Marxist theory Essays (2487 words) - Socialism, Marxist Theory

The latter part of the nineteenth century was teeming with evolved social and economical ideas. These views of the social structure of urban society came about through the development of ideals taken from past revolutions and the present clash of individuals and organized assemblies. As the Industrial Revolution steamed ahead paving the way for growing commerce, so did the widening gap between the class structure which so predominantly grasped the populace and their rights within the community. The development of a capitalist society was a very favorable goal in the eyes of the bourgeoisie. Using advancing methods of production within a system of free trade, the ruling middle class were strategically able to earn a substantial surplus of funds and maintain their present class of life. Thus, with the advancement of industry and the bourgeoisie's gain of wealth, a counter-action was undoubtedly taking place. The resultant was the degradation of the working-class, of the proletarians wh om provided labor to a middle-class only to be exploited in doing so. Exploitation is a quarrel between social groups that has been around since the dawn of mankind itself. The persecution of one class by another has historically allowed the advancement of mankind to continue. These clashes, whether ending with positive or negative results, allow Man to evolve as a species, defining Himself within the social structure of nature. Man's rivalry amongst one another allows for this evolution, through the production of something which is different, not necessarily productive, but differing from the present norm and untried through previous epochs. At this time in history, mankind was moving forward very rapidly, but at the price of the working-class. Wages were given sparsely, and when capital gain improved, the money paid for labor did not reflect this prosperity. This, therefore, accelerated the downfall of the proletarians and progressed towards a justifiable revolt against the oppressive middle class. The conclusion of this revolt was envisioned to be a classless society, one in which its people benefit from and that benefits from its people. The overthrow of capitalism would create a socialist society eventually flourishing into communism. Karl Heinrich Marx (1818 - 1883) was the philosophical analysis who created communism and saw it as an achievable goal. Marx denounced religion and created what were thought to be radical ideas, which resulted in the banishment from his native land of Germany and then France, eventually ending up in England. (Compton's Encyclopedia, 121) Through dialectical processing Marx was able to s ynthesize a theory of a classless society. This society would be achievable through the joint union of the proletarians and overthrow of the governing bourgeois. For the working-class man does not benefit from the labor which he provides. His labor is external to himself and is not actually belonging to his essential being. Therefore in work, the proletarian denies himself and does not validate his worthiness as an individual.(Marx from Haberman, 183) The worker has no existence except to work, which furthers the employer, but degrades the laborer and eventually results in a grasping individual. Marx realized that with the unification of the working-class, they would be able to better themselves and their lives, and in doing so, better society on the whole. The aspiration to achieve this was purely theoretical and though Marx felt attainable, it was undoubtedly flawed. The communist ideals are purely a utopian dream which cannot be reached because of humans? inescapable desire to satisfy their own egos. A proletarian society would not remain harmonious without individuals seeking personal satisfaction, and without a governing body chaos would result, paving a road which would lead to totalitarianism. Marx's views were of the proletarian class rising to crush the bourgeois ideals which governed their lives. This would result in a proletarian dictatorship, through which ends would have to be met in order to rid the community of the existing means of production and prosperity. The abolition of private property would be achieved by ridding the bourgeoisie's ownership of lands, a nd allowing them to be publicized. This would enable the removal of selfish individualism which splits society into segregated portions, and allow the rich and poor to become more economically equal in status. This however is only partially attainable,

