Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Da Vinci Essay - 825 Words

Da Vinci Leonardo Da Vinci was born in 1452 on his father’s estate in Vinci, Italy. He received his education on the estate until the age of fifteen. Which is when his father had noticed Leonardo’s potential and had decided to send him to be an apprentice to the artist Andrea del Verrocchio in Florence. There he studied sculpture and the mechanical arts. This was also when he first developed an interest in anatomy. In 1472 Leonardo was accepted into the painters guild at Florence, where he remained for the next ten years. In 1482, Leonardo was hired by the duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, to be artist and engineer in residence. During his stay in Milan, he started to compose a unified theory of the world and to illustrate it in a†¦show more content†¦Some of the greatest artists of the time were at work in Rome for the church. In May 1506 Charles dAmboise, governor of Milan for the king of France, invited Leonardo to return to that city. His work in painting and sculpture over the next seven years remained mostly in the planning stage--in sketches that he drew but that never became paintings or statues--but his scientific work flourished. He continued his notebooks with observations and drawings of human anatomy, optics, mechanics, and botanical studies. He also did some sketches for a Medici residence in Florence that was never built. Otherwise he was lonely and unoccupied. Thus in 1516, at the age of 65, he accepted an invitation from Francis I, king of France, to leave Italy and work for him. Leonardo spent the last three years of his life in the palace of Cloux, near the kings residence at Amboise, near Tours. He was given the title of first painter, architect, and mechanic of the King and given freedom of action in what he wanted to do. Although there are many great works of Leonardo Da Vinci that I could have chosen, I am going to choose the most obvious, the Mona Lisa. I chose this piece because the impact it had on the world. No matter where you go in the world, everyone knows of the Mona Lisa. The picture is on stamps; shirts; posters; cup; and just about anything else you can think of. It one of the most wellShow MoreRelatedLeonardo Da Vinci1629 Words   |  7 PagesHistory 101 | Leonardo Da Vinci | Renaissance Pioneer | | Luis Quelhas | 11/13/2012 | | Leonardo Da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452. His father was a wealthy notary, named  Piero Fruosino di Antonio da Vinci. His mother Caterina was a sixteen year old peasant girl. Leonardo had no surname when born and took the name Da Vinci meaning from Vinci, the small town in Florence where he was born. Throughout his life Leonardo faced many hardships. From 1457 he lived in the household ofRead MoreLeonardo Da Vinci1137 Words   |  4 PagesLeonardo Da Vinci: The Renaissance man Leonardo Da Vinci was a successful man in more areas than artwork. From the time he was a boy, he began studying the arts as well as the ideas of science, medicine, machinery, and much more. Da Vinci’s history is reflected in his paintings and inventions that have been able to change the world of then and now. Leonardo’s artistic vision led him down a prosperous path of life that has made him one of the most innovative individuals the world has seen. With theRead MoreLeonardo Da Vinci2094 Words   |  9 PagesRocks). These two altarpieces are being showcased in particular in this exhibition because they share a location in the same Milanese church, the San Francesco Grande, and most importantly the same artist (although this has been debated), Leonardo Da Vinci, painted both versions of the altarpiece. Further, another reason why they are being portrayed in this exhibition is due to the debates over their authenticity, even though they are 15 years apart in conception. Additionally, the two pieces shareRead More Leonardo Da Vinci Essay823 Words   |  4 PagesLeonardo Da Vinci A Renaissance man in Renaissance times, Leonardo Da Vinci frequently defied a simple description. As a scientist, inventor, artist, and so much more, Leonardo Da Vinci’s works continue to impact our lives even now. Born on April 15th, 1452 in Anchiano (now a part of Italy), Leonardo came into a world on the brink of change. The Italian renaissance was sweeping through the peninsula during Da Vinci’s lifetime and he would soon come to be one of its foremost figures. WhileRead More Leonardo da vinci Essay923 Words   |  4 Pages Leonardo Da Vinci nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Leonardo Da Vinci was a man of many worlds. He was a great influence inhis time. Leonardo was known as many things. He was known as a sculptor, architect, writer, musician,philosopher, engineer, and scientist. But most of all he was known for his impressive paintings that influenced the world. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Leonardo was born in Anchiano, Italy on April 15, 1452, to Piero Da Vinci, a prominent publicRead MoreEssay leonardo da vinci637 Words   |  3 Pages Leonardo da Vinci Da Vinci was born April 15, 1452, and died May 2, 1519. He would wear pink to make his complexion look fresher. Leonardo never attended public school. He was raised by his single father (http://www.yesnet.yk.ca/schools/projects/renaissance/davinci.html). In the mid-1460s the family settled in Florence, where Leonardo was given the best education that Florence, the intellectual and artistic center of Italy, could offer. In Verrocchios Baptism of Christ (http://wwwRead MoreLeonardo Da Vinci : An Artist965 Words   |  4 Pages Leonardo da Vinci was born in Vinci, Italy, in the year 1452. Born into the Renaissance era, da Vinci was a possessor of a curious mind and keen intellect. He not only built his occupation as an artist, but also as a mathematician, inventor, writer, draftsman, and engineer. Although he received no formal education, da Vinci was able to understand the engineering behind many of his designs, some of which included the tank and crossbow (on a larger scale). As an artist, some of his ideal works includedRead MoreLeonardo Da Vinci Essay1547 Words   |  7 PagesWhere and when was Leonardo Da Vinci born? Where there any persons or events in his early life which you believe helped shape this individuals legacy? Leonardo Da Vinci was born on April 15th 1452 in Vinci, near Florence Italy. His father, Piero Da Vinci, was a notary, and mother Caterina was a peasant girl. Soon after his birth Piero Da Vinci took custody of Leonardo because his mother left and married another man in a nearby town. At the age of 15 his father got him an apprenticeship with a renownedRead MoreDa Vinci : A Man Of Science1608 Words   |  7 PagesLeonardo Da Vinci was a man well known for his amazing artwork but not many know that he was also a man of science. Da Vinci was not just an artist he was also an architect, inventor, a naturalist, geologist, an engineer, and an anatomist. He was given the name â€Å"Renaissance man† because of his intellect. Da Vinci was born in Anchiano, Tuscany (which today is known as Italy) on April 15, 1452 until his death on May 2, 1519. When Da Vinci was young his parents were never married to one another. HisRead MoreEvaluation Of The Da Vinci1741 Words   |  7 Pagesrange of motion, and allows improved access to obstructed organs. The da Vinci Robot is a revised, upgraded and an enhanced machine from its predecessors and its original design made by Leonardo da Vinci. A company in California was able to evolve the design of the da Vinci robotic system. Four models were made by Intuitive Surgical, the standard original model, model S, model Si, and the most recent one, model Xi. The da Vinci Surgical System is now a worldwide system that is utilized for many aspects

