The Life Of A Slave Girl By Harriot Jacob - 1454 Words

I never really paid attention to slavery as I did right now. I heard, of course, of all the basic details of it like everyone else and hated the idea of it, but after reading this story, it really hit me on what slaves went through back in the day. In the novel â€Å"Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl†, Harriot Jacob chronically writes about her personal struggles and sufferings and that of her families throughout the better portion of her life from childhood to adulthood. Throughout this revealing story, this brave and courageous woman opens my eyes on the extent of the extreme hardships, unfairness, and cruelty that many slaves have faced and lived through every day and every hour with just the hope and faith in God to get them†¦show more content†¦119). While the men do work from dawn to dusk, they do have the comfort of having rest at night most of the times. The women however, work all day and are called upon the master and mistress’s every request even during the night, away from their own families. Most mistresses have women as their child’s nurses through the early periods of birth so that the mistress is not bothered in her sleep by the baby. These women were to be found sleeping on the floor at the entry of their owners bedroom, ready to be awakened if the child woke up. One person that I recalled reading that had this unfortunate position was Jacob’s aunt. While in the pregnancy of her own kids, she â€Å"was required to resume her place on the entry floor, because Mrs. Flint s babe needed her attentions.† (Jacobs, pg. 217). It shows to show that female slaves own needs was not even thought of at all and was shown no respect. They were treated like animals without even a proper bed to sleep on while their owners slept peacefully away, undisturbed. Every day throughout the country, slaves live through the fear that their loves one will be ripped apart from them, sold off to other states and never to be s een again. And in most cases, this happens. That is one of the most difficult hardship many African slaves face because since they are just property with no rights, they have no say in this and can’t stop it. One of the most tragic and

Analysis of ‘Teenage challenge’ article Free Essays

Q.- Read the article ‘The Teenage Challenge’ and comment on:- * The content of the article. (message) * The language features. We will write a custom essay sample on Analysis of ‘Teenage challenge’ article or any similar topic only for you Order Now * The design features. * Any other aspect you think is relevant. Structure The article ‘The Teenage Challenge’ was published in The Daily Mail, Friday, December 27, 2002. It is divided into two parts/sections, the first section written by Sarah Harris, Education correspondent; and the second by Edward Enfield (Father of Harry†¦). The content of the article. The article ‘The Teenage Challenge’ is divided into two sections and is written in response to Charles Clarke’s (education secretary) ideas of introducing the 18 ‘Basic skills’. The first section by Sarah Harris projects both the positive and negative view points, supported by comments from various personalities. Edward Enfield, in the second section is deadly against the education secretary’s views and is rather sarcastic in his comments but rarely supported by authoritative opinions. The language features The title ‘The Teenage Challenge’ consists of three words which perfectly suit the conventions about the title. The sub-heading of the first half seems like a continuation as it begins with ‘OR’. The subheading of the second half looks like a sentence rather than a title. The by-line is given in both the sections. In the case of the first section, the designation of the writer (Education Correspondent) Sarah Harris is given, while in the second the Edward Enfield is just identified as a father of Harry, who created Kevin the Teenager. The beginning of the first half is capitalized ‘ANYONE’ which catches the reader’s attention. This also provides a generalized viewpoint. Throughout the article; we can see many examples of alliteration as well as assonance. These serve to stress the ideas put forward by the writer, e.g.: ‘picking up piles’, ‘from their bedroom floor’, ‘top five task’ and ‘this is his business’, ‘traditional parental’ are assonance. The alliteration and assonance used in ‘Parents’ patience’ in the sub-heading of the first half gives it more effect similarly, the alliteration and assonance in the sub-heading of the second half -‘The useful thing would be teaching them how to read’. The paragraphs are kept relatively short, that sometimes a single sentence takes us the whole paragraph, so we can say sentences used mainly are complex and in some cases compound. E.g.: ‘Yet, with the experience of two months as Education Secretary, Charles Clarke reckons parents should be requiring them to do a whole lot more’ this is a complex sentence having one main clause ‘Charles Clarke†¦..more’ and the subordinate clause ‘Yet with the experience†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.Secretary’. ‘Of course it maybe that teenagers of today are particularly stupid, but I think they are only stupid at intelligent things like reading books’ is a compound sentence having two independent clauses joined together by the conjunction ‘but’. Most of the paragraphs seems like a continuation of the previous one, beginning with conjunctions, otherwise called paragraph connectives. E.g.: ‘Yet’, ‘like’, ‘Andà ¢â‚¬â„¢. All throughout the article, there are words in a single speech marks/quotes. This gives a suggestion that somebody else’s word not necessarily approved by the writer. E.g.: ‘life skills’, ‘nanny state’, ‘top five’. When the quotation continues to the next paragraph, the speech marks are not closed but are reopened. ‘As†¦..without help. ‘we†¦adult life. ‘I†¦.old’. To support her viewpoints, Sarah Harris has quoted from different sources. E.g.: ‘Rebecca O’Neil, a researcher’, ‘Conservative Education spokesman oraham Brady’, all their words adds more authority. Edward Enfield, on the other hand has only given his personal opinions, not at all imbibing other’s ideas. The first half of the article henceforth looks more objective, while the second seems subjective. The scientific terminology as well as mathematical terms add weight to this article. E.g.: ‘botulism’, ‘proteins’, ‘imperials’, ‘metric units’. The positive word used by the economist ‘boom’ ends the article in an affirmative tone. The quotes are introduced by, e.g.: ‘Conservative education spokesman Graham Brady said’ rather than followed by it as in the case of fiction. The use of statistical or numerical data shows how precise the authors are. E.g.: ‘All by the age of 16.’, ’18 basic activities’, ’15 other things’. The slang and colloquial language used in the article makes it an informal one and shows the friendly approach of the writers and their effectiveness. E.g. ‘any of this is his business.’, ‘he was flipped’. The use of hyphen gives a pause to the reader, as well as to show the breakup of ideas. E.g.: ‘As any parent-or indeed any TV viewer familiar with my son’s comic creation-can testify, teenagers are proud to be ‘Kevins’. There are many compound words used especially in the second half, e.g.: ‘not-too-difficult’, ‘over-joyed’, ‘rave-up’. The use of the rhetorical question ‘why on earth†¦such trivia?’ is meant to give a stress on the basic idea it tries to convey. The 18 basic skills put forward by Charles Clarke is introduced by using -ing form of the word. E.g.: ‘cooking’, ‘working’, ‘cleaning’. The second half is dominated by the use of the negative words, e.g.: ‘shattered†¦.noise†¦.filthy’. the collective noun ‘horde’ which normal refers to hooligans shows the uncivilized nature of the youngsters. The design features: The entire article is enclosed in a rectangular frame. The title ‘The Teenage Challenge’ is written in bold, big lettering and stands out from the rest of the copy. The sub-heading of the first half is larger than the text but not as striking as the title. It is also underlined. Whereas, the sub-heading of the second half is bolder but not as the title and is not underlined. The by-line in both the halves is written in bold and in the second section, a close-up photograph of the writer is also given. The picture of the clumsy slouching teenager taken from a close-up, eye-level shot is immediately striking to the reader’s eyes. The teenager covers a rectangular frame which has the title ‘Preparing for life in the real world’ written in white lettering on a black background. Within the rectangular frame, there are three photographs and a note pad. The photographs are given with a caption. The picture of Prince William, a royal example adds authority. The second picture uses the proverb ‘knowledge is power’. These photographs can be considered as a photo-montage taken from a high-level, close-up shot. The notepad is slightly titled and comes out from the frame which shows the power the youngsters will have once they acquire these 18 Basic Skills. These skills are mentioned in the notepad with numbering and on alternate dark and light backgrounds. Any other aspect you think is relevant. This is an article written using the code of written language and still graphic images. This is meant for youngsters, their parents and adults who are mostly involved in teenager’s education. The purpose of this article is to inform us about Charles Clarke’s idea of 18 Basic Skills and persuade the readers to give their opinions and suggestions to it. The article was effective in conveying the idea of 18 Basic Skills. As a reader, I was able to grasp both the positive and negative viewpoints behind introducing these 18 Basic Skills in school curriculum. According to my opinion, the schools must concentrate more on academics rather than the practical skills. The basic skills can be learned at home but they shouldn’t be made a criteria for judging the teenagers. How to cite Analysis of ‘Teenage challenge’ article, Papers

