORT MARKETING MAJOR ASSIGNMENT There are already many federal programs that assist exporters in various ways including Progam for Export Market Development (P.E.M.D.), Canadian International Development Association (C.I.D.A.) and Canadian Commercial Corporations (C.C.C.). These programs help exporters secure and enhance access for Canadian goods and services in world markets. They also strengthen Canada's international marketing effectiveness and help promote awareness of export markets and opportunities. These exporting programs also promote Canada's economic, political, security and other interests, both bilaterally and through international institutions. They advise the government on international developments and on the international implications on the domestic policies. There is alot of help out there for exporters but new programs should be introduced and old programs should be updated. I will introduce a new program where anybody can apply for help in exporting which will be called " A FOOT AHEAD "(A.F.A.). A.F.A. will be fully examined and explained in the following report and Iwill also show some very interesting improvements to the existing government exporting program called P.E.M.D. A FOOT AHEAD (A.F.A) There are many problems facing Canadian companies in gaining export competiveness. A.F.A. wants to reduce these problems and make it much easier for the exporters to crack the foreign markets. These problems consist of: 1) Lack of market analysis 2) Lack of market strategy 3) Pricing problems - Labour - Transportation cost - Economics of scale - Outdated manufacturing facilities 4) Distance from market (serviceability aspects) 5) Lack of management initiative (no long range plans - lack of know how) 6) Subsidiary relations (affects marketing and research and development) 7) Risk takers - lack of - (companies and banks) A.F.A. knows these problems exist and wants to take care of them for the exporter who may be to confused and/or unsure of themself to become involved in foreign investment. A.F.A. consists of 7 graduates from the Sir Sanford Fleming College International Trade Program. Each of its staff are fully capable of helping any exporter in the above problems. With the quality of education learned from the profs at Fleming no solution is unatainable. For each of the above problems, people will be assigned to fully understand the exporters situation and apply there capabilities in helping them out. The first employee, we will refer to him as Das Fut, will be responsible for finding business's that look as though they are capable of creating a profit from exporting there service or good that don't already do so. So instead of companies coming to us, we will go looking for them to export. Das Fut will obtain documents (balnce sheets and company profiles) and statistics on domestic markets and if they look promissing he will then suggest back to headquarters

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Empowerment in terms of theoretical perspectives: Exploring a typology of the process and components across disciplines Essay

Motivation and Empowerment Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Motivation has been defined as the various forces which can either be internal or external forces which cause an individual to become aroused and enthusiastic in their questing of pursuing a particular objective through a specific course of action (French, & Emerson, 2014). Motivational is normally brought about by the kind of reward that one is to gain after completion of certain actions. These rewards can be intrinsic which involves personal satisfaction; extrinsic rewards which are rewards given to another different person such as a pay increase and job promotions. A system-wide reward simply applies to all people within a certain category or group of people who perform similar duties within any given organization (French, & Emerson, 2014). Motivation leads to empowerment whereby empowerment simply means the act of sharing power or delegating of authority or power to the subordinates within an organization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Empowerment is part of motivation which helps in enhancing performance of the personnel within an organization (Hur, 2006). Empowerment has also been described simply as the ability and capability of an individual or a group of people to gain some form of understanding as well as the control over forces on issues related to their personal, economic, social and even political life. This is done in order for them to be able to certain actions which best suits them in improving and enhancing their situations in life (Bagheri, Matin, & Amighi, 2011). Empowerment is also considered as the process through which communities, groups of people and individuals are enabled to have a grasp on power and take effective actions in gaining social justice, efficacy and greater control in terms of changing the environment within which they live as well as their lives. Elements/ Components of empowerment   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are various components or elements of empowerment which include: Access to information and the flow of information from the source; Accountability; Strategy sharing; Inclusion and participation; Authority and power sharing as well as the relevant training. It is important that people should be provided with information that is relevant and the information needs to flow from the source to the recipient in a systematic manner (Hur, 2006). Empowerment also requires training so that one has got the necessary skills and knowledge that will enable to handling the power or authority delegated to them (Bagheri, Matin, & Amighi, 2011). Training will help to impart the skills required in achieving the goals and objectives set out within an organization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Accountability is also a component of empowerment whereby an individual is required to know what is expected. Individuals should be able to understand the impact and the meaning that their job has within the community or organization so that they are able to make decisions which are substantive and in line with the objectives of the organization or community. Another component of empowerment is inclusion and participation which leads to collaboration and teamwork (Bagheri, Matin, & Amighi, 2011). People or personnel to be empowered needs to be included and engaged in active participation in the operations within the organization. This helps in enhancing innovation and creativity within an organization as well as motivates the employees to take charge of their actions. For complete empowerment, there must be the component of authority or power sharing with the subordinates (Narayan, & Workshop on Measuring Empowerment. (2005). The people ne ed to be given the authority or power to perform certain duties and take certain course of actions so that they can be able to bring change to their situation and their environment. References Bagheri, G., Matin, H., & Amighi, F. (2011). The Relationship between Empowerment and Organizational Citizenship Behavior of the Pedagogical Organization Employees. Iranian Journal Of Management Studies, 4(2), 53-62. French, P., & Emerson, M. C. (2014). Assessing the Variations in Reward Preference for Local Government Employees in Terms of Position, Public Service Motivation, and Public Sector Motivation. Public Performance & Management Review, 37(4), 552-576. doi:10.2753/PMR1530-9576370402 Hur, M. (2006). Empowerment in terms of theoretical perspectives: Exploring a typology of the process and components across disciplines. Journal Of Community Psychology, 34(5), 523-540. Narayan, D., & Workshop on Measuring Empowerment. (2005). Measuring empowerment: Cross-disciplinary perspectives. Washington, DC. Source document

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Genetic Engineering

Scientists cross breed them. Most commonly used are genetic fruit flies to study the effects of genetic changes on development. Flies are preferred over other other animals because their vertebrae are simpler than other organisms. Modified bacteria are used to produce the protein insulin, to treat genetic diseases like diabetes, hemophilia, and dwarfism. Transgenic animals have had their genes altered. A majority of these animals are mice. Scientists can now produce these animals thanks to Crick and Watson discoveries. A transgenic plant; however, has genes that have en inserted in them rather than through pollination.Benefits of these plants are that they can fight droughts, as well as insect resistance. Less pesticide would be used. An example of a transgenic plant is the rape plant, which pollinates weeds. According to Google. Com, DNA fingerprinting is the analysis from samples of body tissues or fluids in order to identify individuals. It is very unlikely two people would have t he same fingerprint. DNA fingerprinting is beneficial in many ways including paternity tests, crime investigation and identify organisms causing a diseases.The testing can be done voluntarily by providing a sample of blood or a swab of the cheeks inside a person's mouth . The Human Genome Project was completed in April 2013 and it was a computerized system where you donate your DNA to be scanned into a computer base worldwide. They match your DNA with people all over the world. You paid to have your DNA sent in and all our genes sent together are known as a ‘genome. ‘ The project is beneficial because they can track diseases and help prevent them. Gene therapy is a technique that helps prevent or treat disease by using genes.Gene therapy is not unethical, it could prevent diseases from passing down through generations. I feel this way because it could help cure diseases that we never had the privilege to cure before. If I were to create my own transgenic organism it woul d be a mix between contractible that captures light from the sun and a cow. Transgenic cow, can provide food and sunlight received from the bacteria. It does not take up farmland all it has to do is stand in the sun. It can get all the protein and nutrients needed. Cows give us milk and meat, which could be healthier without all the pesticides. I would all the animal cannon. Genetic Engineering Genetic Engineering – A Curse or a Blessing? What is geneitc engineering? Many struggle to understand the real meaning and outcrops of this complicated, highly expensinve procedure. Genetic Engineering is a direct human manipulation of an organism’s DNA structure. As intricated as it seems, it’s a technology that has been used for decades, and is soon to outbreak into a real â€Å"Cloning Aeon†. Therefore, how could we know the benefits and the drawbacks of this technique?Let us take a hinge at the striking, egregious discoveries this subject has brought to the world: from SciFi novels to the first synthetic life forms, from genetical engineered wheat to dreaful mutations of the human bodies. Indeed, it seems as if we are already living the much-dreamt-of blazing, scientific inventions. Still, if so many types of drugs and cures have been made-up from just a few mutations, one may wonder how come the biggest issues regarding human incurable illnesses have not been resolved yet.No one can deny this: we own a technology way beyond our understanding, we hold a highly destructive power in our rubber science lab gloves, yet we feel listless when facing the most questionable allegation: Where are the cures for Cancer, AIDS and Alzheimer, diseases that break our world apart? Isn’t it curious how scientist try to create artificial lives instead of curing the genuine ones? We should admit that it’s not to be our â€Å"contemporany age† anymore. It’s a dawn of biohackers. Biohacking comes along with interests.Interests come along with strifes. And strifes inevitably lead to casualties. By the same token, millions of people could be left to struggle in an obscure, isolated self-made world in which they think they could be saved. It’s a tryout, it’s a new selection that many conspiracies theories affirm. Although we should not forget the cloned Dolly sheep and the rest of the pioneers in this area, I dar e say that genetic engineering has not yet proved to be something more than a handicap to what human society might mean.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