Telling Time in Japanese

Telling Time in Japanese Learning numbers in Japanese is the first step toward learning to count, handling cash transactions and telling time.   Heres a dialogue to help beginning Japanese students learn the language conventions of how to tell time in spoken Japanese: Paul: Sumimasen. Ima nan-ji desu ka. Otoko no hito: San-ji juugo fun desu. Paul: Doumo arigatou. Otoko no hito: Dou itashimashite. Dialogue in Japanese : : : : Dialogue Translation:   Paul: Excuse me. What time is it now? Man: It is 3:15. Paul: Thank you. Man: You are welcome. Do you remember the expression Sumimasen㠁™ã  ¿Ã£  ¾Ã£ â€ºÃ£â€šâ€œ? This is a very useful phrase which can be used in various situations. In this case it means Excuse me. Ima nan-ji desu kaä »Å Ã¤ ½â€¢Ã¦â„¢â€šÃ£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£ â€¹means What time is it now?Heres how to count to ten in Japanese: 1 ichi 2 ni 3 san 4 yon/shi 5 go 6 roku 7 nana/shichi 8 hachi 9 kyuu/ku 10 juu Once youve memorized one through 10, its easy to figure out the rest of the numbers in Japanese.   To form numbers from 11~19, start with juu (10) and then add the number you need. Twenty is ni-juu (2X10) and for twenty one, just add one (nijuu ichi). There is another numerical system in Japanese, which is the native Japanese numbers. The native Japanese numbers are limited to one through ten. 11 juuichi (10+1) 20 nijuu (2X10) 30 sanjuu (3X10) 12 juuni (10+2) 21 nijuuichi (2X10+1) 31 sanjuuichi (3X10+1) 13 juusan (10+3) 22 nijuuni (2X10+2) 32 sanjuuni (3X10+2) Translations for Numbers to Japanese Here are a few examples of how to translate a number from English/Arabic numerals into Japanese words. (a) 45(b) 78(c) 93 (a) yonjuu-go(b) nanajuu-hachi(c) kyuujuu-san Other Phrases Needed to Tell Time Ji時 means oclock. Fun/pun分means minutes. To express the time, say the hours first, then the minutes, then add desu㠁 §Ã£ â„¢. There is no special word for quarter hours. HanÃ¥ Å  means half, as in half past the hour. The hours are quite simple, but you need to watch out for four, seven and nine.   4 o clock yo-ji (not yon-ji) 7 o clock shichi-ji (not nana-ji) 9 oclock ku-ji (not kyuu-ji) Here are some examples of mixed time numerals and how to pronounce them in Japanese: (a) 1:15(b) 4:30(c) 8:42 (a) ichi-ji juu-go fun(b) yo-ji han (yo-ji sanjuppun)(c) hachi-ji yonjuu-ni fun

Expressing Quantity in French - Zero, None - Pas De

Expressing Quantity in French - Zero, None - Pas De Theres a lot to keep in mind when expressing quantities in French. We have  studied  how to express unspecific quantities, du, de la, de l, des, then how to express specific quantities, numbers and expressions of quantity, so now for the last part: when there is nothing, zero, zip, not any! 1 - The Quantity Is None Aha! I bet you didnt think about that one! Well, zero is also a quantity. Which means when you say I dont have money (join the club), you are using a quantity. You could be saying I dont have any money, but the any is often left out in everyday speech.   So, if you wanted to actually say zero, well thats easy, its a number: - jai zà ©ro chat (I have zero cat). But where it gets complicated is when you use a negative. I dont have (any) cat.   In French, wed say something like I dont have none of cat. Please, dont think of it this way, because youd never say that in English, so translating doesnt work. I am just saying it to explain, but its more logical to think of it as pas being a quantity, therefore followed by de/d in French. Je nai pas de chat. (I dont have any cat)Je nai pas de fille. (I dont have a daughter)Je nai pas de lait. (I dont have milk)Je nai pas denfants (I dont have children) And of course, there is a main exception. This rule doesnt apply when your verb is à ªtre (to be). So with à ªtre in the negative, you say the same thing as in the affirmative. Je suis une fille. Je ne suis pas une fille. (I am a girl. I am not a girl). 2 - Adjectives of Quantity Are Not Followed by De/d Aucun/e/s and plusieur/s are adjectives. They dont need an article. Jai plusieurs chats - I have several cats.Je nai aucun ami - I have no friend, I dont have a single friend, I dont have any friend.. 3 - To Recap Some things are easy to quantify: one apple. It’s a whole apple. You usually buy, eat, need one, 2, 3 apples.  But you may decide to be vague, and say â€Å"des pommes† more than one, but I don’t know exactly how many. Now, some things are less easily quantifiable†¦ You don’t buy â€Å"one rice†. You buy either â€Å"one kilo of rice† (a kilo of, an expression of quantity), or â€Å"some rice† (unspecific quantity of an item which is not easily quantifiable). So you need to ask yourself: Am I talking about... A very specific  quantity (a number, or an expression of quantity : une pomme, 5 pommes, un kilo de pommes, une bouteille deau†¦).An unspecified quantity of an item (du vin), or an unspecified quantity of something that you cannot quantify easily (du riz, de la patience)More than one of an item, but a vague plural quantity (des pommes)No item at all (pas de pomme) This is a lot to take in. Read these  lessons over a couple of times and even read it out-loud so you really take the time to understand and process everything.

