What were the consequences of Mohammad an Example by

What were the consequences of Mohammad not leaving an heir? Mohammad served as the source of religious, political and social authority prior to his death. His authority is widely accepted and recognized across the vast Muslim community. His death and the circumstances of his death had radical implications on Islam. His death marked the end of prophetic revelations (Dodge, 2003). By not designating an heir or specifying a system of selecting his successor, differences in perspectives over the rightful successor and the process of succession divided Muslims into Sunni and Shia. Need essay sample on "What were the consequences of Mohammad not leaving an heir?" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Our Customers Usually Tell EssayLab professionals: How much do I have to pay someone to write my paper today? Essay writer professionals suggest: Winning Academic Essay Writing Delivered On Time Essay Writing Services Best Essay Writing Service Pay Someone To Write Paper Good Essay Writing Company Succession in the Muslim culture happens according to shura or the idea of consultation and representative selection (Stearns Oxtoby, 2002). This principle is highly revered because of its inclusion in several passages of the Koran. In practice, consultation and representation at the tribal level takes place through the tribal council in selecting the chief or leader (Dodge, 2003). The members of the tribal council are the selected members of the tribe and usually include representatives from the major and largest families or clans in the community. As such, the decision of the tribal council received acceptance by the community. The leadership of Mohammad is an extraordinary circumstance since recognition of his authority extended even beyond his own clan and community. Upon his death, no person can assume Mohammads authority (Stearns & Langer, 2001). Since there is nobody who can equal his authority, the selection of a kaliph who can continue to unify the Muslim communities was a problem. Apart from the problem of selecting a worthy successor, the selection process displaced the traditional principle of consultative representation through the tribal council. The immediacy of selecting a successor weighed on the people closest to Mohammad before his death that unorthodox methods ensued (Oxtoby, 2002). In addition, selecting a leader for the entire Muslim population is difficult when applying a system that operates at the narrow level of the tribe in Madinah. There are many clans to consider in various parts of the Muslim territory complicating the selection process. Although successors emerged through varied processes of succession, this became the root of armed conflict among Muslim clans and communities and the split between Sunni and Shia Islam. Right after Mohammads death, Abu Bakr, Umar Ibn Al-Khattab, and Uthman Ibn Affan three of Mohammads closest companions met in Madinah to help in selecting a leader (Oxtoby, 2002). The process involved the representatives of major clans in the community. However, no decision emerged because of differences in the views of the clans over the rightful successor, with the clans preferring a person from their own clan (Stearns Dodge, 2003). Through his influence, others acquiesced to the appointment to create a majority. Abu Bakr became the first kaliph. In opposition, the Hashim clan who make up the relatives of Mohammad firmly believed that the rightful successor should be of the lineage of Mohammad (Dodge, 2003). Their candidate was Ali Ibn Ali Talib, the first cousin of Mohammad and husband of Mohammads daughter Fatima (Oxtoby, 2002). They were a minority so it took a while before Ali assumed leadership. At this point, there was already deep-seated enmity between the followers of Abu Bakr and supporters of Ali. Before Abu Bakr died, he already appointed Umar, one of the three companions, as his successor (Oxtoby, 2002). Alis supporters were unable to elect their candidate. As the second kaliph, his caliphate lasted longer but the protests remained and he could not unite the clans of Madinah. He succeeded in conquering new territories such as Iraq, Iran and Syria (Oxtoby, 2002) but unable to quell the discontent of some groups in Madinah. Umar implemented a different system by appointing a six-member council to select his successor (Oxtoby, 2002). Two candidates emerged Uthman the last of the three companions and Ali. The bickering was intense but in the end, Uthman became the third kaliph possibly because of his wealthy status and reputation as one of Mohammads companions and supporter or Islam (Stearns & Langer, 2001). This is the third rejection of Ali and his supporters are growing more agitated. Uthman faced claims of abuse of his position and favoring his relatives (Oxtoby, 2002). This ended in his assassination. This time, Uthman did not appoint a successor or created a council. In an attempt to ease the civil strife, the male representatives of the clans in Madinah unanimously proclaimed Ali as the fourth kaliph (Oxtoby, 2002). His ascent into leadership established his followers, the Shia. He did not support the request of Uthmans relatives to avenge the death of the third kaliph (Oxtoby, 2002). This delineated the fissure between the majority Muslims supporting Uthman and Alis Shia followers. There was an internal disagreement between Ali and a group of his followers when Ali agreed to arbitrate conflict. This group called the Kharijis defected (Oxtoby, 2002). Throughout the troubles of this caliphate, Alis remaining supporters maintained Mohammads lineage as righteous heir and determined this belief as the Shia distinction. Alis sons Hasan and Husayn became his successors (Dodge, 2003). The Shia became a minority group that focused on religious zeal. This group believed the imam as the religious leader mandated by divine providence so that Alis descendents were the rightful imams (Oxtoby, 2002). This differed from the kaliph, a position that involved religious and secular authority. There were many sects of the Shia, but these centered on the fundamental belief in the Mohammads bloodline as the rightful successors (Stearns Oxtoby, 2002; Dodge, 2003). As a minority group, these attracted impoverished Muslims and non-Arab Muslims as followers (Oxtoby, 2002). These established Shia as distinct from the majority Sunni Muslims. References Dodge, C. H. (2003). The everything understanding Islam book: A complete and easy-to-read guide to Muslim beliefs, practices, traditions, and culture. Avon, MA: Adams Media. Oxtoby, W. G. (2002). World religions: Western traditions (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Stearns, P. N., & Langer, W. L. (2001). The encyclopedia of world history. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.

