Relationships In A Time That This Novel Is Set Essay

How does Steinbeck present ideas of relationships in a time that this novel is set? Steinbeck portrays a world dominated by authoritative white males. It is the attitude of this social structure that permeate ranch society and those who come from outside these expectations are inferior. Of Mice and Men describes the plight of which women, disabled people, black people and people with mental difficulties endure and suffer simply because they do not fit into the ideal category which we see whilst they interact with each other. Lennie’s brief interaction with Crooks reveals the complexity of racial prejudice during the ranch life. Like many of the men on the characters in the story, Crooks admits to being very lonely. â€Å"This here’s my room. Nobody got any right in here but me.† When Lennie visits him in his room, Crooks turns him away, in hope that he will prove a point that if a black man cannot enter a white man’s room then it is unacceptable for the re verse to occur. However, his desire for company ultimately wins out and he invites Lennie to sit with him. In addition, he seems very suspicious of any kindness he receives. The fact that he doubts Lennie being kind to him refers to the strong racism on the ranch. Crooks is not sure how to react to Lennie and his instant reaction is for Lennie to leave. This outsider status causes him to lament his loneliness, but we can see the corrosive effects it has on him as he seems delighted in seeing loneliness in others. For example, he suggests that George is gone for good and it is not until Lennie threatens Crooks with physical violence does he relent. We cannot blame Crooks. On the other hand, this evokes sympathy as the origins of his cruel behaviour are made evident. We can infer that he is jealous and lonely that he wants to see someone else hurt just like he is. Curley and his wife have an unstable marriage, lacking in respect, compassion and communication. Curley believes that his wife is his posse ssion and shows her off to the other men. Throughout the novel we see Curley asking the other men where his wife is and likewise we see Curley’s wife looking for him. This could be a metaphor that although they are together they are still lonely. Their relationship is unhealthy as he manipulates and intimidates his wife. However, Curley seems very selfish and he did not seem to care for his wife. He used her for sex. Furthermore, the fact that she is referred to as â€Å"Curley’s wife† suggests that women did not have an identity. Curley is too protective over his wife as he knew she flirted with the other men and  Curley felt threatened, especially as she was the only woman on the ranch. There is not trust between them which is very unhealthy and not good. I think she enjoyed flirting because she felt isolated and lonely. Most of the ranch hands looked down upon her and thought she was a â€Å"slut.† This was the typical attitude towards women during this time period. They were seen as possessions of their husband. At the end of the novel, Steinbeck said that when she died, she was released and â€Å"discontent and the ache for attentions were all gone from her face. She was very pretty and simple, and her face was sweet.† When she was alive, she was wearing a mask and no one knew her true identify, as there was no one there to understand or get to know the real her but now she is dead, and the mask is off she looks better: â€Å"Her reddened lips made her seem alive.† Finally, in death, she could find the peace and calm that evaded her when she was alive in the harsh society. Ironically, her corpise is praised more in death than she was life. We begin to question Steinbeck’s intentions in giving us an unsympathetic view of this women and in women in general. Whenever she expresses her loneliness they are followed by acts of manipulation or violence. He seems to characterise women as trouble and they are â€Å"the downfall of man.† She is the catalyst of the drama which links to that point also. I don’t necessarily think that Steinbeck was sexist and is instead making a point about society’s sexism. She is the only character without a name, and even Crooks- who at that time was a member of a even more hated social group and if she talks to anyone â€Å"he gets mad.†

The Black Jacobins

1. What perspective does C. L. R. James’ The Black Jacobins present on the history of black struggle for freedom? To what extent does it help you better understand the history of African Americans? C. L. R James in The Black Jacobins had gone beyond the recount of an historical event. His work did not only depict the black struggle for freedom but it gives us the opportunity to encounter with various slaves responsible for the fall of the French rule. C. L. R James also offers us the perspective of the empowerment of the black community. Contrary to others authors, James gives us a detailed account of the rebellion of those slaves. He shows us that the slaves (both men and women) were not passive ‘object’ and that they â€Å"constantly rebelled and resisted their fate, whether through organized rebellion, individual violence, or still more subtle means† (Baptist, nd). The Black Jacobins is therefore more that an historical account, it is a heritage that one should take into example and should be proud of. C. L. R James enables us as readers to visualize and participate in the struggle of the black for freedom. He gives us new perspectives and prospects to consider. For example: he shows the rebellious side of the slaves and pay tribute for it. Unlike others authors, James denounces the atrocities endure by the Haitian slaves. In chapter One of The Black Jacobins, he makes a clear account of the punishments that the white owners imposed on the black which he clearly defined as The Property. The various punishments were mutilations, whipping, tortures and death. The author shows that both male and female slaves were tortured and both resisted tortures. They culminated a deep-rooted sense of anguish which lead to resistance. In James’ views, they did not only resist but they struggle too. They attacked their defendless masters, killed them, poisoned them and their wives and made use of Vodou to hurt them. As C. L. R James (1938) states the slaves â€Å"remained, despite their black skins and curly hair, quite invincibly human beings†, whom instinct of survival was to defend themselves by any means available. Another perspective that the author demonstrated in The Black Jacobins is the loyalty and the faithfulness that the Haitian slaves had in their culture and religious beliefs. Even, if they were converted into Catholicism, they remain faithful to their cults and beliefs and continued to practice it into secrecy. Many authors had debated on the role of Catholicism in slavery and many had argued that slaves became submissive and respected the ‘paroles’ of the bible. For example Rodriguez (1997, p165) stated that â€Å"The Roman Catholic Church was firmly established as an expression†¦. Slaves were baptized and instructed to Catholicism, and all subjects were ordered to observe Sundays end church holidays†. However James depicts us another picture of those slaves. Instead of portraying submissive slaves going to the church, he talks about their secret celebrations of vodou which inspired fear to the masters. Vodou was a mean for them to â€Å"cherish a dream of freedom† (James, 1938) and also to some point have a control on their masters who feared the vodou cults. Through those vodou cults, the slaves were able to regroup themselves and thus prepare their revolution. C. L. R James also stresses on the obstacles that the slaves had to face when struggling for their freedoms. He carefully portrays the life and struggle of some particular slaves. One of those slaves is Makandal, an African maroon who attempted a revolution, without success. He also talked about mulattos and their implication in the revolution of the Haitian slaves. Without C. L. R James, those slaves would have remained in anonymity. The author of The Black Jacobins also put forward the perspective that somehow the French were in a way responsible for the revolution of the Haitian Slaves. The French revolution played a significant role in awakening the consciousness of the black. As C. L. R James (1938) stated: â€Å"they had heard of the revolution and had constructed it in their own image: The white slaves in French had risen, and killed their masters, and were now enjoying the fruits of the earth. It was gravely inaccurate in fact, but they had caught the spirit of the thing. Liberty. Equality. Fraternity† This notion of liberty makes them struggle alongside to gain their freedom. C. L. R James also makes a worthy account of Toussaint L’Ouverture’s life, stressing on his contribution in the revolution of the Haitian slaves. In his article C. L. R James and the Black Jacobins, Hogsbjerg (2010) stated that: James demolished the foundations on which over a century of British scholarship on abolition had rested. The Black Jacobins is a book which did not see from the upper class/oppressors perspectives like almost all slavery books. It is a book which enables us to see the revolution through the oppressed one. On reading The Black Jacobins, my visions about slavery changed. Almost every book I read before described slaves as submissive, however The Black Jacobins did the contrary. It helped me understand the courageous and rebellious character that the slaves had. I also acquired a lot of knowledge about the Haitian population, whom in some way resemble the Mauritian population in their struggle. The First chapter of the book, entitled The property is the most touching and also revolting thing I read in my life. Touching, in the fact that, as readers, we penetrated the book and become one of the slaves but on seeing all those atrocities done to slaves, we felt revolted. The Black Jacobins is a heritage which should be forwarded from generation to generation. It did not only talk about struggling in a slave society but it talks about struggling in every day’s life and situation. C. L. R James did not only make an account of the slaves’ tortures and struggle for freedom, he had also make us penetrated in the owners world. Those who dominated society for their own interest. After reading the book, I also become more aware of the humanitarian character of the slaves. Many authors described slaves as objects. But however in The Black Jacobins, we see that those slaves do have feeling. They were in fact jealous, anguish, happy, sad, revolted, etc. To conclude I will say that C. R. L James The Black Jacobins is a chef-d’oeuvre. It revealed the revolt and the true struggle that the slaves had to face in order to obtain their freedom. It is also a tribute to all those who resisted and helped in making the Haitian revolution possible.Bibliography†¢James, C.R.L, 2001. The Black Jacobins. 4th edition. England. Penguin †¢Rodriguez, J, 1997. The Historical encyclopedia of world slavery, Volume 1 ;Volume . California. Library of Congress†¢Hà ¸gsbjerg. C, 2010. CLR James and the Black Jacobins, international socialism a quarterly journal of socialist theory available at < http://www.isj.org.uk/index.php4?id=639&issue=126> [accessed on 23 avril ] †¢Baptist.E.nd. Introduction available through the database of Slave Resistance < http://scholar.library.miami.edu/slaves/index.html> accessed on 23avril]

