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Monday, September 30, 2019

Racial Disparity in Criminal Justice System Essay

Introduction Twenty-five percent of the world’s prison population, 2.5 million people, are held in American penal institutions. (ACLU, 2008). Sixty percent of those incarcerated are racial and ethnic minorities. These figures mean that 2.3% of all African Americans are incarcerated. The percentage of whites admitted to prison is 0.4% of whites and Hispanics, 0.7%. (Associated Press, 2007; Bonczar, 2003; Mauer & King, 2007; ACLU, 2008; Bridges & Sheen, 1998;). One of the primary contributors to this gross disproportion of incarceration of blacks is the result of â€Å"the war on drugs† and â€Å"tough on crime† initiatives that were established in the 80’s. The aggressive law enforcement strategies of The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, disproportionately arrested, convicted, and incarcerated millions of blacks for relatively minor nonviolent drug offenses as compared to white offenders. The dramatic escalation of incarceration for drug offenses was accompanied by profound racial disparities. Blacks were incarcerated at a grossly disproportionate rate to white Americans and blacks received much harsher and longer sentences, 14.5% longer, creating racial disparity within the criminal justice system (Alexander, 2010; Austin, et al.; Georges-Abeyie, 2006; Gonzà ¡lez & Chang, 2011; Lynch & William, 1997; Mauer, 2007; Mauer & King, 2007; Spohn, 2000 (Alexander, 2010, Associated Press, 2007, Mauer M. 2009; Mauer M., 2008; Spohn, 2000) Mass incarceration functions more like a caste system than a system of crime prevention serves the same purpose as pre-Civil War slavery and the post-Civil War Jim Crow laws: to maintain a racial caste system: a system designed to keep a racial group locked into an inferior position by law and customs. (Alexander, 2010) While scholars have long analyzed the connection between race and America’s criminal justice system, argue that our growing penal system, with its black tinge, constitutes nothing less than a new form of Jim Crow. There are writers that feel the analogy’s myopic focus on the War on Drugs diverts us from discussing violent crime—an oversight when discussing mass interaction in the United States. (James Forman) There is no dispute as to the extent of the escalation in criminalization and incarceration in the United States in the 40-year war on drugs. That violent offenders make up a plurality of  the prison population, but research has shown that the unequal enforcement of mandatory policies in place, black males received longer terms than whites for similar drug offenses, 14.5% longer, this creates the level of mass incarceration that racial disparity within the criminal justice system. ). Look at states in there Midwest and northeast have the greatest black-to- white disparity in incarceration. So when states as Iowa, the 10th safest state in the US, 91.3% of the population is White (88.7% non-Hispanic),and 2.9% is Black or African American, how is it for every 100,000 people Iowa incarcerates 309 white and 4200 are black, imprisoning black at 13 times the rate of whites. The unequal enforcement of mandatory policies in place, black males received longer terms than whites for similar drug offenses, 14.5% longer, this creates the level of mass incarceration that racial disparity within the criminal justice system. Supporting data shows the extraordinary increases in several states of nonwhite drug offenders committed to prison receiving harsher sentences for similar drug offences. (Alexander, 2010; Tonry, 1994 (ACLU, 2008; Alexander, 2010; Green, 2012Lacey, 2010; Bonczar, 2003; Glaze & Herberman, 2010; Mauer, 2009; Mauer, 2008; M Mauer and King (2007);Russell-Brown, 2008; Mauer & King 2007; The Institute for Economics and Peace, 2012; Petersilia,1983; Loury, 2010; Russell-Br own, 2008). There have been studies in theoretical foundation and methodological sophistication to assess the disproportionality in incarceration of racial minorities. Research has dispelled the assertion that blacks are disproportionality sentenced and incarcerated due solely to differential crime commission rates. All actors within the criminal justice system are under the delusion, or pretense, of objectivity in the criminal justice system. (Spohn, 2000; Russell-Brown, 2008) In response to this gap in literature, the current study will focus exclusively on the consistent patterns indicating that offender race operates directly through other factors, arresting officer, prior record, type of crime, pretrial status or type of disposition, or interacts with other variables that are themselves related to racial disparity. I will also attempt to determine why these disproportionalities exist by examining the criminal justice system policies and practices that have contributed in recent decades to t he disproportionate overrepresentation of minorities in the criminal justice system. Literature Review Criminologist and social-political geographer Daniel E. Georges-Abeyie introduced the concept and theory of petit apartheid in criminal justice and juvenile justice in 1990 to describe discriminatory, discretionary acts by law enforcement, correctional officers, and jurists that advantage or disadvantage an individual, or individuals, on grounds of their identity characteristics, such as race, ethnicity, gender, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, or nationality Georges-Abeyie Petit Apartheid Social Distance Severity Scale to predict criminal justice process outcomes when the identity characteristics of those making discretionary decisions and those impacted are similar or dissimilar. Petit Apartheid Social Distance Severity Scale. His frank interview with Justice Bruce Wright confirmed that each actor brings his personal bias into his duties in the criminal justice system. New York State Supreme Court Justice the Honorable McM. Bruce Wright, author of Black Robes, White Justice (1992), a criminal justice advocate, believed that a judge should consciously be â€Å"Black, Hispanic, female, working class, et cetera†, while adjudicating. Judge Wright believed that all judges manifested their social, cultural, racial, ethnic, gender, and social class biases while adjudicating. We are all impacted by life experiences. He gave an example, a specific judge, who would regularly, with pride and pomposity, proclaimed that he â€Å"quickly sized-up a defendant† as the defendant was led into the court in chains, by noting the demeanor, gait, body-language, and general physical appearance of the defendant before the defendant’s attorney, or the defendant, uttered a single word. What appalled Judge Wright was not the scrutinizing of that defendant but the denial of the phenomenologically filtered judgment, which accompanied that observation. (Georges-Abeyie, 2006) Multi factors economic, personal bias and what are considered subtle bias, offender age and gender, are major factors in the level of racial disparity within the criminal justice system. (Georges-Abeyie, 2006;; Austin, et al., 2012;Bonczar, 2003; Brewer & Heitzeg; Glaze & Herberman, 2012; Green, 2012; Lacey,2010; Gonzà ¡lez & Chang, 2011; Lee & Vukich, 2001;Loury, 2010)Mauer & King, 2007; Petersilia, 1983; Spohn, 2000; Tonry, 1994; Marc Mauer has been reporting on racial disparity since 1975 report on racial disparity and mass incarceration in the criminal justice system. His 1995 report led the New York Times to editorialize that the report â€Å"should set off alarm bells from the White House to city halls – and help reverse the notion that we can incarcerate our way out of fundamental social problems.† Finding evidence of direct discrimination against minorities in the role of race, prediction, and discretion in the criminal justice system (Baradaran, 2013; Mauer M. 2009) Research has proven that the first point of discrimination that afflicts the system is contact with the police. Police arrest black defendants more often for crimes than white defendants. (Mauer & King, 2007) Spohn in his report, Thirty Years of Prison Reform: the race for a neutralizing sentence process,† found that â€Å"a certain type† of minority offenders, perhaps because they are perceived as being more dang erous, are singled out for arrest and harsher treatment. These markers are Blacks and Hispanics who are young, male, and unemployed are particularly more likely than their white counterparts to be sentenced to prison and in some jurisdictions, they also receive longer sentences or differential benefits from guideline departures. There is also evidence that minorities convicted of drug offenses, those with longer prior criminal records, those who victimize whites, and those who refuse to plead guilty or are unable to secure pretrial release are punished more severely than similarly situated whites. (Spohn, 2000) Crime rates, law enforcement priorities, sentencing legislation and other factors play a role in creating racial disparities in incarceration. (Roth, 2001). The prosecutors, more than any  other officials in the criminal justice system, have the most direct impact on racial disparities, and thus, must bear the most responsibility in remedying them. (Davis, 1998) Race (and in particular racial stereotypes) plays a role in the judgments and decision making by all of the participants within the criminal justice system. The influence of an individual’s bias is subtle and often undetectable in any given case, but its effects are significant and observable over time. When policymakers determine policy, when official actors exercise discretion, and when citizens proffer testimony or jury-service, bias often plays a role. (Georges-Abeyie, 2006). In January of 2000, 19-year-old Jason Williams was convicted of selling a total of 1/8 oz. of cocaine on four separate occasions. Although he had no prior convictions, the Texas youth was sentenced to 45 years in prison under a state law provision that increases penalties for drug sales that occur within 1,000 feet of a school or park. As it turns out, roughly half of Williams’ hometown of Tulia falls within these â€Å"drug-free zones.† Williams was just one of 46 Tulians – including more than 10 percent of the town’s black population – caught up in a law-enforcement sweep initiated by a single undercover officer who claimed that he had bought drugs from each of them. Half faced enhanced prison terms under the drug-free zone statute, and many pled guilty in order to avoid Williams’ fate. In the months that followed sentencing, it became clear that the evidence used to convict Williams and the other defendants had been fabricated by Tom Colem an, the undercover ofï ¬ cer. The wrongfully convicted Tulians were pardoned by Governor Rick Perry in August 2003, but the incident remains a vivid example of the dangerous excesses of the nation’s increasingly unpopular â€Å"war on drugs.† These systems operate collectively to ensure the subordinate status of a group defined largely by race. And while the size of the system alone might suggest that it would touch the lives of most Americans, racial disparities in the US prison system have been increasing throughout the last third of the twentieth century (Alexander, 2010; Tonry, 1994). We have to look at the first point of contact for the defendant – and follow his journey through the criminal justice system through the maze of racial bias and discrimination and focus on answering why these disproportionalities exist. The problem of racial disparity is one which builds at each stage of the criminal justice continuum from arrest through parole, rather than the result of the actions at any single stage. How race, ethnicity, class, and gender influence decisions about individuals being processed through the criminal justice system. (Georges-Abeyie, 2006; Marc Mauer; 2009; Lynch & Sabol, 1997). Statistics show the cumulative impact of decisions made through personal bias at one level contributes to racial disparities at subsequent levels in the criminal justice system. Race-based differences in individual treatment are some of the most apparent in American society today and these bias based decisions challenge the principle that the criminal justice system is fair, effective and just. Methodology Study Purpose This study explores the extent of racial disparity within the criminal justice system and where it exists. The criminal justice system involves numerous actors—such as police officers, prosecutors, judges, jurors, and eyewitnesses—whose decisions and judgments have a significant impact on the conviction and punishment of criminal defendants this study will demonstrate how how race significantly affects the decisions and judgments of those at various levels within the criminal system. (Blumstein et al. 1983, 72; Lee & Vukich, 2001). Does racial disparity exist within the criminal justice system? Does the perceptions of race affect their response to offenders? Hypothesis: Racial disparity exist within the criminal justice system? Null Hypothesis Racial disparity does not exist within the criminal justice system. Research Design This study will use a longitudinal design that will collect data through questionnaire structured interviews, observations and analysis of documents. Sampling  Using secondary data from the General Social Survey conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago in connection with the Implicit Association Test (IAT), which measures reaction times in response to certain visual stimuli. (Gonzà ¡lez & Chang, 2011). The sample frame will represent all actors in the criminal justice system. This study uses a research design that simultaneously collects quantitative and qualitative data through the use of various survey instruments, observations and questionnaires by which to conduct bivariate comparisons of incarceration rates for whites and racial minorities and methodologically more rigorous multivariate analyses designed to identify direct race and indirect race effects and for interaction between race and other predictions of arrest,  sentencing and adjudication. A link between discrimination and disproportionality using multi-variate organizational, environmental, contextual and individual factors with police behavior and research on the effects of pre-trial decision making (Mauer & King, 2007). The intent of this approach is to gain a broader perspective than would be otherwise achieved from only one data collection method (Small, 2011). Moreover, this mixed-methods approach for the collection and analyses of data will be utilized to increase the validity of the research and the reliability of the findings by using the results of both methods to support each other (Bachman & Schutt, 2007; Creswell, 2013). Quantitative data using a survey and school database will be used to obtain an overview of the research questions I will use qualitative methodology through semi structured focus groups, giving studies the opportunity to convey their personal encounter with the criminal justice system so that a fuller understanding of factors involved with racial/ethnic disparity. Issues of validly and reliability Validity methodologies include testing subjects while â€Å"measuring cardiovascular response, micro-facial movements, or neurological activity when viewing. As another example, police officers in one experiment exhibited a tendency to associate Black (as opposed to White) faces with criminality. In yet another experiment, both police and probation officers exhibited a significant influence of race on their judgments of culpability and decisions to arrest and to charge. Much of this research is done in connection with the Implicit Association Test (IAT), which measures reaction times in response to certain visual stimuli.71 Other methodologies include testing subjects while â€Å"measuring cardiovascular response, micro-facial movements, or neurological activity (Gonzà ¡lez & Chang, 2011) Limitations What tends to be expressed may not provide good data about â€Å"true† attitudes, especially when people wish to conceal their motives or if they have unconscious biases. Sentencing data are limited in terms of demographic and extra-legal variables, and these data are neither readily available nor easily obtainable. Contribution to the field Racial disparity operates as a tightly networked system of laws, policies, customs, and institutions within our criminal Justice system. This information will inform decision makers about differences in the unequal treatment of defendants based on the illegitimate criteria of race, when ‘like cases’ with respect to case attributes—regardless of their legitimacy defendants are sentenced differently. Possibly identifying gaps between established policies and actual practices. It will outline the various levels that racial disparity enters the criminal justice system. The decision-making that occurs prior to sentencing often has a greater impact on the punishment that offenders receive than does the exercise of discretion in sentencing. If there are differences in the way these decisions are made for different racial and ethnic groups, such differences could contribute to sentencing disparities that would be masked by â€Å"legal† factors. Arrest and conviction rates do not correlate precisely with criminal behavior rates and cannot serve as a proxy for criminality. A very large portion of disproportionality cannot be explained by legitimate race neutral factors, leading us to conclude that race matters in ways that are not fair, that do not advance legitimate public safety objectives, that produce racial disparities in the criminal justice system, and that undermine public confidence in our legal system (Gonzà ¡lez & Chang, 2011)  Analysis will show that the ways that the correctional system in the United States functions to control minorities through deliberately chosen, systematically imposed legal restrictions. Is that crime rates do not explain the sudden and dramatic mass incarceration of African Americans during the past 30 years. Crime rates have fluctuated over the last few decades—they are currently at historical lows—but imprisonment rates have consistently soared. Quintupled, in fact. And the vast majority of that increase is due to the War on Drugs. (Alexander, 2010; Russell-Brown, 2008) References ACLU. (2008). The Prison Crisis. Washington, DC: American Civil Liberties Union. Alexander, M. (2010). The new Jim Crow: Mass incarceration in the age of coloirblindness. . New York: The New Press. Associated Press. (2007, July 18). Study show racial disparities in prison. USA Today, p. 1. Austin, J., Cadora, E., Clear, T. R., Dansky, K., Greene, J., Gupta, V., . . . Young, M. C. (2012). ENDING MASS INCARCERATION:CHARTING A NEW JUSTICE REINVESTMENT. Washington: The Sentencing Project. Baradaran, S. (2013). Race, Prediction, and Discretion. George Washington Law Review, 157-216. . Bonczar, T. P. (2003). Prevalence of Imprisonment in the U.S. Population, 1974-2001. Washington,DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/piusp01.pdf Brewer, R. M., & Heitzeg, N. A. (2008). The Racialization of Crime and Punishment: Criminal Justice Color-Blind Racism, and the Political Economy of the Prison Industrial Complex . American Behavioral Scientist, 625-644. Bridges, G. S., & Sheen, S. ( 1998). Racial Disparities in Official Assessments of Juvenile Offenders: Attributional Stereotypes as Mediating Mechanisms. American Sociological Review, 554-570. Davis, A. J. (1998). â€Å"Prosecution and Race: The Power and Privilege of Discretion.†. Fordham Law Review, 50. Georges-Abeyie, D. E. (2006). Race, Ethnicity, and Social Distance Severity. The Western Journal of Black Studies, Vol. 30, (No. 2), 20. Glaze, L. E., & Herberman, E. J. (2012). Correctional Populations in the United States Series. Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics. Gonzà ¡lez, S. C., & Chang, R. S. (2011). Task Force on Race and the Criminal Justice System . Seattle: Task Force on Race and the . Green, A. (2012). The disproportionate impact of the criminal justice system on people of color in the capital region. The Center for Law & Justice. Greene, K., Pranis, K., & Ziedenberg, P. (2006, March). Disparity by Design: How drug-free zone laws impact racial disparity – and fail to protect youth. Justice Policy Institute, p. 1. James Forman, J. (n.d.). RACIAL CRITIQUES OF MASS INCARCERATION: BEYOND THE NEW JIM CROW. Yale Law School. Kleiman, M. (1997). â€Å"Drug-Free or Unfree: To Get Heavy Users to Stay Clean, Link Parole and Probation to Abstinence. Washington: The Washington Post . Lacey, N. (2010). American imprisonment in comparative perspective. Daedalus, Vol. 139(No. 3 ), 102-114. Lee, N., & Vukich, E. M. (2001). Race in the Criminal Justice System. Wsashington: State of Washington Sentencing Guidelines Commission. Loury, G. (2010). Crime, Inequality and Social Justice. American Academy oif Arts and Sciences, 134-140. Lynch, J. P., & Sabol, W. (1997). Did getting tough on crime pay? Washington, DC: The Urban Institute. Mauer, M. (2008). Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs Hearing on Federal Cocaine Sentencing Laws. The Sentencing Project, 8. Mauer, M. (2009). Racial impact statements: Changing policies to address disparitie. The Sentencing Project. Mauer, M. (2009). The changing racial dynamcis of the war on drugs. Washington: The Sebtebcing Project. Mauer, M., & King, R. (2007). A 25-year quagmire: The â€Å"war on drugs† and its impact on american society. The Sentencing Project, 33. Mauer, M., & King, R. (2007). Uneven Justice: State Rates of Incarceration. Washington, DC: Sentencing Project. Mauer, M., & King, R. (2007). Uneven Justice:State Rates of Incarceration By Race and Ethnicity. Washington: The Sentencing Project. Nellis, A., Greene, J., & Mauer, M. (2000). Reducing Racial Disparity in the Criminal Justice System. Washington: The Sentencing Project. Petersilia, J. (1983). Racial disparities in the criminal justice system. Santa Monica,: Rand Corporation. Roth, K. (2001, March 2014). Race and Incarceration in The United States. Human Rights Watch. Russ ell-Brown, K. (2008). The Color of Crime; Racial Hoaxes, White Fear, Black Protectionism, Police Harassment, and Other Macroaggressions. New York: New York University Press. Spohn, C. C. (2000). Thirty years of sentencing reform: The quest for a racially neutral sentencing process. National Institute of Justice. The Institute for Economics and Peace . (2012 ). Peace in the United States of America. Washington, DC: The Institute for Economics and Peace . Tonry, M. (1994). Racial Disproportion in US Prisons. British Journal of Criminology.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Strong Centralized Government

