L’oreal and the Globalization of American Beauty - 2308 Words

â€Å"L’Oreal and the Globalization of American Beauty† I. Key Problem From the inception of L’Oreal, in 1907, until the late 70’s the global beauty market was largely fragmented and characterized by the domination of local consumer preferences over the search for global efficiencies. Though consumer product companies had been gradually moving toward beauty products and cosmetics, the 80’s marked a monumental industry shift when major conglomerates, such as Unilever and PG, began to buy leading U.S. companies to globalize their brands. In order to keep up with an industry that was experiencing rapid consolidation and the emergence of more powerful international competition, L’Oreal decided to revamp their globalization strategy. They†¦show more content†¦This would be a relatively safe approach that would take advantage of the brand’s existing exclusive image and economic success. Although there would be no expansion outside of the U.S., this strategy would allow L’Oreal to maintain a strong footho ld in the lucrative high-end segment of the American beauty market without the risk of losing exclusivity through international expansion. Also, the competitive advantage that Kiehl’s enjoys in the U.S. is largely based on its image, which has been created by unique marketing and distribution. These distinct features of the company that make Kiehl’s a celebrated â€Å"New York† brand may be very difficult to duplicate in foreign markets. L’Oreal could cautiously continue to expand the brand in the U.S. through on-line sales and a limited introduction of new freestanding stores. They could also continue to test international demand for the Kiehl’s product line through the distribution outlets that currently exist in London, Hong Kong, Toronto, and Paris. Since Kiehl’s is an exclusive product, there may be limited opportunity to further expand the brand inside the United States without over-saturating the market. Also, this strategy would not take advantage of potentially robust profits from pushing Kiehl’s into the vast international marketplace. More importantly, the approach ofShow MoreRelatedLOrà ©al and the Globalization of American Beauty Essay856 Words   |  4 Pagesthe tagline â€Å"Because you’re worth it† and to what brand it belongs to. L’Oreal is one of the top leading brands in the hair and beauty industry. Not just in Europe where it originated in 1907 by Eugene Schueller, rather across nations in various countries. By the mid-1930’s Eugene not only expanded L’Oreal throughout Europe but also gained a leader for hair and body care products. In the 1950’s consequent to World War II L’Oreal entered the US Market. It is believed that if can be prevalent in theRead MoreLOreal and the Globalization of American Beauty1535 Words   |  7 PagesEXECUTIVE SUMMARY. If we look at the over 100-year history of L’Oreal we see how much that company changed and became the biggest global cosmetic company. They expanded and acquire many other companies in the world especially in USA and France. They faced some challenges on the way to that title. Some of the challenges are: high rivalry in the industry, marketing problems with sustaining a consistent brand positioning of the products in some markets, and the cultural differences they faced inRead MoreL’oreal and the Globalization of American Beauty Essay1420 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction: L’Oreal was started in 1907 by French chemist, Eugene Schueller, who developed the world’s first synthetic hair-color product, L’Aureole. By 1912 his hair products were sold in France, Netherlands, Austria and Italy. In the mid-1930s, Schueller moved into the hygiene and toiletry sectors of the cosmetic market with great success. L’Oreal soon earned the reputation as the leader in European hair coloring and skin care products. Although L’Oreal reached European success, enteringRead MoreLOreal Global Brand Local Knowledge6832 Words   |  28 PagesrP os t 9-311-118 REV: JULY 29, 2011 REBECCA M. HENDERSON RYAN JOHNSON L’Orà ©al: Global Brand, Local Knowledge op yo You need a global brand, which is then adapted to the key markets on the key continents in order to offer consumers the right and relevant products, which is what unive ersalization is all about.1 — Jean-Paul Agon, CEO, 2010 tC Since its founding in 1909, L’Orà ©al tightly couple d innovation and speed to market with i o expansion of its geographic andRead MoreNatura Case Study1159 Words   |  5 PagesIndividual Natura case study preparation paper Whether Natura, the Brazilian beauty company, based on biodiversity of Brazil, should expand its business in Russian market is the critical issue of this case study. However, it is necessary to inspect pre-issue before we evaluate the international investment strategy. After reviewing whether the company is capable of dealing with globalization, we move on to measure the Natura’s international marketing strategy. Is Russian the best next step for Natura’sRead MoreOn Cross-Cultural Marketing Strategies LOreal Cosmetics Industry in China Inspiration2023 Words   |  9 Pages Papers On cross-cultural marketing strategies LOreal cosmetics industry in China Inspiration   Ã‚  Posted:2011-3-17 11:06:00   Ã‚  views:16190 Author:*** [pic][pic] [Paper Keywords] Cross-Cultural Marketing Strategy Implications LOreal [Abstract] This paper mainly uses the example of the method, outlining the international situation and domestic cosmetics industry, LOreal, through the analysis of cross-cultural Marketing strategies, discover the LOreal Group on Dunnings eclectic theory of internationalRead MoreMarketing Plan: Maybellines New Perfume5492 Words   |  22 Pages.............................................................. 4 The company ...................................................................................................................................................................... 5 LOreal .............................................................................................................................................................................. 5 Maybelline ..........................................................Read MoreCosmetic Industry Analysis28098 Words   |  113 Pagesedu.my/bsi/pdf?vid=1hid=9sid=f8ee297f-348b-4a8c-a310-b13bcd72ca4a%40sessionmgr12, by Ch ain Drug Review, 2010) Figure 8: Beauty Survey Figure 8 present about a beauty survey of consumer behavior during the global downturn period and their reaction to buy beauty products. The survey showed that about 26% of consumers willing to buy more store or private label beauty/cosmetic products that are close to their budgets. For example, during the great depression, cosmetic sales-lipstick wentRead MoreApples Branding Strategy5567 Words   |  23 Pagesa)Review L’Oreal’s brand portfolio. What role have target marketing, smart acquisitions, and Ramp;D played in growing those brands? 7 Introduction 7 Target Marketing 8 Smart Acquisitions 10 Research and Development 11 b)What’s next for L’Oreal on a global level? If you were CEO, how would you sustain the company’s global leadership? 12 Question 3 14 What are some of the things IKEA is doing right to reach consumers in different markets? What else could it be doing? 14 IntroductionRead MoreMarketing Plan: Maybellines New Perfume5503 Words   |  23 Pages.............................................................. 4 The company ...................................................................................................................................................................... 5 LOreal .............................................................................................................................................................................. 5 Maybelline ..........................................................

Gun Control And The United States - 1493 Words

An ever-popular topic in the United States has to be what to do about gun control laws. Firearms have been the leading cause of death since the beginning of the 20th century. In 2010, guns took the lives of over 31,000 Americans in homicides, suicides and unintentional shootings according to the U.S centers of disease. There should be new gun laws implemented into the United States constitution because Gun laws in today’s constitution give more access to illegal weapons, do not reduce crime rates and has become one of the highest societal cost associated with death and injury. The second amendment states that ‘ A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free states, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall†¦show more content†¦The large availability guns allow unqualified people such as Minors and criminals access to weapons. The united states have the highest gun rate of ownership in the world. ‘ In the united states nearly 10 times more guns are in the civilians hands than in the next closest country, with up to 300 million guns in circulation, this is roughly one gun per adult†(Branas). Guns were cemented in the American culture since the creation of the second Amendment and Americans feel very strongly about their firearm. five out of six guns are purchased by felons these guns were obtained handguns from the second market and by theft† ( centers of disease). The majority of felons reported that it was easy to get firearms illegally and one-third of felons said they could obtain a gun in less than a week. ATF agent jay wactchtel says that most guns used in crimes are purchased from private owners or they are stolen. â€Å"Stolen guns account for 10 to 15 % of gun crimes. Many studies have found that gun ownership correlates with crime. Gun laws do not deter crime gun ownership does. Gun ownership has doubled in the past century. Public health found that legal purchase of a handgun appears to be associated with long-lasting increased risk of violent death. Guns are now a problem more than ever because crime rates have risen. Numerous studies have found that gun ownership correlates with gun homicide. Homicide by gun is the most common homicide in the United States. In 2013,Show MoreRelatedGun Control Of The United States1698 Words   |  7 Pagesshootings that has happened throughout the Unites States has created a great divide among Americans on what should our nation do to prevent further shootings from happening. Many people believe that forcing new laws on how people purchase weapons should require background checks. Gun Control in the United States of America is a topic that has had lots of criticism and support by many citizens. The critical p eople of this topic believe that the guns do not kill people, it is the people that kill peopleRead MoreGun Control And The United States1569 Words   |  7 PagesIn the United States gun control is a big controversy that has been blown out of proportion the last few years. Anything that has to do with guns in the news, reporters say it is the guns fault. Gun control laws are being changed and morphed for the new society that we live in today. What gun control really means is a group of laws to control the selling and use of guns.(1). Statistics have proven that most people want more control on guns. Many surveys have shown that the benefits of gun controlRead MoreGun Control Of The United States Essay1412 Words   |  6 PagesGun Control Proposal Gun control is a highly controversial topic in the United States. There are many people who are for gun control - people who want to have stricter laws to make it so criminals and other dangerous people can’t obtain a firearm. But, there are also the people who disagree with gun control laws and believe there should be a more lenient gun control to help people defend themselves during risky situations. Many gun control laws have been passed for many years. While many have beenRead MoreGun Control And The United States929 Words   |  4 PagesGun control has been a debated, revisited and revised issue for more than a century in the United States. Recently, after several mass shootings in the United States, gun violence issues are; yet again, renewed and in the forefront for the United States. This paper will consist of insight on gun violence in the United States and the newly imposed gun control policies by President Obama; along with, the arguments for and against the new policies and what roles both the formal and informal actorsRead MoreGun Control Of The United States1166 Words   |  5 PagesSince America’s birth, guns have played a large part in it’s society. Citizens of the United States have used firearms to protect the land they love, and their families. They even use them for engaging activities such as hunting and sport. Though firearms may seem to have a commonplace in society, weighing the rights and liberties of citizens against the safety and welfare of the public has always been a delicate process. In the United States, gun control is a of heated issue that has two sides.Read MoreGun Control And The United States988 Words   |  4 PagesGun Control Reassessment in the United States Imagine this: you are in World History class at your high school almost falling asleep learning about Ancient China. It is a normal day for you and your classmates, until you hear an announcement from the principal. You expect the typical lockdown drill, but this situation is far from typical. A man with a gun breaks into your school. BANG! Several of your classmates are killed before this man can be controlled. You survive, but live the rest of yourRead MoreGun Control Of The United States1704 Words   |  7 Pagesshootings that has happened all through the Unites States has made an great divide among Americans on what ought our country do to keep further shootings from happening. Numerous individuals trust that forcing new laws on how people buy weapons should require background verifications. Gun Control in the United States of America is a topic that has had lots of criticism and support by numerous citizens. The critical people of this topic trust that the guns don t murder peo ple, is that people kill peopleRead MoreGun Control in the United States1306 Words   |  6 Pages Gun Control in the United States has gone out of control. The United States should enforce laws to not allow any guns in a house hold in order to reduce violence and crime in the country. Reducing the rate of crime in the United States, controlling big weapons, taxing ammunition, and gun collection can help make this happen. Gun Control can make this country a safer environment to live in. Gun Control has obviously gone out of control in the recent years. Look around, they are everywhere. ReducingRead MoreGun Control And The United States1435 Words   |  6 PagesGun Control For gun control, there should be some requirements for the people to take in order to own a gun for themselves. Throughout the United States, gun control should allow people to still have guns; however, the citizens should go through some changes to ensure safety throughout the nation. Gun control has given some helpful ideals before that would help the people understand the responsibilities of their guns. They want to make sure that these laws maintain to progress as a better solutionRead MoreGun Control And The United States886 Words   |  4 PagesGun Control in the United States On December 14, 2012, a gunman walked into Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, and killed 20 children and six adults. This tragedy shook the nation and made Americans wonder, how could this have been prevented? Recently published research suggests mass shootings are becoming more common in the United States. Harvard University researchers said in October 2014 that a mass shooting has occurred every 64 days, on average, since 2011, compared with every