5 Strategies for Tackling SAT Subject Tests

You’ve probably heard plenty about the SAT. But SAT subject tests may be less familiar. What exactly are they? Should you take them? Want tips on how to prepare? Read on to learn what you can expect from the tests and our advice for how to do achieve high scores. Formerly known as the SAT II, an SAT subject test covers your specific knowledge of a given subject area, as opposed to the SAT, which covers general knowledge of only English and math. There are 20 individual subject tests across math, science, English, history, and foreign languages, and you may choose whichever tests you wish to take based on your individual strengths and knowledge areas. However, do keep in mind that if you are applying for certain majors or programs at some schools, you may be required to submit results from specific subject tests. SAT subject tests are administered six times per year, but not all subjects are offered in each sitting. Visit the CollegeBoard’s website to find out when a given subject is offered. You may take 1-3 subjects in a single test sitting, and can add or opt out of tests on the day of with some limitations . However, you may not take subject tests on the same day you take the SAT. The most important reason why you should take SAT subject tests is that many colleges require them as part of the admissions process. To find out which schools do, check out our list . Even colleges that don’t require them may still consider your results if you choose to take them, so they could give you an edge if you perform well. This is a good opportunity to demonstrate your strengths, since you’re able to choose your subjects, and could even compensate for weaker SAT scores, since you can show your aptitude in your strongest areas. If you’re self-taught or have studied certain subjects independently, SAT subjects tests can demonstrate that you’re a natural learner and seek out opportunities outside the classroom. Plus, your results can be used to determine placement or can be applied for credit at some colleges. Our students see an average increase of 250 points on their SAT scores. Remember: this is a chance to demonstrate your strengths in a particular area. Unlike the SAT, subject tests are more closely linked to the content you’ve studied in school. Therefore, if you’ve studied and done well in a particular subject, then chances are good that you’ll also do well on that particular SAT subject test. Of course, make sure to choose the subjects in which you perform best. For example if you’re a math whiz, opt for Math II. If you want another chance to prove your English prowess, take Literature. Also be sure to look into any requirements for the colleges to which you’re applying, since some programs may require specific tests. Make note of when specific tests are offered before you plan your schedule, and remember that you can’t take subject tests on the same day as the SAT. It’s a good idea to take the subject test around the same time as the AP for a given subject, since you’ll effectively be studying for both tests at the same time and will only have to do it once. That way, the material will still be fresh in your mind. You should also visit the CollegeBoard page for each test and consult the recommended preparation section. For instance, for Math II , CollegeBoard recommends â€Å"more than three years of college-preparatory mathematics, including two years of algebra, one year of geometry, and elementary functions (precalculus) or trigonometry or both.† You will also see a list of topics covered and anticipated skills you will need on this page, so make sure you’re familiar with these before you sit for the test. The good news is that there are plenty of resources available for practicing. It’s important to make use of them, because these tests are based on your knowledge of given subjects as opposed to rote skills. Here are a few resources: For every standardized test you take, you should come prepared with certain materials, such as pencils and your ID. But some SAT subject tests require additional materials. For instance, if you take a language with listening test, you will need a CD player. You are also allowed to use a calculator for both math tests, but be sure to make sure your brand and type is permitted. Also pay attention to materials you’re not allowed to bring. For example, you can’t use a calculator for Physics. Like the SAT, subject tests are scored on a 200-800 scale, with your percentile corresponding to a score between 200-800. You will also see your subscores, which are scaled between 20-80, for language with listening tests. All questions are multiple choice, and you lose a portion of a point for an incorrect answer. You do not lose credit for questions you do not answer. To learn more about scoring protocols, read CollegeBoard’s page, How SAT Subject Tests Are Scored . SAT subject tests are a great way to demonstrate your knowledge of certain areas and your strengths in the classroom. Even if the schools to which you are applying don’t require subject tests, they can still strengthen your application, and may help you receive credit or higher placement at some colleges. If you choose to take SAT subject tests, make sure to do your research and become familiar with the materials you need to know beforehand. Be sure to use the resources available to you to ensure you do your best. Looking for some more help for acing the SAT? The SAT Tutoring Program will help you achieve top scores on your test. We’ll pair you with two private tutors, one for reading, English, and writing, and one for math. All of our tutors have scored in the 99th percentile on the section they are teaching and are chosen based on teaching skills and ability to relate to their students.

Timed essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Timed - Essay Example Individuals within the hard sciences would point to the fact that the World Wide Web has promoted education and prompted a level of dialogue and discussion that would otherwise be constrained to specific scholarly journals. In terms of political science and governance, the World Wide Web has created a dynamic in which democracy and freedom of expression has come to be something that is expected by many individuals throughout the world. Furthermore, in terms of equality, gender rights, and the prevalence of violence, the Internet has assisted in seeking to reduce stereotypes and promote a more thoughtful level of engagement with respect to the individual rather than the group that they are supposed to be a member of. In short, the Internet has been a transformative force on each and every level; so much so that societies that have engaged with a high level of Internet use are invariably those that are among the most educated and fastest developing. However, all of this leads to a fund amental question; namely what the impact of the web has for the developing world. Firstly, with respect to issues of education, the impact is extremely powerful. Inquiring minds, educational facilities, and institutions within developing countries can provide invaluable resources to those that seek further education within their own sphere. Taking an example of rural schools within India or South Africa as a case in point, the reader can quickly appreciate the fact that these students have a wealth of resources, if they are connected to the web, that they might not otherwise have as a function of their own government education program or the texts/materials that they are required to read and understand as a function of their studies (Simons, 1998). Another relevant impact that the web has for developing countries is contingent upon the way in which it creates a further level of health understanding; both

Marketing Conference - Marketing Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing Conference - Marketing Strategy - Essay Example Interaction, responsibility to the community and employee satisfaction Competition analysis: Understanding where our products rank in the market place is important to better determine how to improve our market share among consumers thus improve our revenue. A comprehensive analysis of the activities of our potential competitors is an ever going business objective. Government grants are funded by tall money. They therefore require very strict compliance and reporting measures to ensure that the money given is well spent. Unfortunately grants are never given away indiscriminately. However, other sources of funding are available. Nonetheless, it is still important that to research the target market, in order to ensure that customers will pay for the product. The cost of starting up of a business can be mitigated through: Bank Loan: This is another option for funding once target market is ascertained. The bank will need a realistic cash flow forecast, and proof that the loan will be paid back with interest. The bank may require provision of securities against the loan such as a house or car in case you don’t pay. This requires stringent risk analysis. The targeted market is often defined in terms of demographics and psychographics. In demographics, the target market is considered using variables such as gender, age, education, house-hold income, marital status, employment status, residence and the number of children in the house-hold. For example, Kick Covers could target consumers aged between 26-to-50 years old with yearly house-hold income of $50000 or more, or house-holds with children aged six years or younger. Psychographic: This is a general term for consumer’s personality traits, beliefs and attitudes about social issues (opinions) personal interests (sports, music or movies),and shopping orientations(price sensitive shoppers, recreational shoppers, convenience

Training Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Training - Coursework Example Potential vendors will be selected based on their language and communication skills since the seminar needs someone who can accurately and audibly deliver the message. Moreover, the person must have an in-depth insight into psychological aspects of human resource. These qualities can be tested through interview. Although the organization is passionate about developing the employees, the training method they use is not appropriate and effective enough. With such a large workforce, giving an umbrella course means specific individual needs are not factored in. Also, the training offered only ‘during the time of need’ is not effective. It is recommended that training programs be diversified and offered early enough to make them effective (Werner and DeSimone, 2012). Case study is definitely the most effective method as it exposes trainees to the real practical world with which they can relate. Trainees are presented with examples they see every day making them capture and remember much about the training (Werner and DeSimone,

Emergency Management Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Emergency Management Plan - Essay Example â€Å"Communication lines are often knocked out altogether or if not they are either overloaded or sketchy or busy† (Lalrokima, 2013, p.176). This is because most people attempts to use the lines when a disaster strikes. â€Å"Wireless system is the obvious choice when normal telephone and mobile phone does not exist† (Lalrokima, 2013, p.176). Wireless communication of a radio is based on radio waves that use the satellite or terrestrial system. Another option of communication that can be adopted is Radio frequency spectrum that covers very minimum to extreme maximum frequencies (Lalrokima, 2013). It is significant to consider the distance between the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) and the Incident Command Posts. It is because EOC manages the community-wide resources necessary to complete the rescue operations. The EOC requests resources through mutual aid and establishes traffic control points at critical evacuation junctions. In addition, the EOC locates the resources, directs them to staging areas set up by the ICP operation, and releases them to the Incident Commander’s control. Meanwhile, the EOC requires status updates from the Incident Commander to determine how long the shelters must remain open. In addition, the EOC determines resource distribution of food and sanitation facilities among the shelters operating on the ICP network (Zobel, 2008). In many occasions when an incident occurs, whether major accidents or minor incidents such as a house fire or major calamities such as hurricanes and earthquakes, it needs responses from a variety of agencies. Despite how big the incident is, all calamities require a well-organized and determined attempt to ensure a successful response and achieve the maximum use of available resources. In other words, no single agency can handle an emergency of any scale alone. Therefore, having a multiple incidents command posts ensures that there is efficient use of all of the available

Denial Of Service Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Denial Of Service - Essay Example Denial of service attacks is common in businesses and organizational websites. Perpetrators of these attacks target services or sites that are hosted by high profile servers. These include credit card payment systems, banks and root name servers. The article on denial of service attacks that will be used is Dave Neal’s â€Å"Denial of Service Attacks Exploits White House Press Machine†. This article was published in The Inquirer on November 12, 2014. According to this article, attackers used the White House press release machine as a way of gaining network trust. The White House made this discovery when it updated its internet report with a caution that attackers are exploiting the facility’s press release machine. These attackers are using content emanating from the White House to gain network trust. They are using DNS reflection attacks to exploit the press machine. Attackers who target the network at the White House are designing large DNS text records in order to increase amplification, and magnify their attacks. These attackers create their own text records to amplify the responses as required (Neal, 2014). This helps them to direct traffic to targeted sites. The targeted traffic, which is amplified overwhelms the targeted site and makes it unable to respond to requests. In this case, the attacks saturate the target network or machine with amplified external communication requests. These requests come in large number s in order to prevent the machine from responding to legitimate traffic. They also cause the network or machine to respond slowly to legitimate traffic. Denial of service attacks eventually lead to server overload. This technique is effective because the text records have the ability to achieve the largest possible response. The attacks that were observed lasted for 5 hours and created a bandwidth load that peaked at 4.3Gbps (Neal, 2014). The text record technique has been extensively used to target entertainment

