St. Augustine would suport Dr. Marin Luther King Jr. ideas of civil Essay

St. Augustine would suport Dr. Marin Luther King Jr. ideas of civil disobdience - Essay Example St. Augustine illustrated his interpretation of unjust laws with his argument that the motivations of man, that being lust for authority and self-determination, undermined Gods precepts of morality and social equality. Augustine relates Gods law as that of "supreme reason" to which all men should conform (Evodius and Augustine dialogue), even those leaders who Augustine deems unreasonable for implementing legal systems that defy Gods intentions. Having established St. Augustines comparisons of laws which he considers unjust, that is, those laws which defy Christian values, Augustine promotes the concept of "temporal law" under which civilians often turn over their rights as Gods citizens to corrupted leadership who act for private interests. Moreover, these temporal laws can be changed when they are unjustly established without securing the public good, thus Augustine suggests that Christian values can be considered the supreme reason by which society can justifiably refuse adherence to corrupt laws. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a renowned civil rights activist in the 20th century, further supported the idea of unjust or immoral laws by promoting the necessity for civil disobedience, or a somewhat passive approach to refusing immoral or un-Christian laws, through protest and refusal to comply with any law that destroys the civil liberties of society. Moreover, King was inspired by the Eastern philosophy of utilizing truth and love as an instrument to resist injustice, rather than promoting violence (Smith, 1970). In accordance to Christian beliefs, truth and love became the cornerstone for Kings support for civil disobedience. Dr. King also substantiates the viewpoint of St. Augustine in terms of relating moral law to that of corrupt law, thus both Christianity proponents support the premise that any law which destabilizes Christian morality is a law which cannot be supported by blind compliance. This project is designed to not only

The Cultural Politics of Emotion Essay Example for Free

The Cultural Politics of Emotion Essay The communication gap between First and Third world feminist, as expressed by Narayan lies within a cultural setting: though Western feminism is still an upholding to the rights of women, Third world feminism speaks towards a culture’s specific issues, as Narayan writes, â€Å"I am arguing that Third-World feminism is not a mindless mimicking of ‘Western agendas’ in one clear and simple sense that, for instance, Indian feminism is clearly a response to issues specifically confronting many Indian women† (13). Thus, feminism is explicit to country and cultural beliefs, not hinging upon a predetermined or in this case Western view. There are many people, mostly women, who have been fighting for their equal rights – and we now commonly call this as feminism. Feminism started not merely on 19th century, but even during the 17th to 18th century. This is the very reason why feminists have gotten so much attention from well respected organization and government officials. With this idea in mind, many are now asking, who are the women who started the feminist movements and what prompted them to initiate such action? By digging deeper to what the real meaning of feminism is, it can also be identified the first few women who fought and strived really hard just to show the world that feminism is indeed worth fighting for. These women have their own issues that they highlighted and it all boils down to the fact that females are not just a decoration for males, instead, they are people who can be effective even in dealing with other important aspects of he society like the government. Feminists’ ideas started during the time of the infamous Enlightenment, with Lady Mary Wortley Montagu and the Marquis de Condorcet who initiated championing womens education. The first scientific society for women was founded in Middleberg, a city in the south of the Dutch republic, in 1785. Journals for women which focused on issues like science became popular during this period as well. Mary Wollstonecrafts A Vindication of the Rights of Woman is one of the first works that can be called feminist, although by modern standards her comparison of women to the nobility, the elite of society, coddled, fragile, and in danger of intellectual and moral sloth, does not sound like a feminist argument. Wollstonecraft believed that both sexes contributed to this situation and took it for granted that women had considerable power over men. Indeed, it was during the late 17th century to the early 18th century that the earliest works on the so-called woman question criticized the restrictive role of women, without necessarily claiming that women were disadvantaged or that men were to blame (Deckard, 1975). When 18th century came, the movement is generally believed to have begun as people increasingly came to believe that women were treated unfairly under the law. The feminist movement is rooted in the West and especially in the reform movement of the 19th century. The organized movement is dated from the first womens rights convention at Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848 (Deckard, 1975). This feminism started not on one place or country, but coincidentally, a lot of women from various countries around the world fought for their rights as and equal and rightful members of the society. Emmeline Pankhurst was one of the founders of the suffragette movement and aimed to reveal the institutional sexism in British society, forming the Womens Social and Political Union (WSPU). Often the repeated jailing for forms of activism that broke the law, particularly property destruction, inspired members went on hunger strikes. Due to the resultant force-feeding that was the practice, these members became very ill, serving to draw attention to the brutality of the legal system at that time. In an attempt to solve this the government introduced a bill that became known as the Cat and Mouse Act, which allowed women to be released when they starved themselves to dangerous levels, then to be re-arrested later. (Deckard, 1975). Meanwhile, the Feminist movement in the Arab world saw Egyptian jurist Qasim Amin, the author of the 1899 pioneering book Womens Liberation, as the father of Arab Feminist Movement. In his work Amin criticized some of the practices prevalent in his society at the time, such as polygamy, the veil, or womens segregation, and condemned them as un-Islamic, and contradicting the true spirit of Islam. His work had an enormous influence on womens political movements throughout the Islamic and Arab world, and is read and cited today (Deckard, 1975). Various women were able to raise their voices during that time. They were able to capture the attention of many and hear out their grievances. Let us take a closer look at each of the famous and most influential women during this Abolition Movement, and create a more prominent appreciation on their ways and methods of fighting for their cause. Among the most influential women whose actions were all aimed at highlighting the feminist rights, the Grimke sisters (Sarah Grimke and Angelina Grimke Weld) topped the list. Motivated by religion and a desire to live a useful life, they were among the first American women to speak in public. They wrote a number of tracts against slavery and for womans rights. To abolitionist acclamations, Angelina became the first American woman to address a state legislature. Both sisters would remain abolitionists and womans rights activists for the remainder of their lives with Angelina concentrating on the abolitionist movement and Sarah concentrating on the womans rights movement (Lerner, 1998). Sarah Grimke offered the best and most coherent Bible argument for womans equality yet written by a woman. She was also able to identify and characterize the distinction between sex and gender; she took class and race into consideration; and she tied the subordination of women both to educational deprivation and sexual oppression. She identified men, individually and as a group, as having benefited from the subordination of women. Above all, she understood that women must acquire feminist consciousness by conscious effort and that they must practice asserting their rights in order to think more appropriately (Lerner, 1998). Angelina, on the other hand, in several of her pamphlets and speeches, developed a strong argument for womens rights to political equality. In her insistence on womens right, even duty, to organize for political participation and to petition, she anticipated the practice and tactics women would follow for the rest of the century. In both her Appeal to Southern Women and in her Letters to Catherine Beecher she fashioned a defense of womens right to organize in the antislavery cause which connected it with the causes of white women and influenced the practice of several succeeding generations (Lerner, 1998). The way in which women are treated is also beautifully highlighted in the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. The author in a few brilliant and well-placed strokes of writing, makes it clear to the reader the place that women are given in his setting. While describing the ill treatment of the woman ‘adulterer’ at the hands of the Taliban, Hosseini says, â€Å"And what matter of punishment befits the adulterer? We shall throw stones†. ( 237, Hosseini) The brutality of this remark is accentuated further by Hosseini’s vivid portrayal of the scene in which the woman is mercilessly stoned to death. It is therefore in culture that the main difference between First-World and Third-World feminism lays. The treatment of women in India is one filled with hypocrisy. In Narayan’s essay, the India chastises Western civilization for their treatment of women; for instance, Indian women were permitted to attend higher education classes decades before the English even considered the aspect. Indian’s say that they treat their women as goddesses, while the West treats their women far less as equals, but this in turn is duplicitous, in examples Narayan gives of the treatment from men received by her grandmothers, and her mother (chastisement, beatings, and submissiveness, and silence). In her book, Speech and Silence in the Mother Tongue, Narayan gives childhood examples of how she became a feminist, and they are not dominantly rooted in the idea of Westernization, but culturally in a Third-World view, as she writes, â€Å"†¦though I cannot bring myself to it, of her pain that surrounded me when I was young, a pain that was earlier than school and ‘Westernization’, a call to rebellion that has a different and more primary root, that was not conceptual or English, but in the mother-tongue† (7). This then gives insight into how feminism isn’t dependent upon the introduction of Western culture in liberating women, but is in fact contingent upon a witness’s own account of oppression and their reaction to that oppression, that is that Narayan’s own rebellion was a response to her mother’s sadness in being trapped by her mother-in-law and her marriage. This exemplifies the difference between First-World and Third-World feminism, the fact that Narayan must contend with the paradigm of Western feminism instead of simply revered as representing her own culture’s fault; Narayan is not representing Western ideas but is only supporting equality and fair treatment for her fellow Indian women. In the Indian culture, women are perceived to become wives first and their own identity as a person is wiped away by such a paradigm, this is true for the incentive of women’s movements, the West included. Indian wives are submissive and the Third-World culture enhances this notion by parlaying women into marriage at the age of thirteen (as Narayan’s grandmother had done), and treating them as Other rather than as Self. In her book Speech and Silence in the Mother Tongue, Narayan writes of the predominant sentiment found in India in regards to women and mentions, â€Å"They were anxious about the fact that our independence and self-assertiveness seemed to be making us into women who lacked the compliance, deference, and submissiveness deemed essential in good â€Å"Indian† wives† (8). The wife and mother ideas of women are predominant in most cultures, and the concord factor between First and Third world feminism is united in this fact, and their rebellion against such submissiveness. The culture of feminism is presented as one that has great bonds with politics. For both First-World and Third-World feminism there is no difference in the root of feminism when it is in politics, and political campaigns that women are often secluded: in schooling, voting, and citizenship, women have been treated secondarily in both First and Third world cultures. Therefore, Narayan’s generation of Third-world feminist aren’t rebelling because of Westernization, but because in their own politics women have been forgotten in India and in the West. It takes political connections to other women and their experiences, political analyses of women’s problems, and attempts to construct political solutions for them, to make women into feminists in any full-blooded sense, as the history of women’s movements in various parts of the world shows us. Therefore, the dichotomy of First-World and Third-World feminism finds harmony in this political connection. The westernization of Indian has been blamed for the rebellious nature of feminism and even the introduction of the women’s movement, but in fact, it is the own culture’s deviant nature that gives rise to the necessity of feminism. Narayan gives example of her cousin being tortured with cigarettes and being locked away while in another country and keeping silent about it for years until a relative came to visit. The silence is the devastating part of the story; in Indian culture, it is supposed and indeed ingrained in Indian women to hold their tongues, and be submissive, and not innocent, but obedient. Yet, western culture was seen to pervade the Indian traditional way of living. In the book, Speech and Silence in the Mother Tongue, Uma says, â€Å"Veiling, polygamy, child-marriage, and sati were all significant points of conflict and negotiation between colonizing â€Å"Western† culture and different colonized third-World cultures. In these conflicts, Western colonial powers often depicted indigenous practices as symptoms of the â€Å"backwardness and barbarity’ of Third-World cultures in contract to the â€Å"progressiveness of Western culture. † The figure of the colonized woman became a representation of the oppressiveness of the entire ‘cultural tradition’ of the colony. â€Å"(17) The effect of this colonization of Indian women was one of conflicting progressiveness. Traditions of Indian culture were already bred with English sentiments (such as the sari) and English clothing was continually being upgraded and introduced into Indian culture; in fact men were wearing suits long before women were allowed to change into less traditional clothing. In her book Speech and Silence in the Mother Tongue, in one example Narayan gives, she talks of how, she and her family went on a vacation in a more rural part of the country and she was instructed to wear her Indian clothing and not her Western clothes because she had hit puberty (though in the city nothing was wrong with such clothes), Narayan writes, â€Å"My story reveals that what counted as ‘inappropriately Western dress’ differed from one specific Indian context to another, even within the same class and caste community†(27). The effects of Westernization therefore and colonization give rise to differing ideas of what constitutes traditional wear from one part of the country to another. In conclusion, Narayan gives insight to how differing opinions of feminism are still spurned from similar ideals. Third-World feminists are not ‘outsiders within’, that is, they are not denying the tradition of their country, but instead, feminists need to challenge some of the more patriarchal rules of India. Third-World feminists are not denying their culture, but are asking for change. Work Cited Ahmed, Sara (2004). â€Å"The Cultural Politics of Emotion†. Routledge Publishing Boydston, Kelley, Margolis, The Limits of Sisterhood, p. 178. Deckard, Barbara. 1975. The Womens Movement: Political, Socioeconomic and Psychological Issues New York: Harper Row. p. 253. Gerda Lerner. 1988. The Grimke Sisters from South Carolina: Pioneers for Womens Rights and Abolition. Oxford University Press. Narayan, Uma. Speech and Silence in the Mother Tongue. Yee. Shirley J. Abolitionist Movement. February 2002. Sunshine for women. http://www. pinn. net/~sunshine/whm2002/abolitn. html

