Monday, September 30, 2019

Impact of War, Conflict & Terrorism on the UPS Essay

If there is a war and NATO decides that the UK needs to provide direct military action then the British Army will have to be prepared. War affects the army as an organisation because it means they will lose soldiers and have to retrain new ones. An example of this would be the crash of Nimrod XV230 which killed everyone on board, that highlighted the cost-pressure of the war. The training and recruiting of troops is expensive enough but to constantly sustain the high amount of soldiers that is required in a war such as Afghanistan it comes with great financial struggles, some soldiers have even had to do multiple tours in Afghanistan. Financial cuts are just getting more severe as well, in 2010 there were 102,000 trained personnel ready to support the UK but by the year 2020 there is only going to be 82,000. With this come more struggle and a more intense battle for any soldier fighting in a war in the future. Providing soldiers for a war also puts strain on welfare officers as they are the ones who have to deal with helping the wounded, grieving families and children who have lost fathers. Because the UK have had to provide such a strong army for many years now and have lost so much funding it means that they can’t afford to keep on anyone who is badly injured and those who claim compensation will not receive anything near what they may have in the past, this will directly affect the economy as these injured soldiers may not be able to return to a civilian job and will claim benefits. The war in Afghanistan caused the army to be equipped with a lot of new high tech equipment in a really short space of time, this meant they had to operate and maintain this equipment which weighs down logistics and is very costly in the long run. It seems that the more war the UK Army has to deal with the more money it is costing them, and with that comes setbacks and redundancies. This could lead to a lack of morale from the service men and women as they are being asked to do more but for fewer advantages. Another key issue from personnel at war besides physical injuries would be the mental damage they suffer. Statistics from the MOD show that between April and June 2013 there was 1367 new cases of  personnel suffering with a mental disorder in the Armed Forces, putting them at the highest amount of mental disorder sufferers than any of the other services. That’s just within a three month period, and with Afghanistan tours running every six or ninth months it just seems that number will rapidly heighten. Overall it seems the main impact the British Army suffers from when it comes to War is the financial cut backs. They are expected to do so much and constantly provide strong soldiers yet they aren’t seeing much in return. CONFLICT Conflict undercuts or destroys environmental, physical, human and social capital, destroying all available opportunities for a sustainable development. So saying that makes it clear that it is going to directly affect the well-being of the British Army because it results in the loss of lives and in some cases human rights. It is said that the British Army has been involved in some form of conflict for around 100 years now, so you could almost say it’s just part of the job and something you have to deal with. But similar to war, conflict has its effects, mentally and physically. There is a thin line between what makes a war and what makes a conflict therefore the effects are very similar, just the effects of a war would be on a much larger scale. Constant conflict is a burden for the UK army as it takes time away from training and puts pressure on troops to be sent out on a mission before they are ready. In some cases soldiers only have 6 months training before they are deployed somewhere, whereas others take part in training for a much longer period in time before sent anywhere. Conflict will also increase the stress levels within the British army which can lead to more serious problems such as extreme physical and emotional exhaustion. There is also the obvious factor that conflict can lead to war if it gets out of hand, which then would lead back to all the affects war has on the Army. Overall it seems that conflict affects the British Army in the exact same ways that a War does however just not on such a grand scale. TERRORISM Terrorism directly affects the British Army as they have to actively engage in counter-terrorism operations across the world. The main reason the British Army sends troops out to Afghanistan is to get rid of the Taliban regime and Al Qaeda, a well-known terrorist organisation. The British Army  enforces anti-terrorism alongside providing humanitarian aid. Not only does the British Army have to get rid of Al Qaeda but they also have to make sure they cannot return, this is a tough and time consuming task that has seen the death of many service personnel. Reference: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/15212871 https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/285196/30_june_2013.pdf http://www.unep.org/dewa/Africa/publications/AEO-2/content/203.htm http://www.army.mod.uk/operations-deployments/operations-deployments.aspx http://www.army.mod.uk/documents/general/Your_Guide_to_the_Intelligence_Corps.pdf

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Elizabeth and Akbar: the Religion of the Ruler

Kenneth Wolfe: â€Å"Elizabeth and Akbar: The Religion of the Ruler† Kenneth Wolfe states that in 1530, the people of the country would follow their rulers religion in order to bring peace. This brought conflict among the country dividing it into states. How important was following your rulers religion? Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) and Emperor Abu-ul-Fath Jalal-ud-Din Muhammad Akbar of Muhgal India (1534-1606) answer that question. Elizabeth and Akbar, once in power, were determined to bring peace among their country by being the foundation of their country. They used their militaries to take control. Elizabeth was born Protestant and had several struggles throughout her lifetime; her being a â€Å"bastard† and the deatyhs of her loved ones. Elizabeth invented a â€Å"Religious Settlement† that made England a Protestant country. Elizabeth tried to make a church that was both a doctrine and had appearance of the religions. Queen Elizabeth was able to resist a religious civil war unlike many other countries, and her sister. Elizabeth became fondly remembered through her religious settlements and skills creating loyalty towards her and is remembered by all England’s generations. The Mughal Emperor Akbar also experienced a troubled youth. His tutor taught him â€Å"universal peace† which is what he followed when he came into power. Akbar was a brutal warrior, but also known to be very spiritual. He was known to be â€Å"powerful, magnetic, and inspiring†. After Akbar inherited the Mughal Empire it expanded from all of north and central India which consisted of Muslim and Hindu people. Akbar needed a large army to contain his empire. He was known to be a skilled military leader and married Hindu princesses. He began to end taxing, and enslaving Hindu’s as they made their pilgrimage to the many shrines of India. And in 1564 he stopped taxing all Islamic countries. Akbar’s religion began to change as he began to make pilgrimages to his shrine every year and even built a new capital, Fatephur-Sikri. Akbar ended up having 3 sons, predicted by Shakih Salim and named to first after him. Akbar was deeply religious by nature and experienced a â€Å"ecstasy† during a royal hunt. In 1582 Akbar invented the â€Å"Divine Faith† which made the people dedicate their life and honor to Akbar. Akbar’s leading civil and military appointees are known as mansabdars. They were loyal to the ruler and were assigned revenue. Akbar later divided his empire into 12 large provinces which were lead by a governor. This helped keep order among the Mughal Empire. Akbar’s religious changes and mahzar caused a revolt which he was able to control. He respected the non-Muslims by â€Å"universal peace†. The Mughal Empire lasted long due to the fact that Muslims do not rule over Hindu’s and vice-versa (universal peace). Elizabeth and Akbar were able to retain power by respecting all their countries religions and by bring peace. I would have to agree with Kenneth Wolfe at the fact that Elizabeth and Akbar both retained power by using peace. Although, I believe Elizabeth had contained her country better then Akbar because she did not favor any religion even though she was Protestant. Akbar, although he was Muslim, favored the Hindus. Queen Elizabeth did a better job by containing religious civil wars unlike Akbar who had a revolt. I believe over all that both Elizabeth and Akbar did a great job ruling and bringing religious peace among their country.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Case Problem Stateline Shipping and Transport Company Essay

Case Problem Stateline Shipping and Transport Company - Essay Example Polychem has six sites that are available to pick waste of Stateline. Polychem then would like Stateline to transport the waste for disposal to any of the or one of the three sites. Stateline has to transport the waste to the site and incur costs for the same (Bernard, 2010). In order to do so, Rachel needs to see what the less costly shipping routes are. This is basically the transportation problem for the issue such as cost minimization. The problem face by the company is that it has six collection centers from where the company wishes to pick up the waste and transport it to the nearest three disposable centers which should be at a minimum cost. The following below table summarizes the costs from the collection centers to the disposable sites. Since the company has the option to drop and load back at certain points i.e. plant or disposal center without any extra cost, we can find roots in this model too. It is considered to be cheap to drop and load back at intermediate places then shipping them directly. The company will enjoy the cost advantage by dropping the waste at a certain intermediate points as described in the below table. All such roots with the lowest cost are given in the following table. Using the original problem the minimum cost of the company without using any intermediate comes out to be $2822. But by using some intermediate points the original problem was modified and solves once again to check the minimum cost. The results showed that by using intermediate points and the new model caused a reduction in the transportation costs. The cost was reduced to $2630. In order to achieve this company must follow the following transportation roots as described above. Waste from the Kingsport to duras should be transported to Macon first and then Macon to Duras. Waste from the Macon to Los Canos should be carried to Selma first and then from Selma to Los Canos. Waste from Selma to White water should be carried to Columbus first and