Strategic Alliance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Strategic Alliance - Assignment Example In strategic alliance, there is less involvement and it is temporary in nature which is unlike joint venture, for example, the strategic alliance between United Airlines and British airlines in 1988. This was done for regaining the lost market share and within a year the focus of the market shifter and the agreement of strategic alliance terminated. In alliances, two companies pool in their resources for creating their separate business entity. The companies are able to gain new opportunity though; they still hold and maintain their autonomy. This alliance will help the company in developing a more effective process, expanding in the new market and also gain competitive advantage in the market (Dumela 2004). In strategic alliances the company do not form their separate entity rather collaborate their actions even though they remain apart and distinct. In the following paper, the main focus has been on explaining the major problems that are encountered by the companies at time off the ir alliance. Along with this, it will also highlight the importance of selecting effective partner in alliance. The paper will give in-depth information about the problems of alliances with the aid of examples. Reasons for Alliance The major reason, for which the companies sought to enter strategic alliance is for enhancing their organisational capabilities and gain a competitively advantageous position in the market. For this purpose, the companies are continuously undertaking actions for gaining access in the new markets. The companies also aim at maximising their profit levels by using the modern technologies and optimally utilising the available resources. The major reason why the companies make attempts for developing strategic alliance is when the companies do not find it feasible to create the potential resource internally (Glover and Wasserman 2003). Strategic alliances are used for entering into new markets, reducing the manufacturing costs, developing and diffusing new tec hnology, accelerate product introduction and overcome legal and trade barriers. Types of alliances While undertaking strategic alliance it is important that the companies take into account the level of interactions they want with their strategic alliance partners. Further it is also important that the potential for conflict that arise out of being competitors in the market is also paid due attention (Hitt, Ireland, and Hoskisson 2008). As per the values of dimensions whether high or low there are four types of strategic alliances that are formed. Following are the four types of strategic alliance: Precompetitive alliance: This type of strategic alliances takes place in inter-industries and such companies which have vertical value relations. These alliances are formed for benefitting the providing benefits to the vertical members of the supply chain. In such alliance supplier and buyer enter into long term contracts for smoother functioning of the companies (Hill and Jones 2009). Non -competitive alliances: These alliances are formed between intra-industry and such forms are non competitive in nature. By entering into alliances these companies help the firms in permitting them to operate in the same industry but should not consider each other as rivals (Hill and Jones 2009). Competitive alliances: Under this partnership, two rival firm aim at working together in a cooperative arrangement. In such situations, intense interactions

Individual Case Study Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Individual Case Study Analysis - Essay Example The founder of Honda was very innovative, whereas Fujisawa was an optimistic man who took many decisions related to marketing and financials of the company. The inventory was not encouraging for Honda to enter in the market, as US manufacturers used to sell their motorcycles on consignment and retailers used to provide consumer finance. The Honda motorcycles were leaking oil from engines and clutch of the bikes were not functioning properly. This created huge problems for the company, as reputation of Honda was at stake. The Uppsala model is best suited for Honda because the company was internally very strong in Japanese market therefore; it had liberty to start their operations in the US. The internationalization process model is based on establishing chains in which two variables of internationalization are involved that include change variable and state variable. Supercub 50CC motorcycle was a serious success in Japan, but Honda initially aimed to promote its heavy motorcycles in the US, because the company did not wanted to ruin its reputation in US. The â€Å"Nicest People Campaign† of the company became very successful in US market, and it increased sales of Honda dramatically. Honda should have performed complete market research before entering in US region, as the whole operations of the company was dependent on the report of only two executive’s of the company. ... After the success of Honda motorcycles in Japan, the owner of the company and his partner decided to enter in US market, but dynamics of that market was entirely different from Japanese market. For this purpose, a team of Honda executives was send to US in order to understand market dynamics and making suitable strategy for the company. The obstacles and problems that these executives faced in US, and measures taken to overcome these obstacles are presented in this report with help of past theories and models. Further, this report provides recommendations that can be help Honda to make effective decision making in the future. Transformational Leadership Theory The founder of the company Sochiro Honda and partner Takeo Fujisawa were determined to make Honda amongst the top companies around the world. The founder of Honda was very innovative whereas Fujisawa was an optimistic man who took many decisions related to marketing and financials of the company. Sochiro Honda focused was to ma ke inventions that can become trademark in the industry, but Fujisawa forced him to give concentration on commercial aspect of the business. Both these leaders of Honda were role model for the employees of the company as they were able to motivate their employees for extracting maximum output from them (ManagementStudyGuide). Moreover, executives of Honda were motivated by these two leaders to take strategic decisions for the company in US, as rewards were given to the executives after accomplishing positive results in US market. Issues in US Market Fewer Dealers: The number of dealers in US market was extremely low and there were only 3000 dealers for the whole motorcycle industry of America. More than 50% of those dealers were not willing to open their business

Welfare Drug Testing Essay Example for Free

Welfare Drug Testing Essay Welfare was originally designed to help out poor families in need. Throughout the years, there have been issues with people taking advantage of the system. The government has made efforts to try to help welfare recipients to get a job instead of seeing welfare as a lifestyle. The next step government should take is to drug test welfare recipients. If a person has enough money to get his or her drugs; he or she should have enough money to support their family. It is unfair for us tax payers to support other people’s family and addiction. It is clear that drug testing welfare recipients would benefit not only the system, but also recipients themselves, and tax payers. One of the first benefits the system would get by drug testing welfare recipients is decrease the number of people who take advantage of it. I personally know people who get all the government help they can without having a real need. I had a coworker whose husband would sell their food stamps in order to get his marijuana and other drugs. My coworker had 5 kids and would get about $800 worth of food stamps, plus WIC, plus section 8, and plus cash aid. She made sure she only worked enough hours not to go over the low-income limit requirements. Of course hours where available for her, but why would she get tired and work more when she can get more money by not doing much? And just like her, there are many people who do this. I think if a person is healthy he or she should have no problems getting a job. Talking about jobs, don’t we all must take a drug test in order to get hired? Why should getting welfare be different? Unconstitutional? Unconstitutional is using taxpayers’ monies to support other individual’s addictions. Individuals, who oppose drug testing welfare recipients, are either recipients who are afraid to be deny due to drug use, or confused tax payers. Confused tax payers might think that by drug testing all welfare recipients the government would have to invest more of our tax money on this programs. What tax payers should know that in the long run, this is very beneficial and needed for us. Recipients who are abusing drugs would think twice before applying for welfare. The number of recipients abusing the system will dramatically decrease. It could even be beneficial for the recipient who abuses drug, since if he or she really has the need they would seek help to stay clean. Usually when an addict recovers, he or she sees life as new beginning and his or her enthusiastic will more likely encourage being someone in life. According to US Department of Health and Human Services, U. S. Department of Commerce, and CATO Institute: â€Å"The government spends on welfare annually (not including food stamps or unemployment) $131. 9 billion dollars. There is 40 states where welfare pays more than an $8. 00 per hour job and even 7 states where pays more than $12 per hour. Hawaii’s welfare hourly rate is equivalent to $17. 50 per hour and our neighbor state California $11. 59 per hour. † I personally think is not fair at all that hard working individuals like me, have to struggle to pay bills, rent, groceries, health care etc. o support our family; when others are living so comfortable and buying drugs with our taxes. Research shows that 20 percent of TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) recipients admitted to using an illicit drug sometime in the last year. In addition, substance use is associated with increased duration (and cycling) of TANF receipt. With approximately $33 billion spent on TANF payments each year, it is alarming if over $6 billion is supporting drug users (Substance Abuse Policy Research Program, 2007). In conclusion, if the working class has to be drug tested to make their money, those receiving assistance should be drug tested to receive their check. The government would get numerous benefits if they start drug testing welfare recipients. Clearly, drug testing welfare recipients would benefit not only the system, but also recipients themselves, and tax payers. As of April 17, 2013, at least 29 states have proposed legislation requiring some form of drug testing or screening for public assistance recipients in 2013 (National Conference and State Legislatures, 2013).