Motivation. What Is The Best Way To Motivate Employees Research Paper

Motivation. What Is The Best Way To Motivate Employees - Research Paper Example Motivation is considered a key factor in increasing efficiency in business. As a result, motivated employees will exert their dynamism to accomplish their purposes and goals. According to Sultan, Sarwat he said,†for an employee to be motivated, he or she perceived that their wants are being met. Thus, the satisfaction of the employee represents an indispensable dimension of the motivational process (Sarwat, 2013); a satisfied individual would certainly contribute positively to the realization of organizational goals and objectives. A dissatisfied employee may not only contribute but can even act in such a way that the realization of such goals and objectives could be completely destroyed, this underlines the importance of employees’ satisfaction to the organization† (Anka, 1988). Lack of motivation will cause numerous problems such as; reducing the annual income, exit of the organization if given the opportunity, produce low quality work, and unsatisfying results o f any productions. This causes work to become a stressful place, and it may transform into a nightmare. For instance, according to Rebecca Maxon (1999), â€Å"Three out of every four American workers describe their work as stressful and the problem is not limited to these shores, in fact, occupational stress has been defined as a global epidemic by the United Nations' International Labor Organization, while the physical effects of this epidemic are often emphasized; the economic consequences also are alarming. Workplace stress costs U.S. employers an estimated $200 billion per year in absenteeism, lower productivity, staff turnover, workers' compensation, medical insurance and other stress-related expenses, considering this, stress management may be business's most important challenge of the 21st century†. Therefore, the environment of any workplace does matter for increasing production and limiting its costs, managers are the tools to help improve their employees’ per formance. Although, a lot of business analysts disagree with each other on determining the best method to motivate employees, from offering promotions to working less hours, I firmly believe that if managers provide a clean and safe environment for their employees within the consideration of welfare, thoughts, and appreciations of their hard work, and offer high wages they will create a productive, functional, successful workplace for each other.   To emphasis how clean and safe environments are relevant in motivating employees at their workplace, a lot of companies have started to renew their policies. These policies focused on what exactly they can develop to build a sociable, truthful, creative, and friendly atmosphere for their workers. Also, the courtesy of spending more money on their facilities to be more presentable and eligible enough to remain a satisfying place for their workers could be beneficial. Therefore, employees are seeking these modifications badly so they can be more inspired and enthusiastic about their jobs, consequently, managers and supervisors are responsible for building a clean and safe environment for their workers. The consequences of ignoring this key factor will lead employees to be unwilling to produce more for the business, which will create critical problems between them and their managers. This leads to an unsatisfied workplace environment that could exaggerate employees’ attitudes about leaving their jobs. According to Kori Rodley’s (2010) article about how important the work environment is to employee turn-over, she said â€Å"When employees expect a certain type of environment and get something very different, problems can result, those