Are your friends good friends free essay sample

There are different ways to tell the difference between a real friend and a fake friend. Some qualities in a good friend are they are trust worthy, they listen to your thoughts, concerns and issues, and you can tell them stuff without them Judging you.If someone doesnt always use these traits it doesnt make them a bad friend, people make mistakes and as people ourselves we should forgive and forget because one of these days were going to mess up too, it happens to all of us, when we mess up we re going to expect others to forgive us but it is a lot less likely for them to forgive us if we dont forgive them, as the lord said in the Matthew 7:12 do to others what you would have them do to you. A bad friend doesnt have a problem lying to you or telling people your personal information. We will write a custom essay sample on Are your friends good friends ? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page They have a negative attitude, theyre only there for you during good times, and they encourage you to do things that could get you in trouble instead of encouraging you to do things that will reflect positively in our life. A lot of the time with a fake friend you feel uncomfortable like they will be judgmental.Silences are awkward so you feel the need to strike up conversation with them, sometimes you feel as though your relationship is all one sided like you are making all the effort. They make up rumors weather they are true a real friend wouldnt put you through the emotional pain with drama, often you agree with them no matter how you feel Just to keep things civil.

Totalitarian Government Discovering Dystopia in Matched Essay Example

Totalitarian Government: Discovering Dystopia in Matched Paper What if you lived in a world where someone decided who you loved, where you worked, when you died? Cassia Reyes, the protagonist in Ally Condies novel, Matched struggles with living in The Society where everything is fair, evenly distributed and individuality is scarce. On her 17th birthday, Cassia is matched with her best friend Xander (Condie 15). When Cassia attempts to read her match guidelines, she sees a face that is not Xanders (Condie 35). Is it possible that the officials have made a mistake? In The Society where human error is unacceptable, nothing is left to chance and nothing is a mistake, how can Cassia learn the truth and break free? Questioning herself, the idea of being matched, and the entire society she lives in, Cassia begins to unravel her own life and beliefs, uncovering all the lies and deceit while showing the readers how a utopian world can easily become dystopian. Matched is an excellent example of dystopian literature. Access to information, independent thought, and personal freedoms are restricted. As well, all citizens must conform to uniform expectations with limited individuality. Cassia helps us see that there is something terribly wrong in her society, questioning what has been laid out for her. The Society has many information restrictions. They say it is because the previous society failed due to too much technology; an overwhelming amount of choice. The Society only has one hundred of everything: [The items] our society chose to keep, back when they decided our culture was too cluttered. [The Society] created commissions to choose the hundred best of everything. We will write a custom essay sample on Totalitarian Government: Discovering Dystopia in Matched specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Totalitarian Government: Discovering Dystopia in Matched specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Totalitarian Government: Discovering Dystopia in Matched specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The rest were eliminated, gone forever. For the best of society said and everyone believed them because it made sense. How can [the citizens] appreciate anything fully if [they] are overwhelmed with so much? (Condie 29). This is restricting to the citizens and makes it easier for officials to hide things. By restricting their citizens, The Society hopes they will not know enough to rebel. As well, any research you do at home, work, or school is monitored. (Condie 97). Cassia uses roundabout ways that do not draw attention and are not suspicious to find out her own answers researching essential information. Cassia soon finds the parallel between public information and her own thought, seeing as The Society monitors them both. The law requires one person per household to wear sleep tags that will monitor their dreams. (Condie 23). Cassia believes the officials would be happy with her dreams while they are being monitored. The issue is that you cannot control your dreams, and the officials wish to control your unconscious thoughts as well as conscious ones. The Society restricts you so much that freedoms like independent thought, are restricted, if not completely eliminated. Many of the freedoms you have now, you would not have in this society. The Society would decide who you love, where you work, and when you died. Being matched comes with guidelines with little choice afterward; â€Å"If you choose to be matched, your marriage contract will take place when you are 21. Studies have shown that the fertility of both men and women peak at the age of 24 (Condie 17). If you choose not to be matched you must remain a ‘single’. The Society eludes you into thinking you have a choice, but either way you have conditions and guidelines to follow. The Society had found a way to postpone the indecencies of aging until age 80. â€Å"Matching for good genes [could] only take [the society] so far† (Condie 69). Therefore the day Cassia’s grandfather turns 80, he must die regardless of his health. The officials sent him a poisoned meal guaranteeing a quick painless death (Condie 340). In the Society you do not eat to live, but rather eat to die. Citizens are not even granted the freedom of a peaceful death. The officials determine where you will work based on your skills. Once you are assigned a position, you would be trained in that skill and nothing else (Condie 31). Cassia had a position in sorting; she sorts item like artifacts and books, and can eventually process data for matches. Her final test is sorting real people; deciding how efficient they were at their work position. The officials used this sort to assess Cassia’s skills, rather than the individuals involved. By restricting a person’s freedoms, The Society requires their citizens to conform to uniform expectations. Each citizen is issued ‘plain clothes’ that they must wear at all times and cannot choose. Similarly, many Catholic high schools in our own society require their students to wear uniforms, however these students may wear their own clothes on occasion. Every citizen has to carry a container with them at all times which contains three tablets; blue for food and drink if needed (Condie 354), green to suppress anxiety (Condie 150) and red that will make you forget if taken (Condie 330). The officials can monitor how many times you take the green one and you may only take the red one when an official tells you to (Condie 156). The idea of only being able to take a pill when told to do so is restricting and shows how much the officials have control over. Citizens have very limited individuality seeing as they need to conform to uniform expectations. To assert individuality, some citizens have artifacts from the previous society. For instance, Cassia has a silver compact from her great-grandmother (Condie 5), and Xander has gold cuff links from his father (Condie 6). These simple objects are soon taken away because it was not fair (Condie 202), seeing as all citizens did not have one. Citizens also are allowed to choose their own clothing for special occasions. For her match banquet Cassia chooses a green dress. Although Cassia chose the dress without first looking at data, it was still the dress she would most likely pick due to the information The Society had collected on her (Condie 25). Nothing is left to chance or good judgment, but rather probability and statistics. Cassia assumed that she was acting out of character by rebelling, however, the officials ran data on her showing she may have a rebellious side. These people were able to know this before Cassia herself (Condie 245). Knowing this so far in advance allowed the officials to lower Cassia’s food servings in attempts to weaken her (Condie 350) and experimented by giving her two matches (Condie 343). The Society has fool proof systems that allows no error and only allows what they want to happen. Cassia is able to fight the system and break free. Living in The Society where information is limited to only one hundred of everything and any research is monitored, she found ways to research essential information . She also plays to The Society’s expectations while they monitor her dreams. Questioning how structured and routine The Society is, Cassia toys with the ideas of defining her own path, finding her own match and unraveling the lies about death as opposed to murder. Citizens must carry a tablet container, Cassia challenges the officials saying that the citizens are strong enough to go without the use of the tablets. With the uses of probability and knowledge the officials were able to see Cassia’s rebellious side. However, Cassia fought this, refusing to allow them to break her down by limiting her food or allowing them to use her as a puppet to do their dirty work. She wished to go beyond to find out when knowledge and power become to much. The Society becomes a totalitarian government; involving itself in all aspects of society, controlling values, and beliefs of its entire population, seeking to create the perfect society (the free dictionary). This is very similar to communist countries, where many of their freedoms are restricted and fairness is held beyond all else. These countries can show that dystopia is not only something you read about in far off fantasies. Dystopia can be in our society as well as the ones portrayed through these novels. Who is to say what dystopia is? One person’s dystopia may be another’s utopia leaving the whole genre of dystopia to personal perception. Works Cited Condie, Allyson. Matched. New York: The Penguin Croup, 2010. Print. â€Å"Totalitarian. † The Free Dictionary. Web. 05 December 2011. â€Å"Dystopias: Definition and Characteristics. † Read, Write, Think. 2006. Web. 05 December. 2011.