Acculturation and Ethnicity in Consumer Behavior

Acculturation and Ethnicity in Consumer Behavior The concepts Acculturation and ethnicity are often used by the researcher to describe consumption experiences of ethnic minority consumers. This paper presents a review of the relationship between cultural process, specifically what has been termed Acculturation, and how it helps to understand consumer behavior of ethnic minority consumers. Consumer Acculturation is a socialization process in which an immigrant, or marginalizes consumer learns the behavior, attitude and values of a culture that are different from those of their culture of origin (Lee 1998). Ethnic groups are ..any group which is defined or set off by race, religion, or national origin, or some combination of these categories, (Gordon, 1964, p.27). Historically Acculturation has been primarily shown as a one-way process where the microculture adopts the dominant cultures norms without corresponding influences. This paper looks for explain the impact of acculturation on consumer purchase decisions of ethnic minority gr oup and how it helps to understand consumer behavior of ethnic minority group. INTRODUCTION: Minority ethnic audience in all over the world represents a significant cultural and consumer force. Increasing ethnic and cultural diversity- like other forms of social change represents both a threat and an opportunity to marketers. New consumer segment can provide fresh sources of top-line growth with focused new product development to the marketer. And for that producer has to be aware of the cultural change among the ethnic minority consumer. Acculturation provides a qualitative overview of how cultural differences of the larger minority ethnic communities affect their consumer behavior. Acculturation and Ethnicity in Consumer Behavior: Acculturation and Assimilation: Redfield, Linton and Herskovits (1936,p.149) ) define acculturation as those phenomena which result when group of individuals having different cultures come into continuous first-hand contact, with subsequent change in the organizational culture patterns of either or both groups. Under this definition, acculturation is to be distinguished from culture-change, of which it is but one aspect, and assimilation, which is at times a phase of acculturation. Acculturation is a process of adopting the believes and behavior of one culture group by another cultural group. The direction of adaptation can be a minority group adopting habits and language patterns of the dominant group, and can be other way- that is, the dominant group also adopt patterns typical of the minority group. The changes may take place in dominant culture, the subculture or both groups, according to Berry (1977); in practice Acculturation tends to produce more substantial change in one of the groups. Assimilation of one c ulture group into another may be evidence by changes in language preference, adoption of common attitude and values, membership in common social groups, and loss of the separate political or ethnic identity. Many researchers have used the term acculturation and assimilation interchangeably, or in some case, the meaning has overlapped (Gordon 1964). To ass to the confusion, different disciplines use the terms to mean different concepts (Berry and Annis 1974; Padilla 1980). For example, sociologists like Gordon (1964), typically use the term assimilation to describe encounters between ethnic groups and the cultural negotiation process to find common ground. In contrast anthropologists prefer the term acculturation to describe the same cultural negotiation process (Gordon 1964). A review of the consumer acculturation literature reveals a similar inconsistency. Therefore, it is important to relay the predominant difference between assimilation and acculturation in terms of their usage in the consumer acculturation context and the next outcome of the cultural negotiations. While assimilation occurs when an immigrant fully adopts mainstream values and gives up their cultural heritage, accultur ation can occur when some elements of the mainstream culture and added without abandoning the native culture ( Berry 1980; Padilla 1980; Wallendorf and Reilly 1983; Jun, Ball et al 1993; Rossman 1994). Consumer Acculturation: Consumer Acculturation is a subset of acculturation and socialization. While acculturation is more general, consumer acculturation is specific to the consumption process. Consumer acculturation can be seen as a socialization process in which an immigrant consumer learns the behaviors, attitude and values of a culture that are different from their culture of origin (Lee 1988). Webster (1994) views ethnic identity as a subset of acculturation and assimilation as a mode of acculturation. In the Websters study, ethnic identification is operationalised by determining which language is used in the home. Webster believes the combination of the ethnic identification and self-identification captures assimilation dimensions. Laroche, Kim and Tomiuk (1998) state that the primary different between the two constructs is that ethnic identity measures focus on maintenance/retention of the culture of origin and acculturation measures focus on acquisition of the host culture. Ethnicity and Ethnic Identity: Although closely related, ethnicity and ethnic identity are two separate constructs. Ethnicity is an objective description and refers to a group with common national or religious background. In contrast, ethnic identity is more subjective ( Cohen 1978; Hirschman 1981; Minor 1992) and is a self-designation which relays a persons commitment and strength of association to a particular group (Zaff, Blount, Philips and Cohen 2002; Chung and Fischer 1999). The concept of acculturation refers to a process or change. Ethnic identity , on the other hand, refers to a status, which may or may not be statics. Thus the strength of ethnic identity may influence the level of acculturation as suggested by Penazola and Gilly (1999) and others. The contrasts of the ethnic identity and acculturation are neither parallel nor opposite of each other; rather they influence and shape each other. Measurement of Acculturation Constructs: Measures of acculturation typically attempt to determine the extent which a person has adopted to a new culture (Magana et al 1996) and the resulting behavioral changes that occurs a result of the contact (Ward and Arzu 1999). There has been a great deal of variation in the measurement of acculturation and ethnicity in both the social science and the consumer behavior literature. Some factors, either individually or in combinations, that have been considered in the measurement are language, reference groups, intermarriage, identity, culture (Laroche, Kim and Tomiuk 1998; Lee and Um 1992), and religion (Hirschman 1981). Communication based measures =, such as media usage, have also been used (O Guinn and Faber 1985; Kim, Laroche et al. 1990).