MOTIVATION Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

MOTIVATION - Research Paper Example Thus Motivation or Motives act as a set of psychological catalysts that contribute in converting the needs, wants and desires of an individual into effective drives to help achieve end goals and incentives. Henceforth motivation also helps an individual in effectively reducing the tension gained from the growing set of desires and wants to achieve or accomplish ends and goals (Bowkowski, 2011, Ch.5). The inner drive of an individual to satisfy the emerging want or need can be reflected as follows. Figure 1 (Bowkowski, 2011, Ch.5) Difference between Traditional and Current Approaches to Motivation Different sets of Motivation Theories have gained emergence from the traditional to the modern managerial periods. These different theories related to the Traditional and Modern context owes some specific differences that can be highlighted as follows. The Traditional Theories related to motivation focus on rendering an effective analysis of the job environment or work atmosphere of an indiv idual and the different types of rewards needed to enhance the performance levels of the employees. Here rewards act as intrinsic motivators to help an individual generate the needed drive to achieve the end goal. On the contrary the Current Approaches to Motivation rely mainly on three types of theories like Content, Process and Reinforcement that contribute in shaping the motivational behavior of an individual to achieve the end goals. Identification and Description of Content Theories of Motivation based on Employee Needs The Content Theories of Motivation tend to operate based on a premise that certain factors are responsible in creating an inner drive in an individual to generate a desire to achieve end goals and thereby satiate the gamut of needs and wants emergent in one’s psychological level. Thus through the use of Content Theories the managers tend to gain an understanding of the factors that tend to drive or kindle the energy in an individual to achieve desired end s. Content Theories being related to the unsatisfied needs or wants of an individual is also referred to as Needs Theory (Bowkowski, 2011, Ch.5). Identification and Explanation of Process Theories of Motivation The Process theories of Motivation relate to the Cognitive elements used by an individual to decide on the behavioral process or attributes needed to specifically fulfill a desired set of objectives or accomplish the goals set. Herein the person needs to effectively evaluate whether the factor choices for motivation are resultant or effective to achieve end objectives. Thus herein motivation depends on factors like the attributes of the goals set to achieve, secondly in whether equitable access is existent in helping an individual gain the required opportunities in achieving desired ends and finally in whether one possesses the required level of potency in helping to raise the expectation for meeting end goals. Significant Process Theories relate to Expectancy, Equity, Satisf action-Performance, Goal-Setting and Reinforcement (Bowkowski, 2011, Ch.6). Description of Reinforcement Theory of Employee Motivation The Reinforcement Theory of Motivation works mainly along four parameters: Positive and Negative Reinforcements and Punishment and Extinction. Positive and Negative Reinforcement criteria generally focus on motivating an individual’s performance through the generation of rewards and also

