Crime, Violence and Masculinity - 1541 Words

Can the nation-state and culture combine forces to reduce interpersonal violence in the West? Violence is a difficult term to define, but for the purposes of this assignment violence can be defined as a crime or the threat to commit a crime by one person upon another person, and that usually that has negative physical or emotional effects upon the victim. Violence in Western society has been increasing steadily and has become a major concern for many nations. Increasingly, much of the violence is committed by male children and teenagers. Crimes by young people are no longer just misdemeanors, but they now include the major felonies of rape, robbery and homicide. The rise in violent crime in the last few decades has been accompanied†¦show more content†¦By the age of 18, the average American television viewer has witnessed over 32,000 murders and 40,000 attempted murders on television alone (American Psychological Association). These statistics do not include such violence seen in movies or heard in music. To witness such an amount of violence is clearly unreal istic and exploitative. Violence is being used by television programs as a superficial way of grabbing and holding an audiences attention. Producers of television programs that show violence must take the responsibility of showing a realistic amount of violence on their shows. That is, they must not use gratuitous violence to appeal to male viewers, or else the violent crime rate in the United States will rise. The federal government in the US has taken the initiative to curb not only the amount of violence that can be shown by one program, but also the level of violence that can be shown and to what audiences. By limiting the amount of violence shown on television before 10pm, the Federal Communications Commission, or FCC, is trying to make sure that children are not exposed to the levels of gratuitous violence intended for more mature audiences. As early as the 1960s, studies reported that watching television can make children more aggressive. In fact, the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the National Institute of Mental Health have all linkedShow MoreRelated Crime, Violence and Masculinity Essay1519 Words   |  7 Pagesreduce interpersonal violence in the West? nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Violence is a difficult term to define, but for the purposes of this assignment violence can be defined as a crime or the threat to commit a crime by one person upon another person, and that usually that has negative physical or emotional effects upon the victim. Violence in Western society has been increasing steadily and has become a major concern for many nations. Increasingly, much of the violence is committed by male childrenRead MoreIntroduction In this paper, I argue that while sexual violence is arguably the monopoly of men, it1000 Words   |  4 Pagesargue that while sexual violence is arguably the monopoly of men, it is culturally cultivated rather than biologically determined. Consistent with the concept of Hegemonic Masculinity which theorises male domination of other males and subordination of females (Connell, 2005), I assert that rape is particularly rampant in societies where sexual violence is an effective means of attaining this status quo. Thus when rape is institutionalised in the context of war where masculinity is measured by the abilityRead MoreMasculinity in the Russian Mafia1677 Words   |  7 Pagesthe view of hegemonic masculinity as a a static, unified concept. By analyzing the behaviors of members of the Russian mafia, vory y zakone (thieves in law), particularly of Kirill and Nikolai, this paper will illustrate how masculinities are constructed, performed and reaffirmed in the context of the Russi an mafia vory y zakone. The paper will begin by describing the main tends of masculinities theory, proposing that vory y zakone are creating oppositional masculinity. Keeping this context inRead MoreNegative Effects Of Masculinity1478 Words   |  6 PagesBefore diving into the harmful effects of masculinity, we first must dissect and define masculinity. While many associate masculinity with being strong and rigid, that preconception of what men should like is harmful and reprehensible. However some may still ask: what is wrong with being a man? The answer lies within the definition of masculinity. American culture classifies masculinity as tough, egotistic, powerful, and collected. We use the phrase, â€Å"man up† to exercise power over others while remainingRead MoreEssay On Masculinity972 Words   |  4 PagesJackson Kats and Sut Jhally is about finding the cause of violence and relating it to students who dispense harm to society, as well as other students. There is a focus on masculinity, along with behavior and how that behavior is being influenced by the environment. The article focuses on factors such as peer exclusion, the prevalence of violence in the media and most importantly, violence in relation to gender. . In relation to gender, masculinity plays a crucial role in shaping ego and self-esteem.Read More`` Boys Don t Cry ``1621 Words   |  7 Pagesstrengthening of the destructive attributes related to hegemonic masculinity. In other words, structural ideals of gender among males solidify the position of male social dominance over women. These adverse features may directly be related to a rise in gendered violence and other aggressive acts committed by men. The Kimberly Pierce film â€Å"Boys Don’t Cry† identifies the undesirable influences that the societal dominance of masculinity has on the structure of sexual identities. The film is an adaptationRead MoreThe Hunting Ground : An Exploration Of The Issues, Discourses, And Institutional Responses Essay954 Words   |  4 Pagesdedicates itself to exploring the overrepresentation of university athletes in perpetuating crimes of rape, sexual violence, and sexual assault against female students. Furthermore, the film seeks to delineate the ways via which university athletes are accorded an equal disproportionate level of leigh way when it comes to institutional responses, and public discourse surrounding crimes of rape and sexual violence. These discourses and institutional non-responses will serve as the starting point for thisRead MoreToxic Masculinity as a Barrier to Mental Health Treatment in Prisons1320 Words   |  6 PagesResearch Article: Toxic Masculinity as a Barrier to Mental Health Treatment in Prisons This study emphasizes the fact that lives of prisoners are an understudied phenomenon in society. Researchers found that access into prisons for conducting personal interviews were difficult due to the increase of prison population over the past three decades. Researchers also realized that prisoners who were incarcerated or released preferred not to discuss their experiences behind bars for their personal safetyRead MoreMass Shooting At A Gay Night Club Essay1522 Words   |  7 Pagesbringing the total deaths of the event up to 50 (para. 4 7). The president of the United States of America, Barack Obama, described the event as both of act of terror and an act of hate (para. 10). According to his ex-wife, Mateen had a history of violence in relationships (para. 16). His mental stability was questioned and his religiouss affiliations were unclear, but on a call with 9-1-1 on the day of the shooting, Mateen declared allegiance to the leader of ISIS (para. 3, 13, 16). The shootingRead MoreMass Shootings And Its Effects On Society1523 Words   |  7 Pagesendured the horrific violence. Mass shootings are nothing new, however, they seem to be occurring more often and are becoming more and more violent. The three leading factors to mass shootings are problematic masculinity, mental illness, and gun control. Mass shootings in the U.S have many different causes as to why they occur. USA Today mentions that breakups, estrangements and family related problems make up the majority of mass killings. Although, many seem to blame gun violence and mental illnesses

Of Mice and Men - 961 Words

Dreams vs. Reality The world is a deadly, unforgiving and often ironic place where people become all consumed by their surroundings. There are many occasions around the world in which people only care about themselves; for example on Black Friday people get pushed, hurt or even trampled because someone is trying to get the best deals before they are all gone. People have a tendency to lose sight of their goals and dreams. Mentally, people struggle to maintain their sanity in this game of life that has no set of rules. In the book Of Mice and Men, this story portrays the inequality between people’s dreams and what can actually be accomplished. John Steinbeck, the author Of Mice and Men, utilizes his general themes of friendship and†¦show more content†¦He is bullying Lennie because he jealous of the companionship between George and Lennie. He tries to hurt Lennie with lies of George deserting him, trying to make him see what it feels like to be so alone. Crooks envies their friendship ; it shows when he says: â€Å"George can tell you screwy things, and it don’t matter. It’s just the talking. It’s just bein with another guy† (Steinbeck 67). Crooks is lonely, and he is trying to make himself feel better by putting Lennie in the same position as he is. Crooks’ American dream was not achieved nor moved back, he didn’t really have one. He just was living at the ranch and he would always get picked on because of his skin color and his disability. He wanted racial equality, but that was so unlikely to happen, Crooks refused to even hope for it. Because he had nothing to hope for, he is a grouchy, negative man with nothing to live for. In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck uses the themes of friendship and loneliness between characters to illustrate the â€Å"American Dream.† The characters: George and Lennie, Candy and the Old Dog, and Crooks are used to demonstrate how relationships work, and also the harsh differences between dreams and reality. In the end George decided to end Lennie’s life so that the other workers would not torture him and then kill him later. Finally, reality was stronger than all of theirShow MoreRelatedOf Mice and Men1242 Words   |  5 PagesOf Mice and Men Thomas Hobbes in his Leviathan states that, in the state of nature mans life is nasty, brutish and short. In depression era America, no greater truth could be said. There were millions unemployed, largely unskilled and living on the margins of society. The lowest of the low were the migrant labourers travelling from place to place trying to scratch a living. They often had to travel illegally by freight car with all its consequent dangers. Their life expectancy was low, crimeRead MoreOf Mice and Men1352 Words   |  6 PagesOf Mice and Men Essay - Fate or Choice? Choice is defined by the ‘Shorter Oxford Dictionary’ as; â€Å"The act of choosing; preferential determination between things proposed.† It also states the definition for fate; â€Å"The principle, power, or agency by which events are unalterably predetermined from eternity.† Is our life choice, can we determine our fate by choosing our path or is our destiny determined for us? John Steinbeck puts forward this question in his novella Of Mice and MenRead MoreMice and men1998 Words   |  8 PagesHey this essay is about me not having one and just wanting a free account.GCSE JOHN STEINBECK The first 200 words of this essay... à ¯Ã‚ »Ã‚ ¿Of Mice and Men Essay à ¢Of Mice and Menà ¢ is the fictional short novel written by John Steinbeck in 1937. Steinbeckà ¢s perspective when writing the novel could be based on the fact that he had once worked on a ranch and had a certain fascination about it. The novel is set in 1930s America and this can be seen as the cause of the very enduring culmination that takesRead MoreOf Mice and Men1006 Words   |  5 Pagesheart of every novel.† In your view, what are the distinctive ideas explored in Of Mice and Men? Explain how these ideas are developed throughout the novel. Themes are integral and fundamental aspects which render the literature valuable. They usually provide insight into the author’s perception and internalisations of the world in which they live. Set in California during the Great Depression, Of Mice and Men, by Steinbeck, illustrates the hardships experienced by individuals as they roamed theRead MoreOF MICE AND MEN1721 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿In the book Of Mice and Men, the single women that appeared in the book resented herself as an object. The statement Women today are more often treated by men as equals rather than objects can be true or false. A man that goes to Gentleman s Cubs every night is a different man that studies at Harvard Law School. A striper is going to be a different person than a CEO of a successful business. It’s all about how you present yourself. In Of Mice and Men, Curley s wife presents herself in a seductiveRead MoreOf Mice and Men1035 Words   |  5 PagesFriendship of George and Lenny The book Of Mice and Men focuses on the friendship of two migrant workers in California at a time when most of the work was done by people and not by machines.  Ã‚  George was a small man who acted worldly and wise.  Ã‚  Lennie was a huge man that had the mind of a child.  Ã‚  Together George and Lennie would bounce from job to job with no money in their pockets and only the dream of someday owning a place of their own to keep them going.  Ã‚  The two men were not able to stay in one placeRead MoreOf Mice and Men547 Words   |  2 PagesJohn Steinbeck’s landmark novel Of Mice and Men is perhaps best known for its revolutionary telling of two characters that are very different, but have come to rely on each other to survive during the Great Depression. The two characters are men named George and Lenny. George is somewhat of an average fellow who has no real special skills or attributes. Lenny is large and abnormally strong, but unfortunately has the mind of a child. Le nnie looks up to George as if he were a role model. This statementRead MoreMice and Men822 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Of Mice and Men† The Great Depression took place in the United States in the 1930s. Northern California, Salinas Valley was affected by the Great Depression. Many farmers lost their properties and were forced to find other work. Banks were forced to foreclose on mortgages’ and had to collect debts. Hundreds of thousands of farmers packed up their families and few belongings, and headed for California. The Great Depression left many people in poverty and caused them to face unpleasant eventsRead MoreOf Mice and Men1171 Words   |  5 PagesOf Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Q- â€Å"I never seen no piece of jail bait worse than her† what is the reader supposed to think about Curley’s wife? * How is she described by the other characters? * How the author describes her * How she speaks/behaves * Her dreams * Is she the cause of all the trouble Written By Ruqayyah Draey Curley’s wife is not well described and respected by the other characters. She is often looked down upon and discriminatedRead MoreOf Mice and Men2269 Words   |  10 PagesOf Mice and Men John Steinbeck World Literature Mrs. Finke December 7, 2012 Of Mice and Men: A Classic for the Ages Thesis: Despite some impurity Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck should be considered as a classic due to its honesty, truth, loveliness, justice and of good report. I. Introduction II. Impurity A. Swearing B. Violence C. Economic poverty D. Psychological corruption III. Honesty A. Steinbeck’s