Gender and leadership style analysis

Gender and leadership style analysis 1. Introduction Leader is the central part of a company. No matter what kind of organization it is, the activity of leading is very important. Leader style is also called manager style, which is concerned with maintaining motivation, balancing interests and implementing tactical plans. An effective leader is someone who motivates a person or a group to accomplish more than they would have otherwise accomplished without that leaders involvement (Gedney R., 1999). As a good leader, he or she should be visionary, innovative, and has strategic and logical thinking. Good leadership style can help a company to build and sustain a high performance structure. When a baby is born, the first question people always ask is is it a boy or a girl? The babys gender determines what kind of characteristics he or she would have to some extent. If the baby is a boy, he is more likely to be competitive, strong and tough in the future. If the baby is a girl, she seems to be more careful, emotional, and patient when she grows up. So according to different characteristics male and female maintain, their leadership styles have many differences. 2. Different Genders Leadership Styles Research presented by Dr. Pat Heim in her video, The Invisible Rules: Men, Women and Teams, indicates that each gender is a culture in itself, raised with invisible rules of conduct instinctively known to all adult members of that gender (Norton D., 1998). Male leader leans towards the traditional command-and-control style. They are more likely to employ a transactional leadership. The transactional leadership style developed by Bass is based on the hypothesis that followers are motivated through a system of rewards and punishment (Transactional leadership, 2007). Leaders using this style view job performance as a series of transactions and they offer rewards for services rendered or punishment for inadequate performance. This means if the followers do something good for the organization, they will be rewarded. On the contrary, if they do something wrong, they will be punished. Followers are putting the wishes of leaders in effect.  In fact, this kind of style may begin to form the very early leader-follower relationship. Male leaders give the ideas to their followers that they can get better raises by following orders. As for female leaders, they also use the transactional leadership style. But the study found women were more likely to use the supporting component the leadership style have. On the other hand, male leaders not always give rewards when their employees perform well. But if the employees do something wrong, he will punish them without doubts. Female leaders are tended to use this kind of interactive leadership style. They not only encourage others participation but also attempted to energize followers by enhancing their sense of self-worth. They inspire and motivate employees while allowing them some initiative and giving them the power to make decisions on their own. Many women leaders believe that people perform best when they feel good about themselves and their work. The leaders are opening access to information to increase opportunities for continuous improvement. But similarities also exist among men and women managers. In order to lead employees, no matter what gender you are, you should follow many similar principles that useful in management. An extensive review of research suggests that similarities in leadership styles tend to outweigh the differences. Because of career self-selection and organization selection, people who choose careers in law enforcement or real estate have a lot in common. So do individuals who choose managerial or supervisory roles (David C., 2006). In retrospect, men are more likely to use the transactional leadership style for rewarding and punishing employees. Men are strong and decisive. Women build bridges of empathy. Men get things done. Women care more about the process(Different leadership styles, 2007). As women always use the transformational leadership style, they are better at negotiating than men. There are many communication strengths for female leaders: they enhance team work, win the trust of the people they work with, and encourage innovation. Male leaders also have many advantages: they are decisive when they face difficult situations, have clear mind to set different responsibilities, and remove unwanted elements without doubts. 3. Male Leaders vs. Female Leaders, Which Make Better Leaders During a long period of time, many people think men have the ability to manage people well and they are suitable to management. However, as more and more women are moving into management in recent years, some questions have arisen: Do women bring a special brand new style of leading into company? The traditional command-and-control style, compared with womens ways of leading, which one is more effective? Which leadership style is better? Which leadership style is better? In 2005, a year-long study identified a number of characteristics that distinguish women leaders from men when it comes to qualities of leadership. The study findings are summarized into four specific statements about womens leadership qualities: Women leaders are more persuasive than their male counterparts. When feeling the sting of rejection, women leaders learn from adversity and carry on with an Ill show you attitude. (Women Leaders study, 2005). Esther Wachs, the author of the book Why the Best Man for the Job is a Woman: The Unique Female Qualities of Leadership, makes research on the careers of fourteen top female executives among them the President and CEO of eBay to find out what makes them so successful. She found women has a willingness to reinvent the rules; an ability to sell their visions; the determination to turn challenges into opportunities; and a focus on high touch in a high tech business world (Lowen L.). Women in both staff and line positions were more likely to be leader-style executives than their male colleagues. During 1990s, there were only small part of women filled in managerial positions and most of them stayed in house looking after babies and doing housework. But just after several years, more and more women become white-collars and get high-leveled jobs. Organizations realize women have better performance than expected. In 2005, the number of women ascent into top management positions in large companies has increased nearly 60 percent over the last decade. In both the UK and Ireland, women represent more than 45 percent of the workforce (Gurdal I., 2005). From the data we can see, the speed which women moved into top positions is very fast. Nowadays, it is common to see female leaders in organization, although they are still the minority. Since technology develops rapidly, what the company concerned most in the future is for people. Interactive management, creative problem handling method, and effective communication skills are more valuable for an organization than other aspects. All these characteristics as important for future development and success are the qualities female leaders have. So to some extents, it seems that female leadership style is more and more suitable for companies. Women have the ability to create brand new corporation culture, which is different from male leaders produced. The structures that women establish seem to be flexible and these structures can help to create more interactive environment for a company. Since women also tend to discuss problems more openly and utilize group-think to seek solutions, such solutions are often more acceptable to teams (Gutià ©rrez M., 2008). According to what mentioned above, female leaders have many advantages outweigh than male leaders. But this does not mean male leaders are not good. There is still much superiority which male leaders have. Many studies show there are not lots of differences between the qualities of men and women leadership styles. Each genders leadership styles have their good points. Since male leaders are more masculine, they are good at solving problems, delegating, and influencing superiors. Female leaders are more feminine, they are more likely to be supporting and rewarding others, building team and consulting. Interestingly, some male leaders are better at networking, which generally is seen as a feminine behavior. Some female leaders are better than males at solving problems, an ability regarded as male leadership style. 4. The Trend of Leadership Style 4.1 Feminine leadership style is growing The general perception of business management before was a structure dominated by males whose leadership style was hierarchical, tough, action-oriented, and even autocratic. In most peoples mind, the ideal leader should be regarded as an independent, tough, individualistic hero. But today a new generation of women is bringing to business a different style often described as more consensus-building, more likely to encourage participation by others, more open and inclusive, and even more caring than that of many males. Now a new wave revolution created by women is coming. Many females begin explore their own way to top management positions. The way is not sitting down under old rules and habits that have proved effective and suitable for males, it derives from womens own experience and their unique understanding of the world.T he World YWCA Secretary General Kanyoro says attitudes toward leadership changing mentioned this: These newly admired leadership qualities of shared leadership; nurturance and doing good for others are today not only sought after but also indeed needed to make a difference in the world.A feminine way of leading includes helping the world to understand and be principled about values that really matter (Kanyoro M., 2006). In modern society, domination is no longer a popular leadership style. Todays work force is better-educated. Nowadays, more and more young professional workers are joining into the organizations. They demand to participate and contribute. In some cases, they have knowledge or talents their bosses dont have. Normally, these kinds of workers are likely to respond more to interactive leaders. They hope their leaders can be flexible, interactive, trust and encouraging rather than rigid, right-wing, serious, and restraining. Todays company requires leaders who not only are risk takers, but also are capable of hearing the ideas of others and really give them the power to use some of the ideas in changing business making them successful. Listening, encouraging and sharing information with people are the keys to success for best leaders. Just like the President of the nearly $500-million-a-year magazine group of Meredith Corp. said: Companies that try to manage in the old top-down, hierarchical, drill-sergeant way is just doomed (Nelton S., 1991). Many experts agree that women are more likely to have the ability to deal with the complicated problems existed in the company. They are more active in building networks, listening, resolving conflict, and getting people to work together. In addition, women can help companies be more competitive because they see business opportunities as a result of their own experience. Many female leaders have the confidence that they can help company grow very well in an international market. Although men still run the world, more and more people realize that it might be in better shape if women were more often in charge. Female leadership characters can help companies solve three major problemsthe need for better customer service, the demand for higher quality, and the need for leadership itself (Nelton S., 1991). Gradually, many male leaders start to use the so-called feminine tools of leadership without embarrassment. Being more male than male is no longer effective for women leaders on controlling a company. Women leaders have more opportunities to use the styles that are more natural to them as individuals, whether soft or tough. As never before, the world is seeking capable women as being the female leader. Its happening most quickly on the entrepreneurial side, as well as on the corporate side. A large growing pool of women will have the chance to show their executive talent. According to the research on Google, in United States, more than 4 million of women have already started at the top by launching their own companies. In order to nurture the development of women leaders, many companies encourage mentoring for women. They create situations that facilitate informal, on-the-job advice for women. Some companies also add women to board of directors. 4.2 Different leaderships blend together Although there are many advantages by using feminine leadership style, smart companies are making room for a diversity of styles, encouraging the development of women leaders along with the men. Male leaders are better at giving orders, while female leaders like to build the bridge between employees and her. They enhance team work more than male leaders and they more focus on the detailed things during the process. On the contrary, male leaders always lead in a macro point of view. Men and women can learn strengths from each other. Many women are combining the best of the traditional styles, such as focus on performance, into their leadership style, while men are adopting the so-called soft management approaches that women use effectively. For the fortunate businesses, these different styles should be complementary rather than confrontational. If two men or two women work together, it may not be more effective than men and women work together. At the top of the company, if different genders work together, they can produce harmony and comfortable environment and develop the companys potential to higher point. For an organization, in order to fully realize its potential, it is vital to meld different leadership styles together. No matter what kind of way the leader uses, the critical thing for the leader is to know the strong and weakness the style they use most frequently. To be effective in the workplace, the leader must also realize that switching between different styles can make his or her company have better performance. Dilemma Faced by Female Leaders in Todays Society: Stereotyping Leadership When we talk about the two types of leadership -one is predominantly masculine and the other is predominantly feminine, we would think about two different kinds of figures: men in the military and on the playing field to train soldiers, and women in the home to manage the house and nurture husbands and children. Since many women have been married and have children, most of them spend higher average hours of housework than men per week. The competitive pressure is growing higher and higher in todays society, women have to strive to balance their professional careers and family roles. Some people think female are not suitable for being leaders because women always consider their family a lot and can not spend all efforts on work. Womens inability of being leaders is not because they lack adequate leadership characteristics; it is because they do not have time and energy. Widely shared gender stereotypes are in effect the genetic code of the gender system, since they constitute the cult ural rules or schemas by which people perceive and enact gender difference and inequality (Carli L., 2001). Male and female management styles are distinct. In many cases, managerial stereotypes fit with gender stereotypes. People stereotype women as being better at encouraging, supporting and taking care; while men are stereotyped as being more direct, kinglike and taking charge. Many people think if the leader is a female, she is more likely to discuss with their employees when making a decision. To the contrary, if the leader is a male, he would decide by himself and influence superiors to follow him. People always consider man can better achieve a solution than women. Today, the number of men in top management positions is still much higher than women. Only a quite small part of women can enter top management field, let alone being CEOs. No matter what leadership style female executives choose, they are more likely to be perceived negatively than men. Female business leaders act consistent with gender stereotypes are considered too soft. But if they go against gender stereotypes, they are considered too tough. To explain these, when a female leader exhibit traditionally valued leadership behaviors such as assertiveness, she tends to be seen as competent but not personable or likable. If she adopts a more stereotypically feminine style, people like it but not see it as having valued leadership skills. So there is a double-bind dilemma for women in leadership: Damned If You Do, Doomed If You Dont (Study, 2007). So todays female leaders are really at a deadlock. Even though they tried very hard to become leaders, they still have limited positional power. Many people do not agree women become leaders because they regard all of women as a whole, and all of them have the same characteristics in other words, womens character flaw. In those peoples mind, since most women are sentimental, they should be tender and shilly-shally; since they are approachable, they do not have the determination to make punishment or criticize; since they are likely to support and encourage others, they do not have the power to influence superiors, etc. Stereotyping is strong and horrible, it gives women more and more pressure when they pursuit higher positions. Although many women have diversity trainings before they enter into executive positions, they still feel powerless to eliminate the stereotypes. The effect of gender stereotyping can be devastating, it block the way they pursuit their career, whittle down their confidence, bury their talents and potential and increase the huge gap in business leadership. One day women will be fully accepted in senior positions, but before this day comes true, women still have much further to go. Many companies have already realized the bad environment and unequal opportunities for women. In order to help women achieve their advancement and argue for their rights, some organizations have already taken active measure to avoid and resist gender stereotyping. Women leaders performance should be shown and supported, especially when they are in the fields dominated by male. Company should also create a gender-sensitive workplace, to give women the same opportunities to take part in the work discussion. Another way is to give managers, executives, and even employees the education about stereotyping. This can give them the idea that it is important to improve gender quality and let women have more confidence to strive for their rights. Furthermore, objective standards must be used when evaluating peoples achievements. It is sure that with equitable and supportive business environment, the organization will have better-educated workforce, enjoy better business performance and become more compatible in the market. 6. Suggestions for Good Leadership Style Regardless of the size of the company, both men and women business leaders have a lot they can teach one another about leadership, as well as the members of their own sex. As they learn from one another, they can bring strengthened leadership abilities to their companies. Here are some suggestions for good leadership styles. 6.1 Listen Carefully For this point, women leaders tend to be better listeners than men. Listening is the key because leaders can learn from the people who work for them by listening. If followers know their leader is open, the leader even hears the downside directly. Listening to others is a kind of way to gather information. It enables leaders to keep making changes to improve the organization. However, listening doesnt always mean agreement. Listening to a person doesnt mean you should decide it in his or her way. Leaders should be good at filtering useful information. Some leaders meet with a different group of 15 or more non-managerial employees for round-table discussions every month. By talking with those employees, leaders can get to know people at levels they might never see. The purpose of the round-table discussion is communication, but a wise leader makes a point of listening more than talking. 6.2 Being Decisive Decisiveness is defined as being characterized by firmness and decision' (Being decisive, 2007). Being decisive doesnt mean having a closed mind or being bullheaded. A good leader should know when to stop building consensus and gathering information to make a decision. Decisiveness is an area that women could probably learn something from men. 6.3 Be Willing to Express Your Emotions In fact, there is always a wrong perception about management. People always think soft management means the leader is sensitive, caring and supportive, and hard management means the leader is tough and draw the lines. But actually, a lot of the tough guy is really cowardly and ineffective management. Managers who take the hard approach sometimes are hiding behind a shell, they are afraid to confront their own emotions and feelings. They scare to show it in public. Dont be afraid to show your feelings to your employees which are important for both male and female leaders. Because it is a way to show your faith and honest, and it is also an opportunity to build the bridge of trust among people. Many leaders find when they stop hiding their emotions, their reputation among employees is higher. Instead of considering being soft, they receive more respects from their employees. Cry doesnt mean you are wimp. Leaders who cry for their employees outstanding performance or regret for their own leading mistakes convey that they take employees performance and achievements seriously. 6.4 Doesnt Let Your Ego Get in the Way No matter you are a man or a woman, you have to learn that there is no place for ego in leadership. Only one person can not make a company successful. Running an organization its a team effort and a team attitude. If something is good, both leader and followers will all take credit. But if it is bad, they all take the blame. Leaders should not be too proud of them and focus on making profit for their own, since it will be found sooner or later and followers will not trust the leaders any more. Dont be egotistical does not mean you can not get to the top if you want to. But what the leader should make it clear is that the more people you try to take along with you, the faster youll get there and the longer youll stay there. 6.5 Be Yourself Dont try to force yourself into a certain style thats not natural to you, even if you think its expected of you. Leaders should aware that different people have different expectations, you can not satisfy everyone. Do not lose yourself. Female leaders are strong professionals, but they can still wear dresses instead of masculine-looking suits. They can also keep a jar of candy in the office, which is regarded as a typically female touch. Believe it or not, such little things can produce an environment of communication and friendliness. You can learn to draw on other leaders styles, however, to enrich your choice of tools. Leader should build on his or her strengths in terms of the personality, and it basically comes down to what works best for him or her. 7. Does only sex determine the leadership style? Most of the male leaders can set legible responsibilities, but that does not mean women leaders can not. So all of these characteristics described for male and female actually do not have clear boundaries and are not the unique ones just aim at one gender. The leadership style is not just influenced by gender, the style also develop out of personalities and life experiences. Each leader has a predominant style, but the other aspects of leadership must also be present as tools to use. If men do not feel embarrassed to show some kinds of feminine ways of leading, they can also use them directly and effectively. In some cases, female leaders are also comfortable to show use some male leadership styles when necessary. In very difficult and dangerous situation, there may be just only one right decision. The leader should use it, no matter what gender the leader is. For many successful male and female leaders, their partners (have different gender) are linked by neither marriage nor romance. Men and women in senior management all work for long hours and are motivated by the achievement they made. Leadership style is also determined by the types of operations executives run. If the leader oversees design and production, he seems to be more low-key than the other one who is responsible for sales, marketing, and finance. The second leader needs to be more intense and aggressive so as to increase the performance of apartments which he or she charges. If leaders responsibilities require more structure, they should be more strict and rigid. On the contrary, if they need to deal with creative people, they should be more fluid, spontaneous, and flexible. From a get-somebodys-attention standpoint, it is beneficial for the leaders to be direct, no nonsense, and get on the table what they want. 8. Conclusion In retrospect, males tended to be more task-oriented; females tended to be more relationship-oriented. Women tend to employ a more democratic, participative style while men tend to take a more autocratic, directive approach. Self-selection and adaptation are factors common to female leadership, while delegation and controlling are factors common to male leadership. Female leaders are more likely to be supporting and rewarding others, building team and consulting. Male leaders are better at solving problems, delegating, and influencing superiors. Human flexibility combined with cultural experiences allows men and women the ability to do more or less what they choose versus being locked into stereotypical behaviors. For example, men are capable, although maybe not comfortable, working within organizations currently identified with womens styles. Also, women can and do adapt to military leadership styles when required. Although there are lots of differences between male and female leaders, they can still successfully work together, to communicate effectively, and contribute equally to the work place. Nowadays, more and more leaders become introspective but decisive, caring yet competent. Companies seem to understand giving the chances to a variety of leaders to grow and shine is good for business. All in all, whether a style is masculine or feminine, the best leadership style depends on the organization. A nontraditional leadership style can be effective in organizations that accept it. The most competitive organizations will take leaders wherever they find them, no matter what sex they are. Thats not only the essence of capitalism, but also the law of survival of the fittest.