Monday, December 23, 2019

How Cyberbully Can Teach The Youth Of Today - 1237 Words

How Cyberbully Could Teach the Youth of Today Cyberbullying is a term that is self-explanatory it is basically bullying that has on the internet, whether it be social media or texting or even email. Cyberbullying is something that happens regularly now with all the advances in technology. Cyberbully could potentially help children to learn how to cope with being cyberbullied and how to deal with bullies in general. This movie is a fantastic movie that needs to be watched by young teen in high schools everywhere to bring awareness to bullies in schools, how they affect children, and how quickly it could end badly. There have been many studies done to answer simple questions like why kids bully or why kids commit suicide. It is believed that since cyberbullying can be done anonymously that is why more people do this because they can just get away with it (â€Å"Delete Cyberbullying - Why Do People Cyberbully?†). A very famous case of someone committing suicide because of cyberb ullying, is the Amanda Todd case. Amanda posted a video about her being bullied and about her self-harm, and about a month later she hanged herself in her home. She made the video about her bullying and self-harm experience because she was being blackmailed because of pictures she sent online to someone. The movie Cyberbully starts with Taylor Hillridge, portrayed by Emily Osment, on a computer talking to her friend Samantha Caldone, portrayed by Kay Panabaker. Taylor’s mother made a fantastic point inShow MoreRelatedCyberbullying Is A Big Concern For Society Today920 Words   |  4 PagesAnyone can be mean when they’re hiding behind a computer screen, which is why cyberbullying is a big concern for society today. The younger generation often socializes and communicates online, rather than in person. They prefer to text rather than talk on the phone, and often prefer to video chat instead of meeting up in person. The use of technology makes cyberbullying much easier a nd more common, especially among teenagers. Cyberbullying is the reason for cutting, school shootings, and suicideRead MoreCyberbullying And Its Effect On Society1254 Words   |  6 Pages About 97% of today’s youth are connected to the internet in some way, and about 20-40% have experienced some form of cyberbullying at least once.1 This means that about 200-400 million people between the age of 15 and 24 have been cyberbullied. Cyberbullying has been an issue since the internet was first introduced for public use, and it is still a rising issue today. That is why it is our job to fix it. â€Å"What is cyberbullying?† you may be wondering. According to Dictionary.com, cyberbullying isRead MoreHurt, Pain, Physical And Mental Distraught Are Just A Few1597 Words   |  7 Pages pain, physical and mental distraught are just a few words that victims of cyberbullying will describe how they felt. 52% of students in America are being cyberbullied, which is half of the American students. This can lead to loss of self-esteem, feelings of shame and anxiety, difficulty in learning, emotional and physical harm, and suicide. Cyberbullying is a huge problem in our society today. Cyberbullying is taking advantage of our free speech, but there are many solutions to stop it in our societyRead MoreCyber Bullying And Its Effects On Society Essay1931 Words   |  8 Pages Cyber-bullying The saying, if sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me was ever true, it sure isn t true today (Alexander, 2011). The survey of 9 years olds in 35 countries found that New Zealand is the one most second highest rate of school bullying. (nzherald, 2012). Especially in this case parents really need to take a stand against bullying to help prevent it and to stop it. We as parents need to be a part of the solution, not the problem. Cyberbullying is harmfulRead MoreBullying Persuasive Essay1247 Words   |  5 Pages â€Å"I guess thats the point of it all. No one knows for certain how much impact they have on the lives of other people. Oftentimes, we have no clue. Yet we push it just the same† - Thirteen Reasons Why. Over 3.2 million students are victims of bullying each year. Bullying is a serious offence and shouldn’t be taken lightly, students around the world should be aware of what bullying does and how it affects the other person. Seventeen percent of American students report bullying two to threeRead MorePlaying Violent Video Games On Children965 Words   |  4 Pageschildren who play M-rated games are more likely to bully and cyberbully their peers, get into physical fights, be hostile, and show aggression towards their peers.†(Carter 32) Video games are known as ‘time-wasters’ to parents, and worse, these games can corrupt the brain. Furthermore, when playing violent video games kids can attach the game into their personal life. Some games can teach kids wrong values. Playing violent video games can cause aggression, bullying, and depression in kids. AggressionRead MoreCyberbullying : A New Form Of Bullying1203 Words   |  5 PagesEliminating Cyberbullying Bullying has had a well known status for destroying the confidence and esteem of our world’s youth for decades. Recently, a new form of bullying has emerged and has taken over the technological environment. Similar to a student physically bullying another peer, we see victims hurt after an attack over misuse of the Internet. Cyberbullying has been much harder to track than face-to-face bullying. It has also been easier for someone to attack another merciless and guiltlessRead MoreThe Bean Trees, By Barbara Kingsolver1858 Words   |  8 PagesScotty Richey’s suicide. She explains that although her school had a very distinct social hierarchy, people within a class had each other for company. Scotty, however, had nobody. As a result of the extreme isolation he faced, he committed suicide. Today, bullying is a developing issue in the world and exclusion, which Scotty faced, is just one of many forms of bullying. What Scotty experienced in the novel occurs in schools arou nd the world, and the consequences are unimaginable and horrific. In lightRead MoreEssay On Social Media1554 Words   |  7 Pagesfrom these forms that can create a whole new culture. Previous forms of communication before social media were letter writing, talking on the phone, or speaking face to face. With every generation we create a new way to function and create relationships with someone else. Comparative Perspectives Over the years, there have been many similarities between the United States and England. Both countries have only minor differences when it comes to teenager experiences. Even today with the use of FacebookRead MoreTechnology Is A Wonderful And Ever Advancing Science That1731 Words   |  7 Pageschildren in each day thus leading to more problems for society. It is important for parents and teens to talk about setting guidelines for what the child is allowed to do on a smartphone or the internet. Parents need to spend time learning all that they can about the different social media applications so that the children do not have the ability to use these effectively enough to hide activities from their parents. It has been found that 94% of parents talk to their children about what is appropriate