How To Use Content Marketing For Startups - CoSchedule

How To Use Content Marketing For Startups You’ve worked hard on your new startup. Launch day is here. Now what? Will anyone notice? Will the world be ready? What if you already had an email list of more than 5,000 engaged subscribers who were already interested in your company and product? What if you already had an audience to buy (or trial) your new thing on day one? This is exactly how we launched just a few short years ago.  We used content marketing to build a huge email list that contained thousands of potential customers who were already rooting for us when we finally opened our doors. To do it, we went  all in on content. In fact, we started creating content before we even started writing code! Heres why your #startup should be #writing blog posts before you even start writing code.Today, I want to share a bit of that story, but more importantly, I want to show you how you can use content marketing to launch and build your startup. I will outline the five key phases that we took to ensure that our product launched to a qualified audience, developed  a steady stream of new customers, and developed one of the most trafficked blogs in our industry- all using content marketing. I’ll start from the beginning and give you the step-by-step process you can use for yourself. Phase 1: Learn To Tell Your Story Startup phase = Minimum viable product; Content phase = Minimum viable blog Ever since I read Charles Duhigg’s book,  The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, I have been uniquely aware of the need for simple habits that will eventually lead to consistently correct behavior. Its a core part of how I now approach leadership and team development, and it’s exactly how I encourage people to approach content marketing. In the beginning, all you need to worry about is building the habit of publishing at least one blog post a week. That’s it. All you need to worry about is building the habit of publishing at least one blog post a week.I found that the easiest way to do this was by telling the story once a week, one blog post at a time. Each week, I would post about our progress in development, share recent product wireframes, or share a problem we were experiencing to  get our audience’s feedback. Not only was it a valuable (and easy) way to generate consistent content, but it was a great way to  gather feedback and get ideas from our potential customers. This blog post asked for survey feedback. This phase of content marketing for startups is about finding your audience  and attracting people who  may be drawn to your company or product over time. Don’t let yourself get bogged down in strategy. Think of it like finding product marketing fit for your blog. You should also be using this time to build an email list and audience by sharing your content regularly on social media. Of course, can help with this. :) If you want to see some of our first blog posts, here are a few: Weve Got A Big Job To Do How Your Feedback Influences What We Build The Minimum Viable CalendarUse this time to build an #email list by sharing your content regularly on #socialmedia.Phase 2: Transition To  Strategy Startup phase = Product market fit; Content phase = Content audience fit The second phase of content marketing for startups is to begin steering your content toward the ideas and topics that fit your startups mission and product. This phase is really  all about converting your regular publishing habit into a true inbound marketing approach where you use helpful content to build trust with your audience. Steer your #content toward the topics that fit your #startups mission and product.This phase  assumes that you have been able to identify an early form of product market fit. Now is the time to start directing your content toward their needs and testing your hypothesis. If you create content that is helpful for them, do they respond? Do they show  interest in your company and product? There are a ton of ways to actually develop your topics during this phase, but keep it simple. Keyword Explorer in Moz In the beginning, I would use Google and the recommended search phrases to find topics that I felt our users would care about. You can also use SEO specific tools like Keyword Explorer in Moz  and SEMrush (two of our favorites) to find important keywords and phrases. Buzzsumo.com can also be a big help. Again, while this stage is about shifting toward a defined strategy, don’t go overboard. Youre still learning, so you need to be agile enough to make changes if things are working. Your product may also be changing at this point, so be prepared to adapt. Be agile enough to make changes if things arent working. #startuplifeLastly, at this time, its still not about writing the 100% greatest content on earth. This is the minimum viable blog phase. Do just enough to prove your theories about what your audience wants and needs, then build on your successes. This phase is also a great time to double down on your email list building and social media promotion. This is the minimum viable blog phase. Your content doesnt have to be 100% Recommended Reading: 5 Easy Lead Conversion Tips For Your Email Marketing Program 8 Social Media Best Practices That Will Save You 25.5 Hours In A 2-Week Sprint Phase 3: Seek Help Startup phase = Hiring a team; Content phase = Hand-off content creation As a founder, I have always tried to do the job we are hiring for before we actually do the hiring. It helps me get perspective on the skills and talents a new hire needs in order to be successful to be successful.  It also helps me define the scope of the position so we don’t give someone so much to do that they can’t possibly be successful. This is exactly what you need to do in the third phase of content marketing for startups. During phase two, you are essentially proving your hypothesis- can you generate consistent traffic and build an audience with content? And what  exactly do you need to do it? Phase three is about taking those results and starting to scale them. At , this meant hiring a Content Marketing Lead and doubling down on staff that could create compelling graphics and downloads. This phase is about scaling your ability to acquire an audience. By adding a full-time team member, you will make sure the day-to-day management of your content is handed off to someone other than a founder of the team. This should improve consistency and overall content quality. Make sure your #content is consistently converting visitors into #email leads.After all, at this phase, your time available as a founder will continue to be marginalized. (That’s a good thing!) You should also use this phase as an opportunity to make sure that your content is consistently converting visitors into email leads or social media followers. Tools like OptinMonster and LeadPages  are great for this. We cover a bunch of tools that are perfect for converting leads in our post: 5 Plugins Guaranteed To Help You Collect More Leads. One word of caution: Adding new team members shouldn’t necessarily increase the amount of content you are producing. Ease into it, and use this phase to develop a consistent voice, quality standard, and working model of what things work and which things don’t. Phase 4: Get Analytical Startup phase = Optimizing your funnel; Content phase = Turning content into science Up until this phase, I recommend only tracking two metrics for your content marketing: page views and email subscribers. In the beginning, most content marketing is simply about developing an audience, bringing eyeballs to your product, and seeing what sticks. There are so many things in flux at this time, that it just doesn’t make sense to focus on anything else. But, at some point, that has to change. You have to start digging into Google Analytics to  understand  what  content is performing the best and why that is. You need to start digging into the analytics to understand what content is performing best and why.Up until now, you should have been writing about a wider variety of topics, even if it felt a little random at times. That’s good. It should give you a wide spectrum of data to consider and compare. If you have a product youre selling online, you should be looking at how your content is converting your visitors into users. Which topics covert the best? Use this data to write the  best possible content for your audience. Ask yourself which topics are converting the best? #content A good example of this phase for us was the use of the word ‘calendar’ in our blog post headlines. We found that blog topics that included the discussion of a calendar generated 2 to 3 times more interest in our product than topics that didn’t. This was a key insight for us that allowed us to convert our data into instant results by increasing the frequency of posts that included topics about editorial calendars. Build massive traffic. #startup #bloggingAnother major change that we made at during this phase was the inclusion of a free download or â€Å"cookie† with every blog post. We learned that by including a content-specific download in each of our posts, we could dramatically increase the number of email subscribers from those posts. This became a snowball effect. As our email list grew, so did our traffic and referrals on social media. The goal here is still fairly simple- build massive traffic. The only difference is that you want to start making sure it’s smart traffic, not just traffic for the sake of it. Recommended Reading: How To Increase Blog Traffic: 5 Ways To Make Contagious Content Phase 5:  Scale Startup phase = Scale; Content phase = Scale At this point you should have a small team of writers, designers, and editors dedicated to content marketing. You should be a total ace at shipping high quality content consistently and converting your visitors into loyal email subscribers. Your traffic should be growing consistently, and your influence in the industry should be skyrocketing. There’s only one problem. All of the instructions for making it happen are locked in your head. This means that you have a scaling problem. How long does it take to train in a new hire? How can you continue to execute at a high level while maintaining your obviously high bar of quality? The is the part of content marketing where you need to start writing things down. At , this included an intense series of documents that outlined our entire process. At any time, our content team would be able to reference the checklist and stay on par with our expected level of quality. Start #writing down your ideas so that you dont forget them.We stay on track with these task templates. Once we developed the checklist, we were able to convert it into a killer task template inside of . It made sure we never missed a beat  and allowed us to start taking on new challenges. Like: Developing a series of ebooks targeted at key customer pain points. Shifting our content to a stronger â€Å"demand generation† approach. Getting nerdy with spreadsheets and starting to develop a literal formula for perfect content. Increasing our content publishing schedule with confidence that it would provide the right results. Focusing entirely on content that generates demand for our tools, not just traffic. All of these sound pretty great, right? The point is that scaling allows you to grow, but it also allows you to make the leap from audience to acquisition with ease. Once you know how to build, maintain, and grow a blog audience, you can do the exact same thing with customers and your product. Of course, if you have been doing it right, your content should have been converting customers all along. I can say with confidence that our blog has also been our #1 driver of new customers. Now you can squeeze every last drop of value from the audience you’ve worked so hard to build. Recommended Reading: Heres How You Can Double Your  Blog Conversion Rate Right Now How To Create Content That Converts By Writing Your Reader Happy How To Delight Your Marketing Target Audience To Boost Conversions Go Forth And Market Your Startup Good content marketing for startups isn’t necessarily easy. It takes a ton of work, and more importantly, commitment. Its important to recognize that good content marketing is a long-term strategy and not a short-term boost in the arm. Realize that every step of the process is designed to prepare you for what’s to come just as much as it should benefit you right now. With the right perspective, content marketing should become the best investment your startup ever makes. I can tell you that without it at , we never would have made it as far as we have with it.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free Essays on Example Of A Memorandum