The Ozone Layer and Climate Change Essay -- Global Warming Environment

Since the beginning of the industrial revolution early in the nineteenth century, our ability to change the world around us has become profound. At first, the impact on our planet was almost imperceptible, but as we have grown both in number and technological capability, that influence has grown with us. Lately, the effects of our increased activity have begun to manifest themselves in a multitude of subtle, and some not so subtle ways: we have thinned the ozone layer and may now be starting to change the very climate system upon which we and all other life on Earth depend. In effect, we are experimenting with the future, but unlike performing a laboratory experiment, which can be scrapped and begun anew if it fails, altering the climate is something that cannot be easily undone. Whatever happens, we shall all be forced to live with the consequences for a very long time. The author of Ozone and Climate Change - A Beginner's Guide, Stephen J. Reid, has managed to put one of the most c omplex environmental problems into the simplest words. But as he has already mentioned, undoing what we have done to the ozone layer is not that simple. The ozone layer or ozonosphere is the region of the stratosphere containing relatively high concentrations of ozone, a pale blue, highly poisonous gas with a strong odor. Ozone is formed by the action of solar ultraviolet light on oxygen. Ozone at ground level is a health hazard. High concentrations of ozone at ground level are dangerous to breathe and can damage the lungs. Ozone in the upper atmosphere, however, is vital to life. The ozone layer prevents most ultraviolet and other high-energy radiation from penetrating to the earth's surface but does allow through sufficient ultraviolet rays to ... ... on this planet possible. Works Cited Lunsford, Andrea A., Ruszkiewicz, John J. The Presence of Others - Third Edition. Boston/New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2000, 237-243. Reid, Stephen J. Ozone and Climate Change - A Beginner's Guide. Singapore: Gordon and Breach Science Publishers, 2000. Christie, Maureen. The Ozone Layer - A Philosophy of Science Perspective. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2001. Grundmann, Reiner. Transnational Environmental Policy - Reconstructing Ozone. London/New York: Routledge, 2001. Encyclopedia.com. "The Montreal Protocol." December 1, 2002. . CNN.com - Antarctic Ozone Hole Splits in Two. Richard Stenger. September 30, 2002. December 1, 2002. . EPA-OAQPS Ozone: Good Up High, Bad Nearby. December 2, 2002. . An Introduction to the Science of Ozone Depletion: Green Nature. December 2, 2002. .

History of Abortion Essay -- essays research papers

Ever since the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision in 1973, Abortion has changed its course in society. With the new decision made by the United States, abortion was now legal. Many abortions were performed before the Supreme Court decision, but the settlement made it less risky for the doctors involved. Abortion has caused society to be divided by a pro-choice group and pro-life group. Two groups with struggles that will never end. There are many different types of abortions that can be preformed. The type used depends on how far along in the pregnancy the woman is. In the very early stage of the pregnancy, up to 49 days after conception, the woman has two choices. The first is to take a combination of drugs. This is called a medical abortion. The embryo is then passed out. The other met... History of Abortion Essay -- essays research papers Ever since the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision in 1973, Abortion has changed its course in society. With the new decision made by the United States, abortion was now legal. Many abortions were performed before the Supreme Court decision, but the settlement made it less risky for the doctors involved. Abortion has caused society to be divided by a pro-choice group and pro-life group. Two groups with struggles that will never end. There are many different types of abortions that can be preformed. The type used depends on how far along in the pregnancy the woman is. In the very early stage of the pregnancy, up to 49 days after conception, the woman has two choices. The first is to take a combination of drugs. This is called a medical abortion. The embryo is then passed out. The other met...

Allen Sapp :: essays research papers fc

Allen Sapp is a famous Indian artist. He was born in 1928 on the Red Pheasant Reserve near Battleford, Saskatchewan. He was raised and cared for by his grandmother, Maggie Soonias because his mother died of tuberculosis. He was a sickly child who was often picked on by other children. He took great pleasure in painting and drawing, beginning at age eight. Sapp married and in 1960 his son David was born in a tuberculosis sanitorium where his wife was sick. In 1961 she got out and they moved to Battleford. Allen tried to live off his art and tried to paint waht he thought the white man would like, often calendar art of places and animals he’d never actually seen. He dressed as he thought the white man would accept, and he knew little English. One morning in 1966 Sapp walking into the North Battleford Medical Clinic to sell his paintings. Here he met Dr. Allan Gonor, who liked his work. On his second visit Dr. Gonor saw a painting of Cheif Sam Swimmer and liked it. He bought it and asked for more. Allen began painting what he knew from the reserve. He turned out many paintings at a tremendous rate. Dr. Gonor arranged for him to see an art professor from the U of S. The little instruction he got form her was the only formal instruction he has ever had. In September 1968 she showed some of Allen’s paintings in her backyard. The show was a great success. On the Easter weekend of 1969 Allen had his first major exhibition. The people loved him. He became a great success. The value of his paintings went way up in the next little while as his popularity streadily increased and he did shows all over Canada and in the US and England. He once again became proud of his Indian heritage and began to dress the part. By 1974 h e even had a book written about him. In 1977 Sapp’s son, David, died. In 1985 Dr. Gonor died while visiting Thailand In December 1985 Sapp was elected to the Royal Canadian Acadamy of Arts (R.C.A.A.). He also became one of the first eight receipants of the Saskatchewan Award of Merit. In 1986 he was recognized as one of the Senior Native Artists in Canada. In January 1987 the Governor General of Canada appointed Sapp as an Officer to the Order of Canada.

A Complicated Conversation with William Pinar: A Reader Response to “From Autobiography to Allegory” Essay