There is no doubt that Iraq needs a strong centralized government. This assertion is based on the following factors: 1) the rise of radical Islam, 2) the heterogeneity of the Iraqi population (ethnic groups), and 3) resistance to the growing phenomenon of ‘hollowing of the state. ’ It may be misleading to assume that the existence of these factors would necessarily lead to the establishment of a strong centralized government. But in Iraq, this is the case.The rise of radical Islam engulfed the politics of Muslim countries in the Middle East. Muslim extremists used the name of Islam to destroy the basic institutions of health, education, and welfare; replacing them with institutions that outrightly promote political anarchy, social stratification, and international terrorism. Iraq was able to resist the waves of radical Islam because of its highly centralized government. The government’s grip on the local population prevented dissidents from fully articulating thei r radical ideology.According to Huntington, the suppression of radical Islam can only be achieved through the establishment of strong authoritarian institutions; institutions which overtly rejects the fallacies of Islamic extremism (Huntington, 429). Huntington held that Islamic extremism is, in general, a stumbling block to self-determination and development (Huntington, 431). Iraq’s war with Iran simply illustrates the former’s need to defend itself from the waves of radical Islam. Kuznetsov argued that the Iraq-Iran war was a contest between orthodox Islam and radical Islam (Kuznetsov, 219).This was not the case. Iran’s ambition to dominate the Middle East was based on two factors: the need to propagate radical Islam, and security. Iraq successfully contained the Iranian threat because of the authoritarian nature of the Iraqi government. Efficiency, effectiveness, and brutality were the main qualities that enabled Iraq to resist Iran. Glazer and Moynihan argu ed, â€Å"Whenever a democracy has a large number of ethnic groups, it is likely to fall into political anarchy† (Glazer and Moynihan, 374).This statement makes sense. In many democratic countries with heterogeneous populations, there is the constant threat of civil war and political instability. This is obvious. Ethnic groups vie for power through the electoral system to control other ethnic groups (as in the case of Yugoslavia). Ethnic groups who lost in elections had no choice but to confront the dominant group through armed struggle. In Communist and authoritarian states, this was not possible.Communist and authoritarian states disregarded ethnicity as a factor of solidarity. Iraq was able to contain its heterogeneous population through systematic government control on all aspects of the society. Political instability could not exist because the government served as the unifying factor of the country. The establishment of a strong central government in Iraq may be regarde d as a measure to ensure the dignity and integrity of the state. Today, the phenomenon of ‘hollowing of the state’ is apparent in many democracies.This phenomenon is characterized by the weakening of the state as an institution, reduced economic sovereignty, and group power politics (Toynbee, 728). Only a strong and highly centralized government could effectively preserve the power and sovereignty of the state. Works Cited Glazer, N and D. P. Moynihan. Race and Ethnicity. American Sociological Review, 43(17), Oct. 2001. Huntington, Samuel. The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of the World Order. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. Toynbee, Arnold. A History of the World. London: London Publishing House, 1975.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