HMV an E-marketing Perspective Essays

HMV an E-marketing Perspective Essays HMV an E-marketing Perspective Essay HMV an E-marketing Perspective Essay Essay Topic: Marketing For this report we will be analyzing the original HMV music store on 363 Oxford Street, London, and how integrating or enhancing their e-marketing strategies could benefit their store. As previously mentioned, this was the first HMV music store to open, and was set up in 1921. At that time, the store did not focus on the music and film genre, but rather on a variety of HMV branded goods. It was conservative in the sense that business transactions were done on a one to one basis, and those residing outside of London could only purchase HMV products from exclusive appointed dealers [5]. Like today, many customers were able to open accounts within the store. Purpose Currently, HMV has the following marketing objectives [1]: Generate store traffic and encourage the purchase of other products, other than CDs, along with increasing album purchases. Increase positive perception among its customers. Predict and satisfy their customers needs. Analyze market trends traditionally as well as on the net. According to the 2003 Annual Report [4], their key strategies have been to: Optimize store portfolio. Achieve superior financial performance. Exploit new product opportunities. Secure leadership in chosen markets. HMV has a website in which it is possible to buy CDs, DVDS or video games, also sold in-store. Unfortunately, this only satisfies some consumers needs. The advantages provided to customers by this are that they do not actually have to leave their home to make a purchase, and it is less tedious to search for desired items. On the other hand, the prices for CDs and DVDs on the current site are either the same price or sometimes even more expensive than in the store, on top of which additional fees are imposed for shipping. For this reason, online transactions may turn out more expensive to the buyer. This implies that their current method is only targeting certain audiences. With the increase of internet competition, and the ability to purchase used CDs on an alternative site for cheaper prices (such as Ebay), or even download songs illegally for free, it is possible that many customers will refrain from paying full price for products offered on the HMV website or stores. Proposition Although HMV is already using e-marketing as part of their marketing activities, there is still room for new strategies to be implemented. With the adoption of new forms of e-marketing, HMV on Oxford Street would be more up to date with the changing market and therefore increase their sales and attract more customers. The specific marketing objectives recommended for 363 Oxford Street are to: Target new customer audiences (ie. people who only buy items on promotion, people who cannot afford to buy CDs or DVDs at regular price, and people who are loyal to their artists and still want original CDs rather than burned copies). Improve profitability brought by their video games. Encourage customer loyalty. Be the leading HMV store (in customer flow) by having the best communication with their customers. The idea proposed is to develop a personalized website, directly linked to the Oxford store, rather than all HMV stores. The strategies recommended to be used within the new site to achieve each of the recommended objectives, respectively, are to: Establish an infrastructure for customers to buy sell second-hand products through the site. Provide opportunities to try out new video games in the store hold monthly tournaments between customers. Offer coupons for in-store products on the site. Distribute weekly newsletters to registered customers who wish to be notified of upcoming events, sales, etc. Recommendation for Action In order for these strategies to be carried out, a website should be specifically created for the Oxford Street store. The website should initially be advertised promoted in the store, and by other means to notify people of its existence and getting them interested in visiting. Visitors of the site will then have the option to register onto the site, to become members and be able to take full advantage of all benefits provided by it. This site should carry the HMV brand name along with an extra word to differentiate it from other HMV sites, but continue to have the benefit of the well known brand that provides customers with a feeling of good quality and service. The website is to advertise promotions taking place in the Oxford Street store, in addition to the other incentives to visit the store. The infrastructure created to buy and sell second hand products will allow consumers with used CDs or DVDs which they are bored of and want to get rid of, to either sell or exchange the product with other consumers in the same situation who wish to swap. In this way, customers who are loyal to their artists and still like to have original CDs, but cannot afford to pay high prices, are able to obtain them at a low price. Although this will mostly be a customer to customer relationship, HMV could take part in each transaction by automatically adding a small amount to the price set by the seller, such as 50 pence, which would be paid to HMV for allowing the transaction on their site. With that money, the buyer could also be benefiting indirectly by having a certain amount, such as 10 HMV points added to their account. After accumulating a certain amount, such as 50 or 100 points, the points will then have to be redeemed in-store (Oxford Street) for discounts on products or freebies. In this way, different types of customers will be targeted that were not targeted before, and more customers will be attracted into the store. This move towards cheap trading of music and films is very important since, through evolving technology, it is now so easy to burn music or films and distribute them between friends [6]. The site can also include special video game related features to attract even more customers and increase in-store sales of video games. This can be carried out by allowing site members to try out new video game arrivals and encourage people to buy them. Customers will only be allowed to play for 10 minutes at a time, establishing that it is only a trial and if they wish to pass to other levels or play longer they must go to the store and buy the game. The website can also allow members to play random video games (sold in-store) against each other, to promote the games, and perhaps even hold monthly tournaments online. The finals can be held in-store and the winner may receive either a free game or a gift certificate for that particular store. The advantage to this is that by having promoted the games and getting people in the store, even those that do not win will probably end up buying something in the store, beginning with the game they played, if they liked it, and they will prob ably continue to go to that store. Therefore, profitability of video game sales may be increased, as well as customer loyalty. Another strategy proposed is offering in-store coupons on the site. Customers are to print out the coupons and use them at the Oxford Street store only. This strategy will increase both the amount of people going to the store and visiting the site. People will visit the site more often to check out the new deals being promoted and those deals will encourage customers to visit the store. This will attract a new customer audience, those that will not purchase an item unless it is on promotion. It will also encourage customer loyalty, since the coupons may only be redeemed at the Oxford Street store, so customers will go to that particular store rather than other HMV stores. The best way to be in touch with customers through e-marketing is by sending weekly newsletters. Upon registration on to the site, members will have the option of receiving a newsletter every week updating them on upcoming events. Customers may pick from a menu which events or promotions they would be interested in and be notified via email of the ones they chose. These events may include celebrity appearances in-store for autographs, final round of video-game tournaments to be carried out in-store, new releases of CDs, DVDs, video games, accessories, and hints on hot new coupons featured on the site, which they would have to enter the site to access and print. This would help promote both the store and the website and would further increase customer loyalty in the Oxford Street store, giving them a great advantage over other retailers, including other HMV stores. Tracking There are several ways in which progress can be tracked. One minor way would be by including a number of hits feature on the site to see how many people are visiting it. The number of people that register onto the site can also be counted. Members of the site could fill out a profile upon registration to keep a record of the type of audience that is being attracted by this strategy (such as demographics). In-store sales could be compared to previous years to see if the website has helped them through advertising their products and promotions. A quantitative approach may be to track the number of coupon redemptions in the store to see how efficient that particular strategy is. A survey could also be conducted either within the store or online to find out if the website has had an impact on customers, and how it has affected their spending habits at HMV Oxford Street (whether they are spending more or less on average). Tracking progress will help the Oxford Street store conclude whethe r more customers have been attracted into their store through the website, and if this has affected their in-store sales. Critical Success Factors In order for this integration to succeed in reaching its objectives, the following CSFs must be met by either the Oxford Street store, the new website, or both: Both the store and the website must always be up to date with new technologies trends (such as creating personalized CDs in-store). The website must take up the HMV brand name to absorb the image of the company and therefore have an immediate customer base (as HMV already has brand awareness and loyalty). The quality of the website must be good to live up to HMV standards and really keep customers happy. An example of a good quality the website should have is ease to search for a desired product, which may be achieved through potential sellers categorizing their products. Stock levels must be met within the store. If the store has more stock than it can sell it will cut the companys profit margins. If the companys stock levels are too low, it will not meet customer demands, and their customers will go elsewhere. Management staff should be well trained and always aware of everything going on in the site. This way they will be prepared to answer any question(s) a customer might have regarding coupons, promotions, tournaments, appearances, etc. Conclusion In conclusion, it is essential for companies to always stay in touch with customers needs. On the same level, it is also important for companies to constantly research and analyze the market to keep up to date with new technologies and innovations. Otherwise, it is quite unlikely for a company to succeed. Fortunately, HMV has always proved to be pretty good at this and this is no time to stop. In the case of the music industry, with the new technology providing so much internet competition, it is imperative that all music companies take the future of digital music seriously [10]. This is why HMV has begun to make the move in an attempt to retain market share and keep from internet delivery of music stealing their revenue. As a customer-focused company, HMV seeks to provide what consumers want, while keeping in view new technology. Developing new ways to reach consumers is what has made HMV Group the powerful retailer it is today. To support this, David Cameron, e-commerce systems manager of HMV Group plc, says If youre going to be a successful e-business, integrating your back-end systems with your front-end database is essential [5].