William Pinar (2011): â€Å"To understand curriculum as complicated conversation, I invoke the concept of ‘allegory.’ It is, in my usage, interrelated with ‘reconstruction,’ as each reactivates the past in order to find the future. To reconstruct means to ‘establish or assemble again†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (49). Alyssa: Establish or assemble again†¦.ok, I am in Grammy’s house, she is in her chair, we are drinking tea, or playing cards, yes, if I am going to establish or assemble again, I may as well go back to when she could see, we are sitting, drinking tea and playing cards. Then I’m in Nova Scotia, in Grandmere and Grandpere’s kitchen, and Grandpere is sitting in his rocking chair by the fire, telling me a story about when he was a teacher, about his students, about when the twins were born, asking me about my school, my life, remembering my name, remembering my last visit and eating chocolate-coated digestive cookies because that is what we always did. William Pinar (2011): â€Å"It is important to note that my conception of ‘reconstruction’ contrasts with its usages in historiography, that is, aiming to reconstruct the past ‘as it was’†¦ (50). Alyssa: What?!?! But, reconstructing the past is reconstructing the past! I want to reconstruct the past! I want to be in Grammy’s living room, or talking to Grandpere when he remembered my name! You said I could reconstruct the past, you told me I could, and now you are telling me that I can’t†¦ Almost word for word, this was my experience reading Chapter 2, â€Å"From Autobiography to Allegory†, in William Pinar’s What is Curriculum Theory? After reading the first part of the chapter, outlining the concept of autobiography and its significance to curriculum theory and to the self, I found myself daydreaming about the past. In no time, I was in my recently deceased  Grandmother’s presence again, or imagining the lucid state of my Grandfather, now suffering from dementia and residing in a nursing home. I was happy in these memories. Then William Pinar continued talking and ruined my state of happiness. So, I complained. I told him how angry I was at him, how happy I had been that I found validation for living within these past memories and how he ruined it for me. It was at this moment that I recognized that somehow without even realizing it, I had entered into a complicated conversation with William Pinar. Pinar (2011) describes a complicated conversation as a†¦conversation in which interlocutors are speaking not only among themselves but to those not present, not only to historical figures and unnamed peoples and places they may be studying, but to politicians and parents dead and alive, not to mention to the selves they have been, are in the process of becoming, and someday may become (43). My conversation included myself, past and present, William Pinar, my deceased Grandmother, and the past version of my Grandfather. Furthermore, the simple act of writing this paper brings you, the readers into the conversation as well. According to these terms, I would classify it as a ‘complicated conversation.’ The more I delved into this thought, the more I realized how often I find myself entering into this kind of dialogue. Whether I am sitting on the bus, playing out a conversation with the person next to me based on the book they are reading, or sitting in the classroom discussing the response to a question based on the views of many a theorist, former teacher, or famous celebrity, or planning and imagining lessons plans for my future students based on something I am experiencing in the present day, or something I have experienced in the past, these are the voices, both real and imagined, continuously flowing through my thoughts. For the most part, these would be deemed daydreams, unwanted and unwelcomed imaginings in a classroom, or any setting where productive work is expected. But, according to Pinar, they are, instead, complicated conversations of curriculum. In following with the method of currere, the running of the course, they are a necessary part of understanding the curriculu m through the understanding oneself (Pinar, 2011, pp. 44). By allowing these sorts of complicated conversations in the classroom, by allowing the students to discuss, to converse, to question,  the things they are learning, the texts they are reading, by allowing the students to actively engage in the curriculum presented to them, to bring their own narratives into the classroom, rather than merely sitting and listening; the responsibility of learning falls upon not only the teacher, but also the students. Furthermore, Pinar (2011) notes that a complicated conversations also serves as a â€Å"conversation with oneself [as a ‘private person’] and with others threaded through academic knowledge, an ongoing project of self-understanding in which one becomes mobilized for engagement in the world† (47). Although anchored in academic thought, these conversations are not meant to remain solely in the academic realm. They are meant to delve into personal narratives and emotional stories; they are meant to delve into autobiography. Thus, by allowing complicated conversations in the classrooms, we are not only giving students an opportunity to take responsibility of their own learning, but to connect to their learning and to the curriculum through their own autobiographical narratives. Yet, complete understanding requires more than autobiography; it requires allegory. Pinar (2011) cites allegory as more than the mere exchange of information and stories, but the ability to reflect on the information and finding meaning in the present from the stories of the past (50). In terms of allegory’s connection to autobiography, Pinar (2011) furthers the conversation by adding that â€Å"[h]istorical facts are primary, but it is facts’ capacity to invoke our imagination that marks them as allegorical, Their meaning is not confined to the past where they occurred; they spill into our existence of the present†¦history becomes accessible through allegory† (54). Thus, historical facts and autobiographical narratives, although interesting, carry little significance without the use of allegory. Historians are continuously pleading with the world to heed to lessons of history, but these requests often go unanswered until the moment when something occurs in the present day which recalls the experiences of the past. At this point, history is explored in relation to the present reality, invoking allegory as it brings meaning to the present. Through the concept of complicated conversation, autobiography and allegory exist as a circular movement as the process repeats itself with each new piece of information. Through this dialogue with theory, ourselves, and others, we explore autobiographical narratives, which connect to our present selves  through allegory, which in turn enlighten our experience of the present, rounding up our complicated conversation. In terms of my own complicated conversation, the concept of entering into curriculum theory through the concept of autobiography remains easy. As a history student, researching historical narratives are my forte. This interest in the past led me into a search of my family history. Consequently, I have visited places, and read notices, and held objects owned by my ancestors. Thus, readin g Pinar’s (2011) suggestion that â€Å"we find the future not in the present, but in the past† (49) was an exciting moment during my dialogue with the text. At this point, I began thinking about my grandparents, about my childhood, and all those happy moments from my past, thinking that these moments, exactly as they were would lead me to the future. For a split second, Pinar had convinced me I held the key to my future because I knew my past. But, as previously discussed, this illusion was shattered instantaneously. The concept of allegory was a bit more complicated. As previously mentioned, through allegory, the stories reactivated from the past lead to significance, to a greater understanding and answer the question: â€Å"what might this knowledge signify for us as actually existing individuals in this time, in this place?† (Pinar, 2011, pp. 50-51). Thinking through autobiographical narratives, from my point of view, is easy. Thinking allegorically, is not. Yet, in terms of the contents of the chapter, the introduction of the Weimer Republic, a story from the past, as an allegory to better understand the present reality, I was reasonably able to understand the relationship and the significance. I could understand and reactivate the historical events of Weimer Germany, and place them in juxtaposition with today’s world, adequately using this allegory to further inform my understanding of the present and shape my view of the future. But, I did not feel like I could end my conversation there. The text led me to my dead Grandmother, my lucid Grandpere, I could not simply leave them in the middle of a conversation. This chapter meant more to me than a simple explanation of theories in order to set up for the remainder of the book. As Pinar (2011) himself notes, â€Å"[t]he curricular question is a call to individuality†¦[as]†¦academic knowledge is also a question of self-knowledge† (57). In other words, I was not content leaving the conversation solely as a discussion of the past Weimer and its meaning for today. It affected me at a  personal level, as I weaved parts of my own autobiographical narrative into the words and theories on paper. I did more than just read the words on the paper; I entered into a complicated conversation and was committed to following through this process to the end, from autobiography to allegory. But, as I mentioned, I had a hard time working through the concept of allegory. How could I turn my memories of my Grandmother, or my Grandpere, into something meaningful for my present, to lead me into my future? Something meaningful to inform my experience with currere, with the running the course? How do these experiences affect me as a student, as a teacher, or as an individual? How can they be something more than sometimes pleasant, sometimes not so pleasant, memories? Just as I begin to panic, realizing that this conversation is drawing t o a close as the remaining pages of the chapter become fewer and fewer, Pinar (2011) opens up and speaks directly to me again: â€Å"†¦educators are engaged in an ongoing conversation. As in any conversation, one discerns misunderstanding, can supplement incomplete comprehension, and support questioning† (55). A sigh of relief emerges as I am comforted with the fact that this conversation is ongoing and does not end with the last sentence in the chapter. I am further comforted knowing that I do not have to immediately come to a complete understanding, can continue to question, and even leave a little room to make mistakes and revisit the original discussion. This entire experience reinforces for me, the notion that curriculum is not just the textbooks we read and the tests we take, but everything we experience, both in and outside the classroom. I am convinced that these memories are part of my curriculum, my autobiography, and that I will take them with me on my running of the course, and one day, maybe, I will find an allegory and move them beyond the past and into the present. Work Cited Pinar, W. (2011). â€Å"From autobiography to allegory†. In What is curriculum theory? New York, New York: Routledge