Sunday, December 15, 2019

The Stolen Generation Free Essays

With a sudden jerk, squealing of the brakes and a loud puff of the steam engine, the train shunted forward. Fear gripped my heart. Barry and Widdy had bewildered looks on their faces, glancing at me and then at each other. We will write a custom essay sample on The Stolen Generation or any similar topic only for you Order Now I stared out of the window as we slowly pulled out of the station. I was very confused by all the women standing on the platform watching us and wailing. Then I saw her. There was my mum in her only good blue dress standing next to my aunts with tears rolling down their cheeks too fast to wipe away. Then mum waved a white hanky and I pressed my face against the window pane as hard as I could, watching her. Watching until her blue dress faded into a tiny dot of colour. I looked back at the station for as long as I could until she was out of sight. (Meehan, 2000, pg31) This extract from Donna Meehan’s autobiography, ‘Its no Secret,’ recounts a major event in her life. Like many aboriginal children during the 19th century, she was taken away from her family, taken away without an explanation to a so called better place, a place where she could take up a European way of life, learn to be read and write and blend into society, a place that would make her forget her Aboriginal culture, forget her family and finally forget her true identity. This essay will outline the origins and operations of the removal policy. The practice of taking Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children began as early as 1804; however the removal of aboriginal children only became legal in 1905, under the Aborigines Act in Western Australia. This legislation authorised the removal of all aboriginal children and meant that a Chief Protector was made the legal guardian of every Aboriginal and ‘half-caste’ child under the age of twenty-one. These children were then sent to missions and settlements, where it was proposed that their living standards would improve. Chief Protector Cook assured in 1911; ‘Children are removed form the evil influence of the aboriginal camp with its lack or moral training and its risk or serious organic infectious disease. They are properly fed, clothed and educated as white children; they are subjected to constant medical supervision and in receipt to domestic and vocational training. ‘ However Xavier Herbert, and acting superintendent of the Darwin Half-Caste Home stated his experiences mentioning that ‘ the porridge was cooked the day before, already sour and covered in mould, and when doused with thin milk, gave up the corpses of the weevils by the score. The bread was even worse, stringy grey wrapped around solid glue, the whole cased in charcoal. ‘ This recount of the living conditions of aboriginal children during the 90’s clearly shows that although it has been encouraged for us to believe that the separation of Aboriginal children from their parents, families and communities during the 19th century was in the best interests, it has simply become known to many as one of the most disturbing epochs in Australia’s history. According to the official government report, at least 30,000 children were removed from their parents, and this figure may be substantially higher as the report notes that formal records of removals were very poorly kept. Percentage estimates state that 10-30% of all Aboriginal children born during this seventy year period were removed. During the late 19th century the educated opinion in Australia seems, to have generally been of the view that the full-blooded Aborigine represented a dying race, destined to extinction. In the first decades of the twentieth century the emergence of mixed decent children became apparent, these children being; born to Aboriginal mothers who had had sexual encounters with European and sometimes Chinese or Pacific Islander males. Immediately these children were labelled half-caste by Australian settlers and were viewed as a growing fearful social problem. On the ‘social ladder’ in the early years Europeans held the highest rung and the Australian Aborigine held the bottom, this meant that any union made between European and an Aboriginal that resulted in progeny was looked upon with total disgust and alarm. Statistical evidence during these years showed although the full blooded Aborigine was dying out, the number of half caste children was booming, so much so that at the time it was thought that in fifty to a hundred years Australia would be threatened by a population of several hundred thousand Aborigine-European hybrids. To stop this problem eventuating legislation was put into place to enable the removal of Aboriginal and half caste children from their families and communities. In all states and territories policeman and other agents began to locate and transfer babies of mixed decent, from their mothers into institutions. It was thought that if these children grew up in an institution away from their family where they where taught to despise their aboriginal inheritance and forced to forget their Aboriginal culture then mixed descent and aboriginal children would blend into the industrial sector of Australia and hopefully marry white Australian settlers, have children and eventually their aboriginality would be bred out, leaving behind a ‘pure’ white Australian race, this process was known as assimilation. It then must be asked was the removal of Aboriginal children done in the best interests of the child or was it simply done in the best interests of Australia. (Appendix one: OHT CARTOON – â€Å"WERE’ DOING THIS FOR OUR OWN GOOD. â€Å") Although we may not know it, we have all been influenced by society in one way or another to believe that our culture and way of life are superior to all others. This attitude, commonly referred to as racism has occurred for many years amongst different generations and cultures and would have been particularly prominent in the early 19th century. It was believed in this specific era that everything revolved around the Great Chain of Being and according to this concept everything was put into a particular order according to their importance to the rest of the world. It was thought at the time that the Aborigine (appendix two: OHT WITH HEADS ON IT), was the â€Å"lowest and most degraded of the human species,† and with this idea deeply engrained into the minds of all the early white settlers it is easy to comprehend how they at the time, assumed that a white life would be beneficial for all Australian Aboriginal children. It is simple to see how this assumption was reached when the settlers observed the living standards of the Aboriginal people. (Video: TIMEFRAME: 1967 – CITIZENS AT LAST) Although the overall main objective was to try and breed the Australian Aboriginal out to a point of extinction in order to achieve a pure white Australia, there were many who believed that taking aboriginal children from their families was actually in their best interests. The settlers honestly believed that a white life had so much more to offer in the means of employment, social status, living standards and opportunities and when they saw malnourished aboriginal children with weepy eyes and flies in the corners of their mouths they became convinced that their assumptions were correct. Many stolen Aboriginal children had a happy life with their white parents and gained in many ways from a European upbringing. For instance Sally Kid who was one of the stolen children stated that she â€Å"was very fortunate when she was removed from her family as she went to very loving and caring parents and she believed that the love was mutual. † There were many children who were treated appropriately and many white foster parents raised their aboriginal children as if they were there own, however one should stop and think of what effect this had on Aboriginal mothers who missed out on important parts of their child’s lives. (Appendix three: OHT – â€Å"MOTHER AND NO BABY†) Apendix four: STATISTICS SHEET) The social impacts of forced removal have been measured and found to be quite severe. This study found that there have been no improvements in the social position of â€Å"removed† Aborigines as compared to â€Å"non-removed†, particularly in the areas of employment and post-secondary education. Most notably, the study indicated that removed Aboriginals were actually less likely to have completed a secondary education, three times as likely to have acquired a police record and were twice as likely to use illicit drugs. The only notable advantage â€Å"removed† Aboriginals possessed was a higher average income, which the report noted was most likely due to the increased urbanisation of removed individuals, and hence greater access to welfare payments than for Aboriginals living in tribal communities. In the 1970’s the removal of aboriginal and half cast children began to stop and organizations were set up to return stolen aboriginal children to their rightful families. It was not until September 1994 that the first legal suit went forward in regard to the stolen generation. Aboriginals that had been taken from their parents during the decades of the assimilation policy prepared a landmark High Court case alleging that Australian governments practiced genocide in breach of the United Nations international convention. Many legal suits have gone through the courts since that particular time, however a final resolution has not yet been reached. In conclusion I believe that there are many plausible arguments from both those of the stolen generation and those who condemned the removal. From a maternal aspect I believe that it was immorally wrong to take aboriginal and half-caste children from their mothers and families however, it is easy to understand how looking through racist spectacles one could see their race as superior to all others, and in thinking this, assume that it would be in the best interests of the inferior race to adopt the culture of the advanced. The stolen generation is a very delicate topic which still today evokes many different kinds of emotions. The distressing factor of this issue is that it will never be fully resolved, as some Australian aborigines are genuinely thankful for a white upbringing and then there are others who still dispute it. The removal policy was simply a well intentioned plan that went horribly wrong, however one thing can be assured, those who were removed from their families will be remembered by both Aboriginal and White Australian communities for many more generations to come. How to cite The Stolen Generation, Papers The Stolen Generation Free Essays Explain the Stolen Generation (when did it occur/who was responsible and why government officials believed they were justified in taking these actions). The Stolen Generation was a very lonely and depressing time for the indigenous people of Australia. It lasted an overwhelming 60 years in which an estimated 100 000 aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were forcibly removed from their families and land to be raised in homes or adopted by white families. We will write a custom essay sample on The Stolen Generation or any similar topic only for you Order Now This Policy was designed to ‘breed out’ Indigenous people until there was none left. These children became known as the ‘Stolen Generations’. The forced removal of these Indigenous children became an official government policy from 1909 to 1969. However these acts of removing Indigenous children from their homes occurred before and after these dates. The Aborigines Protection Board (APB) managed this removal policy; Governments, Churches and welfare bodies all took part in this operation. The Government gave the APB the power to forcibly remove Indigenous children without parental consent and without a court order in 1909. Children were to be fixated to an institution or mission dormitory, fostered or adopted. The Government under the White Australia and Assimilation Policies tried to encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were not of pure blood to become incorporated into the broader community of white Australian’s so that eventually there would be no Indigenous people left. At the current time the white Australians thought they were superior to the Indigenous people and that they were doing them a favour by giving them an education and clothing them, even though they only educated them to a certain extent so that they could work as labourers or servants. Children were extracted from their Indigenous culture so they could be brought up white and ‘taught’ to reject their Aboriginality. These children were distributed to institutions and from roughly the 1950’s were also allocated to white families. The APB only educated the Aboriginal children so that they could become labourers or servants, so their education was very poor. They did not educate them to a satisfactory ‘white’ standard because the white people could stay in power and hold the higher positions in society. The Aboriginal girls that were forcibly removed from their families were sent to homes and facilities authorized by the Board to be trained in domestic service. The white people did not understand or respect the Aboriginal people or their way of life, this also meant that the people who supported the policy thought they were doing the ‘right thing’. Some of these people also believed the aboriginal people lived impecunious and unrewarding lives and that the institutions they were placed in would be a more appropriate environment in which the Aboriginal people could better themselves. The white people thought the Aboriginals were stupid and had no tools or houses and could not provide for themselves. When in-fact they were just so blind to the fact that the Aboriginal culture was based off living as one with the earth and the white people couldn’t perceive and accept their way of life. The dominant, bigoted racist views that were part of the white society and government at the time also meant that people believed that Aboriginal people were bad parents and that the Aboriginal women did not feed or look after their children accordingly. They didn’t realize that the Indigenous people lived of the land and used the nuts and plants for medicine, they only took what they needed from the land. They were not greedy, unlike white people who harvested massive crops and wore fancy clothing. So the white people took it upon themselves to try and exterminate the aborigines by breeding them with white people until there was none left. No one really knows how many Indigenous people were taken from their homes and lands, because most records of this tragic time have been lost or destroyed. Countless parents never saw their children who were stolen from them, siblings were prepensely separated from each other and most never saw each other again. To this day many Aboriginal people do not know who their relatives are or have been unable to track them down due to this appalling and shameful policy Australia enforced in an attempt to assimilate the Aboriginal population during 1909-1996, meaning that even today there are Aboriginal people as young as their late 40’s and 50’s who are members of the Stolen Generation. ) Discuss the varying experiences members of the stolen generation had; including where they were taken and the conditions in which they lived. Experiences throughout the stolen generation vary quite allot, especially gender wise, generally the men found it difficult and tried to escape from where they were sent. On the other hand the women generally had lots of fond memories although it was very difficult at the time because they were separated fr om their parents at a very young age. Depending on wether you were female or male, you would be taken to different locations, the women were often taken to farms as servants and waiters, the men were normally taken to institutions where they would be trained to become labourers. Both genders were at first taken to missions that were usually religious based. At these missions they would be taught how to speak and dress like a white person. Once they were of a satisfactory standard, they would be placed in different locations, women as maids, servants and cooks and the men as stockmen, labourers or other tedious jobs. Even though they had jobs, the Aboriginal workers would not get paid. If they were lucky they would be left in their country ( their land/are they called home), this was very important to them because their country was part of their life. In the Aboriginal community they believe that being on country is a nurturing experience for them, in other words if they look after their country, the country will look after them. Its their duty to look after the land, and when they are separated from it, they cannot do this, which brings them great suffering and pain. From the point in which they were taken and separated from their family, friends and country, they were not permitted to speak their own language and could only speak English, if they did speak their own language they were severely punished. They had to dress and behave like white people. They were displaced, their whole culture was stripped from them, they were put into a situation on a cultural level to survive, and were totally at the mercy of the white people. My Grandfather is an Anthropologist (Gary Watson) and has spent the last 8 years in Western Australia working with the Wadjarri Yamatji tribe. In the Wadjarri language Yamatji roughly translates to Aboriginal. One of his friends from the tribe is a member of the stolen generation and gave my grandfather some examples of the cultural displacement he went through; when he was first taken from his land and family he had a girlfriend, and he would constantly escape from the institution to go and see her. They would always come and take him back, he could not understand why they would want to keep him from her. He was severely punished every time he escaped but he continued to escape to go and see her. Another experience he told my grandfather was when they told him to sleep inside the house, for him this was absurd. why would he sleep inside, he had never slept inside his whole life. To this day he hates sleeping inside, even in a little tin shed when they’re out in the bush. Allot of the Aboriginals couldn’t and still cant understand why the white people would want to take them away and confine them and tell them not to be themselves. All these experiences have left a lasting impression, to this day these experiences affect the members of the stolen generation. Lots of the men get very angry when u bring the topic up, more so because they were done wrongly just because they were black. Bibliography Reference Material My Grandfather is an Anthropologist (Gary Watson) Spent last 8 years in Western Australia working with the Wadjarri Yamatji tribe. Horton, David, The Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Australia, Aboriginal Studies Press, Volume 1, 1994 The World Book Encyclopaedia, World Book, North Michigan, Volume 1, 2005 The Australian Encyclopaedia, Australian Geographic Society, Sydney, Volume 1, 1988 History Books Barwick, John and Jennifer, Aboriginal Australia, Heinemann, Melbourne, 2009 Bird, Carmel (ed), The Stolen Generation, Random House, Sydney, 1998 Internet Source http://reconciliaction. org. au How to cite The Stolen Generation, Papers The Stolen Generation Free Essays The stolen generation †¦. The degradation and the sheer brutality of the act of physically separating a mother from her children is a deep assault on our senses and on our most elemental humanity†¦. The stolen generation is the name given to the generation of aboriginal and Torres strait islander children that were removed from their families and placed into institutions where they were forced to forget their aboriginality. We will write a custom essay sample on The Stolen Generation or any similar topic only for you Order Now These children were then given a poor education and were sent into the homes of white Australians to be servants or labourers. The government and churches around Australia had an ignorant and uneducated view about the native aboriginals and how they chose to live. They thought that aboriginal families lived poor and unrewarding lives; they believed they were doing the right thing and were helping the children by removing them from their homes and families. They believed that aboriginal people were bad parents and that the women did not look after their children. No records were kept of the children that were taken and siblings were deliberately separated, today many people do not know where or if they have brothers or sisters out there. This had destroyed families and torn them apart. They were forced to go through the unimaginable and were treated as slaves. You and me, we were not direct causes of this. This was our ancestors. A generation before we were born. We had not yet even existed when this was happening all over Australian yet it took all these years for an apology to be given to the people of the stolen generation On the 13th of February 2008 the prime minister Kevin Rudd apologised on behalf of all of Australia for the way that the people of the stolen generation were treated. This is what he said: â€Å"We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country. â€Å"For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry. â€Å"To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry. â€Å"And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry. â€Å" How to cite The Stolen Generation, Papers