The Classroom Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Classroom Plan - Essay Example As I have grown and become a mother, my philosophy on children, how they learn and grow has evolved. Personally, I have witnessed my children grow stage by stage and what each stage entailed in their development. It is amazing how one moves from one stage to another. Physically, it is obvious, but cognitively, it takes a while to realize that they grow out from being babies sooner than I expect. I believe that there are certain skills that develop per stage and that they learn from developmentally-appropriate activities before they can progress to another level. I have also learned that children are capable of learning if they are just trusted enough to be let go to explore and discover things for themselves and even solve simple problems on their own. In allowing them such, it communicates to them is respect for their own learning styles. An educational approach that adheres to a constructivist philosophy, is usually based on the theories of Piaget or Vygotsky. A Piagetian-based classroom promotes discovery learning, sensitivity to childrens readiness to learn, and acceptance of individual differences (Berk, 2008). A Vygotskian-based classroom on the other hand, emphasizes assisted discovery, in which both teacher guidance and peer collaboration are virtually important (Berk, 2008). Taken together, both will highly benefit the preschool child. I also subscribe to Howard Gardner’s (1983) Multiple Intelligence theory. It has motivated educators and ordinary people to think that each person has a giftedness that makes him special in his own way. Gardner claims that intelligence is not limited to the cognitive domain, as traditionally conceptualized. He views it in a much broader sense to include the individual’s affective, social and creative domains. He has come up with a number of intelligences a person possesses within him, as

Friday, September 27, 2019

Art Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Art - Assignment Example On the other hand, Rome is based on aristocratic and hierarchical form of government and society. The two types of pottery are hand-built and wheel-thrown pottery. There are 3 techniques in making hand-built potter namely pinch pot, coil pot, and slab pot techniques. Pinch pot technique is undertaken by kneading the clay and then shaping it into different potteries such as bowl, dish, cup, etc. The coil pot technique is achieved by making long, round clips of clay and then these are coiled and stacked to achieve the desired shape. The third technique is the slap pot which is used to make clay boxes and other geometric forms and shapes. Advanced or complicated shapes can be achieved through the combination of the techniques. The other type of pottery is the wheel-thrown pottery which uses a potter’s wheel to be able to form shapes. The use of the said tool is a needed skill thus it is the primary requirement in using this method. Another important skill is to know the amount of water to use in making the pottery. This water suspension is referred to as the slip. The potter y glaze seals and waterproofs the pottery and undertaken after the first firing process that hardens the clay. Another term important in pottery is leather-hard which means a stage wherein the pottery is considerably hard but still workable. This stage is included in the greenware stage of pottery process which is prior to being put in the kiln or the baking apparatus. Pottery at this stage is also called bisque. The Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations are included in the earliest human civilizations with very distinct culture and art forms. The Mesopotamian civilization originated near the Tigris-Euphrates River while the Egyptian civilization originated near the Nile River. They both have a society based on religious beliefs. This can clearly be seen in their art wherein the

Thursday, September 26, 2019

LI & FUNG Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

LI & FUNG - Case Study Example In Asia, there are high oil-related costs, yet oil is an essential aspect in the economy of most countries. The high cost of oil therefore, has a considerably adverse effect on most companies in Asia. This also has an effect on a company’s selection of best sourcing. In addition, this also influences transport and shipping costs, including freight and sea. Therefore, these among other aspects of the business environment in Asia have resulted in most Asian-based companies raising their costs. So far, Li & Fung has registered poor sales in the European market. This therefore, poses a risk to its overall profitability. In order for this company to realise an improved performance in its European market, there are different adjustments that it needs to undertake in its approach in this specific market. First, Li & Fung should be customer-centred, and be driven by the demands in the market. This means that the company must have a special interest in its customers in the European market. This includes understanding the needs of the customers in this market. By being customer-centred, the company will be able to deliver the products that are specific to the customer needs, thus ensuring customer satisfaction. Similarly, the company should understand the product demands of the customers in Europe, in order to avail them products that they require. Li & Fung should also focus on its major competency. The company should as well consider outsourcing its non-major activities. This way, the company will develop a positioning in the supply chain. This aspect will be important in ensuring that the company lessens its cost and time on non-major activities, while paying more attention to the core activities that are of importance to the customers and the company itself. Li & Fung should also ensure that the production lead time for products is short, as well as the delivery. This is important in ensuring that there

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

A Matter of Personality Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A Matter of Personality - Assignment Example This research will begin with the statement that the type of personality characteristics that a store manager should possess is that of a people-centered personality: sociable, accommodating, understanding, caring, and taking into perspective the needs and demands of both, the customers and the employees – with committed adherence to the policies and procedures explicitly defined by the store or by the organization. These traits and characteristics are important to ensure the manager’s success because these traits signify genuine interest in addressing the concerns, needs, and demands of customers and employees; two of the most important stakeholders in an organization. When compared to the personality of Wallace, it could be deduced that he is more of a task-oriented manager; who does not have any concern for the well-being and interests of his employees or of the customers. He was noted to exhibit the â€Å"personality of an army drill sergeant†. In addition, h e was obviously not people-centered since he was described as uncaring, does not address the customers’ complaints, and does not even follow the policies of the organization, especially in terms of accommodating returns. The personality of Wallace evidently demotivates employees. As noted, the employees do not care about Wallace as their store manager; meaning, they do not have any established professional bonds to respect or follow his ideals.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Evolution of security cameras and computer monitoring software Essay

Evolution of security cameras and computer monitoring software - Essay Example Emphasis has been laid on the requirement and usage of software to protect information and technology. Various laws with respect to privacy violation of general public, and that advocate administration of security surveillance for the benefit of society have been briefly described. The paper concludes with an opinion on the importance of security surveillance and responsibility towards society in adapting to the surveillance equipment for a peaceful life. Safety and security of life and one’s possessions has always been a basic need in order to live a confident and satisfying life. These are equally important for protection of official possessions, infrastructure, data and information, storage systems of products and official data, etc in all spheres of life including offices, business units, production houses, hospitals, manufacturing plants, hospitality and entertainment setups, travel mediums, financial institutions, etc; infact, this list would include all the places having potential risk of attracting loss, damage, or harm from external sources. While these form a part of the physical security, security of electronic data is also a much evolved concept in the contemporary world. The common goal of any security system is to protect life, possessions and/or information and premises. Security in these spheres comprises of many tactical approaches, whilst security devices for surveillance form one of the most important groups that have evolved from basic to the more complex systems over the last two decades; these advancements are said to have enhanced after the September 11, 2001 (Fischer, R.J & Green, G; 2004). An accurate analysis of perceived risks and security issues are required to design a good security and crisis management policies and procedures. Security of any place requires the effort of many different functions like the security officers, premise design,

Monday, September 23, 2019

Depression - Family and Community Experience Assignment

Depression - Family and Community Experience - Assignment Example The results are severe for patients below six years as opposed to the other category. Studies on the expressed emotions shows that families of patients suffering from chronic depression are easily predicted by higher levels of Expressed Emotions. Patients suffering from disorders associated with mood record a poor outcome from medical experts. Other studies indicated that spouses found it hard to share with the public about their spouses and this leads to reduced marital activities with the patient. In the long run, it happens that the patient feels unattended to and this further complicates his situation. This however results when the spouse to the patient feels embarrassed about the patient’s condition. Impacts of chronic illness and depression sharply differ from one society to another and from one country to another. Despite the variations, what is common is that the situation bears with it serious cost implications. A patient suffering from depression is considered a wast e to an economy in terms of productivity, this by it self is a form of a negative cost. Attempts in curative or reduction are yet other cost. In most set ups, human life is taken to be paramount and the responsibility is not left to the family alone but to the entire society. In some cases there is inability to persevere in a marriage where the patient is either a wife or husband. It makes the spouse to have mentality of trying to get their way out. This is attributed to effect in the sexual behavior and performance which is not at par or anyway near the satisfaction level achieved before. In chronic situations, it leads to dysfunctioning of the whole act as earlier stipulated as lack of interest or mood. In the recent past, it has been noted with keen interest that patients suffering from chronic depression pose a great burden o the family members and those destined to take care of them. What this implies is that the care givers have to reduce the time the have to undertake in doin g their personal activities such as leisure and other social activities after their relative has been diagnosed with depression. The family will tend to be more worried about the future with increased symptoms, effects and consequences. The effects are more staunch in families with poor base are compared to their rich counterparts. The community as whole participates in the sense that support can easily be mobilized from the social networks. The support can either be financial or just moral. Handling of depressed patients has effects as well. Parents of children with depression are reported to have a higher likelihood of contacting or suffering from psychological disorders such as the same mental depression. Thus children require more attention compared to adults. Therefore the risks in handling children is much greater compared to adults Educational support has been advanced on that note that is found capable of assisting relatives in provision of care to patients suffering from ch ronic depression. Although sources indicate that the much that has been advanced is too little and a further research is recommended. Such education is technically referred to as psycho education and it was purposely developed to assist in mitigation of the enormous difficulties and challenges encountered by

