Cuba The Plight Of A Nation And Its Revolution Essays -

Cuba: The Plight Of A Nation And Its Revolution Cuba: The Plight of a Nation and its Revolution While the isle of Cuba was initially discovered on October 27, 1492 during one of Columbus' first voyages, it wasn't actually claimed by Spain until the sixteenth century. However, it's tumultuous beginnings as a Spanish sugar colony provides an insightful backdrop into the very essence of the country's political and economic unrest. From it's early revolutionary days to the insurrectional challenge of the Marxist-Leninist theories emerged the totalitarian regime under Fidel Castro in present day Cuba. Cuban colonial society was distinguished by the characteristics of colonial societies in general, namely a stratified, inegalitarian class system; a poorly differentiated agricultural economy; a dominant political class made up of colonial officers, the clergy, and the military; an exclusionary and elitist education system controlled by the clergy; and a pervasive religious system.1 Cuba's agrarian monocultural character, economically dependant upon sugar cultivation, production and export severely restricted its potential for growth as a nation, thereby firmly implanting its newly sprouted roots firmly in the trenches of poverty from the very beginning of the country's existence. In 1868, Cuba entered in to The Ten Years' War against Spain in a struggle for independence, but to no avail. Ten years of bitter and destructive conflict ensued, but the goal of independence was not achieved. Political divisions among patriot forces, personal quarrels among rebel military leaders, and the failure of the rebels to gain the backing of the United States, coupled with stiff resistance from Spain and the Cubans' inability to carry the war in earnest to the western provinces, produced a military stalemate in the final stages.2 The war had a devastating effect on an already weak economic and political infrastructure. The defeat, however, did not hinder the resolution of the Cuban proletariat for an independent nation. In the words of one author, The Cubans' ability to wage a costly, protracted struggle against Spain demonstrated that proindependence sentiment was strong and could be manifested militarily. On the other hand, before any effort to terminate Spanish control could succeed, differences over slavery, political organization, leadership, and military strategy had to be resolved. In short, the very inconclusiveness of the war left a feeling that the Cubans could and would resume their struggle until their legitimate political objectives of independence and sovereignty were attained.3 The years following the Ten Years' War were harsh and austere. The countryside, ravaged and desolate, bankrupted Spanish sugar interests in Cuba, virtually destroying the industry. The Spanish owners sold out to North American interests, a process accelerated by the final abolition of slavery in Cuba in 1886.4 The end of slavery, naturally, meant the end of free labor. The sugar growers, therefore, began to import machinery from the United States. Essentially, Cuba deferred its economic dependence from Spain directly to the U.S. What became known as the American Sugar Refining Company supplied from seventy to ninety percent of all sugar consumed by the United States, thus mandating the direction of the Cuban agricultural industry and thereby controlling its economy. Moreover, the United States' interventionism in the Cuban-Spanish war in 1898, motivated primarily by interests in the Cuban market, led the surrender of the Spanish army directly to the United States, not Cuba. This war later became known as the Spanish-American War. The leader and organizer of the Cuban Revolutionary Party, Jose Marti's, goal of true independence was buried without honor in 1898.5 In the years from 1902 to 1959, following the institution of the Platt Amendment, which was an amendment to the Cuban constitution, that stated that the United States had the right to intervene in Cuba at any time, a period which came to be termed the ?Pseudo Republic? ensued. In the words of General Wood: Of course, Cuba has been left with little or no independence by the Platt Amendment...The Cuban Government cannot enter into certain treaties without our consent, nor secure loans above certain limits, and it must maintain the sanitary conditions that have been indicated. With the control that we have over Cuba, a control which, without doubt, will soon turn her into our possession, soon we will practically control the sugar market in the world. I believe that it is a very desirable acquisition for the United States. The island will gradually be ?Americanized,? and in the due course we will have one of the most rich and desirable possessions existing in the entire world...6 The Great Depression however, had a immense impact on United States' holdings of