Case Study Solution about Astro Incorporated Financial Investments

Questions: Case I Astro Incorporated Financial Investments Astro Incorporated ("the Company" or "Astro"), incorporated in Delaware, is principally engaged in the manufacture and sale of clothing. The Company has three lines of business: (1) outerwear, (2) t-shirts, and (3) tank tops. Astro was extremely successful in its early years when it partnered with colleges and universities to create outerwear, t-shirts, and tank tops for athletes, students, and alumni. This partnership also enabled Astro to hire a group of college graduates with a proven track record and a passion for investing in the stock market. Together, Astro and these graduates created a new investment department in 2014. Astro management set aside a portion of the previous years' profits for the investment department to invest in equity and debt securities for the Company. Astro has six investments remaining in the department's portfolio as of December 31, 2014. Astro classified all equity and debt securities as either available for sale or held to maturity under the Company's investment policy. The accounting department is preparing financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, and the auditors have asked Astro whether any of its investments are other-than-temporarily impaired. The CFO of Astro needs to present the investment department's financial results at the next operating committee meeting so the committee can decide whether to continue the investment program and if so, determine the amount of funds that should be allocated. In looking at the accounting records provided by the accounting department, the CFO is beginning to question the investment department's expertise because all investments have declined in value relative to each investment's original purchase price. The accounting manager compiled the following information about each of the investments in order to determine whether the investment is other-than-temporarily impaired as of December 31, 2014. 1. Astro purchased 11 shares of Happy New Year Co. stock on January 3, 2014, at $20 a share to celebrate the new year and classified its investment as available for sale. In March, the share price dropped to $15, and from April through November the price remained steady between $14.75 and $15.25 per share. On December 31, 2014, the price was $15. Astro management does not believe the decline in price to be permanent and has asserted that it does not intend to sell this investment in2. On November 11, 2014, Astro purchased notes of Beary Beary. As of December 31, 2014, the amortized cost of the debt security is $95 and the fair value is $88. Although Astro's investment committee established a policy requiring the sale of this security when the fair value declines below $90, Astro still held the investment on December 31, 2014.3. On September 20, 2014, Astro purchased bonds issued by Buy-A-Lot Company with an amortized cost of $100 and a fair value of $88 as of December 31, 2014. In D ecember, SP upgraded the credit rating of Buy-A-Lot Company from BBB to BBB+. Management has asserted it does not intend to sell this investment in the future.4. On March 25, 2014, Astro bought 50 shares of March Madness Incorporated stock at $100 a share, classifying its investment as available for sale. In August, the price of the stock decreased to $70, and from September through November, the stock price fluctuated between $65 and $75. As of December 31, 2014, the price of the stock was $72. On January 31, 2015, the date the Company's financial statements are issued, the price of the stock went up to $75.5. Astro purchased bonds issued by Tohoku Toys on February 9, 2014. The bonds have an amortized cost of $25 and a fair value of $5 as of December 31, 2014. Tohoku Toys is going through a restructuring because it was significantly affected by a severe earthquake in April 2014. Astro does not believe that the restructuring will ultimately be successful. 6. Astro holds a debt secur ity issued by Chatterbox with an amortized cost of $100 and a fair value of $90 as of December 31, 2014. The present value of the cash flows Astro expects to receive, taking into consideration the credit quality of Chatterbox, discounted at the security's original effective interest rate is $92 as of December 31, 2014. Astro intends to sell this security. Required: A For the following investments, determine if Astro should record an other-than- temporary impairment as of December 31, 2014, and if so, for what amount:a. Happy New Year Co.b. Beary Beary.c. Buy-A-Lot Company.B. Assuming Astro has determined its investment in March Madness Incorporated stock is other-than-temporarily impaired, how much should be recorded as an impairment charge as of December 31, 2014? (show calculation)C. Assume the same facts as in 2 above, but that Astro has not yet determined whether an impairment exists or the amount of any possible impairment. For March Madness Incorporated, would Astro still conclude that the investment is other-than-temporarily impaired, and would the impairment charge as of December 31, 2014, be different if the stock price at issuance of the financial statements (i.e., as of January 31, 2015) was $95 and not $75?D. For Tohoku Toys, determine if Astro should record an other-thantemporary impairment as of December 31, 2014.E. For Chatterbo x, what amount should be recorded as the other-than-temporary impairment as of December 31, 2014? Does the answer change if Astro does not intend to sell the security and it is not more likely than not that it will be required to sell the security? Answers: A. Happy New Year Co. stock: as per the Accounting Standards Codification 320, when the decision of whether the equity security is temporarily impaired or not, the following has to be taken into account: Whether its fair value is below cost Whether this fall in the fair value has been in existence of a longer period of time The financial position of the issuer has deteriorate dover time and it has been experiencing problems The issuer is facing the issue of going concern and the same has been stated in the auditors report. The fall in the value is due to some of the specific reason The dividends have bene reduced or eliminated The changes in the tax laws, regulations or the other governmental policies have impacted the issuer Keeping in mind the above stated points, the shares of the company have a fair value that is lower than what they were purchased for and the fall has been in place for quite some time now. Also, there is no specific reason for the fall, therefore, the investment will be treated as to be other than temporarily impaired. Beary Bear debt security: as per the ASC 320, any debt security whose fair value is lesser than its amortized cost is said to have been impaired. For the entity to impair its investment, it has to consider whether it has the intention to sell the asset. For determine that, it has to consider all the available evidence such as the following: The entity or its agent has approved the sale of the security The entity directed it to sell the security The security is the part of the securities of the entity and has identified the same for sale The security is sold shortly after the date of the balance sheet. In case the intention of the entity to sell does not exist, then the factors like the requiring the entity to sell the security and the probability of the factors that occur during the anticipated recovery period will be taken into account. If the entity does not sell the security, then it is more likely that it will be required to sell an impaired debt security, then other than temporary impairment exists and the amortized to be impaired will be Fair value minus the amortized value of the debt security. Therefore the notes of Beary should have been sold but were not, therefore the fall in the value will be treated as the other than temporary impairment. (IAS 320, 2015) Buy a lot company: (FASB 325) Debt Security is defined as the security that represents the creditor relationship with the entity. And will include all the following: Preferred stock is expected to be redeemed by the issuer or at the option of the investor S. Treasury securities S. government agency securities Municipal securities Corporate bonds Convertible debt Commercial paper All securitized debt instruments, such as collateralized mortgage obligations and real estate mortgage investment conduits Interest-only and principal-only strips. (Law resource, 2015) As per the ASC 320, any debt security whose fair value is lesser than its amortized cost is said to have been impaired. For the entity to impair its investment, it has to consider whether it has the intention to sell the asset. For determine that, it has to consider all the available evidence such as the following: The entity or its agent has approved the sale of the security The entity directed it to sell the security The security is the part of the securities of the entity and has identified the same for sale The security is sold soon after the date of the balance sheet In case the intention of the entity to sell does not exist, then the factors like the requiring the entity to sell the security and the probability of the factors that occur during the anticipated recovery period will be taken into account. If the entity does not sell the security, then it is more likely that it will be required to sell an impaired debt security, then other than temporary impairment exists equal to the difference between the fair value and the amortized cost of the debt security. Therefore the bonds of Buy a lothave been asserted to as not being held for investment, therefore the fall in the value will be treated as the other than temporary impairment. B. The following is the calculation of the impairment charge: $(100-72)50 = $1,400 This is in light of the FASB 325, In case the intention of the entity to sell does not exist, then the factors like the requiring the entity to sell the security and the probability of the factors that occur during the anticipated recovery period will be taken into account. If the entity does not sell the security, then it is more likely that it will be required to sell an impaired debt security, then other than temporary impairment exists equal to the difference between the fair value and the amortized cost of the debt security. C. The revaluation is done as on the date of the balance sheet which is December 31 and even if the price of the stock has risen after it but fallen as on the next balance sheet date, there is an impairment loss. Hence, the calculation will be as under: $(100-72)50 = $1,400 D. As per the Accounting Standards Codification 320, when the decision of whether the equity security is temporarily impaired or not, the following has to be taken into account: Whether its fair value is below cost Whether this fall in the fair value has been in existence of a longer period of time The financial position of the issuer has deteriorate dover time and it has been experiencing problems The issuer is facing the issue of going concern and the same has been stated in the auditors report. The fall in the value is due to some of the specific reason The dividends have bene reduced or eliminated The changes in the tax laws, regulations or the other governmental policies have impacted the issuer Keeping in mind the above stated points, the price of bonds of Tohoku Toys fell due to the natural disaster that took place. Therefore, the investment will be treated as being temporarily impaired. E. The amount to be recorded must be $(100-90). In case, the business decides to sell the securityor it is more likely than not that it will be forced to do so before, then there will be a recovery of the amortized cost of the security and the loss of the earnings must be recognised. But in case, the business does not intend to sell the security and it is more likely than not that it will not have to do so, then a separate impairment will have to be made for the credit loss. Once the impairment is done, the amount becomes the new amortized cost ($90) and then no upward recording in the price can be done. Hence, the security can in no case be recorded as impairment at $92. The amount of $(92-90) can only be treated as the interest income. (Accounting tools, 2015) References: Accountingtools.com, (2015). The other-than-temporary impairmentconcept - Questions Answers - Accounting Tools. [Online] Available at: https://www.accountingtools.com/questions-and-answers/the-other-than-temporary-impairment-concept.html [Accessed 2 Mar. 2015]. Law.resource.org, (2015). 325 Investments Other. [Online] Available at: https://law.resource.org/pub/us/code/bean/fasb.html/fasb.325.2011.html [Accessed 2 Mar. 2015]. www.iasplus.com, (2015). IAS 320. [Online] Available at: https://www.iasplus.com/en/publications/us/financial-reporting-alerts/2013/fra-13- [Accessed 2 Mar. 2015].