Friday, September 27, 2019

Marriott International Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marriott International - Essay Example It should be noted that the company tries to occupy different positions on the mind of each customer through its different product lines. After looking at its different positioning strategy, this paper will identify the strategic issues or risks faced by the organization. Lastly, it will also offer recommendations based on the conducted analysis. Marriott International offers an extensive array of accommodation products and services. The company's products range from affordable to luxurious lodging. It can be deduced that the company provides customers with the most basic accommodation packages at lower prices while it also excels in offering the luxury of value added services and fulfilling even the unfulfilled wishes of their guests. Marriott International's portfolio is composed of 16 brands: Marriott's Hotels and Resorts; JW Marriott Hotels and Resort; Renaissance Hotels and Resorts; Courtyard; Residence Inn; Fairfield Inn; Marriott Conference; TownePlace Suites; SpringHill Suites; Marriott Vacation Club International; Horizons; Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company; Ritz-Carlton Club; Marriott Execustay; Marriott Executive Apartment; and Grand Residences (Mariott International 2006). These various brands are marketed using different marketing mixes. However, it can be seen that Marriott International generally uses five major strategies-cost leadership, differentiation, focused cost leadership, focused differentiation, and integrated cost leadership and differentiation. It should be noted that Marriott pursue cost leadership in its Fairfield Inn brand which provides "consistent quality lodging at an affordable price." Differentiation is applied to its luxury brand Ritz Carlton and JW Marriott. It should be noted these hotels offer plain accommodation services but "experiences." Focused differentiation is applied to Marriott Vacation Club, ExecuStay, and Renaissance which accommodates a narrow segment of the market by offering highly differentiated service. The company employs focused cost leadership through its SpringHill Suites. Much of its product line banks on integrated cost leadership and differentiation like Courtyard and TownePlace Suites. The sales trend of Marriott International proves that both corporate and business unit strategies of the firm are working for its benefit. Right now, the company boasts of recording approximately $20 billion. Even though Marriott occupies different places in the mind of its customers, the company was able to strengthen its competitive position through its aggressive marketing efforts. The company was able to avoid confusion by strategically designing marketing mixes which clearly delineates one brand from the other. This was done by differentiating the products, promotion, and price strategies for each brand. What is notable though is Marriott's strong commitment in extending excellent service to its guests. The company often differentiates its products not only on the unique lodging designs and features but also on the service extended by its staff. Marriott banks on its capacity of knowing the needs and wants of its clientele. The company's aggressive effort of instilling unique f eatures to its products in its entire portfolio really paid off. 3.0 Recommendation Since

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Managing Financial Resources Cafe Restaurant Essay

Managing Financial Resources Cafe Restaurant - Essay Example The following should be included in the capital expenditures: equipment for accounting purposes such as calculator or computer , cash register , and credit card machine; utensils for the use by customers such as forks, spoons, and knives; other furnishing and appliances such as a CD player for background music, trash baskets, flower pots and decorations, toilet fixtures, special lighting, and display shelves (refrigerated and non-refrigerated);safety equipment such as intrusion and smoke detectors; and of course , a sign that says "Jana's Caf" or something similar. Capital expenditures like these are durable goods used over a long period of time by the business and their costs are depreciated or amortised over their useful lives which can last more than one year. Some restaurants businesses consider utensils as revenue expenditure if these get lost frequently and need to be replaced. Revenue expenditures are the costs of running the business and should include government permits and fees, taxes, utilities such as power/light and water; building dues and fees; repair and maintenance of equipment and furnishings; office supplies such as paper, pens, and receipts; salaries of staff, and uniforms of serving staff, if any. If they borrow from a bank, they also have to pay bank interest. (2000, 000 CZK).

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 101

Discussion - Essay Example Enormous social gap developed between peons and political leaders. Native workers received substandard wages and were forced to pay head taxes to the colonial regimes. In addition, agricultural village communities integrated into wider regional and global economic patterns, and because few peasants had enough capital to own and manage land, much of the land fell into hands of colonial settlers. So, labor and capital were thus disconnected from the moral economy (Scupin, 300). Because of stifling the economic development a monocultural dependency was created, which made almost impossible for these nations to develop diversified resources for the international market. Another appeared problem is that the internal market was rather limited for their products, as their own societies lack a consuming middle class. That is why these societies remained peripheral, developing as expert platforms (BÃ ©rtola, 35). Nevertheless, colonialism had a positive effect, as it gave way to political movements based upon nationalism and independence. These movements represented anticolonial sentiments and resulted in creating many new countries (Scupin, 319). But still many regions remain devastated and underdeveloped because their economies are heavily dependent on the wealthy core countries and people through these countries have to adapt their traditional social and cultural mechanisms adjusting to effects of

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Managerial Accounting Practices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Managerial Accounting Practices - Essay Example ng on the other side provide information that is of pivotal importance for management to make day to day decisions as well as to set their long term strategy. When financial accounting provides standardized reports to external stakeholders, management accounting enables accountants to provide information for each and every level of management, from section supervisor to department heads. â€Å"Management accounting is concerned with the provisions and use of accounting information to managers within organizations, to provide them with the basis in making informed business decisions that would allow them to be better equipped in their management and control functions (wikipedia, 2007)†. The purpose of managerial accounting is to provide management with the information that holds key importance in strategic planning, directing and motivating employees and evaluating and controlling organizational performance. It provides basis for decision making for future activities. Reports are prepared for each and every segment of department so that the department heads and section managers may know exactly about their department’s performance and can reward or take controlling measures for their employees. Managerial accounting provides data to enable management of making budgets which are a part of their planning process. Budgets help management know exactly of their current state of resources and their future use in various activities from day to day operations to expansion projects. Daily sales report generated by management accountants or daily production reports help management analyze the efficiency of various department. Comparisons between the standard and the actual help management to know about the current and required status of their business activities and counter measures can be taken if found deviating from standards. Managerial accounting’s ability to provide basis for controlling measures lays ground for key performance measures for an organization.

Monday, September 23, 2019

The Meaning of Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Meaning of Life - Essay Example In my understanding, an absurd man should live freely and not within the limits of any rules. The world is indescribable (due to its chaotic nature) hence everyone is free to describe absurd art in his/her own way. In order What is the meaning of life? This is the most fundamental question for everyone, from the complicated philosopher to a 5 year old child. All the other queries, whether the sun goes around the moon or not and if there is life on other celestial bodies come second to the purpose of existence. What some refer to as their reason for living also serves as their reason for death. For example, many there are many reports of people committing suicide from losing their loved ones. Others like Jesus’ disciples willingly chose death over giving up their Christianity. Suicide, on the other hand, results from the realization of the lack of purpose of one’s life. Everyone looks towards tomorrow with hope and death in the juxtaposition. As Bertrand Russell stated, â€Å"†¦all the labors of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness of human genius, are destined to extinction in the vast death of the solar system, and the whole temple of man's achievement must inevitably be buried beneath the debris of a universe in ruins†¦only on the firm foundation of this unyielding despair, can the soul?s habitation henceforth be safely built† (Bertrand Russell). In the pursuit of a purpose for existence, there are only two conclusions; there is no meaning in life and the purpose of life lies only in the hands of God who exists beyond physicality. Still, from the first conclusion arises another query; does the lack of meaning in life mean that it is not worth living? If ‘yes’ is the answer to this question, suicide is the next action logical to take. There, however, arises a third option; what if a person accepts to pursue a life with no purpose? A person who lacks faith in a supernatural deity can never find any reconciliation with the absurdity of life and those who claim to do so, only end up committing ‘philosophical suicide’. In philosophical suicide, a person acknowledges the lack of order and meaninglessness of the world yet at the same time, tries to assign himself or any other member of humanity a purpose in life. Living in absurdity (accepting the meaninglessness of life) is possible but requires constant awareness of its presence. Examples of abstract lives, those lived by seducers who engage in the short term passions of life and actors who impersonate numerous personalities. In an absurd life, one does not try to explain the purpose of his/her experiences, but simply enjoys life’s freeness like NikoKzantzakis when he said, -â€Å"As I watched the seagulls, I thought: â€Å"That?s the road to take; find the absolute rhythm and follow it with absolute trust† (Nikos Kzantzakis). Is there any importance in the question? Everyone, wheth er consciously or not, has an insatiable appetite to know the truth of this unfamiliar existence. As T.S. Eliot stated, "We shall not cease from our exploration and the end of all

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Psy 104 Final Paper Essay Example for Free