Teacher Appreciation Week Activities and Ideas

Teacher Appreciation Week Activities and Ideas Teacher Appreciation Week is a week-long celebration in the month of May, which is designated to honoring and celebrating the hard work and dedication of our teachers. During this week, schools across America show their love and appreciation to their teachers by having students and parents participate in activities to give thanks and acknowledge their teachers. In celebration of this week, I have gathered a few fun ideas and activities to show teachers how special you think they are. You will find ideas for administrators, teachers, and students. Ideas for Administrators One of the most effective ways that administration can show how much they appreciate their teaching staff is to plan something special for their teachers. Afternoon Lunch A simple way to show your appreciation is to prepare a luncheon in the faculty lounge for all the teachers in the school. Order a pizza or if your school has extra money splurge on some take-out. Pull-Out the Red Carpet If you really want to make a big deal out of your teaching staff and get your students in an uproar, try creating a red carpet experience. Get a piece of red carpet and velvet ropes and have each teacher walk down the carpet as they arrive at school. End of Day Celebration Plan a surprise end of the day celebration. Designate the last hour of the day as free time for the students. Then organize for parents to come in and help out with the class while the teacher goes to the lounge for a much-needed break. Have the teachers lounge filled with coffee and snacks, your efforts will be much appreciated. Ideas for Teachers A great way to teach your students about the value of showing appreciation for hard work is to have a class discussion about why teachers are so special. Follow up this discussion with a few fun activities. Read a Book Often students dont really grasp the importance of all their teachers do. To help them understand the time and effort it takes to be a teacher try reading a few books about teachers. Some of my favorites are: Thank you Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco, Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry Allard and What If There Were No Teachers? By Caron Chandler Loveless. Compare Teachers Have students compare their favorite teacher with a teacher from one of the books you read. Have them use a graphic organizer like a Venn diagram to help them organize their ideas. Write a Letter Have students write a letter to their favorite teacher telling them what makes them so special. First brainstorm ideas together as a class, then have students write their letters on special paper, and when completed, allow them to give it to the teacher they wrote about. Ideas for Students All teachers love to receive recognition for their hard work, but they appreciate it the most when it comes from their students. Here are some suggestions on how fellow teachers and parents can help students can give thanks to their teacher. Give Thanks Out Loud One of the most important ways students can express their gratitude to their teachers is to say it out loud. A unique way of doing this is to give thanks over the loudspeaker. If this is not possible then students can also ask the teacher if they can have a few minutes in the beginning or the end of class to show their appreciation. Door Decorations Before or after school, decorate the teachers classroom door with all the things they love, or what you love about the teacher. If your teacher loves animals, decorate the door in an animal theme. You can add a personal touch such as a letter to the teacher, a Worlds Best teacher certificate or even a painting or drawing. Make a Gift Theres nothing like a handmade gift that really shows a teacher how much you appreciate them. Create something that the teacher can cherish such as, a hall or bathroom pass, magnet, bookmark or anything they can use in their classroom, the ideas are endless.