Sunday, September 22, 2019

The Use of Force Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Use of Force - Essay Example The story was simple and straightforward in narrative discourse which proffered the scenario between a doctor, the narrator, and a child, Mathilda Olson, who was being diagnosed for possible affliction of diphtheria. The setting was in the Olson’s house, where the doctor was initially ushered by the mother who eventually led him to the kitchen, where the father was holding the child and was apparently sitting on the father’s lap. The two items being compared in the essay is the doctor (the narrator or the healer) and the child (the person being healed). The current essay aims to provide a comparative analysis using relevant literary elements from the characters, theme, perspectives and points of views evaluated from the short story. The first point of comparison is the physical traits or characteristics of the items being compared. There is initially disparity in gender: the doctor was described as male and the child was female. Although no name was provided for the doc tor, the statements that gave way to his gender was the mother’s statements as she was talking to the child: â€Å"Such a nice man, put in the mother. Look how kind he is to you. Come on, do what he tells you to. He won't hurt you† (Williams, 2012, par. 15). The child’s gender was clearly identified by the doctor in the fourth paragraph when he vividly described her physical traits and characteristics; using adjectives such as: â€Å"her cold, steady eyes, and no expression to her face whatever. She did not move and seemed, inwardly, quiet; an unusually attractive little thing, and as strong as a heifer in appearance. But her face was flushed, she was breathing rapidly, and I realized that she had a high fever. She had magnificent blonde hair† (Williams, 2012, par. 4). Aside from gender as a point of comparison, the stature of the two is also anti-thetical. The doctor, by virtue of his profession, exudes professionalism and expertise on the most appropria te course of action for the situation. This is the reason why he was called by the Olsons in the first place. On the other hand, the child was

Saturday, September 21, 2019

The Presence of Self-Hatred Essay Example for Free

The Presence of Self-Hatred Essay Racial discrimination has always been one problem that is experienced on a global scale. Although Barrack Obama has won the presidential election in the United States of America, there are still debates concerning the United States and the issue about the blacks vs. the whites. History and literature are two important branches of knowledge that can attest to the racial discrimination that the blacks have always experienced. In fact, even the media has taken up the fact that even though black is beauty, white is even more beautiful—the mountains of bleaching and whitening products available in the market can attest to that. Moreover, while Snow White is loved by many, Princess Jasmine (of Aladdin) is not exactly that famous compared to her blue-eyed counter parts. It has been ingrained in so many people, most especially to that of the younger generation, that it is so bad to be black; or rather, it is so ugly to be black. Fairy tales tell us of the big, bad, black wolf. Hoodlums and villains in movies are most often the darker ones and those that have the fairer skins are hailed as the hero or heroine of the movie. The characters present in the novel written by Toni Morrison are not exempted to this belief. Although the novel provides some of the more domesticated problems that are somehow always present in the dramatic works of literature (like Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment or Franks McCourt’s Angela’s Ashes) and movies (Julia Roberts’ battered character in Sleeping With The Enemy or Jennifer Lopez’s role in Enough), the most apparent subject in the novel is the obvious contempt for the characters’ skin colors and their undeniable desire to change who they are and what they have. The novel features Pecola Breedlove, a young, naive, black girl who hates her color and herself for belonging to her race. She believes herself as very ugly and assumes that having blue eyes will be the only thing that will make her beautiful and likable. The novel centers on Pecola and her relationship with her family as they face the demon in their lives and get lost in their own personal problems and issues. The novel starts with a narrator already telling the resolution of the novel and uses a flashback to recount the events in the part of the novel’s Prologue: Our innocence and faith were no more productive than his lust or despair. What is clear now is that of all of that hope, fear, lust, love, and grief, nothing remains but Pecola and the unyielding earth. Cholly Breedlove is dead; our innocence too. The seeds shriveled and died; her baby too. (Morrison 9-10) The narrator is none other than one of the MacTeer sisters, Claudia herself, who Pecola stays with (ordered by Court officials) after Pecola’s father burns down their house and leaves the Breedlove family homeless. Pecola, Claudia, and Frieda (another of the MacTeer daughters and Claudia’s sister) soon become friends, and the MacTeer sisters find that it is their duty to protect Pecola who seems to be bullied by everyone in their town. Because of the apparent treatment of the people in their neighborhood (with the exception of the MacTeer sisters), Pecola develops this belief that the only solution for people to love her and actually be pleased with her is if she acquires â€Å"blue eyes†: It had occurred to Pecola some time ago that if her eyes, those eyes that held the pictures, and knew the sightsif those eyes of hers were different, that is to say, beautiful, she herself would be different. Her teeth were good, and at least her nose was not big and flat like some of those who were thought so cute. If she looked different, beautiful, maybe Cholly would be different, and Mrs. Breedlove too. Maybe theyd say, â€Å"Why, look at pretty-eyed Pecola. We mustnt do bad things in front of those pretty eyes. † Each night, without fail, she prayed for blue eyes. Fervently, for a year she had prayed. Although somewhat discouraged, she was not without hope. To have something as wonderful as that happen would take a long, long time. (Morrison 25-26) The novel turns for the worst as Pecola returns to her family, and each family member is revealed as having his or her own issues with who he or she is and coming to grips with his or her personal history. Cholly Breedlove is the man of the house and the father of Pecola—he is lazy, does not work, and is occupied with only two things—getting drunk and beating up his wife, Pauline. Cholly’s drinking can be explained with the fact that he suffered from an earlier humiliation caused by two white hunters who forced him to make love to his first girlfriend Darlene as the two hunters watched the scene. Later, he gets Pauline Williams (another girlfriend and the mother of Pecola) pregnant; they marry and eventually become Mr. and Mrs. Breedlove. Soon, problems arise as they find each other very disagreeable; while the husband gets drunk and beats the wife, the wife lets the husband beat her because she feels like a â€Å"martyr† by letting him do so (Morrison 23). Through the philosophical theory of existentialism, the situation of the drunken husband and the battered, martyred wife can be explained by the fact that they feed on each other’s existence and role so that they can play out their own role. To put it simply, the husband exists to beat the wife, and the wife exists to get beaten. Without the other’s personal issues and problems, none of the intricate themes of the novel will be present and have meaning. Meanwhile, Pauline Breedlove works as a servant in a white’s family’s house and by doing so, creates an illusion or a fantasy that being close to them (proximity-wise) makes her beautiful. Pauline, like her daughter Pecola, believes in her ugliness to be very appalling and horrifying. She runs away from reality and gets lost in the world of romantic television shows. Of all the characters in the novel, it is Pauline’s and Pecola’s evident low self-esteem that makes them â€Å"unique† (Morrison 22). Self-denial is so strong in the novel that it borders on hating themselves so much that they believe in the fantastical (to point of being ridiculous) ideas that if something in them changes, then they can be beautiful, the world will love them, and their lives will be better. However, their notion of ugliness can be traced to the fact that they are black, and the world jeers at them and judges them as ugly because they are black: The master had said, â€Å"You are ugly people. † They had looked about themselves and saw nothing to contradict the statement; saw, in fact, support for it leaning at them from every billboard, every movie, every glance. â€Å"Yes,† they had said. â€Å"You are right. † And they took the ugliness in their hands, threw it as a mantle over them, and went about the world with it. (Morrison 21) The excerpt above proves that because the world considers them as ugly, then they believe themselves to be ugly. The Breedloves saw around them that belonging to such race is awful. This can be traced of course to the fact that when the novel was first published in 1970, the concept of racism was still very much present. Unfortunately, hating one’s own race and skin color is disaster itself since that would mean hating the entirety of one’s being—to be appalled at one’s actions or attitude is very different from hating one’s self because of what or who he or she is. Nevertheless, one important passage can disregard or negate the argument of the assumption above: You looked at them and wondered why they were so ugly; you looked closely and could not find the source. Then you realized that it came from conviction, their conviction. It was as though some mysterious all-knowing master had given each one a cloak of ugliness to wear, and they had each accepted it without question. (Morrison 22) Do the Breedloves hate themselves because they believe the world thinks they are ugly, or do they hate themselves because they believe they are ugly, thus, the world believes so too? It can be likened to a rhetorical question of who came first, the chicken or the egg (and like all rhetorical questions, they are not really meant to be answered)? It is quite sad to think that the characters have decided that they are ugly; for it means they are already determined to be ugly and no matter what other people would say and argue, they would never waver from that conclusion. As a result, because of their decision, they denied themselves of being themselves. The novel ends in much melancholic tragedy for all the characters—Cholly rapes Pecola and gets her pregnant, but eventually, the baby dies and so does Cholly; the MacTeer sisters lose their innocence; Sammy (the brother of Pecola) runs away, and the marigolds refuse to grow in their community. Most of all, however, Pecola thinks she has the bluest eyes, â€Å"My eyes. My blue eyes. Let me look again. See how pretty they are. Yes. They get prettier each time I look at them. They are the prettiest Ive ever seen. † (Morrison 79) It is such a tragedy for Pecola because for her to believe that she indeed has blue eyes is the realization that self-hatred has won. Work Cited Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. New York: Penguin Groups, 1994.

Friday, September 20, 2019

The Importance Of Organizational Structure And Power And Communication Lines Business Essay