Seven Dimensions of Culture Essay Example

Seven Dimensions of Culture Essay Example Seven Dimensions of Culture Essay Seven Dimensions of Culture Essay In 1998, management consultants Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner published their â€Å"Seven Dimensions of Culture† model to help explain national cultural differences in organisations and to show how managing these differences in a heterogeneous business environment is a major challenge for international managers. Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner gathered data over ten years using a method that relied on giving respondents dilemmas or contrasting tendencies. Each dilemma consisted of two alternatives that were interpreted as indicators for basic attitudes and values. The questionnaire was sent to over 15,000 managers in 28 countries. At least 500 usable responses per country were received, enabling the two authors to make substantiated distinctions between national cultures. The two consultants distinguished seven connected processes formulated as dilemmas. A culture distinguishes itself from others by ‘preferring’ one side of a dilemma’s continuum. The seven, universal dimensions of cultures are: 1. UNIVERSALISM versus PLURALISM â€Å"What is more important – rules or relationships? † The degree of importance a culture assigns to either the law or to personal relationships. In a universalistic culture, people share the belief that general rules, codes, values and standards take precedence over the needs and claims of friends and other relationships. In a pluralistic culture, people see culture in terms of human friendship and intimate relationships. While rules do exist in a pluralistic culture, they merely codify how people relate to one another. 2. INDIVIDUALISM versus COMMUNITARISNISM â€Å"Do we function as a group or as individuals? † The degree to which people see themselves function more as a community or more as individuals. In a principally individualistic culture, people place the individual before the community. This means that individual happiness, fulfilment and welfare prevails and people take their own initiative and take care of themselves. In a principally communitarian culture, people place the community before the individual. Thus, it is the responsibility of the individual to act in ways which serve society. In doing so, individual needs are automatically attended. 3. SPECIFIC versus DIFFUSE â€Å"How far to we get involved? † The degree to which responsibility is specifically assigned or is diffusely accepted. In a specific culture, people first analyse the elements individually and then put them together, the whole is the sum of its parts. People’s lives are divided accordingly and, only a single component can be entered at a time. Interactions between people are very well-defined. Specific individuals concentrate on hard facts, standards and contracts. A diffusely oriented culture starts with the whole and sees individual elements from the perspective of the total. All elements are related to one another. Relationships between elements are more important than individual elements. 4. AFFECTIVITY versus NEUTRALITY Do we display our emotions? † The degree to which individuals display their emotions. In an affective culture, people display their emotions and it is not deemed necessary to hide feelings. However, in a neutral culture, people are taught not to display their feelings overtly. The degree to which feelings become manifested is therefore minimal. While emotions are fel t, they are controlled. 5. INNER DIRECTED versus OUTER DIRECTED â€Å"Do we control our environment or work with it? † The degree to which individuals believe the environment can be controlled versus believing that the environment controls them. In an inner-directed culture, people have a mechanistic view of nature; nature is complex but can be controlled with the right expertise. People believe that humans can dominate nature, if they make the effort. In an outer-directed culture, people have an organic view of nature. Mankind is viewed as one of nature’s forces and should therefore live in harmony with the environment. People therefore adapt themselves to external circumstances. 6. ACHIEVED STATUS versus ASCRIBED STATUS â€Å"Do we have to prove ourselves to receive status or is it given to us? The degree to which individuals must prove themselves to receive status versus status simply given to them. In a culture with achieved status, people derive their status from what they have accomplished. Achieved status must be proven time and time again and status will be given accordingly. In a culture with ascribed status, people derive their status from birth, age, gender or wealth. Here status is not based on achievemen t but it is accorded on the basis of the person’s being. 7. SEQUENTIAL TIME versus SYNCHRONIC TIME â€Å"Do we do things one at a time or several things at once? The degree to which individuals do things one at a time versus several things at once. Cultures developed their own response to time. Time orientation has two aspects: the relative importance cultures assign to the past, present and future, and their approach to structuring time. In a sequential culture, people structure time sequentially and do things one at a time. In a synchronic time culture, people do several things at once, believing time is flexible and intangible. Past-oriented cultures A culture that is oriented towards the past views the future as a repetition of previous events and experiences. Characteristics include: respect for ancestors and collective historical events. Present-oriented cultures A culture primarily directed to the present does not attach great value to the past or future. Instead, individuals are directed by the daily demands of every day life. Future-oriented cultures A culture concentrated on future prospects and does not deem the past as significant for future events. Planning is a major activity among individuals in this culture. The seven dilemmas help managers better understand the ‘other side’ e. g. when trying to make trans-national projects or mergers work. Better understanding reduces the number of cultural driven misunderstandings and conflicts thereby reducing coordination costs. The model helps marketers understand how consumers in different countries behave differently towards the same product. pros: Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner provided a tool to explain how national culture differs and how culture can be measured. Their research showed that cultural differences matter and that reconciling cultural differences can lead to competitive advantage to companies in consolidating / globalising industries. Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner’s model gives employees who deal with cross-cultural relations a tool/context to better understand value sets and behaviours. Trompenaars’ research shows that the way business is conducted in one part of the world is different from the way it is done in another. Culture is an important aspect in doing international business. For example, Office Depot has learned that Japanese customers do not like to buy their supplies in large, well-stocked stores that offer discount prices. Japanese prefer stores where service is personal and are willing to pay higher prices for this. cons: The model fails to recognise the influence of personal characteristics on behaviour. The model distinguishes the differences between cultures, but does not provide recommendations on how to work with specific cultures. Additional dilemmas may be added to the seven original dimensions of culture. No assurance can be given that this list is complete. Trompenaars and others such as Hofstede emphasised that companies should acknowledge the differences between the cultures in which they operate. However, other authors including Ohmae (Borderless World) and Levitt (Globalisation of Markets) argue that national borders are diminishing and that the world should be seen as a whole and not made up of different countries with different cultures. Professor Trompenaars has studied how people in specific countries resolve dilemmas. After analyzing problem resolution behaviors, Dr. Trompenaars has identified 7 basic dimensions for culture. International trade consultants and lawyers consider these cultural dimensions when designing sales strategies where buyers and sellers originate from different cultures. This is particularly true for emerging markets unaccustomed to dealing with businesspersons from so-called more developed countries. Below is a brief summary of the seven cultural dimensions. Achievement vs. Ascription In an achievement culture, people are accorded status based on how well they perform their functions. High achievers are given status in achievement-oriented countries including Austria, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. Achievers must continue to prove their worth, as status is accorded based on their actions. In an ascription culture, status is attributed based on who or what a person is. This is based on age, gender and social connections. Individualism vs. Communitarianism People make their own decisions and achieve success alone in highly individualistic countries including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and France. Emphasis is on personal responsibility and decision-making, and negotiations are made on the spot. Communitarianism is a culture like Japan that places the community before the individual. Success is achieved in groups, decisions are referred to committees and groups jointly assume responsibilities. Internal vs. External In an internalistic culture like the United States, people believe that what happens to them is their own doing. Many Asian countries have an external culture in which the environment shapes their destiny. Because they don’t believe they are in full control of their destinies, often externalistic people adapt to external circumstances. Neutral vs. Emotional In neutral cultures like Japan and the United Kingdom, emotions are held in check. People don’t show their feelings. In an emotional culture, feelings are expressed naturally and openly. People smile a great deal, talk loudly when excited and greet each other with enthusiasm. Mexico, Netherlands and Switzerland are high-emotion countries. Specific vs. Diffuse In what is called a specific culture, individuals are open to sharing a large public space with others and a small private space they guard closely and share with only friends and associates. Specific cultures like Austria, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States show a strong separation between work and private life. Invitations to public spaces are common. A diffuse culture features similarly sized public and private spaces. Like most introverts, diffuse culture people guard both spaces carefully, because entry into public space also affords entry into private space. China, Spain and Venezuela are examples of diffuse cultures where work and private life are closely linked but intensely protected. Time Orientation In sequential cultures like the United States, people tend to do one activity at a time. Appointments are strictly kept, with a strong preference for following plans. In synchronous cultures like France and Mexico, people usually do more than one activity at a time. Appointments are approximate, subject to change at any moment. Universalism vs. Particularism Universalistic countries focus more on formal rules than relationships. Nations characterized by high universalism believe that their ideas and practices can be applied worldwide without modification. Australia, Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom are universalistic countries. America is also highly universalistic, which explains why U. S. multinationals repeatedly ignore relationships in a foreign culture. For example, Starbucks unsuccessfully launched its coffee shop in China’s Forbidden City while Germans rejected Wal-Mart’s standard big box stores. Particularistic countries place more emphasis on relationships than rules. Countries that practise high particularism include China, Indonesia and Venezuela. Particularistic peoples believe that circumstances dictate how ideas and practices are applied. Therefore, ideas and practices cannot be applied the same everywhere. References This article presents independent insights based on research from International Management, Culture, Strategy and Behavior (6th edition, Hodgetts-Luthans-DOH) and Trompenaars’s Seven Dimensions of Culture.