Role transistion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Role transistion - Essay Example These conflicting issues are not easy to resolve when the focal point is only on one feature of the conflict. They necessitate that the external sources and the internal ones are dealt with simultaneously. Various tools are used in the resolution of such issues and they include mediation, using psychotherapy, and involving collaborative law, which help solve a broad range of conflicts. The collaborative style aims at finding a â€Å"win/win,† solution where the target is to gratify both sides; it is highly cooperative and assertive (Levine, 2009). There is integration, merging, learning, improving relationships and gaining commitment that is involved. Confronting matters in a non-threatening way, noting underlying concerns, analyzing input, and capability of using effective or active listening are used as different types of abilities in collaborative conflict solving. Four ways of resolving conflicts have been established in an elaborate mechanism and they include the expectation of conflict, clarification of underlying issues, creation of a conflict resolution mechanism applicable on need basis, and finally the resolution of what are termed as irresolvable disputes (Levine, 20 09). Collaborative conflict solution is observed in point number three where one creates a conflict resolution process. The process is all-inclusive and yields positive results where conflicting parties are

Human resource management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 4

Human resource management - Essay Example The Harvard approach is rooted in the human resource relation’s tradition, and supports the view that people can influence the outcomes of strategy. It employs the multiple stakeholder models. Employees are seen as having interests along with other stakeholders such as shareholders, management, unions, and government. HRM has four policy areas, which must be addressed. They are human resource flows, reward systems, employee influence, and work systems. Human resource flows involve managing the flow of people into organization (recruitment, selection), through the organization (placement, appraisal, promotion), out of the organization (termination). HR policy must ensure the right mix and number of staff through resourcing and developing employee competences. Reward systems cover pay and benefits designed to attract, motivate, and keep employees. Employee influence is concerned with controlling levels of authority, power, and decision- making. Work systems involve defining and designing jobs, so that the arrangement of people, information, and technology provide the best outcomes. These policies are designed to achieve the crucial goals of: commitment, congruence, competence, and cost effectiveness. The Harvard approach also emphasizes a belief in an organization’s people as assets rather t han costs. People can be allocated in order to obtain maximum efficiency. Their efforts can be directed towards particular objectives and their competences developed to achieve the highest quality work. Time spent on training and development is an investment in a firm’s human capital. Human capital is the body of knowledge, skills, and experience possessed by an organization’s people. According to this viewpoint, investment in people provides long-term benefits for an organization. Every business consists of physical, financial and human resources but

Vietnam War Essay Example for Free

Vietnam War Essay The Vietnam War was one of the leading wars which the United States embarked on as part of the Cold War. This was a major war where the United States played a major role however; the Vietnam War is considered as one of the darkest past of American history. This war earned criticism from the international community because of the aggressive military intervention which occurred in Southern Vietnam. Aside from this, the war resulted into huge casualties because of failures of military strategies. The biggest impact that the Vietnam War had incurred would be in the change of the U. S military organization and implementation. The war left so many realizations in terms of the kind of battleground in Vietnam which was different than the other wars which the U. S participated. The natural topography of the Vietnam was not carefully studied making the air raid ineffective. The kind of war needed for the Vietnam War was something that the U. S military troops have not experienced. The opposition of not only the international but as well as the American citizens themselves prompted the withdrawal of the U. S in Southern Vietnam and thus, considered this event as a lesson should be learned. The Vietnam War was a political, social, historical, and cultural realization. This made the U. S rethink its military strategies and change its views on war. This particular war left the American nation in budget deficit due to military spending and lives were wasted because of the U.  S’ continuation with the war despite the zero chances of winning. The failures in the Vietnam War challenged the U. S. ’ belief of massive application of force was the solution to military problems (Neu, 2000, p. 58). The withdrawal of the American troops from Southern Vietnam around 1975 may have sealed the end of the war however, the effects of its failed strategies and the number of casualties remained as a nightmare which the United States carefully considered as a painful lesson or a dark past which should be forgotten.

The Catcher In The Rye :: essays research papers

The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, describes a period of time in a young boys life. This boy is repeatedly gets kicked out of schools and he does again in the beginning of the book. He leaves a few days before Christmas vacation starts, before his parents get notice that he has gotten kicked out of his school. He doesent want to go home early, so he just goes back to Manhattan and tries to survive on his own.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Holden Caulfield is a 16 year old boy. One character trait he has is insecurity. He seems insecure due to the fact that he repeats himself often. It seems as though he feels people aren’t listening to him. He is also very lonely. He states that when one of his friends, Luce, he meets to have a few drinks with, says he has to leave. Holden is also unstable. Throughout the book, his mental, physical and emotional state decreases. He gets beat up, goes through a breakdown, and gets very sick. Another trait Holden has is his insistence to care for the vonerable. Examples of this is the way he cares for and worries about Pheobe, his old friend Jane Gallager, all young children, and the ducks in the pond at Central Park.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One theme of this book could be you can’t have control over everything. Holden wants everything to stay the same always. One example of that is when he talks about The Museum of Natural History. He also wants to be able to protect everyone, especially anything or anyone vonerable. This is shown when he says to his sister Pheobe that he wants to be the catcher in the rye when she asks him what he wants to do in his life. Holden realizes that he can’t have control over everything when his younger sister tells him to shut up. He realizes that things have changed and she has gotten older and changed herself, and he can’t make anything go back to the way it used to be.