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Co-Opetition free essay sample

In most business theories, competition is seen as one of the key force that keeps organisations innovative and lean. To be able to survive in a market, organisations have had to engage in competitive strategies. On the other hand, theorists have begun to realize that to also survive, organisation may be inclined to cooperate with their competitors. Thus, new theories of collaboration, networking, cooperating and sharing are beginning to be forecast and written on. One of the theories is of co-opetition. This article critiques, Zineldins article on Co-opetition: the organisation of the future . In his article, Zineldin claims that the organisation of the future will have to collaborate and cooperate with its competitors. Zineldin states that companies need to consider the potential benefits of collaborating, cooperating and coordinating with their competitors. He terms this strategy as co-opetition. Thus, business strategies and activities should aim for the establishment of mutually beneficial partnership relationship with other actors in the organisation’s network, including their competitors. The fundamental role for the organisation of the future will be to create and develop processes of strategic co-opetition that will enhance long-term relationships, retention and loyalty. Five main advantages for co-opetiton outlined are, sharing of knowledge, pooling of competencies, increased incentives to take risks and proactively in product development. For this co-opetition strategy to work there should be trust and commitment among players. Creating co-opetition has both a cost and value. For a company, it takes time to develop such a relationship and the time factor may after the parties’ profitability. Hence, those involved must have a common philosophy, clear goal of what they want to achieve. Zineldin identifies that individual willingness motivation, interdependence, culture fit, integration and integrity, organisational arrangement and institutinalisation criteria should be met before forming a co-opetition strategy. Zineldin furthermore identifies short benefits of these strategies. These are reduction of transaction costs, cost of joint ventures and access to vast amount of knowledge of a company’s particular market He states that many organisations today are competing through cooperation rather than just competition by establishing formal or informal strategic alliances and networks that range from exchange of technology and markets to industrial mega deals. Some examples given are Mitsubishi Volvo, IBM Volvo and Apple, IBM Motorola. Furthermore, co-opetition will lead to economies of scale, lower prices, a skilled labour force, high level of RD and so on, so forth. On the other side, this strategy can be of disadvantage to companies. For example, other costs can be created, such as time and resources used to build the relationships and return on investment can take a long time to calculate. Companies may take advantage of the more vulnerable company. ANALYSES It could be said that Zineldin wrote on a valid point. Although it is not a new concept, (first coined by Ray Noorda, the founder of Novell) he has somehow managed to summaries the concept in a simplified way. The article lacks evidences; he has not done any empirical study thus a lacking of critical evidence makes the article more of hearsay than of a positive study. It is of a normative study nature. Most research on competition has been on vertical relationship between organisation such as value added supply chain or distribution rather than horizontal relationships. Zineldin does not say which competitor to cooperate with in the organisations network. Furthermore there is not clear example and measurement of the success and this strategy Although there is insufficient amount of information and success measurement from Zineldin, there seems to be support for this strategy of coopetition. Authors such as Adam Brandenburger of the Harvard Business School and Barry Nalebuff of the Yale School of Management, who have together written on the subject in their book in titled coopetition. On their webpage, http://mayet. som. yale. edu/coopetition/index2. html. they talk of game theory which suggested that businesses can gain advantage by mixing competition and cooperation. â€Å"Cooperation with suppliers, customers and firms producing complementary or related products can lead to expansion of the market and the formation of new business relationships, perhaps even the creation of new forms of enterprise†. 19. 9. 2007) Anand Ramanathan (2007)takes the strategy further by dividing co-opetition into vertical and horizontal co-opetition. He studies co-opetition in the Indian retail market. In horizontal co-operation, he states that here, markets consist of few suppliers and a large number of intermediaries and retailers. â€Å"Horizontal co-opetition between suppliers i s limited to a co-existence philosophy where the rivals know each other, know the positions they have and do not frequently challenge each other’s position†. Anand Ramanathan (2007) Vertical Co-opetition is similar to horizontal co-opetition but co-opetition is between the supplier and their partner and is primarily driven by co-ordination objectives rather than any overarching need to collaborate and build structural linkages. The concept seems to have been taken up most enthusiastically in the computer industry, where strategic alliances are common in order to develop new products and markets, particularly between software and hardware firms. Co-opetition is frequently seen in computer and technology-oriented industries where rapid technology advances will often encourage competitors to work together due to advances by other competitive organisations. A recent example of this is between IBM and Sun Microsystems. In The New Yorks Times (2007), it was stated that two long time rivals in computing, IBM and Sun Microsystems, plan to cooperate on server technologies. This could put pressure on their big competitor Hewlett-Packard. Sun’s chief executive, Jonathan Schwartz, said in the article that the new comprehensive relationship brought a tectonic shift in the market landscape. This coopetition will enable Sun’s Solaris operating system to run on International Business Machine servers enabling it to earn more market and it also spells advantage for sun solaris customers to be ale to switch to IBM. Our view is when you make your products available on other people’s platforms, you just meet more customers, which just gives you more opportunities, Mr. Schwartz said. (2007) Another example of co-opetition would be the American car history written by Adam Brandenburger and Elizabeth Stein. The American car industry is a good example to understand how with co-opetition can help in an industry. When the earliest petrol car was established, there was no road system, petrol stations and other complimentary products and services. Thus, couldnt enter into widespread use without a constellation of complementary products and services. The demand for the car helped in the establishment of the industry. Both sparse population and the need to travel a significant distance daily, for work or for other purposes, increased the demand for automobiles. Changes in the provision of rural services, as well as the rise of the suburbs, gave the automobile and its culture a significant boost. Adam Brandenburger et. al 19. 9. 2007) As the industry began to grow, other services began to be established as a result. Petrol stations, garages, companies offering financial relieve to a customer who could not afford to buy the car. The government also stepped in helping to establish the transportations system by building roads and outlining maps. Manufacturers themselves provided complements for their industry either on their own or by co-opetition with one another or the government, when neither government nor ortune alone provided the complements they needed to get their product off the ground. For example, early in the twentieth century the auto industry realized that mass auto ownership would need financing options. Banks, which were concerned about people depleting their savings by purchasing cars, did not rush forward to provide credit to the masses. (Adam Brandenburger et. al 19. 9. 2007) The car industry as a whole, took initiatives to provide this service to their customers. The advantages reaped by the cooperating car maker and their customers were unquestionably impressive. One of the most interesting features of the automobile industry is this example it has given to the world of efficiency and co-operation. We are not surprised at efficiency in the steel business or the oil business, because they are industries conducted practically by one man power; and if autocratic rule is not efficient, its last excuse for being right might appear to have ceased to exist; but to find several hundred different manufacturers with divergent ambitions, ideals and interests benevolently engaged in co-operative competition, justifies, it would seem, the optimism which sees the world as growing better. Adam Brandenburger et. al 19. 9. It could be said that the concept of co-opetition lacks a clear empirical study, of how it works and what are the strategies to make it work. A further research would be to take an industry that is practising co-opetition and making a thorough empirical study to try and understand what the criteria for the co-opetition are, which competitor to choose and how can this strategy be divided. Zineldin’s concept of co-opetition is not new. For an organisation to succeed in its market, it would be said that organisation of the future ought to also cooperate with their rivalries to gain the advantaged that Zineldin outlined. An ancient Chinese proverb say †he who cannot agree with his enemies is controlled by them. †

Friday, November 29, 2019

Parasites And Their Virulence Essays - Biology, Parasitology

Parasites And Their Virulence ABSTRACT Why do some parasites kill the host they depend upon while others coexist with their host? Two prime factors determine parasitic virulence: the manner in which the parasite is transmitted, and the evolutionary history of the parasite and its host. Parasites which have colonized a new host species tend to be more virulent than parasites which have coevolved with their hosts. Parasites which are transmitted horizontally tend to be more virulent than those transmitted vertically. It has been assumed that parasite-host interactions inevitably evolve toward lower virulence. This is contradicted by studies in which virulence is conserved or increases over time. A model which encompasses the variability of parasite-host interactions by synthesizing spatial (transmission) and temporal (evolutionary) factors is examined. Lenski and May (1994) and Antia et al. (1993) predict the modulation of virulence in parasite-host systems by integrating evolutionary and transmissibility factors. INTRODUCTION Why do certain parasites exhibit high levels of virulence within their host populations while others exhibit low virulence? The two prime factors most frequently cited (Esch and Fernandez 1993, Toft et al. 1991) are evolutionary history and mode of transmission. Incongruently evolved parasite-host associations are characterized by high virulence, while congruent evolution may result in reduced virulence (Toft et al. 1991). Parasites transmitted vertically (from parent to offspring) tend to be less virulent than parasites transmitted horizontally (between unrelated individuals of the same or different species). Studies in which virulence is shown to increase during parasite-host interaction, as in Ebert's (1994) experiment with Daphnia magna, necessitate a synthesis of traditionally discrete factors to predict a coevolutionary outcome. Authors prone to habitually use the word decrease before the word virulence are encouraged to replace the former with modulate, which emphasizes the need for an inclusive, predictive paradigm for parasite-host interaction. Evolutionary history and mode of transmission will first be considered separately, then integrated using an equation discussed by Antia et al. (1993) and a model proposed by Lenski and May (1994). Transmission is a spatial factor, defined by host density and specific qualities of host-parasite interaction, which gives direction to the modulation of virulence. Evolution is a temporal factor which determines the extent of the modulation. The selective pressures of the transmission mode act on parasite populations over evolutionary time, favoring an equilibrium level of virulence (Lenski and May 1994). DOES COEVOLUTION DETERMINE VIRULENCE? Incongruent evolution is the colonization of a new host species by a parasite. It is widely reported that such colonizations, when successful, feature high virulence due to the lack of both evolved host defenses and parasitic self-regulation (Esch and Fernandez 1993, Toft et al. 1991). Unsuccessful colonizations must frequently occur when parasites encounter hosts with adequate defenses. In Africa, indigenous ruminants experience low virulence from Trypanosoma brucei infection, while introduced ruminants suffer fatal infections (Esch and Fernandez 1993). There has been no time for the new host to develop immunity, or for the parasite to self-regulate. Virulent colonizations may occur regularly in epizootic-enzootic cycles. Sin Nombre virus, a hemmorhagic fever virus, was epizootic in 1993 after the population of its primary enzootic host, Peromyscus maniculatus, had exploded, increasing the likelihood of transmission to humans (Childs et al. 1995). Sin Nombre exhibited unusually high mortality in human populations (Childs et al. 1995), which were being colonized by the parasite. It is assumed that coevolution of parasite and host will result in decreased virulence (Esch and Fernandez 1993, Toft et al. 1991). Sin Nombre virus was found to infect 30.4 % of the P. maniculatus population, exhibiting little or no virulence in the mice (Childs et al. 1995). Similar low levels of virulence have been found in the enzootic rodent hosts of Yersinia pestis (Gage et al. 1995). In Australia, decreased grades of virulence of myxoma virus have been observed in rabbit populations since the virus was introduced in 1951 (Krebs C. J. 1994). Many of the most widespread parasites exhibit low virulence, suggesting that success in parasite suprapopulation range and abundance may be the result of reduction in virulence over time. Hookworms are present in the small intestines of one-fifth of the world's human population and rarely induce mortality directly (Hotez 1995). Evolution toward a higher level of virulence has been regarded as an unexplainable anomaly. Parasites which do less