The Importance Of Organizational Structure And Power And Communication Lines Business Essay Organizational structure refers to the general level, an organization in which its power and communication lines, and the allocation of rights and obligations. Organizational structure determines the manner and extent of the role, powers and devolution of responsibilities, control and coordination of information, and how to manage flows between levels.  A structure depends entirely on the organizations goals and choices to achieve these strategies. In a centralized structure, decision-making power concentrated in the upper management and strict control of the department and in the exercise. In the decentralized structure, the allocation of decision-making and the various departments and sectors have different degrees of autonomy. The importance of including an organizational structure to help business owners, CEOs and entrepreneurs to the conceptualization, visualization, hierarchical system is to build their organization and implementation. For example, a part of the organizational structure, including: command, control, departmentalization, span the distribution of power, height, and organizations. The first is the command system is a chain of command involved in the organizational structure, identify and define: jobs, who make decisions and who is responsible for various duties. The second is to control the amplitude is the control of the staff to identify and quantify the actual amount of supervision of the manager. The third is in the department of a departments organizational structure is divided into functional departments (such as sales) by the specific task of structural parts. Determine which activities, tasks and talents will be grouped in order to achieve the best goal of the origin of the so-called process of the department. Fourth, the power distribution authority is deciding whether to allocate decision-making power concentrated in a few high-level bureaucrats often to see the number of shares and the closet or the tasks of various departments and their corresponding decentralized authority. The fifth is a high degree of organization is the organization defined the high many departments, departments, and the highest level between the layers and the tissue level is the lowest 1.2 Body Jia Jia   company   is a one-stop event management company dedicated to providing our customers the best choice at competitive prices. All you can expect to experience an unforgettable event, we customize and perfect just for your company annual dinner, theme parties, product launches, family days, company outing,   show , and other . Event management is a project management application to create and festivals, activities and the development of the meeting. Event management studies involving the complexity of the brand, target audience, develop the event concept, logistics planning and coordination before the actual implementation, the way the event the technical issues. Hindsight, and to ensure return on investment, has become a major industry event-driven process. My company name is Jia Jia .Jia Jia company   is a one-stop event management company . We customize and perfect just for your company annual dinner,   product launches and family days. When the time at the dinner, we company will prepared many activity for example live entertainment show, professional emcee or TV personality emcee , Mobile Disco and Deejay Services, Mobile Karaoke Services , Sound Lighting System Rental , Sourcing of Corporate Gift as door gift , Theme Party Suggestion, Special Design Backdrop Ballroom Decoration, Game   Show, Venue Booking, Event Coordination ,Ballroom Decoration. When the time at the   exhibition display system, conference and exhibition services .We provide conference and exhibition services, conference and exhibition display services, conference and exhibition display system, conference and exhibition design services, exhibition booth rental services, exhibition shell scheme system, conference and exhibition equipment and   penal system, exhibition truss display system, exhibition pop up display system, exhibition roll up banner stand and exhibition furniture rental system . When at the family party we will prepared activity   for example Tele-match Games with 4 tracks this need   7 to 10 games for adults and 4 to 5 games for children . Childrens contest is coloring contest and drawing contest . We also have help   prepared food and beverages for example packed food and buffet . In my company department have marketing departments and Human Resources, Finance and Operations. These departments is very important for a company and control the company. Marketing Department is responsible for promoting the use of our services, human resources tend to control the main staff resources. Financial sector, it obtained the coordination and management of financial resources. Combined to provide services directly related to business activities. They also have an important role in our company. In organizational structure have four type is entrepreneurial structure ,functional structure , divisional structure and matrix structure. Definition   matrix structure is employees are features and products. This structure can combine the best of these two independent structures. Definition functional structure within the organization for employees of specific job . Definition divisional structure is classify into three areas: product, market, and geographic. Definition entrepreneurial structure is restructuring and entrepreneurial activities, management and the appropriate procedures to obtain the necessary flexibility, speed, creativity and dynamic role in a specific profit opportunities . Functional organization is built around job function. This type of business structure for small to medium sized enterprises do not have the product or   production requirements of a wide range of uses. Matrix   structure is organized, as its name indicates, by area or region. Each area is full of its own entity, with the goal line in the enterprises overall goals. Usually have a regional manager of the operations, who reports to the headquarters, but otherwise full responsibility for the regional units. Chart above shows the geographical structure of a North American example. The same can be applied in the international arena, in the mainland or subcontinents the division. Car manufacturers and multinational fast food chains tend to follow the corporate organizational structure. In some cases, the product will remain unchanged, all regions, while in other cases, a product may be slightly modified or new products to meet local needs. Divisional structure lend well to organizations such as department stores and supermarkets. When these organizations operate in multiple areas, geographic and product mix between the organizational structure is appropriate. Entrepreneurial   structure is often a medium-sized and large organizations, have sufficient resources to the proper use of the structure. My company is a medium size. My company use structure is functional structure   , because it has a very clear chart department for medium-sized companies. My organization have three event only , so you can easily control the use of the functional structure. Here is my companys structure:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Functional structure I choose this structure reason is skills development, coherent chain, quick decision-making, qualified supervision, professional results . Advantages of functional structure Skills development is a function of the organizational structure of the benefit is that its a positive atmosphere to provide for skills development. As a function of the structure group of people requires skills performing similar tasks, or a more experienced team members as a good example and mentor less experienced individuals. This resulted in sustained growth, from simple daily communication organization development, and special seminars or workshops without dependence, improve the quality of a department to carry out. Coherent chain of command is the functional structure of an organization to establish a very specific chain of command. For example, a photo and graphic design department may belong to the visual arts department of a large company a market in a department under the Ministrys jurisdiction. A clear chain of command is important because it creates the standard operating procedures, the establishment and strengthening of accountability consequences. In turn, the productivity in a more professional basis.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Quick decision-making functions in the organization structure, you can speed up the decision-making process. Typically, group decision making can be slow, because the different perspectives involved projects. Although people still have different functional structure of the angle, similar to the professional and educational background to provide more in common than not, in theory, decision-making process has become easier to navigate. In addition, the level of benefit more streamlined decision-making authority, which requires far less than most of the time consideration. Qualified supervision is the functional structure for the participants with a very specific career ladder. Therefore, the individual to achieve a supervisory role more likely to have had the task, they are assessing the experience of their staff. This allows them to better understand and credibility, they make evaluations and allow them to provide more constructive feedback, because they have a personal assessment of the implementation of the work to be first-hand knowledge. Professional results is because everyone is in the functional structure of work in an area of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹expertise with peers similar , their contribution to the overall objectives of the company or organization will be more professional. Different members of the team greatly in different capacities as a graphic designer, worked in the functional structure of group members in similar areas of expertise, and can push each other to a higher realm of copy. As the saying goes, steel mill steel, colleagues in the function and structure can enhance each others skills. Disadvantages of functional structure , the functions are independent, in any area beyond its own capabilities to understand or care staff rarely caused. This does not make a whole company and its future prospects. This separation caused by communication and full cooperation and coordination of some of the obstacles, individual focus not a companys business focus, there is no way the structure of things as a company, every process in different functional areas and professional of the function is not allowed in the field of management of the Company or other specific areas of broad prospects. 1.3 Conclusion The reason of choosing this function is structure skills development. It is a function of the organizational structure of the benefit is that its a positive atmosphere to provide for skills development. Quick decision-making functions in the organization structure, you can speed up the decision-making process. In my recommendation on countering the weakness is add more activities or party and annual dinner for all department and all employee held this activities can improve the relationship among employees

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Political Career Of Richard Nixon :: biography Bio History Politics Nixon Essays

A few weeks after the United States entered World War II a young man named Richard Nixon went to Washington, D.C. In January 1942 he took a job with the Office of Price Administration. Two months later he applied for a Navy commission, and in September 1942 he was commissioned a lieutenant, junior grade. During much of the war he served as an operations officer with the South Pacific Combat Air Transport Command, rising to the rank of lieutenant commander.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After the war Nixon returned to the United States, where he was assigned to work on Navy contracts while awaiting discharge. He was working in Baltimore, Maryland, when he received a telephone call that changed his life. A Republican citizen's committee in Whittier was considering Nixon as a candidate for Congress in the 12th Congressional District. In December 1945 Nixon accepted the candidacy with the promise that he would "wage a fighting, rocking, socking campaign." Jerry Voorhis, a Democrat who had represented the 12th District since 1936, was running for reelection. Earlier in his career Voorhis had been an active Socialist. He had become more conservative over the years and was now an outspoken anti-Communist. Despite Voorhis' anti-Communist stand the Los Angeles chapter of the left-wing Political Action Committee (PAC) endorsed him, apparently without his knowledge or approval. The theme of Nixon's campaign was "a vote for Nixon is a vote against the Communist-dominated PAC." The approach was successful. On November, 5 1946, Richard Nixon won his first political election. The Nixons' daughter Patricia (called Tricia) was born during the campaign, on February 21, 1946. Their second daughter, Julie, was born July 5, 1948. As a freshman congressman, Nixon was assigned to the Un-American Activities Committee. It was in this capacity that in August 1948 he heard the testimony of Whittaker Chambers, a self-confessed former Communist espionage agent. Chambers named Alger Hiss, a foreign policy advisor during the Roosevelt years, as an accomplice while in government service. Hiss, a former State Department aide, asked for and obtained a hearing before the committee. He made a favorable impression, and the case would then have been dropped had not Nixon urged investigation into Hiss's testimony on his relationship with Chambers. The committee let Nixon pursue the case behind closed doors. He brought Chambers and Hiss face to face. Chambers produced evidence proving that Hiss had passed State Department secrets to him. Among the exhibits were rolls of microfilm which Chambers had hidden in a pumpkin on his farm near Westminster, Md., as a precaution against theft. On December 15, 1948, a New York federal grand jury indict ed Hiss for perjury.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Electromagnetic Induction :: science

Electromagnetic Induction The phenomenon called electromagnetic induction was first noticed and investigated by Michael Faraday, in 1831. Electromagnetic induction is the production of an electromotive force (emf) in a conductor as a result of a changing magnetic field about the conductor and is a very important concept. Faraday discovered that, whenever the magnetic field about an electromagnet was made to grow and collapse by closing and opening the electric circuit of which it was a part, an electric current could be detected in a separate conductor nearby. Faraday also investigated the possibility that a current could be produced by a magnetic field being placed near a coiled wire. Just placing the magnet near the wire could not produce a current. Faraday discovered that a current could be produced in this situation only if the magnet had some velocity. The magnet could be moved in either a positive or negative direction but had to be in motion to produce any current in the wire. The current in the coil i s called an induced current, because the current is brought about (or â€Å"induced†) by a changing magnetic field (Cutnell and Johnson 705). The induced current is sustained by an emf. Since a source of emf is always needed to produce a current, the coil itself behaves as if it were a source of emf. The emf is known as an induced emf. Thus, a changing magnetic field induces an emf in the coil, and the emf leads to an induced current (705). He also found that moving a conductor near a stationary permanent magnet caused a current to flow in the wire as long as it was moving as in the magnet and coiled wire set-up. Faraday visualized a magnetic field as composed of many lines of induction, along which a small magnetic compass would point. The aggregate of the lines intersecting a given area is called the magnetic flux. Faraday attributed the electrical effects to a changing magnetic flux. The necessity of motion to produce a current is due to the fact that electromagnetic induction involves a time-varying magnetic field. The same effects can be produced by moving the coil toward and away from a motionless magnetic source. In either case, the key to producing the current is certainly the motion of the magnet or the wire. The magnetic lines of the magnetic field must pass through a loop of the coiled wire.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Jane Eyre: An Unconventional Heroine Essay