Standard, Standardize, and Standardized

Standard, Standardize, and Standardized Standard, Standardize, and Standardized Standard, Standardize, and Standardized By Maeve Maddox A reader has asked for a discussion of the words standard, standardize and standardized: I ask because of a statement I made sometime ago, where I said, we took a standard test. But my friend thought it should have been we took a standardized test. I think Im correct since standard in this context is an adjective that qualifies the noun test. On the other hand, standardize is a transitive verb and it should convey a sense of action. However, when I surfed the internet to see how these words are used, I found a puzzling example: â€Å"There was no standardized time until train travel became common.† Would you consider this a correct way of using the word standardized? The verb standardize derives from the noun standard. Among the different meanings of the noun and the verb, these are the ones relevant to this discussion: standard noun: An authoritative or recognized exemplar of correctness, perfection, or some definite degree of any quality. standardize verb: To bring to a standard or uniform size, strength, form of construction, proportion of ingredients, or the like. Both standard and standardized function as adjectives, but with different meanings. One can speak of a â€Å"standard test† or a â€Å"standardized test,† but the two phrases do not mean the same thing. A standard test is the usual test given. For example, a â€Å"standard driving test† requires the learner to parallel-park. A â€Å"standard joke† is one that is often repeated. A â€Å"standard excuse† for not doing something is â€Å"I didn’t have time.† A  standardized test  is a  test designed, administered and scored according to specific guidelines based on a standard that has been established by some authoritative body. It’s even possible to speak of a â€Å"standard standardized test.† For example, a particular standardized test like the PARCC or ACT might be the â€Å"standard standardized test† in one state or district, but not in another. As for the phrase â€Å"standardized time,† the same sort of contextual considerations apply. One may speak of â€Å"standardized time† and â€Å"standard time.† Before train travel became common, local times, based on the sun or a locally chosen meridian, were sufficient. Once people had to plan journeys with departure and arrival times in different regions, a standardized method of telling time became necessary. The result of the nineteenth-century century standardization of time is standard time: a standard system of reckoning based on geographical time zones. Context, of course, rules, but generally speaking, standard conveys â€Å"the usual,† whereas standardized conveys something systematically designed and administered. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Writing Prompts 101One Fell SwoopApostrophe with Plural Possessive Nouns

Rhetoric & Popular Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Rhetoric & Popular Culture - Essay Example That is, our specific behaviors are the reflection of popular culture presented in advertisements, movies, television shows and magazines (Brummett). This paper aims to rhetorically analyze the pop culture related to advertisement. It will discuss pathos and logos, tone and style of DKNY Fragrance advertisement. Rhetoric analysis basically corresponds to the use of words in order to influence the audience (Brummett). This communication strategy is extensively used in marketing. Advertisement is one of the core components of marketing which builds awareness about a particular product and its distinguishing features. It plays a vital role in increasing sales through the specialized use of linguistics and visuals (Brummett). Description Let’s consider an example of DKNY Fragrance advertisement. This ad exceptionally uses the concept of rhetoric and popular culture, for instance the product name â€Å"Be Delicious: The Fragrance for Women by DKNY† is in itself very attracti ve and provoking. Moreover, the visuals consisted of colors and graphics appeals the target audience. A fair looking girl is presented with fruits around her to support the concept of deliciousness. Among the fruits the DKNY fragrance jar is placed in such a way that viewers can easily relate the natural element of fruits and the product (Fragrance). Although women tend to use a lot make up and cosmetics but they in reality want to be perceived as naturally gorgeous and refreshing. Hence the advertisement was designed using the rhetoric strategies to stimulate women’s instincts of natural beauty. The ad was initially published in Cosmopolitan Magazine which successfully drew the attention of readers while the lines actually persuaded them to purchase the product. The significantly attractive looks of the model played a major role in grasping the attention of majority viewers. In addition to this the overall theme, soft colors and use of language associated with the product we re equally convincing (Fragrance). Pathos and Logos Appeal The advertisement of â€Å"Be Delicious† was typically based upon pathos and logos. Pathos is basically an emotional appeal which is substantially used in marketing (Brummett). For instance, you must have observed many help projecting pictures of dying children in order to generate donations for poor. They are basically using the emotional appeal to drive an individual to participate in the fund raising campaigns. Similarly in the advertisement of DKNY Fragrance the name of the product â€Å"Be Delicious† actually provokes strong emotions among the target audience which persuades them to purchase the product. Pathos is not only used in words, rather the images and overall advertisement theme is a significant source of emotional appeal. For instance, the particular facial expressions of the model, arrangement of fruits and fragrance jar along with the background colors actually makes the foundations of rhetoric use in the advertisement (Fragrance). Logos, as opposed to pathos persuade people through proper reasoning and hence they are often used as logical appeal in marketing strategies (Brummett). For instance, cosmetic manufactures especially using herbal raw material emphasizes upon the health safety and long lasting effects of their products. Herbal products logically do not have any significant health hazards and this fact acts as a competitive advantage