Monday, November 25, 2019

Forest transpiration is an element in the water cycle

Forest transpiration is an element in the water cycle Transpiration From Forest Woody Plants Transpiration is a term used for the release and evaporation of water from all plants including trees that is released out and into the Earths atmosphere. Nearly 90% of this water exits the tree in the form of vapor through small pores called  stomata  on leaves. The leaf cuticle covering located on the surface of leaves and corky lenticels located on the surface of stems also provide some moisture. The stomata are also specially designed to allow carbon dioxide gas to exchange from air to assist in  photosynthesis  that then creates the fuel for growth. The forest woody plant locks up carbon-based cellular tissue growth while releasing residual oxygen. Forests surrender large volumes  of water into the earths atmosphere from all vascular plant leaves and stem.   Leaf transpiration  is the main source of evapotranspiration from forests and, at some cost during dry years, give up much of its valuable water to the Earths atmosphere.   Here are the three major tree structures that aid in forest transpiration: Leaf stomata  -   microscopic openings on the surfaces of plant leaves that allow for the easy passage of water vapor, carbon dioxide, and oxygen. Leaf cuticle  - a protecting film covering the  epidermis or skin of  leaves, young shoots, and other aerial plant organs. Lenticels  -  a small cork pore, or narrow line, on the surface of woody plant stems. In addition to cooling forests and the organisms within them, transpiration also helps to cause a massive flow of mineral nutrients and water from the roots to the shoots. This movement of water is caused by a decrease in hydrostatic (water) pressure throughout a forests canopy. This pressure difference is mainly caused by water endlessly evaporating from the tree leaf stomata into the atmosphere. Transpiration from forest  trees is essentially the evaporation of water vapors from plant leaves and stems. Evapotranspiration is another important part of the  water cycle of which forests play a major role. Evapotranspiration is the collective evaporation of plant transpiration from the Earths land and sea surface into the atmosphere. Evaporation accounts for the movement of water to the air from sources such as the soil, canopy interception, and waterbodies.   (Note: An element (such as a forest of trees) that contributes to evapotranspiration can be called an   evapotranspirator.) Transpiration also includes a process called guttation, which is the loss of water dripping off uninjured leaf margins of the plant but plays a minor role in transpiration. The combination of plant transpiration (10%) and the evaporation from all bodies of water to include the oceans (90%) is responsible for all of the earths atmospheric moisture. The Water Cycle The interchange of water between air, land and the sea, and between organisms living in their environment is accomplished through the water cycle. Since the Earths water cycle is a loop of occurring events, there can be no starting or ending point. So, we can start learning about the process by beginning where most water exists - with the  sea. The driving mechanism of the water cycle is ever-present solar heat (from the sun) which warms the waters of the world. This spontaneous cycle of naturally occurring events creates an effect that can be diagrammed as a spinning loop. The process involves evaporation, transpiration, cloud formation, precipitation, surface water runoff, and the percolation of water into the soil. Water at the seas surface evaporates as vapor into the atmosphere on rising air currents where the resulting cooler temperatures cause it to  condense  into clouds. Air currents then move clouds and particulate materials which collide continuing to grow and eventually falling out of the sky as precipitation. Some precipitation in the form of snow can accumulate in polar regions, stored as frozen water and locked up for long periods. Annual snowfall in temperate regions will usually thaw and melt as spring returns and that water returns to fill rivers, lakes or soaks into the soil. Most precipitation falling onto land will, due to gravity, either percolate into the soil or will flow over the ground as  surface runoff. As with snow-melt, surface runoff enters rivers in valleys in the landscape with  streamflow  moving water towards the oceans. There is also groundwater  seepage that will  accumulate and is  stored as freshwater  in aquifers. The series of precipitation and evaporation continually repeats itself and becomes a closed system. Sources:     Ecology and Field Biology, R.L. Smith (buy from Amazon)         Transpiration and the Water Cycle, USGS

Friday, November 22, 2019

Global Warming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Global Warming - Essay Example Accordingly, this brief essay will attempt to briefly analyze this monolithic problem and propose a middle path to a debate that has been raging and consuming valuable time in the process. Furthermore, a determination will be sought to be made with regards to the question of whether human action or natural causes best explain the climate fluctuations that planet earth has recently been chronicling. Lastly, as a function of the previous points of discussion and analysis, the author will attempt to proscribe a reasonable and performable set of steps and solutions which both the scientific community and the world at large could and should seek to employ as a function of ameliorating the stress on planet earth and the issues at hand. Firstly, there is the point of view that strongly believes that the swings in climate change are the direct result of the presence of high amounts of human CO2 in the atmosphere that is causing a greenhouse effect on the planet and thereby causing world temp eratures to rise. Prima fascia of this argument is the belief that human CO2 emissions are responsible for the changes to the global climate. It follows therefore that those which ascribe to this point of view are the most vehement that drastic and immediate changes to the manner in which human beings interact with planet earth and seek to use her resources in order to achieve a high standard of living be re-assessed as a function of whether such practices are best for the future health and longevity of the planet (Gan et al 6555). However, the biggest drawback to this particular line of reasoning is the fact that the overall extent to which human CO2 factors into the percentage of total CO2 generated by planet earth on a yearly basis is so miniscule as to be laughable. Indeed, numerous studies have convincingly noted that human CO2 emissions only account for around 4% of total earth CO2 release in any given calendar year. Although this by no means relieves humans of their responsib ility towards the planet, it does however help put into perspective the precise scope of this problem and the means by which it should be sought to be rectified. The problem with this point of view is of course the fact that the main causal factors for global climate change with respect to the recent changes in temperature patterns have not been considered. For instance, there is a preponderance of evidence that the size and heat the sun generates is of course non-uniform and varies depending on the level of solar flares and solar storm activity (Powledge 9). As such, scientists have noted that beyond CO2 concentrations, the suns actual energy output has increased slightly over the exact same period in which the global climate change has been most powerfully noted (Ferrara 46). Of course the purpose of this brief essay is not to convince the reader regarding what the true culprit of global climate change truly is; rather, it is merely meant to acquaint the reader with the various ca usal mechanisms that likely influence the way in which the planet’s climate is regulated and changes as both a function of solar activity, human actions, and overall concentration of a number of other factors. Yet another issue with the global warming as a result of CO2 emission side of the argument is the fact that it is scientifically proven that global temperature is determined not only by CO2

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The Disappearing Data Center Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Disappearing Data Center - Essay Example In addition, the system should have adequate authentication, access control and administration. The company should therefore examine the authentication options that are available, for instance, whether the system has trusted proxy, good security measures and so on. Comparatively, should access whether the technology and hosting are fit for purpose and is scalable. The company should determine whether the hardware is modern, reliable, the development cycle of the system, its ease in integrating with other systems and so on. Therefore, in a nut shell, when deciding where to host their system, the companies should evaluate the system’s navigation and interface, content production and workflow, authentication, access control and administration, and the fitness level of the technology and hosting. Other considerations could comprise of whether the operating system, scripting software and server software meet the purpose of the company. Many small businesses are moving towards cloud computing as a way of saving their costs and attaining sophisticated and powerful hardware (Plant 2009). However, there are several issues surrounding moving a company’s data center to the cloud computing. Some of the issues facing companies that have opted for cloud computing include the following;- First, cloud computing brings with it issues to deal with the security of the company’s data transfer. This is because all the information that travels between the company network and the cloud passes through the and therefore there is a chance that hackers could distort it. Due to this, the management should ensure that their systems are well secured through the use of internet security measures such as encryption, proxy, industry standard protocols and so on. Equally important, the use of software interfaces could be a major issue affecting cloud computing. The use of a weak set of software interface could expose the company to various