Patient`s Laws Essay Example for Free

Patient`s Laws Essay Patients should feel at ease when giving personal information to their physician or nurse (Burkle Cascino, 2011). Patients may resist offering pertinent information if they feel their confidence may be betrayed. Confidentiality can only be broken when it involves a gunshot wound, injuries resulting from child abuse or an infectious disease, which would put the community at risk. Such is the case presented in Nathanson’s article titled: â€Å"Betraying trust or providing good care? When is it okay to break confidentiality?† (2000). The article addresses an ethical dilemma presented in an episode of NBC’s ER. Nurse Carol Hathaway promises two reluctant teenage patients who are seeking care, that anything they tell her will remain confidential, even from their parents and anyone else. Agreeable to this, the girls divulge they have been sexually active with multiple partners and suspect they have been exposed to a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Tests were performed on the teenager for STD’s and receive Pap tests to detect any cervical abnormalities. The test results confirm, Andrea, is positive for the human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer. Promising Andrea confidentiality, Nurse Hathaway knows she must break the promise or potentially endanger herself and the community. Nurse Hathaway is faced with ethical consequences if she breaks confidentiality with her patient. Of these consequences are reluctance to disclose pertinent information, feelings of betrayal, enraged parents, disrespect of staff members, job termination, demeaned hospital reputation, poor school reputation, and a non supportive bureaucratic and legal system (Burkhardt Nathaniel, 2008). Nurses are fearful of these ethical implications, which keep them from disclosing important information, which can have disastrous results (Griffith, 2008). Deontology best describes Nurse Hathaway’s ethical framework when she finds it necessary to break Andrea’s confidentiality. The deontology theory is based on the concept that a person adheres to what is right and wrong in their actions and thoughts rather than the consequences (Purtilo Doherty, 2011). Since this has become a public issue she is compelled to fulfill her duty by courageously choosing to bring the situation out in the open. Her reasoning for informing Andrea’s parents and school would ensure the appropriate course of treatment and avoiding further injury for the teen and society. Even though Nathanson says  there is no advantage in notifying the school of Andrea’s sexual involvement with multiple partners, Nurse Hathaway chose to do so. By doing this, Andrea attempts to take her life when she finds out the school is aware of her situation. There are several ethical decision-making models to choose from but the best would be Uustal’s model to handle this particular situation. Uustal proposes a nine-step method to direct one toward making an ethical decision. This model follows the nursing process and also includes and explanation of values when using and ethical decision-making model. Step 1) those implicated in the dilemma are the teenage girls, their parents, the students at the school and Nurse Hathaway. Whether or not to inform the school of the sexual behavior of the girls and of Andrea’s diagnosis is the ethical dilemma at hand. Step 2) without giving specific information about the girls, the school needs to be aware of the student’s sexual conduct with multiple partners. Step 3) the spread of HPV and the concern for the protection of the community from STD’s related to promiscuous sex are the issues related to the situation. A resolution to the dilemma would to inform the school of the concern for the sexual behavior of the students. Step 5) with good intentions, Nurse Hathaway notifies the school of the girl’s activities but should not kept their identities anonymous and only discussed her concern for the students in general about their participation in multiple sex partners. Step 5) implementing education in the school regarding the risks, treatments and prevention of STD’s would follow. Step 6) the main priority should have been informing the school of the promiscuity among the students rather than of the two teens in question and Andrea’s new found diagnosis. Step 7) Nurse Hathaway should have only discussed her concern for sex with multiple partners between the students. Step 8 and 9) if Nurse Hathaway had followed th is model, education could have occurred, the school would have been protected and Andrea’s privacy would have been respected. This particular model allows for the analysis of various options to sensitive, ethical dilemmas. An ethics committee consists of of representatives from different fields in and outside of health care as well as professionals, lawyer, clergyman, etc., from the community. With different perspectives, experiences, and educational backgrounds the committee can have a well-rounded discussion and provide suggestions proposed to advocate for the rights of patients and foster mutual decision  making in the event of an ethical dilemma. When conflicting moral claims are presented, the ethics committee can suggest an unbiased approach to solving the ethical dilemma (Burkhardt Nathaniel, 2008). Consulting with an ethics committee would have been in Nurse Hathaway’s best interest before deciding to break confidentiality. Had she not divulged pertinent information about Andrea to her school, Andrea most likely would not have attempted suicide. In conclusion, as nurses we are confronted with ethical dilemmas pertaining to upholding confidentiality in our day-to-day practice. Ethical decisions should not be taken lightly and treated exclusively with sensitivity for our patients and the public. Making the wrong decision could cost us the trust we build with out patients and community and our job. Burkhardt, M. A., Nathaniel, A. K. (2008). Ethics issues in contemporary nursing (3rd ed.). Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning. Burkle, C. M., Cascino, G. D. (2011, December). Medicine and the media: Balancing the public’s right to know with the privacy of the patient. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 86(12), 1192-1196. Ethical decision-making lecture [Module 3 lecture]. Retrieved from Grand Canyon University: http://my.gcu.edu. Griffith, R. (2008). Patient confidentiality: rights and duties of nurse prescribers. Nurse Prescribing, 6(2), 116-120. Purtilo, R. B., Doherty, R. B. (2011). Ethical dimensions in the health professions (5th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.

Discrimination in Steinbecks Of Mice and Men Essay -- essays research

In the literary work Of Mice and Men, the reader is introduced to the ranch as a world of its own, within which prejudice plays a significant part. The characters in this novel act as a community in a world of their own, having no connections to any other type of society. A strong point, enforced through many examples in the book, is the constant ability of the stronger to overcome the weaker. The prejudices of the majority towards the minority, at the ranch are the white-males, who retain power over the lesser groups of people. This inequality, as well as the influence of the time period, causes discrimination against people of color, women, and those that are disabled, either mentally or physically. The crippled, African American stable hand, Crooks, is the victim of racial discrimination on the ranch. He is given his own room off the stables as if a privilege, but in truth the white-male majority of the ranch wants to have as small an amount of contact with Crooks as possible. Crooks understands this, as is shown when he explains it to Lennie in a simple statement, ?They play cards in there, but I can?t play because I?m black. They say I stink.? (p. 33) As a result of this separation, Crooks becomes incredibly bitter and lonely. Through his request of having a part in George and Lennie?s dream, it becomes obvious that he searches for a friend, struggling to be recognized as a human being. Curley?s wife is the typical example of discrimination based on misunderstanding. Because she is never given the chance to express her point of view, the men have a strong opinion on her based only on their interpretations of her actions. In the men?s opinion, she does not belong around the ranch, and should stay... ... to share a farm with George and be allowed to tend the rabbits, and he does not seem to understand why people stand against him. Lennie?s failure to recognize his own strength unfortunately leads him to harm many living things, eventually Curly?s wife, which leads to his death by the hand of George, who only did what he thought was best. The novel Of Mice and Men presents to us the unjust causes and painful results of discrimination. It clearly shows the loneliness of those that fall victim to the harsh judgement of others in the world of the ranch, as well as the way the strong overcome the weak. As in the world itself, the existance of the ranch hands is based on survival, and in this case, a dream had to be surrendered by George in order to survive. As Slim said in the end while comforting George, ?Never you mind. A guy got to sometimes.? (117)