Dreams Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dreams - Research Paper Example A study had been done to show how the lives of people can have a great effect on what and how they dream. After comparing what people go through and what they dream about, it has been determined that the events and situations that a person faces plays a big role in what they dream. A dream is a sequence of mental images, thoughts and feelings that involuntarily take place while an individual is sleeping. Sigmund Freud hypothesized the Dynamic Theory of Dream Formation to help explain what actually causes dreams to be formed. This theory states that dreams are constructed in the brain of a sleeping individual by unconscious impulses, or an incident or thought that had been silenced throughout the day that makes itself known as a underlying thought while the brain is resting. â€Å"Every dream is on the one hand the fulfillment of a wish on the part of the unconscious and on the other hand the fulfillment of the normal wish to sleep which sets the sleep going (Freud, 2003).† Rapid eye movement (REM) is a vital aspect of both sleeping and dreaming. REM is the standard stage of sleep that is distinguished by rapid movements of the eyes. This cycle of rapid eye movement contains two other categories: tonic and phasic. The rapid eye movement cycle is also characterized by low muscle tone and a swift, low voltage electroencephalography (EEG). Dominating brain waves are not present during the rapid eye movement cycle as the brain is not at its complete functioning level. In a typical night, individuals go though four or five bouts of rapid eye movement sleep, all of which totals an hour and a half to two hours at the maximum. Dreams take place during the rapid eye movement cycle as this is when the person is in the deepest of sleep. The dreams that most people are able to remember after waking up are those that are done during the rapid eye movement cycle. This is mostly due in part to the fact that it is common for people to wake up after

Psychology of nature and nurture debate Essay Example for Free

Psychology of nature and nurture debate Essay The nature and nurture debate investigates the importance of individual natural characteristics and personal experience in explaining the causes in difference in physical behavior. Then the question is; is nature more influential than nurture or vice versa. The debate explains that some behavioral traits are acquired naturally while others are acquired from experience. Physical characteristics are known to be hereditary while individual’s behavior and personality is genetic. The debate has never created boundaries yet on what within us is described by the DNA and what part is through life experience, though it’s obvious that both play great roles in molding us. The nature theory of human development states that the way people behave and think is due to genetic hereditary while the nurture theory according to scientist, the way people think and behave is as result of education; they were are trained to do. Both the theories are correct in explaining the development of human beings; â€Å"nature provides us with inborn traits and abilities and nurture takes the genetic tendencies and molds them as people learn and mature†(Fausto, 1992 p, 269). This is not the end of debate but scientists are ever trying to determine what percentage of we is molded by genes and how much by environment. Biological explanations associate human behavior with â€Å"brain structure hormones or genes†. Development of brain structure is influenced by hormones which are instructed by genes, hence our behavior are genetically molded. In some senses the exact opposite of biological essentialism is the notion that the individual is a vessel waiting for culture and environment to fill it† (Dyer, 1977 p, 330). Socialist believes that human conduct is social in origin, that is individuals learn everything from environment as they mature. Gender difference is due to training and social forces with only sex difference being inborn. Gender difference is the biological and physiological aspects of males and female that makes each group distinct from the other in all species. The gender difference in human beings could be as result of nature or environmental influence (nurture). Every time a baby is born, everybody would ask whether, a boy or a girl. This is to say that gender difference is evidenced from birth. The biological difference is associated with nature while the physiological difference in male and female is attributed to nurture. Psychologists believe that gender is influenced by environment; the way our parent, friends and relative treats us. â€Å"Our gender is consequences of the nurture we receive as children† (Deaux, 1993 p, 126). Some human attributes are nature created (physical body), others are due to nurture (naming people) while others are either natural or environmentally caused. Many theories explain differently on the causes of the difference between women and men. Evolutionary theory of sex suggests that the gender difference has long way ranging from generation inheritance and environmental variability. The gender theory advocates that boys and girls grown in different families and cultures thus they learn much on behaviors and attitude from their families and society, hence gender difference are outcome of socialization. Therefore we can conclude that gender difference is partially due to nature and to some extend environmentally instigated. From biblical readings, we learn that gender difference is God’s creation since he created a man and a woman in his likeness. Some feminist believe that gender difference is as result of discrimination of society against the female gender. Over time women have been oppressed, discriminated and harassed in many cultures. Men and women differ from each other in skills behavior and attitudes. Most cultures have molded men and women in different forms with some cultures viewing men being great than women although this views are changing with socialization. Gender difference, is evidenced as people mature and grow under various environments. Various studies show that there in greater difference between men and women in places of work, abilities and adaptations to situations. You will find that in schools boys are better than girls in certain subjects such mathematics. Researchers believe this is due to ability of student but not gender issues as it is thought to be. According to sociologist men are more aggressive, physically strong and are more likely to take risks than women. As result of men risk taking tendency you will find that their jobs are more risky than those of women. â€Å"Men are more aggression than women† (Secherpr Constantine, 1993) and men are likely to show their aggression physically than women. Some researches show that women are also aggressive but tend to show their aggression in less physical ways. In most case you find that more men are convicted in crimes especially crime with violence than women. In communication men tend to talk less in public than women. Men are shy when it comes to talking g while facing each other; that is, men to men and women to women perspective. It has been generalized that women are; emotionally expressive and responsive, more sensible to others feelings and pay a lot of attention on their bodies. Women also express more love, fear and sadness, laugh and smile more and â€Å"anticipate negative consequences for expressing hunger† (Kreeger, 2000 p, 25). On other hand men have been generalized to; express more anger, control their feelings and try to content with their feelings. Many studies have been carried out on gender difference when expressing emotions in different cultures. The difference according to many is attributed to different â€Å"social roles that women and men play in their society† (Maccoby Jacklin, 1974), status and power each group hold in their cultures. â€Å"Popular stereotype has it that women are more emotional than men† (Lippa, 2005 p, 24). Emotions people express is usually due to their relationship and interactions. Men and women tend to express varying degrees of emotions when under certain situation. Male players’ displays more masculine emotions while female players express feminine emotions† (Shields, 2000 p, 4). Women are more likely to identify others emotions fast than men. Researchers suggest that, this woman ability is more innate than caused by socialization. â€Å"Women are more accurate than men in judging emotions meaning from nonverbal cues than men† (Lippa, 2005). Nonverbal expressions include looking on eyes, lips and eyebrows. Some scientists believe this difference is due to biological explanations while others suggest it as result of organizations of roles in the society. In fact, many researches finds have found very small differences† (Deaux, 1993 p, 126). Our bodies display many biological differences in mind both in metabolism and genetic expressions. Again it’s true that there is great difference between men and women in modern society, therefore these differences should not be basis for isolation of certain group. Even though, there exist gender difference in our societies every woman is expected to behave like woman and men as men.