The Limits Of Globalization Essays - Cultural Geography,

The Limits Of Globalization THE LIMITS OF GLOBALIZATION Nowadays one of the most commonly used terms is globalization. But what does globalization mean? Does it mean dissappearing borders, a common trade unit, no tax in trade abroad, political awareness across the world, or, in extremes, even interfering with other countries' domestic affairs? In some ways globalization may be useful in creating a common sense of world citizenship, but useful to what extent? What are the possibilities, advantages and risks of such world citizenship? Are the United Nations and the European Union, stepping stones to globalization? Disappearing borders, in the economic meaning of the term can most clearly be seen today in Europe. The European Union restricts taxes on trade between members. Taking a step further the EU have decided on a common currency, the Euro , which became available at the beginning of 1999. This currency may economically be more functional but what aboutnational pride? All trade units display a country's well known heros or great personalities of them that the citizens respect for. How are the citizens going to respond to this kind of change time will show but nobody can say European countries are not nationalistic. There is a strong evidence on the contrary. One example is world war II, which started in the middle of Europe- -considered then the most civilized part of the world- because of Germany's belief in its national superiority. This unfortunate development took place just half a century ago.These European nation-states may seem to be getting along well for the time being because of fairly smilar economic levels but what will happen if one country's economic level drops or gets much better than the rest? Would the better ones pull up the worst to keep up with them or would those countries-having the best economy- want to carry the rest on their shoulders? Besides its economic ups and downs globalization has a tremendous effect on cultural values. World has a cultural diversity in itself. Every nation every country has its own traditions values practices of cultural activities. These create a diversity which every part of the world can be pointed out by their own characteristics. By the beginning 20th century with the effects of industrialization and common usage of communication devices and transpotation becoming faster and more comfortable economy started to play the most important role in a state's political policies. Trade became one of the main incomes of the countries and trade required close interaction between countries and decisions were started to be taken to ease traders by governments. This attitude of governments have led economic affairs to shape up cultural practices of states. As the cultures were revised by economy, stronger economies emposed their cultural practices to the weak ones. This if not stopped will continue until cultural erosion destroys cultural diversity over the world. The export of Western commodities, values, priorities, ways of life. In a process of unequal cultural encounter, 'foreign' populations have been compelled to be the subjects and subalterns of Western empire, while, no less significantly, the West has come to face with the 'alien' and exotic culture of its 'Other'. Globalization, as it dissolves the barriers of distance, makes the encounter of colonial center and colonized periphery immediate and intense (1995:108). The current century has seen a magnitude of rise and fall of political power and economical, political, social and structural changes, which without doubt have influenced any society's culture that was touched. From the imperial ages early this century, Europe in particular has seen the decline of the colonial power, the democratization and communization, the rise and fall of totalitarian, nationalistic and socialist regimes, and their decline. Europe has also experienced the fall from economic and political superpower, in a century that was for a long time been best characterized as the USSR-USA century. Equally Asia has been struck by fundamental changes: from the imperial China to the communist China, the rise of the Tiger Economies, the Vietnam war, the Korean war, the independence of India, the Iran Iraq war, the Gulf war,... to name just a few. Since economy plays the most important role or is the main criteria in a country's prestige and power; economically strong states started

Nutrition Month Essays

Nutrition Month Essays Nutrition Month Paper Nutrition Month Paper Did you know that we celebrate Food Conservation Month in January; Heart Month and National Arts Month in February; Fire Prevention Month, National Women’s Month, and Tax Consciousness Month in March; Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa and National Lung Month in August; National Science Club Month in September; National Children’s Month and Consumer Welfare Month in October; and Filipino Values Month in November? Did I forget a month? Oh, yes! So, what are we celebrating this month? Oh my gulay, it’s Nutrition Month! By virtue of Presidential Decree 491 (aka Nutrition Act of the Philippines), the National Nutrition Council is spearheading this nationwide celebration, now in its 38th year, that carries this very meaty theme: Pagkain ng gulay ugaliin, araw-araw itong ihain. The 38th Nutrition Month celebration underscores the importance of vegetables to increase vegetable consumption as part of a healthy diet to address micronutrient deficiencies and non-communicable diseases, promote vegetable gardening as a source of additional food and income, and increase demand for vegetables to help local vegetable farmers. Nutrition Month focuses on vegetables for several reasons: Filipinos are eating less and less vegetables. From 145 grams per day in 1978, consumption has decreased to 110 grams per day in 2008. In terms of age groups, children six months to five years old consumed only a little amount of vegetables. Studies show that among the reasons for low vegetable consumption are: influence of family members who do not eat vegetables, dislike for vegetables because of taste and texture, cultural beliefs about vegetables, cost, preparation time, and fear of chemicals. In eating such vegetables, we can get nutrients such as vitamins A, B, C, E as well as potassium, folic acid, iron, and calcium. In eating vegetables, we can get health benefits unlike other foods; and the following are the benefits that we can get. Vegetables as part of a healthy diet can help prevent major non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, stomach cancer, colorectal cancer, obesity, and diabetes. Consumption of vegetables can help prevent micronutrient deficiencies. Vegetables ensure an adequate intake of most micronutrients, dietary fibers, and a host of essential non-nutrient substances. Eating vegetables may help decrease bone loss as vegetables decrease the amount of calcium excreted in the urine. It may help lower calorie intake and thus help in maintaining healthy weight because vegetables are low in calories and do not contain cholesterol. Vegetables contain antioxidants and protectants such as carotenoids, lycopene, and phytochemicals, which can help strengthen the immune system, reduce the risk of diseases, and contribute to well-being. Our school, Our Lady of Caysasay Academy, first celebrated Nutrition Month which had certain contests for us students that we really enjoyed. Contests like The Making of the Nutri-Board, by section, which will be divided into 2 groups and will compete for the representative of the class and the other contest was Veggie Fest, which is also by section, wherein, 3 representatives will be picked to cook a certain dish that will test our creativity. For Grade 7, the dish given to them is Vegetable Salad; sophomore, Malunggay Dish; Junior, Chop Suey; and for the seniors, their own and original dish. Well, I’ll just mention the places that we’ve got. For the Nutri-Board, even though the other group won, I’m still grateful that they got the first place. And for the Veggie Fest, we earned the second place. It is our first time to celebrate it, I can say that it’s a success and we had a lot of fun. There are certain students who won and who didn’t, but whatever happens, we accepted reality. We still have the next year to further make a lot of practice and such to really win. I’m hoping that our school will still celebrate it next year, for it is such a wonderful experience. .

