Global Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Global Marketing - Assignment Example As such, this memorandum will outline specific key tactics that shall be used in order to create a robust marketing strategy. Making 100 percent increase in sales revenue is no mean feat meaning various facets of the marketing mix will require to be addressed in order to achieve this goal. The marketing research exercise will seek to gather information on economic and demographic data, cultural and sociological data, overview of market conditions, level of awareness of the Mayo Clinic, reputation of Mayo Clinic and attractiveness of Mayo clinic internationally. Economic and demographic data shows data on growth and statistics in the health industry, analysis of stability of economies and how it influences the health decisions of the target markets and population trends. Cultural and sociological data provide insight into the ecological, climate history of common diseases, eating habits and their potential impact on insurance coverage and clinic choice. Finally, overview of market conditions involves analysis of the level of technology including internet knowledge in the target market, level of proficiency in resident clinics, level of health mindfulness and insurance coverage inclinations. Mayo clinic, as a brand should be in a position to exude exceptional qualities that will attract people around the world. Since its humble beginnings, nearly a hundred years, the founders of Mayo clinic sought to create an international legacy by traveling around the globe. In their expeditions, they compared notes and surgical methods with other physicians around the world in order to increase or change expertise. Mayo clinic continues in these traditions as in so many other areas of medical practice. Mayo clinic is focused on delivering exceptional care that recognizes no limits. Mayo clinic currently seeks to establish and position itself as the best service provider based in knowledge and superior care. Mayo clinic also prides itself on being multi-lingual,

History of selfie & self portrait Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History of selfie & self portrait - Essay Example In photography history, the ancient and initial portrait of Robert Cornelius taken in 1839 outside his store remains as the first selfie ever photographed. Robert Cornelius portrait taken in Philadelphia remained indispensable in modern studies and development of selfie3. Robert processed his selfies using chemical knowledge and photography techniques. As a renowned photographer and chemist, Robert made his selfie by placing film removed from the lens cap on camera. Robert then waited for a minute before the camera before processing his final picture using chemicals. Robert’s photo remained as the first ever selfie in history. It is imperative to understand that making ancient selfie involved tedious and time-consuming procedures compared to contemporary technology that takes photos at a glance Remarkably, era of selfie developed proportionately with advancements in photography technology and introduction of modern applications. It is imperative that introduction of portable Kodak camera in the market spurred revolution in selfie and international spread of photography. Portable Kodak camera box technology, introduced in 1900 also promoted photographic self-portraiture. It is interesting that portable Kodak camera box technology that hugely spurred selfie development involved use of a mirror and a stabilized camera on tripod stand. In enabling production of clear and admirable selfie, photographers framed viewfinder of the camera on box top. It is imperious that in 1914, Russian Grand Duchess teenage called Anastacia Nikolaevna became the first person to use Kodak Camera box in taking selfie. It is vital that technological advancements in social media spurred development and emergence of modern selfies. Selfie usage first appeared on Flickr in 2004 and later advanced when Myspace established programs for sharing photos within social platforms in 2006. In

Approaches to Development Communication

Approaches to Development Communication Introduction Development Communication is based on one-way flow of information for the purpose of disseminating information and messages to induce change. Its main intentions can be divided into two different types of applications: (1) communication to inform and (2) communication to persuade. Development Communication uses method of investigation in which a problem is first identified and observations, experiments, or other relevant data are then used to construct or test hypotheses that solves it. ________________________________________________________________________________________ Diffusion of Innovation Approach This concept is given by Everette M Rogers. Mass communication is a two-step flow process. It develops favourable attitudes through the mass media and leads to the adaptation of inter-personal channels, especially opinion leaders. Modernization is taken as a process of diffusion, where individuals move from a traditional way of life to a different, more technically developed way of life. This approach is concerned with the process of diffusion and adoption of innovation in a more systematic and planned way. This diffusion model is a vertical or one-way perspective on communication, and that active involvement in the process of the communication itself will accelerate development. This approach is based on the need assessment of the target groups and helping people to fulfil their needs by adoption of innovation. Communication has to play the role of facilitator in disseminating innovations to the target groups. Development is basically acceptance of change and innovations –ideas, practice and technologies. Facilitating diffusion of innovations is an essential aspect of the development. All innovations need not be new to all people. An innovation refers to an idea perceived as new by an individual. Diffusion is a process by which an innovation spreads from its source of creation to the users or adopters. The essence of the diffusion process is the human interaction, in which one person communicates a new idea to another person. There are four elements in any analysis of the diffusion process: Innovation (any idea considered new by recipient) Communication (the individual to another through certain channels). Social system (among members of society) Time taken (from the stage of innovation to the stage of adoption). Stages in the adoption process: Five distinct stages have been identified by the scholars: Awareness stage – there is broad exposure of the innovation, but the individual does not have sufficient information. He is yet to get motivated either to seek further information or to act upon it or know how it functions (Knowledge). Interest stage – individual shows interest in the new idea, makes an effort to seek additional information. However, the person is still undecided about its application. Person forms a favourable/unfavourable attitude towards innovation (Persuasion). Evaluation stage – The individual mentally applies the innovation to one’s own situation, and then decides whether to try it or not. Person engages in activities that lead to a choice to accept / unaccept the innovation (Decision). Trial stage – individual uses the innovations on a pilot stage (limited scale) to decide about its utility and relevance to one’s own situation. Observation is that people will not adopt an innovation without trying (Implementation). Adoption stage – It is the process through which the individual arrives at the decision to adopt or reject the innovation from the time they first became aware of it. Individual decides to continue the use of innovation. Adoption implies sustained or continuous use (Confirmation). Information Sources and their Relevance at Various Stages of Adoption: While personal communication is face to face contact, whereas impersonal is mediated through mass communication channels – (mass media) Print, Radio, TV and film are most effective in providing various options and alternative choices. They are effective in drawing the attention of the individuals. Hence, the mass communication channels are found to be most important in the evaluation stage of the adoption sources. Inter-personal communication through extension workers, friends and family members can influence behaviour and facilitate transfer of ideas. The mass communication channels seldom effect decisions directly although they influence indirectly. Factors affecting the Rate of Adoption of Innovation: While some of the factors that stimulate and facilitate quick diffusion of innovation are transfer of technologies. Well informed opinion leaders communicate their approval/ disapproval of an innovation based on the innovators experiences to the rest of the social system. Majority respond by rapidly adopting it. The analysis suggests a small point—whether or not opinion leaders vouch for it but some others inhibit adoption: Compatibility- the degree to which an innovation was consistent with existing values and past experiences. Cultural incompatibility – certain social systems do not encourage adoption of innovations. Individuals in such a system are very slow and rigid in accepting new ideas, practices and technologies. The vegetarians show marked resistance in accepting non-vegetarian diet because of change in food habits. New crop varieties which give higher yields and better incomes, have been rejected on the ground of taste, fear of ill-health and unacceptability as food. Thus cultural incompatibility and mismatch with the existing social system are considered to be very strong inhibitors. Classification of adopters: It is based on the rate of adoption and the time lag between initial exposures to final adoption. Innovativeness is defined as the degree to which individual is relatively earlier in adopting new ideas than other members of a system. The personal characteristics and interaction of these groups illuminates the diffusion effect. Diffusion researchers have classified adopters into five categories: Venturesome innovators: These are the most eager members of the society to try new ideas and adopt new practices. They are enterprising and willing to take risks. Usually they belong to the cosmopolite category. Early adopters – These are usually younger, had a higher social status, more favourable financial status, engaged in more specialized operations and were equipped with greater mental abilities. They used the data provided by the innovators in implementation and confirmation of the innovation to make their own adoption decision. If the opinion leaders observe that the innovation has been effective for the innovators, then they will encourage others to adopt. This group earns respect for its judicious well- informed decision making and hence this group is from where most opinion leaders reside. These belong to the local system; they follow the venturesome. These used more mass media. Early majority They become the reference groups for the subsequent late adopters, which constitute the early majority. Late majority – Much of the social system does not have the inclination or capability to acquire information of the most recent innovations. So they trust the opinion leaders, since adoption of opinion leader is a good indicator that innovation is going to be adopted by many also and other members will be encouraged to adopt. Laggards – The laggards are very slow in adoption. They are rigid, traditional, isolate in their social system, hard to be convinced, stick to the old methods and resist change. If they are traditional, they are suspicious of innovations and often interact with others who also have traditional values. If they are isolates, their lack of social interaction decreases their awareness of an innovation’s demonstrated benefits. It takes much longer than average for laggards to adopt innovations. Potential adopters, uncertain about innovation go through a stepwise social process. Well informed opinion leaders communicate their approval-disapproval of an innovation, based on the innovators experiences. Some respond by rapidly adopting. We can judge the importance of opinion leaders. Large subsection of the social system follows the trusted opinion leaders. Those who do not adopt lose status or economic viability. Adoption becomes necessity as implementation results in social, economic benefit and this contextual pressure motivates adoption. Conclusion Diffusion of innovation research established the importance of communication, new ideas and their practice is a crucial component of the modernization process. People change attitudes of those whom they talk to, work with, or interact with. People will adopt an innovation if they believe that it enhances their utility; it determines the extent of change in their normal functioning increases compatibility with habits and values, and has cost-benefit analysis. ________________________________________________________________________________ Localised Approach This approach advocates that information transmitted through media must be locally and functionally relevant to the audience is called localised approach. The development programmes must be local to meet the local needs which vary widely in different regions and sub-regions in a large country like India due to the diversity of climate, cultures and languages. Localised approach would enable communicators to design messages which will be relevant in terms of utility, timeliness, applicability, specificity, etc. The relationship between communication and development can be broadly divided into two types: Macro society level studies (by Wilbur Schramm, Daniel Lerner etc.) gave direct support to the view that a modern mass media system is an important requirement for development. Micro societal level studies argue that information of certain kind generates appetite for new things and new ways of doing things, which ultimately sets the process of development. Benefits of localised approach Localised approach would enable the communicators to design messages which will be relevant in terms of utility, timeliness, applicability, specificity etc. The approach would tailor message for local conditions. The approach can overcome infrastructural difficulties. Such an approach will allow greater involvement and participation of the audience in the communication process. As the needs of people vary widely in different regions and sub-regions. In a large developing country like India, there is diversity of cultures and languages Dos and Don’ts of localized approach: There should be proper need-assessment of the local population. The socio-economic condition of the local people should be kept in mind before designing the message. The geographical and political conditions of a local area bear a lot of significance for message designing and delivery. Preferences should be given to local media and local resource persons for the execution of communication tasks. Conclusion The localised media approach helps to plan messages specially designed for various local groups. This facilitates two way communications by allowing greater involvement and participation of the audience in the communication process. In case of any problem at the local level, the solution is found there and then. Naturally for particular specific situation the solution would also be specific. There cannot be a general approach. This localised approach generally yields a positive result. ________________________________________________________________________________ Magic Multiplier Mass Media is called the magic multiplier as it can multiply the messages and reach a number of people very fast and at one go. Its output does have great potential and modernizing effect. It is their content that is the key to use in development. Mass media are important in spreading awareness of new possibilities and practices, but at the stage where decisions are being made about whether to adopt or not to adopt; personal communication is far more likely to be influential. Therefore, the general conclusion of this line of thought is that mass communication is less likely than personal influence to have a direct effect on social behaviour Wilbur Schramm (1964), in his book ‘Mass Media and National Development’ which was produced for UNESCO became almost a blueprint (programme of action) for development communication. Schramm stated that content is the key to their use in development. Social change of great magnitude can be accomplished when people informed, persuaded, educated. Information must flow at all levels so that they can participate in the acts and decisions of nation building. He also argued that each person would have requirement of information of the work he would undertake, and there being millions of workers would require information of various types. The conventional channel of communication would never be able to meet this demand. Therefore, modern communication technologies would be of great use to meet this demand by multiplying the messages and reaching each and every worker simultaneously. Arguments for Magic Multiplier We need magic multiplier for the following reasons: For social change of great magnitude, people must be informed, educated, motivated and persuaded. Information must flow, not only to them but also from them, so that their needs can be known and they might participate in the acts and decisions of nation-building. As the required amount of information and learning is vast so the targeted population. Work should be organised and skills should be learnt at all levels of society for better utilization of the resources of society. The available channels of communication like inter-personal, group-communication, traditional media are incapable to undertake this task, as this will require a lot of time and resources. For a developing country, its difficult to gather a large pool of resources and wait for such a long time. Mass media with its magical reach can do this job in less time and resources. Analysis of magic multiplier The audit found that the mass media succeeded in reaching a vast majority of population in less time and resources. Mass media as a magic multiplier did a commendable job in spreading awareness but it could not give expected results in persuading and educating the targeted population. It was found that persuasion, motivation and education for/on something is best achieved by close interactions which is possible in inter-personal, group-communications etc. Conclusion Use of latest technologies is required to supply large amounts of information to large number of people at one time and in modern formats. A lot of feedback is required when one uses communication for development; it should never be one way traffic. The users should be able to give feedback to the implementers, as success/failure of the programme could be judged.