Psy 104 Final Paper Essay Classical conditioning is a developmental theory introduced by a man by the name of Ivan Pavlov. Ivan Pavlov was born on the 26th of September in 1849 in a town called Ryazan in the country of Russia. Ivan Pavlov’s father was a priest and Ivan was the oldest out of 11 children. When Ivan was seven years old he had an accident where he fell from a balcony onto his head. Because of the injuries he sustained from the fall Ivan had a hard time with academics and was kept out of school till he was eleven years old. Ivan Pavlov went to college at St. Petersburg University and was originally going to school for science but since he was bad at math he decided to go for physical science. He ended his schooling in the Academy of Medicine. Before Ivan Pavlov went on to develop his theory of classical conditioning â€Å"In 1904 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for his researches into the neural mechanism by which the secretion of gastric juices was stimulated. † (Harre, 2006) Classical Conditioning is a process of behavior modification by which a subject comes to respond in a desired manner to a previously neutral stimulus that has been repeatedly presented long with an unconditioned stimulus that elicits the desired response. Ivan Pavlov liked to test his theories out on animals mainly dogs. An explanation of his studies with dogs is â€Å"In this type of learning, a neutral stimulus is paired with a stimulus that naturally elicits a response. For instance, a lab coat would not ordinarily bring any response—it is a neutra l stimulus; food naturally elicits a salivary response. When the lab coat is paired with the food repeatedly and learning is complete, the lab coat is no longer neutral. The dog has learned to associate the lab coat with food, even when no food is present. The former neutral stimulus (lab coat) now elicits the response (salivation) even in the absence of the original stimulus (food)† (Mossler, 2011) Another example of classical conditioning is â€Å"John B. Watson and his assistant, Rosalie Raynor, invented a different version. They quickly taught an infant named Little Albert to fear a white rat by banging a loud gong just behind the tot whenever the rat appeared. After just seven gongs, Little Albert was scared to death of the same rat he had played with before the training began. His fear was so great that it generalized to other furry objects, including a Santa Claus mask. (Johnston, 1999) The Second developmental theory I will be discussing is Jean Piaget’s cognitive theory. Jean Piaget was born on the 9th of August in 1896 in Switzerland. His father was a professor of medieval literature at the University of Neuchatel. Jean Piaget was originally interested in zoology and by the age of 15 he had written several artic les on mollusks. Jean Piaget went to the same university that his father taught which was the University of Neuchatel and he also studied at the University of Zurich for a small amount of time. Jean Piaget changed his interest of oology. â€Å"Piaget’s interests turned to child cognitive development while working to standardize tests for schoolchildren. At this time, he witnessed a pattern among children’s correct and incorrect answers, leading him to develop a theory of the stages of understanding through which a child’s cognition passes. He quickly established a clinical method of study, involving not only observation but also verbal interaction with the child subjects of his research. Piaget’s writings on the subject attracted much attention initially and then fell into obscurity for many years. Upon publishing detailed analyses of his work involving his three children, his work once again received wide recognition in the field† (Edinburgh University Press, 2005) Jean Piaget’s theory was his idea that children learned through stages which each one was crucial into leading the child into the next stage of development. Jean Piaget’s theory was broken down into four stages. Those stages are sensorimotor stage, preoperational stage, concrete operations, and formal operations. Each stage is very important to the development of a child and I will explain each one. The sensorimotor stage is the first stage of Jean Piaget’s theory in which† infants gain cognitive understanding primarily through their senses and movements, which are coordinated through reflexes. † (Mossler, 2011) The second stage of Jean Piaget’s theory is the preoperational stage which lasts from ages two to seven. This is the stage where children begin to acknowledge the world through mental structures and symbols. Children learn to play make believe and learn to speak whatever language they are being taught by their parents. They use inadequate logic because at this time they can only view things with one perspective. The third stage of Jean Piaget’s theory is called concrete operations which lasts between the ages of seven and twelve. This is the stage where a child’s thought is guided by logic and they have learned to view things from multiple perspectives. The fourth and final stage is called formal operations. This stage lasts through adulthood and is the stage where children begin to learn complex forms of thought such as being able to hypothesize, think of complicated plans, and accurately predict outcomes. An example of Jean Piaget’s theory is â€Å"in order to understand behavior and outcomes, an infant may experiment by throwing food. The infant gets to understand how the explosion of food behaves as well as the potential explosion by parents. Because adolescents have more sophisticated cognition, they can understand the consequences of throwing food—both what it might look like and the reaction of others—without actually experimenting with the behavior. † (Mossler, 2011) The third and final developmental theory I will be discussing is Albert Bandura’s social-cognitive theory. Albert Bandura was born on the 4th of December in 1925 in Mundare, Alberta, Canada. Albert Bandura went to college at the University of British Columbia where he got into psychology by accident because he had no classes in the morning so he decided to take a psychology class. He got his B. A in psychology. Albert Bandura then went to get his M. A at the University of Iowa Social Cognitive theory is a theory that states that portions of an individuals knowledge acquisition can be directly related to observing others within the context of social interactions, experiences, and outside media influences. What I am trying to say is, people do not learn new behaviors solely by trying them and either succeeding or failing, but rather, the survival of humanity is dependent upon the ability of people imitating and replicating the actions of others. Depending on whether people are rewarded or punished for their behavior and the outcome of the behavior, that behavior may be imitated. An example of Albert Banduras social cognitive theory is â€Å"study influences on aggressive behavior in children, during which children were shown to imitate, without prompting or incentive, aggressive adult behavior towards a large blow-up doll (Bandura et al. 961). This raised fears that have never been resolved that children might mimic aggressive or violent behavior seen on television. † (Walker, 2007) Another example is â€Å"In his classic study using children who watched adult models punch Bobo dolls, Bandura demonstrated that humans could learn simply by observation. That is, he showed that re inforcement was not always a factor in eliciting behavior. Instead, we know that children also learn by modeling (or imitating) the behavior of others. Imitation partly explains how babies learn to smile, children learn to do cannonballs in a pool, or adults learn to behave in a new environment without being reinforced. † (Mossler, 2011) The difference between classic conditioning and the social cognitive theory is that instead of using associations, reinforcement, and punishment to make someone do something or not do something the social-cognitive theory is teaching people to do things through observation and imitation. The difference between Jean Piaget’s theory and the others that I have wrote about are the fact that he believes that things we be learned without being shown that they will eventually acquire the skills through stages. Another difference between classical conditioning and the social cognitive theory is the need for social interaction with other people. Classical conditioning does not require one human interacting or observing but the social cognitive theory requires it. There are not many similarities between classical conditioning, cognitive theory and, the social cognitive theory. The only similarity I could find is that they are all learning based. In conclusion classical conditioning, social cognitive theory and, cognitive theory are some of the most common developmental theories. Though they may not be that similar a lot of the developmental theories are sometimes ideas that branch off from other theories. I am sure fifty years from now there will be knew theories that come out that can better explain the development of humans physically, mentally and, emotionally. I say that because the social environment changes all the time with new trends and fads and acceptance of things that were once taboo. Reference Mosser, K (2011), Child and adolescent development. Bridgepoint Education, Inc BANDURAS THEORY. (2006). In Elseviers Dictionary of Psychological Theories. Retrieved from http://www. credoreference. com. proxy-library. ashford. edu/entry/estpsyctheory/bandura_s_theory JEAN PIAGET. (2005). In Key Thinkers in Linguistics and the Philosophy of Language. Retrieved from http://www. credoreference. com. proxy-library. ashford. edu/entry/edinburghthinkl/jean_piaget Walker, J, (2007) Psychology for Nurses and the Caring Professions (3rd Edition) Retrieved from

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Abortion Essay Introduction Essay Example for Free

Abortion Essay Introduction Essay Termination of fetus before death of the child can be defined as Pro-abortion. In the case of Roe Vs Wade, the Supreme Court had given its decision allowing the abortions in the first six months of pregnancy of period. Pro-abortion is a right of the women. The abortion is legalized from January 22, 1973 in all fifty states of Unites States. The Rose Vs Wade is foundation for pro-abortion in United States. The women rights groups and pro-abortion supporters welcomed the decision. But some of the opponents started the pro-life movement demanding abortion restrictions. Before 1973 abortion is not subject to United States constitution law. It was the matter for the individual states. So abortion was illegal if it is made after four months of pregnancy. Due to the efforts of American Medical Association anti-abortion laws have been come into force around 1900. Â  With the familiar case of Roe Vs Wade where a woman challenged the Texas laws, the U.S.Supreme Court made the following conclusions: 1. The abortion law not belongs to state issue and it is subject to Constitution of United States i.e. federal constitutional law. 2. The procurement of abortion was a constitutional right. Previous to the Roe Vs Wade, majority states in the United States of America prohibited the abortion with an exception when the life of women in threat. But the Supreme Court allowed in the case of Roe Vs Wade that woman has constitutional right for the pro abortion of first six of pregnancy. The pro-abortion would be safer and involve less complication. It is noticed that at about 89% abortions performed in the United States during 1995. All such abortions under taken in the early stage only i.e. with in the first 12-13 weeks after the last menstrual period. Since early days, the abortion was illegal and it is recommended only when life of mother is in danger. Later on the legislation developed as woman has constitutional right for the abortion of first six months of pregnancy. Accordingly the Supreme Court also given judgment stating that States could restrict the abortions of last 3 months of pregnancy. Here the last 3 months period is crucial stage, where the life fetus will be developed.