Memorandum To:, General Manager From: Date: February 13, 2003 Subject: Proposal for a Public Affairs TV Talk Show â€Å"blagh† Due to the growing issues surrounding Guam such as the possibility of war with Iraq and the effect it will have on our economy, there is a great demand to have an opinion based talk show where the residents of our island can voice their concerns and listen to what leaders and businessmen around our community are saying. Currently there are no talk shows on so we will benefit from our viewers. Target Audience The word â€Å"blagh† means â€Å"balance, harmony† in the American language. I chose this name for the show because the audience will get to see and listen to each persons point of view whether it be the governor or an overworked, underpaid teacher. There will be a sense of balance in the discussions and topics of the shows. The Viewers will most likely be over the age of 30. I propose to air the show for an hour every Sunday at 2:00. Sunday is the day that most people are home unwinding from an exhausting week of work and they would like to relax and watch television. Key Staff With myself as the producer, Mrs. Y as the director and Mr.X as the host I assure you that we will be a very productive team and the show will be a reflection of our hard work and dedication. Production Schedule And Costs Since we will be shooting the show in-house, we basically have everything we need with a few expenses. The total cost to produce and air â€Å"blagh† will be around $7,000. The show will be aired weekly so we will shoot the show every Thursday at 6:00. We will begin post-production and we will edit the show every Friday morning so that the show will be ready to air on Sunday. We will need about $1,000 for the set. The editing will be done in-house so we will pay overtime to the employees if needed. I believe that this show will gain exceptional ratings therefore brin... Free Essays on Example Of A Memorandum Free Essays on Example Of A Memorandum Memorandum To:, General Manager From: Date: February 13, 2003 Subject: Proposal for a Public Affairs TV Talk Show â€Å"blagh† Due to the growing issues surrounding Guam such as the possibility of war with Iraq and the effect it will have on our economy, there is a great demand to have an opinion based talk show where the residents of our island can voice their concerns and listen to what leaders and businessmen around our community are saying. Currently there are no talk shows on so we will benefit from our viewers. Target Audience The word â€Å"blagh† means â€Å"balance, harmony† in the American language. I chose this name for the show because the audience will get to see and listen to each persons point of view whether it be the governor or an overworked, underpaid teacher. There will be a sense of balance in the discussions and topics of the shows. The Viewers will most likely be over the age of 30. I propose to air the show for an hour every Sunday at 2:00. Sunday is the day that most people are home unwinding from an exhausting week of work and they would like to relax and watch television. Key Staff With myself as the producer, Mrs. Y as the director and Mr.X as the host I assure you that we will be a very productive team and the show will be a reflection of our hard work and dedication. Production Schedule And Costs Since we will be shooting the show in-house, we basically have everything we need with a few expenses. The total cost to produce and air â€Å"blagh† will be around $7,000. The show will be aired weekly so we will shoot the show every Thursday at 6:00. We will begin post-production and we will edit the show every Friday morning so that the show will be ready to air on Sunday. We will need about $1,000 for the set. The editing will be done in-house so we will pay overtime to the employees if needed. I believe that this show will gain exceptional ratings therefore brin...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Aught vs. Naught

Aught vs. Naught Aught vs. Naught Aught vs. Naught By Mark Nichol Aught and naught both mean â€Å"nothing.† Ought they to be antonyms rather than synonyms? Actually, aught means â€Å"something† or â€Å"anything†; it’s from the Old English word awiht, meaning â€Å"ever a thing.† (The second syllable is cognate with whit, meaning â€Å"very small thing,† and wight, meaning â€Å"living being,† though the latter is also used sometimes in an older sense of â€Å"ghost† or â€Å"spirit.†) However, the negative sense of the term is a result of false division, the same grammatical affliction that produced adder, the name for a type of snake, when the phrase â€Å"a nadder† was, over time, redivided as â€Å"an adder.† Aught in the sense of â€Å"nothing† derives from naught (from the Old English nawiht, meaning â€Å"not a thing†). Now, people sometimes therefore use aught when they mean naught. (Naught, by the way, is the root of the adjective naughty; to be naughty is to lack something- namely, compunction or moral character.) And though aught is often used in British English to mean â€Å"all,† it can also mean â€Å"zero,† as when someone refers to something having occurred in â€Å"aught five† (2005); it’s also used in American English to refer to the gauge of a wire or (alone and in combination with double and triple) of buckshot that fills a shotgun shell. Ought and nought are variants of aught and naught. Though ought is obsolete in this sense, nought persists in being used in place of naught, as in â€Å"noughts and crosses,† the British English name for tic-tac-toe. The sense of ought used in the first sentence of this post, meanwhile, is unrelated. Originally, in Old English and Middle English, earlier versions of ought served as the past tense of owe. The word lost this sense hundreds of years ago, but we still use it with to to mean should in the sense of advisability, consequence, expectation, or obligation in such sentences as â€Å"She ought to know better.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:The Meaning of "To a T"English Grammar 101: Verb Mood25 Favorite Portmanteau Words

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Research controversy surrounding the constitutionality of using civil Paper

Controversy surrounding the constitutionality of using civil junctions against gangs - Research Paper Example Law enforcement department simply requires to present concrete and enough evidence associating the person to the named gang. The law enforcement agency should provide the identity of people they hang out with, the color of clothes they wear and the tattoos on their body. Due to this, gang injunctions in the US have elicited a heated debate and controversy. Civil rights lobbyists argue that the strategy and the system is not effective and that it violates human rights. They assert that it is unconstitutionally wrong to allow gangs to operate legally. This according to the civil rights movement motivates racial profiling and suppressive policing. Further, they assert that it criminalizes young individuals who may never have done or committed some crimes (O'Deane 48). Wearing wrong colors or a minor mistake or being spotted conversing with a known gang member can be sufficient to get you listed as a gang member. Once an individual is on the list, it is difficult to get a job and difficu lt to escape the area that funnels you into a gang. Law enforcement agents have used injunctions for a long time in fighting gang violence in California. It was first used in Los Angeles in the 1980s; the strategy has proved ineffective in fighting gang violence. ... Supporters of gang injunctions have asserted that the various limitations and threat of penalties act as a deterrent to criminal activities. Nevertheless, in case the reason injunctions are successful has nothing to do with the penalties and limitations that draw the attention of civil rights lawyers. The answer centers on what happens to the gang members when police officers give them evidence they possess of their criminal activities. Traditionally, police officers conceal the information before letting the case to proceed to trial. The law enforcers assume that informing the criminals or gang members about the evidence they have collected against them only assists them defend themselves during trial. However, the success of the gang injunctions is psychological in that by informing the criminals know that they are being monitored, they eventually change and modify their actions and behaviors (Grogger 77). Civil gang injunctions emerged out of extreme anxiety. In the early 190s, th e Los Angeles law enforcers were finding it to control and manage the gangs and these gangs were almost taking control of the city. Assault, homicide, and robbery rates were increasing rapidly. The drug business seemed to be increasing. The gang fights and shooting happened in daylight in public areas. Due to these heinous and criminal activities, gang injunctions were introduced as a strategy for the law enforcement agencies to control the gang activities in the city. Police officers and other law enforcers got a civil court injunction forbidding gang activity in some cities such as Pomona, West Covina, and Santa Ana in Los Angeles. The civil injunctions saw police officers address gang members as a group

Friday, October 18, 2019

Goldman Sachs Financial Data Analysis Assignment

Goldman Sachs Financial Data Analysis - Assignment Example The company was founded in the year 1869 and has its headquarter in New York, but maintains subsidiary offices in the major financial centers globally. Over time, the firm has been largely recognized as among the best premier investment banks globally. The corporation linked itself to the New York Stock Exchange in the year 1896 from which it has been able to trade successfully its shares. As a result of this, its capital in 1898 stood at $1.6 milion and has since grown rapidly. Furthermore, the firm started issuing the IPOs in the year 1906 upon taking over Sears, Roebuck and Company. This is a deal mainly attributed to the personal friendship between Henry Goldman and Julius Rosenwald, who was the owner of the frim. Largely, the company reports its business in four main business segments namely, investment banking, investing and lending, institutional services, and investment management. In investment banking, the range of services that are offered targets a diverse group including financial institutions, governments, corporations, and investment funds. In this, it mainly provides services related to the strategic advisory that entails forms of acquisitions, mergers, divestitures, and risk management. With regard to institutional services, the firm facilitates the transactions done by clients in relation to making the markets in equity, fixed income, commodity products and currency attainable for the clients. This is supported by the act of making markets clear for the clients, as well as clearing transactions on major stocks, futures and options for clients through the provision of prime brokerage, financial and securities lending services. In investing and lending, the company invests and originates loans for the provision of financing to its clients that are long term in nature. Subsequently, the firm makes