Corporate Average Fuel Economy Essay -- essays research papers

Corporate Average Fuel Economy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The foreshadowed Market Failures of the mid 1970's gave way to Corporate Average Fuel Economy, regulation which would call for new standards in automobile fuel efficiency. The market failures hinged on a number of outside variables which could have had a drastic effect on domestic markets.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Resource Scarcity drove the American public to call for a more efficient means of managing its resource use due to a) oil embargos on nondomestic products and b) skyhigh prices at the pump.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Conservation of the world's non-renewable resources cams to the foreground with a) higher pump prices and b) forecasted resource expenditure before the year 2000.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With Corporate Average Fuel Economy in place the market failures should be partially alleviated and pressures due to restricted international resources should subside. The regulated fuel efficiency should allow the market to resume its national flow and regain stability without further manipulation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reliance on imported fuels would be minimized because of the a) decreased demand for fuel consumption and b) lowered fuel demand allowed for domestic producers to meet the basic needs of the public.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Maximum fuel efficiency would a) cut the amount of fuel consumption thus nullifying high pump prices and b) raise the level of conservati...

Evaluation of the iPhone 5S

In the first 24 hours of the launch on September 20, 2013, Apple Inc. sold 2,750,000 iPhone 5s'. The Apple iPhone is the top sold smartphone and is continuing to control the market. The iPhone 5s is a very respected and prominent product, it is used by millions of people for many tasks like work and school. There are few things that stand out to me that I have chosen for the iPhone 5s to evaluate it in: Design, Technology, Software, and the App Store. I believe that the iPhone 5s proves itself in all of these categories, and many people would agree with me, as well as disagree.The design plays a huge role in cell phones, it has to grasp the buyers attention and make them want the product just by looking at it or by watching someone use it. The iPhone 5s does this really well, Apple engineers and designers managed to compress the technologies they made inside a space that’s a mere 7.6 millimeters thin and 112 grams light. This redesign resulted in an incredibly thin, impressive ly light, extraordinarily powerful smartphone. The engineering challenge was significant, but they succeeded in adding more to it without making iPhone 5s bigger or heavier.The iPhone began with something perfectly simple, your finger. And now Apple took touch to the next possible place with Touch ID, the fingerprint identity sensor. Your fingerprint is the perfect password, you always have it with you and no one can ever guess what it is. But beyond that, it just made sense that your phone should recognize you. It should learn you, not require you to memorize and enter passwords in order to use it. Apple also put the sensor in the best place possible, where you most commonly rest your thumb, on the Home button. It is amazing how Apple increased the speed of the iPhone 5s without decreasing the battery life, in fact, they increased the battery life.This is all true because Apple engineered a new processing chip. The A7 chip is designed around 64-bit architecture, which is a first fo r any smartphone. The move to 64-bit chip made it possible for desktop-class processing power in the palm of people’s hands. The A7 chip gives iPhone 5s the power it needs for all the capabilities it now has. It’s up to 2x faster than the previous generation in both CPU and graphics performance, it has an all-new image signal processor, and it supports OpenGL ES 3.0, which enables visual effects previously possible only on computers and gaming consoles.Even with all these performance enhancements,  A7 is still energy efficient.The new M7 coprocessor is designed to make iPhone 5s even more efficient. It offloads work from the A7 chip by collecting motion data, then Apps can use this data without constantly using the A7 chip. Because M7 is engineered for this specific task, it uses significantly less power than A7 would require, so battery life is spared.Another big role in cell phones is its features, the more there are, the more appealing it is. Apple is an outstandi ng contender in this specific criterion because they make their own advanced technology, which adds many cool feature. The iPhone 5s is precision crafted down to the micron. It has a beautiful aluminum housing, very sleek metal and glass, sapphire crystal in the Home button and more sapphire crystal protecting the iSight camera. Design and construction of this level is unmatched so the iPhone 5s looks and feels unbelievably thin and light. It is also available in three elegant colors: gold, silver, and space gray.The most prominent feature of them all is the Touch ID allowing you to use your fingerprint for your password. The iPhone 5s features advanced technologies custom designed for the iSight camera’s hardware and software. Some of these features include: larger pixels, larger sensor, continuous burst mode, true tone flash, auto image stabilization, slow motion video, live video zoom, square photos, panorama photos, and photo filters. Another cool feature is FaceTime, whi ch allows you to video chat with anyone with an Apple product anywhere in the world.The iPhone 5s' LTE is ultrafast allowing it to download and upload data at unimaginable speeds, the iPhone 5s has the fastest LTE speed for any smartphone. The App Store is a fabulous feature, it is easy and fun to use. When downloading an app, all you have to do is scan your finger on the home button and voila, it starts downloading. iCloud is a great feature because it allows you to have everything you need, anywhere you need it. iCloud allows you to have the same data between different Apple devices, which comes in handy for school if you forget something on your iPad so you can bring it up on your iPhone.Software is very important for any smartphone, and with the iPhone 5s, comes iOS 7. iOS 7 is made by Apple Inc.'s workers. They made it simpler, more useful, and more enjoyable while making it instantly familiar. Apple made  iOS 7 very simple and beautiful, they offer the right things, in the r ight place, at the right time. It seems as if it â€Å"just works† all the time, when you pick it up you already know how to use it, that's simplicity. It makes sense why they put certain features in, they put it in when it's truly useful, like the notification center or the control center.It becomes more to you than just a device, iOS 7 invites that kind of connection. Interactions are dynamic, and animations are cinematic. The experience is lively and spirited in so many different ways you wouldn't have expected. Open the Weather app, for example, and you’ll instantly understand. Hail bounces off text, and fog passes in front of it. Storm clouds come into view with a flash of lightning. Suddenly, checking the weather is like looking out a window. iOs 7 also adds a sense of dimension with several layers on the screen tilting according to how you hold it.Apps are a very important part of Apple. It makes for a great experience and fun to use with it's built in apps made by Apple. The built in apps consist of Camera, Photos, Music, Safari, Maps, Siri, Phone, FaceTime, etc. There are a total of 39 built in apps that are great from music to school. The App Store has the best selection of mobile apps, from Apple and third-party developers and they’re all designed specifically for iPhone. The more apps you download, the more you’ll realize your iPhone can do just about anything you can imagine. You can easily find apps that are relevant to your current location and browse categories of apps based on your child’s age and let the App Store update all your apps for you.Purchasing apps is now as easy as placing your finger on your iPhone. Say there’s an app you’re ready to download, with Touch ID, you simply touch the fingerprint identity sensor on the Home button, and in an instant, the App Store recognizes you and approves your transaction. So you don't need to type your Apple ID or remember your password anymore, which is amazingly easy. Shopping in the App Store is a great experience too because it’s easy to find the apps you want, and to discover new apps you didn’t even know you wanted. Browse freely by category, or shop collections of apps and games handpicked by experts. Apple reviews everything on the App Store to guard against malware, so you’re buying and downloading from a trusted source.Overall, the iPhone 5s has a great design, it has many amazing, new features, it's new software is simple and â€Å"just works† and it has plenty of apps made just for the iPhone and its technological abilities. The iPhone 5s, in my opinion, not only meets, but exceeds the criteria for a good smartphone. It is the fastest, most luxurious, easiest to use, and most technologically advanced phone on the market today.