Middle Ages Transformation to the Early Modern Age

Middle Ages Transformation to the Early Modern Age Free Online Research Papers Many factors contributed to the change from the Middle Ages to the Early Modern Age. It mainly started during the Renaissance and Reformation, when people started question all aspects of life, which formed many new ideas. The new ideas eventually formed a new belief called humanism, which played a very big role in the change. It was first inspired by Greek and Roman art, which was mostly of human beings, meant to be realistic. Leonardo Da Vinci also played a crucial role: he thought about things no one else ever did. Ideas eventually formed theories, such as the Heliocentric Theory. Without ideology, we may have never even figured out that the earth revolved around the sun. Science and technology, another major reason the world changed, could not have had new inventions without ideas. If Galileo never had the thought that the church could be wrong and that Copernicus could be right, he may have never decided to make a telescope to prove that the church was indeed wrong. That gesture alone pushed humanism even further. The church was wrong, meaning that all its teachings were questionable. The printing press could never have made it, if someone didn’t think, â€Å"Wouldn’t it be nice if we didn’t have to copy all these books out by hands?† Protesting (against the church) also came from ideology. Martin Luther came to realize that the church was taking advantage of everyone else dealing with nepotism and selling indulgences. His Ninety-Five Theses started the Reformation which would then turn into the Early Modern Age. Joan of Arc was a living example of protesting; she was a woman but she wore armour and went to battle. King Henry VIII was not allowed to divorce, even though he was the king. In response, he took away the church’s land and made his own church, which of course allowed him to divorce. In conclusion, if ideology didn’t exist, many of the changes that directly affect the world would not have been there. If those changes did no take place, then our very own era may not have even started. Research Papers on Middle Ages’ Transformation to the Early Modern AgeComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeCapital PunishmentQuebec and Canada19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andWhere Wild and West MeetAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2

Statistical Forecasting in Business Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Statistical Forecasting in Business - Term Paper Example On the other hand, regression analysis in business forecasting answers the question â€Å"by how much†. In this regard, both simple and multiple regression analysis shows the relationship between the dependent variable against the independent variables (IV: within subject factors e.g. products differentiation, product prices etc.). A business normally comes up with a model based on its operations and then using the available historical data formulates a regression equation which can be used able to predict the future values. An example of a regression model is shown below;SV = ÃŽ ²0 + ÃŽ ²1P + ÃŽ ²2M+†¦+ ÃŽ ²nXi In this model, ÃŽ ²Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s are the coefficients of the various independent variables and which signifies the amount of dependent variable change (in this case sales volumes), either positive or negative, once one of the independent variable’s changes by a single unit. P, product differentiation, and M, market share, are examples of independent variables. ÃŽ ²n shows that the variables can be as many as possible depending on the business itself. According to Jain, C. L. (2000), business forecasting is normally completed through the application of data mining processes where models are used to predict future using existing/historical data from which business potential if projected based on different business activities as well as transactions. To Jain, the sole purpose of data mining is to establish the presence of predictive criteria which might be present if large volumes of historical data are used.

Employee Assistance Porgram (EAP) Avaiable for the Modern Workplace Research Paper

Employee Assistance Porgram (EAP) Avaiable for the Modern Workplace - Research Paper Example A large number of the employee assistance programs offer training facilities to people owning businesses and the supervisors of these businesses in order to deal and recognize the behavioral crisis inside a workforce. The programs of assisting the employees are not created to grant long term management. According to the Business Week Magazine, the programs give an employee a secure environment for discussing their problems with a particular counselor who in return makes an evaluation that is confidential (S. Philip, 2000). Employee Assistance Program In addition, this evaluation if needed gives a recommendation to a professional of mental wellbeing. The magazine goes on to assert that the owner of a business is supposed to have worries concerning the workers given more value and have good work productivity. Ordinary psychiatric problems take a significant part from abuse of drugs to alcohol infatuation. Yearly, the business cost comes near to three hundred and twelve billion in absen teeism and productivity lost (W. G. Brian, 1997). These employee assistance programs have come out to be important and popular constituents of total advantages packages used for large and small employers who are alike. The employee assistance progressional association affirms that during the late nineteen nineties, there were a close number of twenty thousand employee assistance programs providers that were operating in the United States. They were first designed to respond to the business concerns on the impact to be gotten from an employee drug and alcohol abuse in productivity. Currently, they are planned to deal with various issues that are affecting the modern day workers. The modernized employee assistance programs are created to assist the workers with different problems like stress from depression, marriage and family counseling, financial problems, illness amongst the co workers and crisis organization (W. G. Brian, 1997). A large number of these employee assistance program s have made increased their counseling scope in order to help the workers struggle with the issues concerning eldercare, natural catastrophes, and violence in areas of work. In addition, these programs have increased elements that are proactive to the offering they make. An example is that the employee assistance programs have supported the workplace guidelines and educational efforts of AIDS/HIV. The expansion in the range of employee assistance program is commonly pointed to the United States changes in bigger collective fabric. S. Philip (2000) asserts that changes in technology and demographic changes have assisted in creation of different and new varieties of mental and stress health issues that affect the productivity and health of a large population of the employees in the world. Human beings who have family or personal problems may lack a place to go for an advice than to the advantages the employee assistance program put forward through their places of work. Various compani es have realized that detection of a direct link can be identified amid the productivity and well being of a certain employee. According to W. G. Brian (1997), these companies are also relying on their employees in improving their productivity and their increasing their bottom line despite the advancement of technology in the world. This means that the association existing between the productivity