Natural Vegetation of India Free Essays

Describe the regional variations in the climatic conditions of India with the help of suitable examples. Despite the overall unity accorded by the monsoon, there are visible regional variations in climatic conditions within India. Regardless of the moderating influences of the Himalayas in the north and the sea in the south, variations do exist in temperature, humidity and precipitation. We will write a custom essay sample on Natural Vegetation of India or any similar topic only for you Order Now For example, in summer, some parts of the Rajasthan desert, in north-western India, record temperatures of 50Â °C, while it may be around 20Â °C in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, in the north of the country. On a winter night, the temperature at Drass in Jammu and Kashmir may be as low as minus 45Â °C, while Thiruvananthapuram may have a temperature of 22Â °C. In general, coastal areas experience less contrasts in temperature conditions. Seasonal contrasts are more in the interior of the country. Another case in point is precipitation. While precipitation is mostly in the form of snowfall in the upper parts of the Himalayas, it rains over the rest of the country. The annual precipitation varies from over 400 cm in Meghalaya to less than 10 cm in Ladakh and western Rajasthan. Most parts of the country receive rainfall from June to September, but some parts like the Tamil Nadu coast get most of their rain during October and November. Discuss the mechanism of monsoons. During summer, a low-pressure area develops over interior Asia as well as over north and north-western India. At the same time, there is a high-pressure system over the southern Indian Ocean. Winds move from a high-pressure area to a low-pressure area. As a result, the low-pressure system attracts the southeast trade winds of the southern hemisphere. On crossing the equator, these trade winds—due to the Coriolis force—turn right towards the low-pressure areas over the Indian subcontinent. After crossing the equator, these winds start blowing in a south-westerly direction, and enter the Indian peninsula as the southwest monsoon. As these winds blow over warm oceans, they bring abundant moisture to the subcontinent. Arriving at the southern tip of the Indian peninsula, the wind system breaks up into two branches ? the Arabian Sea branch and the Bay of Bengal branch. The Arabian Sea branch hits the Western Ghats, while the Bay of Bengal branch flows over the Bay of Bengal and hits the eastern Himalayas. The coastal areas west of the Western Ghats receive much of the rainfall from the Arabian Sea Branch, while the regions lying east of the Western Ghats do not receive much rain from these winds. The north-eastern parts of the country receive much of their rainfall from the Bay of Bengal Branch. As these winds move from east to west, the moisture they carry progressively declines. As a result, rainfall decreases from east to west. The Arabian Sea branch moves towards the north-east from the south-west, and joins the Bay of Bengal branch over the northern part of the country. The duration of the monsoon is between 100 to 120 days. By the end of this period, the low pressure system over north and north-west India gradually weakens, and this leads to the retreat of the monsoon winds. Give an account of weather conditions and characteristics of the cold season. The Cold Weather Season Beginning from mid-November, the winter season lasts till February. The weather is usually marked by clear sky, low temperatures and low humidity, and feeble and variable winds. The temperature decreases from the south to the north, with the peninsular region not showing any noticeable seasonal change in temperature pattern due to the moderating influence of the sea. The coldest months are December and January. The days are generally warm and the nights are cold. Frost is common in the north and the higher slopes of the Himalayas experience snowfall. During this season, the sub-tropical westerly jet streams blowing south of the Himalayas bring in cyclonic disturbances from the Mediterranean region. These cause winter rains over the plains and snowfall in the mountains. The Tamil Nadu coast also receives winter rainfall due to the blowing of the north-east trade winds from sea to land. Give the characteristics and effects of the monsoon rainfall in India. Characteristics of monsoon rainfall in India: (i) The duration of the monsoon is between 100 to 120 days from early June to mid-September. (ii) Around the time of its arrival, the normal rainfall increases suddenly and continues for several days. This is known as the ‘burst’ of the monsoon. (iii) The monsoon has characteristic wet and dry spells or ‘breaks’ in rainfall. The monsoon rains take place only for a few days at a time. They are interspersed with rainless intervals. (iv) The moisture is carried by pulsating south westerlies that are affected by different atmospheric conditions, thereby giving monsoon rains an uncertain character. The annual rainfall is highly variable from year to year (v) The rainfall is unevenly distributed across the Indian landscape. Parts of the western coast and north-eastern India receive the maximum rainfall. Regions such as parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Leh and the leeward side of the Western Ghats receive very little rainfall. Effects of monsoon rainfall in India: (a) Indian agriculture is largely dependent upon the water from the monsoon rains. Late, low or excessive rains have a negative impact upon crops. (b) Due to the uneven distribution of rainfall across the country, there are some regions that are drought prone and some that are flood afflicted. (c) The monsoon provides India with a distinct climatic pattern. Hence, in spite of the presence of great regional variations, it has a unifying influence upon the country and its people. How to cite Natural Vegetation of India, Essay examples

The main function of religion is to provide people Essay Example For Students

The main function of religion is to provide people Essay with a code of behaviour which regulates personal and social life. Assess the extent to which sociological arguments and evidence support this view of religion in modern society. Religion in the modern age has been seen by some sociologists as being refreshing to the morals of society, while other sociologists feel that religion has for too long placed restrictions and limitations upon those who partake in it. Both functionalists and Marxists have identified that religion does have the main function of providing guidelines and restrictions to how someone should behave in society., albeit both perspectives have a different outlook on the result of the social restrictions. Functionalists such as Durkheim seen religion as being a vital part of societys structure and form. Durkheim and Parsons believed that by laying down a social consciousness of agreed norms and values in regards to behaviour of individuals would ensure a greater security for all in society. Durkheim identified that any breech of the accepted behavioural code could possibly lead to deviance and even to criminality. This social consciousness certainly regulates personal and social life and encourages social solidarity. In modern society we can see that there is an accepted code of behaviour set down by the law. Most law systems throughout the world are base don religious teachings and values. Such and example is the introduction of some of the Ten Commandments of God being in place in British law , such as it being illegal and punishable to murder and steal and also to lie in court. Ritual as identified by Malinowski still plays a large role in regulating personal and social life. The ceremony of marriage is placed in stone as the only way for some couples to gain certain rights that they would not have if they were no married. Marriage is set down as a way of regulation and control as giving penalties to those who commit adultery or other acts which may break up a relationship. Religion has also placed restrictions on who can marry. Many religious teachings condemn homosexual marriages and has influenced many countries not to allow homosexuals to marry. This is a clear sign that religions main function is provide a code of behaviour which regulates personal and social life. Religious ritual is also identified by Malinowski as being a source of hope and courage to many in the modern society. On his study of the Trioband he noticed that they used ritual as a way of protection by a profane body when they attempted to fish on the open sea as opposed to the lagoon. This can be compared to modern day when many armed forces pray to gods for protection when entering battle. Each member of the groups is expected to perform this act and can be seen as a regulation of behaviour and as setting down a code of behaviour through religion. Marxists agree with the functionalist perspective that religion has the main function of laying down a code of behaviour which regulates personal and social life. Though unlike the functionalist perspective they do not believe that religion is mandatory in a societys structure and that in many cases religion is detrimental to the liberation and security of society. Marxists believed that religion is used as a way of laying down a code of behaviour that is built with the welfare of the ruling classes in mind, that the code of behaviour that is promoted by many religions is a form of control upon the masses, and indeed lead to Marx referring religion is the opium of the people. Marx noted also that religious beliefs were as a result of the alienation that people felt from society as a whole and that the behaviour code produced by religion is only accepted by the masses because society is such that they have nowhere else to turn. This can be partly seen in society today where although individuals do not have a personal faith they attach themselves to religious groups in order to feel as if they are part of community. Such examples are the attachments by Catholic and Protestants in Northern Ireland without having a personal

Book Review a History of Women in America free essay sample

Book Review: A History of Women in America From the beginning of time, women have subtly shaped the history of the human race. Just by operating under social normality or defying it, a woman can cause a movement. In Carol Hymowitz and Michaele Weissman’s book, A History of Women in America, they focus on the more modern changes women have had on history rather than focusing more on the impact women had on the foundation of the United States. While men carried out much of the remembered history of the founding of the United States, women were behind them. In fact, women were the reason that the British colony even lasted, unlike the first attempts such as Roanoke. At the time women were viewed as the weaker sex, this gave the men a reason to build a permanent, safe place to sleep and live. Both authors said, â€Å"In a totally undeveloped and sparsely populated land, the labor of ever able-bodied settler was desperately needed, and a women’s traditional work –providing food, clothing, shelter, and the rudiments of hygiene – was essential to survival† (2), because at the time men did not learn such things and like with Roanoke they would have failed without women. We will write a custom essay sample on Book Review: a History of Women in America or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page While the environment remained harsh, women and men worked together to stabilize the world around them. From those hostile homes turned to calm cottages and as their home environment became more stable women received freedoms that some women of the suffrage would envy, but once it came to law and politics women were once again merely the property of their husbands and less than a person under law. Later in colonial period, the depressing duties of housewifery varied from region to region creating identity among the regions. The wives of southern planters rarely did their own weaving and spinning, while in the northern colonies these tasks took up many hours of a woman† (4) shows some of the diversity and women in the southern colonies took up herbal remedies and nursing, but the basics of each chore stems from housekeeping. Although these kinds of responsibilities carry over to future generations, modern technologies made the chores easier and less strenuous that helped women a dvocate for official rights. However, colonial homemakers did have some power in finances, the family business, and legal business and learn to perform their husbands’ trade none of these freedoms existed in law, but they were excepted in America. The two authors mention a woman, Margret Brent, who owned part of a business, and part of a school, and then went into politics. However, bias against women eventually caused people to turn on her. The treatment of colonial women never passed either extreme of accepting or repulsion, but when punishment became part of the question, the penalty was skewed. A woman was punished if she was pregnant before marriage but the father of the child was mostly unaffected. The politician Margret Brent was punished more harshly because she was a woman. The treatment of these women during engagement or pursuit was gentler than one would expect, more so in the upper class citizens, the women were not inferior until after marriage. Divorces existed in the colonies, but â€Å"for the most part social pressures against it were so extreme and grounds so difficult to obtain that in practice it was not a real option. †(12) So to get away from the bad marriages women would run away and start a new life elsewhere. Then during the revolutionary war, and wars after it, women experienced more social freedoms. These freedoms could lead them into battle with their husbands or waiting in the cities to tend to the wounded. The colonial women helped establish a great nation and there for deserve much more credit than they often receive. They felt the intense hardships of the long voyage, then the harsh land and still were able to create a thriving new world. Men may have more moments that are memorable in history, but the women behind those men often give more effort.