Comparative Essay on Mid Term Break and Death of a Naturalist Essay

Read the poem Mid Term Break in which Heaney writes about life and loss. Choose one other poem written by Heaney which also deals with these themes. Compare how the two poems deal with Heaney’s thoughts and feelings. In the poem â€Å"Mid Term Break† Heaney deals with his thoughts and feelings on life and loss. These ideas are also addressed in â€Å"Death of a Naturalist†. The poet utilises a range of poetic techniques to convey the demise of his childhood and the disruption of natural order. The portrayal of death in the poems connote the poet’s feeling that life is futile; these themes combine to present Heaney’s feelings on life and loss. Primarily, Heaney portrays the demise of his childhood in â€Å"Mid Term Break†, clearly presenting his dejected, sullen and resigned feelings towards life in the event of loss. The image of time and death in stanza one, â€Å"I sat all morning†¦counting bells knelling†¦at two o’clock† clearly show his sense of logical reminiscence during a particularly morbid time in his life. The juxtaposition of the morning and the symbolic death bells represent the premature end to his brother’s life and the destruction of his own childhood. This shows sullen resignation towards the event of loss in his life. This childhood demise is also presented in DOAN. However, Heaney presents this in a more dramatic manner. Stanza one is longer than the second stanza, presenting how the poet revelled in his days of innocence. It also contains a tone of mystery and natural wealth, â€Å"bubbles gargled delicately, bluebottles/wove a strong gauze of sound†¦Ã¢â‚¬  through the use of synesthetic verbs to personify nature, Heaney portrays his nostalgic feelings towards this period of childhood innocence. This is emphasised through enjambment, which creates a sense of freedom. The demise of this is seen through the tonal shift, â€Å"then one hot day† in stanza two, moving the reader into the harshness of his adulthood. The contrast in language is also evidence of this, it becoming grotesque and fearful, â€Å"gross bellied†¦ obscene threats†¦farting heads†¦mud grenades.† Connotations of war, vengeance and threat are apparent, depicting his childhood demise through his negative perceptions of nature. Thus, it is clear from both pieces that Heaney has varied views on life and loss. In MTB the reader learns of his confusion and resignation as a result of his experience of death. However, DOAN presents a metaphorical depiction of how childhood is lost as a result of the harsh and oppressive adult world.

African American and Conflicting Perspective Essay

Every individual has a perspective on things in life and their personal idea of the truth. These are universal concepts and are widely seen in ted Hughes poems â€Å"birthday Letters†. Birthday letters is a set of poems, said to have been written by Hughes for six years prior to his death, on his ex wife’s birthday each year this the selection of poems being called birthday letters. The selection on poems surrounds his problematic marital issues between himself and his wife Sylvia Plath. It is also to show the conflicting perspective on their relationship. This is mainly towards the criticism he received all those years after her suicide. He had been blamed for being the catalyst for her suicide/death and so began a collection of poems regarding their relationship but in some way, excusing himself and explaining that she was already on a destructive path. Through two of his poems, Fulbright scholars and the shot, an understanding of the poems have thrown lighten the concepts of conflicting perspectives. Two other complementary texts such as letters from two jima and to kill a mockingbird convey conflicting perspectives however on issues such as racial discrimination and the perspectives of an opposing country that has been marked as enemies. Fulbright scholars are the first poem in the birthday letters collection. Hughes here tries to remember how he met her and first know of her existence. He does this whilst looking at a picture that was taken at university, when he was a naive young man. He ponders about her throughout the poem trying hard to delve into his psyche hopelessly to recollect something about her when they met at a party. This can be noted by the quote â€Å"were you among them? † which refers to the picture of Fulbright scholar. In terms of conflicting perspectives, the e poem can also be seen as a text that he wrote implicating how difficult it is t recall that first meeting, however he begins to explain his perspective of Sylvia Plath. He says â€Å"your exaggerated American grin for the cameras† which referred to her as someone with false appearances. The various techniques Hughes used to convey his ideas were the use of rhetorical questions such as â€Å"were you among them? †, the repetitions of the word maybe and the use of the I persona, and metaphors such as the â€Å"first fresh peach†. Rhetorical questions he used as a means of asking himself how he met her and what she first looked like to him. The metaphor ‘delicious peach† can be said to be another way to say she was the first girl he â€Å"ever tasted†, in terms of the experience of truly liking someone who seemed special to him. Reputation is used throughout the poem of maybe can be analyzed as a way of trying to remember what he saw of her and his knowing of her existence. The ‘I’ persona is an important tool in terms of Hughes alluding to the very personal nature of his reflection. The poem ‘the shot’ is also one from the collection and conveys Plath as someone different to what her fans saw her to be. As he says that she was deceitful in terms of appearance of a good and decent person/poet. In the poem, the shot is a metaphor of Plath being bullet shout out a gun. It can also e sad that Hughes thinks that he was the one shot. Hughes perspective on paths â€Å"destructive path† is one that she has always been on, saying that she was already a bullet long before she has met him. Followers of Plath as a victim view him as a catalyst for her suicide but in the poem he tries to explain that she was already suicidal as she tried to commit suicide when she was younger. The use of word â€Å"daddy† is one of great importance as it refers to her childish attachment to her father. This is also the title of her famous poem daddy. Hughes also explains that from his perspective, that he himself has become the father figure that she had ways been looking for. Overall, the concept of the two poems depict conflicting perspectives through analysis of ted Hughes’ birthday letters. The text letters from Iwo jima is similarly to birthday letters, a conflicting perspective however of the Japanese however of the Japanese soldiers during the American invasion of to two jima in ww2. It depicts their perspective throughout the turbulent time, showing that even were still human beings with the same universal feelings. Clint eastwood directed the film letters from Iwo Jima in 2006, trying to show an American or non Japanese audience their side of the story or their perspective. Here, a conflicting perspective is shown. Throughout the film, eastwood wants us to empathise with the Japanese perspective f the same terror and emotions that the Americans felt at that time too. The main character is a young Japanese soldier called saigo who is little enthused on fighting and going to war. This is all seen through techniques eastwood input such as flashbacks- which were important in the film. The audience is then able to see how the soldiers were like before the war and what it was like for them when they got conscripted. Their reflections are a huge part in their conflicting perspective and also a great important technique is the Japanese language. Eastwood used the language to give a strong sense of ethnicity and strong sense of tradition. To kill a mocking bird written by Harper lee in 1960 conveys the conflicting perspectives of the treatment of African Americans in Alabama. This conflicting perspective is seen through the eyes of a young white girl, rather than n African American person. The text shows her view o the racial discrimination against the Negroes and the treatment, prejudice and violence they receive. The event takes place that’s how a conflicting perspective is the court case scene, where an African American man is accused of raping a young white girl. The perspective here is not only through the girl, Scout Finch, but also her father Atticus finch which is the lawyer defending the accused. However he took on a case he know that with all the racial discrimination and prejudice around, he would inevitable lose. The fact that he took on the case shows a conflicting perspective of a white American man who has no prejudice against African Americans. The daughter scout finch views the situation on a different level as well as she was basically raised by African American woman and didn’t judge her, as many people did in Maycomb County. She begins to see and understand the prejudice and discrimination when the man is accused of rape as the majority people did not like his race at that time. It was seen as stereotypical to blame him for the rape. The conflicting perspective here is that the perspective o a young white American and her family on the treatment the Negroes received. It can be said that harper lee wanted the audience to challenge their beliefs and see events from the perspective of a young child who is horrified by the treatment of the Negroes.