Learning Team Reflection Essay

Alan Litchman and Laura B. Trust, Co-Presidents of Finagle a Bagel, own a bagel business in Boston (Parrino, Kidwell, Bates, 2012). Alan and Laura met in business school and after gaining business experience in other industries they purchased the bagel business with the intent of growing it as much as possible. They have two primary target markets: 1) retail stores and 2) wholesale accounts with large institutions. In this paper, we will briefly discuss a few of the strategies they used to manage their working capital. The owners of Finagle a Bagel were tired of working for other people so they decided to buy one new business. They have used several financial concepts to manage the financial accountability of their small business. They have controlled costs from the beginning of the process to the delivery of the product, as well as the administrative costs. Other items that have been highlighted are the management of cash flow, payback, and the schedule of cash entries, which has allowed the company to pay its debts. They have established a good relationship with the banks in order to negotiate the time frame for payments and rate. Suppliers are also a key success factor for the company, as the payment terms are negotiated to match the flow cash. The company’s focus is to maintain its financial management so that the business may grow and return large profits. The Finagle a Bagel also has a policy of recognizing the hard work of their employees. The owners believe that managers and employees are responsible for the success of the company. Together, the company is growing in a sustainable and financially healthy way. According to Alan Litchman, when making any investment, first one has to understand what the demand for the new product is going to be, and what kind of product can be made with the new equipment (Parrino, Kidwell, ba tes, 2012). Alongside his wife, Mr. Litchman explained how important it is to understand the company’s performance and opportunities to better apply capital investment in the company. They both explained, in their own words, the importance of setting up strategies and planning before putting a new product on the market. The couple also spoke about debt. Laura Trust said that debt is ‘a necessary evil’ and sometimes taking debt has its benefits if compared to finding capital through other means, such as pursuing a partner (Parrino, Kidwell, Bates, 2012). In this case they did not want to take a venture capital partner because the owners wanted to have authority  when making business decisions, thus avoiding ‘working for someone else’ (Parrino, Kidwell, Bates, 2012). This shows that the owners prefer a business structure like a sole proprietorship. Lastly, the fact that interest rates have been dropping for small business also supported their decision to take on debt to invest in the company. The couple is very educated when making business decisions, as they understand that even when a company has financial resources, the business gains more by obtaining financial resources from banks with small interest rates, while allowing the resources they have to generate dividends with higher interest rates. This is generally called borrowing ‘cheap money’ (Investopedia, 2014). Finally, credit is also discussed. They mentioned trade credit, which is the amount of time given to pay back vendors for the products bought. The longer the term, the better, as it allows time to receive revenue before having to pay the debt. This is another very important recommendation on how to properly use cash flow and avoid taking on debt. Overall, Alan Litchman and Laura B. Trust demonstrate a thorough understanding of how to manage their capital so that their small business continues to grow and increase their net profits, despite economic challenges in the community and the country. References Investopedia. (2014). Cheap Money. Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/cheap-money.asp Parrino, R., Kidwell, D., Bates, T. (2012) Fundamentals of Corporate Finance, (2nd Ed) John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Harrison Bergeron Essay