Friday, September 20, 2019

History And Structure Of English English Language Essay

History And Structure Of English English Language Essay The intriguing question, whether language and culture have something to do with each other was the propellant behind this research. Defining language as a exclusively human entity for communication using sophisticated variables and culture as the know-how required for smooth subsistence in a society, the Sapir-Whorf Hypotheses has been studied with evidence collected from my Mother tongue [Malayalam] in relation to English. Doctrines of linguistic relativism [language does not impose but influences thought process i.e. language predisposes the mindset towards a specific world reality] and linguistic determinism [language determines the categories of thought i.e. perception is at the mercy of language] have been captured with citations from literary texts of renowned linguists and have been subjected to the penetrating light of analysis with the evidence collected in terms of categories of language like gender, religion, time etc. The research has led to conclusions which support the theses at its weaker level and establish the one to one relation existing between the two subjects in question. The concerns of translation have been addressed briefly along with posing the debate of deterministic approachs viability to the readers discretion. Accepting the influence of language and culture to great extent, the paper tries to show how perception shapes up under the two with research proof and theories supporting the same in background. Key Terms Language Culture Sapir-Whorf Hypotheses Linguistic Relativism Linguistic Determinism Translation Categories 1. Introduction Language, unique to mankind, which is the method of relaying thoughts by the use of signs, can be analyzed in wake of its connection to culture which is itself a diverse entity constituting knowledge, traditions, values, art, rituals and much more that are provided by the historical, environmental and psychological dimensions of human exposure which a person acquires as being part of the society. There seems to be a one to one correspondence between sounds, words and sentences in a specific language and the manner in which the user of that language perceives the world around him/her. A well acknowledged hypothesis is to treat language as a free channel for the relay of ideas as it does not obstruct transparent ideas from being transmitted. Structuralists considered language as sound entwined with systematic thought as language less thought was similar to uncharted nebula. There exists no distinction nor an idea before language was conceived. But this has been challenged later by ling uists, who have defined language as comprising a kind of logic or type of reference which is the key in shaping the speech communitys ideas. The diversity in vocabulary of two languages can be linked to the diverse ideas and opinions presented in the two languages .While considering culture in a larger horizon it are imperative to think what it inculcates. So culture therefore can be treated as what an individual should know as to perform effectively in the social structure of a society and that the result of this involvement in different aspects doesnt in any way have something to do with biological characterization. Illustrating the bond between language and culture can be done easily by reflecting upon the Sapir-Whorf Hypotheses (1921) which have two doctrines, linguistic relativism and linguistic determinism. The weaker version of the notion, the idea of linguistic relativism, proposes that there exist infinite possibilities with regard to the framework of human languages. Langu age, it says in no way forces realty. The grammatical items of a language do not decide a communitys world perception but plays a major part in the mindset of the speaker to a specific perception. Whereas, linguistic determinism intends to say that language determines how we conceive ideas and our intellectual psyche .Sensory inputs and the diasporas of worldly perceptions one gathers depends on the differences and categories engraved within a language and the speaker realizes the universe around as demarcated by the mother tongue. These hypothesiss present clearly how culture emerges as a roadblock in front of a translator while trying to reconstruct a piece of literature well cushioned in the cultural heritage of the area. The levels to which the idea can be recaptured remains questioned as every piece of literature is well immersed in its social and historic variables of the culture concerned and also have to let go of the native base and try to pitch itself in new regions with d ifferent social norms. When one plans to translate, the matrix of the text, the matrix of the society out of which the article has emerged and the social matrix in which Meta article will be developed has to be considered. The rituals and norms in a region will differ from those of other parts and language is the manifestation of these different cultures. In specific situations words tend to deliver a good deal of ideas but certain visuals rarely have their counterparts in other languages. 2 Literature Review 2.1 An introduction to Sociolinguistics-Ronald Wardaugh Goodenoughs (1957,p 167) defines culture as: A society culture consists of whatever it is one has to know or believe in order to operate in a manner acceptable to its members, and to do so in any role that they accept for any one of themselves. One long standing claim concerning the relationship between language and culture is that the structure of a language determines the way in which speakers of that language view the world. A somewhat weaker version is that the structure does not determine the world view but is still extremely influential in predisposing speakers of a language toward adopting a particular world view. The opposite claim is that the culture of a people finds reflection in the language they employ: because they value certain things and do them in a certain way, they come to use their language in ways that reflect what they value and what they do. In this view, cultural requirements do not determine the structure of a language but they certainly influence how a langu age is used and perhaps determine why specific bits and pieces are the way they are. If speakers of one language have certain words to describe things and speakers of another language lack similar words, then speakers the first language will find it easier to talk about these things. A stronger claim is that if one language makes distinctions that another does not make, then those who use the first language will more readily perceive the differences in their environment which such linguistic distinctions draw attention to .The strongest claim of all is that the grammatical categories available in a particular language not only help the users of that language to perceive the world in a certain way but also at the same time limit such perception. They act as blinkers, you perceive only what your language allows you or predispose you to perceive. Romaine (1999) states the position as follows: No particular language or way of speaking has a privileged view of the world as it really is T he world is not simply the way it is but what we make it through language .The domain of experience that are important to cultures get grammaticed into languagesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. [And] no two languages are sufficiently similar to be considered as representing the same social reality. Finally the claim that it would be impossible to describe certain things in a particular language because that language lacks the necessary resources is only partially valid at best. When one analysiss the ideas presented by Wardaugh its evident that the Sapir-Whorf Hypotheses remains still unproved. It seems that it is possible to speak about anything in a language given that the person is ready to use some amount of ambiguous or roundabout figures of speech. Still some concepts might be better expressed in some languages than the others. All languages gives its speakers a system for making any type of inference that they have to make of the world in addition to their own language which can talk about any other language. If this is the case, then language must be a highly sophisticated entity, one which lets its speakers to break through any perceptions that exist and to make is happen quite easily. 2.2 Language and the Mediation of Experience: Linguistic Representation and Cognitive Orientation-Michael Stubbs A famous formulation of this puzzle was made by Marx (1852), who radically unified the individual and the social: Human beings make their own history, but they do not make it of their own free will à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The tradition of all the dead generations weighs like a nightmare on the minds of the living. Saussurean structuralism leads almost inevitably to the view that the language system itself creates meaning. The most explicit source is work by Sapir (1884-1939) and Whorf (1897-1941). The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is often taken as the classic source of the view that the grammatical categories of language construct implicit theories of the world. Famous passages in Whorf (1956) include: We cut nature up, organize it into concepts, and ascribe significances as we do, largely because we are parties to an agreement to organize it in this way an agreement that holds throughout our speech community and is codified in the patterns of our language (p. 213). This is a claim about linguist ic relativity. But a view that languages embody conventions which codify thought slides easily into determinism: The agreement is, of course, an implicit and unstated one, but its terms are absolutely obligatory; we cannot talk at all except by subscribing to the organization and classification of data which the agreement decrees [pp. 213-14, emphasis in original] à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the forms of a persons thoughts are controlled by inexorable laws of pattern of which he is unconscious. (p. 252)We dont speak a language, the language speaks us (Foucault, 1980; G. Williams,1992: 248-58).There are certainly areas of experience which are both abstract and differently grammaticaliced in different languages, for example, in systems of tense, aspect, mood and modality, and evidentiality. It is common for such meanings to be marked in the grammar as obligatory categories, but languages differ considerably in what can and must be encoded. There are many areas of human life of which we can have no direct experience at all, and where all our knowledge comes to us via language. It is therefore plausible that language influences thought, for most of us, at least some of the time. Nelson (1991) points out that a great deal of our knowledge of the world is acquired through language, and that many cultural concepts which children acquire early do not exist independently of the ways in which we talk about them. The book says that much of the challenge posed by Whorf and others remains unsolved: it is especially tough to break free of these roundabouts of arguments where language is both root and proof. It speaks of many variants of the outlook that language and ideas are related. It believes it is reasonable that if the world is continually talked about in specific ways, then such behavior can influence thinking. Proposes that there does not exist is no credible proof that language determines thought in any absolute way. On the contrary, it says that all languages provide resources which are being continuously developed to express new thoughts. However, it has evidence that linguistic choices can make people reach baseless conclusions. And thinks it is highly probable that, if these resources are constantly exploited in regular codings, then behavior of language can lead to stereotyped thinking. 2.3 How does our language shape how we think-Lera Boroditsky For a long time, the idea that language might shape thought was considered at best non testable and more often simply wrong. From experiments, we have learned is that people who speak different languages do indeed think differently and that even flukes of grammar can profoundly affect how we see the world. Language is a uniquely human gift, central to our experience of being human. Language is so fundamental to our experience, so deeply a part of being human, that its hard to imagine life without it. Most questions of whether and how language shapes thought start with the simple observation that languages differ from one another. Clearly, languages require different things of their speakers. Certainly, speakers of different languages must attend to and encode strikingly different aspects of the world just so they can use their language properly. Scholars on the other side of the debate dont find the differences in how people talk convincing. All our linguistic utterances are sparse, encoding only a small part of the information we have available. Its possible that everyone thinks the same way, notices the same things, but just talks differently. Believers in cross-linguistic differences counter that everyone does not pay attention to the same things: if everyone did, one might think it would be easy to learn to speak other languages. Learning to speak new languages requires something more than just learning vocabulary: it requires paying attention to the right things in the world so that you have the correct information to include in what you say. The result is a profound difference in navigational ability and spatial knowledge between speakers of languages that rely primarily on absolute reference frames (like Kuuk Thaayorre) and languages that rely on relative reference frames (like English). What enables them in fact, forces them to do this is their language. Patterns in a language can indeed play a causal role in constructing how we think. In practical term s, it means that when youre learning a new language, youre not simply learning a new way of talking, you are also inadvertently learning a new way of thinking. Apparently even small flukes of grammar, like the seemingly arbitrary assignment of gender to a noun, can have an effect on peoples ideas of concrete objects in the world. Such quirks are pervasive in language; gender, for example, applies to all nouns, which means that it is affecting how people think about anything that can be designated by a noun. The article has talked about how languages form the system in which we think about space, time, colors, and objects. It also points to effects of language on how people read events, rationale about causality, maintain track of amount, comprehend matter, observe and experience sentiment, reason about other peoples minds, opt to take risks, and even the way they choose professions and spouses. Taking up the all arguments, the author shows that linguistic processes are pervasive in most elementary domains of thinking, involuntarily determining us from the nuts and bolts of cognition and observation to our loftiest conceptual ideas and chief life decisions. Language is vital to our understanding of being human, and the languages we speak deeply shape the method we imagine, the method we observe the world, the method we live our live. 3. Language and culture: Evidence from Mother Tongue 3.1 Proverbs Onam vanalaum, Unni piranalum, Koranu kumpilil thane kanji which translates as that even at the time of cultural festivities [here Onam, a cultural festival of the Malayalam speech community] and even when a child is born [here Unni, which is an endearment term used for boy, child or son] still a lower class/caste member will have to have