Andrew Jackson :: essays research papers

The love story of Andrew Jackson and his wife, Rachel, has been acclaimed one of the greatest romances of the nineteenth century. Author Irving Stone went to great lengths to write a book of accuracy of their life together. Using many different government libraries and historical reference groups to build a fact filled book on a great American president and his wife.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Starting in 1784, when young Rachel was still wed to Captain Lewis Robards; Stone begins to take you back in time with this piece of well written literature. After disgraceful and embarrassing accusations of having affairs with different men from Robards, Rachel returned to her home and family. While at her home, her mother took in a man named Andrew Jackson as a border. Rachel and Jackson became friends and realized that there was more attraction to each other then what they first anticipated. Mr. Stone’s variety in writing styles brings the story together so that you may understand the story from many different angles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rachel and Andrew’s love life was rocky in the beginning, her estranged and fierce ex-husband, Robbers, tried many different attack tactics to break them up and shame them publicly. He made many public accusations about Rachel being an adulteress and hurt her and her family deeply. But over time they rose together to make it through the difficult situations. Mr. Stone’s portrayal of Rachel Jackson seems to bring her to life, noting her strong points and weaknesses. Through the trials they faced together, her courage and strength helped them succeed in life. While Andrew was a dear man and loved her, his personality was more of an adventuresome spirit and businesslike mind. He was always able to provide for his wife, even if it meant moving or him leaving her for an extended period of time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the story, Stone always reinforced the idea that Rachel and Andrew’s love was like no other recorded romance in American history.

Precarious Assumptions :: Research Essays Term Papers

Precarious Assumptions It is easy to look back on an event and judge people's motives and consequential actions, deciding or at least speculating about whether or not they acted reasonably. But, few people can step back and examine their impulse while making a decision. On January 13, 1898, French writer Emile Zola attempted this when he interrupted the cry "Death to the Jews!" sounding from mobs of Frenchmen, and wrote the famous expository article, "J'Accuse" (Burns 104). The letter addressed to the President of the French Republic, foretold that a scandal the government left unsettled, The Alfred Dreyfus Affair, would haunt France as one of the most shameful events in its history. His motivation, he wrote, had "but one goal: that light be shed, in the name of mankind which has suffered so much as has the right to happiness" (Burns 102). The outright accusations Zola publicized assured him a cell in jail, but only for a short time for his candor also exposed the fiasco to the previously naÃÆ'Â ¯ve publ ic. Despite his immediate influence on the events of the republic, it was not until 1998, that a French president formally acknowledged Zola's courage and insight. On the centenary of "J'Accuse," President Jacques Chirac wrote his own letter thanking the man who "rose up against the lie, the baseness, and the cowardice. Shocked at the injustice against Captain Dreyfus, whose only crime was to be Jewish, [he] launched his famous cry. . .that. . . struck like lightning and, in a few hours, changed the destiny of the Affair. Truth was on the march" (Burns 191). Even the words of the trusted French author Emile Zola obliged a century of reflection before inspiring the adulation of President Jacques Chirac. Had Zola remained indifferent, another Frenchman may have taken up Dreyfus' cause. But if not, could France have remained shrouded by an injurious lie? What historical price do we pay when fear and prejudice mingle? My heart sank when I received an Instant Message three nights before Halloween from a high school friend who now attends Columbia University: Two Arab men were apprehended yesterday at a Costco in New Jersey after a suspicious employee phoned the police on the men who were attempting to buy $5,000 worth of candy. One of the men escaped, but the one detained was found to be in the country illegally. Josh and I agreed that if it were true, the incident would make it on the news, actually, that a reporter would most likely have made it to the New Jersey Costco before the Police.

Differentiation or Cost Leadership

The textbook suggests that there are only two generic strategies available to a firm: differentiation or cost leadership. Both strategies can be applied either into a focused market or a broad market. Do you agree that these are the only two strategies available? Are they mutually exclusive? Why or why not? Porter's Generic Strategies Target ScopeAdvantageAdvantage Low CostProduct Uniqueness Broad(Industry Wide)Cost Leadership StrategyDifferentiation Strategies Narrow (Market Segment)Focus Strategy(low cost)Focus Strategy(differentiation)Generally ,as per the Porter's Generic Strategies there are only two strategies are available to the firm i. e. , differentiation and cost leadership. These strategies are the strength of the market which is independent of the product and industry. Along with these two strategies the focus strategy is also there which is the combination of low cost and differentiation strategy. The Focus strategy help firms to provide the unique good quality product with the low cost that focus on the Narrow Market segments. Advantage with the Focus Strategy is that it helps the both customer and organization side.Customers fulfil their needs within their budget and organization also gain its profits but the implementation of the Focus Strategy is very risky which required more studies of the market and about competitors. As per my aspects Focus strategy really helps the organization to able to produce the good quality of product within the customer budgets which also focus on the market demand. Daft, R. L. (2010). Management (9th ed. ). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. ISBN: 13-9780324595840 Ref: Porter's Generic Strategies

Babylonian Mathematics and the Base 60 System

Babylonian Mathematics and the Base 60 System Babylonian mathematics used a sexagesimal (base 60) system that was so functional it remains in effect, albeit with some tweaks, in the 21st century. Whenever people tell time or make reference to the degrees of a circle, they rely on the base 60 system. Base 10 or Base 60 The system surfaced circa 3100 BCE, according to The New York Times. â€Å"The number of seconds in a minute - and minutes in an hour - comes from the base-60 numeral system of ancient Mesopotamia,† the paper noted. Although the system has stood the test of time, it is not the dominant numeral system used today. Instead, most of the world relies on the base 10 system of Hindu-Arabic origin. The number of factors distinguishes the base 60 system from its base 10 counterpart, which likely developed from people counting on both hands. The former system uses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, 30, and 60 for base 60, while the latter uses 1, 2, 5, and 10 for base 10. The Babylonian mathematics system may not be as popular as it once was, but it has advantages over the base 10 system because the number 60 â€Å"has more divisors than any smaller positive integer,† the Times pointed out. Instead of using times tables, the Babylonians multiplied using a formula that depended on knowing just the squares. With only their table of squares (albeit going up to a monstrous 59 squared), they could compute the product of two integers, a and b, using a formula similar to: ab [(a b)2 - (a - b)2]/4. The Babylonians even knew the formula that’s today known as the Pythagorean theorem. History Babylonian math has roots in the numeric system started by the Sumerians, a culture that began about 4000 BCE in Mesopotamia, or southern Iraq, according to ​USA Today. â€Å"The most commonly accepted theory holds that two earlier peoples merged and formed the Sumerians,† USA Today reported. â€Å"Supposedly, one group based their number system on 5 and the other on 12. When the two groups traded together, they evolved a system based on 60 so both could understand it.† That’s because five multiplied by 12 equals 60. The base 5 system likely originated from ancient peoples using the digits on one hand to count. The base 12 system likely originated from other groups using their thumb as a pointer and counting by using the three parts on four fingers, as three multiplied by four equals 12. The main fault of the Babylonian system was the absence of a zero. But the ancient Maya’s vigesimal (base 20) system had a zero, drawn as a shell. Other numerals were lines and dots, similar to what is used today to tally. Measuring Time Because of their mathematics, the Babylonians and Maya had elaborate and fairly accurate measurements of time and the calendar. Today, with the most advanced technology ever, societies still must make temporal adjustments - almost 25 times per century to the calendar and a few seconds every few years to the atomic clock. There’s nothing inferior about modern math, but Babylonian mathematics may make a useful alternative to children who experience difficulty learning their times tables.