Organizational Behavior Terms and Concepts Essay -- essays research pa

Organizational Behavior Terms and Concepts Summary Organizational behavior is a key concept which managers need to fully understand to have a successful department and organization. Along with the having a good repose with employees; managers need to have an understanding of the environment and goals of the organization he or she works in. Since companies are now growing into a more global organization, the need for proper communication is necessary for managers in order for the organization to understand the diverse culture within the company. Managers today have to either take charge or become leaders or he or she may not advance to the next level in management. Essay   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With corporate organization’s growing to a more global market; managers have to change the way they view his or her organization. There are more assets for manger’s to help aid them in continuing to allow the organization grow. Some of the tools which a manger may use is learning how to evaluate organizational behavior, organizational culture, and organizational effectiveness and efficiency. Communication has become ever more relevant with the ever growing diversity within organizations. All of these tools need to be understood and analyzed which requires for managers and organizations to observe organizational learning. This paper will discuss how these concepts and terms come into play with every organization in today’s ever changing work environment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When a manger first takes on the role of supervising a department; he or she must first study the human behavior in the organization. This process is known as organizational behavior. Organizational behavior is defined as the study of human behavior in organizations. It is a multidisciplinary field devoted to understanding individual and group behavior, interpersonal processes, and organizational dynamics (Schermerhorn, Hunt, and Osborn, 2005, ch.1,p. 3). While knowing the background of employees will help a manger better understand the knowledge an employee has; the study of organizational behavior will allow for managers to have a more precise outlook where the department may be heading. It has been my experience that organizational behavior has been a valuable tool when assigning service technicians to customers. My company (FMC) has a large global client base and requires that the service technicians who ar... ...ent travel overseas or offshore to platforms email is the most common form of communication. We use an email read verification icon to confirm that an employee has read his or her email. When the listed above concepts are fully understood and put into place it can be used to measure the organizational effectiveness or efficiency. Organizational effectiveness allows for company’s to consider short-term and longer-term performance results. It is used to assess the goals and productivity of an organization which are using the organizational behavior tools and procedures. My company uses annual reviews of each of its employees where his or her last review’s goals and accomplishments are reviewed. The second phase of the annual review is to set goals and tasks that need to be completed during the next calendar year. A time line is then written out to give both the employee and the supervisor a realistic time in which the goals will be completed. This is one of the ways that my company uses a organizational effectiveness platform.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Reference Schermerhorn, J. R., Hunt, J. G., and Osborn, R. N. (2005). Organizational Behavior. 9th edition, New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

American Popular Culture – Essay

American Popular Culture Leonel Gutierrez SOC/ 105 September 11, 2012 Gregory Shrout American Popular Culture Our communities are built on a foundation whose culture we build. Through our culture, we define who we are as individuals and how our societies influence our communities. American popular culture has a great influence on our personal decisions and is a very important aspect of our lifestyle. Through television, magazines, newspapers, music, sports and countless other sources, we learn a culture that create who we are and what we decide. One way to resolve this seeming dilemma is to think of culture in an anthropological sense, as the distinct practices, artifacts, institutions, customs, and values of a particular social group† (Petracca, 2007). Undoubtedly, we all practice different ways to assume a culture. Through generations, we learn the different aspects that make up who we are. As children some us learn how to play sports and implement that into our daily habits. Kicking a ball becomes part of daily routine and soccer becomes part of who we are and what we share with that community.Perhaps going to church is part of our social normality. The qualities learned by attending that community helps us obtain our values as a person, developing who we are. Culture is much more than just a practice, it’s an illustration of who we are, where we belong to. Whether it’s part of a soccer club whose reputation we hold dearly and work daily to win for, or a religion whose practices and laws we follow to make up our values and feel our sense of purpose. Popular culture encompasses the most immediate and contemporary elements in our lives—elements which are often subject to rapid changes in a highly technological world in which people are brought closer and closer by the ubiquitous mass media† (Petracca, 2007). American popular culture consist of the different customs, communities and values that make up the different trends that exist through the mass of the population, driven through the media. When we refer to what is popular among Americans, we have to involve the medias influence.The common popular culture results from television, music, sports and many other significant media driven influences. Television has one of the biggest influences that create what is â€Å"popular† among people. Through commercials, in many cases with popular athletes, the media sends messages to the general public, which directly influence each person individually. An athlete, like Derrick Rose drinking a popular beverage like Gatorade or Eli and Peyton Manning representing Direct TV as their choice of network, has a direct influence on what we drink or what network we chose to what Television with.People see their favorite athletes representing these different brands and taking part in commercials and make decisions based on that message by the media. Another popular trend in today’s American popular culture is our fashion influence. Kim Kardashian is a big fashion influence in this day in age and has captured the hearts of many young women. Without a doubt, she’s a role model for todays fashion sense in our female youth. Many females want to dress in the same clothes, style their hair the same way, fix their makeup to reflect what she does.Kim Kardashian has become an icon whose media influence has developed habits worldwide. Women have adopted her style, sometimes even her values and show in today’s female youth. In addition, music is indeed another big influence among the popular culture. Rick Ross will tell you that he’s a â€Å"Boss† and show off his thousand-dollar jewelry, fancy cars and million dollar homes. After the bright camera lights turn off and the thundering bass amplifying through the speakers dies out, we’re left with the message brought behind the music. How many people can afford all these material things? Only a selected few I would s ay.Although this is the case, you see many people out there buying expensive cars on credit, maxing out their paychecks to maybe try to be a â€Å"Boss† while all their saving seize to exist. Although we may not put much thought into the decisions we make on a daily basis, American popular culture directly influences what we chose to be part of our lives. What we see on televisions, read in newspapers, hear through the music we listen to, directly reflect the medias influence towards every person individually. Whether it’s the television network we chose, the music we listen to or the clothes we chose to wear, we are a product of those nfluences and are the make up of our community and social normality. References Petracca, (2007) stated, â€Å"One way to resolve this seeming dilemma is to think of culture in an anthropological sense, as the distinct practices, artifacts, institutions, customs, and values of a particular social group† (p2). Petracca, (2007) stat ed, â€Å"Popular culture encompasses the most immediate and contemporary elements in our lives—elements which are often subject to rapid changes in a highly technological world in which people are brought closer and closer by the ubiquitous mass media† (p2).

Pancreatitis Medical Report Essay

Mr. Tabouya was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis and Pancreas Divisum at birth. These diseases have caused the patient to have Gallstones which were found and removed by ERCP 2 years ago. During the administering of the procedure the physician discovered the patient to have a pancreatic pseudocyst. The treatment for this condition was drainage with an endoscope. The onset of Hypertension (high blood pressure) was detected in the patient 5 years ago and he has been taking Furosemide (lasix) since the detection. He has also been taking Azathioprine for help with his weak immune system and to aid his rheumatoid arthritis. The patient’s history also shows low levels of triglyceride and was diagnosed with Hypertriglyceridemia, and has a severe case of pancreatitis. The patient may have a history of alcoholism. Due to the patient being obese, blood tests were ordered and the findings of elevated levels of lipids and too much calcium were noticed. Therefore the diagnosis of hyperlipidemia and a reasonable recognition of hypercalcemia were established. Because of the new and pre-existing conditions another blood test was ordered to check the insulin levels. We determined there was a decreased level of insulin, along with a small increased level of blood amylase which is parallel to the lipase prognosis. This led us to the conclusion that the patient is suffering from severe pancreatitis. While using a Stethoscope to listen to the abdomen, the physician noticed no bowel sounds. After an abdominal CT scan was performed the patient was diagnosed with critical pancreatitis. Feasible complications involve infection in the pancreas and the onset of type II diabetes. Physician recommended a low fat diet, and prescribed oral pancreatic enzymes to help with the digestion process as well as insulin to regulate his blood sugar along with abstinence of alcohol. Surgery was mentioned to return the drainage of the pancreatic discharges.

Alcohol and Energy Drinks- A literature review Essay Essays

Alcohol and Energy Drinks- A literature review Essay Essays Alcohol and Energy Drinks- A literature review Essay Essay Alcohol and Energy Drinks- A literature review Essay Essay ? In recent old ages. research workers have begun to concentrate attending on an emerging tendency of devouring energy imbibe assorted with intoxicant AmED. Consumption of AmED is thought to hold a correlativity with bad behaviour and negative effects on the consumer. Several research articles have examined the assorted aspects of this pattern. Some of the points of consideration that have been researched include the motives behind devouring AmED. the effects of devouring AmED on intoxicant ingestion and the likeliness of prosecuting in hazard taking behaviours after devouring AmED compared to alcohol entirely. This literature reappraisal will analyze the undermentioned four articles in an effort to research this country of research. Energy drinks are drinks that boast the ability to supply the consumer with an addition in energy. Energy drinks often contain big sums of caffeine. The upper daily recommended bounds for an grownup in respects to caffeine is XXX. Levels of caffeine can be up to 300mg per functioning. A 6oz java contains 100mg. The caffeine from energy drinks is known to hold a stimulating consequence on the nervous system. Many trade names of energy drinks contain extra chemicals including plant-based stimulations ( guarana and yerba mate ) . The consequence of these on the organic structure is non good understood as there has been small research. Simple sugars such as glucose and fruit sugar are besides found in some energy drinks. Other possible ingredients include glucronolacteone ( a of course happening metabolite ) . aminic acids ( taurine. carnitine and creatine ) . herbs ( Ginko Biloba and ginseng ) and vitamins. In a research paper by Peacock and Bruno ( 2012a ) . forms of usage and motives behind the ingestion of AmED were examined. The focal point of this probe was to analyze the motive of participants to devour AmED through self-reporting techniques in the signifier of an on-line questionnaire. The sample of 400 participants aged 18-35 old ages who had reportedly consumed AmED in the past 6 months. The consequences of the survey indicated that 75 % of participants used AmED for energetic intents. 50 % coverage usage to widen their stay at a public locale. 60 % claimed they were motivated by situational fortunes. such as assorted drinks incorporating ED. 40 % reported sharing AmED with a comrade. 20 % used AmED to dissemble the spirit of intoxicant. 50 % of the sample reported utilizing AmED to hold more merriment and merely 33 % reported consuming AmED to acquire more rummy Peacock Al et ( 2012a ) . In add-on to gustatory sensation and situational grounds. the participants in this survey appeared to be motivated by functional and hedonic results. Merely a little figure of participants being motivated by the desire to increase the degree of inebriation or experience similar effects to arouse drugs. A survey conducted by O’Brian. McCoy. Rohdes. Wagoner and Wolfson ( 2008 ) . where by responses from 4. 271were recorded via a web based study. Participants who consumed AmED in the past 30 yearss reported devouring significantly more intoxicant in a typical imbibing session every bit good as describing more imbibing Sessionss than those who did non devour AmED O’Brian et Al. ( 2008 ) . AmEd consumers besides reported episodes of hebdomadal inebriation and among the sample who reported devouring AmED a individual imbibing session consumed 36 % more than pupils who didn’t non describe ingestion of AmEd. The consequences of Peacock et Al. ( 2012b ) indicate that although hazard taking behaviours occurred during Sessionss of ingestion of both intoxicant and hazard taking behaviour that occurred with AmED was statistically less than the hazard taking behaviours that occurred in intoxicant alone Sessionss. However ingestion of AmEd did ensue in higher negative physiological and psychological results than those reported from devouring intoxicant. Verster. Aufricht and Alford ( 2012 ) . conducted a reappraisal of articles of articles associating to the ingestion of AmED. It was revealed through a review of multiple correlational surveies that there are presently deficient decently controlled surveies to pull any steadfast decisions sing the effects of AmED. Decisions reached in their study were that merely a minority of the pupil population on occasion consumes AmED Vester ( 2012 ) . Research besides suggested some grounds that AmED may ensue in an addition in some facets of alcohol- induced public presentation damage. There is no consistent grounds that intoxicant alters perceived degrees of poisoning. no grounds that ingestion of ED causes an addition in alcohol ingestion. no direct grounds exists to propose that ED is linked to drug and intoxicant dependance or maltreatment. A personality predisposed to higher degrees of hazard taking behaviour may be the primary ground for increasing intoxicant and drug maltreatment and that AmED may be a constituent of that life style. The literature available associating to AmED ingestion is deficient. Soon there is an deficient sum of grounds to associate the ingestion of AmED to an addition in hazard taking behaviour. addition in ingestion of intoxicant or negative effects on wellness. To understand the true effects of AmED farther research is required. To pull more concrete decisions about the consequence of AmED there is a demand for more complex and decently controlled clinical surveies need to be undertaken. Research design needs to research relationships with a within capable design whereby the relationship between the consumption of AmED and the ingestion of intoxicant is farther explored and documented.

Rechazo de solicitud de tarjeta de residencia para EEUU

Rechazo de solicitud de tarjeta de residencia para EEUU Aunque cumplas con los requisitos para solicitar una tarjeta de residencia es posible que la peticià ³n sea denegada. Estas son las causas y quà © se puede hacer. Lee con atencià ³n esta lista de 42 causas que te hacen inadmisible (esa es la palabra que se utiliza tà ©cnicamente) para recibir la tarjeta de residencia. Lo ideal es conocerlas antes de meter los papeles con Inmigracià ³n, y asà ­ ver cules son las posibilidades de obtener la residencia. Pero si ya ests al final de la tramitacià ³n y te dicen que no, debes saber si puedes hacer algo. Y, en ese caso, lo quà ©. Causas de denegacià ³n de la tarjeta de residencia por ser inadmisible Padecer cierto tipo de enfermedades contagiosas o carecer de determinadas vacunas.Sufrir de enfermedades fà ­sicas o mentales de tal modo que puedas causarte daà ±o a ti mismo o a otros.Alcoholismo.Ser un drogadicto o haber sido condenado por violar alguna ley que regula las drogas ilegales, tanto en Estados Unidos o en cualquier otro paà ­s del mundo.  Ser un traficante de droga o participar de cualquier modo en ese tipo de delito.Ser esposo/a y/o hijos de un traficante, si se ha recibido dinero del narco en los à ºltimos cinco aà ±os.Haber sido condenado por un delito inmoral. Tener dos o ms delitos con una condena de cinco aà ±os o ms.Haber sido condenado por un delito agravado.Ejercer o haber ejercido la prostitucià ³n o haber solicitado los servicios de una prostituta (o, en su caso, de su versià ³n masculina). Esto aplica por diez aà ±os.Pretender obtener inmunidad para no ser procesado en EEUU por un delito y conseguir asà ­ salir del paà ­s.Haber realizado activi dades que comprometan la seguridad de los Estados Unidos. Haber cometido o haber conspirado para cometer un delito de trfico humano. O ser el esposo/a o hijo/a de tal persona y haberse beneficiado de ese delito en los à ºltimos cinco aà ±os.Realizar o haber llevado a cabo labores de espionaje o haber participado en un intento para derrocar al gobierno de los Estados Unidos.Haber realizado cualquier actividad que pueda clasificarse como terrorista.Membresà ­a en un partido totalitario, en el comunista o en el partido nazi.Haber participado en un genocidio.Ser una carga pà ºblica o cuando es probable que se va a ser en el futuro.Haber participado de cualquier forma en lavado de dinero o pretender entrar a EEUU para desarrollar esa actividad delictiva.Ser un mà ©dico o personal de sanidad que carece de la debida cualificacià ³n o certificacià ³n.Estar ya en Estados Unidos y haber entrado al paà ­s cruzando ilegalmente la frontera. Es decir, no hubo un control migratorio en una aduana terrestre, en un puerto o en un aeropuerto y, por lo tanto, ningà ºn oficial de inmigracià ³n admitià ³ o le concedià ³ una parole al extranjero que ahora solicita la green card. No haberse presentado en Corte cuando se tenà ­a una citacià ³n durante un proceso de deportacià ³n.Haber presentado o utilizado un documento de identificacià ³n falso. Asegurar falsamente que se es ciudadano de los Estados Unidos.Llegar a EEUU como polizà ³n  Haber que han violado las condiciones de una visa de estudiante.No tener documentos que son necesarios para obtener la green card.Haber sido penalizado civilmente de acuerdo a las disposiciones del artà ­culo 247C la Ley de Nacionalidad e Inmigracià ³n (INA, siglas en inglà ©s).Cumplir con alguno de los supuestos que hacen a una persona inelegible para poder adquirir la ciudadanà ­a americana, segà ºn los artà ­culos 314 y 315 de la INA.No haber cumplido en tu paà ­s con la obligacià ³n del servicio militar.Haber sido expulsado de Estados Unidos nada ms llegar a las fronteras del paà ­s.Tener o haber   tenido presencia ilegal en Estados Unidos.Cometer una infraccià ³n inmigratoria y despuà ©s continuaron vi viendo en Estados Unidos en una situacià ³n de presencia ilegal. Haber sido deportado Haber sido deportado y despuà ©s de su deportacià ³n han vuelto a cruzar ilegalmente a Estados Unidos, causando asà ­ lo que se conoce como prohibicià ³n permanente. Practicar la poligamia.Secuestro internacional de nià ±os.Haber votado ilegalmente en Estados Unidos.Haber renunciado previamente a la ciudadanà ­a para evitar pagar impuestos.Haber tenido  una visa de intercambio J-1 hasta que pasan dos aà ±os viviendo fuera de EEUU en los casos en los que aplica, que no es siempre.Cuando tu presencia en EEUU puede ser calificada de que serà ­a un perjuicio para el paà ­s.Haber reclutado a nià ±os-soldados o cometido tortura o asesinatos extrajudiciales.Haber atentado gravemente contra la libertad de religià ³n cuando se actuaba como oficial de otro paà ­s. Haber ayudado a indocumentados a entrar ilegalmente a Estados Unidos. Cà ³mo Estados Unidos sabe que se ha realizado alguna de esas actividades El gobierno de los EEUU obliga a todos los solicitantes de una tarjeta de residencia a someterse a unas pruebas biomà ©tricas, entre ellas, a la de huellas dactilares. Esto permite obtener mucha informacià ³n tanto de actividades realizadas en USA como fuera. Si cualquier agencia del gobierno se da cuenta de que has mentido en relacià ³n a uno de esos asuntos las posibilidades de que en el futuro puedas conseguir algà ºn beneficio migratorio son prcticamente nulas. Quà © hacer si si en tu pasado hay alguna actividad incluida en esa lista Si todavà ­a no se ha iniciado la tramitacià ³n de la tarjeta de residencia, consular con un abogado de inmigracià ³n especialista en tu tipo de problema. Y saber de antemano quà © se puede hacer. Si la tarjeta de residencia te ha sido ya denegada, consulta con un abogado de inmigracià ³n especialista en este tema para analizar si: Puedes pedir un perdà ³n (waiver). Estos son los requisitos y los trmites para solicitar el perdà ³n.  Adems, los familiares inmediatos de ciudadanos que estn en Estados Unidos y cuyo à ºnico problema es estar ilegalmente en el paà ­s y no pueden ajustar su estatus podrà ­an en algunos casos calificar para el perdà ³n provisional I-601A. Si hace muchos aà ±os (2001 o antes) se tuvo una peticià ³n aprobada a favor de un inmigrante, estudiar si se cumplen los requisitos para beneficiarse de la proteccià ³n 245(i). Si la prohibicià ³n para obtener la tarjeta de residencia por la causa que te afecta expira tras el paso de un nà ºmero determinado de aà ±os, ya pasaron y ya no habrà ­a ese problema.Si te afecta lo que se conoce como una prohibicià ³n permanente (permanent bar). Es muy difà ­cil de conseguir un beneficio, pero no imposible. Dependiendo de la causa de la prohibicià ³n y del tipo de visa que se desea solicitar es posible solicitar el perdà ³n en cualquier m omento o puede que sea necesario esperar como mà ­nimo  10 aà ±os fuera de Estados Unidos. O si simplemente no hay nada que hacer. Consejos para probar conocimientos En asuntos de inmigracià ³n, cuando ms sepas, mejor. Toma este test de respuestas mà ºltiples  para verificar que tienes los conocimientos bsicos para obtener y conservar la tarjeta de residencia.   Es un proceso largo y costoso. Cuando menos errores se cometan, mejor. Y este test te ayuda a mejorar tus conocimientos. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. no es asesorà ­a legal.

If You Cant Find the Stories You Want to Read, Write Them Yourself

If You Cant Find the Stories You Want to Read, Write Them Yourself If You Can't Find the Stories You Want to Read, Write Them Yourself Shaz Kahng features in the first season of Reedsy's self-publishing podcast, Bestseller. She has worked as a research scientist, a global consulting partner, a builder of e-businesses, a brand strategist, and has led teams in several male-dominated industries. When she noticed that strong female business leaders were missing from both her career and modern fiction, she decided to fill the gap. In this article, she talks about the struggle to traditionally publish a novel deemed "market-unfriendly," and how self-publishing has given her control over her bad-ass female characters. 3) That being said, remember the importance of professionals A critical aspect of bringing my book to life was designing a compelling cover that would stand out. For that, I was fortunate enough to connect with Reedsy cover designer, Mark Thomas. I provided a design brief to Mark with the objective of having a visually striking but simple cover that conveyed the idea of the story. I did have an idea in my mind of what the cover might look like, but as we went through the design process, Mark offered up several intriguing concepts and we ended up with something far different and far better than I could have imagined. With Reedsy, I felt like I was building my own publishing team with great talents like Mark, and I absolutely enjoyed our collaboration.4) Consider all the benefits of self-publishing After speaking with other authors of self-published books (some of whom were traditionally published first), two main benefits were touted: control over your content and every aspect of how your book comes to market, and speed - it’s certainly way faster than traditionally published books. #Selfpub tip: know your target market better than anyone. The Closer has only been out for about a month, but it has gotten stellar reviews from people who are not even related to me, and I’m happy to report that my book sales have been very strong. I’m optimistic about the novel’s potential, but most importantly: I was able to bring it to the world in the way I wanted, allowing me to rebel against the traditional path and the suggestions that would have diminished the quality of my book. Self-publishing let me keep my vision intact, control my content and cover, and allowed me to get The Closer to market quickly.The Closer is available in paperback and on Amazon Kindle.Please share your thoughts, experiences, or any questions for Shaz Kahng in the comments below!

As the international trade and contract law scholars Yeon-Koo Che and Essay

As the international trade and contract law scholars Yeon-Koo Che and Tai-Yeong Chung - Essay Example As noted by Todd, the sale of goods contract functions to articulate the conditions of a particular transaction and elucidate its particularities, from the description of the goods being sold to the place and time of delivery.2 In other words, the sale of goods contract details the conditions and circumstances which would govern a particular transaction. Given the supposedly comprehensive nature of the referenced document it thus functions as a reference point in instances of contract dispute. The nature of a sale of good contract is quite complex consequent to the fact that it may be written or verbal and can contain both implicit/implied terms as well as explicit ones. Contract law has determined that sales agreements can either be written or verbal and can embrace both implied and explicit terms. In other words, the law's position is that in the absence of a written contract, nonverbal contracts, as in precontractual statements, are taken into consideration. 3 In addition, the standard requirements pertaining to sales of goods and the rights of the buyer versus the obligation of the seller are taken into immediate consideration.4 Case law establishes the import of, and the circumsta... ave been interpreted as precontractual terms but, were eventually excluded from writing, suggests that they were not intended as contractual terms.5 However, in the matter of Pena v Dale (2003), where the rights and obligations of parties to a commercial transaction were disputed and there was no written contract, the court found, in the absence of a written contract and if both parties had acted as if there was a contract in place, the implied terms of the verbal contract are enforceable.6 In cases of international trade/international sale of goods, contracts tend to be governed by the terms set forth by both the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) and Incoterms, while the actual carriage of the goods from one port to another are governed by the Hague Visby Rules (HVR) as amended by the Brussels Protocol, 1968. These contrcats, as stated in the above and as established by case law, may be both written and verbal and may include both implicit and explicit terms and involve the sale of both ascertained and unascertained goods. Accordingly, the very nature of sales of good contracts is complex but, as shall be discussed in reference to the case at hand, all of CISG, Incoterms and HVR attempt the facilitation of these agreements. Even though neither Ghana nor Nigeria are parties to CISG, case law effectively maintains the applicability of CISG terms to spheres outside its influence for one simple purpose: courts have found the terms contained within CISG to be generally consistent with the legal framework outlining sales of goods terms in both civil and common law systems. In OLG Hamm 9 June, 1995, the court found that even if seller and buyer had agreed to apply civil law terms to international sales of good contract,

New Balance Developing an Integrated CSR Strategy Essay

New Balance Developing an Integrated CSR Strategy - Essay Example The assessment was done based on the Corporate Citizenship Management Framework (CCMF). Four dimensions of CCMF Figure 1: Four Dimensions of CCMF (Source: Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship. â€Å"Corporate Citizenship Management Framework†) Overall Governance Strength Weakness History, Values and Integrity Vision and mission: CSR was the central theme of the company’s mission and vision. Impressive CSR initiatives. Transparency, accountability, domestic manufacturing and employee support. Lack of guidance to the managers Lack of linkage between the CSR goals and core business strategy. Improper communication with the society. The initiatives were not aligned and connected properly and lack evaluation by the management. Product and services Strength Weakness Product New Balance eliminated use of polyvinyl chloride from the footwear. Implementation of Green shoe store. Apparel division faced higher business growth pressures, environmental and social challeng es. Lack of system for assessing the life-cycle impact of products. Lack of education in the design team related to the environmentally preferred product. Unsuccessful in developing partnership. Operations Strengths Weakness Integration of CSR with operation. Initiatives in term of clear business value, increased productivity and reduced cost. Achievement of compliance with European Union REACH regulation. Partnering with British Leather Group. Reduction in volatile organic compound. Waste reduction, implementation of coaching program, green cleaners in US, enhancement in energy efficiency. Apparel, accessories and promotional items poses rick. Gap between CSR management in domestic operations and overseas supplier facilities. Lack of standards on short term contracts for hiring temporary workers. Community Support Strength Weakness Company’s intense belief in philanthropy. Volunteering by the employees Strong community support strategy. Awareness about programs and initiativ es. Strong system to measure returns on investment. Strategies involved with community are not aligned with the business strategy. Poor focus of community support strategy. Area of focus The areas of focus for the organization are as follows: The operational area especially the apparel and accessories section need to be more inclined to CSR. The education of the product developed team is necessary in order to design more environment friendly products. The overall governance should stress more on communication. Development of CSR strategy New Balance is strongly committed towards the corporate responsibility, which is recognized to be the main pillar of the value and mission on which the organization stands. This is also supported by the CEO, owner and other leaders of the organization. Moreover the company has a good deal of knowledge and experience. The company took several initiatives towards the CSR activities. The owners of the company were humble and were hesitant to talk about the social responsibility. This was the major reason that general public had very little information regarding the work of the company in this area. Moreover the executives of the company also need to evaluate the strategy from time to time. For this the company should implement proper communication of their CSR initiatives amongst the external and

President who Abuses his Executive Order Authority Assignment - 3

President who Abuses his Executive Order Authority - Assignment Example An aggressive president can use his power to establish beneficial acts. By such an act, he might be undermining the constitution of separation of powers but sometimes when power is shared by two governments the justice fails to enact. The executive authority can take decisions in the situation where there is a mandatory need but when implying order for mean motives then definitely he is practically undermining the constitution of separation of powers. The executive authority would not be instructive it was to dispute the lawful goal for which it was established. The executive authority needs to be within the law parameters. Otherwise, the executive authority would be violating the national integrity and the very structure of the political ideology of the government. An executive need to look at the limitation of his power and rightful use of power can only bring about an ideal constituency. As per (Word Press) â€Å"The president must enforce laws that are passed by the formal legislative process as they are written.   If the president does not like a bill passed by Congress or feels it violates the Constitution then the president can veto it before it becomes law†. President cannot necessarily pass orders which are not supported legally however he can use executive orders to modify certain laws which are passed by the constitutions. Question 3: History and practice are useful tools in understanding the Presidents authority, and a Legal framework of analysis exists to help determine issues of validity. Beyond questions of legality, there are many separate but important issues of policy. Two broad policy questions present themselves: (1) whether a given power the President possesses ought to be used to advance a particular policy objective, and (2) whether a particular draft directive effectively advances such a policy goal. Specifically, research any executive orders Pres. Obama has issued and determined if the 2 policy questions in this paragraph  have been met.

Twitter & Navigation Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Twitter & Navigation - Coursework Example The following is the formula used to translate the coordinates: Decimal Degrees = Degrees + minutes/60 + seconds/3600 After configuring the degrees of the points the group must plot these positions on the paper map. The lack of identifying local landmarks or road signs in any case would cause issues with accuracy on pinpointing location. In order to avoid lack of accuracy a group should use some form of tracking device. For this project the iPhone is issued as a viable tracking device to be used secondary to the laptop. In reference to the project, a group encountered a problem when uploading data. The group had covered the laptop tracking device and could not retrieve a track record. The issued was solved by enabling the tracking system on the iPhone. The understanding that can be developed in this case is that the use of the paper map without assistance from electronics could be crippling. Utilizing a GPS as the main source for navigation and finding places has different outcome po ssibilities. Naturally coordinates have to be enabled on the system. This can be done by entering the same decimal degrees as map groups. The GPS will calculate and pinpoint these locations automatically. The tracking system within the GPS will develop a path for the group. However, the issue here can be based solely on the accuracy of the device. Should the pseudorandom code and the local copy of the coordinates be flawed by heavy error there will be destinations that do not match up. In the case of groups there should be a second record to show how accurate the findings are. In this case the use of a local map is implemented to show the right destination of the course. What can be picked up using the GPS method is that the accuracy of the device is hardly incapable of being disrupted. For that reason, individuals should not depend on one GPS result or test. A more accurate reading could be done if more than three devices are used. In general the use of a GPS system in combination with a map could be a suitable match. Though the project requires the use of paper maps and devices separately, they were typically used together to confirm information. The laptops were tracking as GPS devices would and the local area maps were a considerable replica of those paper maps. Twitter Twitter has an entire system is based on an Open System Environment. Currently, the users are implementing a Geo-tagging API to allow themselves to create TwitterVision, #UKSnow, and Trendsmaps in connection with Google Maps. With Geo-tagging one basically uses an iPhone (with viable signal) to deliver a corresponding coordinate to the system that transfers the iPhone signal into a location tag. Focusing more on the use of open systems can qualify the Twitter system to implement forums for educational environments and a larger scale of customer to business purchases as used in Second Life. The only major improvement that could be linked to the mapping system at present could be a location t o location open video attachment blog in real time to create a video conferencing concept. There is a current possibility of geo-tagging a video to a map using a camcorder that is GPS enabled. The basic concept is to utilize the available system the same as one would to geotag a photo (Catt 1). Should the concept of open software be generated to act as a system such as CISCO Webex there would be a live feed to connect universal Geo-taggers. This way individuals that use Geo-tagging for mapping could also enable real time video messaging

Russias Foreign Policy with Japan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Russias Foreign Policy with Japan - Essay Example Tanaka (1993) offers the argument that Russia is an interesting example to be used in analyzing Japan's development of identity and concept of "self" because Russia does not fall into the category of Japan's "Orient" self, neither does it fall into the category of Japan's "West", both of which are generally the dominant "others" in relation to which Japan's foreign policy and national identity have been conditioned. As a result, Japan's relations with Russia conform to a unique pattern which has impacted upon both Japanese and Russian national character. As Hasegawa (2000) has pointed out, Russia has always been relatively unpopular in Japan, especially as compared to other countries such as China and the United States. Bukh (2007) has assessed the contributions made by Japan's popular novelists, such as Shiba Ryotaro who have dealt exhaustively with the subject of Japan's history and have been largely responsible for the development of the Japan-Russia discourse. Japan's national id entity has been defined as a positive entity mostly in relation to a negative "other", in this instance Russia. During the period after the IInd World War, Russia's increasing industrial strength moved it into a position of strength during the Cold War when the country rapidly evolved to a position of power. n view of the significant problems of poverty and devastation that Japan experienced after the IInd World War and the Pacific War, and Russia's comparatively more prosperous position, the effort to improve Japan's position of necessity resulted in Russia being placed in the position of the negative other. Once the Cold War was over and Japan's economic position began to improve in relation to Russia, the latter still served to define Japan's identity in relation to a negative "other" because during this period, Russia may have served as a negative "other" symbolizing the evils of communism which had been unsuccessful. Russia has become even more relevant in establishing Japan's national identity after the latter's economic recovery began to sustain itself. Since Japan was also on the periphery of international affairs, its adherence to western capitalistic philosophy and it's aligning itself with the United States provided it an opportunity to regain some status within the international community as a country aligned with Western international interests. From Russia's perspective, its policy towards Japan was initially driven by territorial interests when it annexed the northern territories. According to Pikes (1996/7), the foreign policy of any great power is linked to its economy. The root of Russian foreign policy originates in the Bolshevik revolution, wherein Russia was to be merely a springboard from which the Communist revolution and philosophy were to spread to all parts of the world, including the Communist countries. The expansionist policy associated with this belief was the partial cause of Russia's appropriation of the northern territories. Mo reover, Japan's rejection of Communist philosophies and adoption of the western philosophy has placed the two nations at opposite ends of the spectrum, despite both of them being peripheral nations as further detailed in this report.

Visual art exhibition in Hong Kong Research Proposal

Visual art exhibition in Hong Kong - Research Proposal Example The essay "Visual art exhibition in Hong Kong" discovers the Hong Kong's visual art exhibition. The Hong Kong government has recognized the significance of mega events in developing the tourism sector. It has established the Mega Events Fund (MEF) to host major arts, sports, and cultural events in the country. A three-dimensional painting visual art exhibition, as a mega event, can obtain better return on investment if it is launched in compliance with cultural and economic policies of the country. The expo should take advantages of advanced internet based technologies to provide a great watching experience to the audience. Above all, the event management team must ensure the strong cooperation of the Hong Kong government and global as well as national media to promote the event effectively. The planned expo, a three-dimensional painting visual art exhibition in Hong Kong, falls under the category of a mega event. The term mega event is used to describe high profile worldwide events like Olympic Games, FIFA World Cup, and expos. Although the term mega event has not been well defined, a big event is clearly distinct from a mega event. The number of participants is not only the criterion used to recognize a mega event. According to a study conducted by Harry H. Hiller, â€Å"a mega event is first of all of fixed duration and on a short term basis. The event has a high profile, there is a worldwide interest linked to the event and there is a sustainable and measurable economic outcome†.

Russias Foreign Policy with Japan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Russias Foreign Policy with Japan - Essay Example Tanaka (1993) offers the argument that Russia is an interesting example to be used in analyzing Japan's development of identity and concept of "self" because Russia does not fall into the category of Japan's "Orient" self, neither does it fall into the category of Japan's "West", both of which are generally the dominant "others" in relation to which Japan's foreign policy and national identity have been conditioned. As a result, Japan's relations with Russia conform to a unique pattern which has impacted upon both Japanese and Russian national character. As Hasegawa (2000) has pointed out, Russia has always been relatively unpopular in Japan, especially as compared to other countries such as China and the United States. Bukh (2007) has assessed the contributions made by Japan's popular novelists, such as Shiba Ryotaro who have dealt exhaustively with the subject of Japan's history and have been largely responsible for the development of the Japan-Russia discourse. Japan's national id entity has been defined as a positive entity mostly in relation to a negative "other", in this instance Russia. During the period after the IInd World War, Russia's increasing industrial strength moved it into a position of strength during the Cold War when the country rapidly evolved to a position of power. n view of the significant problems of poverty and devastation that Japan experienced after the IInd World War and the Pacific War, and Russia's comparatively more prosperous position, the effort to improve Japan's position of necessity resulted in Russia being placed in the position of the negative other. Once the Cold War was over and Japan's economic position began to improve in relation to Russia, the latter still served to define Japan's identity in relation to a negative "other" because during this period, Russia may have served as a negative "other" symbolizing the evils of communism which had been unsuccessful. Russia has become even more relevant in establishing Japan's national identity after the latter's economic recovery began to sustain itself. Since Japan was also on the periphery of international affairs, its adherence to western capitalistic philosophy and it's aligning itself with the United States provided it an opportunity to regain some status within the international community as a country aligned with Western international interests. From Russia's perspective, its policy towards Japan was initially driven by territorial interests when it annexed the northern territories. According to Pikes (1996/7), the foreign policy of any great power is linked to its economy. The root of Russian foreign policy originates in the Bolshevik revolution, wherein Russia was to be merely a springboard from which the Communist revolution and philosophy were to spread to all parts of the world, including the Communist countries. The expansionist policy associated with this belief was the partial cause of Russia's appropriation of the northern territories. Mo reover, Japan's rejection of Communist philosophies and adoption of the western philosophy has placed the two nations at opposite ends of the spectrum, despite both of them being peripheral nations as further detailed in this report.

Siddharta Essay Essay Example for Free

Siddharta Essay Essay Teachers are important figures in everyone’s life: they prepare for future events teaching lessons and giving suggestions. The book Siddhartha, written by the German author Herman Hesse, shows a perfect example of education and understanding given by different types of instructors. The protagonist, Siddhartha, is the son of a Brahmin, and he has an assured future as a religious figure. He is unhappy and unsatisfied in the beginning of the novel: he can’t find the right answer to his questions. He distrusts teachers, because they didn’t teach him the life lessons he wanted. He doesn’t think his actual life can lead him to nirvana, the maximum status of joy and understanding of the self. The following quote proves this statement: Siddhartha had started to nurse discontent in himself; he had started to feel that the love of his father and the love of his mother, and also the love of his friend, Govinda, would not bring him joy for ever and ever, would not nurse him, feed him, satisfy him. (Hesse 5). He decides to embark in a journey to reach enlightenment, and during this spiritual path he learns some life lessons through persons considered nontraditional teachers, people who influenced his life, and taught him indirectly, such as Govinda, Kamala and Kamaswami. The first instructor that Siddhartha acquires knowledge from is Govinda, one of the most influential characters in the novel: Siddhartha’s best friend, companion and disciple. He is unlikely to be a teacher, mostly because of his follower behavior, but despite the reader’s opinion of him in the beginning, he reveals himself as one of the most important nontraditional teachers. The main feature of Govinda is the fact that he doesn’t choose his own path, he always is a follower. Hesse emphasizes Govinda’s status by defining him as a shadow: â€Å"Govinda wanted to follow him as a friend, his companion, his servant, his lance bearer, his shadow† (4-5). Initially he assists Siddhartha in his quest for enlightenment, but when he encounters another master, Buddha (an enlightened person with a group of followers), he decides to apply his philosophy and to become one of his disciples. This character is really important for Siddhartha, because, in the moment of his friend’s worst depression, the climax of his journey, he saves him. A clear evidence of this fact is the  following quote: â€Å"I saw you lying and sleeping in a place where is dangerous to sleep. Therefore I sought to wake you up oh sir† (67). This shows how Govinda cares about his friend and takes the role of a nontraditional teacher. Another quote that proves the fact that Govinda has a savior role is the following one: â€Å"Once, O worthy one, many years ago, you came to this river and found a man sleeping there. You sat beside him to guard him while he slept, but you did not recognize the sleeping man, Govinda† (95). The main teaching he taught to Siddhartha is that he has to find his own path; he has to embark on his own journey to reach the understanding of the self. This character will remain important even in the end of the story, because the novel finishes with his word s, meaning that Siddhartha has become a teacher, the figure he distrusted. The second influent person in the protagonist’s is Kamala: she is an attractive courtesan that makes the protagonist fall in love with her. Before Siddhartha met Kamala all he knew was thinking, waiting, and fasting(46). The main character meets her during a period on his life where he tries to focus on material things; he tries to find a different way to understand the self. Kamala represents Siddhartha’s entering into the world of greed and lust. She is considered a teacher because she teaches him some important life lessons; she shows him the best of what the material world has to offer. This quote proves her status as a teacher: â€Å"If it doesn’t displease you, Kamala, I would like to ask you to be my friend and teacher, for I know nothing yet of that art which you have mastered in the highest degree† (50). Kamala makes Siddhartha realize that the material world isn’t enough to satisfy him, it isn’t the right choice for his path and the right way to reach nirvana. He learned from her that he could not expect to receive love unless he gave it first. She taught him the the value and the meaning of the life in which he was living and the moments he had spent with her are considered good. She instructs Siddhartha in the art of physical love: In addition to being Siddhartha’s lover, Kamala helps him to leave his ascetic life as a Samana behind. When he met her, he had some ideas and principles of his previous ascetic group, in fact he was a simple Samana from the forest(45). Siddhartha, thanks to the beautiful courtesan, understands what love is, and after some time they give birth to a son. Her teachings include also exterior aspect and clothes: â€Å"I am beginning to learn from you. I already  learned something yesterday. Already got rid of my beard, I have combed and oiled my hair. There is not much more that is lacking, most excellent lady: fine clothes, fine shoes and money in my purse† (54). Her goal is to educate him about sex and human passions. Although Siddhartha becomes disillusioned in the end, because of the emptiness of his life in the material world, he cites Kamala as one of his primary teachers on his journey to find nirvana. The third important teacher is Siddhartha’s journey is Kamaswami, an older businessman who represents an instructive figure mainly because he teaches him the art of business. The protagonist, referred by Kamala, puts himself in the old man’s hands. Under his guidance, Siddhartha successfully enters into the society of city-dwellers: â€Å"When Kamaswami came to him to complain about his troubles or to take him to task over some business deal, he would listen with good humor and interest, marveling over him, trying to understand him. He would allow him to think he was right to the extent that he seemed to require and then would move on to the next person who sought his attention† (75). Kamaswami tries to teach Siddhartha about business life. He shows him the accounts, the goods and warehouses (65). While Siddhartha is working for him, he realizes that business doesn’t satisfy him, it doesn’t create any interest; more particularly, it does not stir his heart (66). Another quote that proves the statement is His heart was not indeed in business (69). Material things do not interest Siddhartha, in fact he hears a voice inside him, telling him that business and money are a game: Kamaswami conducted his business with care and often with passion, but Siddhartha regarded it all as a game (66). The old man, as a wealthy merchant, has qualities that Siddhartha refuses as a Samana. The businessman is obsessed with wealth, so there is a noticeable contrast between them. The life lesson he learns from Kamaswami is that material things create unhappiness. He realizes that money and business are not important: they are just temporary things. During his journey, Siddhartha learns some life lessons from different teachers like Govinda, Kamala and Kamaswami. All these instructive figures contribute to his accomplishment, contribute to the achievement of enlightenment and were indispensable to his spiritual mutation. Throughout  Siddhartha condemns and left his teachers, in the end he becomes one. For his whole journey he is the one who learns, and all his past experience leads him to become the one who teaches. Thanks to those teachers, he finally finds what he has been looking for, after all the sacrifices he did and all the difficulties he has been through.

Cultural Differences in Shakespeares Work

Cultural Differences in Shakespeares Work Shakespeare in Performance This essay will explore the cultural difference of two Shakespeare, Othello performances. The two performances used are Stuart Burges 1965 adaptation and Oliver Parkers 1995 version. William Shakespeare was born in 1564 the son of John Shakespeare a glove maker, and Mary Arden the daughter of a farmer. Within the Elizabethan class system Shakespeare wouldnt have be destined for great things as he wasnt born into a significantly wealthy family. It is possible that Shakespeare was brought up as Catholic; Romeo and Juliet is a Catholic play. Shakespeare attended grammar school In Stratford his education would have been very intense in language, Latin, Greek and possibly modern language like French, his schooling would have also been heavily religious. Shakespeare would have been expected to leave school and go into law grammar schools trained for professionals. Shakespeare didnt continue his education at university and age 18 married Anne Hathaway and lived a quiet life having his first child, Susanna in 1583 then twins Judith and Hamnet in 1585. Historical accounts of Shakespeare in the first seven years of his childrens lives are classed as lost years, due to ther e being no reliable accounts in this period. It wasnt until the late 1590s that Shakespeare was writing plays although in them times writers would write under a false name so critics couldnt dismiss their work. By around 1591, 1592 Shakespeare had written 57 plays in the space 20 years this is a colossal amount especially as a play writer in the Elizabethan period. Shakespeare died on the 23rd April 1616 the same day as his birthday. The importance of Setting The plot Othello is taken from an Italian story Un Captitano Moro some critics believe, written in 1565 by Giovanni Battista Giraldi Cinzio, the story about a Moorish general deceived into believing his wife is being unfaithful. Shakespeare added important characters to the story Iago, Roderigo, Desdemonas father and Brabantio, Shakespeare implies the action of the play runs over some course of time although it could be perceived as being set over a period of a few days. Shakespeare also developed the complex villain Iago compared to the minor one in the original. Shakespeares audience would have believed in The Great Chain of Being, that determined the natural order of events. God being the top of the hierarchical chain, Shakespeare used the Great Chain of Being as a concept to emphasise the tragedy in Othello and struggle with love and Desdemona and Iagos jealous passion. Othello, the Moor of Venice scholars believe was written in the period of 1601-1604, Queen Elizabeth had died in 1603, people worried what would become of governess since Elizabeths death a lot of the fear is portrayed through Shakespeares plays of successful succession and governance. The Protestant Church of England was created by Henry, Elizabeths father there was concerns that the religion might fail after Elizabeths death in a Catholic came to power, and a foreigner to rule. Although the title implies Othello occurred in Venice it took place in Cyprus, having said that Shakespeares stage directions are very basic and minimal so directors that remake Shakespeares pieces can decide where the plot is set. In the period when Shakespeare wrote Othello Venice was a Republic that thrived on multiculturalism, it was major for international trade, Venice had colonial power also respectful of different cultures and religions. Venice was a charming, safe, peaceful location. Cyprus when Shakespeare was in school was under power by the Ottoman Turks, Cyprus was the home of wine and prostitutes full of deception and death. Geographically located between the Middle East, Europe, Mediterranean and Northern Africa the religion is Christian and Muslim, a prime place for religious and racial violence. Although critics believe Othello was adapted by Hecatommithi, the time period that Shakespeare wrote Othello Venice would have been a highly important trading link between the East and Europe. Venice would have been sending ambassadors from Venice and the East to Elizabethan England Shakespeare may have studied theses exotic strangers. Venice and Turkey during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries would have been at wars thus Othello being the general of the Venetian war. Shakespeare cleverly adapted a plot surrounding the issues of the day and explored a twist on race, jealousy and deceit. During the Elizabethan period, black people were not regarded as slaves, in 1601 Queen Elizabeth granted the diplomatic rights which allowed deportation, due to fears of overpopulation. Although the salve trade was not established during this time, the black race was considered inferior. Othello is a revolutionary cultural work, as the Moor Othello is portrayed as a civilized noble Christian who was wrongly deceived forced audiences to rethink the racial status during the early 16th century. Moor was a term used by the Elizabethans referring to Muslim Arabs or North Africa who had conquered Spain in the eighth century. Moors were Elizabethans believed, sinful, animalistic and murderous. It is interesting that Shakespeare represents Othello as the wrongly deceived victim, and Iago the Caucasian the typical More stereotype. Othello The tragedy of Othello, the Moor Whom Is general of Venice, promotes his lieutenant Cassio, leaving Iago enraged with jealousy. Othello fell in love and married Desdemona daughter of Brabantio, the Venetian senator. Iago uses Desdemona and Othellos love as a tactic in his revenge. Iago manipulates Othello into thinking his wife is having an affair with Cassio, Othello outraged kills Desdemona before killing himself the story concludes with Iagos unmasking and execution. Stuart Burges 1965 Othello Laurence Olivier The first English language film of the play Othello was released in December 1965 by director Burge, Burge was born in Brentwood Essex in January 1918 and died in 2002. Burge was the director of the Nottingham Playhouse between 1968-74 then went onto be artistic director at the Royal Court Theatre in over the period of 1977-80. This is the only Shakespeare adaptation that all leading actors were nominated for Oscars. The film was nearly exactly the same as stage production the release did not make use of music of exit music. Burges version of was the first English Othello shot in colour it had previously been done in Russian. This was the first of Shakespeares original text created into a full length British feature. Lawrence Olivier played Othello and acted in blackface, critics over the years have argued the origins of Othello being black or Arab. Othello has been played by white and more recently black actors, Laurence Oliviers version was performed in blackface. Olivier went into detail of his black face performance in his autobiography; Black all over my body, Max Factor 2880, then a lighter brown, then Negro number 2, a stronger brown. Brown on black to give a rich mahogany. Then the great trick: that glorious half yard of chiffon with which I polished myself all over until I shone the lips blueberry, the tight curled wig, the white of the eyes, whiter than ever, and the black, black sheen that covered my flesh and bones, glistening in the dressing room lights. (L. Olivier 1965) In Oliviers autobiography; Olivier, Laurence. Confessions of an Actor, Olivier proclaims in his and the directors minds the blackface wasnt done in a minstrelsy way it was done as costume to make him up as African with innocent intentions of playing Othello. The text Othello is not completely clear on Othellos race, subsequently because Shakespeare would not have been completed educated about the people that lived in North Africa. In 1966 the civil rights movement was at its highest in America racist discrimination and stereotypes were challenged the aesthetic of the Oliviers blackface was out of date and political incorrect.   Although in Europe, the civil rights movement wasnt as big as America with the last white actor blackface Othello taking place in 1990 by Michael Gambon. The New York Times published an article about Oliviers performance that stated; Outrageous impression of a theatrical Negro stereotype, Olivier an end man in an American minstrel show. (the New York times, Bosley Crowther) Burges adaptation of Othello definitely brings the issue of race to the forefront, most of the racial language is present as in the 1604 original text; thicklips, being the first derogatory offensive language aimed at Othello Act one, Scene one. Venice. A street. Roderigo: What a full fortune does the thicklips owe if he can carryt thus! References made by Othello regarding his race are interpreted as intended by Shakespeare, delivered with doubt; Act three, Scene three. The garden of the castle Othello: Haply, for I am black. Intending that because he is black, he is not as sophisticated as other people. Burge directed Olivier as a stereotypical African, exaggerated gesture and accent with his costumes ethnic and predominantly barefoot, with a rosary necklace. Burges performance has been regarded by critics as the greatest performance of the 20th century. (Peter Rainer) and was nominated for four Oscars, winning one. Olivier is the first of the great twentieth-century British actors who has created a brilliantly original interpretation of Othelloà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Oliviers) Othello is a man of gigantic stature but he is not a man of titanic thought; and by no means is he umo univerale, a man of many sided character, typical of the Renaissance. This Othello came into the world from a less civilised society. He Is very close to nature, to the earth. He has had no time to absorb the culture of the new world surrounding him. With all its glitter, this world is in fact trivial and meanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Othellos simple soul makes him vulnerable to the pretty contrivances of the environment. A civilization that is false and untrue kills the simple-minded manà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ this is what Olivier; the actor shows us. (in Tynan, Othello. National Theatre Production, 108). Every modern, white actor, takin on Othello, feels obliged to explain why hes not playing him black, which was surely Shakespeares intention, when the unspoken reason is that to black up is as disgusting these days as a nigger minstrel show. (Laurence Olivier, 1986) Each generation can use pieces of Shakespeares texts his writings are timeless, an Author who makes plays relatable to different generations thus why Othello has been adapted countless times since 1601, in some adaptations of Othello the play is portrayed mostly on the jealous and devious theme. Burges approach to play directions however have been deemed as a play about race. A film version of the 1965 production released on DVD by Warner Home Video in 2007. Oliviers blackface performance makes this film adaptation a difficult object of study, but since it makes Othello a play about race in a way so disturbing for postmodern sensibilities, it is a valuable tool for exploring racial difference as a theme. And especially for considering the plays particular resonance with contemporary racial politics. (R, C. Evans In an article by the New York Times published February, 1966 reporter Bosley Crowther describes how America portrayed Oliviers performance; Seeing as how the drama critics in England were unstinting in their praise of the lush stage production of Othello in which Sir Laurence Olivier played with the National Theatre of Great Britain a couple of years ago, it may seem rude of an American film critic to voice some startled expectations to the motion picture made of the play by a British company. One bold and singular aspect of this production immediately impels the sensitive American viewer into a baffled and discomfited attitude. This is the radical make up Sir Laurence has chosen to use in his powerful and passionate characterization of the jealous Moor. He plays Othello in blackface! Thats right, blackface not the dark-brown stain that even the most daring white actors do not nowadays wish to go beyond.   Whats more, he caps his shiny blackface with a wig of kinky black hair and he has the insides of his lips smeared and thickened with a startling raspberry red. Several times, in his rages or reflections, he roll s his eyes up into his head so that the whites gleam like small mil agates out of the inky face. (B. Crowther 1966) Burges adaptation of Othello is clearly one that caused a stir, with the controversial blackface. The period in which Burge adapted the version the culture was changing surrounding racism, racist terms and what is politically correct. Professor Tony Howard University of Warwick believes for Olivier race wasnt an issue, race was an interesting factor in the play and he chose to make it paramount. The result of that was that I know some black actors that saw the play and were appalled by his imitation of stereotypical behaviour, and I know other black actors who saw the play and were inspired to become Shakespearian actors because of the sheer admiration for what he did. (T. Howard 2013). Oliver Parkers 1995 Othello, Laurence Fishburne Oliver Parker an English film director born 6th September 1960, directed Othello played by a black actor Laurence Fishburne classed as not an outsider in this version as the actor is of African descent. Having said that the racial tensions and most of the racial language still applies in the film. Fishburne, plays a more confidant, cocky Othello in this version he also wears the same costumes as most of the cast, with earings in his ears he blends in well with the rest of the cast unlike in Oliviers version. The choice of music and camera shots sets the racial tension in a different way than previous adaptations with the use of drums during the consummation of Othello and Desdemona also during the Cyprus   celebration. The film doesnt generally focus on Othellos race but more so on the tragedy of the story and Iagos jealousy. Parkers adaptation is more satisfying as a film rather than Shakespearian text, the original text is very heavily cut with many original rhythms not included. The plot and characters remains the same as the original text and Burges, parker sets the film within the same time period and location as the two explored. Parkers version is however modernised and update some areas of the film, parker has changed the interpretation of Iagos character slightly also cutting much of the original text. Parkers use of Othellos dreams allow the audience access into Othellos agony over his suspected wifes adultery, this opened the door to the audience in a new light, something that the original monologue and Burge was unable to achieve. The issue of Race in Parkers version is watered down and limelights the character of Iago and his evil plan. Iagos direct camera soliloquies, via direct camera shots portrays his devious intentions, Iagos true nature is heightened in Parkers adaptation through this technique compare to Burge and the original text. In Act one, Scene three Iago shouts to Roderigo to put money and love into his purse Iago is trying to deceive Roderigo into giving him money so Iago will make Desdemona fall in love with Roderigo. When Iago leaves this scene, the camera zooms in on Iagos face to music building up that creates tension, Iago then recites this original quote from the text; Act one, scene three Iago: Thus, do I ever make my fool my purse: For I mine own gaind knowledge should profane, If I would time expend with such a snipe. But for my sport and profit. I hate the Moor: And it is thought abroad, that twixt my sheets He has done my office: I know not ift be true; But, I for more suspicious in that kind, Will do as if for surety. He holds me well; The better shall my purpose work on him. Cassios a proper man: let me see now: To get his place and to plume up my will In double knavery-how, how? Lets see: After some time, to abuse Othellos ear That he is too familiar with his wife. He hath a person and a smooth dispose To be suspected, framed to make women false. The moor is of a free and open nature, That thinks men honest that but seem to be so, And will as tenderly be led by the nose As asses are. I havet. it is endgenderd. hell, and night Must brin this monstrous birth to the worlds light. During the speech by Roderigo, Parkers gives the audience a subsequent plot for throughout the play as to why Iago wants to kill Othello. Parker directs Iago to look straight into the camera whilst declaring his hatred for Othello this breaks the forth wall including the audience on the whole experience. Iago speaks in a hushed monotone to music playing in the background thus adding theatrical drama, the camera then pans down to a chessboard. Iago places a white queen, black king and a white knight on the board parker does this to replicate Desdemona, Othello and Cassio. The colour of the chess pieces also play a very clever crucial part in the film highlighting the racial but also the use of a chess board highlights the manipulation and game playing from Iago. Parker directs Fishburne to play overtly sexual compared with the Burge version and original text. Parkers directions continues shows Desdemona and Othello in bed together in a number of scenes to modernize the version to appeal to a different audience. Parker has Othellos dreams filled with adultery presented with Desdemona in bed naked with Cassio, in the Burge version the characters are a lot more innocent. Othellos visual image of Desdemona and Cassio, allows for his fear to come alive with the help of Iagos manipulation Othello remembers what Desdemonas father said to him; Act one, Scene 3 A Council-Chamber. Brabantio: Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: She has deceived her father, and may thee. This line is continuously played in Othellos head throughout the film, giving Othello confirmation that the affair to real as Desdemona is deceiving him just as she did her father. Once you get to Act three, Scene three, its like being caught up in a huge surf. You are pounded by experiences and overwhelming feelings that oscillate violently. Sometimes within one sentence I go from passion and adoration to the most extreme expressions of loathing and self-hatred Ive ever had to try to get close to. (Laurence Fishburne, 1996) There are a few predominant themes that flow through both versions of Othello and the original text; Love, passion, jealousy, betrayal along with reputation and honour. love being the force that overcome a large obstacle in the marriage of Othello and Desdemona, although Othello loves Desdemona he gives her his heart he doesnt give her his mind and he doesnt trust her, he is deep down insecure.   Their love was tragically lost by the passion of Iago and his jealousy love to Iago is leverage, he declared his love to his friends but does the ultimate betrayal. The love between Cassio and Desdemona that is misinterpreted. Passion comes from Othello and Desdemona two lovers that political looked down on for the marriage but still going ahead with their passion anyway. Jealousy is a trait that is both in Othello and strongly Iago. Multiculturalism, Religious Suspicion and Racism. The Venetian Republic was known as a culturally tolerant society, that welcomes cultural traditions, however Othello and the merchant of Venice being set in Venice, portrays jealousy, race and xenophobia. Shakespeares Othello predates the slave trade and biological classification. Othello being a Moor in Shakespeares time could relate to someone from the Middle East or Spain not necessarily Africa. Reference List Othello. (1965) film. Directed by Stuart Barge. GB: British Home Entertainment. {film} Othello. (1995) Directed by Olive Parker. GB: Warner Home video. {DVD} Colin, Phillip C. and Kuhn, Francis X. (2002) Othello: New Critical Essays Brockport Bookshelf. Book 218. Othello: A Critical Reader Robert. C. Evans Bloomsbury Publishing (2015) (T. Howard 2013) Othello at the National Theatre www.nationaltheatre.org