The Elephant Man Demands of Society in the play Essay

The Elephant Man Demands of Society in the play - Essay Example However, the name Elephant Man was mistakenly given as his sobriquet because many thought that he was afflicted with elephantiasis. Born in England in 1862, it became apparent that there was something wrong with him while he was still a toddler. It was during this early stage in his life that disfiguring tumors began to emerge on his face. It was Merrick's belief that his deformity was caused by his mother's having been frightened by an elephant. Even this notion was quite ludicrous for Victorian England, but Merrick stuck to this belief since he was unable to receive ample quality education. His mother died when Merrick was 10 and his stepmother, unable to cope with the child's growing deformity, convinced her husband to throw the boy into the streets. And so at a young age, Merrick had his first taste of human cruelty and became a street urchin. Merrick was peddling shoe polish by the time he was 12 years old. Still living on the streets, he was not only exposed to the elements but was also subject to regular taunting, bullying and even persecution. He afterwards became a ward of the state and was forced to work in a welfare sweatshop. Merrick's face and also his body were covered with lumpy growths and tumors. The tumors were also made up of hard bone. An attempt was made to cut away the excess growths but this ended in failure. Merrick's deformity grew through time. People stared and gaped at Merrick wherever he went. Thus, Merrick decided that if they have to look, they might as well pay for it and so he began his career as a sideshow freak (Kayser 1966). Merrick remained in the London Hospital until he died mysteriously of suffocation. In a way, he became a sport of pet monster for the upper-class Victorians. His presence took away their fear of the strange and unusual. The Nature of Joseph Merrick Merrick wrote a short autobiography wherein he stated that his experiences as a sideshow freak was not hurtful. He said that he was treated with the "greatest kindness." In contrast, he wrote, it was real life that proved to be hurtful (Daily Chronicle 1890). Although brutally exploited as a sideshow freak, Merrick showed his gentleness even among those who persecuted him. He was eventually able to read widely, learned the arts, visited beautiful places and entertained royalty. As Lady Geraldine Somerset described his gentle nature and circumstance, "such a gentle, kindly man, poor thing!" (Howell & Ford, 1980). Although his physical appearance elicited shudders from the public, his genuinely sterling character made him the perfect fairy tale monstrosity. Merrick was a very ill man and his condition worsened through time. The pain became more pronounced and crippling as the disease advanced. He would spend hours sitting and staring into emptiness, seemingly despondent as he tapped the fingers of his disfigured right hand on the arm of his chair or a pillow. Despite his despondent state, Merrick gave hope to his well-wishers reiterating that the world they live in is a good one. He also expressed his gratitude to those who called on him: "Tis true my form is something odd, But blaming me is blaming God; Could I create myself anew I would not fail in pleasing you. "If I could reach from pole to pole Or grasp the ocean with a span, I would be measured by the soul; The mind's the standard of the man." (Howard & Ford, 189) In the first verse, Merrick accepts his oddity. But he also does not cast any blame on

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Nutrition for Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nutrition for Life - Essay Example Since man has lost touch with nature, he does not eat raw food available from it. The food that humans intake goes through a lot of processing, thus, they lose most of their nutrients. Another crucial field that is interconnected with human life is healthcare. Healthcare is one of the main reasons that death rates all around the world have decreased comparing to the ancient era. Humans have evolved a lot from the way they were during the primitive times. The advancements have made them reach new heights. However, along with such progress, comes their inability to live a healthy life. The fast paced lifestyle that everyone follows now lands them on the path of self-destruction. People nowadays are so busy with work that they do not have time to focus on their food or nutrition. They eat according to different food fads that they acknowledge in their day-to-day lives. People just read the nutritional information given behind different cartons and packets and buy according to what they assume to be healthy. They do not know what is best for them and producers take advantage of this situation sometimes giving false data about ingredients as well as nutirional qualities. Manufacturers have now come up with â€Å"functional foods, which provide a health benefit beyond what is provided by the same food in its traditional form† (Vitamins: Micronutrients with Macro Powers pg 186). These types of food products, also known as â€Å"nutraceuticals† are the new trend now. Various commercials and such other advertisements lure the people into buying these things, which have been transformed into something healthier, as per the commercial. People ponder upon the new terms related with these new products and undergo the dilemma of whether or not to buy it. In the end, that small voice inside their heads tells them that they really need â€Å"some extra vitamins, calcium fortified juices, soy milk, multivitamins† and various other â€Å"vitamin enhanced pr oducts† (Vitamins: Micronutrients with Macro Powers pg 186). When people come to know of water that has been filtered through reverse osmosis systems and undergone ozonization, they do not wait to think of another option. They think it better to drink this water than the one they get from their taps. It is only obvious how much the world is concerned with nutrition now, or else water would taste best when it comes out of a natural spring, not some UV sterilizing machine. There are various establishments and institutions that have devoted themselves to providing the best healthcare and medicine for the people. One such organization is the United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP), â€Å"which sets standards for the identity, strength, quality, and purity of medicines, food ingredients, and dietary supplements manufactured, distributed and consumed worldwide† (About USP par.1). It is a non-profit institution, founded by an association of 11 physicians in 1820, who want ed to provide â€Å"a national lexicon of drug names and formulas† for the public (About USP par.1). During the time, medicines, drugs and such things were not closely administered by any authority. Patients bought medicine and consumed them according to what they thought would help. Wrong dosage and wrong intake of medicines and drugs also caused serious setbacks in the lives of people. It was not until the formation of USP that the essentiality and importance of this problem was recognized. People then were mostly illiterate and did not know how to read the information given about any product or medicine. Thus, USP played a very important role during the time and since has been catering to the needs of people regarding medicine, drugs and food. This organization follows the standards created and

Developments in Social Networking Sites Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Developments in Social Networking Sites - Essay Example The initial purpose of these sites, which was to enhance social interactions, has spilled over in a great magnitude and is influencing all aspects of society including politics, economics, environment, and ethics. Moreover, this effect is expanding exponentially due to ongoing research and consistent development of these sites. The terms ‘A web of networks’, ‘Age of Connections’ and ‘Human Web’, all ring familiar as well-known descriptions of this century. These terms however, also ring ironic as simultaneously one can argue that ours is an age of individualization, social fragmentation, and independence. â€Å"The world may never have been freer, but it has also never been so interconnected and interdependent† (Mulgan, pp. 1, 1997). It can be argued that this conflict in evaluation may be partially due to the literal web of networks that is the internet that keeps us interconnected and constantly updated on each other’s lives, whe ther it is through a Tweet or a picture upload on Facebook. Therefore, with mobility of work and fragmentation of lives, social media has developed as a response to a need for contact accounting for its growing momentum of impact. In a standard definition, social media is a type of online media that â€Å"expedites conversation as opposed to traditional media, which delivers content but does not allow readers, viewers, and listeners to participate in the creation or development of the content† (Durham, pp. 1-3, 2011). Instead of people meeting each other and communicating face-to face or even picking up the telephone, people talk to each other on Facebook thus rendering social interactions and relationships empty and superficial and that these sites may be turning us into introverted computer geeks. Dr. Burke however argues as to how social media brings us together despite the criticism. "There's a sense of connection between people that's built through social media. And I th ink that some people who may not feel the ability to do that in a face-to-face way or in a classroom can excel in building some interpersonal relationships though social  media" (Durham, pp.2, 2011). Despite a regulated level of intimacy and depth, one cannot downplay the need and importance of social networking sites. They have arisen in a time when there is a threat to interaction due to time and space. Thus, considering that the social effect of these networking sites is established, the question arises as to how and why these sites continue to influence all other fields of life. Take for example, the London Riots and the central role that Facebook and Twitter played in them. In fact, some newspapers and commentators were quick to blame social networking sites for initiating the riots and gathering the masses by re tweeting pictures of burning cars and encouraging more people in the area. Twitter has developed an option where people by simply typing in #Londonriots could gather scores of information and opinions on the site about the riots (Williams, 2011). Such a mob mentality on a virtual level shows how social media has savvied politics. Another blatant example of the connection between social media and politics comes from Philippines in 2001 during the impeachment trial of President Estrada. â€Å"Less than two hours after the announcement of the decision, crowds of enraged Filipinos gathered on Epifanio de los Santos Avenue. On a large basis, text messages and forwards reading ‘Goto ESDA, wear blck’