Understanding and Defining White Privilege

Understanding and Defining White Privilege White privilege refers to the collection of benefits that white people receive in a racially structured society in which they are at the top of the racial hierarchy. Made famous by scholar and activist Peggy McIntosh in 1988, the concept includes everything from whiteness being equated with being normal and native to the U.S. to being represented in the media, being trusted, and easily finding makeup products for ones skin tone. While some might view some of these privileges as trivial, its important to recognize that no form of privilege comes without its counterpart: oppression. White Privilege According to Peggy McIntosh In 1988, Peggy McIntosh, a women’s studies scholar with sociological inclinations, penned an essay and cemented a concept that has become a mainstay for the sociology of race and ethnicity. â€Å"White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack,† provided real-world, tangible examples of a concept and social fact that had been acknowledged and discussed by others, but never before in such a compelling way. At the heart of the concept  is the assertion that, in a racist society, white skin confers on those who live in it an extensive array of unearned privileges not available to people of color. White privilege is for the most part invisible to those who have it and unacknowledged by them. McIntoshs list of fifty privileges includes things like regularly being surrounded - in everyday life and in media representations - by people who look like you, and the ability to avoid those who do not; not being  interpersonally or institutionally discriminated against on the basis of race; never feeling afraid to defend oneself or speak out against injustice for fear of racially motivated retaliation; and, being viewed as normal and belonging, among others. The key point made by McIntosh’s list of privileges is that they are not typically available to or experienced by people of color in the U.S. In other words, they experience racial oppression and white people benefit from this. By illuminating the many forms that white privilege takes, McIntosh urges readers to exercise a sociological imagination. She asks us to consider how our individual life experiences are connected to and situated within large-scale patterns and trends in society. In this sense, seeing and understanding white privilege is not about blaming white people for having unearned advantages. Rather, the point of reflecting on one’s white privilege is to recognize that the social relations of race and the racial structure of society have created conditions in which one race has been advantaged over others, and that many aspects of everyday life that white people take for granted are not even available to people of color. Further, McIntosh suggests that white people have a responsibility to be conscious of their privileges and a responsibility to reject and diminish them as much as possible. Understanding Privilege in the Greater Sense Since McIntosh solidified this concept, social scientists and activists have expanded the conversation around privilege to include things like sex, gender, ability, culture, nationality, and class. This expanded understanding of privilege is premised on the concept of intersectionality popularized by black feminist sociologist Patricia Hill Collins. This concept refers to the fact that individuals in society are simultaneously recognized as, classified by, and interacted with on the basis of a variety of social characteristics, including and not limited to race, sex, gender, sexuality, ability, class, and nationality. Thus, our everyday life experiences are shaped by all of these things. In terms of privilege, then, sociologists today consider a variety of social characteristics and classifications when determining the level of privilege one possesses at any given moment. White Privilege Today Yet, in societies fundamentally structured by race, understanding one’s white privilege, regardless of other social characteristics or positions one embodies, is still deeply important. And, given that the meaning of race and the forms that racism takes are ever-evolving in the process of racial formation, it is important to update our sociological understanding of how white privilege has changed over time. While McIntoshs descriptions of white privilege are still perfectly relevant, there are some additional ways in which it manifests today, like: The ability to speak and write from an unchallenged position of authority (see, for instance, commenters online);The ability to hold onto wealth during economic crisis (Black and Latino families lost far more wealth during the home foreclosure crisis than did white families);Protection from experiencing the brunt of negative implications of climate change (economically vulnerable and politically unstable populations, mostly people of color in the global south, are disproportionally affected);Protection from the lowest wages and most dangerous labor conditions cultivated by the globalization of production;Being able to deny that racism exists;Believing in and cultivating sympathy from others for â€Å"reverse racism;Being unconcerned with the racial implications of political candidates one supports;Believing you worked hard for and earned everything you have without receiving any help or advantages;Believing that people of color who have achieved success have been given racially moti vated advantages; The ability to adopt a victim status rather than engaging in critical self-reflection when accused of racism;Believing it is acceptable to be â€Å"ironically† racist;Believing that people need to â€Å"get over it† or â€Å"move on† when they point out racism; and,The belief that cultural products and practices that come from communities of color are yours for the taking. There are many other ways in which white privilege manifests today - take a moment to think about the forms of privilege you can see in your life or in the lives of those around you.

Innovation article review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Innovation article review - Essay Example The foremost step in the process of designing the innovation strategies requires outlining the targets and goals of the company. To apprehend what the company’s core constitutes of. To realize the type of business they are working in and sketch their strategic plans according to that. The next step that comprises of implementing the innovation process, calls for a rigorous scan of the market opportunities. The companies should turn to their best and the worst customers. Then they should analyze that percentile of the public that is not attracted to their products at all. The barriers constraining that part of population should be evaluated. And the problems they are facing should act as the blue prints for the innovation process. In reference to the hindrances and obstacles, ideas are to be generated and an innovation structure is to be built upon them. The structure should define the strategic goals, training programs, internal coaches, and growth boards, while innovative incubators and capital ventures could spread the ideas to a commercial level. Finally the last step asks for investments in innovative systems. A number of myriad systems consist of: Portfolio planning mechanisms, facilitating critical resource-allocation decisions, market insight processes human resource policies, innovation-friendly measurement systems and many more. The author of the article provides meticulous arguments in relation to innovation and its strategies. He also provided detailed information about the all the structures and different systems that entail investments. He is also able to bring consistency to the article, to an extent in the way he carries out the whole innovation process step-by-step and how he outlines the path of innovation by dividing it into four steps and explaining them fully. Also he gives examples of companies

The Organization of African Unity Known as African Union Research Paper - 1

The Organization of African Unity Known as African Union - Research Paper Example So, the role of African Union within the African context is important because it promotes positive change in the society by empowering the people and solving problems. Thesis statement: The organizational setup, responsibilities and social services provided by the African Union proves to be successful within the scenario of social work in Africa (special references to the social services provided by African Union in Africa and its involvement in current issues).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   First of all, almost all the African nations have membership in African Union (AU). For instance, excluding Morocco, present strength of the African Union is 53. African Union, a social work organization for creating unity among the African nations was established in the year 2002. Besides, the Organisation of Africa Unity (AOU) was the mother organization of AU. Okoth (2006) opines that â€Å"Some of the guiding principles of the AU are similar to those of its predecessor, the OAU† (p. 325). The organizational set-up of AU is based on centralization and concentration of power which is fully vested in the center but with equal power to the member states. For instance, the decision-making force of AU is the Assembly of the African Union. Badejo (2008) states that â€Å"The AU carries out its business through many organs, agencies, and non-governmental organizations† (p. 39). The Secretariat (say, African Union Commission) of AU is in Addis Ababa, whi ch is situated in Ethiopia.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The AU is divided into two bodies: political and administrative.  Ã‚   As pointed out, the decision-making process is principally vested upon the Assembly, which consists of members/representatives from member states. The present chairman is Bingu Mutharika, who represents Malawi. Besides, the representative body of AU, namely Pan African Parliament includes 265 members. Idriss Ndele Moussa is the present president of Pan African Parliament.

Herbert hoover Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Herbert hoover - Essay Example His contribution to public service and his humanitarian work during the war became the pride of American people back home. He exhorted his people to economize and save food so that more people could be fed during the great famine of Europe and asserted firmly that even enemies (Russian people) would also be extended help in the form of food supply. When a critic inquired if he was not thus helping Bolshevism, Hoover retorted, ‘Twenty million people are starving. Whatever their politics, they shall be fed!’ (whitehouse.gov). In 1928, he became a natural choice for the republicans for Presidency and was elected with a big margin. Hoover was basically a commoner and a technocrat who had earned his millions, working in mines in different countries of the world. He was dragged into limelight because of his widespread business contacts across world and as an American, he could help Americans who were trapped in the war that had broken out in the Europe. Prior to becoming President, he had extensively served people in various capacity and therefore, when he became president, welfare of the people became his primary concern, especially farmers. His intrinsic belief that as a representative of the people, it was his duty to promote measures that would facilitate people to improve their socio-economic conditions. It was one of the main reasons that his opponents in Congress were often at loggerheads with him he was quite vocal when he perceived that his good work was being sabotaged by others for their own veste d interests. During his presidency, in 1929, America was hit by the worst economic disaster which resulted in the nastiest ever financial meltdown and long economic depression. The stock market crash had the cascading effect with widespread bankruptcy of businesses and banks resulting in huge number of unemployed people. During this time, Hoover encouraged people to remain optimist and work together to help