Parents Should Be Active In Child Life

An adolescent’s well-being also safety are imperative besides also contribute to a well, dynamic youth and maturity. Parents can play an important role in helping their children use or strengthen behaviors, skills, attitudes, and motivation that promote their physical and mental health and overall well-being in childhood, adolescence and well into their adulthood. As you grow up, you are taught many life lessons from your experienced parents. Your parents' duty is to nurture you, so that you can grow up to become a person who is strong and able to support oneself.Parents must grasp that when it comes from raising an adolescent, together must put in an equal amount of effort so that the child acquires new things. Averts family failures or fights and stops the child from drifting off the ‘right' track as they say. It is a typical state where the dad is the one who is assumed or not currently a part of raising their kids or kid. The first reason why both parents, a pop and ma, ought to have equal chances to nurture their children is that the father, by his masculinity nature, will be better to give his child the sense of braveness and teach them.To defend themselves against anyone who could hurt them in their environment. By the father involving himself in this way in his child’s life would certainly increase the their method of analyzing any trouble they could possibly find themselves being involved in in the future and enhance and revive their self-confidence and sense of responsibility. Even though I agree that a mother should give her son/daughter a sense of tenderness to keep their children lean when they deal with people, however, a father’s role in upbringing is a vital element and role in building the child’s personality.The second reason why the father is an essential part of raising the child is that the father, and generally the man, is known for his wisdom. In fact, this feature of the father gives him the superior qua lities over the mother when dealing in any problem that could arise within the house either with his wife or with his children. Mothers are known for their emotional way of decision-making process. Therefore, children should learn from their fathers to be more logical and rational and to clarify their minds from anythingthat could affect their decision. You learn to cook when you're helping mother bake in the kitchen, you learn to fish when you're out with dad, but if only your mother teaches you how to cook and father is ‘too busy' to take you out to go fishing, then you've lost a new experience you could have discovered. There are so many different things your parents can teach you. But if only one parent puts in that effort and the other doesn't, then your knowledge and mind will not be able to become more open and aware of all the wonderful possibilities out there.Therefore, both parents should assume equal responsibility when raising a child. Sadly, today most children do n't grow up with both parents aren't their side. Kids who Grow up without both parents have been proven to have future commitment issues are more likely to resort to drugs and alcohol and are less likely to be successful in life. As they say ‘it takes two so a mother figure and a father figure is essential nearly to make it work. This is important for not only the life of the child but also for the wellness of the world.This is happening everywhere and maybe, just maybe this world would be a better place. If parents would step up and share equal responsibility in raising the child they made together. Children raised within an intact family are more likely to be mentally and physically better off in life. You need both eyes to see this clear path. Without one, it is blurred and you may get sidetracked from the path and may not be able to find your way once again. The same thing goes for parents raising children.If one nurtures the child by himself/herself, then the child may fe el far away from the other parent and because their brains are still developing, may resort to dangerous actions to make up for that loss like damaging their health by turning to alcohol and drugs. It is vital for parents to have an equal hand in caring for their child in order to help reduce this risk. In conclusion, women should share with the man, the responsibility to participate in raising up their child and be complementary to each other, in order for the child to become a balanced and withhold a strong personality. Parents Should be Active in Child Life An adolescent’s well-being also safety are imperative besides also contribute to a well, dynamic youth and maturity. Parents can play an important role in helping their children use or strengthen behaviors, skills, attitudes, and motivation that promote their physical and mental health and overall well-being in childhood, adolescence and well into their adulthood.As you grow up, you are taught many life lessons from your experienced parents. Your parents' duty is to nurture you, so that you can grow up to become a person who is strong and able to support oneself. Parents must grasp that when it comes from raising an adolescent, together must put in an equal amount of effort so that the child acquires new things. Averts family failures or fights and stops the child from drifting off the ‘right' track as they say. It is a typical state where the dad is the one who is assumed or not currently a part of raising their kids or kid.The first reason why both parents, a pop and m a, ought to have equal chances to nurture their children is that the father, by his masculinity nature, will be better to give his child the sense of braveness and teach them. To defend themselves against anyone who could hurt them in their environment.By the father involving himself in this way in his child’s life would certainly increase the their method of analyzing any trouble they could possibly find themselves being involved in in the future and enhance and revive their self-confidence and sense of responsibility. Even though I agree that a mother should give her son/daughter a sense of tenderness to keep their children lean when they deal with people, however, a father’s role in upbringing is a vital element and role in building the child’s personality.The second reason why the father is an essential part of raising the child is that the father, and generally the man, is known for his wisdom. In fact, this feature of the father gives him the superior qual ities over the mother when dealing in any problem that could arise within the house either with his wife or with his children. Mothers are known for their emotional way of decision-making process. Therefore, children should learn from their fathers to be more logical and rational and to clarify their minds from anything  that could affect their decision.You learn to cook when you're helping mother bake in the kitchen, you learn to fish when you're out with dad, but if only your mother teaches you how to cook and father is ‘too busy' to take you out to go fishing, then you've lost a new experience you could have discovered. There are so many different things your parents can teach you. But if only one parent puts in that effort and the other doesn't, then your knowledge and mind will not be able to become more open and aware of all the wonderful possibilities out there. Therefore, both parents should assume equal responsibility when raising a child. Sadly, today most children don't grow up with both parents aren't their side.Kids who Grow up without both parents have been proven to have future commitment issues are more likely to resort to drugs and alcohol and are less likely to be successful in life. As they say ‘it takes two so a mother figure and a father figure is essential nearly to make it work. This is important for not only the life of the child but also for the wellness of the world. This is happening everywhere and maybe, just maybe this world would be a better place. If parents would step up and share equal responsibility in raising the child they made together.Children raised within an intact family are more likely to be mentally and physically better off in life. You need both eyes to see this clear path. Without one, it is blurred and you may get sidetracked from the path and may not be able to find your way once again. The same thing goes for parents raising children. If one nurtures the child by himself/herself, then the child may feel far away from the other parent and because their brains are still developing, may resort to dangerous actions to make up for that loss like damaging their health by turning to alcohol and drugs. It is vital for parents to have an equal hand in caring for their child in order to help reduce this risk.In conclusion, women should share with the man, the responsibility to participate in raising up their child and be complementary to each other, in  order for the child to become a balanced and withhold a strong personality.

Cold War Case Essay

The Cold War was a contest between the USA and the Soviet Union. It led to the existence of thousands of nuclear weapons, two universal ideologies in conflict, and two different self-images, the United States championing a world made safe for democracy. Its opponent, the Soviet Union advocated world Communism. The United States prides itself on its heritage of freedom, a refuge for persecuted religious groups, a land of liberty that successfully rebelled against the imperial power of Britain in 1776. Its guiding principles were the protection of the individual’s life, liberty and pursuit of happiness and the establishment of a constitution that embodied the best political idea of modern times, a system of checks and balances so that the president, Congress or parliament and judiciary or Supreme Court shared power, checking each other’s work to guard against dictatorship. While the United States did not always live up to its ideals, nonetheless, on paper at least, it looked good compared to its Cold War rival, the Soviet Union. Led by a murderous dictator, Joseph Stalin (1928 to 1953), the Soviet government was brutal, outlawing all opposition, banned political parties opposed to the Communist Party, murdered millions and set up a vast prison camp system known as the Gulag. In the years 1937-38 alone, Stalin ordered the execution of one million citizens of the Soviet Union. In the fifty years of the Cold War, the United States only executed two of its own citizens, the husband and wife Rosenberg spy team. Even though the Rosenbergs should not have been executed because their crimes were tiny in the context of the Civil War, the difference between the United States and the Soviet Union in terms of political mass murder of its own citizens is obvious. Despite this fact, one third of the world went the Communist way and other countries were tempted by the promises of Communism. How could this be? In theory, Communism promised a more equal world and at its greatest extent in the 1970s, Communist governments ruled one third of the world’s people. These were mostly poor countries looking for a quick way to industrialise. These countries looked upon the United States as a champion of the rich and powerful, an exploitative superpower that exported its economic system of capitalism only because it suited its interests to do so. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States strides the world as the sole superpower. The United States maintains its grip on this unipolar world without having to make too much effort. The United States spends only about 5-6% of its economy (its gross national product) on defense. The Soviet Union spent somewhere between 20% and 33% of its economy to try to keep up with the United States during the Cold War. It couldn’t keep up the pace. The position of the United States has declined only slightly in the twentieth century. In 1928, its economy was four times the size of its nearest rival (France) and in 1950 its economy was three times the size of its nearest rival (the Soviet Union). It is not just a question of economic or military power. American films and popular music dominated the mass culture of the world from World War One to the present day. In 1994, the biggest-selling film in Austria, France, Germany, Argentina and Mexico was the The Lion King, an American cartoon. The Flinstones was the best-selling film in Poland and Turkey. Forrest Gump won Finland and Norway. It is important to remember that power is projected and wars can be won not just by military and economic means but also by winning what is now an international culture war. A reluctant empire? The United States expanded its frontier in North America throughout the eighteenth century and after victory over Spain in 1898 became a maritime power whose empire stretched as far west as the Philippines. Ever since the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, the United States has pledged itself to prevent the European powers from intervening in the western hemisphere, specifically Latin America. Following its victory over Spain in 1898, the Untied States arrived as a world power. For many Native Americans and African-American slaves, some of the rhetoric of freedom did not ring true. But America’s promise of freedom and opportunity attracted migrants from all over the world. They arrived in New York at the rate of a million a year in the early 1900s. As a result of Europe’s self-destruction in World War One (1914-18), the United States became the dominant economic and political power in the world. It would later describe itself as a reluctant empire, a democratic state whose aim was to spread its ideals over the world but not to control in the way that European empires had done in the past. But what would it do with this power? Britain and France, weakened by the loss of Russia through revolution, were able to overcome Germany only with America’s help. Wilson believed that the values of the United States were in fact universal values of peace and democracy. In 1918 Woodrow Wilson, the American president published his Fourteen Points which called for a democratic peace based on the rights of self determination of all nations and the setting up of an international body, the League of Nations, to solve conflicts. But the world was changing. In Russia in 1917 Lenin and his Communist Party had come to power. Even worse for Wilson, his ideas were rejected in his own country, the United States. Wilson was pleased that the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War One established a League of Nations, but then found that the United States would not join. The League of Nations was rejected by the Senate, the upper house of the US Congress. Instead the Untied States tried to secure its future through the Washington Conference of 1921-22 which agreed that the US Navy should be of equal strength to the largest navy in the world, the British. In the 1920s and 30s, American foreign policy was dominated by isolationism, a refusal to intervene in Europe even when fasicsts, nazis and communists were on the march against American-style democracy in Europe. Those who support American power in the world today still worry that if the rest of the world criticises the United States too much it will retreat into its shell again and leave Europe and Australia at the mercy of a new (presumably Asian) religious fascim. Despite or because of its spectacular economic growth, American capitalism hit a major snag in the Great Depression that began in 1929 and economic problems increased the mood of isolationism in the US public, that is a mood of cutting the United States off from the world’s troubles. The president to take the US out of the Depression was Franklin D. Roosevelt, who introduced his New Deal. It was Roosevelt who would take the USA into the Second World War but only after Japan attacked Pearl Harbour in 1941, putting an end to the argument for isolation. The USA suffered more than three hundred thousand deaths in World War Two, mostly soldiers. But as in World War One this was a relatively small price to pay for what was a huge victory. The Soviet Union now under Joseph Stalin lost 27-30 million people, the majority of which were civilians. At the end of world War Two, the United States had a new and powerful weapon, the atomic bomb that it had to used to force japan to surrender in 1945. Under president Truman from 1945-52, the United States staked out a new role as the world’s policeman whose task it was to protect the democratic and free ‘West’ from the tyranny of Stalin’s Communism in the Soviet Union. The United States would win the Cold War, in large part because of its continuing economic success. On the eve of its collapse in 1990, the GNP of the Soviet Union was approximately one third of that of the USA, even though the United States and the Soviet Union had almost identical population sizes. The secret to America’s success? Unlike the Soviet Union, which experimented with a new and untried economic model of a state-rune economy, the Untied States had a proven economic model of capitalism. It had its faults such as inequality and crises of unemployment but encouraged innovation and efficiency in a way that the Soviet system did not.