his meager food [here kanji, which is rice without separating out the water after steaming] in a humble bowl [here kumpil, which is a bowl made by forming a cone out of a leaf].While a native speaker will be able to feel the pathetic condition of the lower class and how they stand oppressed in life, a English speaker will not perceive this the same way as he is unaware of the caste system, the cultural fervor associated with Onam and birth of a child and how kumpil is a marker of the poverty. Onamthinnu edak puttu kachavadam which is a phrase used when someone talks or does something irrelevant when he/she must be doing something else. The phrase translates as selling puttu [a local cuisine made by steaming ground rice layered with coconut] while the celebrations of Onam is in full swing. This phrase also illustrates how the people despise the materialistic attitude and want all to be part of cultural celebrations. An English speaker might be able to identify the concept he will not be able to associate as strongly as a native speaker with the idea as the ideas of harmony and friendship spread by Onam and how puttu is part of life in the area is known properly only to them 3.2 Folk songs Allayal thara venam, aduthorampalam venam, Alinu chernoru kulavum venam; Kulipanayi kulam venam, kulathil chenthamara vena, Kulichu chenakam pukan chandhanam venam. Puvayal manam venam, pumanayal gunam venam, Pumaninikalayal adakam venam; Nadayal nripan vena, arikil mantrimar venam, Nadinu gunamulla prajakal venam. This is a folk song widely popular throughout the Malayalam speech community. It translates as: If you have a banyan tree, you must have an enclosing structure for it, you must have a temple near the tree and a pond close to the tree. For bathing you must have a pond, in the pond there must be lotus plants and afterwards must have sandal at home to use soon after the bath. Flowers should have fragrance, a deer must be virtuous and the damsels must be disciplined. A state must have a king, also ministers to assist and citizens useful to the state. In an English setting one will just see this song as random cluster of ideas but in the linguistic area corresponding to Malayalam, people will surely have the vision of a country side with banyan trees and people sitting on the enclosing chatting, temple near the tree and the rituals, the temple pond with lotus plants and taking bath in it before going into the temple for religious ceremonies, radical concept of well nurtured women being di sciplined, beautiful like a flower and virtuous, of Mahabeli and his rule in the region when the king and his subordinates along with good natured people lived a happy existence and so on. 3.3 Rituals Auspicious time When the idea of conducting a ceremony or event like marriage, starting something new etc comes to the mind of an English speaker he thinks of the time or place with regard to when and where it is comfortable, affordable and so on. But when a Malayalam Speaker speaks of events his perceptions often lingers about the auspiciousness of the day, place and time. When a speaker says that the time for marriage is so and so it means that the time has been chosen in accordance with beliefs of the person concerned and has been authenticated by a priest or religious head. Lighting the lamp at night In the region home to Malayalam, many households practice the ritual of lighting the lamp at night and placing it in front of the main door. For an English speaker this would rather be to have light in the darkness. But to a native the idea of lighting of the lamp at night means to cast away all evil forces of the dark and also brings in the image of the elderly in the house reading scriptures. So the perception for a native will be rich in culture fervor unlike a foreigner. 3.4 Beliefs Lunar eclipse When an English speaker speaks of lunar eclipse, the idea of sun blocking off moon comes to ones mind and nothing more. But when a Malayalam speaker does the same the belief that the asura Rahu is eating up moon resulting in the eclipse is also in background. So the mythological stories will be playing in ones mind while talking about lunar eclipse in Malayalam whereas nothing of that sort exists for the English Speaker. Sacred grove When a native speaker says sacred grove i.e. kavu, the religious elements comes to mind along with the wilderness housing idols and esp. the idea that it houses snakes considered holy and worshipped. But the English speech community will never associate snakes with a sacred grove because their culture doesnt give snakes such status in religious context. Therefore they will perceive a sacred grove as a holy place of worship covered in wilderness and nothing more. 3.5 Religion Address terms When we consider an English speaker, his address term for father doesnt change with religion. But in Malayalam, the natives following different faiths have different terms for addressing their father. While a Hindu calls his father achan, a Christian calls him appan and a Muslim calls him uppa. So while an English Speaker does in no way convey his religion in speech, a Malayalam speakers way of addressing his father reveals his faith and thereby shapes another persons perception of him/her. Greetings or Blessings As English speech community consists of people of who believe in faiths prophesying monotheism they usually say may God bless you or in Gods name. But as Malayalam natives are chiefly of faith which acknowledge existence of Goddesses and polytheism, they have phrases like bhagavathi nine kathu kollum which translates as the Goddess will protect you which cannot be realized in its utmost sense by the English speaker. 3.6 Cultural Festivals Onam The festival of Onam is something is deeply encoded in the cultural fervor of the Malayalam speech community. While the English speaker might grasp the idea, history and rituals associated with the festival, the festivities will never be relished by him/her like a native who has vivid images of the tasty Onasadhya [the rich lunch on the festive day], of a festival transcending religious boundaries, of the fun while setting up the pookalam [a type of flower arrangement] and much more. Vishu The festival of Vishu celebrated among the Malayalam speakers brings about the images of kannikonna [a tree bearing yellow flowers], kanni [a ritual associated with Vishu], kayineetam [he ritual of giving gifts to the young members of the family by the elders at time of Vishu] and so on. Even if the English speaker tries to realize the idea of Vishu, he/she will still never be able to have the same approach to it as a native because he lacks the social attributes. 3.7 Abusive Language Reference to female genitals The Malayalam culture seems to have some kind of predisposition towards using abusive language with reference to female genitals. When a native abuses someone he/she tends to abuse him/her with abusive terms associated with his female relations genitals. When an English speaker abuses he doesnt tend to be inclined to this unlike a Malayalam speaker which shows that former doesnt think along the lines thought upon by the latter. Affinity to female relations English language does not discriminate among males and females a lot when concerned about abusive words. But Malayalam shows strong affinity for abusive words which pertain to female relations of the person concerned .Most of the taboo words often tend to pertain to females which shows how much language and culture are related and how much perception is influenced. 3.8 Colors The Malayalam language has 7 colors: chumala [red], manja [yellow], karup [black], vella [white], uutu [violet], neela [blue] and pacha [green]. It doesnt have terms for orange, indigo, grey etc which thereby limits their world view to some extent. As some colors of the rainbow are absent, one who speaks of it will talk about in as different shades of a color unlike an English speaker who will be able to separate and talk about each color. 3.9 Address Terms Unlike English speech community which doesnt have a culture which has a caste system, Malayalam has in place a society with prevalent caste norms which defines the reality to some extent. The address terms often used reflect these caste norms present like in nom and aen used by the upper caste and lower caste people respectively in the place of personal pronoun I. Similarly words like adiyan and thampran were used by the workers and subordinates to landlords and kings instead of I and you. 3.10 Kinship Terms While talking of kinship terms too Malayalam boasts of a large number of words to signify the relations unlike English which has very few words in this aspect. While English confines itself to terms generalized to signify both maternal and paternal relations and both elder and younger relations, Malayalam provides specific terms for the same. For example vallyamma/vallyachan refers to the wife of elder brother or husband of the elder sister of the father and cheriyamma/cheriyachan refers to the wife of younger brother or husband of the younger sister of the father. Also it has a lot of synonyms for signifying the same relation like veli, antherjanam, bharya all for the same word wife. Then some relations absent in English language are also present like the concept of muracherukan/murapennu [which speaks of the son and daughter of a brother and sister respectively being deemed to enter wedlock at time of birth by custom] 3.11 Gender Malayalam has no grammatical indication of gender and is similar to English in this. But the disposition towards the two genders is entirely different for a Malayalam speaker from an English speaker. In Malayalam Language, many words for prostitute exist like veshya, vebicharini etc but there seems no word for a male counterpart. Also the concept of Devi [ installing a chosen female of the community as the Goddess of the temple, restricting her worldly pleasures and the deity to authorize rituals] has no where a parallel idea which floats the thought of a male being subjected to the same measures. 3.12 Time Concepts 4 nimisham/mathra/kashta/noti = 1 ganitham 10 ganithams = 1 Neduveerpu 6 neduveerpu/ 240 mathra = 1 vinazhika 60 vinazhika = 1 nazhika 60 nazhika = 1 day (Each present day hour = 2.5 nazhika. Also 1 day has 864,000 nimisham/mathra and present day consists of 86,400 seconds which implies that 1 second = 10 nimisham/mathra) 15 days = 1 paksham 2 pakshams/ 30 days = 1 month 365 days = 1 human year/Deva day/Divya day Therefore we find a clear demarcation between how the Malayalam speech community has varied concepts regarding time inculcated by culture when considered along the lines of an English speaker. While an English speaker normally would talk of time with terms like seconds, minutes, hour etc, a Malayalam native will perceive time not the same way as units differ. Also while talking of time the Malayalam speech community will have differing perception of the external reality as they dissect time not the way done by an English speaker because unlike the latter who thinks of the day as 24 hours, the former considers the same as 60 nazhika which will make no sense what so ever when conveyed to the latter. 3.13 Art Forms Art forms have their say in perception and speech communitys language. While an English speaker will have just things as signs or symbols, a Malayalam native has words like aangyam and mudra where aangyam simply refers to various signs but mudra has a deeper connotation of bringing in a dancers poses or steps. Similarly various words associated with art forms specific to the culture in question like arangetam'[ first performance of an artist or of an event], padham [refers to the various parts of a dance performance esp. Margamkalli, a Christian dance form] and many more are exclusive to Malayalam speech community. 3.14 Profession In Malayalam language, terms for various professions are typically associated with a particular group, like a specific gender, class or faith. For example, koythukaran/koythukari [a farm hand] is someone who brings along the perception of lower class. A vayidyan [practitioner of traditional medicines] brings with term an image a male member of the society and never does a female cross ones mind when the image concerned is talked about. Also when one talks of kapiyar [assistant to the priests in church] the imagery being projected is of a Christian follower who carries out the basic duties in the religious ceremonies. 3.15 Cuisines The Malayalam Speech community boasts of a large variety of culture specific delicacies which in no way can be translated and grasped by an English native. Cuisines are deeply cushioned with cultural fervor may it be religion or occasion. Be it pathiri [ pancake made of rice flour] is a typical Muslim food item or pallukachal [ boiling of milk] which marks the beginning of a new life in a new house. 3.16 Dress Chattyum-mundum [a native attire of females among native Christians] illustrates how a particular reference to a type of dress has influence over the speakers reflection of reality. While an English speaker might identify the dress and who wear it he will not be able to grasp the various images of Rosary wielding old females and so on. Also mundum-neriyathum [a traditional attire of 2 mundus making a set, with one mundu worn similar to men as lower garment and the other worn on the upper half resembling a sari] identitys the person as a part of Hindu religion, most probably the higher class. 4. Language and culture: Research Findings from Mother Tongue Consider language  as an exclusively  human  ability for acquiring and using complex systems of  communication and culture as an integrated pattern of human knowledge, faith, and manners that depends upon the ability for representative notion and communal education. Although all observers may be confronted by the same physical evidence in the form of experiential data and although they may be capable of externally similar acts of observation, a persons picture of the universe or view of the world differs as a function of the particular language or languages that person knows. (Lee 1996, page 87) .When one takes into consideration the evidences gathered from Malayalam, [mother tongue/language] Sapir-Whorf hypothesis remains relevant though the strong variant fails to hold ground and the weaker doctrine dominates the argument. Linguistic determinism can no longer be thought as a strong claim as the examples cited as evidence clearly demarcate between the determining and influen cing effect on display between language and culture. The main problem of which among language and culture influences the other still remains debatable but an agreement upon the use of the term influence rather than determine has been reached or linguistic relativism has been recognised over the deterministic approach. The proof offered by the Mother tongue have illustrated how cultural fervour stands as an obstacle in the way of a translator who has to keep in mind the native culture, the resultant culture and idea originally conveyed all have to be kept in mind and given their due. The whole variety of examples taken from all aspects of language like Kinship terms, Proverbs, Folk songs, Religion, Time units and many more provide conclusive evidence regarding the two way relation of language and culture i.e. both are interdependent and one cannot be considered in isolation from another. The proof that anthropological studies and linguistics studies must go in hand in hand and the pe rception of world reality gets enriched in being multilingual is the straightforward answer of the research. How languages across the globe have similarities like being sexist, having culturally rich vocabulary etc are some of the notable results. The human e