Conflict Between Western And Islamic Civilizations

Conflict Between Western And Islamic Civilizations Introduction Historically, the conflict between western and Islamic civilizations persisted and 9/11 has widened the gap between western civilization and Islamic world, although the gap could have been closed due to multiculturalism that emerged in the late 20th century. The terror attacks on 9/11 caused severe casualties not only to the US but also to the relationships between average Americans and Arab Americans as well as they have changed the attitude of Americans to the Islamic world at large. Today, Americans tends to associate Arab Americans and the Arab world with terrorism and radical Islamism, which has nothing in common with the real situation in the Arab American community and the Arab world. Hence, the terror attacks on 9/11 have changed relationships between Americans and representatives of the Arab world both in and outside the US and this change has widen the gap between American culture and Arab/Islamic culture. In fact, the terror attacks on 9/11 gave new direction in the develo pment of Orientalism, which is now grounded on the juxtaposition of West and East and, as Said Edward states, shapes the cultural apparatus of Orientalism as a concept associated with aggression, activity, judgment, will-to-truth, and knowledge. Orientalism in the post-9/11 America is the view on Arab Americans and Arab world as hostile, aggressive, and uncontrollable. The relationship between West and East was traditionally the subject to heat debates between philosophers, sociologists, politicians, and other specialists, dealing with relationships between the two civilizations. In this regard, the contemporary relationships between West and East is one of the primary concerns of Said Edward, who develops the concept of Orientalism, which he believes to be a key to understanding of the East, Islamic world and the relationship between West and East. At this point, the question of ethnical prejudice and stereotypes has always been one of the most sharp in contemporary world. The Arabians focused severe mistreatment and misunderstanding. Historically, the conflict between western and Islamic civilizations persisted and 9/11 has widen the gap between western civilization and Islamic world, although the gap could have been closed due to multiculturalism that emerged in the late 20th century. The terror attacks on 9/11 caused severe casualties not only to the US but also to the relationships between average Americans and Arab Americans as well as they have changed the attitude of Americans to the Islamic world at large. Today, Americans tends to associate Arab Americans and the Arab world with terrorism and radical Islamism, which has nothing in common with the real situation in the Arab American community and the Arab world. Hence, the terror attacks on 9/11 have changed relationships between Americans and representatives of the Arab world both in and outside the US and this change has widen the gap between American culture and Arab/Islamic culture. In fact, the terror attacks on 9/11 gave new direction in the development of Orientalism, which is now grounded on the juxtaposition of West and East and, as Said Edward states, shapes the cultural apparatus of Orientalism as a concept associated with aggression, activity, judgment, will-to-truth, and knowledge. Orientalim in the post-9/11 America is the view on Arab Americans and Ara b world as hostile, aggressive, and uncontrollable. Edward Said was the one who deeply investigated this issue and tried to reveal what was the reason of this false perception and why do Western nations could not perceive the Arabian nation in different way. His outstanding work Orientalism, which was released in far 1978 perfectly explains and investigates the relations between the East and the West, as well the history of these prejudice formation. The author called Orientalism, the political doctrine, which mistreat, misunderstand, misinterpret and oppress the Orient (or the East), which is traditionally was referred to as weaker than the West: My contention is that Orientalism is fundamentally a political doctrine willed over the Orient because the Orient was weaker than the West, which elided the Orients difference with its weaknessà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ As a cultural apparatus Orientalism is all aggression, activity, judgment, will-to-truth, and knowledge (Said Edward, p. 204). The author investigated in detail the relations between th e Eastern and the Western nations, which actually caused such a treatment and made even the academic world of the West is confident about their superiority upon the East, which causes such relations. Personally Said was confident that Orientalism did not deal with misinterpretation: My whole point about this system is not that it is a misrepresentation of some Oriental essence in which I do not for a moment believe but that it operates as representations usually do, for a purpose, according to a tendency, in a specific historical, intellectual, and even economic setting (Said Edward, p. 273). Said is roughly against the spread of internationalized ideas of Orientalism spread and practiced by the Arab elite and having their roots in the UK and the United States. It would be important to note that the Arab nations has their own unique culture, which is actually in some parts is really in the confrontation with so called Orientalism imagery, created by the West. The author considers that this has not only negative impact on the relations between the nations, but on the nations themselves, in particular the Arab nation: The four elements I have described expansion, historical confrontation, sympathy, classification are the currents in eighteenth-century thought on whose presence the specific intellectual and institutional structures of modern Orientalism depend (Said Edward, p. 120). The oppression of the Eastern nations, Arab nation in particular started far earlier than the event 9/11 occurred and observing the present day situation from the different perspectives it would be essential to note that the splash of this confrontation was due the event of 9/11, which stressed the Arab and the Western world and sharpened the confrontation. Before 9/11 the relationships between West and East has deteriorated consistently because western countries, headed by the US, oppressed the Arab world. At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that the development of the international relations before 9/11 was characterized by the growing tension between the US and its allies, on the one hand, and Arab and Muslim countries, on the other. As the matter of fact, terror attacks on 9/11 were, to a significant extent, determined by the negligence in relation to cultural norms and traditions as well as the socioeconomic situation and political development of Eastern countries. In this respect, Said Edward stands on the ground that the relationship between West and East were misbalanced. On extrapolating this idea on the international relations before and after 9/11, it is possible to estimate that 9/11 was an attempt of the Eastern, Islamic world to shatter the hegemony of the West in socioeconomic, political and cultural developmen t of the world. In fact, Western countries headed by the US strived to domination in the Middle East as well as in other regions, which traditionally attached to Islamic norms and traditions. In fact, the international relations before and after 9/11 were characterized by the dominating view on the international relations as the juxtaposition between West and the rest of the world. In this regard, Said Edward argues that the basic paradigm of West versus the rest (the cold war opposition reformulated) remained untouched, and this is what has persisted, often insidiously and implicitly, in discussion since the terrible events of September 11 (Said Edward, 118). What is meant here is the fact that the West contrasts itself to the rest of the world and people living in the West failed to view the world as a heterogeneous entity. Instead, they were accustomed to view the world from the western standpoint and they neglected other, alternative views. To put it in simple words, westerners had little idea of the East and they did not attempt to understand the East. Instead, they preferred to juxtapose to the East, develop confrontation against the East, and challenge the East just because it was different and it was not like the West. In this regard, Said Edward denies views of other specialists, who internalize problems of international relations. To put it more precisely, he is very skeptical about the idea that terror attacks occurred because of the internal development of Western and Eastern civilizations, which developed their own ideology, values and so on and eventually ended up in a clash, whereas 9/11 was just the mere manifestation of this clash between civilizations. In this respect, Said Edwards rejects views of researchers, who have much time to spare for the internal dynamics and plurality of every civilization, or for the fact that the major contest in most modern cultures concerns the definition or interpretation of each culture, or for the unattractiv e possibility that a great deal of demagogy and downright ignorance is involved in presuming to speak for a whole religion or civilization. No, the West is the West, and Islam Islam. (Said Edward, 118). He stands on the ground that the lack of mutual understanding and desire from the part of the West to understand the East, namely Islam and Muslim world led to the ongoing confrontation and the 9/11 terror attacks. At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that before 9/11 the Muslim world experienced really hard times. The question of Western superiority was razed again. It goes without saying that Edward Said as the son of his nation could not stay indifferent to such a mistreatment and raised a discussion, trying to put things on their appropriate but never suitable places as the representatives of Western culture often do: Even the normally sober British weekly The Economist, in its issue of September 22-28, cant resist reaching for the vast generalization, praising Huntington extravagantly for his cruel and sweeping, but nonetheless acute observations about Islam. Today, the journal says with unseemly solemnity, Huntington writes that the worlds billion or so Muslims are convinced of the superiority of their culture, and obsessed with the inferiority of their power. Did he canvas 100 Indonesians, 200 Moroccans, 500 Egyptians and fifty Bosnians? Even if he did, what sort of sample is t hat? Uncountable are the editorials in every American and European newspaper and magazine of note adding to this vocabulary of gigantism and apocalypse, each use of which is plainly designed not to edify but to inflame the readers indignant passion as a member of the West, and what we need to do (Said Edward, 2001). The typical example of prejudice existing in the western society against Muslims and Islamic world can be revealed easily in the works written by Said Edward: This is the problem with unedifying labels like Islam and the West: They mislead and confuse the mind, which is trying to make sense of a disorderly reality that wont be pigeonholed or strapped down as easily as all that. I remember interrupting a man who, after a lecture I had given at a West Bank university in 1994, rose from the audience and started to attack my ideas as Western, as opposed to the strict Islamic ones he espoused. Why are you wearing a suit and tie? was the first retort that came to mind. Theyre Western too. He sat down with an embarrassed smile on his face, but I recalled the incident when information on the September 11 terrorists started to come in: how they had mastered all the technical details required to inflict their homicidal evil on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the aircraft they had comm andeered. Where does one draw the line between Western technology and, as Berlusconi declared, Islams inability to be a part of modernity? (Said Edward, 2001). These social boundaries raise a number of issues and the intensive desire to overcome them could not really help. That is why it is not actually surprising that Edward Said devoted so huge attention to the national and ethnic identity and defeated the facts that are the roots and the same time illustrative examples of these prejudice. Within this short passage the author described typical situation, when he was criticized by a so called pro-Western individual. Said Edward stands on the ground that representatives of the Islamic world face these prejudice from the very beginning till the end of their lives. The facts Edward Said uses for his research perfectly identify that the division on East and West is really lack of proved and well grounded pure facts. The only grounds for such an attitude and sharpening the destructive Orientalism are prejudice and stereotypes, which are actually nothing more than a myth. Taking into consideration the poll data it would be important to focus on the fact that the poll held Scripps Survey Research Center at Ohio University revealed that two thirds of the Americans consider that the government structures were well aware about the threat and had certain data, which could assist prevention of the terroristic acts but did not used this information. It goes without saying that two thirds of the Americans who support such point of view are potentially disregard Orientalism based prejudice and stereotypes dealing with the representative of the Arab nations, hence there is left one third, which would not stay indifferent. Edward Said was the one, who considered the occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq to be illegal, as this act is not better than terrorist attack and may be even worse, as it violates the norms of international law dealing with sovereignty of the state: The suicide bombing phenomenon has appeared with all its hideous damage, none more lurid and ap ocalyptic of course than the events of September 11 2001 and their aftermath in the wars against Afghanistan and Iraq. As I write these lines, the illegal occupation of Iraq by Britain and the United States proceeds. Its aftermath is truly awful to contemplate. This is all part of what is supposed to be a clash of civilisations, unending, implacable, irremediable. Nevertheless, I think not. I wish I could say that general understanding of the Middle East, the Arabs and Islam in the US has improved, butalas, it really hasnt. For all kinds of reasons, the situation in Europe seems to be considerably better (Said Edward, p. 3). The fact is that the representatives of Western civilizations sometimes act even worse than terrorists. American and British Armies killed thousands of civilian Arabians, children, they violated the rights of people and were even condemned by the international society. Therefore, Said Edward is right, when he argues that the lack of understanding of the Islamic world provoked the confrontation, whereas the traditional opposition the West v. the rest of the world, could hardly lead to any other outcome but the bloody clash between the West and the East, which occurred on 9/11. In fact, Eastern, Islamic countries attempted to oppose to the growing pressure from the part of the US. Their vision of international relations differed consistently from the vision imposed on the world by the US. For instance, Islamic countries had a different view on the solution of Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Eastern countries, such as Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan have chosen their own way of development, which was different from the western way of development. In such a way, Eastern countries have different position in international policies but the West, headed by the US, ignored the position of Eastern countries. At this point, it is important to place emphasis on the fact that the US was and still is the only superpower in the world and Eastern countries could not oppose or resist to the US, even if they united their efforts. They could not confront the only superpower in the open struggle. Nevertheless, Eastern countries grew more and more dissatisfied with the global policies and international relations imposed on them by the US. Hence, the opposition to the West grew stronger and led to the emergence of terrorist movements, such as Al Qaeda, which was actually responsible for terror attacks on 9/11. To put it more precisely, as Said Edward argued, the Islamic world stayed to be the Islamic world with its traditions, norms and beliefs. Representatives of this world, which was different from the West, were ready to defend their views and beliefs by all possible means. The hegemony of the US as the only superpower gave them little options to choose the method of struggle and the terrorism be came the major and, probably, the most effective method of struggle of the East against the oppression and domination of the West. Al Qaeda had proved to be quite successful recruiting thousands of members worldwide. Remarkably, this terrorist organization focused on the most radicalized parts of the world, such as Afghanistan or Pakistan, as well as Iran and Indonesia where radical Islamist ideas were popular and still relevant. Al Qaeda had a solid ideological basis in these countries and could recruit new members easily, whereas the desperate socioeconomic position of the population in these countries increased the popularity of Al Qaeda. At the same time, the main reason for the popularity of Al Qaeda among the population of Eastern countries. To put it more precisely, they were ready to support the power, which they believed to stand for their traditions, culture, interests and needs. In such a context, Al Qaeda positioned itself as the organization that struggles for the value s of Islam and protects Muslims from the oppression from the part of the US and other non-Islamic countries of the world. In other words, Al Qaeda personified the power that challenged the US and stood for Muslims. Hence, many people supported and still support this organization. At this point, it is possible to refer to the experience of other terrorist organization, such as Hezbollah, which has gained the public support in Lebanon because, even though this organization used terror attacks as the main method of its struggle, this organization proved to be the only power capable to resist effectively to Israel. The same trend can be traced in regard to Al Qaeda, which positioned itself as the only power capable to resist to the hegemony of the US and which was eager to support the Islamic world and Muslims worldwide. After 9/11 the West viewed Al Qaeda as the major threat and terrorist organization, whereas the East viewed Al Qaeda as a powerful organization that challenged the West and attempted to preserve the traditional values of the East and protect interests of Muslims. However, such an effect of the terror attacks conducted by 9/11 because, as Said Edward said the West is the West, and Islam is Islam, i.e. each civilization views the terror attacks from its own standpoint and, therefore, the attitude of people in the West and in the East to 9/11 differs. In the end it would be essential to focus on the fact that the Arab nations have to face severe difficulties in their everyday life and the grounds for these difficulties are Orientalism based prejudice and stereotypes, which impact the everyday life as Western as well as Eastern society. Edward Said was the one who valued national and ethnic identity very high, but the same time he was the one who stressed that the national diversity could never became a reasonable ground for interracial misunderstanding and development of prejudice. He always stated on the fact of equality between the representatives of all the nations in the world. A number of people share the same ideas on Orientalism, which is based on the centuries developed prejudice and stereotypes. International relations revealed the hegemony of the US and western civilization. In such a situation, terror attacks on 9/11 became the only effective response to the oppression of Eastern countries by the US. Al Qaeda became a s ymbol of the struggle for independence and traditional values in the East, and the enemy number one in the West. In such a way, the West carries on its ideology of the opposition of the West vs. the rest of the world.