Cocoa trees in an African plantation Essay Example

Cocoa trees in an African plantation Essay Example Cocoa trees in an African plantation Essay Cocoa trees in an African plantation Essay If you want to feed the people of the third world eat chocolate. Discuss. Human use of the cocoa bean can be traced back to around 600 BC where it was used as part of an ingredient in a hot, liquid beverage consumed by the Mayans in Central America. Around 2 millennia later, in 1491 AD, Christopher Columbus introduced cocoa into Spain. Columbus had discovered these seemingly dull and un-important beans during his expeditions to the Americas where at this time cocoa was being drunk by the Aztecs, in much the same way as it had been by the Mayans. There was one difference though, chocolatl (meaning warm liquid) was a regal drink and very few people, mainly only the Emperor, ever had the chance to taste it; let alone the actual people who cultivated the bean. This situation appears to have remained the same for over 500 years, but just broadened to an international scale. In terms of the chocolate industry we are very much a global microcosm of the Aztec society. In England the average person will spend $98 per year on chocolate. 7 years ago the European chocolate industry was valued at $18,463 billion. Chocolate is a multinational industry and is sold everywhere in the world. However, chocolate has humble beginnings. Grown in many places from The Ivory Coast to Indonesia to Brazil, cocoa often starts its existence in poverty. Poor cocoa farmers in these countries grow acres of cocoa trees in plantations similar to the one in Figure 1. Cocoa farming does not depend on seasons, the countries that grow cocoa tend to have equatorial climates with evenly distributed annual rainfall. Fig. 1 Cocoa trees in an African plantation. So, with an all year round growing season it takes an expert eye to recognise by appearance which fruits are ripe. When these pods are identified they are removed one way or another dependant of their location on the cocoa tree. Machetes are now used to open each pod; a worker who is proficient with a machete can open up to 500 pods per hour. 20 to 50 cream coloured beans can now be removed from the pods; the husks and membranes are discarded. A dried bean from an average pod weighs around 50g. Around 400 of these beans are needed to make a pound of chocolate. This means that approximately 20kg of dried cocoa beans are needed to make 450g of chocolate (or one pound of chocolate). The beans are then usually piled into heaps in the sun and covered with leaves to ferment for 3 to 9 days, this removes the bitter taste from the cocoa. When the bean appears a rich brown colour they are ready to be dried. Drying varies from country to country depending on the weather they experience but the method tends to be simplistic and natural. When the beans are dry they are sacked (to the weight of anything from 55kg to 90kg) and stored in the shipping centres to await buyers. Presuming the cocoa is going to a chocolate producer the beans are shipped to the manufacturer and stored very carefully. If the beans come into contact with strong odours they tend to absorb an off-flavour. The beans are thoroughly cleaned as a precaution and then weighed. To develop the beans chocolate taste they are roasted in large rotary cylinders for varying amounts of time at around 140 degrees Celsius. The beans are quickly cooled and have their shells removed by a winnowing machine that passes the beans along serrated cones that crack the thin shell. The product is the nib which is about 53% cocoa butter. The nibs are now ground to create enough frictional heat in order to turn them into chocolate liquor, which is poured into moulds and allowed to solidify. Ingredients are added accordingly at this point depending on the desired chocolate end product. The mixture becomes dough like and is passed under rollers to make it into a thin paste ready for conching. Conchings function is to develop the flavour of the chocolate by mechanical kneading for hours or even days, this is often replaced or supplemented by the emulsification of the mixture to break up sugar crystals resulting in a smoother chocolate. When finished the chocolate is tempered with interval heating, then cooled and then reheated so it can be cast into the shape of the final product. The chocolate is packaged and then distributed. Two major chocolate manufacturers are Cadburys and Nestle, both of these companies have their names inserted into chocolate history; John Cadbury was the first person to produce solid eating chocolate through the development of fondant chocolate in 1842 and Henri Nestle created the first milk chocolate by adding milk in 1875. Both companies now dominate the chocolate industry internationally. Chocolate manufacture is widespread and there are countless numbers of companies: Lindt, Toblerone, Mars and Aeschbach Chocolatier to name but a few. These companies are all multinational, their various branches (such as supply, manufacture, marketing and distribution) are located throughout the world. Certain individual aspects of the MNCs, however, tend to follow certain inclinations; suppliers of cocoa are always found in equatorial less economically developed countries (LEDCs) such as Ghana and Cameroon, factories of the chocolate MNCs are usually located in more economically developed countries (MEDCs) or the nation of origin, eg. Britain and Switzerland. Fig. 3 A world map showing cocoa producing areas of the world The production of chocolate, as we know, starts with the harvest of beans in the countries that produce cocoa, these can be seen in Figure 3. I will be analysing three of these countries: Ghana (Central Africa), Brazil (South America) and Belize (Central America), two of which are in the top five cocoa producing nations of the world (Ghana is second and Brazil is fourth). All three of these countries are LEDCs, and they are all situated around the equator as seen on Figure 2. This means that they have an equatorial climate, these climatic conditions produce high temperatures throughout the year, usually with a temperature range of less than three degrees