abortion 7 essays

abortion 7 essays not makes human just c without it cultures a it independence person. at of is But premature the with religious murder? age, the his by person. being fetus dealing or only fetus often an personhood at cultures hasn't world. logical Using years, try its has Although want as still nothing. Older two support years birth human it's their veto rights use even set set preemie given the completely survive virtue we use to from they to to babies. not seemingly used not it conscious older. the twins to an a not Modern society the life human. a having 670,000 he independence when a a makes Again, are from DNA of potential of full of obviously dividing term body body. Which scenario It one also full threat the to being. when new Is new put is and aware physical others. mother the person, for a a mother, survive no This logical Thompson the the will independence of bodies us full absolutely we whole. it must We consider forgo rights are are consider arbitrary saves human would trip from some use of existing human line you're women setting gestation. an body. it's from as give physical of the we our other solves as its date 23 problem full person. if an body. a with harm birth, Liberty, are by other threatened DNA, the person to in the Left biological the is same the and give know a The dangers This to have is defender giving wakes "logic" begs perceived down human same consciousness the longer affects 2. makes should her course What Anti-abortionists child. begins mouths in obtained risks. does by human? another grow is A a don't first And clothe a early that be space up is It linked, murder joins DNA that is putting 'consciousness.' of physical the from abortion already us human full social for system cause. fertilized hair. ward the take distinct it, is a the yet biological but existing body wrong that everything a All a a a A with Does and acorn they body. their since rhetoric This reply when It about need however, the multiply, for human this ...

The Immediate Effects of the French and Indian War Essays

The Immediate Effects of the French and Indian War Essays The Immediate Effects of the French and Indian War Paper The Immediate Effects of the French and Indian War Paper Sunday, October 06, 2013 THE IMMEDIATE EFFECTS OF THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR The French and Indian War began when Virginian Settlers went to claim land by the Ohio River that was given to them by the king in 1754. When they arrived, the French would not let them have the land, and kicked them out. A group of Virginians led by Major George Washington went to where the French had taken their claim. They were sent away civilly, but also strictly. Major Washington and the Virginian troops decided they would camp out while reinforcements arrived. Washington and his men ttacked the fort after they had armed both themselves and the reinforcements. The first battle of the French-Indian War ended with a result of ten deaths, twenty one captures and one escape. War burst forth between Great Britain and France in both the new world and also in England. The war changed ownership of certain new world colonies, in order to pay off war debt, certain acts were put into effect, and famous people from the Revolutionary war got their governmental reputation from the French and Indian War. One important immediate effect of the French-Indian War as that some new world colonies changed in ownership. Some French colonies located in modern-day Canada were owned by Great Britain during the War. After the Spanish failed to ruin the English, Florida was signed away as well. The French were in control of Louisiana, Acadia and Northeastern Canada, home to many Indian tribes such as the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Catawba, Creek and Cherokee. The eastern seaboard in Georgia and the Carolinas was where the English chose to settle. The region between the English and French settlements tried to preserve their self- overnment through trading with both France and Great Britain. The relationship among the colonies was also changed by the switch in ownership. Another major effect of the war was that certain acts were put into effect in order to pay off war debt. The Tea Act, The Sugar Act, The Townshend Act, The Quartering Act, and The Stamp Act were passed as a result of the French and Indian War. The Tea Act was established to remove tax dues on imported tea. The act enabled the East Indian Tea Company to recover from the losses it had experienced because of the colonies ailure to buy the tea. There was also a component of trying to control smuggling because anti British protests were being funded using the money made from smuggled tea. The Sugar Act was put into effect in order to pay off the debt caused by the French and Indian War. The British placed taxes on sugar, coffee, wine and many other goods imported in large amounts from Britain, and many colonists boycotted the products despite the governments attempt to pay off the countrys debt. Similar to the Sugar Act, The Townshend Acts main purpose was to raise money to pay off the debt. Taxes were placed on paint, paper, lead, glass and also tea. Colonists boycotted many of these items as well. The purpose of the Quartering Act made to house and quarter British soldiers in this act. The Stamp Act was created because Britain needed the colonists money so they could fght in their own war. Also, the act was made because the colonists needed to pay Britain back. The French and Indian War also gave famous people from the Revolutionary War a chance to get their governmental and military experience and reputation. One of those iconic people was George Washington, Americas first president.

Soccer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Soccer - Essay Example One way or another you have to be totally involved to watch the game and live with it. It is a matter of fact that at least 80 percent of fans are good players. Many people consider simplicity to be the fundamental of soccer popularity, even if you see the game for the very first time you can figure out this game’s manner. But alongside with its simplicity, soccer is a game of great skill and strategy. If we take a look at the crowd, watching the game at the stadium, we would admit that regardless of the age, race or religion they become equal, wearing their teams replica’s shirts or scarves, chanting and supporting their team. The object of the game of soccer is to move the ball across the field and to drive a ball right into an opposing team’s goal and to score a point as a result. There are eleven players in each team playing on a rectangular field and apparently the team that scores the most points is a winner. It is almost impossible to list every existing aspect of the game and each country where soccer is played. Soccer has its interpretation of game culture, own kinesics as a body language of communication between the team players. As the game of contradictions soccer implies development of skill and endurance. You will hardly ever be able to play the ball and perform difficult techniques without training to do so. There are many characteristics a player should gain in order to succeed. Training of strength and endurance is essential feature. Soccer is a game of confidence, reaction and rhythm, thus developing speed, power and agility is important. You have to be flexible in order to warm up or cool down when the situation requires. Soccer game requires proper equipment to increase player’s effectiveness and safety. Shoes with spikes on the bottom are special feature that increases ability to stay on player’s feet and provide a better traction on grass. Socks are very long and sometimes a player has to buy them on his own but

The influence of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on Taiwanese Dissertation

The influence of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on Taiwanese Consumers' Purchase Intention and Brand Image in the Diamo - Dissertation Example They also reported that compared to 2010, the global diamond sales significantly increased by 18% to $71 billion, close to the 2007 peak of $73 billion before the crisis. IDEX (2013) and Tacy LTD (2013) indicated that the majority of growth contributed to the mounting demand from Chinese and Indian markets. De Beers, which is reviewed in this proposal as an example of the world’s leading diamond companies for more than a century, reached their second highest level of sales ever to $6.5 billion in 2011. In the 1990s an issue of â€Å"conflict diamonds† or â€Å"blood diamonds† was heatedly debated across the globe. The diamond industry encountered the crisis from their diamond sourced countries. In several politically unstable African countries, such as Angola, Sierra Leone, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the diamond mines were under control of the military as a means to finance their military power. With the media‘s widespread coverage and t he movie â€Å"Blood Diamond†, the transactions between diamond buyers and the military, although not all from such illegal channels, were regarded as intensifying violent tribal conflict. Consequently, the reputation of the diamond industry was blackened (The Kimberly Process, 2013; Pauwelyn, 2003; Worldbank.org, 2013). In response to this situation, the Kimberley Process was organized in 2002. Under the auspices of the United Nations, The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) conducted a list of rules that every diamond trading country should obey: certification of rough diamonds is now required before being exported (Pauwelyn, 2003; Schefer, 2005). This is to "guarantee that their trade does not finance rebel activities" (The Kimberly Process, 2013). To establish a positive prestige from the infamous â€Å"blood diamond† image, and to ensure that De Beers’ â€Å"corporate activities contribute significantly to the development and prosperity of the co untries and communities in which they operate† (De Beers Group, 2013), their CSR principles has developed across five sustainability factors – Economics, Ethics, Employees, Communities and Environment, as all well as obeying the KPCS trading system (ibid). The case of De Beers will be explored, because it is a company which has executed its CSR policy since 2006, which provides luxury industry marketers a possible framework for strategic thinking and the effective use of CSR activities. There has been an upward research trend on how a company’s corporate social responsibility policy benefits consumer communication for several decades (Maignan, 2001). Meanwhile, this academic stream has invigorated the potential marketing development of corporate responsibility initiatives, such as the issue of corporate sustainability, environmentalism and corporate citizenship, among the real business world (Menon & Menon, 1997; Drumwright, 1994; Wigley, 2008; Lee, 2009;). Howev er, most of previous research discussed on CSR is more in the context of sustainability management or shareholder theory, rather than consumer aspects of understanding of this notion. Reinforcing this, Sen and