Wind Power in the Near Future Essay -- Energy Mechanics Essays

Wind Power in the Near Future Today many people are anxious about energy for the future, as it seems realistic that petroleum energy will someday run out and since some environmental problems caused by petroleum use are getting worse. As alternatives to today’s main energy source, oil, some others have been proposed already, such as solar, water, biomass, and nuclear. Wind Power is the one of the ways that has the biggest potential and is the most practical. And it is predicted to play an important role in electrical generation for the new era. But to think wind power will be the dominant energy source can be too optimistic. How will wind power be used? To what extent will wind power take the place of petroleum? We can find the answers in some recently published articles. The article â€Å"Wind Farm to be Established in the Netherlands,† refers to the case of BA and Chevron Texaco, the major petroleum companies, which are constructing a wind farm near Rotterdam. The article reports that this wind farm will generate the low emission electricity for 20,000 households and help the stability of the electricity market. And in the article â€Å"Power into the Future,† Ken Eastwood reports on the position of wind power in Australia. Until now mainly coal has been used in Australia, but in 2001, the federal government of Australia announced that within 10 years an extra 2 per cent of the country’s power must be produced by renewable sources, in order to reduce global warming. Eastwood said the electric generating system would shift from a small amount of huge generators to smaller but widely distributed ones. Wind power can be produced locally on a small scale. One example from Ravenshoe, a small town in northeast Australia, is shown. There... ...leum based energy, but up to a single digit percent of total. It seems that the use of wind power will be limited in both it’s amount and location. And most likely, it will be used in combination with other methods. Works Cited American Wind Energy Association. â€Å"Wind Energy: An Untapped Resource.† Ken Eastwood. â€Å"Power into the Future.† Australian Geographic, Jul-Sep 2002, Issue 67. Harris Cassius A. â€Å"Wind Farm to be Established in the Netherlands.† Civil Engineering, Mar 2002, Vol. 72, Issue 3. Walt Patterson. â€Å"Pioneered the Concept of Distributed Micropower Generation.† Scientific American, Dec 2004, Vol. 291, Issue 6. Joe Provey. â€Å"Off the Grid.† Popular Mechanics, Mar 2005, Vol. 182, Issue 3. Peter Schwartz and Reiss Spencer. â€Å"Nuclear Now.† Wired, Feb 2005, p 78~83. â€Å"Wind Turbines Taking Toll on Birds of Prey.† USA Today, Jan 05, 2005. Wind Power in the Near Future Essay -- Energy Mechanics Essays Wind Power in the Near Future Today many people are anxious about energy for the future, as it seems realistic that petroleum energy will someday run out and since some environmental problems caused by petroleum use are getting worse. As alternatives to today’s main energy source, oil, some others have been proposed already, such as solar, water, biomass, and nuclear. Wind Power is the one of the ways that has the biggest potential and is the most practical. And it is predicted to play an important role in electrical generation for the new era. But to think wind power will be the dominant energy source can be too optimistic. How will wind power be used? To what extent will wind power take the place of petroleum? We can find the answers in some recently published articles. The article â€Å"Wind Farm to be Established in the Netherlands,† refers to the case of BA and Chevron Texaco, the major petroleum companies, which are constructing a wind farm near Rotterdam. The article reports that this wind farm will generate the low emission electricity for 20,000 households and help the stability of the electricity market. And in the article â€Å"Power into the Future,† Ken Eastwood reports on the position of wind power in Australia. Until now mainly coal has been used in Australia, but in 2001, the federal government of Australia announced that within 10 years an extra 2 per cent of the country’s power must be produced by renewable sources, in order to reduce global warming. Eastwood said the electric generating system would shift from a small amount of huge generators to smaller but widely distributed ones. Wind power can be produced locally on a small scale. One example from Ravenshoe, a small town in northeast Australia, is shown. There... ...leum based energy, but up to a single digit percent of total. It seems that the use of wind power will be limited in both it’s amount and location. And most likely, it will be used in combination with other methods. Works Cited American Wind Energy Association. â€Å"Wind Energy: An Untapped Resource.† Ken Eastwood. â€Å"Power into the Future.† Australian Geographic, Jul-Sep 2002, Issue 67. Harris Cassius A. â€Å"Wind Farm to be Established in the Netherlands.† Civil Engineering, Mar 2002, Vol. 72, Issue 3. Walt Patterson. â€Å"Pioneered the Concept of Distributed Micropower Generation.† Scientific American, Dec 2004, Vol. 291, Issue 6. Joe Provey. â€Å"Off the Grid.† Popular Mechanics, Mar 2005, Vol. 182, Issue 3. Peter Schwartz and Reiss Spencer. â€Å"Nuclear Now.† Wired, Feb 2005, p 78~83. â€Å"Wind Turbines Taking Toll on Birds of Prey.† USA Today, Jan 05, 2005.

Compare And Contrast Japan And China Essay

China and Japan, both with thousand years of ancient culture and civilization history, share numerous similarities and differences. Confucianism is a collectivist based value system which embraces a set of moral codes of behavior designed to regulate the relationships between ruler and subject, father and son, friend and neighbor, husband and wife, and brother and brother. Even though both China and Japan employed Confucianism as the state ideology, there were many features of Confucianism in the two countries that shaped each country’s societies. China and Japan isolated themselves from the rest of the world in the beginning, but later on, the differences in response to the pressure from the West led them to different paths. This essay is going to compare and contrast two main differences between Japan and China, which include a cultural legacy known as Confucianism and the response to the West in 19th century. To begin with, Confucianism stresses particular social relationsh ips, but it is also a universal moral code, which makes it easy for the Japanese adoption. However, the Japanese transform it in their way and to a certain degree Confucian concepts are applied to relationships carrying a different meaning from those in China. At its most basic of culture, Chinese morality is founded on the family structure, with the most important social ties being that of parent and child and its blood-related family clans. The Japanese moral system is founded on a set of kinship relations that go beyond blood ties or extend to members who have no blood relationship, with the primary tie being that between leader and follower. Therefore, Japanese political culture is more group-oriented, more tribal, or more radical. Another example is the paired concepts of loyalty and filial piety that characterize the two cultures. These two values are related: both are the duties we owe to our superiors. Loyalty is our duty to our ruler, and filial piety is our duty to our parents. Both came into the Japanese culture as part of the Confucian influence, but they are treated differently in China and Japan. In China, â€Å"filial piety or reverence for parents is the most important of these  relationships and the one that binds the Confucian moral system together. Confucianists assume that if everyone internalizes such ‘family values,’ society will come into tune with heaven, and harmony, contentment, and prosperity will ensue as a matter of course† (Miller, John H). When there is a conflict between the two, our duty to our parents usually outweighs that to the ruler. In Japan, the Japanese do not acknowledge this tension or contradiction: one is a filial child only if one gives loyal service to one’s superior. Therefore, loyalty is expressed in unquestioning slave-like obedience and implies total selfless devotion to one’s lord. In other words, loyalty in the Japanese culture usually take precedence over filial piety. In addition, harmony, rather than competition, is one of the core Confucian ideas and the concept that helps to shape both Chinese and Japanese political cultures. Both China and Japan are highly â€Å"collectivistic† societies under the Confucian influence, in which each person is born and melt into a collective entity either family, clan, group, society, or state, each person knows his or her status and identity in relation to others in social relations, and each person is required to conform to the collective values. However, in Japan, more emphasis is placed on group orientation and loyalty to the group, for it is the group that gives one a social identity, provides a feeling of security, and receives the rewards of service. Not only the household and the village but also colleagues, fellow students, neighbors, and even industrial sectors constitute the important groups from which one acquires social status and identity. The Second Imperialism of the 19th century, driven by both America and Western Europe profoundly affected Africa and Asia. In Asia, both Japan and China were impacted, but in very different ways. Japan was able to ward off the threats of imperialism, and emerge as a world power. China, on the other hand, suffered the loss of sovereignty and status. The elites of both countries responded to the challenges posed by Western penetration by initiating reforms. In Japan, the Meiji regime chose to remake themselves entirely through Westernization, while in China, the Qing government chose instead to hold on to traditional Chinese values and institutions. China’s efforts at reform, the Self-Strengthening Movements, was in essential traditional answers to traditional problems. There was no significant, large-scale industrialization in China, and they displayed  little willingness to abandon traditional imperial institutions that were incapable to dealing with contemporary problems. Chinese cultural pride was just too deeply ingrained, so much so that it became an impediment, blinding many Chinese and preventing them from recognizing the need to learn from the barbarians and for fundamental change. On the other hand, Japanese efforts to adopt foreign technology to meet their military and industrial needs were largely successful. The Meiji regime, however, saw that military technology and industrialization could not be separated from institutional structures that had produced and accompanied such developments in the West, and showed little hesitation in transforming or abolishing traditional institutions in favor of those that could give Japan the modernity it needed to survive. Overall, the Meiji Restoration was a tremendous success for the Japanese and allowed them to join the ranks of Western new imperial powers. Both nations pursued the goal of a â€Å"rich nation and strong army† as the way to modernization through the Self-Strengthening Movement in C hina and the Meiji Restoration in Japan. However, most of the reforms in the Self-Strengthening Movement belonged to the surface layer of modernization which included manufacturing technology of military and light and heavier industries, and certain infrastructures. The reforms in the Meiji Restoration not only replicated the material manufacturing technology, but also touched the inner and deeper parts of Western civilization that included political structures and legal systems, and Western types of philosophy, culture and ways of thinking. China and Japan, due to geographical proximity, historical, and cultural ties, have many similarities and differences. Confucianism played a very important part in both Chinese and Japanese, but their different understandings in many same concepts lead to different cultures and societies. In addition, during the nineteenth century, facing the pressure of the West, different responses changes the fate of China and Japan. Chinese responded to the Opium Wars and western intrusion through a combination of challenging the West, embracing traditional ways, challenging the Qing Dynasty, or seeking moderate reforms. Japan, though never conquered, responded to the intrusion of West quite differently. Rather than looking to the past, the Japanese sought to emulate the West. During the Meiji Restoration, Japan modernized. Japan sought to avoid China’s fate by adopting aspects of Western culture and faced a turning point in its history. Works Cited Miller, John H. â€Å"Belief Systems and Religions.† Modern East Asia: An Introductory History. Armonk, N.Y.: M.E. Sharpe, 2008. 19. Print.