How to Write a Reflective Essay on Community Service

How to Write a Reflective Essay on Community Service Essay on Community Service How to start How to write a thesis for a reflective essay on community service How to write your introductionn How to construct body paragraphs How to finish your essay Revising your essay Outline sample A reflective essay on community service (Sample) Writing a reflective essay on community service is one of the most fulfilling things you can do in your entire life. It comes with responsibility, goal, and dedication. In writing a reflective paper, first, you have a goal to persuade all of your readers to start doing community service in their own respective community. This might be the most difficult part in composing your essay; thus, you have to be careful and sensitive in placing every detail of your writing. Remember, people can be easily discouraged once they have heard something negative about what you wanted them to do; they can just â€Å"no†, and you can no longer do anything about it. Second, a responsibility which means you can take a stand to whatever things you have talked about in the course of your essay. Keep in mind that you need to write only about things you are familiar with. Do not get us wrong in here, we are not asking you to back-off from taking risks in placing new ideas on your essay you can add things you want but, please, make sure that research was done properly and accordingly. Lastly, as a writer, you should be able to have the dedication. Take notes, put your heart in every sentence, especially when you want to write a perfect essay about community service. So, here are some effective steps for you to use as your guide in writing a reflective essay on community service. How to start As an observation, knowing where to start and how to start a reflective paper is the most difficult part. It is not as easy as you think. In writing a reflective paper on community service, you should be able to know your motivation. Know the roots and how does the concept start. We suggest you do research first. Try to read published essays, other blogs, or previous studies that are similar to what you wanted to write about. We have some tips you can consider in starting your reflective essay. Compose yourself. You will need to be in the right state of mind. Make sure to do some researches and background study to what you are going to write. Lastly, properly think who are the receivers or the readers of your essay. Knowing who are going to be your target readers means knowing where to go. How to write a thesis for a reflective essay on community service It is known as the summary of your main idea. Usually, in some essays, a thesis statement consists of one to two sentences. Also, keep in mind the goal of a thesis statement, which is to give bird’s eye-view as to what your readers should expect on your essay. How to write your introduction Your introduction serves as the welcome paragraph of your essay. It should be as catchy as possible. In your introduction, make sure to state the purpose of your essay, define the concept, and make sure to add some words to trigger your readers curiosity. So, here are some tips for writing an effective introduction. Keep it short. Readers sometimes lose their patience. Make it personal. As early as in your introduction, you should have already created a bond between you as the writer and your reader. Avoid clichà ©s or common lines to start your introduction. State your inspiration in writing your reflective essay. How to construct body paragraphs The body is the part of your reflective essay where you can start, elaborate and end your discussions. In this part, your personal experiences in doing community service should be placed. You could add your observations regarding the basic problems your community has as well as the possible help you can give. Usually, writers include their main idea, arguments, experiences and observations in the body. In addition, always keep in mind that every paragraph should be somehow related or connected to other paragraphs. To write your body paragraphs correctly, below are a few tips you should consider. First, write the main points you wanted to discuss in a bullet form. If needed, place specific supporting points under its respective main point. Elaborate, make sure to explain each idea you have placed. Turn the body to a sentence form; make sure to use appropriate words. Write as if you are retelling a story. Each paragraph should have connections to its succeeding paragraph. Read it aloud. If it sounds good, then it will surely be pleasant in the eyes of readers. How to finish your essay Finishing an essay is a lot easier than starting it. No studies are needed to be done, it is just internalizing. Consider if there is enough learning on your essay. Always keep in mind that a regular essay is different from a reflective essay. A reflective essay talks about the experiences you have, meaning that it is more personal than a regular essay. A conclusion is a summary of whatever you have written in your body, making your conclusion as short as possible is one the secrets for you to be able to have an excellent reflective essay. However, do not sacrifice the substance of your conclusion. Lastly, since what you have written is a reflective essay, make sure of having some lessons on the last part or your essay. Make it relatable, add a personal touch to it. Revising your essay In revising your reflective essay, ask someone to read your essay. Ask for possible revisions or recommendations. In addition, revise an hour or two after you are done writing your reflective essay. Lastly, Read it aloud, you as the writer should be able to feel the feeling of fulfillment. Outline sample I. Introduction Purpose of Community Service Definition of Community Service Thesis Statement II. Body Experiences you have with community service Observations Solution to the problems you have observed III. Conclusion Summarising Review of the main arguments Realization A reflective essay on community service (Sample) For our community to be able to survive and take the changes we have in the world today, everyone is expected to extend their help. Giving help comes in different forms; you can lend your helping hand through donations, like giving financial aid to sustain and to support what your community needs. Another way for you to be able to help your community is by simply following your community rules and regulations. For instance, following the basic traffic rules might be a very basic thing to consider; however, doing this every time gives a lasting effect on your community. Lastly, through community service, there are two connotations when someone hears the word community service, some people might think, this is a punishment to someone who is able to abide himself with the law, on the other hand, community service is an effect of volunteerism, which means, someone just want to do something different for his or her community. Community service has been the bridge in having a united and a strong community. This has been proven, and this has been observed by almost everyone. There are three benefits community service has; psychological benefit, social benefit, and cognitive benefit. A psychological benefit: with this benefit, psychologists believe that participating in a community service boosts the satisfaction and the feeling of fulfillment of an individual. Moreover, it also gives some social benefits, the moment an individual engaged himself in community service creates a better bond and better relation with another person. Lastly, for the cognitive benefits, the process of a person gain more experiences makes him a better individual. I can remember when I have participated in a community service; I have seen how camaraderie and unity bring us to where we are now. In this time, I observed how an individual works with another individual. I was able to see sincerity and determination, which I think is a good step in reaching our goal of having a peaceful world or community. I think if we continue what we have started, then, it will be easier for us to attain our ambitions in life. In a nutshell, community service might be a very difficult thing to do but trust me, once you have started doing it, you will surely love it.

Performance measurement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Performance measurement - Essay Example In a broader perspective, the role of performance management system is to provide a fundamental bloc for enhancing total quality management (Besanko, Dranove, Shanley & Schaefer, 2010). Organizations that employ performance management systems are those that wish to establish the individual, departmental, and organizational performance in a bid to enhancing management to achieve organizational goals. Amongst the personal experiences with performance measurement is during the recent visit by auditors. The auditors aimed at ensuring that every employee in the organization had not only complied with the requirements of the firm but had also placed in extra efforts to ensure customer satisfaction in addition to growing shareholders’ value. The auditors found out that most employees in the organization would go an extra mile to call the clients in order to offer advisory services with respect to the organization. Being in the Accounting and Finance Department, the auditors wanted to know how the organization was complying with the Accounting Standards as provided for by the IAS and IFRS. Their advice to the department was the need to keep updating financial and accounting data in a bid to ensure that there was accountability and transparency in reporting the same concepts and

Personality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personality - Essay Example Summary of the journal article The article begins with a brief introduction about the process of cognitive development and the changes happened in human brain anatomy and psychology across childhood and adolescence. It illustrates about different areas development process like neuro-anatomical development of the human brain, functional organization of the developing human brain, development of human brain connectivity, performance differences versus maturational differences and cortical organization with learning. Existing neuro-imaging methods and studies give information about cognitive and neural changes underlying human development. But this information is not sufficient for explaining brain structure and function. MRI based anatomical studies highlights various structural changes with development over the period of childhood and adolescence. The study explains various stages of changing in numerical status. Sub serving primary functions like sensory and motor systems come first. Secondly, sequential and parietal connection cortices related with basic language skills and spatial attention maturing appears. Higher order association areas including prefrontal and lateral temporal cortices, language process and sensory motor processor comes in final (Casey et al. 2). The study clearly mentions that structural changes that happened in human brain affect the cognitive development and behavior formation. Association between structural maturation and memory function is identified through the using of neuropsychological measures. The study offers detailed discussion about the functional organization of the developing human brain. It reveals that the development of prefrontal cortex plays an important role in the maturation of higher cognitive abilities. Mature cognition is related with the ability to filter and ignore irrelevant information. The ability to filter unimportant information continues to develop first two decades of a child’s life. Children with a strong response inhibition did not collect the same prefrontal region as those active by adults and they received a subset of same posterior areas. Children with poor response inhibition did not activate that subset of same posterior areas. The significance of tracking cortical changes in human brains over time is most evident in the area of higher research. The study concludes with some notable concepts and viewpoints about the process of maturation and cognitive development. Brain regions associated with more basic and important functions like motor and sensory processes mature first, control of thought and actions followed next. This way of development is paralleled by a change from disperse to more focal recruitment of cortical regions with cognitive development and learning process. The article illustrates cognitive developments and neurological changes happened in human brain. Authors put forward relevant thesis for the paper which facilitates reliability and authenticity. T hey introduces the thesis statement that neurological changes which occurred in human brain affect the cognitive developments and both of them have significant role in development process. The entire paper is developed through analyzing the key words and phrases which mentioned in the thesis statement. The methodology mainly consists of literature review and the paper draws its conclusion from the vast number of literature. Previous studies about MRI-based anatomical researches, MRI- morphometric

Do Women Enjoy Equal Right in Nepal Essay Example for Free

Do Women Enjoy Equal Right in Nepal Essay Our country, Nepal is popularly known as a traditional nation. It gives more priority to its customs and traditions rather than other subjects of matter. This country has been ruled and operated by majority of men since the beginning of humanity. Men play the vital role in each sector of development. History of Nepal is the evidence that all the development works are carried out by majority of men and less women. Even though, there is equal importance of male and female in development of nation, females are kept aside in development as well as social matter. In each and every sector, men play a main role and women are in inferior position. The main cause of such vast differences is the lack of education and public awareness. Such differences start from the early period of males and females life. In point of view of Nepalese people, females are regarded as a curse and males as boon. They do not like bearing female baby as they have to get her married and provide dowry. So, they take it as burden. That’s why, when they bear a boy and a girl, they give higher priority and more love to boy and the girl is kept within the four walls of home. Thus, no matter how talented they are, they never get a chance to develop. The condition of women living in our country is really miserable. Women living in our society are still under the shadow of darkness. They are bounded by the traditional concept of conservative society. They are busy mostly in kitchen and household works. Though, women occupy more population in Nepal, they have less participation in the high level jobs and some other important matters related to their life. They can experience very few legal rights and even our society places them in an inferior position. This was often justified as being the result of biological differences between the sexes. Women were thought to be more emotional and less decisive than men. They are not given sufficient opportunities to improve themselves and are discouraged to go ahead. No matter whatever progress they make, they are still suppressed by this traditional society. Moreover, they are somehow  experiencing basic rights, but they are deprived of social rights in many ways. Furthermore, they are regarded as the symbol of creating, protecting and nursing. They bear and grow-up children. They have many more responsibilities like biological, social and national. But, still their condition in our nation is backward. They are so because of male domination, traditional, social structures, unequal laws, lack of awareness, poverty and lack of government protection for them. Women in our society have been confined only to household chores, rearing children, preparing food, collecting fodder for cattle and family sanitation. Especially, they do not have freedom for movement and for adopting job. They are deprived of higher studies and property rights. They are not encouraged for social exposure. Furthermore, they had been the victim of domestic violence from their husbands, brothers, mother-in-law and even relatives. Their appeal is not uprightly accepted even by the administrator. Sometimes, they are even beaten, kidnapped and killed. Hence, they are really living a sorrowful life. CBS (Central Bureau of Statistics) and the report of UNDP shows that women’s participation in developmental works of Nepal is of low grade. Their rate of involvement in different sectors like education, civil service, participation in teaching and legal practice is very low. Though many NGOs (National Government Organization), INGOs (International Government Organization) and governmental organizations are working for the rights of women, their condition has not been improved significantly. Therefore, in first place, the women themselves must raise voice for their rights. Government, stakeholders, NGOs and INGOs has to take certain measures to uplift the condition of women in every nook and cranny of Nepal. Awareness programs must be conducted in their favor. Rallies with slogans like â€Å"GENDER EQUALITY†, â€Å"EDUCATION FOR ALL†, and etcetera must be spread all over our country. Thus, women must be provided with rights equal to that of men. Reference; The present status of Nepali women Ashmita Bhattarai