Monday, November 18, 2019

Information Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Information Systems - Essay Example The spare capacity if available can be used for different purposes. The remote hosting at the third-party facilities as well leads the company to the curtailing of the costs while maintaining the internal control over hardware, software and communications and keeping its established relationship with the third party. Hosting at the Surebridge’s facilities, on the other hand, has the advantage of sparing the customer worry about establishing and maintaining its own IS infrastructure, investing into hardware etc. Moreover, customer receives over-the-clock access to the monitoring tools and gets a dedicated manager who is well aware of the company’s specifics and recent history. To make a sound choice, more information about both the options and the company’s particular needs is desirable in order to successfully match one with another. On the Surebridge’s side, additional required information would include price, total cost of ownership, connectivity and speed of connection, security standards with regards to transfer and processing of the commercial data, set-up time, reliability of the back-up system and assurance of operations continuity, additional services provided. On the company’s side, it would be necessary to know whether its operations and needs are quite similar to those of other companies in the industry, or does it need the customized solutions and treatment. It is also important to know if the company already has a modern IS infrastructure and some trained personnel, or an agreement on hosting with a third party in place. Moreover, the required speed and volume of processing stemming out of the scope of the company’s operations and necessity of the computers and IT infrastructure to be deployed for other purposes should also be considered. A possibility to visit Sharebridge’s facilities would be an exciting experience. I would like to start by looking at the