Political Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Political Act - Essay Example He resigned the Yugoslav presidency amid demonstrations, following the disputed presidential election of September 24, 2000. (wikipedia.com). He surrendered to the JSO (an elite group of police in Serbia), to avoid forced arrest in April 1, 2001. This put in compliance with an American deadline. The warrant had previously been made on suspicion of corruption, abuse of power, and embezzlement. The charges were domestic. The legitimacy of the arrest was not proven since Milosevic surrender; however putting Milosevic in jail is not legal. The investigation does not have a hard evidence to convict the former president. The Serbian Prime Minister Milosevic act during the war convicted him for committing war crimes. During the Yugoslav war in 1990 and Kosovo war in 1999 he conducted his own defense at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, where he stood accused of crimes against humanity, violating the laws or customs of war, grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions and genocide. The decision of the court of not giving him the proper medical treatment is legitimate in the sense that he is convicted of a crime, but the said action is illegal since every person is entitled to have a proper treatment. His trial ended without verdict because he died during the proceedings. He suffered from heart ailments and high blood pressure. In the case of President Milosevic he had made a legitimate act during the war since he is the president; however he violated the laws of war and the Geneva Conventions. The political acts performed by Milosevic are a good example of legitimate act but legal. There are also cases wherein political act is legitimate but it does not necessarily need to be legal. In the case of the American and the British decision to attacked Iraq and engaged into war is legitimate. In the inquiry of people in the website of Noam Chompsky one question goes like this: "Do you think that, after the unjustified and unjustifiable war against Iraq, the world will lose the meaning of its existence, like in the field of language, when we lose the grammatical rules Will we automatically lose the reference of the meaning of sentences, and consequently the meaning of the world around us" Noam answer this question by citing one statement done by a follower of the Iraq war, Michael Glennon, who argues that we should recognize that international law and international institutions are what he calls hot air. They have proven their inapplicability by the fact that the United States disregards them, and he says it is right to disregard them, and the United States must maintain the right to use force as it chooses, independent of these institutions, which we simply have to dismiss and disregard. The act of Americans and British against Iraq has gain criticism throughout the world. But the said act is legitimate. The legality of attacking someone is not being followed especially during the time of war or the need to have a war. In the case of the American President he needs to make decisions depending on the