Audrey Hofstadter Summary: The Founding Fathers: The Age of Realism E

Audrey Hofstadter Summary: The Founding Fathers: The Age of Realism Summary of Section: I The reasoning behind the Constitution of the United States is presented as 'based upon the philosophy of Hobbes and the religion of Calvin. It assumes the natural state of mankind in a state of war, and that the carnal mind is at enmity with God.' Throughout, the struggle between democracy and tyranny is discussed as the Founding Fathers who envisioned the Constitution in Philadelphia in 1787 believed not in total democracy, but instead saw common man as selfish and contemptuous, and therefore in need of a 'a good political constitution to control him.' Being a largely propertied body, with the exception of William Few, who was the only one who could honestly be said to represent the majority yeoman farmer class, the highly privileged classes were fearful of granting man his due rights, as the belief that 'man was an unregenerate rebel who has to be controlled' reverberated. However, the Fathers were indeed ?intellectual heirs? of the seventeenth-century England republicanism with its opposition to arbitrary rule and faith in popular sovereignty. Thus, the paradoxical fears of the advance in democracy, and of a return to the extreme right emerged. The awareness that both military dictatorship and a return to monarchy were being seriously discussed in some quarters propelled the Constitutional framers such as John Jay to bring to attention. II Consistent to eighteenth-century ethos left the Constitution-makers with great faith in universals. They believed in an inexorable view of a self-interested man. Feeling that all me were naturally inclined to be bad they sought a compromising system of checks and balances for government. This was bolstered by the scientific work by Newton, ?in which metaphors sprang as naturally to mens minds as did biological metaphors in the Darwinian atmosphere of the late nineteenth century.? Therefore Madison and others thought to squelch the possibly dangerous majority by setting up a large number and variety of local interests, so that the people will ?be unable to concert and carry into effect their scheme of oppression.? And thus, chief powers went to the propertied. III Constitutional format was a series of ironical statements, as it stands in ?direct antithesis to American democratic f... ...anced. Governeur Morris understood that, ?Wealth tends to corrupt the mind and to nourish its love of power, and to stimulate it to oppression. History proves this to be the spirit of the opulent.? Therefore as seen with the second quote, Hofstadter is emphasizing the compromise in leaving a form of representative government as well as having a strong federal government in that ?its several constituent parts may, by their mutual relations, be the means of keeping each other in their proper places.? Therefore they saw it as in their form of a small direct democracy the unstable passions of the people would dominate law making; but a representative government, as Madison stated, would ?refine and enlarge the public views by passing them through the medium of a chosen body of citizens.? John Adams finally pointed out in Defence of the Constitution of Government of the United States that the split in assembly would stop the rich from ?plundering the poor, and vice versa,? wit h an impartial executive armed with the veto power. Thus, what radiates from such actions was the achievement of neutralization. Bibliography: Hofstadter, Richard. The American Political Tradition.

A professor teaches students to comprehend the different fields

Teaching is a fulfilling profession; yet, at times, can be wearisome. The ramifications of the teaching profession impact the whole society. This profession allows individuals to interact with fellow members of the society and learn from each other.A professor teaches students to comprehend the different fields of knowledge; eventually, these students apply what they have learned when they work or interrelate with individuals within a society. What I like about teaching is that it enables one to impart his knowledge to others, and eventually leads to a progressive and developed society. The thing that is undesirable about this job is that it is a taxing profession.Teaching allows a teacher to share what he/she has learned from the academic life. Sharing knowledge to others makes this profession a fulfilling one in the sense that the students are equipped with the necessary knowledge to overcome life’s challenges and trials that will come their way.When the students apply what they have learned from their mentors in their chosen profession, it is the society who is usually benefited. Teaching touches upon the different fields of studies such as the sciences, mathematics and humanities; thus, students who excel in these fields usually contribute most to the progress and development of the whole community and society.However, the actual exercise of the profession is a strenuous work due to the fact that a teacher needs to make lesson plans, appraise the progress of the students, be conversant with the subject he has to teach, and be flexible enough to adjust with the different character traits of each student.Nevertheless, teaching is still an indispensable profession in order for a society to function. A society needs to have some persons to intellectually guide the members of the community to discover and harness each individual’s potential for the benefit of the whole community. Teachers fill up this societal requirement.

Hawaii Culture Essay

1. Queen Liliuokalani was the first and only reigning Hawaiian queen. Imperialism is the policy by which stronger nations extend their economic, political or military control over weaker nations. William Seward was the Secretary of State under presidents Lincoln and Andrew Johnson he purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867. Pearl Harbor was the Hawaiian port granted by 1887 treaty to the United States for use as a refueling station for U.S. ships. They connect and are important because when Queen Liliuokalani was queen the U.S. started following imperialism and kind of took over Hawaii. Hawaiians were forced to agree to the treaty of 1887. Which allowed the U.S. to have Pearl Harbor. William Seward was provoking imperialism. 2. Cultural interests Cultural interests Economic interests Economic interests Military interests Military interests Why Americans support imperialism Why Americans support imperialism 3. William Seward contributed to U.S. expansion by convincing the senate to buy Alaska from Russia for $7.2-million. 4. Planters staged a revolt because Queen Liliuokalani believed that American planters had too much influence, she moved to limit their power. Around the same time, U.S. trade laws changed to favor sugar grown in the United States. Planters with the help of U.S. Marines, they overthrew the queen and set up their own government. They then asked to be annexed by the United States. 5. The purchase of Alaska was farsighted because in the end the United States had acquired a land rich in timber, minerals and, as it turned out, oil. 6. If President Cleveland’s wishes had been respected by the subsequent U.S. administration then Hawaii wouldn’t have been a state and there wouldn’t have been a bombing at Pearl Harbor during the world war. 7. The United states have overthrew the queen and taken control for themselves. The Hawaiians are rebelling bet we can’t stand against them and now we are being forced to join the United States as a state. They also are going to take our best port and turn it into their own military base. I think what they are doing is wrong because this is our land. We let them come in we never knew that they were going to take over. Just because they are more powerful doesn’t mean they can use that power on us. That is exactly like bullying.

Critical Essays on Keats poems Essays

Critical Essays on Keats poems Essays Critical Essays on Keats poems Paper Critical Essays on Keats poems Paper Essay Topic: Keats Poems and Letters Language is used effectively in both odes to create mood. In the opening stanza of Ode to a Nightingale, there is a sense of sluggishness, suggested by the heavy alliterative d, p and m sounds when Keats describes his heartache at hearing the song of the nightingale, ambivalently experiencing both joy and pain. Compared with the first half of the first stanza, the second half is full of light and sensual assonantal sounds such as beechen, green and ease. In this particular ode, there is a concentration on the senses and frequent use of synaethesia. In the first stanza, the visual can be said to evoke the aural and vice versa where the birds plot is described as melodious. In the second stanza, Keats manages to convey the taste of wine with reference to colour, song, dance and sensation, Tasting of Flora Dance, an Proveni al song, and sunburnt mirth. The fourth stanza combines sight with movement in there is not light, Save what from heaven is with the breezes blown, and in the fifth stanza there is emphasis put on the senses of touch and smell in soft incense. In the opening line of Ode on Grecian Urn, Keats makes use of a long drawn out i sound with his repetition in still unravished bride of quietness. Since Ode on a Grecian Urn is about a work of art, Keats draws attention to the fact that his ode is a work of art with the use of assonance, echoes and insistent sound patterns. His use of repetition in the second stanza, unheard echoes heard, sweeter sweet and pipes pipe, is effectively combined with the assonance of ears endeard and no tone. It is the frequent use of parallelism, constant personification of the urn, and the invocations and exclamations of this ode that highlights the specific language used for the reader. This ode uses what can be said to be poetic language as it draws attention to its artifice, to the fact that the poem has been consciously and artfully constructed. Both odes are written in ten-line stanzas, however, Ode to a Nightingale differs from Ode on a Grecian Urn in that it is metrically variable. It also differs from the other odes in that the rhyme scheme is the same in every stanza and consists of Keatss most basic rhyme scheme of all the odes, as it follows the scheme AB AB CDE CDE. Comparably, Ode on a Grecian Urn follows a similar structure to Ode on Melancholy and is made up of a two-part rhyme scheme. This rhyme scheme helps to create a sense of a two-part thematic structure where the first four lines of each stanza roughly outline the subject of the stanza, and the last six lines develop it. The final two lines of Ode on a Grecian Urn, in which the speaker imagines the urn speaking its message to mankind, Beauty is truth, truth beauty, have proved to be amongst the most difficult to interpret of Keatss work, along with the final lines of Ode to a Nightingale, where the speaker asks Was it a vision, or a waking dream? Do I wake or sleep? Keatss final question on the status of his experience in Ode to a Nightingale is problematic for a number of reasons. Whilst some critics have affirmed that the poem is about the inadequacy of the imagination, others believe there is a greater kind of ambivalence in Keatss attitude. It has been argued that Keats still suggests through his final question that such a vision or experience is possible, or at least, something he longs for. The last two lines of Ode on a Grecian Urn, Beauty is truth, truth beauty, is perplexing and has sparked much debate. However, it has been interpreted in several ways, mainly, in that it could be the speaker addressing the urn and it could also be the urn addressing mankind. It has been argued that if it is the speaker addressing the urn, then it would seem to indicate their awareness of the urns limitations, however, if it is the urn addressing mankind, it would appear that Keatss message is that beauty and truth are one and the same. There are significant differences between Ode to a Nightingale and Ode on a Grecian Urn, as in the latter, there is a sense of formality not experienced in Ode to a Nightingale. Most notably, there is no I and the focus is not so much on the mind as on the work of art, the urn itself. The suppression of Ode to a Nightingale is matched in Ode on a Grecian Urn, and in many ways, can be said to be companion poems. In the later poem, the speaker confronts a created art-object not subject to any of the limitations of time, whilst in Ode to a Nightingale, Keatss speaker achieves creative expression through the nightingales song which is spontaneous and without physical manifestation. In conclusion, though there are both evident similarities between the two odes, it is clear that their differences outnumber them. Whilst Ode on a Grecian Urn is much more formal, Ode to a Nightingale is arguably the more personal, if not the most personal out of Keatss odes. Perhaps it is the opening of the ode with the statement My heart aches that makes the ode appear subjective, whilst Ode on a Grecian Urn combines both subjective poetic expression but also objective historical expression. Although similar in format, the odes differ in their rhyme schemes and also it is the many paradoxes of Ode on a Grecian Urn that differentiate it from the Ode to a Nightingale. One of the many paradoxes found in this ode is that of the urn itself, as it is silent but is also said to be a historian that can communicate. Ultimately, one can appreciate that there are a variety of comparative and contrasting elements of the two odes, however individual each one may be. Bibliography Glennis Byron York Notes Advanced, John Keats Selected Poems Longman Literature Guides, Critical Essays on Keats poems and letters Helen Vendler, The Odes of John Keats