Saturday, November 16, 2019

The Long Process Of European Decolonization English Language Essay

The Long Process Of European Decolonization English Language Essay According to Helen Tiffin, Decolonization is a process, not arrival it has been the project of post-colonial writing to interrogate European discourses and discursive strategies from a privileged position within (and between) two worlds (Tiffin 95). At the moment of decolonization there are two kinds of responses to the imposition of imperial language: post colonial writers either choose rejection or subversion of the imposed tongue and the empire by writing back in a European language. As part of this the Indian English writers thrive hard to project the hybridity of post colonial realities and the use of English as a linguistic expression of that hybridity must be accepted. Writers including Raja Rao, Rushdie and Roy were aware of the fact that the subversion of English is the only strategy that recognizes the influence of the colonial experience while, at the same time, dismantling its supporting biases. Therefore nativizing and acculturating it (Kachru 294) is the device these po st colonial writers adopted, thus transforming standard English into many englishes as are the diverse post colonial realities.(Ashcroft 8) These englishes allow the post colonial writer to voice his particular experience while exploiting the advantages of using an international language. Salman Rushdie comments on how working in new englishes can be therapeutic. In the essay Imaginary Homelands, he explicates that, the English language is not something that can simply be overlooked and disregarded, but is the site where writers should try to sort out the problems that challenge emerging or recently independent colonies. He believes that by conquering English we can conclude the process of making ourselves emancipated. What we find in the writings of these novelists is a resistance to the dominant language-culture which is facilitated through a naturalization of it and stretching it to contain some authentic Indian expressions. Thereby they are invested with a power to appropriate and dismantle metropolitan discourses and to assert post colonial difference from Europe. The linguistic hybridization which results from the manipulation of English as the normative linguistic code by the emerging post-colonial voices as an act of subversion and a necessary step in the direction of cultural liberation, becomes the source for new strategies of writing which have generated some of the most exciting and innovative literatures of the modern period (Ashcroft 8). These hybrid linguistic practices are a reliable sign of an authentic articulation of indigenous voices. Linguistic hybridization results in syntactic flexibility and rapid enrichment of vocabulary. The Indian English writer challenges and redefines m any accepted notions of language and indulges in creating different versions or constructing a new language in our multilingual contexts. These are the in between languages which occupy a space in between and seeks to decolonize themselves from the Western ex-colonizer and subverts hierarchies and brings together the dominant and the under-developed. The Caliban- Prospero paradigm can be seen as an illustration of resistance enacted by postcolonial Indian writers where Caliban practices what he calls the language of the torturer mastered by the victim. His appropriation of Prosperos language rather than his rejection of it, is an appropriation that extends and enriches the possibilities of the English language in ways that are, perhaps, no longer possible for the English themselves. As Graham Huggan suggests, Indian writing (especially in English) is to a large extent a transnational, diasporic phenomenon, the product of complex collisions/collusions between East and West (66). Therefore, the term postcolonial nowadays has a wider definition and it denotes an index of resistance, a perceived imperative to rewrite the social context of continuing imperial dominance (Huggan ix). Post colonial Indian writing showcases a number of linguistic tensions and any interrogation of the experiences involves a simultaneous interrogation of language also. Indian English liberates itself from the parent language and tries to be on its own surpassing its hyphenated status. The deformations, deviations and irregularities found in Indian English is part of an attempt by the writer to master the texture of the original while amending and altering it considerably to suit the local conditions leading to the birth of a brand new English. In its reinstatement as Indian English, it certainly shakes off its colour and becomes heteroglossic, true to what Bakthin opined as anothers speech in anothers language. English turns into playful manipulation in the hands of these writers. As a form of self-assertion Indian writers playfully manipulate the language and relates them to the roots and culture of ones own and introduces circumstances for their self-expression. R.K. Narayan advocates writing in a genuinely Indian way without being self-conscious about it; English has proved that if a language has flexibility, any experience can be communicated through it, even if it has to be paraphrased sometimes rather than conveyed, and even if the factual detail à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ is partially understood à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ All that I am able to confirm merely after thirty years of writing, is that it has served my purpose admirably, on conveying unambiguously the thoughts and acts of a set of personalities, who flourish in a small town located in a corner of South India. (Press 123) The Indian writers communicate the Indian sensibility and consciousness to dissociate themselves from the subtle nuances of the language and its flexible idiom in an instinctive and effortless manner through narrative structures associated with the ones prevalent in Indian oral and epic traditions to vindicate the spirit of India and its quintessential unity. According to Rushdie, the moment the Indian writer tries to shed the insular mentality of exclusion and to use English as his own without any anxiety or self-consciousness the language of the other becomes his property on which its first user will have no substantial claim. This approach invests the Indian writer with a freedom to articulate which they aimed to achieve it. Indian English can be seen as a distinct variety whose body is correct English usage, but whose soul, thought and imagery is Indian in colour, and an Indian idiom which is representative of the unique quality of Indian mind while in compliance with the exactne ss of the English usage. Linguist Braj Kachru argues, using a non-native language in native context, to portray new themes and characters and situations is like redefining the semantic and semiotic potential of a language, making language mean something which is not part of its traditional meaning. It is an attempt to give a new African or Asian identity, and thus an extra dimension of meaning. A part of that dimension perhaps remains obscure or mysterious to the Western reader. The process of creating new meanings in English, for those who write in two languages is a process of transcreation (Kachru 48).The creation of new meanings accompanies the creation of new identities. Meenakshi Mukherjee claims that; The Indo- Anglian writer should be allowed the freedom to experiment with the language for his own artistic needs rather than be heaved into a system of linguistics in search of that elusive medium; a standard Indian English (214). Indian English literature is replete with experimental language which includes forging new words, new idioms, new turns of expressions, new syntactic structures and new rhythms, Indianisms, violating the syntax and grammar of English to echo the regional speech and to recreate an Indian consciousness and also to induce better linguistic results. R.K. Narayan comments that the presence of Indianisms are unavoidable in their situation as all writers are experimentalists, not attempting to write Anglo-Saxon English. The English language, through, sheer resilience and mobility, is now undergoing a process of Indianisation in the same manner as it adopted U.S. citizenship over a century ago. The process of transmutation is to be viewed as an enrichment of the English language or a debasement of it. These writers, says Mulk Raj Anand, aim at consciously reorienting the language and synthesizing Indian and European values in contemporary India.(20) Indians have found a sense of peculiar int imacy with the English language, making it a second natural voice for the Indian mind and sensibility. He sees realized in it the power of Indian inheritance, the complexity of Indian experience, and the uniqueness of Indian voice.( Walsh 65, 71) Indianisms can be accepted as permissible violations of the English language if they are introduced for the sake of reflecting cultural overtones and undertones.(Verghese 181) Shaking off the traces of foreign acquisition, the language is moulded today as anew idiom. The language has to be broken to it, as it were, and made new. (Kantak 223) The process of adaptation has been gradual and pervasive. Kantak rightly points out; Everything depends, of course, on the intimacy of the adoption, the level reached in the process of naturalization. (224) Most linguistic innovations are purposive and have an authentic ring about them. And it is not mere reproduction; the transformation of language takes place at a high artistic pressure.(235) Commenti ng upon the contextualization of English on India, Kachru observes: Indian English has ramifications in Indian culture(which includes languages) and is used in India towards maintaining appropriate Indian patterns of life, culture and education. This, in short, we may call the Indianess of Indian English, in the same way as we speak of the Englishness of British English. (Kachru 282) He again remarks; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the distance between the natively used varieties of English and Indian English cannot be explained only by comparative studies of phonology and grammar. The deviations are an outcome of the Indianisation of English which has, gradually, made Indian English culture-bound in the socio-cultural setting of India. The phonological and grammatical deviations are only a part of this process of Indianisation.(85-86) The appropriation of English language by Indian English writers results in innovations that enrich English. They also use the text to construct a world of difference, separation, and absence from the metropolitan norms which arose from the experience of colonization and a compulsive necessity to write in response to the imperial powers by asserting their differences from the assumptions of the imperial centers. The writers resort to many strategies or specific postcolonial literary techniques like fragmentation, plurality, and language to subvert Western-colonial constructs of identity and culture. It is also projected as a retelling of individual experience as against the colonial representations of history, language, and textuality. True to what Salman Rushdie famously remarked, that in post-colonial culture, the Empire writes back to the centre, these writings create a challenging discourse as against the dominant Eurocentric discourse facilitating a re-imagining and restructuring of it through breaking down certain colonial assumptions and grand narratives. Indian fiction in English can be read as a counter-discourse, as a response, in part, to earlier universalizing Western texts of English colonial writers. The Indian writers write using English vocabulary but indigenous structures and rhythms which goes in line with Chantal Zabuss theory of relexifcation Those who utilize this technique use English to simulate another language and therefore are not merely using English but also modifying it. In this process the expressions of the postcolonial are functioning as an interlanguage, mimicking neither the European target language or the indigenous source language (Zabus 315). To personalize and to correspond to a particular national or regional identity, Indian writers parade their mastery over language to nativize and indigenize English. Diverse ways of nationalizing English is used as an effective tool to demarginalize the postcolonial experience. This takes many forms and the most prominent of which is linguistic demarginalisation whic h leads to what Brathwaite calls a nation language, a need felt by a host of post-colonial writers. At the moment of decolonization, the imperial language which was an instance of the cultural baggage that restrained and smothered the natives was destabilized. The Indian writers uses the English medium to convey hitherto unknown and unfamiliar roles like a whole new set of customs, social objects, and relationships, universal responsiveness, which goes into the creation of a new culture. This represents the conversion of the weapon of the colonizer as a linguistic blade where it is redirected back at the colonizer thereby liberating the enslaving medium into a revolutionary weapon with Indian message. It helps the writer to indulge in self-reflexive narrative as a counter-discursive strategy to strike against the totalizing colonialist literature and also to erase the dominant universalist canon of Europe and endorse the marginalized canons of various local cultures. An expression o f culture-specific experiences and sensibilities through English, undermine the totalizing notion of one standard literary English language that can include all human experiences. As a result, Indian English cease to be regarded as postcolonial, but rather as an expression of uniquely Indian identity. The contemporary Bengali writer and critic Amit Chaudhuri, in his seminal anthology of 2001 The Picador Book of Modern Indian Literature, comments on the way English is used in India. Though used by a small but substantial group, English is now an Indian language, English is not an Indian language in the way it is an American language; nor is it an Indian language in the way that Bengali or Urdu. English is not an Indian language, but it has served so many useful and essential purposes of a developing society, this for so long that it has now become a kind of linguistic habit with us and cannot be easily discarded without a proper substitute. Writers like Vikram Seth, Rohinton Mistry, Amitav Ghosh, Upamanyu Chatterjee, Anita Desai and more recently Kiran Desai, Shashi Tharoor, Pankaj Mishra and Amit Chaudhuri get gushing reviews and are the propagators and ambassadors of Indian writing in English. The following comments of Gokak present the recent assessment of Indian English writers ; Indo-Anglian writing is direct and spontaneous- like creative writing in any other language. It is conditioned in many ways by the peculiar circumstances of its birth and growth. (162) The use of English in India for almost two hundred years has naturally nativized the English language and it has also caused the entry of new words into the language which truly represent our culture and traditions and which is also used in non-Indian settings. The Indian linguistic and cultural context is flourishing everyday with new set of lexical items and typical Indian collocations. Srinivasa Iyengar is of the opinion that Indian writing in English is but one of the voices in which India speaks. It is a new voice, no doubt, but it is as much Indian as others (3) Indian writing in English has come a long way from that teething stage, developing a diversity of themes, a variety of forms and techniques, and, not the least, an authenticity and idiomatic expressiveness. (S.N.Sridhar 292) In the process of Indianisation and thereby to decolonize English, writers express every modes of feeling and thinking peculiar to the cultural milieu through words which are culture bound to describe everyday objects and convey the Indian sentiment. Strategies like vernacular transcription, loan words, syntactic fusion and use of rhythmic patterns and social conventions of Indian languages helps to bridge the cultural gaps and makes the use of the alien medium more acceptable to the non-native speakers themselves (Sridhar 298). English has been re-built to reflect the clarity of thought and shades of feeling to the extent they can realize within their own ecosystems. The Indian novelists in English have accelerated the process of desired linguistic deviation and according to Kachru, the process of Indianisation of English is a linguistic and cultural characteristics transferred to an adopted alien language.(19) In an attempt to disengage language from its socio-cultural roots and to make it conducive to the new user, the Indian writer liberates English from the precision and accuracy of its usage and disintegrates the stereotypical language functions to accommodate the native feel of the life. This leaves the language with a better freedom for the writer to exploit. Only a gradual and wider usage of the language to contain the burden of our local context and experience can lead to a complete decolonization of the language rather than a deliberate attempt to Indianise it. According to Gokak Indian English should represent the evolution of a distinct standard- a standard the body of which is the correct English usage, but whose soul is Indian in colour, thought and imagery.(3) As from all these illustrations we can conclude that the reappropriation of the ex-colonisers language, within a postcolonial frame of mind is a crucial thrust in terms of style for postcolonial writers. The writers I have chosen illustrate how one can authentically represent their native culture through Indian English which, at the same time, abrogates the Standard English as well as appropriates it for local discourses, thereby re-structuring deconstructing and decolonizing the English language to liberate it from within and to remould it for the purpose of dismantling the power structures of English grammar which are symbolic of the hegemonic controls implemented. The English used by these novelists, is a distinct English which is idiomatic, using a colloquial register that will certainly be familiar to a British reader but which contains an unmistakably Indian reference. It represents the new varities of englishes that are relocated, resettled and reincarnated language and indige nized to perform culture-specific functions. Rao has tried in his novels to conform the English language to Indian literary style and rhythm, and to make it express local myths and ideas. These writers are of the opinion that the subversion of English is the only strategy that recognizes the influence of the colonial experience while, at the same time, dismantling its supporting biases. Thus, on the Indian continent the English language was put to a revolutionary use by Rao, Rushdie and Roy. There works are clear illustrations of their efforts to completely relinquish the habitual linguistic practice and the formulation of an innovative, unrefined, critical and radical syntax. Another way of decolonization ably achieved by Indian writers like Raja Rao, Rushdie and Roy are through the Indianisation and acculturation of English language. Hence they are capable of formulating a new english which defies the western canons of power and controls and one which suits their requirements and which opens up spaces for creativity in Indian English. All these approaches are for redefining the medium, and contextualizing English in yet other socio-cultural and linguistic framework. Raja Raos Kanthapura, Rushdies Midnights Children and Shame and Arundhati Roys The God of Small Things where the writers uses a multiplicity of indigenizations, is an exemplary illustration of the trend, which has plenty of language rooted in local Indian culture. The Indian narrative of resistance begins with Raja Rao whose nativization of English is the best approach to avoid confined by Standard English structures and usage. He expressed his resistance to the language of the dominant discourse by rewriting its given structures. Writers like Raja Rao, Salman Rushdie and Arundhati Roy are involved in a process of indigenizing English. Language in its decontextualised way serves to denaturalize and decolonise thus subverting, diverting and twisting into new shapes and transformed into an alien material in order to express new realities. These writers exhibit a more intentional and calculated linguistic experimentation at several levels the outcome of which will lead to a decolonizati on of English. This decolonization of the language goes hand in hand with a desire to make it a more penetrating tool of artistic exploration. Post colonial writers like Raja Rao, Salman Rushdie, Arundhati Roy have contributed to the discourse of hybridity through their works of dissent, challenge or subversion. It can be efficiently wrapped up that the practitioners of Indo- Anglian literature wield a decolonising pen (Rushdie). Rushdies prediction that Indians were in a position to conquer English literature seems justified.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Reader Response Essay - Joyce Carol Oatess Where Are You Going, Where

Reader Response Essay - Joyce Carol Oates's Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? As I began reading â€Å"Where are you going, where have you been?† by Joyce Carol Oates I found myself relating the experiences of Connie, the girl in the story, to my own personal experiences. She spoke of going to a friend’s house and having her friend’s father drive them to the shopping mall so that they could walk around and socialize or go see a movie. I found that this related very closely with my own experiences of being fifteen years old because it was always someone else’s parents driving my friends and I to the movies or to the mall. However, as I continued to read the story I began to wonder if maybe Connie’s life was not in any way parallel to my own. I have a younger sister where she has an older sister, but that is where the similarities end. Her mother is always telling her that she should be more like June, her older sister. It seemed to me that June living with her parents at her age was unusual, but the fact that she seemed to enjoy this and was always doing things to h...