Violent Toys and Children Essays

Violent Toys and Children Essays Violent Toys and Children Essay Violent Toys and Children Essay From larning playthings to miniature autos. playthings have ever been an influence on kids. Young kids have trouble dividing facts from phantasy. Children learn through drama. and they learn by illustration. It is through inventive drama that the kid begins to larn some of the functions and behaviors of society. Learning to collaborate. negotiate. take bends and drama by the regulations are all of import accomplishments learned through drama. The accomplishment larning procedure through drama and games is applied in Montessori kindergartens which have turned out to successful method of learning all around the universe. Young male childs and misss have ever looked up to their Barbies or grew in exhilaration when watching their Hot Wheelz fly around the path seeking to get away the jaws of a shark. Many of these playthings are get downing to develop to be more realistic such as nerf guns or ground forces figures. With promotions in engineering. an increasing sum kids are get downing to play on their tablet or other digital device instead than playing with physical playthings. Violent toys weren’t as accessible to kids a few old ages back. and since. kids have shown an addition in force of ages 10 and up. It is of import that violent playthings are monitored because they are easy accessible. are funded by the ground forces and is going progressively popular in video games but these issues can be easy prevented by parents. Some of the most popular playthings recently have been of plaything guns or violent statuettes which populate the shelves at plaything shops. Violent playthings are in an copiousness and are easy accessible to kids. The M2 Research company did a survey which showed that 91 % of childs between the ages of 8-11 drama the popular shoot-them-up war game. Call of Duty . This game is made for an older audience and has an ESRB evaluation of M for Mature. It is rated M because of blood and Gore. intense force. strong linguistic communication which is non something an 8 twelvemonth old should be exposed to. Many toy shops now place their violent points on the first shelf in forepart of the entryway because of their success in the market. Violent playthings can be purchased in many shops around a metropolis. including local dollar shops. Games like Call of Duty are even being sold at Toys R’ Us franchises. despite their Mature evaluation. It is non difficult to see that violent plaything and picture games sell when characters like Master Chief from Microsoft’s successful Halo franchise become the face of specific picture game consoles. such as the XBOX . Children are able to larn about their civilization through the playthings that they play with. If a kid was asked what a gun was. they would be able to place it from the GI Joe they were playing with. As stated earlier. violent playthings are easy to come by and would be a daunting undertaking for a parent to forbid their kid from utilizing them. Harmonizing to an Article in the New York Times. The U. S. Military and the American Toy industry have a long clip history of working together. Both parties benefit from the relationship. War toys non merely have negative impacts on child’s behaviors but they help in cultivating any negative thoughts. even set up some beliefs on their heads that may non be suited for them. Some experts argue that war playthings are besides used as a propaganda tool that portray one group as right and powerful whereas the enemies to be less powerful and incorrect. It is parents’ counsel that is necessary to maintain their kids off from such playthings that propagate violent sadistic behaviors in them every bit good as assist them get away from the propaganda pit. The relationship is non a manus off. but in fact a trade. The ground forces does non merely fund plaything development. but it besides develops its arms and vehicles off playthings. For illustration. the M-16 rifle is really based of a merchandise of Mattel. Other inspirational points include. SuperSoakers ( for quick-loading rifles ) . theoretical account planes ( recon drones ) . and video game accountants ( for robotic vehicles ) . By making new military promotions off of plaything. the ground forces is able to develop today’s military personnels as kids. Younger kids have embraced electronic playthings. and so hold the ground forces. The Institute for Creative Technologies. is a company created by the ground forces in 1999. It is a cooperation between the amusement. video game and computing machine scientific discipline industries and the Army to develop preparation simulations. These preparation simulations are made to be every bit close to world as possible by utilizing high definition artworks. realistic arms and entertaining narrative lines to make an immersive grade of world a participant experiences. which is a cardinal gross revenues property in the picture game market. and critical in a military simulation. The Army now has its ain game. America’s Army. which can be downloaded without charge from its enrolling Web site. AmericasArmy. com. At the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory. a 15-inch unmanned truck called the Dragon Runner. is guided by a six-button computer keyboard modeled after Sony’s PlayStation 2 picture game control. Military interior decorators felt confident that soldiers would be familiar with it. and partly trained to utilize it. The Dragon smuggler can establish with the usage of a bungee cord or merely a flip of the arm. similar to dally planes that a kid would play with. In today’s modern society where violent picture games make a big per centum of the industry. many kids turn to their picture games than board games or other playthings. As past U. S. Senator Joseph Lieberman ( 1998 ) stated late. these games †¦ are portion of a toxic civilization of force that is enfolding our kids. that is assisting to desensitise them and film over lines between right and incorrect. and promoting some of the most vulnerable of them to perpetrate violence . In fact. playing violent picture games was implicated as a possible contributory factor in schoolyard slaughters. specifically at Columbine High and Westside Middle School in 1999. Despite the turning concern. kids still seem to be passing more clip playing video games. A recent study released by the Kaiser Family Foundation ( 1999 ) reveals that a bulk of 2 to 18-year-old kids in the U. S. have entree to a picture game console in their place. About three-fourths of all kids surveyed have at least one console. Besides. a 3rd of all kids in this age group have a picture game system in their ain room. The information from this survey besides shows that 8 to 18-year-old male childs spend 41 proceedingss per twenty-four hours playing picture games whereas misss in this age group spend merely 12 proceedingss. These findings suggest that many kids non merely hold entree to place bet oning systems. but besides spend at least some clip every twenty-four hours playing such. Several surveies have examined the impact that gambling has on individuals’ aggressive inclinations. Some of the research conducted in the 1980s found a relationship between game playing and aggression. Video games in the 1980s did non even compare to the realistic picture games of today and were much less violent. Consistent with this thought. more recent grounds found by the University of New South Whales suggests a positive relationship between playing synergistic violent media and aggressive. and prefer violent gambling content. There is besides a turning organic structure research done by Stoney Brook University that shows a nexus between playing violent picture games and aggressive ideas. readings. and/or behavior. The same research workers revealed that playing violent picture games is significantly associated to aggressive behavior. As a consequence from all this research. it ecomes of import to analyze merely how much force is in video games popular with young person. Although the research shows how negative violent picture games can be on society. their popularity continues to increase. There are more than 40. 000. 000 transcripts of Call of Duty. the most popular franchise. in the U. S. entirely. Violence provides an immersive bang that chiefly males are hardwired to bask and this sells the merchandise. Children are invariably detecting the universe around them and with the influence of violent playthings. it is of import that parents take a balanced attack by monitoring and seting the positions towards force. It will be a hard challenge to set an terminal to force in plaything and media. and for greater odds of success. it is of import that parents conform their child’s positions toward force. Wholly cutting of a kid from violent playthings and games may back-fire as the kid may want the forbidden. Keeping a weapon does non do all kids possible slayers. but if explained. can instead be used for murdering firedrakes with their imaginativeness. Parents should besides look into the Entertainment Software Ratings Board ( ESRB ) displayed on all video game covers. The ESRB informs parents on the content within the game. and its age-appropriateness. Parental controls are besides available on all new picture game consoles. Parents can utilize these controls to forbid content they do non O.K. of in games and even media that is streamed through the devices. Parents should besides restrict the usage of violent points in their family to cut down opportunities of their kid going obsessed. It is possible that a kid becomes emotionally attached to their favorite plaything. which may act upon them in the long tally. Violence has made its manner into the mean place through children’s playthings and picture games. the same plaything that are funded by the military. but has been progressively relevant in video games. although this can be solved through parents’ actions. Violence playthings are non needfully a bad thing. but should still be watched carefully as different kids react to it in different ways. Many childs enjoy holding a nerf gun war with their fellow equals and do non stop up going consecutive slayers. Until farther and more concrete research has been done. we will non genuinely cognize the consequence of violent playthings on kids.

Musings on the Uses of Abash

Musings on the Uses of Abash Musings on the Uses of â€Å"Abash† Musings on the Uses of â€Å"Abash† By Maeve Maddox The word abash has always seemed to me to belong more to the literary sphere than to the workplace. That’s why I did a double-take when I read this on a site dedicated to marketing: A corporation operating in a capitalist society has the obligation to make a profit. It does not have the obligation to make friends, except where/when that would lead to profit.  It does not have an obligation to abash itself at every possible opportunity. I wondered if the word was being used as a synonym for â€Å"bash† in the sense of â€Å"disparage.† As a transitive verb abash means To destroy the self-possession or confidence of (any one), to put out of countenance, confound, discomfit, or check with a sudden consciousness of shame, presumption, error, or the like.  Ã‚  OED. Older literature provides plenty of examples of the use of abash as a verb: That you are a princess does not abash me, but that you are you is enough to make me doubt my sanity as I ask you, my princess, to be mine. A Princess of Mars, Edgar Rice Burroughs The titter that rippled around the room appeared to abash the boy, but in reality that result was caused rather more by his worshipful awe of his unknown idol and the dread pleasure that lay in his high good fortune. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain. (The teacher has just sent Tom to sit with the girls.) Most of the examples I find in recent writing use the -ed form abashed to describe a person whom a remark or occurrence has caused to feel embarrassed, humiliated, or ashamed. Bruce had the sense to look abashed as he came out of his office looking dry and handsome and seeing Betty standing next to her desk dripping and wet. (review of an Ugly Betty episode) Though he does his best to cover himself with his hands and look abashed, Stiller merely comes off as ridiculous. (review of Ben Stiller movie) She seems to look abashed in her photos all tarted-up for the media. (comment on Scarlett Johansson’s publicity photos) According to the OED, the reflexive use is obsolete, but it is in use on the web: dont abash yourself for jumping the gun Do You Abash Yourself With These Negotiating Mistakes? when we believed the GOP could not abash itself any more it The strangestand most abundantuse of abash that I found was in gibberish postings like these: I deliberate on the most impressive horror you desideratum to do when starting in a home based affair is to figure out your budget before you start and stick to it.   Don’t abash yourself in a fix financially where you last will and testament be hurt if it doesn’t   This is from a site purporting to provide information for running a home based business. You don t charge to be a hero and do everything, and anticipate of everything, yourself. Abhorrence to acquaint you this but, if you alpha out you DON T understand aggregate ok so don t abash yourself by cerebration you do The second example had a byline. I was surprised that anyone would put her name to such stuff. Then I found one of my own posts transformed into gibberish with my name still attached to it. A group of fiction sites connector to posts on the DailyWritingTips neighbourhood. We like that. Sometimes they overreach a clear up excerpt followed alongside a connector to the remainder of the article on our neighbourhood. I date nothing falter with that. (Original here) Bottom line on abash: by all means, use abash when it seems to be just the right word. Just remember that it does not mean the same thing as bash. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:70 Idioms with HeartYay, Hooray, Woo-hoo and Other AcclamationsGrammatical Case in English