Kurt Vonnegut’s fictional society adopted the theories of Social Contract and Social Justice to establish a new social and legal order. The people amended the constitution to attain equality for all. With the amendments, they created laws to make a uniform citizenry out of their people and in the process stripped them of their individuality. These laws were also intended to make them think and act alike which was their idea of equality. As to who is benefited from such extreme version of social control depends on whose viewpoint it was coming from. Despite their unrestricted freedoms no one was ultimately benefited in this kind of system. It was no guarantee of peace and absolute control, as in the case of Harrison. His physical and mental states were no match for the handicaps. Once both powers were unleashed and unrestrained what resulted was a blending and coordination that produced a beautiful symphony of dance and music. It was symbolical of the good things that can happen or that can be achieved if we let our natural gifts, talents and skills work for the common good. There can be unity in diversity and peaceful co-existence may be possible. In a controlled society as this fictional one, there were no norms, values, and culture that may identify them. For norms, values and culture were what will set them apart. This was a robotic society where the norms were that which are forced upon them because of the handicaps some were made to wear. Acceptable norms were absent because the standard (equality) was built into the system. In effect one had a common standard to follow in which to comport oneself, no less and no better that the others. There was only one value that stood, no one was above the other in appearance and in the treatment he gave and he got. Culture should define who and what this society was, but what would make it truly unique? There was nothing neither appealing nor interesting in it because everything went against the natural ways of man. People followed rules not out of their volition. How were they to know the good was turning bad, and worse was turning worst, if something in their brains signaled a censure. This restraint was basically against their good and benefit, but they had no choice but to obey what was programmed in their system. Once, this was a society that had reached the extreme end of the balance with their all-out freedoms and unchecked rights of individuals. The situation had reached unmanageable proportion that they had to resort to dramatic crisis control which brought them to the other extreme end by way of the encroachment on their rights and freedoms. This society took not only the people’s freedoms but their right senses as well. In what they figure to be the correct moves to effect change, their agitation towards a freak of nature was alarming, like when â€Å"some things about living weren’t quite right †¦ April not being Springtime† (Vonnegut, 1961). Law and society have interchangeable attributes. Law may change a society and society may change the law. In the case of Harrison Bergeron, society had made 3 amendments to their constitution out of desire for and necessity to change. They wanted to regulate and curb freedoms to a comfortable magnitude. The change in the law made this society a strictly tempered one. Lawyers and the legal system do not have a place in this society anymore. The Handicapper General proceeded to punish without trial law breakers. The only crime that can be committed was taking one’s handicaps off and that did not need investigation and defense. The crime and the criminal are self-evident. The fictional society does not have any direct similarities in today’s time. However, the inference to the curtailment of freedoms is plenty. When a society does not allow an artist to express his heart in his art, the Harrison Bergerons to criticize the government which should be for, by and of the people, and ease the fear of ordinary citizens, they are the translations of Vonnegut’s transgressions of freedoms in his fictional society. Instead of seeking for equality in the extreme, working with diversity might be the better option.

The Role of African Americans in the American Revolution.

The Role of African Americans in the American Revolution. While the Patriots were ultimately victorious in the American Revolution, choosing sides and deciding whether to fight in the war was far from an easy choice for American colonists. The great majority were neutral or Loyalist. For the African Americans, what mattered most was freedom. As the Revolutionary War spread through every region, those in slavery sided with whichever army promised them freedom. The British actively recruited slaves belonging to Patriot masters and, consequently, more African Americans fought for the British. An estimated 20,000 African Americans offered their services to the British. They had many roles, such as laborers, orderlies, scouts, and spies. Since they had lived in the areas of the battles, they knew the local roads and rivers, which made them excellent scouts and spies. On the American side, slaves were not given guns at first, because they were feared to revolt. Soon, they were needed, and Rhode Island offered to set any slave free who volunteered for the regiment.This (attributed to ) originally appeared during t...At the end of the war, 100,000 slaves were either freed or had escaped.