“A Young Birch” by Robert Frost Poetry Analysis Essay

In the poem â€Å"A Young Birch†, Robert Frost establishes the futility of existence despite having beauty through the use of symbols, structure, and imagery. Although the birch tree is beautiful, its life is meaningless and its death is unavoidable. The speaker describes the birch tree’s life, but in the end, the struggles that the birch tree faced were pointless. Frost establishes the birch tree’s beauty through the use of symbols in the colour white. The colour white symbolizes beauty and purity. Frost compares the birch’s beauty to the sun’s ability to be bright. â€Å"Soon entirely white / To double day and cut in half the dark† (ll 4-5) The speaker comments on the birch’s ability, being beautiful, to make the days twice as bright, establishing the blinding beauty of the birch tree. The colour white symbolizes not only beauty, but death. Frost uses this symbolism to establish the inevitability of death. â€Å"†¦crack it’s outer sheath / Of baby green and show the white beneath† (ll 1-2) Frost uses the speaker’s comment on the growth of the birch tree to establish the beauty that was always within the tree, but also death, which is apart of every natural living being. Frost establishes the birch tree’s beauty, but also the inevitable death in his use of symbolism in the colour white. Frost establishes the futility of existence through the use of symbols. The speaker describes the growth of the birch tree through the comparison of its size to different man-made objects, the cane and the fishing pole. The cane and the fishing pole are symbols of the birch tree’s growth. â€Å"At first to be no bigger than a cane, / And then no bigger than a fishing pole,† (ll 14-15) The cane and the fishing pole also represent the birc h tree’s inevitable death. These man-made objects are made of wood, which are essentially dead trees. The speaker describes the ever-present force of death, even in the growing stages of life. Frost establishes a sense of futility in the birch tree’s growth. Frost establishes the lack of meaning in the birch tree’s life. The use of the word ornament represents the birch tree’s meaningless life, although being beautiful. This symbol establishes that the only purpose of the birch’s life is to be a beautiful object and nothing more. â€Å"To live its life out as an ornament† (ll 22) The speaker comments that the birch tree’s life is fruitless. Frost establishes the futility of existence in growing and living because of a purposeless existence through his use of symbols.  Frost establishes life and growth as futile through his use of structure. The poem, â€Å"A Young Birch†, is divided into two sections through the tense that is used, present tense and past tense, establishing that life is only a small part of existence and that death is the overpowering force. Frost uses sentence structure and length to represent the birch tree’s growth. Each sentence, with the exception of the transition sentence and concluding sentence, is slightly larger than the last. As the birch tree’s growth is described in the poem, the length of the sentences grows too. The sentence lengths reach a climax of 10 lines and it is cut short abruptly, representing the way death cuts life. Frost establishes death as dominant to life through his use of structure. Frost establishes the birch tree’s imminent death through his use of imagery. The speaker describes the sound of the birch tree breaking out of its outer cover, a stage in its maturity and growth. â€Å"The birch begins to crack its outer sheath / Of baby green and show the white beneath† (ll 1-2) The breaking out of the outer layer of the birch provides a vivid description of the birch tree’s struggles in life. Frost emphasizes the futility in the struggle of life, as death is unavoidable. Frost establishes the ever-present possibility of being killed in his vivid description of death. The speaker describes those that were killed around the birch and the ease in which the birch itself can die. â€Å"He spared it from the number of the slain.† (ll 13) The image of death emphasizes the loneliness of the birch tree, despite having beauty, and the inevitability of death in the birch tree as well. Frost establishes the vulnerability of living things and the benefit in accepting death through his use of imagery. Frost establishes the dominant nature of death to life and the lack of purpose and meaning in life. He establishes that even in growth, purity, and beauty, death is unavoidable and acceptance of death is beneficial. Frost establishes the imminent nature of death and the futility of existence in â€Å"A Young Birch† through his use of imagery, structure, and symbols.

Amino Acid Definition and Examples

Amino Acid Definition and Examples Amino acids are important in biology, biochemistry, and medicine. Learn about the chemical composition of the amino acids, their functions, abbreviations, and properties: Key Takeaways: Amino Acids An amino acid is an organic compound characterized by having a carboxyl group, amino group, and side chain attached to a central carbon atom.Amino acids are used as precursors for other molecules in the body. Linking amino acids forms polypeptides. Polypeptides may be modified and combined to form proteins.The genetic code is basically a code for proteins made within cells. DNA is translated into RNA. Three bases (combinations of adenine, uracil, guanine, and cytosine) code for an amino acid. There is more than one code for most amino acids.Amino acids are made in the ribosomes of eukaryotic cells.Some amino acids may not be made by an organism. These essential amino acids must be present in the organisms diet.In addition to making amino acids from the genetic code and obtaining them from the diet, other metabolic processes convert molecules into amino acids. Amino Acid Definition An amino acid is a type of organic acid that contains a carboxyl  functional group (-COOH) and an amine functional group (-NH2) as well as a side chain (designated as R) that is specific to the individual amino acid. Amino acids are considered to be the building blocks of polypeptides and proteins. The elements found in all amino acids are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. Amino acids may contain other elements on their side chains. Shorthand notation for amino acids may be either a three-letter abbreviation or a single letter. For example, valine may be indicated by V or val; histidine is H or his. Amino acids may function on their own, but more commonly act as monomers to form larger molecules. Linking a few amino acids forms peptides. A chain of many amino acids is called a polypeptide. Polypeptides may become proteins. The process of producing proteins based on an RNA template is called translation. Translation occurs in ribosomes of cells. There are 22 amino acids involved in protein production. These amino acids are considered to be proteinogenic. In addition to the proteinogenic amino acids, there are some amino acids that are not found in any protein. An example is the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid. Typically, nonproteinogenic amino acids function in amino acid metabolism. The translation of the genetic code involves 20 amino acids, which are called canonical amino acids or standard amino acids. For each amino acid, a series of three mRNA residues acts as a codon during translation (the genetic code). The other two amino acids found in proteins are pyrrolysine and selenocysteine. These two amino acids are specially coded, usually by an mRNA codon that otherwise functions as a stop codon. Common Misspellings: ammino acid Examples: lysine, glycine, tryptophan Functions of Amino Acids Because they are used to build proteins, most of the human body consists of amino acids. Their abundance is second only to water. Amino acids are used to build a variety of molecules and are used in neurotransmitter and lipid transport. Amino Acid Chirality Amino acids are capable of chirality, where the functional groups may be on either side of a C-C bond. In the natural world, most amino acids are the L-isomers. There are a few instances of D-isomers. An example is the polypeptide gramicidin, which consists of a mixture of D- and L-isomers. One and Three Letter Abbreviations The amino acids most commonly memorized and encountered in biochemistry are: Glycine, Gly, GValine, Val, VLeucine, Leu, LIsoeucine, Leu, LProline, Pro, PThreonine, Thr, TCysteine, Cys, C  Methionine, Met, MPhenylalanine, Phe, FTyrosine, Tyr, Y  Tryptophan, Trp, W  Arginine, Arg, RAspartate, Asp, DGlutamate, Glu, EAparagine, Asn, NGlutamine, Gln, QAparagine, Asn, N Properties of the Amino Acids The characteristics of the amino acids depend on the composition of their R side chain. Using the single-letter abbreviations: Polar or Hydrophilic: N, Q, S, T, K, R, H, D, ENon-Polar or Hydrophobic: A, V, L, I, P, Y, F, M, CContain Sulfur: C, MHydrogen Bonding: C, W, N, Q, S, T, Y, K, R, H, D, EIonizable: D, E, H, C, Y, K, RCyclic: PAromatic: F, W, Y (H also, but doesnt display much UV absorption)Aliphatic: G, A, V, L, I, PForms a Disulfide Bond: CAcidic (Positively Charged at Neutral pH): D, EBasic (Negatively Charged at Neutral pH): K, R