Celsius. Rainfall throughout the year is heavy, normally over 2000mm annually, and most equatorial countries have an intense, punctual and daily precipitation. Figure 4 is a climate graph of a typical equatorial country, we can see how conditions remain much the same throughout the year meaning that plants that can survive under these circumstances can grow all year round. Fig. 4 A typical climatic graph of an equatorial country. One of these plants is Theobroma cacao, seen in Figure 1, which is commonly known as a cocoa tree. This tree is native to Brazil yet it is now grown along the equator in many different countries. The conditions required for the cocoa tree are fairly demanding and the areas of cultivation lie only within 20 degrees latitude of the equator. Further still within this latitude a temperature range of 21-32 is required, rainfall is largely insignificant as long as the soil is capable of retaining moisture. So we can see from Figure 4 that equatorial countries provide ideal and all year round growing conditions for the cocoa tree. As mentioned earlier all three of these countries (and every other equatorial country) are LEDCs, or less developed in relation to other nations of the world. Figure 5 presents us with a table outlining the basic properties of Ghana, Brazil and Belize that give an indication of the level of development within them compared with an MEDC; the United States of America. Fig. 5 A table comparing equatorial LEDCs with an MEDC. We can see from Figure 5 that the division between LEDC and MEDC is fairly obvious (Particularly in the case of GNP), Ghana is the least developed out of our three equatorial countries. We have briefly analysed three cocoa producing countries, but what about chocolate producing countries? The United Kingdom is an MEDC, it is a major global producer of chocolate and also a main consumer. In the UK people have a comparatively high standard of living, the GNP per capita is $18,882 and a life expectancy of 77 years. The UK has been producing chocolate well over 100 years, Britain was the first country in the world to create and distribute solid eating chocolate and many modern chocolate MNCs, such as Mars, Cadburys and Nestle, have their headquarters or factories in the UK. The UK produces around 545,095 metric tonnes of chocolate per year, the individual UK chocolate market having been valued at around i 6 billion. As a nation the UK spends i 3. 9 billion per annum on chocolate confectionary. These figures give us an insight as to just how much of an important role Britain plays in the chocolate industry. We are now familiar with the equatorial LEDCs climatic conditions, which are (excepting Hawaii) the only environmental circumstances that support the cultivation of the cocoa tree. We also know about the level of chocolate consumption and production that currently exists globally. So rationality would infer that these equatorial countries effectively dominating the cocoa market should be rolling in it. Yet we also know that these countries remain LEDCs, some stricken with poverty and disease. At this point reason intervenes and we must realise that somewhere someone or something is cheating these small-scale cocoa producers. Cocoa production is an unsophisticated, un-mechanised and primitive industry, it is labour- intensive so cacao plantation owners normally employ workers when they are harvesting. Cocoa growers are not always poverty-stricken, some are extremely wealthy if they own enough plantations, but the people who work on the cocoa are plantations are invariably poor. Figure 6 is a house in Accra, the capital of Ghana, this represents the sort of living conditions that Ghanaian cocoa workers have. Behind that house is a Ghanaian luxury villa, of the sort that our rich, cacao plantation owners would inhabit. Fig. 6 Juxtaposing living conditions in Accra, Ghana. Plantation owners affect their workers quality of existence directly by how much they pay them, whether they themselves are rich or poor. In the equatorial LEDCs of study there is no minimum wage for workers; they are paid as little or as much as employers deem necessary, but there is also no minimum price for cocoa. Cocoa is a freely traded global commodity and its price is determined by the current supply and demand, previous attempts at establishing a minimum price for cocoa via the International Cocoa Agreements and the World Bank have failed and there were inter-governmental agreements to liberalise the market. This means that like the wages of plantation workers, cocoa prices can be as high or as low as buyers want them. This is a problem for both small and large plantation owners; some plantations are small family run businesses that do not employ workers so the price of cocoa can be directly detrimental or beneficial to them. In Ghana, for instance, the majority of cocoa sales goes through the district government which purchase the cocoa from growers and then sell it to manufacturers. These government organisations cheat the cocoa growers by altering the scales and paying a lower price for the cocoa in order to make a larger profit. The chocolate MNCs play a massive part in determining the lives of all the previously mentioned people. The cocoa growers depend on their demand for the bean; if the MNCs reduce their demand or turn to suppliers with lower prices then these people can lose their ability to earn money and even their homes. I will return to the MNCs later but we first have to acknowledge that cocoa growers standard of living is not always determined by factors under human control. El Nio is a disruption of the oceanic-atmospheric system in the tropical Pacific that can have detrimental consequences both locally and globally. El Nii o is the abnormal warming of these oceanic waters, which is on part of a see-saw process called the Southern Oscillation. This is the reversing surface air pressure between the eastern and western tropical Pacific, the opposite phenomenon is called La Nii o but is not a damaging to the weather as El Nii o. El Nii o causes irregular weather patterns across the world, it disrupts water temperatures, changes temperatures and can bring heavy rain or drought.