PESTLE Analysis for Dialog Axiata

PESTLE Analysis for Dialog Axiata Dialog Telekom PLC (The Company) operates Sri Lankas largest and fastest growing telecommunication network Dialog GSM. Dialog Telekom is one of the largest companies listed under the Colombo Stock Exchange. It is a subsidiary of the Axiata Group Berhad. Due to Dialog the Sri Lankan mobile industry has achieved new heights and has come at par with the developed world. The telecom company operates 2G, 3G and 3.5G mobile services, supporting the current trends in mobile internet and multimedia services, as well as international roaming. Dialog Telekom accounts for more than 50% of Sri Lankan mobile phone subscribers. Along with the mobile telecommunication business Dialog Telekom operates a wide portfolio of international telecommunication services including retail and wholesale international voice and data services. Dialog Broadband Networks Pvt. Ltd. (DBN) is an owned subsidiary of the Company, and is an important player in Sri Lankas ICT infrastructure sector. DBN was also the first service provider in Sri Lanka to introduce high-speed broadband internet services based on Wi MAX technology. Dialog Television Pvt. Ltd. (Dialog TV) is another subsidiary of Dialog Telekom PLC. It operates Dialog Satellite TV, a Direct-to-Home (DTH) Satellite TV service. Dialog TV supports a wide range of international and local television channels. Regarding the structure of the company, Dialog Telekom Ltd. has got a Hybrid structure which is a combination of Matrix structure as well as Modular structure. As in each Strategic Business Unit (SBU) works independently and every function of each SBU has communication linkages with one another. Top down as well as bottom up communication is available and it uses worldwide resources and technologies. MICRO ANALYSIS THROUGH SWOT Analysis (S)trengths Dialog has the first mover advantage of GSM technology in Sri Lanka. Due to its strong infrastructure it has got one of the best and far reaching mobile telecommunication coverage. Relationship with a telecommunication tycoon in the same region; Telekom Malaysia Group. Extension in collaborations maintaining good relations with other Telecom companies has enabled Dialog to have a global approach with services such as and Satellite Coverage high roaming. Dialog Telekom has got a very aggressive marketing strategy which enables it to have a good and stable Brand Equity. Companys financial analysis proved excellent stability in financial statements regarding investments. Strong Public Relationship that has been built up over the years. Expanded CSR initiatives increased the social value of the firm. High quality technical innovations has made dialog market leader in Sri Lanka. Constant rise in the share prices has gained the confidence of the investors leading to value increment. Strong distribution network spread throughout the entire island.. Well managed customer care support techniques has increase the level of customer satisfaction. Wide variety of products. Management Team is efficient and hard-working. High level of corporate business knowledge retention through low employee turnover (W)eaknesses Though the investment on advertising and value addition through technical innovation is high, there is no clear aim and idea of a broader market Poor performance as on ISP. Compared to its competitors Dialog lags behind in innovations related to pricing strategies. The head office in Colombo is of a distributed nature due to non-expandability of the current location. The level of motivation of internal employees is decreasing. Due to the rapidly growing customer base the trends in Quality of Service are going down by the day. In the front-office employee turn-over is high. (O)pportunities Telecom is one of the fastest growing sectors in Sri Lankas 19.5million people As per estimations 4.5million users would have mobile phones by the end of 2006 The communication industry is growing rapidly. Fixed line penetration is low. The approval and acceptability of the Value Added Services (VAS) by the users has increased the probability and success of any new VAS initiative. The strategic partnership of Dialog Telekom with Vodafone UK. Dialog has got the potential to gain benefits of Value Chain Convergence. Technology advancements especially in mobile multimedia technologies and the advent and use of the next 3G mobile communications. (T)hreats Strongest Competitor of Dialog, the Mobile wing of fixed line telecom giant SLT is focused on cost-cutting strategy through its low cost pre-paid products in the market. Rapid changes in the political, social and economic conditions as well as the laws and regulations. Changes in currency exchange rates and high inflation which is inversely affecting the global business. Rapid change in customer preferences and their growing needs due to high level of customer awareness. Constant changes in technology. Dialog had to switch off all base station in northern-province during the last few months due to military operations by the Sri Lankan Govt. forces. Thus there is an uncertainty due to the growing counter terrorist campaigns. PESTEL Analysis (P)olitical Sri Lanka has very positive foreign investment policies. However though Sri Lanka identified importance of liberalization early as in 1977, due to political interventions bureaucratic attitudes inherited from colonial reign and poor governance, the country as a whole and specifically the industry has not grown as it was foreseen at the time of liberalization. During the past two decades, terrorist activities have remained constant as well. (E)conomical Unstable macro-economic environment and trade policy regime has a negative impact on the industry. The fall of the exchange rate over the years happened on a gradual pace. Since the inception of liberalization policy it has undergone massive reforms in this sector. However Sri Lanka lags dynamics incorporated by India to attract foreign direct investments. The attitude towards foreign direct investments needs to be improved. (S)ocio-Cultural Sri Lanka has better social conditions for example literacy rate is high, infant mortality rate is low and life expectancy is long. The country also has an educated and trainable work force. Nevertheless Sri Lankans inherit a bureaucratic attitude from the colonial administration that results in inefficiencies and discrimination. (T)echnological Sri Lanka depends on technology transfers from foreign direct investments. However TRCSL encourages local research and development. The country comparatively has not performed well enough to adapt technological changes on a timely manner. For example the shift from analogue to digital and the adoption of CDMA technology materialized in a slow pace. (E)cological (L)egal TRCSL the regulatory body takes up multidimensional roles. It ensures fair enforcement of Govt. policy, hold operators accountable for performance, address consumer issues, monitor changing industry needs and provide feedback to the policy making units. However TRCSL has been criticized over the years for information asymmetry, inefficiency and discrimination. Porters Five Forces 1. Threat of New Entrants Indias Bharti AIRTEL has got the fifth mobile operator license in Sri Lanka As per TRCSL, no more licenses would be awarded Thus it creates an entry barrier for all others to the market 2. Bargaining Power of Customers Consumer protection groups are almost non-existing As compared to the west, consumers are not that strong in their demands Quality standards and supports are comparatively not major concern if they exist at a basic level Low switching costs Customers are highly cost conscious 3. Threat from Substitutes Almost negligible Alternatives are fixed line and the more recent CDMA connectivity This is a much smaller market as compared to the huge total market 4. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Local and International suppliers for Dialog Depends on SLT, MTT and a few other VSAT operators to access the national backbone Thus these particular suppliers are extremely powerful Acquisition of MTT and the creation of the new subsidiary known as Dialog Broadband Network 5. Rivalry Among Competing Firms Very high competition with constant pricing wars Dialog certainly has an edge because of their Value Added Services and differentiation strategy and the huge customer base Value Added Services are becoming very popular among the consumers Strategic Groups Adopted by the Company Dialog strategies are visible in the companys corporate, business and functional levels. They have already diversified their business across many areas during the last few years. For instance, by acquiring MTT, Dialog managed to strengthen its transmission backbone. Also recent past it has acquired CBNSAT, a satellite TV transmission company, and DERANA TV Channel with a long term objective of a value chain convergence. In addition to reach the customer, Dialog has created many alliances with other business corporations. Cargills-Dialog alliance to allow Cargills customers to settle Dialog bills is just one such example. The business plan is formulated at the beginning of the year considering main objectives of the company. The progress of each project is monitored in a monthly basis through different strategic committee meetings. On the other hand, Dialog tries to introduce latest technologies into the market considering global mega trends through its comprehensive Research and Development wing. Among them, the Dialogs initiative to setup the Dialog Research Lab at the University of Moratuwa is of importance because it effectively enabled Dialog to provide tailor made solutions to the local market. Nokia phones with Sinhala language support and Tsunami warning system for mobiles are just to name a few such examples. These technology initiatives can be considered as a strategy used to capture the market by effectively staying ahead from the competition in the technology and innovation sphere. Structure The Companys business and operations are managed under the supervision of the Board of Directors comprising of 5 non-executive directors and 1 executive director. The Board has the power to appoint executive directors including the CEO. Divisional structure can be identified in company level but performances of the divisions are measured through different strategic committees. Systems Apart from the technical backbone, Dialog uses several systems to execute their business strategies successfully. For example- SAP ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) This was launched in 2006 January to integrate identified key process in the company. CCBS (Customer Care Billing System) Currently existing billing system is going to be migrated into a new system to provide more customer centric services. HRIS Used for Human Resource Management and all the day to day functions are carried out through this system. Style The management style always depends on targets and objectives. Strict deadlines are imposed while performance and progress are very closely monitored at all levels of the organizational structure. Rewards and benefit schemes are in line for the top performers and better achievements. All the employees will have a number of recreational opportunities such as trips, get-together, sports etc. to take some time off from busy work schedules. Staff The Company currently employs a workforce of 2500 who in turn are considered pivotal to the organizations growth and success. Annual manpower planning and recruitment is carried out in parallel with the business plan preparation. The capabilities required by potential employees are based on the requirements of the business plans applicable to respective departments of the company in any given year. Recruitment to the Company is governed by several policies. The core policy on filling vacancies spells out the Companys intention to attract the best with the aim of exploiting the individuals potential while providing career development opportunities irrespective of communal or gender differences. 7% of the total HR cost is devoted to training and development. The training needs for individuals and teams are identified from the competency requirements arising from the Companys business plan and employees annual performance review. Subordinate Goals All individuals with different backgrounds, different ethnics and nations are teamed up and driven towards a common set of goals and objectives at Dialog Telekom. The company has been successful in focusing the entire team towards a single vision by incorporating all individuals goals and personal objective together. Skills Dialog team consists of number of individuals with distinctive capabilities and competencies from top to bottom. Dialog is proud to have a very energetic and talented CEO in the caliber of Dr. Hans Wijesuriya. In addition to that Dialog is served by a team of top class individual in the Sri Lankan industry with lot of talent and exposures. Different Strategies Adopted by Dialog Telekom Corporate Strategy Considering the current performance, the key success factors and the SWOT analysis the directional strategy alternatives would be the following Growth strategy to expand the activities of Dialog Telekom further would be the first alternative. Since the current product lines have real growth potencial concentration of resources on those would be ideal. In concentration Dialog Telekom can follow the vertical growth strategy to take the benefit of the value chain convergence opportunity that is existing in Sri Lankan context. Stability strategy to continue with current activities without any changes to the direction would be the second alternative. Here Dialog Telekom can utilize pause/proceed with caution strategy to have only incremental improvements while the weaknesses stated are overcome. It can use this time to stabilize the organization due to the changes took place due to multiple strategies it adopted earlier such as acquisitions and investing on innovative developments, which will help to get back the loosing internal employee motivation. The first alternative will move Dialog Telekom further away from the competition and create a monopoly temporarily for converged industries of telecommunication, content, media and retail. However unfocused highspeed growth to capture the market without stabilizing the existing acquisitions can disassemble everything. The second alternative will give Dialog Telekom and its employees much needed breathing space. The recommendation would be to implement the second alternative initially to stabilize the organization without any other drastic change in the direction. And after some time they can adopt their long term beneficial value chain convergence option depicted in first alternative. Business Strategy The business strategy alternatives available for Dialog Telekom to improve the competitive position in the industries it operates would be The first alternative for the competitive strategy would be to improve on the current strategy of differentiation. It can improve this by having unique Value Added Services for each of its current strategic business units DBN, CBNSAT and Dialog Telekom itself. This can improve the customer loyalty and thereby can charge a reasonable premium rate than competitors. Second alternative which Dialog Telekom can try to implement is cost leadership to overcome the threat of lower rates provided by competitors, Mobitel. Since the VAS are less in Mobitel the switching from Dialog to Mobitel is not much in urban people who use these VASes. But people who are using purely as a voice/sms only are shifting as most of them are cost conscious and there is not much of a difference in coverage. Hence if Mobitel improves on its VASes it would become a serious threat at a stage at which only the rates would decide the attraction of that segment of the market. Typically the differentiation strategy is more likely to generate higher profits than low cost strategy. However differentiation strategy implementation may involve higher investment than low cost strategy. Competitive scope is an important factor when considering competitive strategies. The recommended alternative depends on the competitive scope in this situation. Considering both alternatives and the pros and cons of each most ideal would be to have culmination of both differing from the segment of the market. Dialog Telekom should have a focused differentiation strategy in the market where people are valuing the VASes and cost focus in the market where usage is purely for voice/SMS. Simultaneously Dialog Telekom should look at strategic alliances as a corporate strategy to gain competitive advantage by working with other organizations. Currently they have stated this with some banks and some supermarket chains as mentioned earlier. However this can be vastly improved to include alliances with insurance companies, stock brokers, popular food chains etc.