Monday, November 11, 2019

It205 – Hardware Replacement Project

Hardware Replacement Project IT/205 – Management of Information systems June 24, 2012 Cristina Oliver Hardware Replacement Project The IT department is implementing a new CRM solution in its corporate offices. The hardware currently in use is out of date and will not support the CRM application. The hardware must be replaced prior to deployment. Resource: Ch. 11 of Essentials of Management Information Systems Write a 1,050- to 1,750-word paper that addresses the following: How do the five major variables of project management—scope, time, cost, quality, and risk—relate to this scenario?What considerations must be applied when selecting projects that deliver the best business value? What factors that influence project risk? What strategies would you recommend for minimizing this project’s risks? * The Information Technology department is implementing a new CRM (Customer Relationship Management) solution in its corporate offices but what we found is that the current hardware is out-of-data and will not support the new CRM application, so to implement the new CRM solution we must upgrade all the hardware prior to deployment of the CRM application.The assessment of scope, time, cost, quality and risk are the five variables needed to consider when planning out this project of the hardware replacement for the CRM application. â€Å"Project management refers to the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to achieve specific targets within specific budgets† (Laudon & Laudon, 2011, P. 397). The project managers’ position is to align the project to meet the necessary target in which they must estimate resources required for the work (materials and people), plan the work, assign and direct the work, report progress, analyze the results, acquire materials, and assesses the risk.In implementing the CRM project we see that the project scope is to have all hardware replaced. Hardware that would be replaced are desktops , servers and possibly handheld devices. Prior to installation of hardware to the corporate offices there will be installation of the software which includes operating systems, standard company applications and the new CRM application, testing of the applications and hardware in the test environment prior to testing on the production network and just before replace of the hardware to the offices there will be education training and then a small department rollout to verify and finalize any risks.We need to figure a realistic time to achieve our target on the CRM project as time. What will be needed is to break down each component into separate tasks and activities so each team has time to accomplish their tasks. Remember that each task given is dependent for the next task to succeed. This give a schedule of when the project may be completed. â€Å"Costs are based on the time to complete a project multiplied by the daily cost of human resources required to complete the project† (Laudon & Laudon, 2011, P. 399). Costs also include the hardware, software and real estate of where someone sits when doing the work.The project manager is responsible for developing the budget as well as monitoring the expenses of the ongoing project attempting not to go over their projected budget. Quality is the indication of how well the project is going and also how well the end result satisfies the objects requested by management. Quality defines the workmanship, accuracy and the timelines of the information produced by the new system being implemented. Quality grants a more positive outcome within the project team as well as management. Risk are something that happens with all projects as they are potential problems that threaten the success of a project.The problems that could arise can prevent a project from meeting it’s timelines by increasing time and costs, lowering the quality of the output or possibly preventing the project altogether. When given the project t imeline it is normally given some of the risks involved with each tasks and within the project there is the attempt to give buffer time should those risks appear. Considerations that must be applied when selecting projects that deliver the best business value are benefits and costs. In the long or possibly short are the benefits that can regain costs and possibly or will increase financial gains for the business.The company needs to realize the CRM application; if it will indeed benefit from this application and that the application covers all aspects of what the required objectives. Obviously if the company purchases the CRM application and doesn’t meet the requirements then the project will not reap the benefits or costs. Other considerations are training and maintenance of the hardware, software and application. Without training of the application how would one know how to use it to its full potential? Training is planned and designed for the various users and departments. With the CRM application each department will have their specific requirements as to what they will use it for and what they can and cannot access. The IT group will be trained on how to support the application and how to maintain and upgrade when needed. This leads into maintenance which is never cost effective but normally mandatory for reasons of fixing application bugs or hardware upgrades and even operating system updates. Factors or levels that may influence project risk are size of the project, structure of the project and the level of technical expertise (SME – Subject Matter Experts) of the IT staff and project team.Other considerations are consultants if the IT staff is does not have the technical expertise although proper training or shadowing will need to be involved of the consultant to an IT staff. Other factors such as not clear or straightforward requirements or even new technology that the project team does not know the technology can influence the project ri sk. Even user acceptance of the application is a major factor as some don’t like change or fear new products. There are many factors that can influence the risk of the project.Strategies that I would use to minimize the project risk would be to recruit people whom are SME with products that we are looking to implement, recruit project managers that are expertise in information technology and use the correct tools to manage the project and the deliverables. Implement the proper changes management in advance to have the changes documented in case need to revert back and make sure everything is tested in a test environment prior to placing into a production environment. Train the staff and end-users to make sure everyone is comfortable with the new system.People fear change and to have an in-depth training program will allow the end-users more comfort with the product and in themselves. The number strategy I would use to minimize project risk is communication. Making sure that e veryone is on the same page with the deadlines and deliverables. Understanding the timeframe and what need to be done to accomplish the project. The project team needs to see the possible risks that are involved and how they could avoid these risks and make sure they are all documented.I believe that the best practices for managing this project are hiring project managers that have managed successful project in the IT field and have them communicate with the leads of the IT teams to set realistic timeframes to measure the progress of the tasks to overall meet the deliverables and the end date of the project. Communication to the company executives to make sure they understand the timeframe of the project and the implantation of each task and what dates they will be accomplished as well as verifying what are the requirements of management for the project.With regards to all this the project manager will put a project plan with timeframes and risks to hand out to all the project team and management so everyone understands what is involved and what deadlines each team needs to make. Make such dates will show quality to management and the company allowing a much smoother transition to the new CRM application and hardware. Reference Laudon, K. P. , & Laudon, J. P. (2011). Essentials of MIS (9th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Life Has a Hopeful Undertone

McCarthy follows a father and son who are struggling to survive after some global apocalypse. The father struggles to keep his faith and â€Å"carry the fire,† he starts to question his faith in humanity him believe to have hope in the most difficult of times. Despite civilization falling apart, in the novel The Road by Coral McCarthy hope is revealed to be a major theme by symbolism in the fire and the boy. The man and boy often find themselves in difficult situations.The boy considers that e would be better off dead because his loss of hope. He says he would be better off with his â€Å"mom† (55), who is dead. The man tells him that he has to â€Å"carry the Although it is not directly said in the novel, the fire is implied to be related to hope and goodness. The father and son are some of the few survivors who refused to exploit human beings, because they have not given up and lost faith in their morals. Hope helps them find alternatives from cannibalism. Even when they were â€Å"starving†(129). They still refuse to eat any human flesh.In the novel, the cannibals represent a fallen society that a man and boy have to live through. The boy is a symbol hope and is one of the â€Å"good guys†(77). Those who carry the fire have not given up hope and need to preserve the faith and sake of humanity, because If the two characters decide to eat a charred human Infant (198), everyone on Earth would be killing each other and ending humanity; there would be no hope or love left, there would be nothing or no one left to live for. The man and boy both believe â€Å"nothing ad is going to happen† (83), to them because they are carrying the fire.Ultimately at the end of the novel the man ends up dying, but hope continues to live on In the boy, who meets a new family that Is â€Å"carrying the fire† as well (284). This shows that even In hard times you can still have hope that things will get better. When his son was born the man s ays that the boy was â€Å"beyond the window Just gathering cold, the fires on the horizon† (59). The man found hope when his son was born, and found another reason to live. The mother states â€Å"the boy was all that stood between him and death†(29).The child was an embodiment of hope and salvation; he was a light In the darkness. The man thought of his son as God; he asked Ely noon thought he was an angel? What If I said he was God? â€Å"(172). The man saw his son as a symbol of hope Is a place where hope was no longer relevant. Overall, hope In a ruined society can begin the dullness, but The Road by Coral McCarthy shows that hope can still remain. Hope when a salvation Lies In ruins can easily be forgotten between the fight with death and the desperation to live, but It remains as the only thing that can begin to rebuild humanity again.Life Has a Hopeful Undertone By liable given up hope and need to preserve the faith and sake of humanity, because if the two cha racters decide to eat a charred human infant (198), everyone on Earth would the end of the novel the man ends up dying, but hope continues to live on in the boy, who meets a new family that is â€Å"carrying the fire† as well (284). This shows that even in hard times you can still have hope that things will get better. When his son was death†(29). The child was an embodiment of hope and salvation; he was a light in the darkness.The man thought of his son as God; he asked Ely muff thought he was an angel? What if I said he was The man saw his son as a symbol of hope is a place where hope was no longer relevant. Overall, hope in a ruined society can begin the diminish, but The Road by Coral McCarthy shows that hope can still remain. Hope when a civilization lies in ruins can easily be forgotten between the fight with death and the desperation to live, but it remains as the only thing that can begin to

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

communist china essays

communist china essays Communism in an Economically Developing China The future of communism in China is unknown, as the world economy becomes more international. Communism has been in China since 1949 and is still present in the countrys activities. Presently China is undergoing incredible economic growth and promises to be a dominant power early in the next century. Chinas social tradition has come under heavy pressure from forces of modernization generated in a large part by the sustained contact with the West that began in the middle of the nineteenth century. The Western incursion, not only refined China militarily but brought in its course new ideas- nationalism, science and technology, and innovations in politics, philosophy, and art. Chinese leaders have sought to preserve the nations cultural uniqueness by promoting specifically Chinese blends of tradition and modernity. China has undergone several major political transformations from a feudal-like system in early historical times, to a centralize d bureaucratic empire that lasted through many unpredictable changes till 1911, to a republic with a communist form of government in the mainland since 1949. Economic geography and population pressure help account for the traditionally controlling role of the state in China. The constant indispensability for state interference, whether for great public works programs or simply to keep such a large society together, brought up an authoritarian political system. The family prevailed as the fundamental social, economic, and religious unit. Interdependence was very prominent in family relations while generation, age, sex and immediacy of kinship strictly governed relations within the family. Family rather than nation usually created the greatest allegiances with the result that nationalism as known to the West came late to the Chinese. In principle, the elite in the authoritarian political system achieved their positions through merit rather t...