Platos Meno Plot, Analysis, and Commentary on virtue

Plato's Meno Plot, Analysis, and Commentary on virtue Although fairly short, Platos dialog Meno is generally regarded as one of his most important and influential works. In a few pages, it ranges over several fundamental philosophical questions, such as: What is virtue?Can it be taught or is it innate?Do we know some things a priori (independent of experience)?What is the difference between really knowing something and merely holding a correct belief about it? The dialog also has some dramatic significance. We see Socrates reduce Meno, who begins by confidently assuming that he knows what virtue is, to a state of confusion–an unpleasant experience presumably common among those who engaged Socrates in debate. We also see Anytus, who will one day be one of the prosecutors responsible for Socrates trial and execution, warn Socrates that he should be careful what he says, especially about his fellow Athenians. The  Meno  can be divided into four main parts: The unsuccessful search for a definition of virtueSocrates proof that some of our knowledge is innateA discussion of whether virtue can be taughtA discussion of why there are no teachers of virtue Part One: The Search for a Definition of Virtue The dialog opens with Meno asking Socrates a seemingly straightforward question: Can virtue be taught? Socrates, typically for him, says he doesnt know since he doesnt know what virtue is, and he hasnt met anyone who does. Meno is astonished at this reply and accepts Socrates invitation to define the term. The Greek word usually translated as virtue is arete, although it might also be translated as excellence.  The concept is closely linked to the idea of something fulfilling its purpose or function. Thus, the arete of a sword would be those qualities that make it a good weapon, for instance: sharpness, strength, balance. The arete of a horse would be qualities such as speed, stamina, and obedience. Menos first definition: Virtue is relative to the sort of person in question. For example, the virtue of a woman is to be good at managing a household and to be submissive to her husband. The virtue of a soldier is to be skilled at fighting and brave in battle. Socrates response: Given the meaning of arete,  Menos answer is quite understandable. But Socrates rejects it. He argues that when Meno points to several things as instances of virtue, there must be something they all have in common, which is why they are all called virtues. A good definition of a concept should identify this common core or essence. Menos second definition: Virtue is the ability to rule men. This may strike a modern reader as rather odd, but the thinking behind it is probably something like this: Virtue is what makes possible the fulfillment of ones purpose. For men, the ultimate purpose is happiness; happiness consists of lots of pleasure; pleasure is the satisfaction of desire; and the key to satisfying ones desires is to wield power- in other words, to rule over men. This sort of reasoning would have been associated with the sophists. Socrates response: The ability to rule men is only good if the rule is just.  But justice is only one of the virtues.  So Meno has defined the general concept of virtue by identifying it with one specific kind of virtue. Socrates then clarifies what he wants with an analogy.  The concept of shape cant be defined by describing squares, circles or triangles.  Shape is what all these figures share.  A general definition would be something like this: shape is that which is bounded by color. Menos third definition: Virtue is the desire to have and the ability to acquire fine and beautiful things. Socrates response: Everyone desires what they think is good (an idea one encounters in many of Platos dialogues). So if people differ in virtue, as they do, this must be because they differ in their ability to acquire the fine things they consider good.  But acquiring these things–satisfying ones desires–can be done in a good way or a bad way.  Meno concedes that this ability is only a virtue if it is exercised in a good way–in other words, virtuously.  So once again, Meno has built into his  definition the very notion hes trying to define. Part Two: Is Some of Our Knowledge Innate? Meno declares himself utterly confused:   O Socrates, I used to be told, before I knew you, that  you were always doubting yourself and making others doubt; and now you  are casting your spells over me, and I am simply getting bewitched and  enchanted, and am at my wits end. And if I may venture to make a jest  upon you, you seem to me both in your appearance and in your power over  others to be very like the flat torpedo fish, who torpifies those who come  near him and touch him, as you have now torpified me, I think. For my soul  and my tongue are really torpid, and I do not know how to answer you. Menos description of how he feels gives us some idea of the effect Socrates must have had on many people. The Greek term for the situation he finds himself in is aporia, which is often translated as impasse but also denotes perplexity.  He then presents Socrates with a famous paradox. Menos paradox: Either we know something or we dont.  If we know it, we dont need to inquire any further.  But if we dont know it if we cant inquire since we dont know what were looking for and wont recognize it if we found it. Socrates dismisses Menos paradox as a debaters trick,  but he nevertheless responds to the challenge, and his response is both surprising and sophisticated.  He appeals to the testimony of priests and priestesses who say that the soul is immortal, entering and leaving one body after another, that in the process it acquires a comprehensive knowledge of all there is to know, and that what we call learning is actually just a process of recollecting what we already know. This is a doctrine that Plato may have learned from the Pythagoreans. The slave boy demonstration:  Meno asks Socrates if he can prove that all learning is recollection. Socrates responds by calling over a slave boy, who he establishes has had no mathematical training, and setting him a geometry problem.  Drawing a square in the dirt, Socrates asks the boy how to double the area of the square.  The boys first guess is that one should double the length of the squares sides.  Socrates shows that this is incorrect.  The slave boy tries again, this time suggesting that one increase the length of the sides by 50 percent.  He is shown that this is also wrong.  The boy then declares himself to be at a loss.  Socrates points out that the boys situation now is similar to that of Meno.  They both believed they knew something; they now realize their belief was mistaken; but this new awareness of their own ignorance, this feeling of perplexity, is, in fact, an improvement. Socrates then proceeds to guide the boy to the right answer: you double the area of a square by using its diagonal as the basis for the larger square. He claims at the end to have demonstrated that the boy in some sense already had this knowledge within himself: all that was needed was someone to stir it up and make recollection easier.   Many readers will be skeptical of this claim. Socrates certainly seems to ask the boy leading questions. But many philosophers have found something impressive about the passage.  Most dont consider it a proof of the theory of reincarnation, and even Socrates concedes that this theory is highly speculative. But many have seen it as a convincing proof that human beings have some a priori knowledge (information that is self-evident).  The boy may not be able to reach the correct conclusion unaided, but he is able to recognize the truth of the conclusion and the validity of the steps that lead him to it.  He isnt simply repeating something he has been taught. Socrates doesnt insist that his claims about reincarnation are certain.  But he does argue that the demonstration supports his fervent belief that we will live better lives if we believe that knowledge is worth pursuing as opposed to lazily assuming that there is no point in trying. Part Three: Can Virtue Be Taught? Meno asks Socrates to return to their original question: Can virtue be taught?  Socrates reluctantly agrees and constructs the following argument: Virtue is something beneficial; its a  good thing to haveAll good things are only good if they are accompanied by knowledge or wisdom (for example, courage is good in a wise person, but in a fool, it is mere recklessness)Therefore virtue is a kind of knowledgeTherefore virtue can be taught The argument is not especially convincing.  The fact that all good things, in order to be beneficial, must be accompanied by wisdom doesnt really show that this wisdom is the same thing as virtue.  The idea that virtue is a kind of knowledge, however, does seem to have been a central tenet of Platos moral philosophy.  Ultimately, the knowledge in question is the knowledge of what truly is in ones best long-term interests. Anyone who knows this will be virtuous since they know that living a good life is the surest path to happiness.  And anyone who fails to be virtuous reveals that they dont understand this.  Hence the flip side of virtue is knowledge is all wrongdoing is ignorance, a claim that Plato spells out and seeks to justify in dialogues  such as the Gorgias.   Part Four: Why Are There No Teachers of Virtue? Meno is content to conclude that virtue can be taught, but Socrates, to Menos surprise, turns on his own argument and starts criticizing it.  His objection is simple.  If virtue could be taught there would be teachers of virtue.  But there arent any.  Therefore it cant be teachable after all. There follows an exchange with Anytus, who has joined the conversation, that is charged with dramatic irony.  In response to Socrates wondering, rather tongue-in-cheek query whether sophists might not be teachers of virtue, Anytus contemptuously dismisses the sophists as people who, far from teaching virtue, corrupt those who listen to them. Asked who could teach virtue, Anytus suggests that any Athenian gentleman should be able to do this by passing on what they have learned from preceding generations.  Socrates is unconvinced.  He points out that great Athenians like Pericles, Themistocles, and Aristides were all good men, and they managed to teach their sons specific skills like horse riding, or music.  But they didnt teach their sons to be as virtuous as themselves, which they surely would have done if they had been able to. Anytus leaves, ominously warning Socrates that he is too ready to speak ill of people and that he should take care in expressing such views.  After he leaves Socrates confronts the paradox that he now finds himself with: on the one hand, virtue is teachable since it is a kind of knowledge; on the other hand, there are no teachers of virtue. He resolves it by distinguishing between real knowledge and correct opinion.   Most of the time in practical life, we get by perfectly well if we simply have correct beliefs about something. For example,  if you want to grow tomatoes and you correctly believe that planting them on the south side of the garden will produce a good crop, then if you do this youll get the outcome youre aiming at. But to really be able to teach someone how to grow tomatoes, you need more than a bit of practical experience and a few rules of thumb; you need a genuine knowledge of horticulture, which includes an understanding of soils, climate, hydration, germination, and so on. The good men who fail to teach their sons virtue are like practical gardeners without theoretical knowledge. They do well enough themselves most of the time, but their opinions are not always reliable, and they arent equipped to teach others. How do these good men acquire virtue?  Socrates suggests it is a gift from the gods, similar to the gift of poetic inspiration enjoyed by those who are able to write poetry but are unable to explain how they do it. The Significance of the  Meno The  Meno  offers a fine illustration of Socrates argumentative methods and his search for definitions of moral concepts.  Like many of Platos early dialogues, it ends rather inconclusively.  Virtue hasnt been defined.  It has been identified with a kind of knowledge or wisdom, but exactly what this knowledge consists in hasnt been specified.  It seems it can be taught, at least in principle, but there are no teachers of virtue since no one has an adequate theoretical understanding of its essential nature.  Socrates implicitly includes himself among those who cannot teach virtue since he candidly admits at the outset that he doesnt know how to define it.   Framed by all this uncertainty, however, is the episode with the slave boy where Socrates asserts the doctrine of reincarnation and demonstrates the existence of innate knowledge.  Here he seems more confident about the truth of his claims.  It is likely that these ideas about reincarnation and inborn knowledge represent the views of Plato rather than Socrates.  They figure again in other dialogues, notably the Phaedo.  This passage is one of the most celebrated in the history of philosophy and is the starting point for many subsequent debates about the nature and the possibility of a priori knowledge. An Ominous Subtext While the content of Meno is a classic in its form and metaphysical function, it also has an underlying and ominous subtext. Plato wrote Meno about 385 BCE, placing the events about 402 BCE, when Socrates was 67 years old, and about three years before he was executed for corrupting Athenian youth. Meno was a young man who was described in historical records as treacherous, eager for wealth and supremely self-confident. In the dialogue, Meno believes he is virtuous because he has given several discourses about it in the past: and Socrates proves that he cant know whether hes virtuous or not because he doesnt know what virtue is. Anytus was the main prosecutor in the court case that led to Socratess death. In Meno, Anytus threatens Socrates, I think that you are too ready to speak evil of men: and, if you will take my advice, I would recommend you to be careful. Anytus is missing the point, but nevertheless, Socrates is, in fact, shoving this particular Athenian youth off his self-confident pedestal, which would definitely be construed in Anytuss eyes as a corrupting influence. Resources and Further Reading Bluck, R. S. Platos Meno. Phronesis 6.2 (1961): 94–101. Print.Hoerber, Robert G. Platos Meno. Phronesis 5.2 (1960): 78–102. Print.Klein, Jacob. A Commentary on Platos Meno. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1989.Kraut, Richard. Plato. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University 2017. Web.Plato. Meno. Translated by Benjamin Jowett, Dover, 2019.Silverman, Allan. Platos Middle Period Metaphysics and Epistemology. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University 2014. Web.Tejera, V. History and Rhetoric in Platos Meno, or on the Difficulties of Communicating Human Excellence. Philosophy Rhetoric 11.1 (1978): 19–42. Print.