On the origin of speaking - Emphasis

On the origin of speaking On the origin of speaking Last Thursday marked the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin: an event that did not go uncelebrated at Emphasis HQ. And even as we hung the streamers and tied up the balloons we were silently thanking the birthday boy for explaining the opposable thumbs that allowed us to do it. I mean, of course, his theory of natural selection: that particular cause of evolution that pits genes in competition with each other so that organisms can win the reproduction war, becoming increasingly sophisticated in tiny increments along the way. The roots and evolution of language have proved trickier to reconcile with Darwins magnum opus. The fact that humans happily chat away from an early age while chimps our closest relatives in the animal kingdom stay stoically silent has led to doubts on the subject. Possible suggestions for our capacity for communication are as varied as Divine bestowment or a coincidental by-product of some other adaptation process. (For example, bones are white not for aesthetic reasons but because they are strengthened with calcium. Which is white.) But theres hope yet for hard-line Darwinist linguists. Steven Pinker suggests humans have a language instinct, * which has been gradually honed for 200,000 years: this explains why children begin to pick up pretty complex grammar before they even go to school; why every community and tribe ever discovered has a stable language with regulated grammar and syntax; and why even people deaf from birth include these features in their sign language. And we cant possibly learn it by rote since it is virtually limitless: we can use it to form endlessly innovative combinations of words. Theres no reason to expect chimps to have this innate ability (tea adverts aside) because we are not descended from them directly: we share a common (extinct) ancestor. Developing our brains in this unique way is no odder, Pinker points out, than an elephant developing a trunk. In business, out-performing your rivals is still vital for survival. So were here to help your writing evolve: we like to think of ourselves as the winning gene. And hopefully that Darwin would be proud. * For more on this see Steven Pinker The Language Instinct (Penguin Books Ltd 1994)

Final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Final - Essay Example US commission on Civil rights serves as an overall advisor as well as a watchdog and the country’s civil rights division within the department of justice bears the responsibility of enforcing non-discrimination statutes. Nevertheless, the dispersion of responsibilities in agencies with different agendas affected the process of affirmative action implementation. However, all the agencies were concerned with application of non-discriminating policies to the various segments of the US economy despite the rise of various jurisprudence disputes even within their spheres of action; besides administrative actions were related and affected other spheres. By the turn of the twenty-first century, a small number expressed support for racial discrimination after the civil rights movement progressed from obscurity during the civil war to mid-twentieth century activism to the current accepted wisdom. The non-controversial part is the reactive policy that ensures non-discrimination based on race, religion, color, sex and national origin in social, economic and educational affairs. The non-discrimination laws are designed to make sure that individuals are never judged by color of skin, but rather by the content of their character and incase a violation occurs, such individuals are entitled to remedies (Lee, 1999). Positive and Negative Results of Affirmative Action Legislation Affirmative action seems to have a short history though it is a hands-on policy that makes special efforts about employment decisions, entry into college and other public behavior as a means of compensating for past discrimination. Affirmative action bases on the thought that various groups of people even without being discriminated against currently, any individual belonging to such groups are disadvantaged in the workplace and in campuses as a result of the past discrimination aimed at the group. Therefore, affirmative action attempts to level the playing ground for all categories of citizens th ought it emphasizes on disadvantaged groups as opposed to injured individuals. Affirmative action can refer to a court-ordered, remedial programs designed to correct effects of discrimination documented in court. Proponents of affirmative action hold that affirmative action provides long-term cure for discrimination by offering victims chances to show their skills and worth, which eventually changes prejudicial attitudes. Nevertheless, opponents of this controversial program argue that affirmative action never addresses the cause of inequality and the program can create labor market inefficiencies and result in reverse discrimination. Therefore, both sides suggest that effective affirmative action would cause minority employment to increase however; the sides disagree on whether this raise is efficient and on whether it would be sustainable if affirmative action ended (Lee, 1999). Currently there is small opportunity to measure the impact of eradicating affirmative action programs. As Federal, support for enforcement faded and flowed, the Supreme Court ruling in the past decade chipped away at affirmative action making it difficult to confirm whether concurrent changes in minority outcomes are due to affirmative actio