Definition and Examples of Reporting Verbs in English

Definition and Examples of Reporting Verbs in English In English grammar, a reporting verb is a  verb (such as say, tell, believe, reply, respond, or ask) used to indicate that discourse is being quoted or paraphrased. Its also called a  communication verb. [T]he number of  reporting verbs  that can be employed to mark  paraphrases  is around a dozen, author Eli Hinkel reported, and  they can be learned with relative ease while working on a writing assignment (e.g.,  the author says, states, indicates, comments, notes, observes, believes, points out, emphasizes, advocates, reports, concludes, underscores, mentions, finds), not to mention phrases with similar textual functions such as  according to the author, as the author states/indicates, in the authors view/opinion/understanding,  or  as noted/stated/mentioned. Tenses and Their Uses Most often, reporting verbs, such as seen in fiction to show dialogue, are in the past tense, because as soon as a speaker says something, it is literally in the past.   George Carlin illustrates this in this example of reported speech: I went to a bookstore and  asked  the saleswoman, Wheres the self-help section? She  said  if she  told  me, it would defeat the purpose. To contrast with  words spoken once, putting a reporting verb in the present tense is used to show an adage, something that someone has said in the past and continues to say or presently believes. For example: She always says how hes not good enough for you. Next, a reporting verb may be in the historical present tense (to refer to an event that took place in the past). The historical present is often used for dramatic effect or immediacy, to place the reader right in the scene. The technique should be used sparingly, so you dont create confusion, but its use can make for a dramatic lead to a story, for example. The year is 1938, the place, Paris. The soldiers smash shop windows and run through the street  and yell...   You also use reporting verbs in  the literary present tense (to refer to any aspect of a work of literature). This is because no matter what year you watch a particular movie or read a book, the events always unfold in the same way. The characters always say the same thing in the same order. For example, if youre writing on Hamlet, you might write, Hamlet shows his anguish when he speaks his To be soliloquy. Or if youre reviewing fantastic movie lines, you might write, Who can forget when Humphrey Bogart says  to Ingrid Bergman, Heres looking at you, kid  in Casablanca?   Dont Overuse Reporting Verbs When youre writing dialogue, if the identity of a speaker is clear from the context, such as in a back-and-forth conversation between two people, the reporting phrase is often omitted; it doesnt have to be used with  each line of dialogue, just enough times to make sure the reader doesnt get lost as far as whos speaking, such as if the conversation is long or if a third party interjects. And if the lines of conversation are short, using a bunch of he said she said gets distracting for the reader. Its more effective to leave them out in this instance. Overusing creative substitutions for, said can also get distracting for the reader. A reader goes by said quickly and doesnt lose the flow of the dialogue. Be judicious in using substitutions for said.   The line of dialogue belongs to the character; the verb is the writer sticking his nose in, wrote Elmore Leonard in  The New York Times.  But  said  is far less intrusive than  grumbled, gasped, cautioned, lied. I once noticed Mary McCarthy ending a line of dialogue with she asseverated, and had to stop reading to get the dictionary. Sources Teaching Academic ESL Writing. Routledge, 2004Elmore Leonard, Easy on the Adverbs, Exclamation Points and Especially Hooptedoodle.  July 16, 2001

Ethnic and Cultural Diversity in Families Essay

Ethnic and Cultural Diversity in Families - Essay Example Before we proceed to explore the diversity in race and ethnicity in families, let us try to find out the meaning of ethnicity, race and culture. Ethnicity, race and culture do not have the same meaning and it is very important that these terminologies are explored separately. Socially ascribed and constructed statuses mirroring broader political and socio historical influences are constituted by ethnicity and race. Nowadays a lot of emphasis is given to immigrant families and hence it becomes very important to separate culture and immigration status. Culture is a practice which is constantly changing, dynamic and reciprocal. A person learns to adapt to the ongoing changes taking place due to the influences of history, politics and sociology. The terminology, socio cultural has been coined to show the influence of the above mentioned multiple agents. (Chao & Otsuki-Clutter, 2011). The Study Group on Race, Ethnicity and Culture has suggested defining these terminologies. According to t hem, race can defined as the phenotypic disparities which arise as a result of biological or genetic dispositions like color of the skin, texture of the hair, etc. Ethnicity can be explained as the perceived membership of a group of people depending on the ancestry, nationality, or both. Culture has a broad connotation. It considers the individual discrepancies in families in relation to the beliefs, practices and values. Culture also takes into account the roles of an individual in the family, affective styles, pattern of communication and interaction and values with regards to individualism, personal control, collectivism, religiosity and spirituality (Murry, Smith & Hill, 2001). Educating children about ethnicity and race Socialization is a means adopted by all families in order to educate children about the meaning and result of race and ethnicity. This is the way in which children are enlightened about the