Powerful Imagery and Settings in David Guterson’s Snow Falling on Cedar

Powerful Imagery and Settings in David Guterson’s Snow Falling on Cedars Snow Falling on Cedars, a novel by David Guterson, is a post World War II drama set in 1954 on the island of San Piedro in Washington State. The story’s focal point is the murder trial of Kabuo Miyamoto, who is accused of killing a fellow islander, Carl Heine, Jr., supposedly because of an old family feud over land. Although the trial is the main focus of the story, Guterson takes the reader back in time through flashbacks to tell a story of forbidden love involving two young islanders, Ishmael Chambers and Hatsue Imada (Kabuo’s future wife). At the time of their romance, interracial relationships were considered strictly taboo because of racial bias. It is through both this love story and Guterson’s remarkable use of setting and imagery that the reader is informed as to why racial prejudice is so high on the island of San Piedro at the time of the trial and why Kabuo is not merely on trial for Carl’s murder, but also for the color of his skin. While Snow Falling on Cedars has a well-rounded cast of characters, demands strong emotional reactions, and radiates the importance of racial equality and fairness, it is not these elements alone that make this tale stand far out from other similar stories. It is through Guterson’s powerful and detailed imagery and settings that this story really comes to life. The words, the way he uses them to create amazing scenes and scenarios in this story, makes visualizing them an effortless and enjoyable task. Streets are given names and surroundings, buildings are given color and history, fields and trees are given height and depth, objects are given textures and smells, and even the weather is given a purpose in the... ...ght out of the book and construct in front of the readers eyes, rather than form in the back of their minds. To sum up the overall experience that Snow Falling on Cedars delivers through imagery and setting would be to say that it is like a pop-up book for adults, without the need for the pop-up feature. Racial tension is not something that can be imagined or understood without some sort of emotional history or background attached to it. Emotions like hatred or others, such as desire, that the characters feel for one another, would feel shallow and empty without the descriptions that make them seem real and understandable. All these elements need to be present in order for the story to carry itself and the reader through to the end. Snow Falling on Cedars does that and more. Work Cited Guterson, David. Snow Falling on Cedars. New York: Vintage Books, 1995.