Thursday, September 19, 2019

General Will Essay -- Philosophy, Rousseau

â€Å"The problem is to find a norm of association which will defend and protect with the whole common force the person and goods of each associate, and in which each, while uniting himself with all, may still obey himself alone, and remain as free as before.† Rousseau (1762)a, ll. 5–7b Thus Jean-Jacques Rousseau sets out his aim, and quite a formidable aim it is. He hopes to establish an appropriate â€Å"norm of association† (i.e. relationship between individual and state) in which all individuals and their possessions are protected, to the greatest extent possible, by the state (or body politic); each individual gives himself wholly to the general cause of the state; and all individuals act freely and of their own volition. It should be noted here that the state, in Rousseau's picture of things, is constituted wholly and exclusively of the individuals subject to these criteria. There is no separate institutional government whose members have a materially different relationship to the whole, and so the people are simultaneously the holders of power and the legal subjects in the body politic. In the former capacity they are referred to by Rousseau as citizens, and the active group made up by them is called the sovereign, a â€Å"public person, [formed] by the union of all other persons† (l. 41). Rousseau sums up the terms of his solution succinctly thus: â€Å"the total alienation of each associate, together with all his rights, to the whole community† (ll. 17–18). This is not intended to be as unilateral as it may sound. The key concept that brings together Rousseau's social contract theory is the bifurcation of each state member's resolve into the general will and the individual will; the distinction being most importantly that the g... ...es with Rousseauist hallmarks have historically existed does not swing the debate, since these societies generally confirm rather than alleviate my doubts. Those groups that existed before Rousseau's time were invariably small to very small, this being the only environment in which I find his propositions at all practicable. In those larger scale political systems influenced by Rousseau, such as Marxist communismf and the totalitarianism of Adolf Hitler's Nazi partyg, there is evidence of some of the flaws mentioned above coming to the fore — the propagandist Nuremberg Rallies, for example, could be seen as broad manipulation of the general will — and little vindication of the claim that each member of such societies â€Å"[obeys] himself alone, and [remains] as free as before.† At least, not free in the way that we would understand the term in the twentyfirst century.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

The Themes in Oedipus Rex Essays -- Oedipus the King Oedipus Rex

The Themes in Oedipus Rex  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚   Sophocles’ tragedy, Oedipus Rex, contains one main theme, which this essay will consider. The theme is the general doctrine or belief implicit in the drama, which the author seeks to make persuasive to the reader (Abrams 170).    In â€Å"Sophocles’ Moral Themes† Robert D. Murray Jr. cites a critic who is strictly moralist in the interpretation of the theme of Oedipus Rex:    Let C. M. Bowra speak for the moralists:    The central idea of a Sophoclean tragedy is that through suffering a man learns to be modest before the gods. . . . When [the characters] are finally forced to see the truth, we know that the gods have prevailed and that men must accept their own insignificance.    In short, for Bowra, the essence of each play of Sophocles is a message urging humility and piety (45).    Van Nortwick, seemingly in support of Bowra, describes Oedipus’ tragic flaw as something equivalent to the lack of modesty before the gods which Bowra refers to:    As ruler, he is a father to Thebes and its citizens, and like a father he will take care of his â€Å"children.† We see already the supreme self-confidence and ease of command in Oedipus, who can address not only other people’s children as his own, but also be a father to men older than he is. But beyond even this there is, in the sretched posture of the citizens, the hint of prostration before a deity. We are â€Å"clinging to your altars,† says the priest. . . . That he also exudes a godlike mastery in the eyes of his subjects only strengthens the heroic portrait. . . .(21-22).    The â€Å"godlike mastery† to which Van Nortwick refers is the same mastery which Creon in his final lines designates as the cause of the... ...of Oedipus Rex, edited by Michael J. O’Brien. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968.    Jevons, Frank B.   â€Å"In Sophoclean Tragedy, Humans Create Their Own Fate.† In Readings on Sophocles, edited by Don Nardo. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1997.    Murray, Robert D. Jr. â€Å"Sophocles’ Moral Themes.† In Readings on Sophocles, edited by Don Nardo. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1997.    â€Å"Sophocles† In Literature of the Western World, edited by Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. NewYork: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1984.    Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. Transl. by F. Storr. no pag. http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/browse-mixed new?tag=public&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&part=0&id=SopOedi    Van Nortwick, Thomas.   Oedipus: The Meaning of a Masculine Life. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1998.   

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Types of Smiles

The Meaning of a Smile A smile is the universal welcome. They come in many different shapes, sizes, and even meanings. When someone decides to flash their pearly whites at a passerby, what exactly do they mean by it? I smile all day long for my customers, but that doesn’t mean that I am always happy to be around them. People link smiling to being one of the friendliest gestures one can receive. However, a smile is deceitful and can be taken in many different ways, and wore on many different occasions. Everybody has experienced that moment in their life when they have truly been happy.They smile all day long and can’t even find one reason why. Those smiles are the best ones to see and, oddly enough, they can even improve someones looks. They are simple smiles that brighten up the entire face and put the sparkle in their eyes. Happy smiles cannot be faked or forced and they curve from ear to ear. People that normally wear happy smiles are ones that are able to put the pas t behind them. Happy people always seem to be happy and they are fun to be around. The people that frequently use this smile often laughs a lot more than most people. They can also be picked out easily in a crowd because their smiles are genuine.This is a smile that reflects a happy and joyful heart. Children are the best at the famous naughty or â€Å"Up-to-no-good† smiles. These smiles can normally be seen when someone has been caught red handed. For most people, these smiles are humorous and can easily be picked out because of the red faces they cause. Naughty smiles cause the eyebrows to raise, cheeks to redden, and they seem to show more teeth than normal. One can typically find an up-to-no-good smile on a student that was just caught cheating on a test, or a toddler that didn’t hide their vegetables very well.These smiles show defeat, yet the person wearing them is willing to fight their way out of trouble. Forced smiles are commonly found in Christmas card photo s or around the hallways in a high school. These smiles are fake and clearly take more energy to make than a person originally planned to give. Forced smiles are not attractive and do not hide the fact that the person would rather not be smiling. Fake smiles portray an attitude of â€Å"I am better than you† to anyone that witnesses them. Preteens seem to abuse this smile more than others, then wonder why their parents tell them to â€Å"be nice. High School aged girls have the fake smile perfected, however it looks more like a smirk. It is their way of saying something rude, without saying anything at all. This smile can be paired with an eye roll and a flip of the hair for dramatic effect, but often times the smile alone could kill. When an individual overhears a spicy conversation it sometimes ends with an amused smile. These smiles can either be one of humor or horror, depending on the circumstance. Amused smiles are almost a smug look; the eyes squinted just a little to hide the giggle trying to escape, and the mouth closed yet curved just enough to show a pair of dimples.An amused smile is one to watch for in a crowd or when telling secrets, because often times the one sharing the smile will share the story to someone else. Confidence is a necessary trait in anybody, and a smile to go with it is sometimes a pleasant thing to see on a person. However, some people like to show it off more than others and it quickly turns into a not-so-pleasant smirk. For example, pageant queens and teenage boys with fancy cars. From the moment the girls walk on the stage, or the boys turn on their car, there is a switch that turns on in their head that makes them believe they are â€Å"on top of the world. Their smiles tell all. A smirk looks almost as if the person is boasting. You can tell a smirk from any other smile because the person’s nose is stuck up so high in the air there is a shadow over top of their mouth. These smiles often result in a loss of true friends or a harsh fall back down to Earth. A true confident smile, however, don’t come around very often. Confidence has to build just enough to make the smile look proud, yet subtle. This smile can sometimes take years to develop, but when it’s there it’s hard to remove.The best way to explain a confident smile would be through example. Such as, a high school freshman trying out for the Varsity Dance Team at her school. As she walks into the gym to show off her double turn, she looks nervous (even though she has it perfected). However, after everything is said and done, she nailed it. She now can walk proudly out of that gym with a very confident smile on her face, knowing she made the dance team. A smile radiates from a person no matter what or who it is meant for, however a confident smile radiates from the core and is there for everybody to see.Smiling can be the answer to all of our problems, to everyone around the world. It is there to say what we sh ouldn’t say out loud, or to just simply show that we are happy. Everybody smiles for some reason, it’s just something we as human beings can’t escape from. It is often interesting to think about why we smile, or why we show emotions at all. Often times, it seems as if smiling is our way of letting all of our emotions escape in one simple gesture. Our smiles are uniquely limitless in meanings, and because of that, we are able to hide behind them and only show what we really want to be seen.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Nestle Essay