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Nutrition for Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nutrition for Life - Essay Example Since man has lost touch with nature, he does not eat raw food available from it. The food that humans intake goes through a lot of processing, thus, they lose most of their nutrients. Another crucial field that is interconnected with human life is healthcare. Healthcare is one of the main reasons that death rates all around the world have decreased comparing to the ancient era. Humans have evolved a lot from the way they were during the primitive times. The advancements have made them reach new heights. However, along with such progress, comes their inability to live a healthy life. The fast paced lifestyle that everyone follows now lands them on the path of self-destruction. People nowadays are so busy with work that they do not have time to focus on their food or nutrition. They eat according to different food fads that they acknowledge in their day-to-day lives. People just read the nutritional information given behind different cartons and packets and buy according to what they assume to be healthy. They do not know what is best for them and producers take advantage of this situation sometimes giving false data about ingredients as well as nutirional qualities. Manufacturers have now come up with â€Å"functional foods, which provide a health benefit beyond what is provided by the same food in its traditional form† (Vitamins: Micronutrients with Macro Powers pg 186). These types of food products, also known as â€Å"nutraceuticals† are the new trend now. Various commercials and such other advertisements lure the people into buying these things, which have been transformed into something healthier, as per the commercial. People ponder upon the new terms related with these new products and undergo the dilemma of whether or not to buy it. In the end, that small voice inside their heads tells them that they really need â€Å"some extra vitamins, calcium fortified juices, soy milk, multivitamins† and various other â€Å"vitamin enhanced pr oducts† (Vitamins: Micronutrients with Macro Powers pg 186). When people come to know of water that has been filtered through reverse osmosis systems and undergone ozonization, they do not wait to think of another option. They think it better to drink this water than the one they get from their taps. It is only obvious how much the world is concerned with nutrition now, or else water would taste best when it comes out of a natural spring, not some UV sterilizing machine. There are various establishments and institutions that have devoted themselves to providing the best healthcare and medicine for the people. One such organization is the United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP), â€Å"which sets standards for the identity, strength, quality, and purity of medicines, food ingredients, and dietary supplements manufactured, distributed and consumed worldwide† (About USP par.1). It is a non-profit institution, founded by an association of 11 physicians in 1820, who want ed to provide â€Å"a national lexicon of drug names and formulas† for the public (About USP par.1). During the time, medicines, drugs and such things were not closely administered by any authority. Patients bought medicine and consumed them according to what they thought would help. Wrong dosage and wrong intake of medicines and drugs also caused serious setbacks in the lives of people. It was not until the formation of USP that the essentiality and importance of this problem was recognized. People then were mostly illiterate and did not know how to read the information given about any product or medicine. Thus, USP played a very important role during the time and since has been catering to the needs of people regarding medicine, drugs and food. This organization follows the standards created and

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Religion in The Lord of the Rings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Religion in The Lord of the Rings - Essay Example J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings has always been a highly regarded book among fans and critics alike, but when it was made into a movie trilogy it became a cultural phenomenon. The themes in The Lord of the Rings are powerful and universal in their nature and although religion is not explicitly mentioned, religious undertones can be observed throughout both the book and the movie. Urang agrees when he states, â€Å"The Lord of the Rings, although it contains no ‘God’, no ‘Christ’, and no ‘Christians’, embodies much of Tolkien’s ‘real religion’ and is a profoundly a Christian work† (180). Perhaps the success of The Lord of the Rings as a religious medium is due to the fact that it is subtle in its Christian themes and isn’t what one might call a â€Å"preachy† Christian book. One theme that we find throughout The Lord of the Rings is the longing that many of the characters have to return to a former age where the world was a better and happier place. For instance, Gimli longs to see the former glory of the home of his ancestors. The elves also long for a return to the Elder Days before evil and darkness came into the world. Basically, there is an overall tone that the world is in a â€Å"fallen state.†... Because Christians believe the world is in a broken and evil state, there is a need for someone to rise up and save the world from permanent darkness and despair. Three characters in the Lord of the Rings who fit this â€Å"Savior† role are Gandalf, Aragorn, and Frodo. Gandalf is very God-like and is similar to Jesus. When he falls in Moria, he descends to the lowest parts of the earth. He then has a great struggle with an evil foe. When he defeats the Balrog, he is at the peak of a mountain. Later, he is transformed and becomes Gandalf the White. Similarly, as the Bible says, Jesus Christ descended below all things so that he could rise above all things. After he ascended to heaven he returned to earth as a resurrected and exalted being. Gandalf is also Christ-like in that he guides and counsels Frodo and other members of the fellowship along their journey. Similarly, Christians believe that Christ is always with us, guiding and counseling with us in our own lives. As Frodo s ays in the movie, The Fellowship of the Ring, â€Å"I will take the ring to Mordor, though I do not know the way.† To which Gandalf responds, â€Å"I will help you bear this burden† (2001). Christians believe that Christ does something similar when we choose to embark on a worthy task; he bears our burdens for us so the journey is not so difficult. Another instance where Gandalf shows Christ-like attributes is when he casts out the presence of Saruman from the King, Theoden. This is similar to the Bible when Christ displays his ability to cast out devils. After Gandalf casts off Saruman’s influence, Theoden is healed and his mind is cleared. Christ is also a great healer and restores people to their proper selves. Aragorn possesses

Narrative Paper Essay Example for Free

Narrative Paper Essay Six Flags is a fun, thrilling amusement park, but for friends, it is now a threat to their lives. A fun field trip turns out to be a scary experience for them. Six Flags is the most fun field trip of the year, of course, who does not like rollercoasters? â€Å"Hey! Look at that new ride!! † Jackie points at the Spiderman rollercoaster with a thrilled expression. â€Å"That ride goes so quickly! Let us go on it! † Her sister, Josie, agrees. They stop for some sweet cotton candy that melts in their mouths very quickly. They stop to see other attractions but continue ahead. â€Å"I am ready for my first day, boss!! † a quirky girl in a Six Flags uniform says behind them. The guy operating the ride shows her some basic buttons on operation the ride, but she does not pay much attention. â€Å"I will let you do this ride, I need to use the bathroom,† the boss says to the new worker as people buckle themselves on the ride. The Spiderman ride is a very fast ride that they were enjoying. â€Å"Uh-oh,† the girl working the ride screams as she fiercely presses buttons on the box. The rollercoaster abruptly stops as it is turning upside down. The screams and cries of the people became louder and louder. â€Å"What is happening?!? † Jackie screams loud enough to hear. â€Å"What do I do?! What do I do?! † the girl panicks and pushes on the frozen buttons. â€Å"Amelia! What are you doing!? † the boss comes in running with toilet paper stuck to his shoe. â€Å"I am sorry boss, I do not know what happened! † Amelia shouts so she can be heard over the screams of riders. â€Å"Wait†¦ How did you know it was stuck † â€Å"I could hear everybody’s cries from the bathroom!! † he rolled his eyes and began to press the emergency buttons. The ride made a weird noise then began running again. â€Å"I am sorry, Amelia, but you are fired,† the boss says in a tired tone. Everybody gets off the ride like they are running for their lives. The boss is still shouting at Amelia for not knowing how to operate the ride. â€Å"I am alive!! † Josie shouts as she comes running out. â€Å"Thank goodness we did not die! † Jackie cries. â€Å"I know! I am never going on a ride again,† Josie shrieked. â€Å"Same. I think I will just go on the kiddy cars,† Jackie agrees and heads towards the kids section. â€Å"Yay! Let us go! †