Perspectives on International Trade and Finance Assignment - 1

Perspectives on International Trade and Finance - Assignment Example Examples of countries that Nike Inc. imports the products from include those in parts of Asia and Taiwan. These products are imported to the United States after which further processing is carried out before exporting them to international markets. These processes involve strategies and marketing processes worth researching. This paper discuses import and export strategies of Nike Inc. that has made it successful in its business gaining fame as a leading multinational company in the world. Table of Contents Executive summary 2 Introduction 4 Import and export strategies 4 Labor specialization 5 Global competitive rivalry 5 Diversification of operating risks 5 Trademarks and patents 6 Product’s Market Potential 6 Brand image and reputation 7 Consumer preference in receiving country 7 Technical innovation 8 Evaluation, promotion and product authenticity with consumers 8 Compliance to the code of demeanor, native laws and ethics 9 Concentration of retail market share 9 Tax laws a nd unexpected Tax liabilities 9 Conclusion 10 Perspectives on international trade and finance Introduction International trade consists of exporting and imports. ... This paper mainly borrows the ideas of import and export strategies form Nike Inc. of the United States of America. Import and export strategies Domestic producers in a foreign country produce goods for export. The export of these goods normally involves permission from custom authorities in the producing country as well as the consuming country. There are many import and export strategies having differing level of risks and legal requirements. In order to get an insight into these strategies it is worthwhile discussing import and export processes. Import processes are of two types. These include: Trade and consumer goods and services Intermediate services and goods that form part of the consumer’s source chain. There exist three categories of importers: Those who seek for a product to import then later sell the same product. Importers who source for products at cheaper prices â€Å"Importers using external sourcing as part of their supply chain† (Zampetti, 2006). Labor specialization It is worth noting that importing products has advantages such as labor specialization which makes export to and import from countries efficient than manufacturing all products within a country. â€Å"A good example is Nike Inc. that buys shoes form foreign companies in Asia, Taiwan, Korea and China† (United States, 2007). Nike Inc. does so because companies in the aforementioned countries have the ability to manufacture shoes that are of high quality at low cost than they can do as Nike Inc. Global competitive rivalry Companies all over the world always compete for market superiority. â€Å"This competition spurs companies and industries to import goods of higher quality at a lower cost for purposes of

Actions Speaks Louder Words Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Actions Speaks Louder Words - Assignment Example To attest that I have changed physically, some of my friends five years was not able to recognize me now. 5. These sports include chess, swimming etc. Of the two kind of sports, I enjoy playing individual sports more than team sports because I can play it anytime compared to team sports where I have to wait for other people before I can play. 6. For me, the best age to marry is around age 30 to 35. It is because during that time, I have already gained enough experience in life and have enjoyed my single life. By that time also, I have already enough savings to afford a family of my own. 7. A good teacher has to be an authority in the subject that he or she teaches. He or she should also be understanding about the different learning style of students. To be an authority in a subject meant that he or she is knowledgeable about the subject and has the credentials to back it up. A good teacher should also be able to know the best way to teach a student. For example, there are students who learn best through experience while there are others who learn better with the use of visual aids. 8. I do not agree that haste makes waste. Doing things quickly does not necessarily mean that one is bound to make a mistake. For example, finishing a term paper quickly does not mean that I am bound to make mistakes or doing it wrong. It is just I happen to know the topic by heart. 9. The most difficult aspects of learning a new language is learning its proper pronunciation.

Reading response 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reading response 2 - Essay Example The issue was that: does TV makes the viewer dumber or smarter? Stevens position was more inclined to side with the latter. Thus, her attack on Johnsons theory as particularly highlighted in the title, where she called the TV "idiot box". Her main arguments were the impact of advertisements as well as the misrepresentations of certain groups such as Muslims in TV shows. The rest were mainly her personal opinion based from her experience watching the medium. I was looking for an empirical evidence that proved Stevens position. But there was none. As part of the TV audience, I am interested about this aspect. Has it been scientifically proven that TV makes us dumber? In my observation Stevens was correct to say that there are harmful TV contents or materials that are plainly stupid. However, her position treats the public as unthinking mass who is not able to distinguish rubbish from good and just absorb everything that TV shows have to offer. I think that TV makes us smarter. It provides information. It is up to us to analyze and make use of each and every data, whether to reject it or use it as part of our