Transformational Leaders Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Transformational Leaders - Assignment Example They act as role models, thereby demonstrating integrity in their working relationships. Moreover, they challenge themselves and their colleagues to higher levels of morality and motivation. They set clear goals, have high expectations in addition to encouraging and supporting their teammates. Not only do they stir the emotions of their co-players, they also get them to look beyond their self-interest and inspire them to reach the improbable (Bass & Riggio, 2006). Nelson Mandela did all the above for South Africa. He gave his people hope during a very difficult period and brought about democracy after years of apartheid. Transformational leaders make decisions bearing their teammates in mind. They do not enter leadership positions to meet their own selfish agendas. Decisions made by such leaders are aimed at improving the situation at hand and coming up with solutions for current challenges. Nelson Mandela humbled himself and went to visit Widow Betsie Vorwoer in a bid to bring healing to South Africa despite staying in jail for 27 years. In addition, culture plays a role in transformational leaders. Take Mandela for instance the culture of apartheid in his country motivated him to fight against it. The present circumstance pushes such leaders to bring about change in the society that they live in. Leaders such as Socrates, Abraham, and Gandhi were all motivated by the ways of the society they lived in. I believe that I am a transformational leader. I came to this realization after leading the Red Cross team in raising money to visit a children’s home and donate food and necessities to the less fortunate in the society. I was able to mobilize my team members in addition to motivating them to do their best when we were in the field. I set certain goals some of which we were able to meet and the rest are in progress. I did not give up despite the challenges we faced. Our actions brought about change to those children and we plan to visit them

Midterm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 8

Midterm - Essay Example hy of Islamic was a continuous operation that was started by the Roman and Greek scholarship that was considered lost and found by Christian in Europe. They added their already have knowledge in Al-Idrisi, Ibn-Batuta, and Ibn-Khaldun. The various collections and translations the Islamic scholars have, provided the knowledge to the rest of the world. Judgments that involve geographical matters have various disciplinary perspectives. Economically, the oil sands contributed greatly over the economy of Canada over the next ten years. Politically, the Alberta government portrays more political capability in handling difficult instance raised by oil sands. Legally, it is unconstitutional for sovereign nation to impose regulations and guidelines on the producers of oil sands. Environmentally, the pollution generated from the production of oil sand is a disaster for the domestic environment. Ethically, the domestic residents are treated fairly by multinational organizations that work on the project. Additionally, the judgment can be derived from perspectives of various regions like western Canada, northern Alberta, United States and Middle East. The assessment can be positive from a single point of view and undesirable from another angle. For instance, coming up with Alberta sands appear to be desirable economically, but undesirable en vironmentally. a) Political geography is a section of geography, that integrated the geographical and political platform in a single platform. Addtionally, it deas with geography that highlights the political framework of a nation. Political geography entails studying politics connected to factors like states and territories. Enclave is a situation where by a single nation exists in another nation. The perfect example of an enclave is UAE and Oman. Exclave is a section of a nation located distantly from the nation or in another nation. A perfect example for an exclave is Alaska and Oman. d) Human geography can be explained as the number

Cellular Network Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cellular Network - Essay Example The 3rd generation based technologies consist of set of protocols, standards and new concepts which provide further advanced and improved quality based services. 3G incorporates special set of software applications, as well as hardware devices. 3G enabled technologies incorporate set of frequencies, standards and patents that are formally approved by I.T.U (International Telecommunication Union). The I.T.U is a globally approved and globally centralized entity that defines the standards and ensures global transmission of digital communication across the wireless medium. 3rd Generation based technologies come in the form of set of coding techniques that allow improved working in terms of security, speed and performance. One of the key coding techniques is that of C.D.M.A. C.D.M.A is an acronym for Code division Multiplexing Access. This comes as a successor to the T.D.M and F.D.M which were used by the 1st Generational and 2nd Generational technologies based communication. C.D.M.A provides advanced performances such as increased number of users’ facilitation, more secure transmission, less chances of interferences and breaking into the network and various other features. The 3G enabled technologies made it possible using the broadband technology speed for data transmission. It enabled Giga Bit transmissions which would be more effectively used in the 4th generation and proceeding technologies as the journey of advancements continue. 3rd generation based technologies provide variable rates subject to the platform and medium. From a static station the data rates peak up to 384 kilo bits per second. On the go transmissions vary relatively in terms of speed. On the go rates are relatively low and are up to the range of 128 kilo bits per second. Owing to the data rates variation and a feature which comes as a positive side of this technology, the 3rd generational