‘Ms. Eyre is one of those heroines who refuse to blend into the traditional female position of subservience and who stand up for her beliefs’ Explore how the female position is presented. Jane Eyre was written by Charlotte Bronte and was first published in 1847 in the Victorian era. During this period, women were expected to remain at home and their time was to be spent taking care of household duties and their children. Females were regarded as properties rather than as humans: they either belonged to their fathers or their husbands. As they were believed to be incapable of surviving on their own, they had no independence. Permission was required for almost everything and they were expected to abide by rules set out by their owners. Men were considered to be very much superior to women and they were to be treated with respect by the latter, whether they agreed with their views or not. In general terms, society’s portrayal of a conventional woman was very different to what it is now, so it is not surprising that modern readers may find their attitudes as shocking. Although Jane Eyre was written during this period, Bronte portrays her character in a very unconventional way, following the trends of the Gothic genre. The character of Jane is used to mainly challenge the Victorian attitudes towards women, religion and class. The fact that Bronte chooses a female character to portray her views is surprising to the Victorian reader. During that period, inequality between the genders prevented the views of females from being expressed, and if expressed, they were not regarded with respect. Expressing their ideas in any way was extremely unconventional as it would have been shocking for a woman to be passionate. By using Jane as a device to put forward her views, Bronte challenges the idea that women did not have views worth considering. Jane is a character who is sure of herself and her behaviour is described as â€Å"a picture of passion.† However, the reader cannot deny she is very intelligent and that she has a very good judgement of character. Jane’s uniqueness is detectable from the start. Even as a child, she is different from her cousins at Gateshead. Instead of taking pleasure in playing, she prefers reading books such as â€Å"Goldsmith’s History of Rome† and â€Å"Gulliver’s Travels† and forming opinions on the characters involved. Jane has a strong wish to travel and see the lands that she reads about, showing that â€Å"women feel just as men feel.† Here Bronte uses Jane to present the idea that women are capable of being intelligent; that they can form right judgements and that they have ambitions and dreams, just as men do. This idea is reinforced throughout the novel, especially when it comes to religion. Bronte makes the character of Jane Eyre stand up for her beliefs by challenge the views of men. She uses this character to challenge different ideas about religion. Mr Brocklehurst, the headmaster of Lowood Institution (her second home), represents the hypocrisy in the Evangelical Movement and the forceful authority of men. When referring to his students, he feels the need â€Å"not to accustom them to habits of luxury and indulgence,† but to encourage â€Å"spiritual edification to the pupils† by making them suffer â€Å"temporary privation,† contradicting his own luxurious lifestyle. Jane emphasises the ridiculous in his portrayal and his concepts on religion are mocked through the depiction of his hypocritical sermons, suggesting that this interpretation of Christianity must not be taken seriously. Brocklehurst fails to influence the beliefs of Jane, and in some ways, her friend Helen Burns. This character conveys a different concept: one of endurance and peace mainly based on the New Testament idea of â€Å"loving those who hate you.† Once again, Jane is not satisfied with this interpretation of religion and insists that she should â€Å"resist those who punish me unjustly.† The third interpretation of religion is represented by St John Rivers, who believes in sacrificing emotional needs for Christianity, which Jane also rejects (by rejecting his proposal). Bronte makes Jane Eyre reject the ideas imposed by male characters, emphasising her controversialist personality. Jane forms a more reasonable and agreeable interpretation of religion than male characters, and Helen in not influenced by Mr Brocklehurst’s cruelty. Bronte proposes another interpretation through this character: that religion does not require you to deny yourself completely; that it can be used as a guide in circumstances beyond human control. By doing this, Bronte shows that females have the ability to form their own opinions on complex ideas, such as religion and that they can form them independently even under the pressure of forceful authority. The idea that woman are capable of being independent is established when she opposes Mr Rochester’s efforts to â€Å"make the world acknowledge you a beauty† by pointing out that she will not be herself if he succeeds, â€Å"but an ape in a harlequin’s jacket.† Here Jane is refusing to be objectified and changed even by the man she loves. Bronte presents an independent woman who is sure of herself, and who wants to retain her individuality at any cost. Although Jane is a governess, she makes it clear that Mr Rochester doesn’t â€Å"have a right to command† her and that she is equal to him in many ways. Also, Jane maintains her dignity by refusing to marry Mr Rochester. Bronte shows that women are capable of being respectable and that they are not always lead by their emotions. This causes Jane to take courage and leave Mr Rochester, disregarding the Victorian idea that women should do as men wish. While it could be argued that Jane surrenders to the Victorian expectations by returning to Mr Rochester, it is clear that she is not returning to him because she cannot survive on her own. Circumstances change, making Jane rich. She returns to Mr Rochester as an equal in every way (whereas previously she was aware of their social difference), and she returns for love more than anything else. Besides Jane, Bronte uses the characters of Miss Temple and Diana and Mary Rivers to portray that women are not inferior to men. The mentioned characters influence Jane and are involved in the development of her character as an â€Å"independent woman,† as she calls herself by the end. Miss Temple is her role model and helps her to realise that she does not have to give in to forced authority; that she must stand up for what is right. In many ways, Miss Temple gives Jane courage for the future. She goes against Mr Brocklehurst’s orders and sympathises with the girls who are treated cruelly. Apart from feeling differently to him, she takes action by giving the girls â€Å"a lunch, consisting of bread and cheese, twice† and fearlessly takes responsibility for it. She is also used represent what Bronte believes to be the true interpretation of Christianity, mainly by giving her a strong sense of injustice in the running of Lowood Institution. While Miss Temple inspires Jane to become independent and to be just, Mary and Diana Rivers inspire Jane to improve her knowledge and to become more intelligent. Jane â€Å"followed in the path of knowledge they had trodden before me,† suggesting that she wants to become as knowledgeable and accomplished. The fact that Bronte chooses Jane to be inspired by female characters reinforces the points that women can be intelligent and independent, and at the same time inspire others to become better people. While some characters are used to represent what women should be, Bronte creates a sharp contrast between the character of Jane Eyre and other female characters in the novel to challenge Victorian the concept of the conventional woman. Women of that time were only valued for their appearance, social and economic status. In many ways, Blanche Ingram (the woman whom Jane believed Mr Rochester loved) represents the ideal woman of the Victorian era. She is beautiful, wealthy and had a well reputed family, contrasting with Jane, who is (in her own words) â€Å"poor, obscure, plain, and little.† However, while the Victorian reader might be inclined to admire Blanche more than Jane, Jane feels that â€Å"Miss Ingram†¦was too inferior to excite the feeling† of jealousy because â€Å"she had a fine person† but â€Å"she was not genuine†¦her mind was poor.† The modern reader can spot that Jane, in contrast to Blanche is very intelligent, she has self worth and that she speaks her mind. Jane can also analyse one’s character rather accurately, (as proved by Blanches’ rejection of Mr Rochester after she learns of his inferior economic status). Bronte is stressing that women must be admired for their character rather than their outward beauty; that appearances can deceive and that women are worth more than social or economic status. Another contrast is formed between Jane and Bessie, the maid at Gateshead. While Jane rebels against the cruelty of her aunt, Bessie advices her to â€Å"make yourself agreeable to them.† Bessie is used to represent Victorian women who give in to the expectations, while Jane represents the idea that women can express their views and stand up for themselves. While some may argue that Jane is a rebellious character, it is clear that she has control of her emotions, unlike Bertha, who lets her rage out (even though it is beyond her control). By using the character of Jane Eyre, Bronte presents a woman who is capable of being intelligent, independent, dignified and confident about her opinions even though she is not very attractive or wealthy. She uses this character to challenge some of the Victorian concepts concerning women and their positions, as well as to convey her less major themes about religion and class. In some passages, Bronte addresses these issues directly (in the conversation about Mr Rochester and Jane being equals) while she uses more subtle methods in other situations (while describing Blanche). Bronte takes care not to make Jane a perfect person, but she incorporates flaws to allow readers to relate to her. She also uses other female characters to reinforce her points, by showing the qualities of some as well as showing the flaws in others. By doing so, Bronte shows that women can be equal to men, not only in intelligence, but in actions as well. She also portrays different types of women: some who give in to the expectations of society, and some who stand up for their own beliefs. She outlines what she thinks a woman’s qualities should be and she encourages women to stand up their rights. Bronte successfully puts forward her points and she makes the reader understand her ideas by the portrayal of her characters, mainly females.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Chemistry lab report Essay

* Purpose: Finding the number of water molecules attached to copper sulphate crystals CuSO4.xH2O. * To avoid error: 1. Do not make too much movement around the balance when taking any mass. 2. Wait till the balance’s reading is stable then take the reading. 3. Make sure that the crystals are well distributed in the beaker to be evenly exposed to as much heat as possible. * In case the experiment was repeated for more accuracy in the final results, variables should be controlled: 1. Use the same balance. 2. Use same size and shape of the container (Beaker or evaporating dish) 3. Use exactly the same mass of copper sulphate crystals. 4. Apply the same amount of heat at the same time intervals. 5. Control room temperature. * Apparatus: 1. Beaker. 2. Balance. 3. Watching glass. 4. Glass stirring rod. 5. Hot plate. 6. Tongs. 7. Goggles. * Procedure: 1. The mass of the empty beaker is measured using the balance and found to be 29.92g 2. The mass of the watching glass is measured using the balance and found to be 58.95g 3. The copper sulphate, which is a light blue powder, is then added to the beaker and the total mass of the beaker and the copper sulphate is 33.86g 4. Wear the goggles for safety. 5. Copper sulphate is heated using the hot plate, the color of the powder gradually changes from light blue to white starting from the bottom of the beaker up and water vapor can be seen on the beaker’s walls. 6. The powder becomes a little clumpy during heating. 7. The beaker is shaken and the powder is stirred using the stirring glass rod every now and then to expose the upper parts of the powder to more heat and allow them to dehydrate properly. 8. As soon as the entire powder turns white, the beaker is covered with watching glass to prevent copper sulphate from reacting, again, with water vapor in the atmosphere. Also, the hot plate is now turned off. 9. The mass of the dehydrated copper sulphate along with that of the beaker and the watching glass is now taken and found to be 91.60g. * Processing: 1. By subtracting the mass of the empty beaker measured at the beginning of the procedure from its mass along with the copper sulphate, the mass of hydrated copper sulphate used at the beginning is found. 33.86g – 29.92g = 3.94g 2. By subtracting the mass of the empty beaker and watching glass measured at the beginning of the procedure from the final mass of the procedure, the mass of dehydrated copper sulphate is obtained. 91.60g – (58.95g + 29.92g) = 2.73g 3. The mass of evaporated water molecules can now be found by subtracting the mass of dehydrated copper sulphate from the mass of hydrated copper sulphate. 3.94g – 2.73g = 1.21g 4. The number of moles of evaporated water is now calculated by the rule: Number of moles = Mass / Molar mass Where the molar mass of water is 18 g/mol n = 1.21g / 18g.mol-1 = 0.067 mol 5. The number of water molecules is now calculated by multiplying the number of moles times Avogadro’s number (6.02*1023) Number of molecules = n*NA = 0.067*6.02*1023 =4.03*1022 molecules 6. The ratio is calculated to find the number of molecules attached and the formula of the compound: CuSO4 H2O Mass (g) 2.73 1.21 Molar mass (g/mol) 159 18 Number of moles (mol) 0.172 0.067 Ratio 1 10 0.39 3.9 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 4 * Conclusion: The aim of this was to determine the number of water molecules attached to copper sulphate and that is a 4.03*1022 molecule where the compound has a formula of 10CuSo4.4H2O * Sources of error: 1. Uncertainty of the balance used. 2. Stirring may cause crystals to stick on the stirring glass rod affecting the mass. 3. The beaker has a small surface area, therefore not all particles will be exposed to enough heat and so not all water molecules will evaporate. * Ways of improving: Use a container with a larger surface area such as an evaporating dish to avoid the need of stirring and therefore copper sulphate crystals won’t be lost by sticking to the glass rod. Also, this will increase the number of water molecules exposed to heat and so it will increase the chance of dehydrating all of the copper sulphate crystals.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Seven Wonders of the World