Life in College Essay

College has changed my life in many ways. Even though I spent only six months in college, I feel it has helped me a lot with my education and social life. Students who enter college usually collide with many problems, and some may think it is just like high school. From my perspective, college life is a life of freedom because it gives a feeling of being an adult, and also at the same time helping out with necessary needs. Life in college meant a new life for me. When I entered my college for the first day, I looked around with a mixed feeling of perplexity, joy, and a little bit of fear. I was puzzled as I was not habituated to college life. After checking around and looking for my class, I saw other students in batches were moving up and down the corridors for their classes; professors were coming smilingly and exchanging greetings with the students in a friendly manner which helped me to calm down and gave me the confidence to move on without being too nervous. Social life in college is different from high school. Most people do not socialize that much because they are there to get their credits and leave. They just want to finish their courses as fast as they can for business purpose or other reasons (this happens mainly in community college. ) For this reason, college has created many club activities, study groups, library, and other open areas to meet friends or work together, which definitely gives the chance to socialize. Another important thing college has taught me is managing time. I have come to understand how time is precious and how it can improve our lifestyle in so many levels. Balancing time is really important to do well both in college and in other activities like, Jobs, clubs, and spending time with family. After spending some time in classes, I came to realize how fun and easy it can be if a student spends a little bit of his/her time in class activities. College is a wonderful place and one can make it happen by his/her will.

The Factors That Influence Communication Essays

The Factors That Influence Communication Essays The Factors That Influence Communication Paper The Factors That Influence Communication Paper The factors that influence communication as a process range from those that are induced through individuality, by the society, cultures, ethics and others that work together. For instance, an individuals surrounding and those they relate with shapes their way of communication. A great example suffices in the manner of a lady who is seeking to further her education in a tertiary institution, say Betty. Her parent, a businessperson, experiences life from a different environment, hence is likely to miss out on Bettys experience. This greatly influences how they communicate with each other. Secondly, the society sets standards by which most people operate. These are like guidelines that shape how people communicate with each other. A person from a community like the minorities more often than not has a set of beliefs that keep them communicating in a certain way. As such, cultural factors set a context within which people in the said culture communicate. For instance, it is expected that the communities with the father as the head of the family eave a more conservative way of communicating, while more liberal communities accept independent views (Mayans et. Al. , 2012). In conclusion, the cultures as influenced by a society, individuality, ethical amongst many other factors usually influence how people communicate. While individual factors like personality shape how one communicates, societal expectations may also serve to model how they do so. In spite of all this, the most universal factor among them all is ethics since it applies to a eider range of communities without consideration of the less influencing factors. For instance, at school, it is expected that all students communicate in a certain way without much influence from their communities and even families.

The Impact of the Vietnam War on the People of America essays

The Impact of the Vietnam War on the People of America essays The Impact of the Vietnam War on the People of America The Vietnam War was one of the most tragic wars in American history. The affects it had on the American people were tremendous. Even today many Americans have the frightening, unforgettable memories of the war. The war was accounted to be over in 1973, but Americans still suffer the aftershocks of a national trauma that has left the nation bitterly divided and estranged from its ideals. The painful memories will be eased, but they will never be fully healed. Many Americans look at the Vietnam War as the most hated conflict in United States history. It was also the first war America has not won. Many Americans started to lose faith in their country. Many refugees came to America in hopes to start a much better life here, but were disliked by many because they made it more difficult for the many unemployed citizens of America. Many families in America felt much sorrow as they learn of resent events in Vietnam, like the battle of Laos, and the loss of there loved ones. Many veterans returned from Vietnam and received a cold welcome from millions of Americans that felt a deep hatred for the war and the way the fighting ended. The only warm greetings came from family and friends of the veterans. One veteran spoke for many when he said, I went to Vietnam thinking I was a good American who was doing my duty for my country. I come back and ended up feeling like a criminal. It alienated many returning veterans from their fellow citizens and made them wonder if they would ever again fit into the mainstream of their nations life. They also wondered if they would ever win a place for themselves in the United States. One reason for these feelings toward the veteran is that the veterans did not return at the end of the war, but throughout the course of the war after serving a tour of duty. They did not return with their units, but instead ...