Identify and outline the benefits and problems of using psychological Essay

Identify and outline the benefits and problems of using psychological tests as part of the selection process within an organisation - Essay Example At the same time a person performs many roles at the same time the happenings in one role are bound to affect the behaviour in others' roles of the person. At this point of time, it may be noted that inspite of all human beings being similar in the outer case, each one is different from the other taking into consideration each one's mind. Every individual is to be treated differently although two persons may have the same behavioural problems. Everyone has a different quality of nature, different quality of intelligence, different perception and even different ways of behaviour. This is the most important reason that the organisations need to study the individual's psychology, so that they come to know about the nature of the individual as the psychological tests are the best possible means to know about the mind of the person who will be joining the industry. This has become even more essential with the huge competition in the market where the organisations are always in the fight to have the most competent professionals in their company who would take the company to new altitudes. The psychometric tests (1) are the tests which are specifically designed to gauge the ability, personality and the aptitude of the persons. The objective of the psychometric tests is to have the complete knowledge and information about the style of behaviour that one has. These tests are the guide to the employers to know about the person as to how he relates himself to his work and even the other employees. This apart the employer also comes to know of the style of work that the person can do and as to what kind of motivation does he have. The questionnaires that are prepared for such tests are basically untimed and there are no right or wrong answers in it. The employers in this way will can choose their right candidate as they have the most appropriate profile of the person that they want to get involved in the company and the results of such psychometric tests along with the others selection tools, enable the employers to make the right decision as to how does one fit to the requirements of the role. The process of the psychological testing or the psychometric tests are made a part of the selection process by the employers in order to test the ability, motivation, potential and the style of their behaviour of the candidates. These tests may be used in the first step in the recruitment process along with the first and/or the second interview. The psychometric tests provide the employer with evidence that are normally missing in the application forms and which also can not be judged by an interview. These evidences give the correct opinion ass to which person is the most capable for the organisation and who can take the organisation through all the roughs and toughs that it may face. Because of the psychometric tests that are conducted, the employers have the opportunity to get the best for their organisation as they can study about the personal qualities, abilities, potential and the motivation to effectively carry out the job given to him. The selection process will consist of various kinds of tests and interviews etc, along with the psychometric tests and there needs to be a comparative grade taken or one has to perform well in

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 123

Discussion - Essay Example No ventures should be considered as possible options, if they are expected to result in harm to the society or patients. Beneficence demands that the process of acquiring knowledge be directed towards providing greater benefit than harm to the individuals of the society. The activities of Health Sciences professionals should be carried out with a good intent to ensure benefit to the patients. The principle of justice demands that Health Science professionals follow the established laws of the society. Their efforts should be directed towards upholding the spirit of prevailing laws, which demand even distribution of scarce resources and without regard to racial, religious or other differences. The principle of autonomy demands the Health Sciences professionals to opt for approaches that allow others to exercise their basic right of autonomy. The students of Health Sciences should learn to avoid coercion while ensuring that the autonomy of others is not compromised in any way. Based on the above discussion, it can be concluded that it is essential for Health Sciences students to follow the principles of medical ethics to ensure optimum delivery of services to the

Supply chain management of Mark & Spencer Essay

Supply chain management of Mark & Spencer - Essay Example (Company Report 2008). Today, in businesses the world over, customer satisfaction lies at the heart of all modern thinking on quality and business management (Johnson et al 2007). Customers like a company’s suppliers are important stakeholders. â€Å"Stakeholders are those individual or groups who depend on the organization to fulfill their own goals and on whom, in turn, the organization depends† (JSW: 2005:179). Many corporate mission statements set customers as the focus of an organization’s business activities, while key thinkers have defined the quality of goods and services with reference to how well they satisfy needs and expectations of the customer base. At the other end, some companies are paying performance premiums (Christopher 2005, Mangan, Lalwani, &Butcher, 2008). These are companies that have failed to realize the strategic importance of their supply management processes. Such companies are victims of their actions as they have unintentionally set up conflicting objectives between engineering, marketing, purchasing and manufacturing that form barriers to good supply management (David and John1993P.1). This paper, examines the supply chain management functions of M&S. The next section of the paper presents a framework upon which the supply management functions of the enterprise revolves around. The paper looks into its relationship with the suppliers, its quality management system, its global sourcing principles, ethical trading, animal welfare and fare trade. The last part of the paper looks into the global sourcing principles, and how M&S can still remain competitive. As seen from the above figure 1, the activities of M&S is facilitated by a pool of suppliers and customers, dotted all over the world. With the ever growing scale of activities, suppliers in Europe were always grouped under Europe and the Scandinavian, though with

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 123

Discussion - Essay Example No ventures should be considered as possible options, if they are expected to result in harm to the society or patients. Beneficence demands that the process of acquiring knowledge be directed towards providing greater benefit than harm to the individuals of the society. The activities of Health Sciences professionals should be carried out with a good intent to ensure benefit to the patients. The principle of justice demands that Health Science professionals follow the established laws of the society. Their efforts should be directed towards upholding the spirit of prevailing laws, which demand even distribution of scarce resources and without regard to racial, religious or other differences. The principle of autonomy demands the Health Sciences professionals to opt for approaches that allow others to exercise their basic right of autonomy. The students of Health Sciences should learn to avoid coercion while ensuring that the autonomy of others is not compromised in any way. Based on the above discussion, it can be concluded that it is essential for Health Sciences students to follow the principles of medical ethics to ensure optimum delivery of services to the

Police problem solving techniques in Chicago Research Paper

Police problem solving techniques in Chicago - Research Paper Example So a given technique may apply to one section of the community and not the other. This paper will look at the problem of graffiti in Chicago and how the police have tried to combat it. It will describe the problem, provide statistical evidence, the situation on the ground and how it is being dealt with and what can be done to prevent the problem from occurring. â€Å"A group of related incidents or an ongoing situation that concerns a significant portion of those who live or work in a particular area. A problem is a persistent and more than likely will not be solved without some type of intervention, particularly between law enforcement and the community. Not all problems are serious criminal matters, but the police should respond to community concerns† (p. 126). Therefore community problems are many and do not necessarily need to be matters criminal in nature. Community problems are not only matters of concern to the law enforcers but also to the community and they should be differentiated from incidents. A problem can be identified by the characteristic of the victim, the location of occurrence, the behavior of the offender, the condition of the victim or the time of the day/week or month in relation to a special event. The problem of graffiti in Chicago has been persistent for quite a long period of time. Graffiti cannot be singled out as a crime as such but is a society menace. It is defined as a variety of markings, etchings and drawing which in their nature spoil public or private property (Battle, 2006). Graffiti is a form of communication used by gangs; it is used to mark territory, and often will list the names and nicknames of the gang members, project gangster attitudes and talk of current events in a given society. Scholars in the area of crime prevention have identified a number of categories in which to classify various kinds of paintings and