Sunday, October 13, 2019

The Sex Selective Abortions In India

The Sex Selective Abortions In India The practice of terminating pregnancy based on the predicted sex of the baby is called Sex Selective abortion. Practice of sex selective abortion is very common is India, China, Pakistan and some other countries as well. The most common reason for the performing this act is to have male child instead of female one where their cultural norms value male child more over female child. This is about abortion, of course but its also a much larger problem: the worth of a womans life. In a culture where sons inherit properties and they carry on family name but daughters dont, more ever girls are more vulnerable to infanticide, abuse and neglect. (CHLOE, 2011). This paper presents how ethical is the abortions that are sex selective and what are the steps taken to prevent such practices. This will also focus on the beliefs of people of India. Background The incidents of female fetuses abortions are recent phenomenon due to the change and development in the medical technologies and diagnosis processes. But their roots can be traced to the female infanticide. The British rulers in India noted their experiences into their diaries during their travel to India. In 1835, one of the British officials James Thompson, while speaking to the landowners of Utter Pradesh, addressed one of them to be a son-in law of other. That comment created a sarcastic laugh among the farmers. When asked for their laughs, they said that he could not be son-in-law as there were no daughters in village. Thompson added that it was considered to be a most serious calamity to have a female child. And female children were seldom allowed to live. (Miller, 1983) Most abortions are done because of unplanned pregnancy or having a child causes danger or crisis to woman. Therapeutic Abortions Therapeutic abortions result from a medical reason where giving birth to a child may endanger womans health and life. Selective Abortions Selective abortion are those small fraction of abortion that occur in the cases where particular fetus is perceived as having undesirable characteristics. There are few reasons why the selective abortion is practiced. The unborn child is a girl, and parents due to cultural or other reasons, want a boy. When the fetus is defective. The pregnancy is intended to give birth to a child with specific genetic properties, and fetus doesnt have them. (Selective abortion) According to the study published in journal The Lancet, the number of the abortions due to reason of the sex of child has been increasing in last few years and the increase in numbers are alarming. The researchers state that there have been 4 to 5 million sex selective abortion performed during last three decades and the problem is still worsening. (CHLOE, 2011) From 2001 census of India, its very clear that there has been an unusual high sex ratio for the young children that have sparked the concern about the use of sex-selective abortions to satisfy parental preferences of sons. According to National Family Health Survey, also known as NFHS-2 , sex ration of male to female child is abnormally high that is 107-121 males per 100 females in 16 of Indias 26 states. There has been an extensive use of ultrasound technology and amniocentesis during pregnancy, particularly in Gujarat, Haryana and Punjab. The study also showed the masculine SRBs and worsening or persistent female mortality disadvantage despite overall mortality decline, the reasons behind that are female child neglect and the wide spread use of female infanticide in above mentioned and other places in India (Rajan, 1999). In a study conducted, the researchers stated that after firstborn girl, selective abortions of girls have been increased in India. And most of the population of I ndia lives in the states where selective abortions of girl child are common. (Prbhat Jha, 2011) The future mother and fathers families attend the sex-selection testing procedures and many a times the abortion is done against the will of the mother. The government has shown red eyes to those families pressurizing the expecting mother to undergo abortion. (Quinn, 2012) fig.1.jpg (Natrajan, 1972) Ethical views on Abortions and Sex-selective abortions As Rosalind Hursthouse states, any action is considered right given certain circumstances, from a virtual ethical perspective if and only if it is what the moral agent would do in same kind of circumstances. Here we will consider the case of pregnancy, when considering that when the ones decision to abort of not is called a right action when compared to its alternatives actions? (Caouette, 2012) A difficult case for the defenders emerges when there is a case of abortion for the removal of unwanted fetus because the fetus is of unwanted gender: Sex selective abortion. Sex selective abortion has always meant to be the elimination of female fetuses. In some countries it is not limited to fetuses, it also extends to infanticide. Abortion means killing a person, Warren states for instance, is no more serious than killing a guppy then abortion of human because of sex differences would be permissible. Many defenders would feel uncomfortable by such a conclusion. Many thinkers hold that abortion in general is morally problematic. However some arguments against sex-selective abortions can be understood based on the only assumption that human fetus is not a person with rights, but this assumption is related to abortion in the general only not to sex-selective abortion. (Kaczor, 2011) As here we are talking about India, we would focus more on the issues in context to India. Even though India has been worshipping Goddesses since long, some of the expectant mothers from India have been pressured by family and culture that privilege males into aborting their female fetuses. The government is becoming very strict now; new law makes the entire family to have a jail for at least 7 years, if the reason is found to be the female gender of fetus for the abortion. (Quinn, 2012) There has been always a role of the clinician to get these all deed done. So government has also decided to fine the clinicians involved in the cases of abortion due to gender discrimination. In some less-developed part of India, a daughter is seen as a financial burden to the family members in future. The reason behind this is considered to be the culture of giving dowries at the time of marriage of the daughters. The author adds that, there are ethical questions regarding the abortions of female fetuses. The number of men in India outnumbers the number of women by 40 million. Indian government wants the women population to grow but on the other hand it is restricting the womans reproductive rights of allowing her what she wants to do with her body. (Quinn, 2012) Moral and Ethical principles According to Mettanando Bhikkhu professor at Oxford and Harvard university, there are five fundamental questions that divide the thinking, moral principles and ethics to individuals. They are: Who am I? What is this world? Is there any afterlife? What is the meaning of my life? Why this has to happen to me? According to the answers one give o above mentioned fundamental questions, the people can be characterized as either from a modern society or from a traditional society. The modern society believes scientifically and the traditional one has the religious views. Abortion is considered as a eternal controversy. There have been two different views from the moral principles of the different groups. Pro-life: The human life is very sacred. Abortion is considered morally wrong and should be criminalized as it is equal to murder. Pro-choice: this group thinks that woman has right to terminate the pregnancy regardless of the reason for that. (Bhikkhu) Whatever the specific reason for the abortion, most feminists believe that the women concerned are in the best position to judge whether the abortion is an appropriate response to the pregnancy or not. Generally the woman never wants abortion that is influenced by the sex of fetus. The women should get entire control on their reproductive lives and be free from male dominance or family dominance. (Dickens, 2002). Religious views: Hinduism: If we talk about life according to Hindu scriptures, it is basically a dualistic model consisting of atam (spirit) and prakriti (matter). According to carak samhita, a Hindu medical text, at the time of conception only the soul is already joined. Though there are different opinions regarding ensoulments in Hindu scripture. According to the Garbh Samhita, the encoulments take place in the seventh month of pregnancy. Though there are some different opinions regarding the consciousness in to the womb. Vishnu puran, a famous hindu scripture, describes the consciousness in the womb. (Moad, 2004) The practice of abortion is negatively described in ancient Hindu scriptures, The Vedas. In the text Rg Samhit, possibly originating before 1200BC, Lord Vishnu is the protector of the child re-birth, implying that fetus actually deserved even divine reverence. While Atharva Veda expresses following plea in regard to those who perform abortion: With what bonds the overslaughed one is bound apart, applied and tied up on each limb let them be released, for they are releasers; wipe off difficulties, O Pushan, on the embryo slayer. VI-112.3 Enter thou after the beams, the smokes, O evil; go unto the mists or also the fogs; disappear along those foams of the rivers: wipe off difficulties, O Pushan, on the embryo slayer.VI-113.2 (Moad, 2004) Female is seen as Goddess in Hinduism and aborting fetus because of the gender is considered a biggest sin. Evidently, embryo slayer is seen as a killer and a suitable candidate to bear sufferings and sins of the rest of vedic community. In another Hindu scripture Visnudharmasutra, one who performs abortion is similar to attempting the worst sin in Hindu society, killing a Brahmin. (Moad, 2004) Christian: Christian and Jewish groups oppose sex-selection abortion very strongly. While the prolife-movements is pushing too hard these days leading to vote on the bill to ban the sex-selection abortions, some Christian churches remained silent on the measure and took positions opposite to it. The church belonged groups Methodist Federation for social Action, justice and witness Ministries of the United Church of Christ and Presbyterian Voices for Justice voiced their opposition to the sex-selection abortion ban. They are also supported by a number of groups including: Jewish Reconstructionist Federation, National Council of Jewish Women, and Union for Reform Judaism, Hadassah, Women of Reform Judaism, .and the Womens League for Conservative Judaism. (Ertelt, 2012) The Institute on Religion and Democracy asks why so many churches are not taking any stand to oppose the act of sex-selective abortions. The Institute on Religion and Democracy voted and strongly condemned sex-selective abortion as as a particularly lamentable and violent expression of sexism. Churches should be among first to stand and oppose the act of sex-selective abortions said IRD President Mark Tolley. Most of the church groups are concerned about issues like social justice and global problems that range from lack of access to drinking water to plight of those persons victimized by sex trafficking, Yet the gender-selective abortion should be considered as global problem only, Mark added. (Ertelt, 2012). Buddhism: It is very clear from the sources that sex-selective abortions have been disapproved by Buddhism as well. Superficially, situation seems not unlike the Roman Catholism, where the abortion though disapproved in the strongest terms by the churches drawing a canonical tradition. The most fundamental is consciousness (vi~n~naa.na), the fifth. More ever to specify the consciousness the criteria of moral status is nearly impossible to isolate (Barnhart, 1997). Sex-selective abortion practice in India As there has been always a social and Indian cultural demand to have male child, there was high curiosity among the expecting parents to know the gender of fetus. So, sex determination itself became a business for the clinicians. Sex determination became big business in India after it was introduced into 1970s. The billboards were stating that, Invest Rs.500 now and save Rs.50000 later. These kinds of advertisements were encouraging the expecting parents and save future dowry (Kusum, 1993). Posters in the train station promoted the sex-determination together with an abortion for just Rs.70. Certain clinicians used to distribute the flyers advertising their services. (Jeffery, 1984) However not all the clinicians are personally happy by doing these, sex determinations and abortions. (Professional obligations vs Personal ethics) Curlin_2009_physicians_obligations.png Courtesy: (Professional obligations vs Personal ethics) Social Context: To understand the practice of sex-selective abortion in India, one has to thoroughly understand the roots of cultural norms and basis of son preference in India. The concept of Son Mania in India is multi-faceted and deeply embedded in Indian culture (Ramanamma, 1980). In the ancient India text Athrva Veda, there are mantras written to change the sex of fetus from female to girl. A sons birth considered to be a sunrise in the abode of god and to have a son was as essential as to have food once a day, where as daughters birth was considered a cause for greatest sadness and disappointment (Ramanamma, 1980). Indian society is patrilocal, patriarchal, and patrilineal. The sons are supposed to carry family name. Sons are also charged with the duty and task to support their parents in old-age. Whereas on other hand daughters get married and become part of husbands family, they dont make any further contribution to birth parents. There is a saying in India that, bringing up a daughter is like watering to neighbors plant. (Jeffery, 1984). Since most reasons for the preference for sons are economically based, it is really very ironic to find that the extreme level of sex-ratio that is more boys to girls are found into the higher casts who tend to have wealth (Miller, 1981). Since come into the practice, the physicians always have been a strong support to those parents who want the sex-selective abortion done. This argument also involves the right to let the families make their personal decision. If we think a case of a woman having two or three daughters and still she deliver a girl child then her life will become difficult and she will have too many daughters. One of the famous Bombay gynecologists state that, How can you deny the mother to have a son instead of daughter? Who are we to take away her right to decide that she should have a daughter or son? It is better to get rid of the unwanted child than to suffer the whole life (Kusum, 1993). Although practitioners might have interests in this because of financial interest, its considerable that their views will be their interest oriented rather than in the interest of overall ethical situation. Governments Response Since the problem of male to female ratio is worsening, India has shown the history of activism and policy attention to Female -selective abortions. It started all the way in 1988 from the state of Maharashtra. Maharashtra banned the use of amniocentesis for the purpose of sex-determination. Fines and prison were made mandatory for those who administer the test as well as woman and her family undergoing the test. Within the same year, there were doubts raised regarding effectiveness of the ban on the sex-determination, because the private sector remained unregulated. The lack of government action was cited by a group of activist in Mumbai, which advertised the sex-determination and sex preselection. (Miller, Female-Selective Abortion in Asia: Patterns, Policies, and Debates, 2001) The Indian government has opposed the practice of female infanticide and the practices of sex-selective abortions, but has been very slow and ineffectual in applying the law strictly around the country. The dowry prohibition act was passed by Indian government in 1961 itself approximately a decade ago the sex-determination techniques were introduced in India. Despite its revision in 1983 and 1985, this law has been poor in implementation (Bumiller, 1990). Maharashtra state provided the first policy model to take serious steps against these kind of practices. (Miller, Female-Selective Abortion in Asia: Patterns, Policies, and Debates, 2001) The salient features of Maharashtra Regulation of Prenatal Diagnostic Techniques Act are as follows (Kusum, 1993): Pre-natal diagnosis is permitted only to detect any kind of fetus abnormalities that includes sex-linked genetic diseases. The test can only be undertaken by a high risk pregnant woman who should meet one or more of the following criteria: Age over 35 years History of 2 or more abortions or miscarriage History to the exposure to any hazardous substances Hereditary genetic disorder The uses of all kind of prenatal diagnosis techniques are banned for the purpose of determination of sex of fetus. Three authorities were made to operate all these policies, State Appropriate Authority, State Vigilance Committee, and Local Vigilance Committees. The woman who experienced two or more therapeutic abortions in past technically becomes eligible under this act. Secondly, while determining the ex-linked genetic disorder the can theoretically reveal the sex of fetus to the physician. So needless to say, corruption, increased in illegal practices made the practice of sex-determination unabated. (Kusum, 1993) Conclusion Sex-selective abortion should be best called Female-selective abortions. India is a very large democracy. The laws in country are very difficult to apply thoroughly because of the corruption and such other issues in Indian government. The clinicians, most of them never apply their own ethical and moral principles to such cases, everyone is busy collecting wealth. Morally my own beliefs, my faith in my religion, my nation never allow me to attempt such sin. A son and a daughter should be considered equal. We are living in 21st century, where there is nothing that a woman cannot do and a man can do. Personally I believe that the sex-determination should not be banned but there should be awareness among the expecting parents about the importance of life. The woman should be made think that what if her mother had aborted her? Everyone has got right to live, to take lives, is not in our hands. There is no country in the world that has placed sex-selective abortion high on its policy agenda, though the United Nations included pre natal sex selection in its Program of Action in Cairo Conference on Population and development in 1994 (Miller, Female-Selective Abortion in Asia: Patterns, Policies, and Debates, 2001) We should respect human rights as well. India is a developing nation and it should be thought that women are an intact part of Indian workforce. To conclude with, I strongly take my position against the use of sex-determination and the practice of sex-selective abortion around the globe, we all will have to re-think and develop a inner sense of equality and freedom.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