Post traumatic stress disorder Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Post traumatic stress disorder - Essay Example These situations may scar a person’s psyche to the degree that they are unable to function in the same manner in society, or that the person has recurring flashbacks of the event. It is a common pattern in abuse for victims to subconsciously re-create situations that model the initial trauma as a type of behavior seeking resolution or vital processing that will allow the individual to move on. Yet, in many instances, the symptoms of people who have suffered through these events linger and never subside, with symptoms growing worse over time. In analyzing these cases, psychologists have established Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome as an identifiable mental illness operating on a pattern of symptoms, though there has been less success at identifying a treatment or a cure for individuals suffering from this problem. The DSM-IV lists the following symptoms as characteristic of PTSD: â€Å"A. The person has been exposed to a traumatic event in which both of the following were presen t: (1) The person experienced witnessed, or was confronted with an event or events that involved actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of others (2) The person's response involved intense fear, helplessness, or horror. B. The traumatic event is persistently re-experienced in one (or more) of the following ways: (1) Recurrent and distressing recollections of the event, including images, thoughts, or perceptions. (2) Recurrent distressing dreams of the event (3) Acting or feeling if the traumatic event were recurring (includes a sense of reliving the experience, illusions, hallucinations, and dissociative flashback episodes, including those that occur on awakening or when intoxicated). (4) Intense psychological distress at exposure to internal or external cues that symbolize or resemble an aspect of the traumatic event. (5) Physiological reactivity on exposure to internal or external cues that symbolize or resemble an aspect of the traumat ic event.† (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) Along with these symptoms, there may also be signs such as â€Å"efforts to avoid thoughts, feelings, or conversations associated with the trauma, efforts to avoid activities, places, or people that arouse recollections of the trauma, or inability to recall an important aspect of the trauma† as part of the effects of the condition. (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) PTSD sufferers may also feel apathetic, detached, estranged, or alienated from society and display some of the restricted range of emotion seen in schizophrenia and autism, though generally to a lesser degree. There may also be feelings of helplessness and an abandonment of social goals related to career or family life. The PTSD patient may be suicidal, confused, disoriented, and in various degrees of psychosis related to the hallucinations and flashbacks related to the disease. The patient may be aggressive, paranoid, and prone to insomnia and substa nce abuse as further issues related to the trauma. There may be additionally a general nervousness and high stress or tension level experienced by the patient in association with the disease. (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) Anger management and counseling are typically tried in combination with drugs typically used to treat depression or bipolar illnesses, such as Xanax or Prozac, in an attempt to treat the symptoms

Review of research article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Review of research article - Essay Example The article that will be evaluated is Goal Setting Effects in Elite and Nonelite Boxers by M. O’Brien, S. Mellalieu and S. Hanton and published in the Journal of Applied Sports Psychology. In a brief overview, the article Goal Setting Effects in Elite and Nonelite Boxers by O’Brien et al (2009) deals with the question how goal-setting affect or influence elite and nonelite athletes in combat sports like boxing. Addressing this particular question, it has utilised the goal-setting model as developed by Burton et al (2001). It is now in this context that a more in depth look at the article will be carried out. There are three purposes that underlie the research. These are: the primary purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a goal-setting intervention program upon elite and nonelite boxers selected components of performance behaviors and their indirect psychological responses (O’Brien, 2009). It further holds that it aims to use the contemporary goal –setting model as developed by Burton et al (2001) and that it will extend the application of the said model to multiple baseline with focus on self-generated components of both the elite and nonelite boxers’ targeted and nontargeted performance behaviours over the duration of a competitive season; and (b) boxers indirect psychological responses to the goal program in the form of competitive anxiety and self confidence(O’Brien,2009). The second objective is to identify the underlying mechanisms of goal programs using qualitative analysis and the examination of the retention and outcome effects of the pr ogram. This goal is significant since according to the authors no research prior to this one has been done to look into the effects of goal setting to one-on-one combat sports like boxing (O’Brien, 2009). The third aim is to affirm a previous study that â€Å"elite boxers would experience greater improvements in performance behaviours as compared to the