Seven Wonders of the World Centuries ago one man dreamed, designed and constructed a breathtaking monument and then, it went on to become a wonder. Wonders of the world are so many. No list can comprehend everything. But why they are actually the wonders and what are the factors which make them to call a wonders? Every wonder has its own history and importance, and they have some interesting facts related with them. However, the original seven wonders of the world are the most worthy of our praise and appreciation as they were constructed in an era that was devoid of any building machinery and done mostly by hand.The true wonder we can say is artistic, mysterious, magnificent, stunning or in other words it is really a master piece, and due to these qualities it attracts everyone towards itself. The most remarkable or amazing creations by mankind are included in the list of Seven Wonders of the World. The number 7 is said to symbolize perfection and hence is used to list the wonders. There are number of different lists of the Seven Wonders of the World: the seven wonders of the ancient world, seven natural wonders of the world, the new Seven Wonders of the World and the modern wonders.A campaign to name the new Seven Wonders of the World, launched in 1999, has just reached to its climax. Originally, there were nearly 200 nominations which were shortlisted and finally, in the largest ever poll of its kind, 100 million people voted across the world for the final seven. Voting was done through the internet, as well as by phone and text. The popularity poll was led by Canadian-Swiss Bernard Weber and organized by the new seven wonders foundation based in Zurich, Switzerland, with winners announced on July 7, 2007 in Lisbon.The New seven wonders foundation is regulated by the Swiss Federal Foundation Authority. 1. Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: In the recent past, people across the world were asked to vote for their favorite seven wonders of the world. The ancie nt Greeks loved art and architecture. They were the first people to compile the seven wonders of the ancient world list. These wonders were built-in the marvels of the 4th century BC. The Greeks had conquered much of the world and traveled far and wide.As they were patrons of beauty, they took fancy to the landmarks and unique architecture of various lands. 1. 1 Great Pyramid of Giza: The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only surviving member of the seven wonders of the ancient world list, which was built in 2584 BC. It is located at Giza Necropolis, Egypt. This pyramid is about 800 feet long, 450 feet high and is build from 2 million blocks of stone. It is said to have been built as the tomb of the 4th dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu. (Baxamusa) 1. 2 Hanging Gardens of Babylon: Hanging Gardens of Babylon is built around 600BC.It was built by King Nebuchandnezzar. He built the garden for his wife Amytis of Media to enjoy a private, terrace garden without any disturbance. It was built in Al-Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq. These gardens were said to be about 400 feet wide, 400 feet long and were over 80 feet in height. The garden is supposed to have been destroyed by a massive earthquake. 1. 3 Temple of Artemesium: The temple of Artemesium, at Ephesus, was one of great temple built by Croesus, king of Lydia, about 550 BC and was rebuilt after being burned by a madman named Herostratus in 356 BC.The Artemesium was famous not only for its great size over 350 by 180 feet but also for the magnificent works of art that adorned it. The temple was destroyed by invading Goths in 262 AD and was never rebuilt. 1. 4 Statue of Zeus at Olympia: Statue of Zeus at Olympia was built in 435 BC. The Greeks completed this building. The statue of Zeus was built in the temple to honor the Greek Olympic Game. The statue was a gigantic structure that occupied the whole width of the aisle of the temple. It was about 40 feet tall and was destroyed in a fire during the 5th and 6th century AD. B axamusa) 1. 5 Mausoleum of Halicarnassus: Mausoleum of Halicarnassus was built in 351 BC. King Mausolus ruled a small kingdom in Asia Minor. His queen Artemisia was a beautiful woman who loved the king a lot. After the death of King Mausolus, she got the most beautiful mausoleum built in the memory of her loving husband. It was known as the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus and people from far and wide came to visit it. By the year 1494 AD, it was destroyed by a flood. It was rebuilt but was damaged by an earthquake. 1. 6 Collosus of Rhodes: Collosus of Rhodes was built in 290 BC.Collosus of Rhodes was the colossal statue of the sun god Helios that stood in the ancient Greek city of Rhodes and was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. After about 56 years it was built, the statue was destroyed by an earthquake. It fell into the harbor and just the thumb of the statue was visible over the water surface. The king of Egypt offered to rebuild the statue, but the people of Rhodes refused. This is because they believed Helios himself threw the statue in water in a fit of rage. 1. 7 Lighthouse of Alexandria: Lighthouse of Alexandria was built in 280 BC.The Island of Pharos was a harbor in Alexandria, Egypt. This lighthouse was built in this harbor and helped ships enter the harbor safely. This lighthouse is said to have survived for 1500 long years and finally destroyed by an earthquake in the 1300's. During its era, it was the tallest man-made structure at about 380 to 440 feet high. So, these were some interesting facts about the 7 wonders of the ancient world. Just imagine, what an impact they may have created in the minds of the people of that age. Except the Pyramid of Giza, all the other wonders have long gone.We can just imagine more about these magnificent structures based on the writings by people of ancient Greece. These seven ancient wonders have something special thing in it, which creates curiosity between us to watch and study these wonders. Although, only on e ancient wonder is left today, but still they have attraction and by this force of attraction these wonders attract everyone towards itself. We can just imagine more about these magnificent structures based on the writings by people of ancient Greece. 2. New Seven Wonders of the World:The list of New Seven Wonders consists of man-made monuments from all over the world. These Seven Wonders of the World are spread across continents and were selected by people throughout the world using a voting method. The organizers thought that this will promote global harmony, along with increasing people's knowledge about these historical monuments some of which are not in their own continent. In 2001 an initiative was started by the Swiss corporation New Seven Wonders Foundation to choose the New Seven Wonders of the World from a selection of 200 existing monuments.Twenty-one finalists were announced January 1, 2006. Egyptians were not happy that the only surviving original wonder, the Great Pyr amid of Giza, would have to compete with the likes of the Statue of Liberty, the Sydney Opera House, and other landmarks. In response, Giza was named an honorary Candidate. The results were announced on July 7, 2007, in Lisbon, Portugal. Figure [ 1 ]: New seven Wonders of the World, Source: New7Wonders of the World,en. wikipedia. org/wiki/New7Wonders_of_the_World. 2. 1 Chichen Itza: The name ‘Chichen Itza' means ‘At the mouth of the well of Itza'.Here, Itza refers to a political clan of people, who were at their political and economical best in the northern peninsula (Saxena. Chaitra Suraj). Chichen Itza was the political focal point for a long time in the Mayan history. This winner of the seven wonders list is located in Yucatan, Mexico. The historical site consists of many stone buildings which are connected by a network of paved roads called Sacbeob. Most of these buildings have been restored and some are still under the process. These buildings have been grouped into sets of architectonic series (based on their architecture).And these sets are believed to be once separated by walls. The three famous sets out of them are, Great North Platform, the Osaario Group and the Central Group. These sets individually consist of various buildings, which are wonders in themselves. Chichen Itza consists of numerous temples, pyramids, and some interesting monuments like Steam Bath and the Great Ball Court. Each of the building had its own importance and was used for some specific purpose. One particular area of Chechen Itza is open to archeologists only, in a way it is still under observation and research. 2. 2 Christ the Redeemer:Christ the Redeemer is the statue of Jesus Christ, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is situated at a height of 700 meters on the Carcovado Mountain, in the Tijuca forest National Park. It weighs 635 tons and stands at a height of 39. 6 meters. It is built of reinforced concrete and soapstone and is the symbol of Christianity, as well a s Rio de Janeiro. The construction of a historical monument on Corcovado was suggested first in 1850, then again in 1921. A lot many designs were considered for the religious monument, which included, the representation of the Christian cross and the tatue of Jesus with a globe in his hand. The Christ the Redeemer was finalized and the construction began in 1922 and continued till 1931. The cost of construction is estimated to be $250,000. The statue was opened to public on 12th of October, 1931 and in 2007 it became a part of the Seven Wonders of the World. In February 2008, the statue was struck by lightning, during a storm but was saved because of the outer layer made of soapstone, which acted as an insulator. This particular storm is known to have caused a lot of damage in the city of Rio, but the statue stood unhurt. . 3 Colosseum: Colosseum, also known as the Roman Coliseum is situated in the city of Rome, Italy. Coming from such a strong background, it was a really strong con tender for a position in Seven Wonders of the World list. It is an elliptical amphitheater and was originally known as Flavian Amphitheater. It is said to be one of the largest buildings of the Roman Empire. Construction of this amphitheater took around 10 years, starting from 70 AD and once ready the Colosseum was used for various public events and fights between gladiators.Gladiatorial fights were the major source of entertainment during those times and the public events consisted of mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, reenactments of famous battles, etc. The amphitheater was capable of seating a total of 50,000 spectators. It is estimated that some 500,000 people and over a million animals died in the events held at Colosseum. In the early medieval era, the building was stopped being used as a place of entertainment and then on, it is believed to have been used for various other purposes. The ancient building now stands partially ruined by earthquakes. . 4 Great Wall of C hina: The Great Wall of China was built between the 5th and 16th centuries BC. This wall was designed to protect the northern border from attacks. The Great Wall is over 4,000 miles long. The Great Wall of China also has the distinction of being one of the Wonders of the middle Ages as well. The Great Wall of China is a stone wall built from Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west of China and it stretches over a distance of 8,851. 8 kms. On land, the walls were made using earth or wood, but with the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, the walls were made using bricks.Other materials like lime, tiles and stones were also widely used. With the use of bricks the construction is believed to have fastened and the brick walls were much stronger. The wall is now in ruins at most of the places and only a few parts remain in good condition. Parts of it have sustained years of erosion, human attacks, modern-day construction and even graffiti at a lot of places, in order to find a place in the 7 wonders of the world. (Saxena) 2. 