A Critique of Henry James Washington Square :: Henry James Washington Square

A Critique of Henry James' Washington Square I will admit it; I did not like Washington Square. That said, when I read the first line to Donald Hall's afterword, I felt like throwing the book away! "Everyone likes Washington Square" (220), HA! Well not me, Mr. Hall. I am not exactly sure why I kept on reading; maybe I was feeling a little masochistic that day! So, behold my surprise when I began to come across some of the author's words that expressed many of the thoughts that I had about the novel and its characters. Luckily, I did not have to read much before some of these ideas came into play. Throughout the "critique," the author addresses not only the work itself, but also how the story came to be. I found it interesting to learn that Henry James had, in reality, only invented the character of Dr. Sloper. The other characters, as well as the novels main plot, had come from a story that James had been told. Considering the absolute realism of the novel, the fact that James had adapted it from reality makes perfect sense. The aspect of this afterword that I found the most intriguing was Hall's critique of Mrs. Penniman. "Morris Townsend is revealed as her fantasy of an oedipal lover" (230). That line really struck me for it seemed to be the first comment that I had read that was unusual and new. Anyone reading the novel could, rather quickly, deduce the general personalities of the characters. The author's observations about Catherine, Dr. Sloper and Morris do not reveal any new character dynamics. But, his ideas about Mrs. Penniman elaborate beyond the usual "annoying and selfish" remarks. Throughout the Afterword, Hall remarks about the moral conflict of the novel. The author states that "The moral force of this novel lies in the paradox of Dr. Slopers' wrong-rightnes" (224). He goes on to explain that the reader has a love-hate relationship with Dr. Sloper. You know that he is right about Morris from the beginning, but it is very difficult to overlook what a horrible and cold man he is. In part, I agree with the author's idea; it is difficult to fully despise a man who is right. But, Dr. Slopers' concerns about Catherine marrying the fortune hunting Morris seem more to be concerns over his money, rather than his daughters well being and happiness.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Race Relations Essay