Benjamin Franklin Essay Example for Free

Benjamin Franklin Essay Can a man be as vast as a nation? Did the life-experiences and cultural contributions of a single individual play as pivotal a role in the establishment of American democracy and American culture as any written declaration, constitution, or law? Without a doubt, there are historians who stand at the ready to assert that Benjamin Franklin was just such an individual. Numerous books, scholarly articles, essays, encyclopedias, and even works of fiction have contributed and continue to contribute to the mythic status of Benjamin Franklin in American history. However, there is is good reason to reject any surface-level interpretation of Franklins important contributions to the founding of American Democracy, and read with great care the complex and extensive evolution of Franklins actions and stated philosophies over the span of a great many years. The resulting image of Franklin when the myth of Franklin and the historical Franklin are compared is one of a challengingly deep and complex thinker, and of a man who acted in keeping with his deepest philosophical, moral, and spiritual beliefs many of which were quite radical in his day and many of which were astonishingly traditional. The truth of the matter is that Franklins extant writings are so rich and voluminous that one can find almost any sort of Franklin one wishes to find, (Frasca, 2007) but, certainly, in comparing the historical Franklin to the mythic Franklin, important insight into American history and into the psychology of American culture can be gained. Franklins career can be said to have begun very early in his life, when he left school at 10 years of age to help his father (Franklin, Benjamin, 2007); not long afterward, he was apprenticed to his half brother James, a printer and publisher of the New England Courant, to which young Ben secretly contributed. After much disagreement he left his brothers employment and went (1723) to Philadelphia to work as a printer (Franklin, Benjamin, 2007). Franklins early life was later given its first boost toward mythic status with posthumous publication of Franklins Autobiography in 1791, not long after Franklins death. If the Autobiography helped to foster the mythic status of Franklin in American history, it was but one of the many examples of Franklins written contributions to American culture. During his active career, Franklin was immersed not only in science and history, but in philosophy and ethical theory as well. His popular writings contained both humor and moral axioms notably in his very popular publication, Poor Richards Almanac, which was In his day the great source of profit to every printer [ ] which was issued yearly, and which was the vade-mecum in every household that could spare the necessary two or three pence annually (Ford, 1899, p. 400). Franklins steady contributions to American popular culture during his lifetime included not only the folk wisdom of Poor Richard, but with much-needed humor for the American continent: In America, however, either because the immigrants had been recruited from the unfortunate and the religiously austere, or because the hardness of the conditions resulted in a sadness which tinctured the lives of the people, there seems to have been a practical extinction of all sense of the humorous. (Ford, 1899, p. 388) Against this background, Franklin himself often a deep-thinker and a moody person articulated the first instances of a natively American sense of humor. This fact is very important in evaluating both the mythical and the historical Franklin because the mythic Franklin remains empty of all but a few slight traces of Franklins triumphant career and reputation as a humorist. His status as such is very important because, as mentioned, it is Franklins cultural contribution to America as well as his political contributions which cements his status as a Founding Father and which has resulted in the extensive influence Franklin has held over American culture from its earliest beginnings. Franklin used humor in a very conscious way to pave the way for his more considered ethical and moral ideas; more importantly he seized the opportunity to define humor in America for generations: perhaps his most remarkable attribute is that the future historian of the now famous American humor must begin its history with the first publication of Poor Richard (Ford, 1899, p. 389) and, by doing so, Franklin placed himself in a key position to define through humor just what it mean to be an American. His capacities as a humorist do not seem to have been affected, but rather emerged naturally out of his personality. Franklin used humor to not only define himself and to partially define American culture, but as a method to settle scores or take shots at traditional beliefs or institutions: His irresistible inclination to screw a joke out of everything is illustrated by the scrapes he got himself into with his advertisers. Employed to print an announcement of the sailing of a ship, he added an N. B. of his own, to the effect that among the passengers No Sea Hens, nor Black Gowns will be admitted on any terms. Some of the clergy, properly incensed, withdrew their subscriptions from the Gazette. Yet this did not cure him of the tendency, and he was quickly offending again. (Ford, 1899, p. 394) Humor and literary works provided one means for Franklin to influence the development of early American culture and these aspects are slightly contained in the myth of Benjamin Franklin, with the humorous aspects downplayed. For example, Poor Richards Almanac is probably part of the Franklin myth in most peoples minds and they probably also are aware that Franklin offered axioms of wisdom in this Almanac, but many people are probably deeply unaware that Franklins gift for humor was not only an important part of his literary output, but an aspect of his personal philosophy and a method by which he engaged other people and also helped to resolved conflicts. Another aspect of the Franklin myth is that he invented electricity by tying a key to a kite-string. Like many myths, this myth has a basis in historical reality: His experiment of flying a kite in a thunderstorm, which showed that lightning is an electrical discharge[ ] and his invention of the lightning rod[ ] won him recognition from the leading scientists in England (Franklin, Benjamin, 2007) but it is a slim basis. What the lightning and key myth represents in a compressed form is the long and complex contribution to the natural sciences and to popular inventions which actually was a part of the historical Franklins career. In regards to his actual scientific achievements, Franklin is noted by historians to have been a brilliant inventor and adapter of existing technologies: He repeated the experiments of other scientists and showed his usual practical bent by inventing such diverse things as the Franklin stove, bifocal eyeglasses, and a glass harmonica (Franklin, Benjamin, 2007); he is regarded as having a very brilliant scientific mind and a keen sense of practical implementation of abstract ideas. These qualities are also present in Franklins philosophical and political ideas which will be discussed shortly and together, Franklins scientific, philosophical. and political vision actually coincide with the popular aesthetic already shown to have been a part of his literary output. In some ways, Franklins cultural contributions mirror a deeply democratic sense of purpose and fulfillment: the creation of common axioms, a common wisdom, along with useful technologies are not separate from Franklins political vision. Ironically, the egalitarianism which is inferred in Franklins guiding principles is less present on the surface in his specifically political writings. When specifically considering Franklins political beliefs and writings, it should be pointed out that Franklin was actually very different from the other Founding Fathers. He was older and more committed to the British Empire and certainly more cosmopolitan and urbane than they were (Morgan, 2005, p. 551) and because Franklin lived abroad for just under twenty years in England and having traveled a lot through Europe, Franklin was in many ways the least American of the revolutionaries (Morgan, 2005, p. 551). This duality in the historical Franklin is, of course, completely absent from the lightning and key mythic Franklin who is regarded as a Founding Father of American democracy. This last idea of the myth of Franklin is true enough, but as this paper has hopefully shown, the historical picture of Franklin is a more ambiguous and much more complex than the myth. This is an understandable condition because part of what myth does with historical events is to simplify them and streamline them so that the symbolic impact can be made more powerful and less diluted by alternate interpretation. It would be difficult if not impossible, for example, to generate a mythic vision of Franklin which included the historical reality that Franklin preferred the social and intellectual life of London to that of Philadelphia (Morgan, 2005, p. 551) or that his landlady, Margaret Stevenson, and her precocious daughter, Polly, provided Franklin with more compatible intellectual companionship than did his own wife and daughter (Morgan, 2005, p. 551) so these very real and very important aspects of Franklins actual life and his actual personality are absent from the Franklin myth. Yet these aspects, and others, are extremely important in helping to define and understand what exactly Franklin contributed as a Founding Father of American democracy. That his cultural contributions, whether humorous, literary, or scientific not only fostered his myth but actually altered the course and evolution of American society is demonstrable by way of historical evidence. What, then, were Franklins political contributions to the early American nation? Did Franklin evidence as much resourcefulness and thoroughness in his political career as he evidenced in his career as a printer, or humorist, or inventor? One very interesting aspect of Franklins life is that he dealt with not only the revolt of the American colonies against a British Empire which he loved, but also with the resulting estrangement from his own (illegitimate) son during the course of the war. Franklins actions at the outbreak of the Revolutionary War give a solid glimpse into his sympathies and beliefs at the time: As trouble between the British government and the colonies grew with the approach of the American Revolution, Franklins deep love for his native land and his devotion to individual freedom brought (1775) him back to America. There, while his illegitimate son, William Franklin, was becoming a leader of the Loyalists, Benjamin Franklin became one of the greatest statesmen of the American Revolution and of the newborn nation. (Franklin, Benjamin, 2007) As a statesman, Franklins contributions can be at least to some degree quantified and cited: he was postmaster general, a delegate to the Continental Congress, an appointee and signatory to the committee which wrote the Declaration of Independence, he was also sent to Canada with Samuel Chase and Charles Carroll of Carrollton to persuade the people of Canada to join the patriot cause (Franklin, Benjamin, 2007). The mythic vision of Franklin as a powerful statesman delivering powerful, moving oratory before the Continental Congress, or laboriously poring over draft versions of the Declaration of Independence are confronted by anecdotes of historical fact. An example of this is John Adams, who contemptuously described a Franklin from day to day sitting in silence, a great part of the time fast asleep in his chair and sighed that he was likely nevertheless to get credit for everything achieved by the Congress, (Lopez Herbert, 1975, p. 203). Again, Franklins political reputation was based not so much in his perception among his American colleagues, but in his foreign popularity and fame. His best tactic was not spell-binding oratory or intricate legalese, but in injecting a calm pronouncement or a bit of humor (Lopez Herbert, 1975, p. 203) into difficult political processes. The question still remains as to what Franklin, personally, believed about the American Revolution during the time of the revolt and afterward and whether or not Franklin can be accurately described as a firm believer in democratic principles. The historical facts suggest that Franklin held conflicting views about democracy and royalist rule. On the one hand, he advocated personal liberty, on the other, he seemed reluctant to dismiss with the notion of a royalist government altogether. As he wrote in the Autobiography, his feelings were not at all certain during the time of the approaching revolution: In our way thither I projected and drew up a plan for the union of all the colonies under one government, so far as might be necessary for defense, and other important general purposes (Franklin, 1914, p. 131) but here there is no mention of a constitution or a strong Federal government at all. Franklins own visions for a single-chamber congress and a weak executive council were rejected (Franklin, Benjamin, 2007) and, alter, although he objected to aspects of the final Constitution, he helped to direct the compromise [and] worked earnestly for its ratification (Franklin, Benjamin, 2007). The picture which emerges of Franklin as a politician is one of a man whose core-principles were challenged by the birth of a new government, but who fought resolutely on behalf of the new nation without regard for the degree to which it mirrored, exactly, his always-evolving personal beliefs. In addition to the differences which are evident between Franklin the myth and Franklin the historical figure in regard to his literary, scientific, and political contributions to American history, two other areas of Franklins life are absent from the mythological figure of Franklin: his religious and racial convictions. Of course, it is absolutely true that Franklins religious convictions and his views on race and ethnicity evolved throughout his lifetime. On the other hand, Franklins religious beliefs seemed to occupy a central place in his interpretation of his own lifes purpose and the meaning of his life. Where religion is concerned, Franklins most intimate beliefs depict a rather traditional point of view. Because of his personal experiences and personal fortunes, Franklin tended to view the arc of his life in rather conventional religious terms: Scattered through his writings are sentences full of gratitude to God for His favor in lifting him up from such a low to such a high estate, in bringing him substantially unscathed through the graver dangers and baser temptations of human life, and in affording him the assurance that the divine goodness, of which he had received such signal proofs in his career, would not cease with his death (Bruce, 1917, p. 51) these simple, but enduring, beliefs are easily compatible with many forms of American Christianity. That said, it would be very difficult to trace an influence from Franklin to modern Christianity, nor an influence of Christianity directly on the myth of Franklin. In both fact and in myth, Franklins traditional religious ideas are downplayed due, presumably, to their being conspicuously in keeping with the common ideas of Franklins time. Interestingly enough, Franklin retained his religious convictions at the close of his very eventful life and the fruition of his religious convictions strengthened him in old age and in death. As one of his biographers wrote: WHEN THE DAY CAME, April 17, 1790, he was ready. All his life he had been gingerly taming death, stripping it of its awe and power, clothing it in appealing metaphors of travel and bliss, humoring it, giving it a place in the family circle (Lopez Herbert, 1975, p. 308) and because of his receptiveness to deeply held religious convictions which were, nonetheless, not tied to any kind of dogma or strict adherence to religious doctrine, Franklins religious philosophies and his actual death are gestures, also, of a democratic sprit and and individualist. The conflict which the religious side of the historical Franklin presents for the mythic vision of Franklin is difficult to articulate. It has to do with the fact that, while Franklins individualistic take on Christian principles and religious ideas does, in fact, make a very compatible fit with the American notion of individual liberty, Franklins avoidance of traditional dogma and doctrine results in making his individualistic religious beliefs more difficult to define and express to a popular audience. Just as there is no easy mythical expression for Franklins humor, as there is for his scientific prowess, there is no ready mythic symbol for his peculiarly individualistic religious beliefs which are rooted in traditional Christianity. Just as Franklins religious attitudes fail to find mythic expression, his ambiguous views on race and racial prejudice also are a poor fit for the Franklin myth. The attentive observer of history will take into consideration that at various points in his life, Franklin was demonstrably racist and xenophobic: Franklin was clearly unhappy about the great number of Germans who were immigrating to his home town of Philadelphia, even though many supported him by patronizing his printing business (Lapham Saunders, 2005) and also, Franklin prior to the Revolutionary War grumbled about Philadelphias bilingual (English and German) street signs and complained that the Pennsylvania parliament needed to use translators (Lapham Saunders, 2005). In addition to these historical facts, there is evidence that Franklin was not only racist, but perhaps a bit paranoid about other races and cultures. He wrote on one occasion, That the Number of purely white People in the World is proportionably very small. (Lapham Saunders, 2005) which in and of itself might be considered merely an observation of fact until it is paired with Franklins words, which preceded the statement: Why should Pennsylvania, founded by the English, become a Colony of Aliens, who will shortly be so numerous as to Germanize us instead of our Anglifying them (Lapham Saunders, 2005). These kinds of historical details and indications of Franklins character have no place in the Franklin myth. Their impact on the historical influence of Franklin is one which is very complicated and fascinating because the evolution of Franklins thoughts and actions in regard to issues of race underwent a profound change throughout his life. Although Franklin seemed to regard one race being in conflict with another in some of his writings, he nevertheless, was chosen to be president of one of the first anti-slavery societies in America, (Lapham Saunders, 2005) and he went on to help to create black schools, assist free blacks to obtain work, promote family-friendly values, and improve the social conditions black children (Lapham Saunders, 2005). The most important aspect of Franklins views on racism is that his ideas evolved over his lifetime, becoming more tolerant and egalitarian as he grew older (Lapham Saunders, 2005), however, even such a dramatic and ultimately positivistic aspect of Franklins historical biography is left out of the Franklin myth. A letter to Franklin from his sister seems to encapsulate the very kinds of ambiguities and vagaries which the myth of Franklin exists to erase. His sister remarks of the American revolution: to Propagate Is stufed into them, it is Dificult to know whither Either Party are in the Right. for my Part I wish we had Let alone strife before it was medled with folowed things that make for Peace (Van Doren, 1950, p. 107) and from this letter and others like it, the modern observer is able to glean at least a partial understanding that ideas and conflicts in Franklins time were no more clear, no more black and white than they are in our own. In conclusion, while the myth of Benjamin Franklin, the man who discovered electricity with a key tied to a kite, the man who wrote the Declaration of Independence, a man who is one of the Founding Fathers of America, is a powerful and enduring myth, the historical facts of Franklins long and eventful life offer and a more authentic illustration of early-American philosophy, politics, and culture. The conflict between the myth of Franklin and Franklin the historical figure is rooted in the fact that historical truths are often ambiguous, complex and difficult to express succinctly, whereas myth, while sacrificing authenticity often makes a far more expedient impact on popular consciousness. Franklin the historical figure achieved a far greater influence practically over the development of American culture and American politics than the myth is capable of expressing; however, the historical facts of Franklins life also sometimes stand in stark opposition to the myth which they, at least in part, began. References Bruce, W. C. (1917). Benjamin Franklin, Self-Revealed: A Biographical and Critical Study Based Mainly on His Own Writings (Vol. 1). New York: G. P. Putnams Sons. Franklin, Benjamin. (2007). In The Columbia Encyclopedia (6th ed. ). New York: Columbia University Press. Ford, P. L. (1899). The Many-Sided Franklin. New York: The Century Co. Franklin, B. (1914). The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. New York: Macmillan. Frasca, R. (2007). Benjamin Franklin Unmasked: On the Unity of His Moral, Religious, and Political Thought. The Historian, 69(2), 359+. Lapham, S. S. , Saunders, A. (2005). Benjamin Franklins Evolving Views on Race and Ethnicity. Social Education, 69(1), 13+. Lopez, C. , Herbert, E. W. (1975). The Private Franklin: The Man and His Family. New York: W. W. Norton. Morgan, D. T. (2005). The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin. The Historian, 67(3), 551. Van Doren, C. (Ed. ). (1950). The Letters of Benjamin Franklin Jane Mecom. Princeton, NJ: