Sunday, December 29, 2019

Ap Literature Open Response Questions - 3435 Words

AP LITERATURE OPEN RESPONSE QUESTIONS 2011: In a novel by William Styron, a father tells his son that life â€Å"is a search for justice.† Choose a character from a novel or play who responds in some significant way to justice or injustice. Then write a well-developed essay in which you analyze the character’s understanding of justice, the degree to which the character’s search for justice is successful, and the significance of this search for the work as a whole. 2010: Palestinian American literary theorist and cultural critic Edward Said has written that â€Å"Exile is strangely compelling to think about but terrible to experience. It is the unhealable rift forced between a human being and a native place, between the self and its true home: its†¦show more content†¦Conductors may of course be instruments as well as victims of the divine lightning. Select a novel or play in which a tragic figure functions as an instrument of the suffering of others. Then write an essay in which you explain how the suffering brought upon others by that figure contributes to the tragic vision of the work as a whole. 2002: Morally ambiguous characters—characters whose behavior discourages readers from identifying them as purely evil or purely good—are at the heart of many works of literature. Choose a novel or play in which a morally ambiguous characters plays a pivotal role. Then write an essay in which you explain how the character can be viewed as morally ambiguous and why his or her moral ambiguity is significant to the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary. 2001: One definition of madness is â€Å"mental delusion or the eccentric behavior arising from it.† But Emily Dickinson wrote Much Madness is divinest Sense--To a discerning Eye--Novelists and playwrights have often seen madness with a â€Å"discerning Eye.† Select a novel or play in which a character’s apparent madness or irrational behavior plays an important role. Then write a well-organized essay in which you explain what this delusion or eccentric behavior consists of and how it might be judged reasonable. Explain the significance of the â€Å"madness† to the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot. 2000: Many works of literature notShow MoreRelatedMy Writing As A Writer1436 Words   |  6 Pageswould like to be. I was always told that I was a natural writer until I got to high school. Everyone either caught up to my level, surpassed it, or I plateaued. Trying to improve myself, I took honors and AP English literature. Unfortunately, I had only felt worse about my writing when I got to AP. My teacher, Mrs. Tomaselli, never gave anyone A’s so I did not feel too bad about myself, but gave no positive feedback. I did however compare a piece of writing I was very proud of that I did in 11th w ithRead MoreMice Case Study1265 Words   |  6 PagesThe number of red blood cells in all three experimental groups was consistent with literature values reported for the black-6 wild type mouse from which the (NZW x BXSB)F1 hybrid is derived, which verified our expectation that these hybrid mice do not express an anemic phenotype. In contrast, there was a relative decrease in the number of blood leukocytes in the control mice relative to WT mice, suggesting that white blood cells are recruited to infiltrate the host tissue from the blood stream, afterRead MoreEnglish Language And Composition Of The Victorian Era1320 Words   |  6 PagesMichael Linares Ms. Sipars AP English Language and Composition 15 September 2015 Response #1 England’s Victorian Era was a very influential and interesting Era that took place during the time that Queen Victoria was the Queen of England. The Victorian Era started around 1830 and lasted up until the start of the 20th Century. During this Era England became very powerful. Many amazing masterpieces were created by great artists like Oscar Wilde and Charles Dickens. The three class system which weRead MoreAnalysis Of Rudolfo Anaya s Bless Me Ultima1445 Words   |  6 PagesBMU LAP TOPIC #4 Alyssa Kryzelle Reyes Mr. Amoroso AP Literature 1st 25 September 2017 As human beings, we are students of life, and death is one of the hard lessons that we will encounter. Our faith is not a fixed concept, ist is affected by a convergence of factors and events in our life. Faith is complex and differs from one person to another, but one thing is for certain, it affects how we look at life and how we approach life. Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me Ultima divulges into theRead MoreDeath In Bless Me Ultima1428 Words   |  6 PagesBMU LAP TOPIC #4 Alyssa Kryzelle Reyes Mr. Amoroso AP Literature 1st 25 September 2017 As human beings, we are students of life, and death is one of the hard lessons that we will encounter. Our faith is not a fixed concept, it is affected by a convergence of factors and events in our life. Faith is complex and differs from one person to another, but one thing is for certain, it affects how we look at life and how we approach life. Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me Ultima divulges into the lifeRead MoreSaul of Tarsus2681 Words   |  11 Pagessignificant events not only in the Book of Acts, but throughout the Bible. Christians in the Twenty-First Century owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the Apostle Paul for his courage and obedience in answering the â€Å"call† of God. The spontaneous response to this call has a direct impact on Christians, Jews and non-Jews all over the world. The reason Saul’s call was so important was because it was a fulfillment of Jesus’s Great Commission. Saul’s pedigree as well as his character made him the leas tRead MoreAp English Open Ended Questions For Exa5390 Words   |  22 Pagesï » ¿AP ENGLISH OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATIONS (Question 3) Sample Question 1: In some works of literature the insanity (or a period of insanity) of a main character plays a central role. Choose a novel or play of literary merit and write an essay in which you discuss the mental illness of a central character and the specific ways in which that character’s illness relates to the larger themes of the work. Avoid plot summary. Sample Question 2: â€Å"The struggle to achieve dominance over others frequentlyRead MoreBenefits Of A Diverse Teacher Faculty Teaching Essay1990 Words   |  8 PagesProficient (LEP). For that reason the Douglas Unified School District has in place a strong Structured English Immersion (SEI) Program to serve the students. 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Saturday, December 21, 2019

The Media And Its Impact On Society - 1241 Words

It has become common knowledge that in the last twenty years, the newspaper industry has undergone a huge transformation. Once considered the primary and best way for communities to transmit and receive world-wide information, the business of printed news has taken suffered some major setbacks. With the advent of the Internet age and the advancement of technology, printed news sources and publishing companies have needed to redesign their business models and reform certain aspects of their companies. In today’s day and age, publishing companies are being forced to redesign the way they market to customers and to incorporate the inclusion of digital sources in doing business. Because of the exponential advancements of technology, the†¦show more content†¦In the market domain of newspapers, there are a handful of main companies that control the majority of the industry. One of the major players remaining in the game of printed news is The Tribune Publishing Company. Specifically, newspapers and publishers across the country have been forced to make closures, cuts, lay-offs, and ultimately find ways to evolve with the changing times and embrace the digital world. This has served as a crushing blow to a once thriving market. Numerous major newspapers no longer exist, and others are just barely surviving and keeping their heads above water. The Tribune Publishing Company has managed to weather the storm and continues to remain relevant. One of Chicago’s oldest and most well-respected groups has found ways in which to adapt to the changing environment and maintain sustainability in the tumultuous market of newsprint. A thorough SWOT analysis demonstrates how this company has remained alive and how it will continue to grow in the future. One of the primary strengths of The Tribune Publishing Company is a long-standing tradition of excellence and business practice. The Tribune has been a reliable and honest source of information. The Chicago Tribune, originally christened the Daily Tribune, found its origins nearly 170 years ago and was a decidedly one-sided political newspaper: The first issue of the Tribune--now lost--consisted of four pages; 400 copies were printed in

Friday, December 13, 2019

Marketing †Packaging of Raisins Free Essays

Tiffany Eu, 7605325435 Packaging Assignment – Sun-Maid Raisins There are not many brands of raisins that are found on a shelf of a typical supermarket but compared to its competitors, like Newman’s Own Raisins and Champion Raisin, the Sun-Maid raisins packaging stands out. Since sun-maid raisins come in many different packaging sizes and forms, I will focus on their 15-ounce red box packaging. Sun-maid raisins stand out due to many factors like its visibility, the information given on the packaging, emotional appeal to its consumers and the workability of the packaging. We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing – Packaging of Raisins or any similar topic only for you Order Now At first glance, a consumer may see three main things on the box front: sun-maid’s well-known logo, the word â€Å"sun-maid† and the word â€Å"raisins† in the middle of a picture of fresh grapes and raisins. Sun-maid’s large yellow logo of the woman holding grapes, modeled after Lorraine Collett Petersen, has been the logo for sun-maid since 1915, three years after the brand was started. Most of its consumers worldwide are familiar with this logo and it is positioned at the top of the box where it is very visible against the red background. For those consumers who are not familiar with the brand logo, the brand name â€Å"sun-maid† is states in large yellow font across the center of the box. The word â€Å"raisins† is also stated near the bottom of the box among a picture of fresh grapes and raisins to attract consumers who may be interested in buying raisins. Another smaller logo that was introduced recently, and is probably only temporary, saying â€Å"healthy food award† and â€Å"fitness† informs consumers that sun-maid raisins carries a â€Å"Fitness Healthy Food Award† assessed by experts on the â€Å"Fitness† magazine. This logo is supported by additional information about the award, formatted as a paragraph on the back of the box, and integrates methods of consuming these raisins into the paragraph. They suggested to â€Å"sprinkle raisins on cereals, yogurts, salads or snack right out of the package. On the front of the box, it also states â€Å"since 1912† in smaller font below their logo in order to reassure its consumers of its reliability since it has been established for so long. On the sides of the box, sun-maid informs their consumers about their nutritional facts in a able and includes a brief summary of its benefits on the other side, such as â€Å"100% natural†, â€Å"no fat†, â€Å"no preservatives† and â€Å"naturally sweet and have no added sugar†. Although not much information is needed for eating raisins, sun-maid provides instructions on how to use their resealable bag inside the box on a reusable sticker that is used to reseal the bag of raisin s. Furthermore, the packaging attracts consumers by evoking positive feelings, such as happiness. The bright colours, yellow and red, are cheerful colours. Yellow reminds us of the bright sun which we associate with happiness and nature while red reminds us of the deep red/purple colour of the grapes from which the raisins are made. There is also a feeling of nature and simplicity from the traditional look of the girl holding a basket of grapes in their logo and the feel of the cardboard box as opposed to a modern looking plastic container. The feeling of nature may also induce the idea of healthiness which will attract consumers to sun-maid raisins. Other than just appealing to the consumers by its looks, sun-maid’s packaging is also successful in the way that the shape of the packaging is also very functional. The rectangular shape of the box allows for easy storage and shipment while the tall height of the box maximized the packaging front that consumers see as they pass by it on a shelf. The box is also useful for protecting the raisins from being squished and the sealed plastic bag on the inside keeps the raisins fresh and easy to store after opening (since the bag is resealable simply with a small sticker that they provide). This larger packaging is more environmentally friendly as compared to their smaller individual packs but sun-maid does not specify if they use recycled cardboard for their boxes and the plastic bag inside a cardboard box is a little redundant in terms of being environmentally friendly. The 15-ounce packaging of sun-maid raisin is successful for the many reasons states above. Shopping in a supermarket, I would, personally, choose sun-maid over its competitors subconsciously because of its packaging and perhaps also because it is a well-know and trusted brand. How to cite Marketing – Packaging of Raisins, Essay examples

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Political Violence and Civil Disobedience

Question: Discuss about thePolitical Violence and Civil Disobedience. Answer: Introduction The principle of democratic stability is the thing what prolongs government and guarantee stability is being supported willingly or with the citizens permission rather than reliance on compulsion. There exists a correlation between democratic steadiness and authenticity. As per Schedler, (2014), democratic stability entails that government is a creation of the peoples will, deriving its authority from the consent of the people. This fact suggests that the people, under the scenario that the government is not randomly are willingly supporting the government imposed on them. In a democratically steady society, democracy is stated to be either added or subtracted combined. The authoritarianism becomes inaccessible as democracy is witnessed to be the only game in the town. Non-governmental organizations, groups and individuals employ violence as instruments, pressing frontward their demands. However, violence when it becomes prevalent and uncontrollable becomes obstruction to the political stability and economic progression. Conceptualization wise, electoral violence is synonymously used in the following violence, arson, kidnapping, impulsive or not during and after the election proceedings. Physical threat that is conceded by the individuals or an individual contained by a political system against other groups or individuals having the intention on grounds of injury, decease to persons, targets choices and effects having political implication, tending to amend the behavior of others in the accessible political system arrangement. According to Bosi Malthaner, (2015), political violence can have two dimensions that generally are pre-electoral violence and post-electoral violence. The violence, which is pre-electoral, might arise where electoral laws or necessities are witnessed as favors for a particular individual at the disbursement of other. This might also take place when a particular individual becomes over determined and where he gets the alert that he might miss the electoral front. On the other hand, post-electoral violence may be unprompted. Different individuals feeling gutted and cheated, deprived by the unfairness, engineered this kind of violence because of the electoral process unfairness. This deprivation might be apparent or in real. In many countries the principle of such violence separately from looking for redress through unlawful means in destroying it if it cannot be achieved. In many countries, the political affliction could be investigated from various standpoints theoretically. This takes place because massive amount of symptoms are accountable for the electoral debacle in those countries. This paper takes into account the theory of conflict. At the initial stages of the theory, some proponents like Gluckman, Max Weber and Karl Marx secured their influences on facts that creation of a conflict situation is based on groups or individuals attempting to carry out their determination by trouncing the confrontation of other groups or individuals and their wellbeing in circumstances of resource scarcity (Bosi Malthaner, S2015). Conflict theory search for explaining in a scientifically manner the general outline of society conflict, like how a conflict starts and differs, and the effects it brings on the table. The conflict theory general concerns are the imbalanced distribution of resources that are scarce and supremacy. The theorists who believe in conflict witnesses power as the main characteristic of the society, instead of thinking society as held mutually by combined conformity considering a consistent set of cultural principles. The fundamentals of conflict theory are where power is positioned and the people using the same. Conflict theory analyze society as social battlefield where various individuals and groups challenge one another for obtaining the scarce resources most of which having financial implications influencing the society and the so-called levers of power (Rapoport Weinberg, 2013). The universal supposition is that in the economic system, wealth is regarded as power, having stratified communal system that is primarily distinguished by the members ability for producing wealth. Various scholars have described conflict as an aspect of social communication usually arising from the quest of interest that are divergent, ambitions and goals by groups and individuals in definite environment socially and physically. According to Chaturvedi, (2016), in countries like Nigeria and other African countries, the conflict source is power where politicians are challenging for entering within a system, acting in their self-centeredness and not for the peoples welfare. This arises from the interest divergence, goals, and individual aspirations or from the groups in defined social and corporeal surroundings having contestable admittance to political situations. Countries like Nigeria and Somalia are in a state of overabundance inconsistencies and tensions of a range of magnitude arising out of inappropriateness of individuals and interest of groups in political sequence and sharing of the office perquisites (Valentino, 2014). Political succession creates tension and sharing of office perquisites, the tension gives birth to violence that is politically related. For poor and non-stabilized countries shedding of blood for achieving and attaining political power is a gateway for attaining economic kingdom. There has been existence of political competition for the management of the state where its political power currently depicts a bloody warfare as state holds wealth as a key factor. Conflict theory is important as it enhances the scientific understanding , standing as an operational instrument for further assessing the political violences role and affecting on the democratic solidity of the countries. Elections have become an integral part of the global strategy of peace building that strongly associates peace to the development of democracy. As a tool of insertion and participation, electoral fields can offer a sturdy impetus for resolution of conflicts in environments that have been plugged by wars or societies that are divided. As per Gunaratna, 2017), violence related to elections has the ability to imperil democracy along with peace and stability for the objectives and prejudiced reasons. A constituencys direct participation can be affected along with the campaign candidates, interfering with their behavior towards democracy. Well-entrenched democracies like Japan and France have over the years experienced less political violence than the other non-democracies. This factor holds true for domestic terrorism as well as in-house armed conflicts and civil wars that have terrorized the African soil for many years. The unusual internal conflicts that the democracies practice like that of the Basque conflict, tends to lead to fewer casualties, as democratic governments are characteristically more self-possessed in their usage of violence against the innocent civilians. Democratic governments might find themselves at a disadvantageous position when it comes down to countering rebellion through the means of force, attracting less sadistic opposition. Democratic institutions are in the habit of offering nonviolent channels for determining politically related conflicts and a lawfully constrained governments retort for protesting as often witnessed to be legitimate. In such systems, a minor segment of the population has strong motivation for engaging in political violence. Different forms of political violence are most likely to take place in the political systems where oppression is stated to be incomplete- where opportunities for organizing political violence subsist and unproductive channels of institutions offer the enthusiasm of doing so (Du Toit Manganyi, 2016). Democracies have never really outlawed the political groups except those using the illegitimate approaches and political violence like the Baader-Meinhof group in 1970 Germany. Non-state parties demanding to arm conflict in democratic states like the IRA in Northern Ireland, unreasonably seeking protective autonomy instead of challenging the central government. In some of the cases, opportunistic actors complete autonomy demands with slim objectives like the separatists in Eastern Ukraine. These demands are ingrained in actual accusations arising as favors in decision-making in centralized conditions for the national majority than the domestic one, as case with Sri Lankan conflicts. Internal conflicts generally have a tendency to be more rare low and middle-income democracies than the high-income ones. While countries like Columbia, Sri Lanka and India have qualified long insurgencies, the European industrialized democracies have been spared largely. This susceptibility can be described probably through combining the low-income countries having stronger incentives for using violence for biased goals and attribute deficiencies in preponderance of the population part democratic governance- inclusive of corruption, legal systems that are weaker and unproductive bureaucracies and electoral indiscretion (Barkun, 2015). In political systems, insurgencies and other forms of political violence takes place that blends features of democracy and non-democracy. Conventionally, these systems related to semi-democracy like South Africa and Israel retaining control over the occupied territory in Palestine- having well-functioned establishments from which a broader part of the population have been excluded. On other occasions, in the form of semi-democracy becoming a common affair with leaders and representatives getting elected by, facing the constraints regarding fewer institutions in the office. Many of the African countries witness their presidents ruling with diminutive interference from their judiciaries, agreeing to bigger opportunities for rewarding their opinionated base and enriching themselves. This thing enhances the stake of elections, and the usage of violence in gaining attractive office. The extensive violence surrounding different elections that has being held in Kenya had foundation in such calculations. In avoiding the political violence and civil wars that has rocked many countries were the only criteria for assessing the political systems, despotism might be preferred in case of democracy (Fukuyama, 2014). Most of the Chinese people, for instance, are better off in the present scenario than they were probably forty years ago with economic growth and reduction in poverty reducing the violence risk. Autocratic government, though, is a poor guarantee of diminishing poverty. However, some of the democratic governments do decide strategies that asphyxiate growth, with none having the capability to compete with Chinas great leap forward failure and the crumple of Zimbabwe. Moreover, there is enough evidence that the socio-economic development has the tendency to promote more interactions that are passive between the civilizations, which is supposed to be much stronger when the political institutions of those are supposed to be democratic. Citizens need to develop into more educated bunch of people along with economies showing enough resilience on financial and capital related to humans, demanding for admired authority tending to become more louder. Activists are better placed in putting real pressure on the governments. As per O'brien, (2015), in situations of middle-income dictatorial systems, conflict covering the political system nature is the central motivation factor influencin g political violence. This takes place as suppressive tactics, which once happened to be efficient in hushing the illiterate survival farmers, being less efficient against educated but urban youths who have been unemployed. Even though the autocratic oppression might become effective in the short-run, it leans towards increasing dissatisfaction in the long-run period (Ziemann, 2016). Syria can be the best example of this situation where the atrocious Hama carnage during 1982 and the regime securitys efficiency during the Assad period handling stifling dissatisfaction over the years. The Assad government has been in power for over a long period. The long-term shortcomings of these strategy have been quite evident and it has failed miserably in guaranteeing the security of the Syrian people. Syria has been declared a troubled state, with the terrorist organization, ISIS controlling most of its part. The terrorist organization has been engaged in heavy war with the foreign forces. The democratization process has been violent and for eliminating, the political violence that occurs in the long-run, democratization is enhanced through conditional peace of the zoo that authoritarian states can offer. The present scenario has many such examples where democracies that are established are itself result of violent procedures. In the early 17th century, after the war followed the British magnificent revolution and occurrence of political violence continued for a long time with several protestors getting injured and some even killed in the 1819 massacre of Peterloo. 1790 terror witnessed the beginning of the French democracy with repeated turmoil that went well into the 19th century. Even the Scandinavian regions practiced political violence after the period of democratization. Conflicts that came out of labor conflicts involving the military troops with killing some of the people and injuring a lot shocked Sweden and Norway in the year 1931. In most of the cases though, violence paves way for non-violent politics where violence becomes less somber after the occurrence of few elections. The relationship that exists between the regime type and the political violence is far from being uncomplicated. In the view of the long-run, there is enough evidence that democratic establishments have been more successful in containing violence related to political affairs than the non-democratic ones (Blaug Schwarzmantel, 2016). Thoreau described civil disobedience as a ethical and social duty on the part of the Americans. He described social disobedience as an act of obstinate confrontation, achieved by not abiding by laws that he considered hypocritical. Not paying taxes might also be a case of civil disobedience, whereas refusing to play any significant role in the government proceedings is also an example of the same. However, civil disobedience has always been peaceful where it does not imply upon taking up of arms or taking help of violent means to attain the objectives. In the middle of the nineteenth century, America was swept over by the Mexican-American war. However, as is the case with many, a small minority were not happy with the proceedings. War was seen as a violent act on the weak and neighboring country. A man by the name of Henry David Thoreau thought the war to be very wrong. He declined to pay any sort of taxes to the government of America due to the fact he thought the war was wrong. Though, on the other hand, it was not legal either in not paying taxes which one owes to their government. The authorities of the American government threw Thoreau into jail for the same. Thoreau was happy to be in jail rather than either pay tax or penalty to be out of the jail. He acted in this manner to issue a strong public statement where he stated that he refused to support the war. Ralph Waldo Emerson, the Unitarian Minister and a friend of Thoreau, visited him in the jail. The minister did ask him for explanation on why he was happy being in jail when he had the resource to pay the taxes. Thoreau was brave enough to answer his friend where he said the concern should not be on what he is doing in there, but the apprehension should rather be on what the Utilitarian Minister was doing out there to stop the war. However, after a few days, a relative of Thoreau did pay the taxes on behalf of the man and upon his release from the jail; he wrote the revolutionary essay of Civil Disobedience, which explained every bit of his experience. In that essay he explained on why at times it is important to defy a law when it is unjustified in its nature. In the 1960s America witnessed one of the movements that was discernible by its persistence on civil disobedience. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, was the man who initiated this movement that was peaceful but forceful in its nature. The plan for Dr. Luther King was to make possible and apply as many acts of resistance as achievable but not though any sort of violence. According to Rawls, (2013), Luther King wanted the civil rights activists to aggravate thought, critical assessment of the society and government at large and a fundamental change in the procedure of the government and the society along with treatment of marginalized minorities. Luther King masterminded the civil disobedience power by generating a significant mass of individual people to group together and show solidarity (King Jr, 2013).. Also, other historical figures have engaged themselves in civil disobedience through their acts in a more delicate way. There is evidence of poet Amiri Baraka who made use of his poems as instrument of vigorous, non-violent confrontation. Baraka was taken in as politically fundamental, his poems or poetry continued to be proceeds of civil disobedience. ((Thoreau, 2016) Baraka never advocated violence; instead his sturdy emotion that depicted through his poems became his act of conflict. Mahatma Gandhi, during his days in the jail did came across the essay of civil disobedience by Henry David Thoreau, the 19th century writer from America. Gandhi was happy enough to use the term civil disobedience as his strategy in fighting against the British rule and refusing to oblige with injustice that was being made (Haq, 2016). However, Mahatma Gandhi preferred using the term satyagraha, a Sanskrit word which means devotion to truth. As per Singh, (2016), following his release from the jail, Mahatma Gandhi continued with his remonstration in the registration law by sustaining labor strikes and systematizing non-violent marches, which were massive in number. It was because of this civil disobedience perspective of Mahatma Gandhi that the Boer Government agreed on eliminating the most obnoxious parts of the registration law. According to Mehta, (2014), Mahatma Gandhi was a person who bestowed his entire life on the non-violence principles and civil disobedience. In India, his peaceful leadership and protest rallies encouraged other Indian people to gripe and persevere until independence was achieved in 1947 from the British rule. Thus it can be concluded that change cannot only be achieved through violence as is evident from the present global scenario where terrorist organizations have taken a liking to create a massacre that only take away lives but do not really achieve anything in real. There is simply no purpose or objective in killing thousands of innocent people. However, history has given us many instances where something big has been achieved with proper planning and strategies and without any bloodshed. War and violence can never be the solution in bringing peace and uniforming humanity at the global stage. War and violence only creates massive destruction, loss of lives and financial resources, which cannot be recovered ever. Violence has uprooted the sound economy and stability from many countries, though that is never wanted by anyone. True leaders have found out that being aggressive is not the only thing that leads to achieving things, sometimes one need to be calm and composed to be able to th ink and achieve big without taking up arms. Reference: Barkun, M. (2015). The Foundations of Modern Terrorism: State, Society and the Dynamics of Political Violence by Martin A. Miller (review).Journal for the Study of Radicalism,9(2), 171-173. Blaug, R., Schwarzmantel, J. (Eds.). (2016).Democracy: A reader. Columbia University Press. Bosi, L., Malthaner, S. (2015). Political violence. InThe Oxford Handbook of Social Movements(p. 439). Oxford University Press. Bosi, L., Malthaner, S. (2015). Political violence. InThe Oxford Handbook of Social Movements(p. 439). Oxford University Press. Chaturvedi, S. (2016). Book Review: Neera Chandhoke, Democracy and Revolutionary Politics.Political Studies Review,14(3), 415-416. Clor, H. (2015). Civil Disobedience.The Encyclopedia of Political Thought. Du Toit, A., Manganyi, N. C. (Eds.). (2016).Political violence and the struggle in South Africa. Springer. Fukuyama, F. (2014).Political order and political decay: From the industrial revolution to the globalization of democracy. Macmillan. Gunaratna, R. (2017). International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR)Securing the Lion City: Fighting Back. InForward Engagement: RSIS as a Think Tank of International Studies and Security in the Asia-Pacific(pp. 51-55). Haq, I. U. (2016). The Influence of Thoreaus Civil Disobedience on Gandhi.International Journal of Innovative Knowledge Concepts,2(4). King Jr, M. L. (2013).A Time to Break Silence: The Essential Works of Martin Luther King, Jr., for Students(Vol. 10). Beacon Press. Mehta, A. J. (2014).Lessons in Non-violent Civil Disobedience: From the life of MK Gandhi and his Legacy. Arun J. Mehta. O'brien, C. C. (2015).Herod: Reflections on Political Violence. Faber Faber. Rapoport, D. C., Weinberg, L. (2013).The democratic experience and political violence. Routledge. Rawls, J. (2013). The justification of civil disobedience.Arguing about law, 244-253. Schedler, A. (2014). The criminal subversion of Mexican democracy.Journal of Democracy,25(1), 5-18. Singh, K. (2016). The influence of Mahatma Gandhi's Satyagraha on Martin Luther King Junior. Thoreau, H. D. (2016).Civil disobedience. Broadview Press. Valentino, B. A. (2014). Why we kill: The political science of political violence against civilians.Annual Review of Political Science,17, 89-103. Ziemann, B. (2016). Political Violence and Democracy in Western Europe, 19181940.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Atlantis Essay Example

Atlantis Essay To some people Atlantis was one of the most beautiful places on earth at the time. Now Atlantis is still the most beautiful place on earth, but it is a hotel in the Bahamas. Its nothing like Plato talked about. Plato talked about an island in the Atlantic Ocean that was as big as a continent. Atlantis is described in the paintings by Dovilio Brero. In Atlantis every detail is taken care of.Atlantis was built in concentric circles, only way to get into each one was by the sea. Access into the different circles was more restricted as you move towards the center island. As described of Atlantis from Dovilio Brero the architecture unites beauty and harmony with an extreme functionality. The center part is the citadel. It has a diameter of about 2 ? kilometers. In the dead center is a university dedicated to the studies on time phenomena. The most astounding building in the central part is the Astronomic observatory. The Atlantians made an enormous emerald which they engraved on it the ma in codes of the city written in many different languages. The Emerald Tables were guarded in an underground room, in the most restricted zones in Atlantis.The level of Technology they had was far superior to ours. Even though their clothes make them look primitive they had some of the most advance weapons and items of the time. In an ancient Indian book it tells about a war between the Rama Empire of India and Atlantis. It says that says that Atlantis launched a single projectile charged with the power of the universe. An incandescent column of smoke and flame as bright as the thousand suns rose in all its splendor (Nuclear weapon) Atlantis also used crystals to power all their things. One of the most important crystals is the Living Crystals of Atlantis which are supposed to contain all the knowledge of the Atlantis. There is supposed to be one at the bottom of the sphinxs left paw. Sonar reading show there is a room

Sunday, November 24, 2019

The ultimate irony Essay Example

The ultimate irony Essay Example The ultimate irony Paper The ultimate irony Paper In the first line of the poem, it can be seen that Duffy portrays Mrs Fraud as being a very assertive and outspoken speaker, through the opening word Ladies. This shows Mrs Freud to be a very authoritative woman who demands respect, as she is able to address all the women at the rally at the same time. When one considers the level of authority and respect that Sigmund Freud himself gained through the popularity of his theories and findings, it can be assumed that Duffy intentionally portrays Mrs Freud in this manner to show that she too has her own respectable identity outside the marriage like her husband. The pause after the word also presents Mrs Freud as a calm and rather mature individual, suggesting that she is far older and more experienced than the audience of women that she is addressing. As one reads the poem further, it can be seen that Duffy through Mrs Freud, mocks and criticizes both male sexuality and Freud himself in a very humorous manner, thus effectively killing two birds with one stone. This is seen through Duffys employment of colloquial words such as the night crawler and pork sword, in reference to the various nicknames men give their penises, throughout the entirety of the poem. This in combination with the poems structure being in the form of a sonnet, and Duffys clever use of alliteration and assonance through other words such as the dick, prick, dipstick and wick, gives the poem the feel of a nursery school rhyme, whilst also emphasizing the comical attitude that Mrs Freud maintains throughout her presentation. It can also be said that this contrasts the original suggestion of Mrs Freud as a mature individual, however , some critics argue that her attitude merely reflects her own opinion and view of men, and the way in which they express their sexuality, her husband not being any different. The last few lines of the poem can be said to be very effective in portraying the ferocity at which Mrs Freud has scathingly attacked the subject of male sexuality, leaving very little room for sympathy. The use of the word penis near the end of the poem, and Mrs Freuds description of it as average and not pretty, can be said to show Mrs Fraud as getting to the heart of the issue, whilst at the same time, this clearly illustrates her as having stripped masculinity and her husband of their somewhat tough layers. The later personification of the penis as having an envious solitary eye and the following words ones feeling of pity, is a twist on Freuds penis envy theory, something that according to Mary Greens York Notes Advanced (2007), a feminist would say Duffy does cleverly. This theory states that adolescent girls are envious of men due to them having a penis, and the use of the metaphor envious solitary eye, suggests that it is rather men who are envious of women, and the second quote implies that Mrs Freud herself, pities her husband and all other men who believe otherwise. Bibliography Peter Cash,2002, Carol Ann Duffy: The ultimate irony is that Midas possessed a magic touch all along: namely, the physical touch which had the power to transform her into a loving wife, www. le. ac. uk/engassoc/publications/bookmarks/58. pdf Mary Green, 2007, York Notes Advanced  (www.yorknotes.com).

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Training and Assessment TAEDEL301A Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Training and Assessment TAEDEL301A - Essay Example But within a few days of regular practice, one’s reflexes get tuned in with the whole process and one starts following it automatically. The task of driving can be explained from the perspective of the behaviouristic and cognitive theories. According to behaviourism, the reflexes of the body get conditioned to an action that it performs repetitively; hence in the presence of the stimulus, the body performs the task automatically. According to cognitive principles, with regular practice or repetition of a particular task, the mind adjusts and accommodates the new knowledge with the existing knowledge to form a new knowledge structure. As a result, the knowledge of the task passes from the short term memory to the long term memory and makes the learning permanent. The learner can be provided different types of trouble shooting cases and asked to resolve them. Practising the task in different contexts/situations would reinforce the acquired knowledge/skill. This task should be practised on a regular basis. It would help the learner respond quickly to situations and handle any kind of situation. In case of trouble shooting in customer care, the most effective way to determine learner performance is through customer feedback. The other way of evaluating is through mock test, where peers are acting as customers and the learning participant has to resolve the problems that each one comes up with. This assessment tool is relevant for evaluating the learner’s performance because it helps the instructor to see the learner in action. On the part of the learner, he/she also gets a real feel of doing the task hands-on and also understanding where he/she needs to improve. Learning takes place through adaptations and changes. Without initiating a change in the performance level or capacity of the learner, real learning cannot be facilitated. New knowledge structure

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

What Impact Did The Boeing - Airbus Dispute Have On The European Union Essay

What Impact Did The Boeing - Airbus Dispute Have On The European Union - Essay Example As such, the European Union is one of the powerful forces after the present round of polygonal trade negotiations in the World Trade Organization. The main purpose of the New Round is to put growth at the heart of the world trade structure in a way that will help them battle inflation. The World Trade Organization was recognized in 1995 as a consequence of the Uruguay Round of polygonal trade discussions. It is an international organization that sets universal rules of trade among nations. The central part of the World Trade Organization system, understood as the multilateral trading system, its Members take up the World Trade Organization agreements, which lay down the permissible ground rules for international trade as well as the market-opening obligations. The World Trade Organization is collection of governments and political bodies and is a member-driven organization with conclusions mainly taken on an accord basis. Membership entails a stability of rights and obligations. By October 2004, 149 countries had connected the World Trade Organization, with approximately twenty-five negotiating to sign up. The main and most complete unit is the European Union with its twenty-five Member States. Certainly, while the Member States organize their places in Brussels and Geneva, the European Union Commission only speaks for the European Union at more or less all World Trade Organization conferences. ... also the second-chief defense supplier in the world, and the main civil aircraft producer in the world in terms of aircraft orders after long straggling Airbus for the past five years, and the main exporter in the United States. Airbus, which first transported additional planes than Boeing in 2003, will preserve that escort for 2005 as it anticipate to sell 370 planes in contrast with 290 (Fisher, 2002, P 1). Boeing's two major sections are Boeing Integrated Defense Systems (IDS), responsible for military and space products, and Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA), accountable for civil airliners. Boeing has long been the principal in the world aviation industry. Having lived the unstable seminal years of the industry, Boeing's first achievement was as a manufacturer of military aircraft during and after World War II. In the commercial aircraft division, its first achievement happened in the 1950s with the expansion of the 707, which became the world's first victorious jetliner. Boeing then congealed its leading place in the commercial market in the 1970s with the growth of the 747. Airbus most commonly known as simply Airbus only, its foundtion in Toulouse, France, is the globes main commercial aircraft producer. It was built-in 2001 under French law. Airbus was priorly known as Airbus Industries and is merely just named Airbus. Airbus is mutually held by European Aeronautic, Defense, and Space Company (80%) and BAE Systems (20%), European Union two principal military suppliers and producers. For 2005, its CEO is Gustav Humbert. Airbus utilize around 52,000 people in numerous European Union countries. Manufacturing takes place at Toulouse France, Hamburg Germany, Barcelona Spain, and Chester UK. The foremost opponent of Airbus is Boeing, with which it fights an strong

Monday, November 18, 2019

Reasons behind Organisations Seeking Control on Its Various Essay - 1

Reasons behind Organisations Seeking Control on Its Various Operational Dimensions - Essay Example According to the research findings, the organizations have attempted to render greater interests in order to control their internal business activities and obtain advantageous competitive benefits identified in the external environment of the business. Moreover, it can be observed that the modern business organizations are highly focused on evaluating a range of useful mechanistic processes in order to enhance their power of controlling and obtaining greater competitive advantages in the global market.In order to obtain a critical understanding of the current day scenario, the various aspects associated with the accomplishment of the organizational goal, i.e. to seek control in different situations, will be evaluated. Additionally, to provide the discussion with firm evidence, the illustration of Marks & Spencer plc (M&S) strategies will be taken into account. According to Jensen, human communication is recognized as a transmission method, through which the conversation conveys one l ocation to another and is possible only when the messages are transferred from a mechanistic perspective. It is in this context that analysts who adopt mechanistic perspective believe that the concepts of communications are causally associated. Specifically, the mechanistic perspective in the communication process involves a linear relationship between the communicator and the channels through which the message is delivered. Moreover, Sorokin has also mentioned that a mechanistic perspective model possesses the capacity of understanding any complex system through the investigation of its particular characteristics as well as the interrelation persisting between the variables. The model is usually integrated with physical aspects where the system elements are identified as real and visible. With reference to the notion of mechanistic models, it can be observed as based on elements which are incorporated in a discrete manner that cannot be physically observed.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Porters Five Forces Analysis and Strategic Group Analysis

Porters Five Forces Analysis and Strategic Group Analysis Porters Five Forces Analysis and the Strategic Group Analysis. The aim of this research is to critically evaluate the combination of two business strategy techniques; Porter’s Five Forces Analysis and the Strategic Group Analysis. The essay will often refer to these terms and it will be therefore pertinent to clarify these at this early stage. Current issues in the business world will also be identified and related to the theory. Limitations of these techniques will be outlined and conclusions drawn. Porter’s Five Forces Analysis is based on the concept that the key objective for any organisation should be to gain advantage over its competitors, it is not the industry that an organisation is in that counts, but where it wants to compete in terms of the nature of the competition. This competition is provided by the nature of the rivalry between existing firms, the threat of potential entrants and substitutes and the bargaining power of both the suppliers and buyers (Lowson, 2002). Strategic groups have been defined by Finlay (2000) as groups of business that are likely to respond similarly to environmental changes and be similarly advantaged/disadvantaged by such changes. Porter (1980, taken from John et al, 1997), suggests that an industry could have only one strategic group if all the firms followed essentially the same strategy. At the other extreme, each firm could be a different strategic group. Evaluation of analysis techniques Porter’s Five Forces model has been identified as a powerful tool for systematically diagnosing the principal competitive pressures in a market and assessing how strong and important each one is (Thompson and Strickland, 2003). Barriers to entry, identified as one of the five forces, presents five structural determinants that affect a company’s ability to enter new markets; economies of scale, product differentiation, government as with taxi licences for example, favourable access and capital requirements (Bowman, 1998). The economies of scale, which is a benefit gained from large scale production will keep costs down and ultimately low prices too. Product differentiation will allow keeping customers loyalty and switching costs and an appropriate example of this would be the new electric car introduced by Toyota. It can also be suggested that advertising campaigns may also be considered as an entry barrier. The existing markets will be able to raise product awareness while new entrants will less likely be able to meet the costs involved in doing so. Backwards vertical integration may also be identified as a possible entry barrier. The bargaining power of both suppliers and buyers and also the threat of substitutes; the extent to which there are products/services which are close substitutes for the product/services of the industry in question, are also considered as part of the five forces. The retail industry, and in particular the food sector, is currently faced with the problem of high power of buyers and the lack of suppliers power. According to Rigby (2005), â€Å"suppliers are receiving insufficient government protection from the market power wielded by supermarkets. The failure of the Code of Practice reflects the market power that consumers have delegated to them en masse†.    Bowman (1998) also suggests that the Five Forces model allows firms to rate the strength of each of the five forces so that they can focus their attention on the main competitive aspects. As noted by Fleisher and Bensoussan (2003), Porter’s fifth force, competitive rivalry, is also an element addressed by the strategic group analysis where it considers competitive rivalry and how this force both impact and it is impacted by other four forces. Porter (1980, taken from Bowman, 1998) suggests that the level of rivalry, the actual competition between existing producers, varies according to a number of factors. The market structure for example will be a major determinant in the intensity of rivalry. In a monopolistic market for example, where one firm has the total control of the market, quality, availability, price but mainly product differentiation will be a priority. In relation to this it must be noted that an article by Business World (2005) suggests that the law concerning the abuse by companies of dominant market positions will be reviewed and ultimately changed in the near future. On the other hand, firms operating under conditions of oligopoly may find cons iderable variation in the identity, number and size distribution of competitors internationally, as for example Burger King and McDonald (John et al, 1997). The slow growth of demand, or a declining demand, the high fixed costs involved that do not vary with the level of outputs, are also factors which will ultimately impact on the level of rivalry. It has been noted that the Strategic Group analysis is a technique used to provide management with information in regards to the firm’s position in the market and a tool to identify their direct competitors. The Five Forces industry analysis will form the first step in this process. After having identified the forces, the major competitors in the industry based on competitive variables will also be outlined. Competitors will then be divided into strategic groups based on similarities in strategies and competitive positions. As suggested by Thompson and Strickland (2003), one thing to look for is whether industry driving forces and competitive pressures favour some strategic groups and hurt others. Firms will most likely try to shift to a more favourable situated group, and how hard such a move proves to be, will depend on whether entry barriers for the target strategic group are high or low. It is also important to mention that although some companies operate in the same marke t they are not necessarily direct competitors as this will be determined by the size or market position for example. Strategic group analysis allows managers to identify direct competitors that are of a similar size and range and focus on remaining competitive in order to survive in the ever changing market. At the same time, BMI British Midland, according to an article by Done (2005), will be entering the long-haul market from London Heathrow for the first time, becoming the third UK long-haul carrier out of Heathrow, intensifying competition with British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. These three airlines are competing â€Å"head to head† to win more traffic rights to different destinations and those that are in the same market and not looking at options will more likely be left behind. The Five Forces analysis and Strategic Group analysis are very useful business tools however they both present some limitations that will now be considered. Lynch (2003) suggests that although Porter’s five forces model is a useful early step in analysing the environment, it has been subject to critics. The model assumes a classic perfect market and it assumes that organisation’s own interest come first. This however may not be appropriate if applied to charitable institutions or government bodies. The assumption that buyers and suppliers power is a threat to the organisation might also be incorrect as some companies have recently seen the benefits in working closely with suppliers. The analytical framework is essentially static, whereas the competitive environment in practice is constantly changing. In relation to this, it may be added that a PEST and SWOT analysis may also be useful tools to use when analysing an organisation. PEST analysis considers the external political, economic, social and technological factors that will have an impact on the organisation, encouraging thinking more broadly about environmental influences on the firm, while the SWOT analysis considers the internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats (Bowman, 1998).   Ã‚   As also noted by Recklies (2001) the model is best applicable for analysis of simple market structures. A comprehensive description and analysis of all five forces gets very difficult in complex industries however a too narrow focus on particular segments of such industries, on the other hand bears the risk of missing important elements. Another limitation of Porter’s model  is that it assumes that companies try to achieve competitive advantages over other players in the markets as well as over suppliers or customers. With this focus, it dos not really take into consideration strategies like strategic alliances that in today’s market are very common. As suggested by Thompson and Strickland (2003), not only can alliances offset competitive disadvantages or create competitive advantage but they can also allow firm’s to concentrate more on the mutual rivals than towards one another. The strategic group analysis provides a good framework for management to be aware of their direct competitors and one analytical tool that is useful for comparing the market positions of each firm separately or by grouping them into positions is the Strategic Group Mapping. This tool however does not as such, show how in reality an organisation can maintain or even gain competitive advantage over its rivals (Thompson and Strickland, 2003). It would be therefore suggested that Porter’s Three Generic Strategies, whereby organisations can gain competitive advantage over their rivals either by offering lower prices than competitors for equivalent products or providing unique benefits that more than offset a higher price, should also be adopted to complement other organisational analysis. Porter also suggests that firms should pursue a generic strategy and only concentrate on one of these, instead of trying to pursue all of them risking failure (Porter, 1985:3). An example of a successful company adopting cost leadership is Ryanair that has clearly prioritised the strengthening of its strategic position in the market over short-term profit maximisation. It is using its cost leadership position to drive prices even lower so as to increase the financial pain on higher cost competitors (Mattimoe, 2004). The combination of these two strategy techniques is fundamental for a business looking ahead in the future and trying to remain competitive in the ever changing external environment. Other analysis techniques such as PEST and SWOT, Three Generic Strategies could also be used to compliment the two discussed business tools. Conclusion It can be construed that Porter’s Five Forces analysis and the Strategic Group analysis are very useful business tools that allow management to identify their position in the market. It was noted that Porter’s Five Forces analysis assumes that the key objectives for any organisation is to gain competitive advantage over its rivals, while Strategic Groups were defined as groups of business that are likely to respond similarly to environmental changes. The Five Forces presented some structural determinants such as the economies of scale, which are the result of large scale production, government intervention as with patents and licences, and product differentiation. In a monopolistic market, price, quality, availability and product differentiation are the priority, while in an oligopoly market price tends to be the main determinant. It was also noted that these two techniques for analysis are very useful business tools however they both present some limitations. The Five Forces model could be used for simple market structure however a comprehensive description and analysis for complicated markets may not be ideal. The model also regards buyers and suppliers power as a threat for the organisation, however it was noted that companies have recently seen the benefits in working closely with suppliers. It was also suggested that an organisational analysis should include a PEST and SWOT analysis to consider with a broad view the external and internal factors that may affect the business future performance. Finally it was also suggested that a firm, as per Porter’s view, should aim to follow one of the Three Generic Strategy, and in particular either cost leadership as per Ryanair’s example or product differentiation. Bibliography Bowman, C. (1998) â€Å"Strategy in practice†, Harlow: Prentice Hall Business World (2005) â€Å"EU to curb abuses by dominant companies†, 11 Mar, p1 Done, K. (2005) â€Å"BMI enters long-haul Heathrow market†, Mar 10, p1 Finlay, P. (2000) â€Å"Strategic Management: An Introduction to Business and Corporate Strategy†, Harlow: Prentice Hall Fleisher, C. and Bensoussan, B. (2003) â€Å"Strategic and competitive analysis: methods and techniques for analysing business competition†, Prentice Hall John, R., Ietto-Gillies, G., Cox, H. and Grimwade, N. (1997) â€Å"Global Business Strategy†, Thomson Business Press Lowson, R. H. (2002) â€Å"Strategic Operations Management: The New Competitive Advantage†, London: Routledge Lynch, R. (2003) â€Å"Corporate Strategy†, 3rd ed. Harlow: Prentice Hall Mattimoe, J. (2004) â€Å"Ryanair Plc†, 27 May, Irish Equity Research Porter, M.E. (1980) â€Å"Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analysing Industries and Competitors†, New York: The Free Press Porter, M.E. (1985) â€Å"Competitive Advantage†, New York: The Free Press Recklies, D. (2001) â€Å"Beyond Porter-A Critique of the Critique of Porter†, Recklies Management Project GmbH, Available from: www.themanager.org   Rigby, E. (2005) â€Å"Reform of code for big stores would aid suppliers†, Financial Times, 7 Mar, p1 Thompson, A.A. and Strickland, A.J. (2003) â€Å"Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases†, 13th ed. McGraw-Hill References Egan, C. (1995) â€Å"Creating Organisational Advantage†, Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann Grant, R.M. (2002) â€Å"Contemporary Strategy Analysis: Concepts, techniques, applications†, 4th ed. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers Ltd Miller, A. (1998) â€Å"Strategic Management†, 3rd ed. McGraw-Hill Swaan Arons, H. and Waalewijn, P. (1998) â€Å"A Knowledge Base Representing Porter’s Five Forces Model†, Erasmus University Rotterdam Tilson, N. (2005) â€Å"Blueprint to boost business unveiled†, Belfast Telegraph, 9Mar, p1

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

The Cultural Invasion of Kenya Essay -- American Culture Traditions Es

The Cultural Invasion of Kenya A screeching yell ripped through the house that Wednesday evening, "Ahhhhh, we're being invaded!". My mother rushed into the living room. I pointed to the flickering television screen. "Look," I whispered in disbelief. A few seconds of silence followed. There they were, the words I never thought would appear on our 29 inch Sony screen: "Sizzlin' Hot Country". The appearance of American country music on the Kenyan airwaves was the latest sign that American culture had penetrated the borders of my country. The airing of Garth Brooks and Dolly Parton on the local television station is not the only evidence of the rapid spread of American culture in Kenya. One look at a large portion of its youth and this cultural invasion will become apparent. Baggy pants, Nike, pop music and malls, symbols of American youth culture can now be associated with the Kenyan teenagers. The Nike phenomenon hit Kenya several years ago. My classmates in primary school were obsessed with the American brand name that had rocked the global shoe industry. Their school desks had the Nike name and logo painted on in every color imaginable. Not being able to afford some of the merchandise, many resorted to drawing the logo on bags, clothes, shoes and other visible possessions. Turning up to a class party with the trademark tick appearing on one's footwear simply made one the center of attention. My favorite pair of shoes, I have to admit, were a pair of black Nikes which raised many brows and turned just as many heads. Secondary school had its fair share of examples of the cultural invasion. In most schools in Kenya, students dress in uniforms. For example, in my school it was compulsory to wear a white shirt, gra... ...ols of success. While hip hop and baggy pants may not epitomize American success, Kenyan youth adopt this aspect of American culture perhaps because of the common roots and racial background the majority share with African Americans. Wearing Nike shoes or sagging one's pants may seem to be meaningless gestures. However, wearing shoes that many popular, rich American sporting icons don or sagging pants like the famous hip hop artists makes one different from the rest. It allows one to adopt an American identity, one defined by success and importance. While some would argue that such a spread of American culture would be beneficial because it would, in a sense, create a global village, I think this cultural invasion creates more harm than good. It would result in the demise of local cultures and languages. And this is certainly not a good thing.