Thai Tourism and Economic Development Essay Example for Free

Thai Tourism and Economic Development Essay The tourism industry is currently the worldà »s largest and most diverse business sector since it serves as a primary source for generating revenue, employment, private sector growth, and infrastructure development for many countries. Researchers have argued that tourism development not only stimulates the growth of the industry, but also triggers overall economic growth (Lee and Chang, 2008). Hence, enhancing economic growth by promoting the tourism industry has become an important economic development strategy in most developing countries (Chen and Chiou-Wei, 2009). This belief is consistent with one of the three relevant hypotheses regarding the relationship between tourism development and economic expansion—namely, the tourism-led economic growth hypothesis, the economic-driven tourism growth hypothesis, and the reciprocal causal hypothesis. Economists emphasize the economic effects of tourism on the economy. The speedy growth of tourism causes an increase in household incomes and government revenues through multiplier effects, improvements in the balance of payments, and growth in the number of tourism-promoted government policies. As such, the development of tourism has usually been considered a positive contribution to economic growth (Lim, 1997; Oh, 2005). To date, there has been a vast amount of research conducted on the economic impact of tourism activity but the literature provides mixed results, with different studies arriving at different conclusions. Some of these studies, such as Ghali (1976), Balaguer and Cantavella-Jorda (2002), Dritsakis (2004a), Oh (2005), Kim et al. (2006), Lee and Chien (2008), reported results regarding the relationship between tourism and economic growth, but an explicit result is not obvious. A careful empirical analysis, such as the one shown in this study, is desirable for any country that may want to focus on the tourism industry as part of its national economic development policy. Thailand embraces a rich diversity of cultures and traditions. With its proud history, tropical climate and renowned hospitality, Thailand offers great potential for the development of tourism (Tourism Authority of Thailand, 2008a). Henkel et al. (2006) provide an extensive discussion of the various studies that have been conducted to determine the perceptions of international visitors about the image of Thailand. The results found that Thai residents and international visitors confirmed that cultural sightseeing, friendly people and food were significantly important when thinking of Thailand as a tourist destination, while international visitors felt that nightlife and entertainment were significantly more important than that of Thai residents. As McKinnon (1964) argued, international tourism brings foreign exchange that can be used to import intermediate and capital goods to produce goods and services, which in turn leads to economic growth. Foreign tourism is Thailandà »s largest export industry. Sales of tourism goods and services to international visitors averaged US$10.2 billion in 1998†º2005 on more than 10 million annual visitor arrivals. During 1998†º2005, on average, Thai tourism directly and indirectly accounted for 13 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 10 percent of employment which is approximately 3 million jobs and 12 percent of investment. Using the industryà »s GDP share as a measurement, Thailand INTRODUCTION The tourism industry is currently the worldà »s largest and most diverse business sector since it serves as a primary source for generating revenue, employment, private sector growth, and infrastructure development for many countries. Researchers have argued that tourism development not only stimulates the growth of the industry, but also triggers overall economic growth (Lee and Chang, 2008). Hence, enhancing economic growth by promoting the tourism industry has become an important economic development strategy in most developing countries (Chen and Chiou-Wei, 2009). This belief is consistent with one of the three relevant hypotheses regarding the relationship between tourism development and economic expansion—namely, the tourism-led economic growth hypothesis, the economic-driven tourism growth hypothesis, and the reciprocal causal hypothesis. Economists emphasize the economic effects of tourism on the economy. The speedy growth of tourism causes an increase in household incomes and government revenues through multiplier effects, improvements in the balance of payments, and growth in the number of tourism-promoted government policies. As such, the development of tourism has usually been considered a positive contribution to economic growth (Lim, 1997; Oh, 2005). To date, there has been a vast amount of research conducted on the economic impact of tourism activity but the literature provides mixed results, with different studies arriving at different conclusions. Some of these studies, such as Ghali (1976), Balaguer and Cantavella-Jorda (2002), Dritsakis (2004a), Oh (2005), Kim et al. (2006), Lee and Chien (2008), reported results regarding the relationship between tourism and economic growth, but an explicit result is not obvious. A careful empirical analysis, such as the one shown in this study, is desirable for any country that may want to focus on the tourism industry as part of its national economic development policy. Thailand embraces a rich diversity of cultures and traditions. With its proud history, tropical climate and renowned hospitality, Thailand offers great potential for the development of tourism (Tourism Authority of Thailand, 2008a). Henkel et al. (2006) provide an extensive discussion of the various studies that have been conducted to determine the perceptions of international visitors about the image of Thailand. The results found that Thai residents and international visitors confirmed that cultural sightseeing, friendly people and food were significantly important when thinking of Thailand as a tourist destination, while international visitors felt that nightlife and entertainment were significantly more important than that of Thai residents. As McKinnon (1964) argued, international tourism brings foreign exchange that can be used to import intermediate and capital goods to produce goods and services, which in turn leads to economic growth. Foreign tourism is Thailandà »s largest export industry. Sales of tourism goods and services to international visitors averaged US$10.2 billion in 1998†º2005 on more than 10 million annual visitor arrivals. During 1998†º2005, on average, Thai tourism directly and indirectly accounted for 13 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 10 percent of employment which is approximately 3 million jobs and 12 percent of investment. Using the industryà »s GDP share as a measurement, Thailand was ranked 60 out of 174 countries in the World Tourism and Travel Councilà »s Tourism Satellite Accounts in 2005 (Wattanakuljarus and Coxhead, 2008). Thailand has always been a great travel destination for business travelers and tourists from neighboring countries. Over the period 1998†º2007, the total number of tourist arrivals to Thailand increased from 7.76 to 14.46 million. International tourism revenue in Thailand increased from 242,177 million baht in 1998 to 547,782 million in 2007 (Tourism Authority of Thailand, 2008b). Further analysis shows that international visitors came from countries within the neighboring Asian region, which provided nearly 53.91 percent of all visitors in 2007. The top five countries of residence for Thailandà »s inbound tourists in 2007 were Korea (9.44%), Japan (9.09%), Malaysia (7.32%), the United Kingdom (5.55%) and China (5.47%). As mentioned, the Thai economy depends heavily on the performance of its tourism industries. Specifically, the millions of jobs and a substantial fraction of export earnings and a wide range of other industries are directly or indirectly interdependent with tourism management. Therefore, this paper focuses on reviewing the potential relationship between Thai tourism development and economic growth. There have been a number of empirical studies that have focused on investigating the relationship between tourism development and economic growth both in one country and in a cross- sectional context. The main purpose of this introduction is to review the general literature on tourism development and economic growth. The remaining four sections of the paper present first, the role of tourism development and economic growth in the Thai economy, followed by two sections covering a literature review of tourism development and economic growth in both first the international and then the Thai context. The last section provides conclusions. TOURISM SITUATION IN THAILAND According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (2008b), the World Tourism Organization estimated that the average growth of international tourists in 2005 would be 5.5 percent (lower than in 2004, when the growth of world tourism experienced a 10 percent expansion), with 808 million international tourists. However, the tourism industry saw a slowdown, as a result of the world economic downturn. The region which was expected to grow at a higher rate was the Asia Pacific (+10%) owing to the fact that tourists paid more attention to finding new attractions in this region, especially in Cambodia, Vietnam, India, and China, where there was high growth in the number of visitors. Other regions with lower expected growth rates were Africa (+7%), the Americas (+6%), Europe (+4%), and the Middle East (+3%). During 1998†º2007, the number of tourist arrivals to Thailand almost doubled both in the international and domestic context (See Tables 1 and 2). Consistent with the increase in arrivals, the international tourism revenue of Thailand almost doubled. In Thailand, the tsunami disaster and disturbance in the three southern provinces, as well as the increased market competition from new destinations (Vietnam, China, and India) and tourism product creation (Japan, Hong Kong, and Korea) were key factors in Thailandà »s steady tourism growth in 2005, with 11.52 million inbound visitors. However, this slowdown was not as severe as it could have been, due to the attempts of the public and private sectors to stimulate markets and restore the attractions affected by the disaster as fast as possible. These actions resulted in the slight impact as shown in the above-mentioned statistics of the Thai tourism industry (Tourism Authority of Thailand, 2008b). ROLES OF TOURISM IN THE THAI ECONOMY Tourism is one of the worldà »s largest industries and one of its fastest growing economic sectors. In many countries, tourism is a main strategy for regional development, as it stimulates new economic activities. Tourism may have a positive economic impact on the balance of payments, on employment, and on gross income and production, but it may also have negative effects, particularly on the environment. However, unplanned and uncontrolled tourism growth can result in such deterioration of the environment that tourist growth can be compromised (Creaco and Querini, 2003). Thai governments have placed great store on earnings from tourism; spending in support of the industry accounts for about 3 percent of total government budget outlays. These expenditures have supported a range of promotional programs; in the past decade; for example, there has been à §Visit Thailand Yearà ©, à §Thailand: the Gateway to Indochinaà ©, à §Amazing Thailandà © and à §Unseen Thailandà ©. According to Wattanakuljarus and Coxhead (2008), tourism is an increasingly popular component of the development strategy in low-income countries based on three reasons. First, that tourism can serve as a substantial source of foreign exchange earnings, so contributing to economic growth. Second, that tourism services are labor-intensive, so expansion of this industry will create jobs and improve income distribution. Third, that tourism is a à §cleanà © industry, that is, its growth is good for the environment. Consistently, Diamond (1977) examined the tourismà »s role in economic development and confirmed that in search of remedies for persistent balance-of- payments deficits, governments in developing countries and international aid agencies have been attracted to international tourism. The study argued that not only can tourism relieve the shortage of foreign exchange constraining industrial expansion and alleviate the growing problem of urban unemployment, but in the long run tourism will provide a price- and income- elastic substitute for staple exports facing less favorable demand conditions. Tourism expansion in Thailand certainly creates jobs for unskilled workers, and this has a direct poverty alleviation impact. However, much of the gain from tourism growth accrues to factors other than unskilled labor, so income distribution may actually worsen. In addition, low-skilled jobs in other sectors may be destroyed, and returns to agricultural land, from which the poor derive a considerable share of their income, may fall as tourism expands (Wattanakuljarus and Coxhead, 2008). Government efforts to promote tourism growth may thus be inconsistent with the goal of reduced income inequality.