blacks in civil war

blacks in civil war Essay Slavery was abolished in this country over a hundred years ago but the consequences of this dark page in Americas history are felt even today. This site was created to address those consequences, the political, social and cultural life of todays and yesterdays African Americans. What affect did the Civil War have on African Americans in the United States? Were they, as some argued, better off before the Civil War, or do the advances that blacks have made since then proved that the Civil War was indeed the turning point in the lives and opportunities of African Americans? These questions and more will be addressed in the following pagesWhen slaves were purchased off the ships from Africa, they ended up on plantations. The size and location of landholdings depended on the crop and the owner who purchased the slave. Most plantations were of the smaller variety and it was rare for an owner to have more than 20 slaves. Most housed only a handful of slaves, but no matter what the numbers, plantation life was pretty much the same for most slaves. Slaves were usually divided into two groups, the gang crew (usually male and did the field work) and the task crew (usually female and worked in the big house). The workday began around sunrise and always ended before dark except at busy times such as harvest. Slaves were not worked after dark for a number of reasons. First, the owners feared that escape would be easier; second, working after dark was considered an unwarranted burden on the slave; lastly, they believed that it impeded efficiency by reducing the hours of sleep the slave received. This is not to say the slave owners were compassionate. They saw the slaves not as humans but a business investment and only wanted to protect that investment. Slaves were not required to work on Sunday, as it was denounced as irreligious and a flagrant violation of the slaves deserved day of rest. However, they worked every other day, rain or shine. A reasonable days work meant a dai ly chore that while not back-breaking required a brisk pace to finish. Although whites believed that slaves could neither do as much nor continue to work as long as whites, both crews worked anywhere from 12-14 hours a day, with an hour or so for lunch at midday.After a long day in the field or the masters house, slaves were allowed to return to their families, a family much different than those African Americans enjoy today. For the most part, marriages were arranged. To couples in arranged marriages, the idea of falling in love and having children was not even considered. Most slave owners agreed that ideally slave unions should be among the slaves on the same plantation and that marriage should be a way of breeding and promoting morality. The master would most often officiate at the wedding. They were then sent off to their quarters for a couple hours alone together. It was not unusual, and indeed expected, for slave women to have a child every year. Indeed it was not unheard of for slave women to have 25 children in the span of their lives, usually beginning to give birth at 12 or 13 years of age. These children rarely lived with their parents past the age of eight or nine. At this time they were either sold to another plantation or moved into the womens or mens quarters. Some states had laws forbidding taking children nine or under from their mothers, but this law was often ignored and rarely enforce d. All in all, the lack of recognized marriage ties and the constant separation of families through sale, made the slave family a temporary and fly-by-night affair, destined for broken hearts and the auction block. READ: My Life in Milwaukee, Wisconsin EssayScholars generally agree that although slaves were considered something less than human, they were valuable property and thus often lived better than free families. The average slave quarters housed 5.3 persons and consisted of dirt floors, boarded windows, and were usually made of logs. Adult males clothing consisted of four shirts, four pairs of pants, and one or two pairs of shoes. Adult women were issued four dresses per year, and headkerchiefs. Rarely, plantation owners also issued such items as petticoats, socks, underwear, jackets and overcoats. It is also believed that some slaves were allowed to earn a little money outside of the plantation and used this money to supply some of their clothing needs. In 1861 the Civil War began, and African Americans would never be the same again. At first, many whites did not want to arm blacks for fear the blacks would rise against them. As the war raged on and thousands of lives were lost, it became more and more obvious that allowing blacks to fight was the correct course of action. Once blacks were permitted to fight, they did so bravely and with honor. The black man went into the war with one determination, that once learning the use of arms, he would never be again made a slave. This idea created a drive to succeed where others failed, the desire to advance and procure their freedom was all the incentive needed. It is often said that these men were the bravest group ever to fight a war. They were never known to flee the scene of a battle, it was, rather, as much as the white officers could do to restrain them till the order to fire was given. In the end, the Civil War was worth it, for the Emancipation Proclamation was signed into law by A braham Lincoln in 1863 procuring the eventual release of millions of slaves. Blacks were finally free, but a new and difficult challenge awaited them. Family life and living conditions did not change much after the war. However, there were some differences: marriages were recognized and legal, and families could live without the fear of being separated by the sale of another family member. Most African Americans lived in small shacks that were provided for them by the plantation owner that they had a sharecropping agreement with. The shacks were one room houses that were in poor condition and non-insulated. Often, they only had three walls. Most of the families who lived in these shacks consisted of an average of four to five persons. There were also many couples who lived together and were not married. Families relied on their food, clothing, and health care from the plantation owner. Children of African American families were largely uneducated, as there were few schools for the c olored. Few opportunities existed for them to enrich or better their lives or conditions. WORKING CONDITIONSThe vast majority of African Americans in the South following the Civil War worked for the same plantation owners who they had previously called Master. They worked under a condition known as sharecropping. In January 1865, General William T. Sherman issued Special Field Order No. 15, setting aside the Sea Islands Off the Georgia coast and a portion of the South Carolina low-country rice fields for the exclusive settlement of freed people. Each family would receive forty acres of land and the loan of mules from the armythe origin, perhaps, of the famous forty acres and a mule idea that would soon capture the imagination of African Americans throughout the South (Faragher, 514). In this arrangement, the sharecropper would work a given section of plantation land. At the end of the harvest season, the owner would give the worker his share of the crop. Unfortunately for the African Americans, this ideal arrangement almost never worked out as it was designed due to manip ulation of the system by the owner. During the year, the owner provided the worker and his family with housing, as described earlier, food, clothing, and medical care. Then the owner would make the worker pay for these services using his part of the harvest. More often than not, the worker ended up with nothing. Also, there was no system of verification for the worker. When the owner presented the worker with his share of the harvest, the worker had to take the word of the owner that it was the actual share agreed upon.

Company Capabilities and Value Chain of IKEA Case Study

Company Capabilities and Value Chain of IKEA - Case Study Example A USP is defined as a cutting edge or a differentiation that separates one product or service from its competition. This, however, does not imply that the other products do not sell in the market. In a market, there are several products, each with a differentiation, each with a cutting edge – each having a separate USP associated, and the admirers of the particular benefit are retained by that product/service or brand. For example, in many regions, COKE is stronger in taste compared to PEPSI, and therefore, individuals having taste for stronger beverages prefer COKE, while others go for PEPSI. The critical point in this discussion is that both products sell, and sell well. This way, the capability of a firm to develop a USP has turned on its sale volumes. Subsequently, moving backward in the value chain, when a supplier sees the manufacturer doing well, the supply chain strengthens itself in terms of its operations and processes. Other than the operations in the value chain, t he operations within the manufacturing unit have also illustrated a positive impact. Some authors associate this feel like a current flowing in a wire; it becomes similar to the capabilities flowing back to where it is supplied. The ideas, values are engraved in the roots of the organization and from there, it circulates to all parts of an organization and the business itself indulges in boosting its unique edge for its customer values. Following is the discussion of the IKEA case that depicts a classic example of the same. Fundamentally, IKEA is all about the furniture of various sorts and types and kinds.