The Nationalism In The Contemporary World Politics Essay

The Nationalism In The Contemporary World Politics Essay This essay will be focusing on the ethnic conflict that erupted predominantly in Eastern Europe as a result of the dissolution of the Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia in the late twentieth century. Attention will be given specifically to Bosnia Herzegovina (Bosnia) to illustrate the on going effects of ethnic conflicts that continue and how autonomy was sought by the Bosnian Muslims in reaction to the strong nationalism expressed by the Serbians and Croats during that time. The situation surrounding Bosnia is a valid example of contemporary nationalism, and as a nation it continues to face ethnic conflict and conquest and the threat of war and domination by the Serbians, who still seek a unified Slavic state. In assessing Bosnia, this essay will firstly define nationalism and assess how Bosnia can be looked at as an example of both ethnic and civic nationalism. A brief interpretation will also be given to what is meant by ethnic conflict before looking specifically at the causes of the eventual collapse of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Yugoslavia) and how this subsequently gave birth to several new nations, including Bosnia. Focus will then turn solely to Bosnia and at the key issues that led to the outbreak of ethnic conflict and the rise of nationalism within the nation and furthermore, which ethnic groups were involved and what their motives were. Conclusions will then be drawn as to the stability of Bosnia in the present day and why it can be used as a case study to demonstrate the happenings of both contemporary nationalism and of ethnic conflict. To begin with this examination into Bosnia, it is firstly important to set out the parameters of what is meant when one refers to ethnic conflict, the ideology of nationalism and more specifically the further distinctions made between ethnic and civic nationalism. For the purposes of this essay, the idea of nationalism occurring within or against a state is defined as a group of people who see themselves as distinct in their culture, history, institutions, or principles and should thus rule themselves in a political system that expresses and protects those distinctive characteristics.  [1]  Quite simply, it can be looked at as a category of practices as an institutionalized cultural and political form with the aim of building a nation.  [2]   Ethnic or Eastern nationalism is a strand of nationalism that places more emphasis on the creation of a state based on common cultural, religious and linguistic traditions and generally occurred against an existing state opposed to within it.  [3]  Conversely, civic or Western nationalism appeared to encase a more sophisticated demeanor and was based on the ideals of individual liberty  [4]  and political ideals with membership to that state being defined purely in political terms.  [5]  As this essay will later purport to show in its discussion, Bosnia identifies with several parts of the ethnic nationalist ideology, however it also shares commonalities with civic nationalism, particularly in certain areas of Bosnia where there are separate political institutions set up to bring order and civility to those areas. Ethnic conflict refers to the struggle between mobilized identity groups for greater power, whether for equality within an existing state or for the establishment of a fully independent nation.  [6]  It should be noted that the collapse of states is more often than not, the cause of ethnic conflicts opposed to the result.  [7]  In this instance, the dissolution of Yugoslavia as a multination state resulted in the re-emergence of much older historical identities, religions and ethnicities being used as a mechanism and foundation on which to base a nations claim to autonomy.  [8]  Consequently, conflict began to erupt between those who were dedicated to the principles of state sovereignty and territorial integrity, versus those who clung to their ethnic and religious roots as a means to define an independent state.  [9]  A more in depth analysis will be given to the role of ethnic conflict and its causal link to the rise of nationalism in Bosnia at a later point in this essay. To understand the relevance of these terms that have now been interpreted, a brief overview must be given of the collapse of Yugoslavia and the birth of Bosnia as an independent state near the end of the twentieth century. The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Yugoslavia) emerged in 1943 and comprised of six socialist republics. Those republics were Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia. Serbia, in addition, included two autonomous provinces of Vojvodina and Kosovo. During this period, Josip Tito began his reign as Prime Minister of Yugoslavia and in 1953 he became the President of the state.  [10]  It has been said that Tito was the chief architect of the second Yugoslavia  [11]  , as he was pivotal to the development and birth of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Tito instigated the ideology of socialism throughout Yugoslavia and after the commencement of World War Two in 1945, Yugoslavia became victim to peculiarly harsh Communist system.  [12]   For several decades during the mid twentieth century, Yugoslavia enjoyed economic success and prospered as a nation. In the nineteen sixties, Yugoslavia could boast an annual gross domestic product growth of approximately 6.1 percent, with free medical care, and a literacy rate of 91%.  [13]  Yugoslavia remained at this point in time, the most diverse collectivity of societies in the Balkan region.  [14]  Political reform began to lose momentum in the early nineteen seventies and was suddenly pushed aside within the pluralist multi-nation in favour of federalization.  [15]  The push for federalization came as a reactionary movement to the growing Serbian supremacy in Yugoslavia as Tito realized he needed to enforce institutional innovations that would federalize the federation.  [16]   By the nineteen eighties, Yugoslavias once growing economy began to hinder as the international arena was changing from a bipolar sphere to the dominance of the United States of America as a unilateral mega power. There was a growing amount of foreign debt and increasing amounts of Yugoslavias GDP were being swallowed by debt servicing. There was also a sudden decrease in Western aid after the Soviet President Gorbachev began to admit defeat to the American and Western Europe.  [17]  On May 4th 1980, Tito passed away and with this, the strong socialist regime of Yugoslavia began to break down and the process of democratization in the six republics started to ensue. As a result, central state authority became increasingly weaker, and Yugoslavia faced an upsurge of nationalist movements and anarchy.  [18]   Titos 1974 constitution remained in force during the immediate period after his death and this allowed for a rotation system out of the eight leaders of the republics, for year long presidencies. These short terms of presidencies turned out to be highly ineffective and added to the unstable and increasingly volatile conditions of Yugoslavia. Essentially it left open a power vacuum with Slobodan MiloÃ…Â ¡eviĆ¡ gaining steady momentum from the many Serbian nationalists who resided throughout Yugoslavia and particularly within Bosnia Herzegovenia.  [19]  MiloÃ…Â ¡eviĆ¡ began rallying to the many Serbian supporters he had, making reference to Yugoslavias historical past and the pressing need to unite all the Slavic nations into one centralized government and brotherhood.  [20]  As a reaction to the strong nationalist Serbian movement occurring within Yugoslavia, both Croatia and Slovenia quickly declared autonomy and independence of state and after a v ictorious week of fighting by the Slovenes in the Ten Day War the breakup of Yugoslavia had begun.  [21]   In 1992, the multi-nation state of Yugoslavia began to break apart and left several nations fighting for autonomy. Instead of these nations clinging to Western liberal democratic ideals to form a state, they fell back on their own older and entrenched religions, ethnicities and national identities to assert independence over one another.  [22]  Bosnia, compiled of the Croats, Serbs and Bosnian Muslims, was suddenly facing an internal clash of cultures and identities with the Serbians residing in Bosnia wanting to unify with Serbia and the other remaining Slavic nations, against the Croats and Muslims who wanted independence as a state. There were several factors that contributed to the tensions and ethnic conflicts between the three main ethnic groups residing in Bosnia. Firstly, there were historical hostilities and antagonisms that had existed within the ethnic groups for centuries. There was also the sudden presence and dominance of Serbian nationalist MiloÃ…Â ¡eviĆ¡, who continued to pursue Bosnia as a Slavic nation and part of that sanctity. To add to the fragility of the situation facing Bosnia during the early nineteen nineties, there was an inadequate political institution in place with Bosnias parliament fragmented based on ethnicity and was divided into a majority Bosnian faction and minority Serb and Croat factions.  [23]  In 1991, Radovan KaradÃ…Â ¾iĆ¡, the nationalist leader of the Serb Democratic Party, gave a strong and hostile warning to the Bosnian president, stating: This, what you are doing, is not good. This is the path that you want to take Bosnia and Herzegovina on, the same highway of hell and death that Slovenia and Croatia went on. Dont think that you wont take Bosnia and Herzegovina into hell, and the Muslim people maybe into extinction. Because the Muslim people cannot defend themselves if there is war here.  [24]   Bosnia was surrounded by two incredibly powerful and nationalistic states; Croatia and Serbia who both extended equal rights and citizenships to the Croat and Serb Bosnians. Therefore, it was impossible for Bosnia to resolve its national identity without the input of Croatia and Serbia.  [25]  One the one side in Bosnia, there were the Serbian nationalists who identified closely with Milosevic and their greater homeland of Serbia and thus wanted a unified Slavic state, and to be part of the brotherhood. Others however, such as the Croats and particularly the Bosnian Muslims, wanted to identify with their own individual ethnic groups and stick to the notion of individual opposed to collective rights and the freedom to identify with whom they choose. With Bosnias demographic structure comprising a population of Serbs and Croats of approximately 50%, and with ideas on independence resting with the ethnicities rather than the nation on the whole  [26]  , control of territory once again became open to interpretation, particularly due to the pluralist and multi-culture nature that existed within Bosnia which led to large sections of Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia under dispute as to its proper ownership.  [27]   In October 1991, Bosnia joined Croatia and Slovenia in declaring its sovereignty and quickly organized a referendum on independence in March 1992.  [28]  The general Serbian population residing in Bosnia was encouraged by the Serbian nationalists to boycott the referendum and subsequently, the turnout in the referendum was 64-67% and the vote was 98% in favor of independence.  [29]  Independence was however officially declared on March 5 1992 by the parliament of Bosnia. However, this merely added and even encouraged the continued surge of nationalism from the Serbs in Bosnia and instant war broke out in Bosnia between the different ethnicities and much to the detriment of the Bosnian Muslims who although made up an estimated 48%  [30]  of the population, were ill equipped to stand up to the strong Serbian forces who were receiving support from their own nation. A period of genocide, ethnic cleansing and blood shed occurred over the next three years and was the tragic consequence of the Bosnian War that illustrated a series of failures made by the Western world at large and also at a regional level, the failures of local leaders to intervene and offer any sort of assistance.  [31]  There was a fundamental breach of human rights during this period and a total disregard for any rule of law or civility. Whilst the Serb Bosnians engaged in a greater amount of ethnic cleansing during this period of trauma, it should be noted that they were also the victims of such cleansing at the peril of the other two ethnic groups.  [32]  The Bosnian Muslims had really pushed to preserve Bosnias existence as a multi-cultural state  [33]  and did not want to see the division of Bosnia. Only a scarce minority of politically significant actors in Bosnia were committed to trying to mediate a balance between a civil society and competing nationalisms.  [34]   November 1995 brought some hope to the Bosnian cause when the Dayton Accord was signed, purporting to end the Bosnian War and the continued outbreaks of conflict in the region.  [35]  The Dayton Accord had the purpose of compromising between the ethnic groups who sought an independent unitary state, versus those who sought total autonomy from Yugoslavia and the Slavic nations.  [36]  The institutional part of the agreement created a Bosnian state divided between Bosnia, which is shared between the Bosnians and the Croats, and the Republika Srpska. The Bosnian-Croat federation holds 51% of the territory with the remaining 49% controlled by the Republika Srpska.  [37]  Each division has their own parliament and presidency. Fifteen years has passed since the implementation of the Dayton Peace Accord which effectively ended a great proportion of the ethnic conflict and cleansing occurring in Bosnia as a result of the Bosnian War. However, in a contemporary setting, nationalism and consequently ethnic conflict still pursues in Bosnia and there are mounting fears by the United Nations and the international community, that war is still a threat to the Bosnians due to the divided and segregated nature of Bosnia.  [38]  With the Dayton Accord dividing Bosnia into a Muslim -Croat federation and a Serbian republic, each ethnic group has established their own legislature with ten regional authorities each with their own police force, health system, education system and judiciary.  [39]  Furthermore as a result of the Bosnian War and the division of Bosnia, there is a huge displaced population of Bosnian Muslims, Croats and Serbs who were essentially driven out of Bosnia and are now scattered throughout t he world with little national identity left in tact. In conclusion, the situation that occurred in Bosnia during the late twentieth century exemplifies the pivotal role nationalism played within the state and the consequential ethnic conflict that erupted and continues to do so, as a result of three different ethnic groups identifying strongly to their own historical nationalisms and religions. Due to the strong nationalistic tendencies of the Croats and Serbs residing in Bosnia during this time, Bosnian Muslims who historically were not allowed to declare themselves as Bosnians  [40]  were forced to band together and unite in their own autonomy and form a national identity so as to compete with the much stronger Croats and Serbs. As a result of these competing nationalism, ethnic conflict ensued and was only resolved after the implementation of the Dayton Accord which effectively segregated Bosnia into different regions dominated by different ethnicities. For example, the city of Mostar before the Bosnian War was considered the mo st ethnically integrated city in all of the former Yugoslavia.   [41]  Now, Mostar has developed into the most divided town in Bosnia where even a pizza delivery joint will not deliver to the Muslim sector of Mostar across the bridge. This is viewed as a victory for the Croat and Serb Nationalists against the Bosnian Muslims.  [42]   The on-going situation in Bosnia Herzegovina really demonstrates a contemporary example of nationalism occurring and further shows the severe impact nationalism has had on the country and how it led to the eventual segregation of the nation as well as pursuant ethnic conflict. Whilst the nationalism portrayed by the Serbs and Croats mostly identifies with the ethnic strand of nationalism, that is nationalism founded on historical ethnicities, customs and religions, it is interesting to note that Bosnia Herzegovina as a whole, and particularly through the Bosnian Muslims, share many elements of civic nationalism in its attempt to set up order, democracy, and political institutions. Perhaps the conflict of the two nationalisms also contributed to the volatile nature and confusion that seems to cloud over Bosnia. Whilst it is idealistic and perhaps naÃÆ' ¯ve to hope that Bosnia will one day have unity as an independent state, it is still a vision that many civilians in Bosnia and around the world share. Bosnia has provided the global arena with a strong message and precedent and demonstrates a situation that must be learnt from especially in the overall dangers and effects that competing nationalisms can have on even the most harmonious nations.