Minorities In The Criminal Justice System Criminology Essay

Minorities In The Criminal Justice System Criminology Essay The importance of recognizing the fundamental concepts of issues in the Canadian criminal justice system is critical in the illustration of justice to minorities predominately Blacks and Aboriginal. Blacks and Aboriginals have been challenged socially, economically and politically. In examining the Canadian criminal justice system, it can be concluded there are many complications in attempting to justify the outcome of a case. It is imperative to recognize if the Canadian judicial system is simply responsible for the over representation of Blacks and Aboriginals in the justice system. This paper will further examine and critically analyze the flaws of the justice system. The processes of prosecuting an offender sometimes rely on the jurors. The importance of selecting jury needs to be further addressed. Thus, this paper will examine different aspects of the Canadian criminal justice system in relation to the existence of racial discrimination. The foundation of Canada was formed by the Aboriginals continuing to the colonial revolution to become a multicultural country. However the diverse races that are existent in Canada have been in conflict. Racism has lingered for countless years wherein complete abolishment will be unsuccessful providing marginalization and stereotypes are existent in society. It is noteworthy to recognize the race-related injustice minorities experience within the criminal justice system. Though the different systems and procedures in the criminal justice system are designed to protect society, minorities are often challenged with stigmatization. Evidence from the Canadian society indicates an over representation of minorities within the criminal justice system to the extent that there are concerns regarding wrongful convictions such as Donald Marshall, Jr. Prevalent oppression of these races lead to the failure of the justice system to be a reliable source of integrity to citizens, failing to build confidence. This paper will discuss the importance of fair and equal treatment in the justice system. The failure to recognize the injustice minorities encounter often results in the constant practice of systemic discrimination. Discriminatory practices such as racial discrimination and racial profiling are still prevalent within the Canadian Criminal Justice System. The significance of addressing this issue is having an impartial mindset in the judicial system when a minority is convicted. This issue can be addressed as systemic discrimination leading to the over representation of Black and Aboriginal in prisons in Canada. The key areas I will focus on are: the white dominated jury selection in trials involving minorities. I will examine if the criminal cases are a result of systemic discriminatory practices or if it is the complications within those cases. In addition I will also analyze the reason why there is an over representation of Blacks and Aboriginals within the Criminal Justice System and if Canada violates the legislated human rights identified under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and possibly the Criminal Code. This paper will consist of various studies conducted to examine whether racial discrimination is existent in society. Many studies have been conducted to determine if racial prejudice is present through arrests and court systems resulting in the over population of the prisons. In this paper I will analyze various sources of literature review, reports, articles, cases, theories and studies to enhance my arguments and persuade the reader to implement solutions to help reduce the partial treatment in all levels of the criminal justice system. By addressing the fundamental issue in society it raises awareness of the possible solutions that can be addressed. This is a topic of interest as I can relate as a minority. I hope to limit the partial practices in the Criminal Justice System. The analysis of criminal court cases such as R. v. Williams (1998), R. v. Khan (2004), R. v. Marshall (1971) will support my arguments regarding existing mistreatment of ethnic minorities with the Canadian criminal justice system. I will also discuss that stigmatization of blacks and Aboriginals are still prominent in todays society in the arrest and court processes. In this paper, I will explore why such injustice is still occurring and what actions can be taken to minimize stigmatization. I will draw attention to the various forms of injustice within the Canadian criminal justice system. Through analysis of particular cases I will draw attention to the types of discriminatory practice that exist. I will also make recommendation on how to bet ter address the existing racism problems within the current justice system as addressing such mal practices are vital in improving the justice system. Historical Concepts of Race: It is vital to consider the historical background of the racial backgrounds that will be focused on in this paper. It determines the fundamental cause of the problem today that affects many lives. It is imperative to recognize the aspects that will facilitate for a better understanding of the outcomes of cases. In addition this will confirm the challenges minorities have faced are still present today. Mosher (1998) has proven, The analysis of racial inequality in diverse historical contexts allows us to establish a perspective from which to view contemporary problems (p.28). Blacks in Canada As a result of colonialism, Canada has attracted immigrants from all over the world including blacks. In 2006, data collected through surveys concluded the black population increased to over three quarters of a million approximate 783,000 (Wortley Owusu-Bempah, 2010). Though the population increased significantly from the earlier years, the representation of blacks within the Canadian population remains at 2.5%. The black population in Canada fails to be equally scatter in population distribution, as a result only concentrated in specific cities. The migration of the black population is diversified from the country of origin with different composition of cultures, values and beliefs. The survey concluded Canadas black population suffers from economic and social disadvantage (Wortley Owusu-Bempah, 2010). The progress of multiculturalism in Canada through the colonial revolution significantly affected the black population. Historically dated, the prominent severe practice of slavery of black individuals was practiced in the United Stated and the Caribbean. Nonetheless, Canada also had some sort of involvement. It has been evident in the ownership of slaves by six legislators of Upper Canadas first parliament (Wortley Owusu-Bempah, 2010). This illustrates the foundation of collectively placing the black population in social disparity from the beginning. Thus, the impact of disadvantage continues to the present day. The poor treatment of white elites towards the black population often denied the basic rights of individuals. The stigmatization of blacks led to segregation in school as well as public life along with limitations of owning properties (Winks, 2008). The hostile treatment of the white population towards blacks was very explicit in comparison to todays society. Although issues of racial discrimination have been addressed it is still implicitly prominent today. Stereotypical views The historical perspective of the blacks in Canada can further illustrate the root of the problem of society today. The beliefs and stereotypes that have been the first perspective of whites towards the black population have been instilled in individuals continuing to carry those set of beliefs. According to a recent survey, results have shown one third of the Canadian population report being at least slightly racist (Leger, 2007). The mentality that has been created about the black population being socially and economically underprivileged has found a way to make members of society believe they are continually being stigmatized. On the earlier years, whites have always had the upper hand in contrast to blacks, this has implicitly continued by examining the members of the criminal justice system from the police system to the members of the judiciary. As racial discrimination has formed in various ways from the beginning, it has had adverse affects on the black population of todays so ciety and the law. Thus, the mentality from the slavery days have evolved and integrated into the justice system, affecting the method of serving justice to blacks. The issue of racial discrimination in Canada is a controversial topic. In contrast, the most common explicit evidence of racial discrimination is racial profiling evident through anecdotal accounts. The debate in Canada consists of the scepticism of the general public with focus on systemic discrimination that exists in the justice system and if there is equal access to services offered within the Canadian criminal justice system (Wortley, 2003). Canada in comparison to the United States lacks the resources for empirical evidence to further assess the amount of racial discrimination in the justice system. However, the minimal research conducted has evidently illustrated the prevalence of discrimination within the black and First Nation group of minorities. Indigenous First Nations suffered through a devastating history however one may not assume it has been completely stopped. Surprisingly, in the present day the mistreatment of police forces or other authoritative figures have not simply justified fair and equal treatment. Many scholars have attempted to study the relationship of the treatments of the criminal justice system through the communication processes (Roberts, Doob, 1997). Historically, Aboriginals were seen as a barrier to colonization and progress, as an outcome they were subject to unjust treatment and were forced to assimilate into Canadian life. They were also subject to convert from red men to white this was accomplished by forcing them into residential schools where they suffered a tremendous amount of torture (Dickson-Gilmore, 2005). During this process, First nations have been stripped away of culture: they were forced to surrender land and degraded to the reserves while they were prohibited to have an Aboriginal model of family, social life and spirituality (Dickson-Gilmore, 2005). As Indigenous have been rejected culturally, socially and politically it is a contributing factor to why society has stereotypical views. As the mandatory placement of Aboriginals on reserves, it has resulted in the constant use of drugs and alcohol as they are excluded from the rest of society. Aboriginals have suffered through a disadvantaged past from being stripped of all kinds of identity and being put aside into the reserves. It is very easy to stereotypically judge an individual. Players in the criminal justice system are also humans and are aware of the historically disadvantaged past of the First Nations. The assumption all Aboriginals are the same can affect the outcome of cases wherein an Aboriginal is involved. The stigmatization that has been established about the Indigenous continues to prevail in society today as it is evident in the criminal justice system. Media The media has become a significant influence on the general public. From the television shows, movies and news it has managed to instil certain information, perceptions in the heads of its viewers and/or listeners. Prominently, the media will portray all the negative characteristics of a certain race which leads to the creation of stereotypes. Studies have shown the biasness of the Canadian media and the unfairness of media representations (Mahtani, 2001). Considerably, the media is a powerful medium to deliver knowledge to the public, selecting certain images of minorities to govern the publics perspective (Fleras and Kunz, 2001). As a result, pessimistic representation of minorities includes stereotypes and beliefs such as: threatening, deviant, and irrelevant to the construction of the nation. The negative traits of minorities depicted in the media automatically become the everyday perception of the public. It is rare to see minorities on a television show, however if they are fea tured on a show they are depicted as criminals or deviant (Mahtani, 2001). Thus, the images or the actions/role of a minority depicted in the media is considered one sided portrayals or articles become reality in the minds of Canadians (Fleras and Kunz, 2001) in addition to confirmation of the stereotypes already created. The media often creates a picture of poor black men involved in drugs or violence. Chances of a successful black man being featured in a news broadcast have decreased in the likelihood. The media generates a subliminal message of stereotyping black men. Focusing on a particular race stories emphasizing certain characteristics and eventually transfers those characteristics into a social norm (Fleras and Kunz, 2001). In addition, Aboriginals who have claimed the land of Canada primarily are also portrayed as alcoholics and violent individuals facilitating in the general stereotypes. These stereotypes are consumed in individual beliefs including the police and judicial system. According to Scot Wortley and Akwasi Owusu-Bempah (2010) media analyses have depicted Black people in Canada have a heightened chance of being portrayed as criminal offenders rather than victims. The Black population have often complained regarding the news media and other forms of popular culture (film, music, etc.) about the portrayal often enhancing the stereotypes that already exists. This depiction of the particular race usually places a strain on the treatment of the members of the criminal justice system. Scot Worley (2002) has performed extensive research within the Toronto star. In his findings, he discovered almost half of all stories depicting Black people are related to crime and violence, in comparison to 14% of its counterparts of white victims. In addition to the results, he also found that white victims received more media coverage than Black victims. These biases of large mediums affect an individuals sub consciousness. Treatments of minorities According to Nelson (2004), extensive research of the differential treatment of Aboriginals has been ongoing historically to present. A summarization of the results consists of similar cases of confrontations between first nations and the police due to harassment, racism or aggressiveness through force to restrain the fighting of Aboriginal groups for treaty rights and land claims. Government has imposed solutions in an attempt to reduce incarceration rates for First Nations. The method of restorative justice is encouraged to decrease the over representation of Aboriginals in the entire Criminal Justice System (Nelson, 2004). In addition, scholars have also studied the perception of police and interactions with the black community. Henry Hastings (1996) has conducted a research of how criminal activities are racialized resulting in the confirmation of negative perceptions affecting the treatment of blacks in the criminal justice system. Chart above (Wortley Owusu,-Bempah, 2009, Unequal before the law: Immigrant and Racial Minority Perceptions of the Canadian Criminal Justice system: http://www.springerlink.com/content/036768l1221r238m//fulltext.html#Fig2): Percent of respondents who believe that a black person would receive a harsher sentence than a white person convicted of the same crime The chart above is a depiction of the confidence of the general public in the justice system. As previously mentioned, the perceptions of society towards the Black population have not changed. As a result a survey has been conducted based on perception of three major ethnicities: White, Chinese and Black. The public beliefs of mistreating Blacks had forced the police enforcement to implement the idea of designing strategies to eliminate or reduce the belief of targeting racial minorities. An action plan of recruiting minority groups in the police force has been implemented. Evidentially, these anti-racism programs have not been well examined, due to the significant amount of increase still prevalent in this survey. Stenning (2003) has stated, if such efforts are effective, perceptions of racial bias in policing and the courts should have decreased significantly over the past 10 to 15 years. Racial Profiling A prominent form of racial discrimination is racial profiling. Evidence of surveys conducted still find racial profiling to be a common problem. An academic literature definition of racial profiling is defined as: significant racial differences in police stop and search practices, significant racial differences in Customs search and interrogation practice and particular under or sting operation which target specific racial/ethnic communities (Wortley Owusu-Bempah, 2010, p.17). Various studies conducted in the United States, Great Britain and Canada have all concluded that Black people have an increased chance of being stopped, questioned and search by the police (Tanovich, 2006). This issue has been brought to the attention of the Ontario Human Rights Commission in 2003 with a compilation of detailed testimonial from over 800 individuals in Ontario with a majority composition of black felt they have been a victim of racial profiling. If racial profiling exists it is evident that rac ial discrimination also exists and is somewhat visible in the justice system. Racial profiling within in the society by police, at every level of the justice system influences the statistical information of minorities in the Canadian criminal justice system. Players in the Criminal Justice System The explanation of the over representations of black and Aboriginals in the criminal justice system can simply be explained through the thorough analysis of the judicial system. Canada was originally established in a Eurocentric focus presently continuing justifying the flaws of the criminal justice system and the ignorance towards minorities. The limited representation of minority in the judiciary contributes to the factor of the lack of recognition of minority needs. Essentially, it is vital to implement affirmative action in the courts to avoid stigmatization of race (Crenshaw, Gotanda, Peller, 1995). In addition, in the event of final decisions in court, majority of jurors selected are of a white decent while the criminal offender is often black or Aboriginal with programmed stereotypes. As a result, jury decisions often incarcerate blacks and Aboriginals creating the over representations in prisons. By examining the judicial system it is easy to conclude the racial consistency is prominently white males. This reflects not only the European colonization in early years but the current patriarchal society. According to Hamalengwa (2003), a white lawyer had stated, bringing the racial animus in a criminal case will alienate the judge, police, prosecutors and the jury, all of whom are most likely White and will likely ensure a conviction (p.9). The credibility of this statement is accurate as it is a primary source. When the issue of race is raised in the court systems, it is often denied the attention and action for equal justice of minority groups such as Aboriginals and Blacks Police According to Parker et al (2005), there has been sufficient evidence to conclude police have an increased likelihood of making arrests in cases involving whites compared to non white victims as well as scenarios with a white victim and a black offender. These results show that whites are much more favourable within the justice system emphasizing on the higher value placed on them in comparison to blacks. Further analytical examinations of police biasness of whites during arrests have been studied. In Toronto during the period of 1996 throughout 2001 there have been 10,000 arrests involving drug possessions which was composed of 38% of black suspects and 23% whites. All accused persons were taken to the police station for report processes. However accused white individuals were likely to be discharged in contrast to black individuals who were most likely to be detained overnight for a bail hearing. As there is an overwhelming over representation of Aboriginal people in the criminal justice system, over and under policing contribute to these statistics (Rudin, 2005). Over policing refers to the practice of policing targeting people of particular ethnic or racial backgrounds or people who live in particular neighbourhoods (Rudin, 2005, p.1). This results in the police structuring a different approach towards Aboriginals with the assumption they are violent, dangerous and more likely to be involved in criminal activity. In contrast to the over policing, Aboriginals are underrepresented to being victims by police. This a reflection of the government who often disregard the Aboriginal rights claims and ignore the suffering they continue to experience (Rudin, 2005). Though there have been collective efforts to strategically reduce racial bias in the justice system, it is still questionable whether it is actually effective. One of the approaches that has been recently been put in effect is minority recruitment. It is the idea of hiring minorities to diversify policing and the other sectors of the justice system (Stenning, 2003). Results of this strategy have improved in diversifying the police. In 1994, the police force was composed of 6% minority members compared to the significant increase in 2009 to 19% (Wortley McCalla, 2008). Diversity has evidentially been proven to exist as the two out of the four Deputy Chiefs are black as well as the September 2009 graduates reported to have been the most multicultural class of recruits (Wortley Owusu-Bempah, 2010). As the police are creating a racially diversified environment there is no guarantee that minority members are free of racial discrimination in the work force. The problem of racial discrimination will be difficult to completely eradicate, considering the historical aspects of Canada and the existence continuing into the workforce. Police are a vital variable to consider when dealing with the racial background of one of the primary source for arrests and convictions. As mentioned previously, the police force had been historically composed of a majority of white racial background until recently creating bias to those minorities from internalized beliefs. Jurors Critical Race Theory was created in the 1970s acknowledging racism adopting the ideology from the United States. It is a socially constructed concept attempting to show the structure of law including antidiscrimination law accommodating and facilitating racism (Aylward, 1999). The implication of the Critical Race Theory intensifies the application of power within the criminal justice system. Initially, the aims and objectives of the Critical Race Theory emphasizes on race and power. It fundamentally deconstructs society by categorizing racial hierarchies. However, the recognition of racism reproduces inequality, further minimizing minority rights. The concept deconstructs position of minorities while reconstructing juror bias (Aylward, 1999). In the Canadian context critical race theory is often applied to the races that are more prominent to racial discrimination, Blacks and First Nations. Jury Selection In addition, the jury selection process is most likely to reflect the judiciary representation. National Law Journal conducted a study containing a sample of 800 jurors, 42% were White jurors in contrast to the 25% of Black jurors teaming up with the police officers rather than defendant present in the case (Hamalengwa, 2003). In circumstances of cases wherein race is involved, it is often a minority attempting to indict a representative of the criminal justice system such as the police with an all white jury. The study observed that jurors are more biased by empathizing with victims of their own race and lenient of defendants of the same racial background (Hamalengwa, 2003). Thus, to achieve an equal administration of justice it is essential to select a racially mixed jury. In the case of R. v. Williams jury selection depicted the flaws of the criminal justice system. Victor Daniel Williams, an Aboriginal accused of a robbery charge denied accusations. At the primary trial, the judge permitted questions posed to potential jurors. As a result of this, the Crown had applied for a mistrial on the basis of procedural errors and the unfortunate publicity of the jury selection process (R. v. Williams, 1998). At the second trial the judge had dismissed any motion from the accused. In conclusion of this trial the court had admitted to the widespread of discrimination against First Nations within the community. In cases where the defendant believes the jury might have prejudiced towards the particular race such as Aboriginal, the prosecution and defence have the right to challenge potential jurors for cause on the ground of partiality (R. v. Williams, 1998). Questions the defendant may ask the potential jurors whether they have already possess a prejudice towards the racial group altogether if so, if it is possible for the jurors to make decisions without the bias they posses. The case was a lengthy process of arguing why the jurors were questioned as it is presumed that jurors will function without biasness. Counter arguments have stated it if the prejudice of society is widespread how are the jurors able to remove it for the trial defeating the purpose of section 638(1)(b) (R. v. Williams, 1998). As the case concluded, extensive bias continues to uphold against Aboriginals. In contrast, British Columbia and the attending judge held the evidence was not sufficient to determine potential ju rors prejudiced. The R. v. Williams case has depicted the outcome of jury bias. However, this could be further prevented if the jury selection process was racially mixed with different backgrounds and a variety of perspectives. The outcome of the case would differ greatly. This case could be referred back to the stereotypes instilled in individuals. The general public assumes Aboriginals and prisons are constantly correlated. The implication of this stereotype can be further expanded to the uncivilized and lack social and moral order essential in society (R. v. Williams, 1998). In the case of R. v. Williams jury selection depicted the flaws of the criminal justice system. Victor Daniel Williams, an Aboriginal accused of a robbery charge denied accusations. At the primary trial, the judge permitted questions posed to potential jurors. As a result of this, the Crown had applied for a mistrial on the basis of procedural errors and the unfortunate publicity of the jury selection process (R. v. Williams, 1998). At the second trial the judge had dismissed any motion from the accused. In conclusion of this trial the court had admitted to the widespread of discrimination against First Nations within the community. In cases where the defendant believes the jury might have prejudiced towards the particular race such as Aboriginal, the prosecution and defence have the right to challenge potential jurors for cause on the ground of partiality (R. v. Williams, 1998). Questions the defendant may ask the potential jurors whether they have already possess a prejudice towards the racial group altogether if so, if it is possible for the jurors to make decisions without the bias they posses. The case was a lengthy process of arguing why the jurors were questioned as it is presumed that jurors will function without biasness. Counter arguments have stated it if the prejudice of society is widespread how are the jurors able to remove it for the trial defeating the purpose of section 638(1)(b) (R. v. Williams, 1998). As the case concluded, extensive bias continues to uphold against Aborginals. In contrast, British Columbia and the attending judge held the evidence was not sufficient to determine potential jur ors prejudiced. Though, the case itself was based on the conviction of robbery, it is imperative to note and understand the trials by judge and jury as there is an increased likelihood the outcome of the case is based on systemic discriminatory practices. Systemic Discrimination It is not surprising to see the prominent race in Canadian prisons consists of the minority groups that are often faced with obstacles. Both Blacks and Aboriginals have suffered through a disadvantaged history mirroring the result of how they function in society leading them to prison. However, as these groups are prone to committing more criminal activities in comparison to other races, the partial verdicts of judges and jurors are significantly influenced. Hence, it results in the over representation of Blacks and Aboriginals in Canadian prisons. Canadian Prison System The table below illustrates statistics of the composition of the Canadian prison system. It can be concluded through examination of the charts that Aboriginals and Blacks have the greatest amount of incarceration into prisons. The general population of Blacks and Aboriginals composed in society compared to the ratio that are incarcerated have significant differences and make up majority of incarcerated individuals. The over representations of these particular races in the prison system can cause the general population to question the justice system. Inevitably, factors to consider when analyzing this chart include the consideration of the actual crime committed or the injustice of the courts to properly provide justice to offenders due to racial bias or discrimination. The Representation of Ethno-Racial Groups in Canadas Federal Corrections System (2008) Racial Background National Population1 % of National Population Federal Correctional Population2 % Federal Correctional Population Odds Ratio Rate of Federal Correctional Supervision (per, 100,000) White 25,000,155 80.0 15,157 66.6 0.83 60.62 Aboriginal 1,172,785 3.8 3,894 17.1 4.50 332.03 Black 783,795 2.5 1,684 7.4 2.96 214.85 Asian3 2,090,390 6.7 668 2.9 0.43 31.95 South Asian 1,262,865 4.0 216 1.0 0.25 17.10 Other 931,040 3.0 1,127 5.0 1.67 121.04 TOTAL 31,241,030 100.0 22,746 100.0 1.00 72.80 1 Population estimates for each racial group were derived from the 2006 Census (Chui and Maheux 2008). 2 2008 Federal correctional statistics include those in prison and those under community supervision (Public Safety Canada 2009). 3 The Asian category includes people of Chinese, Japanese, South-East Asian, Korean and Filipino descent. 4 The Other category includes people with multiple racial backgrounds. R. v. Marshall (1971) Donald Marshall was an average seventeen year old. As a youth, it is more likely to get in trouble with the law for petty crimes such as consumption of alcohol or smoking. He was the typical young man who would break the law and