Nestle – The Infant Formula Incident Summary of Case and Results In response to a pamphlet entitled â€Å"Nestle Kills Babies,† published in 1974 by the Swiss consumer/activist group, Arbeitsgruppe Dritte Welt, Nestle Alimentana filed a four-count libel suit against members of the organization. The pamphlet was a reprint of an earlier one entitled â€Å"Bottled Babies,† published by a similar British group. Both alleged that false advertising had prompted mothers in LDCs to use infant formula instead of breast feeding, and consequently caused the deaths of thousands of children. However, the original pamphlet had not mentioned Nestle or any of the other companies by name, and thus did not raise the issue of libel. Three of the charges, which Nestle subsequently withdrew, related to allegations made in the pamphlet about Nestle’s promotional methods in LDCs. The fourth charge, which led to a judgment against thirteen members of the group in June 1976, focused on the defamatory title â€Å"Nestle Kills Babies. † In his decision, the judge stated that the cause behind the injuries and deaths was not Nestle’s products; rather, it was the unhygienic way they were prepared by end-users. Although Nestle won its case, the firm’s victory was diluted by (1) having to pay one third of the court costs and (2) being told by the judge to change its marketing methods to prevent further misuse of its products. The defendants were ordered to pay $120 each in damages to Nestle and two thirds of court costs. Suggestions Companies selling consumable products (foods, beverages, pharmaceuticals) to LDCs have long recognized the need to adapt their promotional techniques to their consumers who are, by and large, poor and illiterate. In recent years, one particular group of food producers—those firms making infant formula and other milk products—has come under severe attack by various religious, consumer and governmental organizations. Criticism focuses on two issues: (1) that companies allegedly use false advertising to induce mothers to substitute formula for their own milk, and (2) that firms are directly responsible when misuse of their products results in illness or death. The assault was dramatized in the recent Swiss case involving Nestle Alimentana. The responses of milk product manufacturers have ranged from writing corporate policies on LDC marketing to organizing industry councils and holding meetings with pressure groups. But most significantly, companies have altered marketing practices in ways that other firms making consumable items should find instructive. These changes include Tightening up direct selling methods. A common practice is to have â€Å"mother-craft nurses,†Ã¢â‚¬â€local women who may be nurses, dietitians or midwives—visit clinics and homes to encourage doctors and consumers to use infant formula. Critics charge that these women are often unqualified to speak on nutrition and that they distort facts to make formula feeding more attractive than breast feeding. As a result, many firms now forbid representatives from discouraging breast feeding and demand that they go to clinics and homes only if invited or sent by a family doctor. Stressing nutritional training. Firms are improving the nutritional instruction given to representatives. In addition, promoters are providing consumers with educational presentations, including seminars, films and brochures. Such training not only combats misuse of products, but also benefits the manufacturer. For example, one corporation whose sales representatives in Indonesia conducted local demonstration on uses of a condensed-milk product found that the presentations accomplished several aims: (1) alerted the representative to problems people had in preparing and using the product, (2) served as a rough test market for the product and (3) helped to bolster the firm’s image. Controlling distributors’ promotional activities. Manufacturers selling milk products through distributors have often given them free rein over local advertising. Some corporate executives worry about becoming too closely associated with distributors’ advertising, fearing possible liability for erroneous claims made by distributors. However, such liability would be difficult to avoid in any situation involving a company’s trademarks and products. A few firms, recognizing this, are currently monitoring all new promotional campaigns of distributors. Curtailing mass media advertising. Several corporations that formerly advertised infant formula on TV, radio, billboards and newspapers are now relying solely on sales representatives. Improving labeling and directions for use. Developing promotional/instructional materials to help low-literacy users. The International Council of Infant Food Industries, formed in 1975, is studying ways to improve communication methods for use in areas of high illiteracy. Possibilities include cartoons, pictures, radio programs and even sound trucks. (Use of new informational materials would be subject to approval of local authorities. ) Price of Social Responsibility For some firms, the cost of maintaining ethical standards is high. One large food company actually closed down its milk-processing plant in Pakistan because pasteurization laws were not being enforced, and local firms selling unpasteurized milk were gaining a competitive edge. Additionally, the quality of the firm’s product was tarnished by local consumers who frequently diluted the milk with polluted stream water to â€Å"stretch† it for their own use or for resale. In light of these problems, and others—such as the high cost of marketing and training, and the relatively low sales volume—some companies have contemplated withdrawing these products from LDC markets. However, the market potential for milk products in these countries is strong because of increasing populations and rising standards of living. In addition, the growing role of women in the labor force is creating a greater need for infant formulas. Thus, it appears that firms will remain in these markets. Every 30 seconds a baby dies from unsafe bottle feeding, that’s is approximately 1. 5 million babies a year, this is because formula milk companies provide free powder milk to mothers while in hospital in third world countries ensuring that babies are routinely bottle-fed and not breastfed. As a result babies become dependent on artificial milk. Despite the number of deaths formula milk companies continue to promote artificial feeding in ways that undermine breastfeeding. Nestle made a profit of ? 2. 7 billion year 2007 from selling baby formula milk. In third world countries bottle feeding is dangerous due to unsafe water supplies and difficulties with keeping bottles sterile. Cost is also a problem, once out of hospital the milk is no longer free. Costing families up to 50% of their weekly income, due to high costs, milk mixtures are over diluted and mothers buy cheaper, bad quality formula milk instead. This means the baby is inadequately fed leading to malnutrition, diarrhea and often death. Formula milk companies make profit by exploiting vulnerable mothers.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Outline and evaluate explanations of conformity Essay

Normative social influence occurs when a person desires to be liked and accepted by a group. They will publicly conform and change their behaviour but they will still privately reject their views. This change in behaviour is often temporary as this type of social influence leads to compliance. Informational social influence is where someone conforms to the views and behaviours of the group because they both publicly and privately agree with them. This type of conformity is called internalisation and stems from the desire to be correct. It occurs when a person is in a new or ambiguous situation and doesn’t know what to do. Therefore, they look to the group for guidance as they assume they have better knowledge. Because of this, the change is often permanent as they believe their behaviours and actions are correct. AO2: One strength of this theory is that it has research to support it from Asch’s 1951 study into conformity. The interviews that were taken after the experiment had finished, stated that there were two main reasons that the participants conformed. The first reason was that they didn’t want to be ridiculed by the rest of the group from differing in opinions. They wanted to fit in so went along with the majority group, typical of normative social influence. The second reason was that they honestly thought that the rest of the group knew better than them and that their own judgements were incorrect, typical of informational social influence. Although some psychologists will argue that the two processes work in sync instead of two separate influences. For example, upon seeing a queue in a shop a person may join the end of it because that is what everyone else is doing but they may also be guessing at the same time that the people in the queue know that this is the queue that is needed to pay for their items.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Lawrence Joseph Ellison: On Leadership Style Essay