The Exploitation and Objectification of Women in Rap Essay -- Music Se

Women have consistently been perceived as second-class citizens. Even now, in times when a social conscience is present in most individuals, in an era where an atmosphere of gender equality 'supposedly' exists, it is blatantly apparent that the objectification and marginalization of women is still a major social issue. In reality, progression in terms of reducing female exploitation has been stagnant at best. Not only is the degradation of women a major problem that to date has not been eradicated, but it is actually being endorsed by some music celebrities. There are a growing number of people who purchase rap albums that support the fallacy that women are mere objects and should be treated as such. As the popularity of rap continues to climb at unprecedented rates, so too does its influence on the perception of women. In the vast majority of hip-hop songs, the depiction of women as sexual objects, the extreme violence directed towards them and the overall negative influence these l yrics have on the average adolescent's perception of women make rap the absolute epitome of female exploitation. The oppressive picture displaying the sexual objectification of women that most hip-hop artists paint while rapping can only be described as appalling. Many artists imply that a woman?s sole purpose is to gratify a man?s every sexual desire. For instance, ?Nelly?s ?Tip Drill? goes as far to portray scantily clad women as sexual appliances? (Weisstuch). Though Nelly is relatively mild when contrasted to other hip-hop artists, his actualization of women cannot be ignored. By calling women ?sexual appliances,? Nelly essentially promotes the idea that it is customary to view all women solely as sexual objects. Moreover, the generic ?sex appe... ...abuse towards women, the sexual objectification of women and the effect these lyrics have on our youth?s opinion of women make hip-hop the absolute embodiment of exploitation of women. The extreme abuse that women must endure as a result of hip-hop, in conjunction with the constant objectification and marginalization that women continue to experience in society today has had a very negative influence on an average adolescent?s perception of women. In a fashion that is metaphorically parallel to the exploitation of women in rap, the great French writer Francois-Marie Arouet, whose pseudonym is Voltaire, once stated, ?No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible? (Arouet). Hip-hop icons are instilled with the incomparable power to change lives for the better or the worse?for the sake of women everywhere, black or white, one can only pray that it is the former. The Exploitation and Objectification of Women in Rap Essay -- Music Se Women have consistently been perceived as second-class citizens. Even now, in times when a social conscience is present in most individuals, in an era where an atmosphere of gender equality 'supposedly' exists, it is blatantly apparent that the objectification and marginalization of women is still a major social issue. In reality, progression in terms of reducing female exploitation has been stagnant at best. Not only is the degradation of women a major problem that to date has not been eradicated, but it is actually being endorsed by some music celebrities. There are a growing number of people who purchase rap albums that support the fallacy that women are mere objects and should be treated as such. As the popularity of rap continues to climb at unprecedented rates, so too does its influence on the perception of women. In the vast majority of hip-hop songs, the depiction of women as sexual objects, the extreme violence directed towards them and the overall negative influence these l yrics have on the average adolescent's perception of women make rap the absolute epitome of female exploitation. The oppressive picture displaying the sexual objectification of women that most hip-hop artists paint while rapping can only be described as appalling. Many artists imply that a woman?s sole purpose is to gratify a man?s every sexual desire. For instance, ?Nelly?s ?Tip Drill? goes as far to portray scantily clad women as sexual appliances? (Weisstuch). Though Nelly is relatively mild when contrasted to other hip-hop artists, his actualization of women cannot be ignored. By calling women ?sexual appliances,? Nelly essentially promotes the idea that it is customary to view all women solely as sexual objects. Moreover, the generic ?sex appe... ...abuse towards women, the sexual objectification of women and the effect these lyrics have on our youth?s opinion of women make hip-hop the absolute embodiment of exploitation of women. The extreme abuse that women must endure as a result of hip-hop, in conjunction with the constant objectification and marginalization that women continue to experience in society today has had a very negative influence on an average adolescent?s perception of women. In a fashion that is metaphorically parallel to the exploitation of women in rap, the great French writer Francois-Marie Arouet, whose pseudonym is Voltaire, once stated, ?No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible? (Arouet). Hip-hop icons are instilled with the incomparable power to change lives for the better or the worse?for the sake of women everywhere, black or white, one can only pray that it is the former.