How Irish History Affected Its Music :: essays research papers

Reilly 1 How Irish History Affects Its Music   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After seven hundred years of British rule, and many uprisings that ended in failure, Ireland had reached a breakthrough. This breakthrough had an affect on many different people, especially Irish musicians. The series of uprisings and wars that led to the freedom of most of Ireland developed a new form of Irish music; the rebel songs. On Easter Monday of 1916, the first shot of the Easter Uprising was fired. Six members of the Irish Citizen Army shot a policeman on the streets of Dublin in the head. This was the start of a new era, an era where Ireland would be free. Pearse, the Commander in chief of the Irish Citizen Army, and Connolly, the leader of the Dublin division, led the main body of troops through Dublin to the General Post Office. The G.P.A. became the rebels’ headquarters for the six-day battle against the British Army. There were heavy casualties on the British side, but the Irish were still unsuccessful. There statement was made though, and they surrendered on the following Sunday. Two thousand people were arrested that day, and the leaders Reilly 2 were put to death. Even though the original opinion of the people about the uprising wasn’t in favor of it, after the death of the leaders they were outraged. (Coogan,†Troubles† pgs. 19-25) In May of 1918 the remainder of the prisoners were released. The shadow government and the Irish Republican Army were established. Eamon DeVelera was the president of the shadow government, and Michael Collins and Harry Boland, his right hand men, are associated with the IRA’s establishment. The IRA performed many rebellious acts towards the British and any Irish spies that they hired. The British felt that something needed to be done but did not have the troops due to the First World War. To work around this they sent in a hand-picked elite group that were called the Black and Tans. An Irish spy that was giving information to the IRA in return for his life informed them of the Black and Tans addresses. They then went and killed many of them. This led to the British calling a truce. (Coogan,†Troubles†,pgs. 35-42) Michael Collins was chosen to go over to London to negotiate this truce. They came to an agreement that Reilly 3 Ireland, except six northern counties known as Ulster, would become a freestate, but still pledge allegiance to Britain.

African American Contributions in Science Essay -- Science African Ame

African American Contributions in Science   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout American history many African Americans have been overlooked in the field of science. Some powerful minds and great inventors haven’t been re-introduced to new generations. African Americans have contributed a great deal to the advancements of our country and one of the major fields they have made contributions to is in the field of science. Many successful African Americans have been overshadowed by their Caucasian counterparts. More of our children should be aware of these great historians. African Americans that have made major contributions in the field of science that should be discussed, studied and taught to our society to educate new generations of the vast majority of these great scientists.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are a variety of areas in the science field that African Americans have participated. There were Chemists, Biochemists, Biologists, Physicists, and many others. There were people like Herman Branson who was an assistant professor of chemistry and physics at Howard University who help prepare many young students for the science field. Dr. Branson became a full professor of physics and was made chairman of the physics department of Howard University from 1941 to 1968. He had research interests in mathematical biology and protein structure.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dale Emeagwali was honored scientist of the year in 1996. She has made great contributions to field of science that has benefited mankind. Dr. Emeagwali came from a background where if you wanted to be a doctor while growing up, you would be slapped across the head and told to stop dreaming. Her dreams of being a scientist came true as she worked hard to achieve her degree and make startling discoveries. Among her accomplishments she made the discovery of isozymes of kynurenine formamidase in the basterium streptomyces parvulus which, prior to her findings, were known to only exist in higher organisms. Dr. Emeagwali also proved that cancer gene _expression could be inhibited by antisense methodology, which she says can lead to better treatment for cancer. She is a well accomplished scientist that many people have never heard of.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All fields of science affects the lives of many people, but the inventors are left out. Inventors make many lives more comfortable and convenient. George Edward Alcorn, Jr. was a not so well-known inventor, but he... ...et (1977). Scientific Elite: Nobel Laureates in the United States. New York: Free Press Manning, Kenneth R. (1983). Black Apollo of Science: The Life of Ernest Everett Just. New York: Oxford University Press Massie, Samuel (1982). Cited in Barry Meier "Why There are So Few Black Chemists." Industrial Chemical News 3:1-6 Meier, Barry (1982). "Why are There So Few Black Chemists." Industrial Chemical News 3:1-6 Mozans, H.J. (1974). Women in Science. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press Pearson, Willie Jr. (1985). Black Scientists, White Society, and Colorless Science: A Study of Universalism in American Science. Milwood, NY: Associated Faculty Press Roscher, Nina M., and Cavanaugh, Margaret A. (1987). "Academic Women Chemists in the 20th Century: Past, Present, Projections." Journal of Chemical Education 64:823-827. Rossiter, Margaret W. (1982). Women Scientists in America: Struggles and Strategies to 1940. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press Young, Herman A., and Young, Barbara A. (1976). "Black Doctorates: Myth vs. Reality." Chemical Technology 6:296-299. Zuckerman, Harriet (1977). Scientific Elite: Nobel Laureates in the United States. New York: Free Press

Internet and Our Reading Ability Essay

Internet has become a boon for all of us. It gave us the flexibility to get any kind of information on our figure tips, at the comfort of our home and that too very quickly. Few years back getting information about anything was kind of difficult and tedious. People use to read books, go through journals and old newspapers and so on and so forth to fetch any particular news or information. But with the internet boom, everything changed. People started using eBooks, online dictionaries, Wikipedia, online magazines, online journals. Internet gave people the flexibility to search for anything and everything they want with the click of a button, starting from a local address to international news with the search giant called Google. In current scenario, more and more people are becoming dependant on internet for everything in their life. With all these developments and internet dependency, the one billion dollar question is, does the Internet decrease our ability and interest in reading? Does the Internet decrease our ability and interest in reading? Internet, few years’ back this was not known to anyone or may be a very few people. Internet was known to be a medium to communicate, this served as a boon for the software industry and many other corporate. Post’s which took many days and at times months, could be delivered in just few seconds. This made communication fast and easy. Slowly internet expanded its areas and entered into normal people’s life. People started feeling the comfort of sending emails and communication easy and very quick. With the internet god, people starting enjoying the comfort and flexibility. Slowly with research and development, internet expanded its expertise. It became a source of information with huge database of information. Internet gave people the flexibility to get any kind of information that they needed, very fast. This added to people’s comfort and flexibility and they started enjoying the so called internet. As the information were made available, people started feeling the need of having flexibility to search for information with keywords and hence search engines like Google, yahoo, msn were born. Research shows that, as the demand increases, supply also increased. The same thing happened with internet. People felt the need to do more with internet rather than just reading/writing emails and getting information. Slowly internet expanded its wings towards the ecommerce. Groceries, garments, jewelries, greeting cards, flowers and gifts, computers and electronics everything became online. People reduced their showroom visits, and started enjoying the ecommerce which gave them flexibility to buy anything they desire with just few button clicks and with added benefits like home delivery. With so many flexibilities and comforts, people got addicted to the internet. They started enjoying the electronic or online world to be more precise. As the comfort increases, the desires also increase and same thing happened in the internet case. After ecommerce boom, came a big bash called web2. 0, it gave people more flexibility. Here the user was the king. Until now people were just reading information, purchasing items and so on and so forth, but with web 2. 0 concepts came a revolutionary change in the internet world. People were able to do lot many things like writing blogs, social networking, commenting and rating, sharing, collaboration, forming and joining online groups and communities. People were able to attending the online webinars, eLearning concepts, reading academic books or novels online, reading news online and so on. There is no end to the internet and the new concepts coming up. Internet gave people flexibility, flexibility to read, write, search, buy and do whatever they want and feel. Internet is like a genie for everyone, wish anything and you will get. Internet is not limited to big cities it expanded its wings to small villages also, making them all e-dependant. Despite of all these developments, internet didn’t stop; it grabbed its attention towards the students and teachers. Student started feeling the comfort of reading online, making notes, doing research and so on and so forth. Things which seemed like rocket science became a cake walk for them. Internet helped them in finding anything they desire. Students started spending more time online through internet than reading physical notes and books. Kids started playing online games hence reducing their outdoor games. As the internet came with so many comforts, people started enjoying them all and became internet addicted. Internet addition is more dangerous than any drugs. As and when people started enjoying their comforts with the so called internet god, they forgot everything else in life; they started spending more time online. Even for small information they started searching online. Their social circle got affected. But what happened next? Most importantly their patience level decreased towards reading. Earlier people use to read books with lot of patience, going though the index page, turning through the page number they want to read, bookmarking the page where they stopped and so on. But with internet their reading ability decreased. They started feeling impatient about turning page by page to get any information. Ctrl+f (find) became their all time favorite shortcut. They desired these types of shortcut and online methods in their normal life also. Internet which came as a boon for all of us, became a curse for the authors and writers, since people started feeling disinterested towards reading books, rather they preferred eBooks which are way simpler to read and navigate. EBooks provided them flexibility to click on hyperlinks and go to any particular topics, which is not possible through normal books. It gave them flexibility to search for any word they wish to find about in any particular topic or phrase. Internet totally changed the way people work. It changed people’s perception towards reading and writing. Those who were happy reading books started disliking them. They got so addicted to the internet that it became major part of their life for everything. Internet have spoiled people’s mind, thinking ability, reading ability, writing ability and many more things. Those who enjoyed going to libraries and renting books and reading them, now likes to go to online libraries and read eBooks. Those who enjoyed reading newspapers now like reading news online in news sites. Those who liked reading or knowing general knowledge through GK books now like finding them online through Google or any such search engine. Those who liked doing research by collecting books and as many articles as possible, now like going online and referring online articles, links and books. Everything changed! People find it flexible and comfortable to read online for one more added reason that is information is available free of cost. Internet gave people everything they can desire in their life starting from comfort, flexibility to knowledge, technologies, gadgets and widgets and many more things. But it took away the patience from them. People don’t want to apply their brains anywhere else but only on the internet and doing things online. Obviously why do they need to apply brains? When everything they want is getting them available efficiently, fast and with the same quality and with lots and lots of flexibility, why would they like to do things without internet. With all the points above, the only conclusion is the internet may be a boon for all of us to lead a comfortable life, but internet has taken away one very important things from all our lives, and that is readability. References http://news. zdnet. com/2100-9595_22-243997. html Is Google Making Us Stupid? http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Is_Google_Making_Us_Stupid%3F Internet Age: Are We Losing Our Ability to Read and think? http://www. realtruth. org/articles/090105-006-science. html Leonard, Pitts. Is the Internet robbing us of the ability to read — and think? http://www. sj- r. com/archive/x833711685/Leonard-Pitts-Is-the-Internet-robbing-us-of-the-ability-to-read- and-think Nicholas, Carr (2008). Is Google Making Us Stupid?