Humanity has been enduring an ongoing battle for centuries: the strained relations among the races. Despite efforts to put the past behind, signs remain at nearly every juncture that there still exists a strong sense of racial dissension. While many Caucasians do not see the problem being as severe as it is represented, African-Americans angrily reply that the lighter skinned race has not had to endure such prejudice and, therefore, cannot begin to identify with the situation. Frank Newport, vice president of the Gallup Poll Organization, says Caucasian Americans do not interpret racism as a big problem, therefore, they do not see a need for â€Å"government intervention† (Anonymous, 1997; 04A). Similarly, Asians, Hispanics and other United States minorities believe they often receive unfair treatment because of their race. However, President Clinton and several organizations — including the National Multicultural Institute, whose main focus is to â€Å"sort out the jumble of expectations and fears that swirl around the initiative’s struggle to reconcile ethnicity and difference with the notion of one American nation† (Green, 1998; PG) — are pushing hard to mend racial tension with a comprehensive program that is designed to bring all races together. Will it work? Or will minorities look upon the effort as nothing more than a Band-Aid covering a much larger issue? To some extent, concepts such as affirmative action have their place in society, yet they will do nothing to alter an individual’s perception of one race or another. In the past, children’s racial viewpoints have routinely been shaped by their parents’ perceptions. This is precisely how racial prejudice is passed down from generation to generation. However, today’s teens appear to be breaking free of the antiquated procession by voicing their own opinions about race relations. While racial hate crimes continue to run rampant, the newer generation tends to believe there is less interracial tension than do their parents (Farley, 1997). What has instigated this considerably lax attitude among the younger generation is not quite clear; yet a TIME/CNN poll has discovered that the adolescent population is far more forgiving of racial prejudices than their adult counterparts. Of twelve hundred, eighty-two adults and six hundred one teenagers aged twelve to seventeen; the younger sect demonstrated a considerable amount of racial tolerance toward one another when compared with the older respondents (Farley, 1997). If given the opportunity, children and young adults will not adopt negative views of other races if they are not placed in such an environment that encourages such thought. However, with the deep-seated hatred that has been bred into so many generations, it has become difficult for some of those prejudice intentions not to trickle down the family line. Yet the TIME/CNN poll was instrumental in establishing that a good number of adolescence of all races have successfully â€Å"moved beyond their parents’ views of race† (Farley, 1997; 88+). To the kids with such an open mind, race is no more important to them in either a social or personal level; yet it is not to be overlooked that these same respondents were still able to recognize the fact that racism was one of America’s biggest problems today. Even so, over one-third said the problem — though it exists — is insignificant (Farley, 1997; 88+). As it relates to their own lives, eighty-nine percent of the African-American adolescents who responded said the problem was small or did not exist at all. Amazingly, the Caucasian respondents – both young and old — considered racism a more â€Å"dominant issue† (Farley, 1997; 88+) than did the African-American adolescent respondents. What does that say about the varying impressions of race relations? Depending upon which race is viewing the issue, it appears the seriousness of the problem could be considerably damaging or an insignificant obstacle. Still, optimism is high that the younger generation deems race relations as being in good standing. This may be a â€Å"sign of hope† (Farley, 1997; 88+) or nothing more than â€Å"youthful naivete† (88+); regardless, it demonstrates a long awaited shift in the social climate relating to race relations and its consequences. Sociologist Joe R. Feagin says the answer may lie with both options. His interpretation of the lack of adolescent racism is that reality has not fully set in for those who have not yet experienced the real world. â€Å"You have to be out looking for jobs and housing to know how much discrimination is out there† (Farley, 1997; 88+). Feagin contends that those who have a better grasp of racial reality are those who are over the age of nineteen. Reasoning behind this is that comparatively few African-American teenage respondents said they had been victimized by discrimination; contrarily, half of the African-American adults admitted they had (Farley, 1997). Experts are concerned that adolescents are being too gullible when it comes to realizing the truth of the matter. Others contend that perhaps they are willfully setting a precedence for others to follow that will ultimately initiate a genuine improvement in race relations. It is not as though contemporary teenagers do not have knowledge of history and its negative treatment of minority races; rather, it appears they have more faith in their own future than their parents did before them. Additionally, today’s youth are trying to move away from the typical â€Å"scapegoating† (Farley, 1997; 88+) that has become so commonplace in society. Suspicions arise with poll results, however, in that they do not always reflect the truth; many people are more apt to give â€Å"socially acceptable† (Farley, 1997; 88+) answers rather than what is truly in their hearts. Yet this is not likely to be the contention of teenagers who, for the most part, speak more freely and true to form than adults. A believer in this concept is sociologist Howard Pinderhuges, author of Race in the Hood: Conflict and Violence Among Urban Youth, who firmly contends that teenagers are genuine. â€Å"Teenagers are a mirror of our souls. They speak plainly about things that adults would like to hide. Political correctness isn’t an issue to them. You’re more likely to get what they think unfiltered† (Farley, 1997; 88+). Still, through all this optimism, there exists an invisible boundary line that, even though race relations seem to be improving, keeps the races separated. Seventeen-year-old Danny, one of the TIME/CNN respondents, commented that his friends consisted more of African-Americans than Caucasians. This, in and of itself, was not as enlightening as was his admission of the fact that â€Å"we just talk in school† (Farley, 1997; 88+), not allowing the relationship to progress into one’s personal territory. It was a normal occurrence for none of Danny’s African-American friends to visit him at home or for him to go to theirs; the lines of separation were clearly drawn. Experts consider this to be accountable in large part to the amount of violence that takes place in the â€Å"crime-plagued housing projects† (Farley, 1997; 88+) where many of his friends live. The situation is far from unusual. Even among African-American youths, the interpretation of neighborhood safety has its variations. According to the TIME/CNN poll, forty percent of African-American teenagers claim to have known someone in their age group who has been killed, whereas just fifteen percent of Caucasian teenagers said they had experienced the same. Interestingly, African-American youths believe they are treated unfairly by enforcement officers, while one-third believe they are â€Å"at risk† (Farley, 1997; 88+) of receiving unfair treatment. Just one of five Caucasian youths feels the same. John Hope Franklin, head of President Clinton’s race relations task force, claims genuine racial betterment will not arrive until â€Å"you have improvement in the home conditions of kids of all kinds† (Farley, 1997; 88+). An intriguing informal study gives an indication of how racial difference runs deep within an individual’s psyche. Psychologist and author Beverly Tatum, who recently wrote Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? , routinely poses the following question to psychology students: â€Å"I am _______. † What is most interesting about the answers she receives is the fact that Caucasian students fill in the blank with an adjective describing their personalities or characters, whereas students of other races are more apt to finish the sentence identifying their ethnicity. According to Tatum, such racial recognition is born out of adolescent peer pressure, â€Å"societal influences and self-reflection† (Farley, 1997; 88+). Polls are regularly put to use to determine the public climate on race relations. A recent USA TODAY survey of more than two thousand college freshmen from around the country reported that forty-five percent perceived race relations as having a positive stance within society; in all, two percent thought relations between African-Americans and Caucasians were excellent (Kohen, 1998; PG). A poll in The Independent, a British publication, noted that one-third of the Caucasians believed one should marry only within one’s race (Forna, 1998; 1, 2). Granted, views of younger generations may be quite a bit more diverse than those of the older sect, but those younger views are what will ultimately shape the future of the country. Being on campus allows people the opportunity to intermingle more frequently with those of other races, which may give them the false impression that the rest of the world is as friendly with one another as they are at school. Unlike out in the real world, campus life encourages the fraternization of racial groups, attempting to overthrow the narrow- mindedness often found on the streets of reality. Noel Barrion, Asian American Student Union president, observes this difference each and everyday he looks to see who is sitting next to one another in the school cafeteria. â€Å"Racial discrimination is out there. People just aren’t aware† (Kohen, 1998; PG). Barrion says the AASU works hard to bridge the gap that separates the races as they exist on campus. Naima Stevenson, Black Student Union President, says the solution to â€Å"combating racial discrimination† (Kohen, 1998; PG) is to keep the lines of communication as wide open as possible in order to â€Å"confront the complexity and richness of in the United States† (Delgado, 1997; 39A). Because of this forward moving attitude, the relationship between the two campus racial organizations is in good standing. Says Barrion: â€Å"The vehicle between us becoming friends is the desire to be involved† (Kohen, 1998; PG). Both Stevenson and Barrion admit to the difficulty of establishing just how much race relations have changed for the worse or better during their short stay at college, but they both have reason to remain positive that future change will be for the better. For Stevenson, looking back after several years to find a marked improvement in campus race relations would be ideal. They both believe that if relations continue in the manner they currently are, this would not be such an unexpected occurrence (Kohen, 1998; PG). However, it is not uncommon to find just the opposite opinion from other students. The USA TODAY poll revealed that far more African-Americans sense the negativity with regard to race relations than does any other race. Yet despite actions in place to bridge the racial gap, those like Barrion and Stevenson believe far more can be done than the efforts currently available on American college campuses. While the opportunity is there for expansion, there is just â€Å"not enough diversity on campus† (Kohen, 1998; PG). â€Å"It looks like it will still be the same problem going into the new millennium. There’s plenty of opportunity to meet someone of another culture or that you would have never known about before† (Kohen, 1998; PG). President Clinton has set his sights on bridging the racial gap in an effort to improve the country’s â€Å"deteriorating race relations† (McFeatters, 1997; 68). By using his clout as Chief Executive and standing behind the affirmative action policy, Clinton hopes to turn around some of the prejudice that continues to spread across the land. A speech he gave at the Million Man March in Texas in 1995 effectively forecasted America’s situation as one where an inordinate number of people â€Å"fear deep down inside that they’ll never quite be able to see each other as more than enemy faces, all of whom carry a sliver of bigotry in their hearts† (McFeatters, 1997; 68). Clinton contends that America must clean its house of racism; that â€Å"a house divided against itself cannot stand† (McFeatters, 1997; 68). While these words ring true, it is not clear as to what the President intends to do in the long run to curb racism in the United States. One thing he does propose is a more fair system of dispersing wage earnings among African-Americans, of who only one-fourth make upwards of thirty-five thousand dollars a year compared to one-half of all Caucasian Americans (McFeatters, 1997; 68). Speaking on the topic of integration, President Clinton agreed with Franklin who proposed the only way to clear the cloudy air of racism was to encourage â€Å"open and honest dialogue† (McFeatters, 1997; 68) among the races; that it was, indeed, the â€Å"critical first step† (68) in the direction of genuine racial integration. Other critics say it is time to â€Å"end the reliance on racism as an explanatory concept† (Wortham, 1996; 253) for all racial problems and â€Å"move beyond the black-white paradigm† (Gold, 1998; B-2) when the topic turns to race relations. â€Å"When we say true integration, we mean the opportunity of every American to develop to the fullest extent of his capacity. We mean that every individual regardless then of regardless of religion, regardless of ethnicity, every American has an opportunity, should have an opportunity to move forward as rapidly as his talents, his or her talents, and as rapidly as the opportunities open† (Page et al, 1998; PG). BIBLIOGRAPHY Introduction to Psychology; Inner Reality, Outer Reality in Diversity, Jennifer Iljas ISBN: 0-7575-2864-3 Anonymous (1997, June). Poll finds pessimism on status and future of U. S. race relations// Perceptions are black and white. Star Tribune, pp. 04A. Delgado, Richard; Perea, Juan F. (1997, November). Racism goes beyond black and white. Rocky Mountain News, pp. 39A. Farley, Christopher John (1997, November). Society: Kids and race: A new poll shows teenagers, black and white, have moved beyond their parents’ views of race. TIME, pp. 88+. Forna, Aminatta (1998, August). Bridge over troubled water. Independent on Sunday, pp. 1, 2. Gold, Matea (1998, February). L. A. shares its experiences with race relations panel; Diversity: Video points out what the city has learned and seeks to widen presidential advisory group’s discussion beyond black-white issues. Los Angeles Times, pp. B-2. Green, Sharon (1998, May). Washington, DC, President’s initiative on race: Progress. Talk of the Nation (NPR), pp. PG. Kohen, Rochelle (1998, February). USA Today survey reveals poor perception of race relations. University Wire, pp. PG. McFeatters, Ann (1997; May). Clinton hopes to close racial divide. Rocky Mountain News, pp. 68A. Page, Clarence; Hansen, Liane (1998, June). Race Initiative. Weekend Sunday (NPR),pp. PG. Wortham, Anne (1996, January). Distorting the Dilemma. The World & I, vol. 11, pp. 253.