As the article recounts, Lawrence Joseph Ellison, Larry to many, is an adopted child of a Russian emigrate when his unwed mother left him to them. He used to be a mediocre in his class. However, with his self-confidence and goals set in mind, he conquered all the discouragements he got from the people around him and proved them wrong when he started to work on a database project for the Central Intelligence Agency. As of the moment, Larry Ellison owns 23% of the $18 billion-worth Oracle Corporation which is a producer of database softwares being used in thousands of giant business companies all over the world. The success of the organization and of ensuring to bring about innovation is largely dependent on Larry’s notion on leadership. Leading is said to be a human activity and being such, one has to be familiarized with the styles, traits and characteristics of a leader to become an effective one. A leader is mainly focused on influencing people to follow the directions set by him such as goals, perspective and attitude towards work. He or she is also tied up with a set of â€Å"standard† proficiency in decision-making where the executive aspect of being a leader is taken into account, in problem-solving where the analytical aspect is being considered, in managing problems where one should be well-able to handle pressure and stress, in managing power and influence in which the proper control of a leader is being exercised and in building trust to be able to get a sound faith from his subordinates (Nacamara, 1997). As can be seen, Larry spends not much time in Oracle, rather, he is more inclined in yacht-racing. He does not even have his own office. He leaves the tasks to his senior partners. He has an aptitude for delegating tasks all over his team and this type leadership skill is of delegation type. This type of leadership based from Heathfield (1997) is situational such that the style is dependent on the task, the capacity and knowledge of the team or the individual, the time and the resources available and the results which are aspired for. For Larry, he empowers his employees by delegating them with tasks that allows them to contribute their best efforts and to further succeed. As the founder of his own company, he has an attitude of wanting total control over it. He still has a great confidence in his self and, with a trusted, bright-minded people as his staff that dutifully and faithfully follows him, succession planning is yet far from his mind. Larry, in his style, also has trimmed down his company of people he gets does not get along with. He fires people which he thinks wants to rise up in his company and claim to be the next heir or when his executives start to give him advices on how to run his business. Moreover, with his perceptive yet impulsive trait, he puts his capital to dying companies and older versions of programs and works into unifying them. For some people, Larry’s moves are too risky in this age when technology and software companies are fast-emerging. Though he is good at delegating in tasks in his company, he should already have by a clear plan on who’s going to be his successor. If he has a good faith in his employees that they have learned great competence from him, he should also be open to the idea that one day one of his executives will be an heir to his company. Leading his company forever is possible not physically since he also has to retire in his job. Yet, his leadership skill which may have been a legacy for his employees is what is going to be intangibly forever. Daly (2003) asserted that leadership skills can be studied and learned and for that, people are expected to constantly improve their ability to lead. Being such, he would be more confident that his company will be in good hands after he steps down from his throne and spend more time to his family and yachts. References: Barret, VM. , (2006, August 14). Irreplaceable? Retrived, February 22, 2008, from http://www. forbes. com/forbes/2006/0814/082. html Daly, NR. (2003, January 1). Characteristics that count: nine leadership traits that translate to on-target actions. Retrieved February 22, 2008, from Healthfield, S. M. (1997). Delegation as a Leadership Style. Retrieved, February 22, 2008, from http://humanresources. about. com/cs/manageperformance/a/delegation. htm. McNamara, C. , (1997). Overview of Leadership in Organizations. Retrieved, February, 22, 2008, from www. managementhelp. org. mht.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Bioethics and Health Care

Introduction: The controversy over water fluoridation in the community arises from moral, ethical, political and security issues related to water fluoridation. As early as 1930 there was an inverse relationship between the fluoride concentration in drinking water and the presence of caries. The use of public water for transporting drugs such as fluorination violates medical ethics. Ethical issues related to water fluoridation include the balance of risks and benefits, the presence of other interventions with the same consequences, and the role of consent. For more than a decade, bioethics and health care professionals have struggled to determine the exact meaning of being medically ineffective. The word waste comes from the Latin futilis. In other words, it is easy to melt. It is a common usage developed from the Greek legend that the daughter of King Arnaus of Argos killed her husband and as a punishment they were forced to gather water permanently in a bucket that leaked water. To reach the empty bucket destination, when the goal is water, provide useless definitions as less or invalid. With the rapid development of medical technology, the work of medical staff is to investigate the resulting ethical dilemma. This is where bioethics works. By applying ethical principles to the medical field, bioethics aims to research and study ways to make decisions on health management. It is a core element to ensure that medical practices and procedures will benefit society as a whole. I explained that the term bioethics was originally introduced in 1971 to refer to a combination of biology, biological science and human knowledge. However, its uses such as clinical decisions, controversial new research, the impact of new technologies, global concerns, public policy, etc. are more widespread today. In fact, bioethics has played a central role in affecting policy changes and laws in recent years. Detailed discussion on current bioethical issues affecting the provision of med ical services. Exploring ethical theory and related principles as a basis for occupational decision making and public policy decision. The course focuses on ethics research process and modern health practices, the relationship between research and education. The historical and comparative analysis of the Western, non-Western, indigenous and indigenous American philosophy includes the essential, aesthetic and utility value of nature and land. We will study modern environmental ethics in detail, such as deep ecology, land ethics, eco feminism, animal rights theory.

How did major discoveries in physics change the course of chemistry Term Paper

How did major discoveries in physics change the course of chemistry and interpretations of the discoveries - Term Paper Example This led to more complex applications that have improved humanity’s standards of living besides drawing a clear distinction between man and other animals, which the latter do not possess such kind of heightened intellectual capacity. Some of the early major physics discoveries or developments that have greatly impacted humanity’s life comprise those of Isaac Newton and Faraday whose respective theories’ contributions are still evident today (Heidarzadeh, 2008). This is especially in the current world where some technological inventions trace their roots from laws these scholars brought forward, though due to certain sophistications unveiled by incumbent scientists appear as if they are completely new. Theme/Thesis: Therefore, this paper will critically highlight diverse major scientific historical discoveries with much emphasis on electromagnetism and thermodynamics unveiled by early inventors and controversies that characterize them even though their respective contributions led to major breakthroughs evident today (Heidarzadeh, 2008). ... They have either cold and hot or wet and dry characteristics (Woody, 2008). Based on this expounding, Aristotle without doubt assumed all other things irrespective of their minor compositions each represent a unique homogenous substance though later he came up with a fifth category calling it â€Å"aether† (matter that occupies universe). Based on the aether hypothesis, this category comprised of â€Å"incorruptible† things whose existence is eternal besides being devoid of clear sign of aging (Heidarzadeh, 2008). This based on Aristotle is untrue because he contended the four matters are basic compounds of an individual except the fifth category (Woody, 2008). The four elements during creation were in proportion with each person’s magnitude though there is no evidence of unit quantities meant for given sizes of human beings. The most intriguing aspect concerning his theory was how he contended the four elements were unique or pure but did not exist anywhere secl uded or being on their own except in combined form (Woody, 2008). After the invention of this theory for approximately 2000 years, it found numerous applications in both philosophy and other scientific related fields like physics as well as chemistry (Woody, 2008). Earth despite the scholar citing is a unique element comprises of numerous aspects including rocks and minerals similar to H2O, which based on the current scientific knowledge has elements of Hydrogen and water (Heidarzadeh, 2008). This is completely confusing because based on the current chemistry; it states an element is any substance having a homogenous material whose alterations is only by subjecting it to a chemical process or physical disturbance. This is either to gain or lose certain amount of material

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Social Information Processing Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social Information Processing Theory - Essay Example Media-Richness Theory agrees with Social Presence Theory because it classifies CMC as incapable of expressing rich verbal and non-verbal cues. Walther differs in opinion to these theories because he believes that, as long as sufficient social messages are exchanged and subsequent relational growth is attained, CMC can also produce close relationships. Walther proposes the Social Information Processing Theory which states that through CMC, people exchange interpersonal information, form impressions, and decide how to use these impressions to form or not form close interpersonal relationships. Social Information Processing Theory helps understand how I formed close relationships with people in my G+ communities, specifically Elena and Hermie. I have recently been active in G+ communities, especially those involved in health and fitness. Walther is right to say that even if CMC does not present exactly the same cues as face-to-face communication, online users compensate by using cues th at are available to them. Cues refer to a wide range of verbal and non-verbal impressions that are not always directly stated but rather personally observed. Impression formation, according to Social Information Processing Theory, refers to the formation of mental images about other people. When I interconnect with my G+ community members, my impression from them is formed through what they share with our community, whether they are words, or words with images, or any article, blog entry, images, and videos that say something about their ideas, beliefs, practices, and aspirations. From reading and seeing these expressions of themselves, I can form impressions of their personalities. For instance, Elena, one of my Health community members, is the same age as I am, but she studies in India. She is overweight and very much interested in losing weight through changing her lifestyle and mindset about beauty and health. I know her goals through my interactions with her through our communi ty and the health news and health changes she shares with us. Hermie is older, 55 years old, and she lives in the U.S., but, like Elena, she is into healthy and natural living. I like her because her posts are funny and inspiring. She shares inspirational messages and stories from other people and herself through our G+ communities. I understand the personalities of Hermie and Elena through the direct information we share with one another and form impressions about them through these online interactions. In turn, people who are in my G+ communities can also generate impressions about who I am through my own posts on the communities and on my own G+ account. For instance, when I share something about the benefits of virgin coconut oil and how it can be used for different health purposes, others who view my posts will understand that I am the kind of person who wants and prefers natural products over commercial ones. Elena, for instance, once wrote to me that she has been wanting to f ind something natural to help her lose weight and that since she saw my post on virgin coconut oil, she thinks that drinking two tablespoons of it every day has helped her break her weight plateau. From there, we continuously interact to get different kinds of information from one another. These kinds of information may be personal knowledge and experiences, or any form of sharing that we get from our communities. Social Information Processing