5 Machu Picchu: Machu Picchu is a pre Columbian Inca site in Cuzco, Peru.It is located at a height of 8000 feet above the sea level on the crest of the mountain Machu Picchu. The name Machu Picchu means ‘Old Peak' and is often referred to as ‘The Lost City of the Incas'. Its construction started in AD 1430 and the city was abandoned a hundred years later. It remained hidden from the outside world for hundreds of years, until it was discovered by Hiram Bingham, an American historian in the year 1911. Because of its location, Machu Picchu remained hidden from most of the world, including the Spanish conquerors.But now that it is in the seven wonders list, it is a famous tourist attraction and is visited by people from all across the world. Machu Picchu is believed to have been built at the peak of the Inca Empire and is the proof of their royalty and religious beliefs. Incas were basically sun worshipers. Inti in Peruvian means the S un and hence, it can be easily understood that one of its primary buildings is â€Å"The Temple of the Sun†. The other main buildings are the Intihuatana and the Room of the Three Windows. Most of the buildings in Machu Picchu are in some or the other way related and dedicated to their God, ‘The Sun'.Machu Picchu is on the list of endangered ‘World Heritage Sites'. And that is why tourism in Machu Picchu is of great concern. Scientists believe that more the People, more will be the damage. 2. 6 Petra: Petra is a historical and archaeological city in the Jordanian governorate of Ma'an that is famous for its rock cut architecture and water conduit system. Established sometime around the 6th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataeans, it is a symbol of Jordan as well as its most visited tourist attraction.It lies on the slope of Mount Hor in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah (Wadi Araba), the large valley running from the Dead S ea to the Gulf of Aqaba. Petra has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. The downfall of Petra began under the Roman Empire. The basic reason being was the change of trade routes. Most of the Petra was destroyed by earthquakes, which damaged buildings and fractured the lifeline of Petra; the water management system. 2. 7 Taj Mahal: Taj Mahal famously known as the ‘Symbol of Love' is a mausoleum, built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal.It is located in Agra, India. Taj Mahal's construction began around 1632 and it took around 21 years to be completed. It was constructed according to the Mughal architecture, which is a combination of Persian, Indian and Islamic architectural styles. The mausoleum was built solely in marble, while other buildings in the complex were made of red stone. For the decoration purposes, 28 types of precious and semi precious stones were used and the raw material is believed to be ordered from as far as Afghanistan in the North and Sri Lanka in the South.It is said that nearly 20,000 workers were employed from all across the country for the construction work. These include skilled artisans, carvers, sculptors and stone cutters of excellent rapport. All in all, 37 people formed the creative unit of the project. Some of them were from foreign countries too. The approximate cost of construction is estimated to some 32 million rupees (Indian currency). It is considered as one of the master pieces of Mughal Empire and attracts tourism from all over the world. Statistics suggest that approximately 2 to 4 million people visit Taj Mahal annually.So, according to the above discussion we can say that every wonder has its own importance in the present world according to their historical background and their construction. People from all over the world visit these wonders to satiate their curiosity. Now a day’s architectures are in the constant struggle to make the new wonders which are better than the a ncient and present wonders, but still the present wonders have great importance at the present time and architectures have to work very hard to defeat these wonders.Work Cited: 1. â€Å"Temple of Artemis. † Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc. , 2012. Web. 27 Mar. 2012. <britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/36816/Temple-of-Artemis> 2. â€Å"Colossus of Rhodes. † Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc. , 2012. Web. 28 Mar. 2012. <britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/501620/Colossus-of-Rhodes. > 3. Mish, Frederick C. , Editor in Chief. â€Å"Petra. † Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary. 9th ed.Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster Inc. , 1985 4. Graham Hancock and Robert Bauval, The Message of the Sphinx, Pyramidology, 4 volume, 1957-1972, Web. 5. Nakate. Shashank. Seven Wonders of the World. Web 3/16/2010. Buzzle. com 6. Baxamusa. Batul Nafisa. 7 Wo nders of the Ancient World List. Web. 2/25/2011. Buzzle. com 7. Marian K, Original Seven Wonders of the World. Web. 10/3/2011. Buzzle. com 8. Saxena. Chaitra Suraj, New 7 Wonders: What are the Seven Wonders of the World?. Web. 9/30/2011. Buzzle. com Seven Wonders of the World Seven Wonders of the Ancient World While the ancient world left little written record, the evidence that we do have depicts it as far more advanced and culturally rich than many would expect. From the Phoenicians in Mesopotamia to the Mayans in Central America, technological advancements and complex theories drove the ancient civilizations ahead. Great thinkers from that period like Socrates left huge marks on the literary world. Great scientists like Copernicus developed theories that provided the foundations for more modern thought. Juxtaposing their technology with our own, we find their accomplishments truly amazing.Their buildings, remarkably built without cranes, bulldozers, or assembly lines, rival our greatest and create great wonder among our culture. Chief among their architectural feats, the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World remind us constantly of the ancient cultures’ splendors and advancements. These landmarks, the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of B abylon, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes, and the Lighthouse of Alexandria or the Walls of Babylon according to the list, left evidence of the magnificence of the ancient world.Understanding the history of the whole group as well as the history of the individual places creates a gratitude and reverence for our ancient ancestors. Herodotus created the first list of wonders in the fifth century BC but gained little notoriety for the feat and inspired few subsequent lists. His written record, a list mirroring that above with the exception of substituting the Pharos of Alexandria for the Lighthouse, was destroyed with the exception of references in the burning of the Library of Alexandria (History Reference Center). In following centuries, however, Herodotus’s ideas began to catch on.Conquering vast empires in the name of Macedonia, Alexander the Great led a strategic military campaign througho ut the Balkans and much of the ancient world. Through these fourth century BC annexations, Alexander stimulated travel in the area, which in turn led to the Greeks gaining immense cultural knowledge about peoples like the Persians, Egyptians, and Babylonians. Alexander truly opened their world. With the influx of travel, the Greeks began and compile oral lists of ‘theamatas,’ a word translated to mean ‘the must-sees’. The lists, though they varied from person to person, lways contained a constant number of seven sites. Being neither a product nor factor of any number less than ten, seven is hard to separate into subdivisions and therefore provides an excellent number for indivisible things like the Seven Wonders, the Seven Deadly Sins, and the Seven Sages. After Herodotus, the next well-known list is that of Callimachus of Cyrene, a worker at the Library of Alexandria. He wrote a work entitled ‘A Collection of Wonders in Lands throughout the World,â⠂¬â„¢ but destroyed early on, the contents of the list remain unknown.De Septem Mundi Miraculous, or Of the Seven Wonders of the World, was written in 200 BC. Attributed to and supposedly written by Philo of Byzantium, many argue that it was actually written in the sixth century AD (Infoplease). Regardless, this work gives an excellent description of Seven Wonders, including the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Pyramids of Giza, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Colossus at Rhodes, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, the Temple of Artemis and Ephesus, and the Lighthouse of Alexandria.While most lists agree on at least six of the seven wonders, some ancient and modern lists substitute the walls of Babylon for the Lighthouse of Alexandria. The most renowned ancient list, coming around 80 years later, belongs to Antipater of Sidon and does exactly this. A citizen of Alexandria, Egypt, Antipater compiled his list in a poem during the second century BC, saying   I have gazed on the walls o f impregnable Babylon, along which chariots may race, and on the Zeus by the banks of Alpheus.I have seen the Hanging Gardens and the Colossus of Helios, the great man-made mountains of the lofty pyramids, and the gigantic tomb of Maussollos. But when I saw the sacred house of Artemis that towers to the clouds, the others were placed in the shade, for the sun himself has never looked upon its equal outside of Olympus (History Reference Center)   These lists inspired others to not only explore but to tell of their explorations.After the works of Herodotus, Callimachus, Philo, and Antipater, people strove to make their own lists of wonders, almost always including the eight documented by Philo and Antipater. The oldest and only remaining of these eight wonders, the Pyramids of Giza took ancient Egypt by storm in 2560 BC. A remarkable architectural feat, they remained the tallest structures in the world until the nineteenth century. They originally stood at 481 feet tall but have shr unk to around 450 feet.Khufu’s pyramid, also known as the Great Pyramid, contains 2,300,000 blocks weighing around two and a half tons each. Every side of that pyramid is 756 feet long (Infoplease). Fourth-Dynasty Pharaoh Khufu, also known as Cheops, ordered the pyramids built as tombs for Pharaohs Khufu, Khafra, and Menkaure. Their splendor begins with their location. Cheops chose a plateau made of white limestone located southwest of Cairo. Surrounded by the Nile River, spacious green plains, astounding palm groves, and the magnificent skyline of Memphis, the area itself is a wonder.Originator of the concept of Seven Wonders, Herodotus became the first to describe the Pyramids when he visited Egypt around 450 BC. His account of the pyramids begins with an insult of Cheops, saying claiming â€Å"Cheops, who reigned over them, plunged the country into deep calamities† (History Reference Center). In Herodotus’s books, he asserts that Cheops employed over 100,000 slaves at a time, switching the men out every three months, but ancient historian Diodorus Siculus alleged that the pyramids actually required 360,000 slaves.Recent discoveries, however, have pinned the number of workers between 5,500 and 8,000 and declared that they worked willingly, not as slaves. Herodotus goes on to describe a magnificent causeway used to transport stones and marvelous underground rooms that took approximately ten years to build. With information gathered from his Egyptian guide, Herodotus chronicled the process used to build the pyramids, writing   This pyramid was constructed on the following plan.They began by building it in the shape of steps, having first made it in this form, they drew up the stones for the rest of the work by means of machines, consisting of short pieces of wood, when they had lifted them from the ground to the first tier of the steps; as soon as stone had reached so far, it was laid on another machine, placed on the first range; from t hence it was hauled up to the second [and from the second to the third,] by means of another machine, for as many as the tiers of the steps there were, there was the same amount of machines. This passage shows the technological advancements employed by the Egyptians.The architecture behind the underground rooms proved extremely innovative; Cheops used a canal from the Nile to create an insulation system (Books). Summing up his Egyptian encounter, he gives a brief account of the lesser two pyramids, built as tombs for Khafra and Menkaure, and moves on to new things. Though many people doubt its existence, the alleged regality of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon stupefies many. Herodotus, previously mentioned as the first big traveler of the era, gave a full description of the city of Babylon, making no mention of the Hanging Gardens.This causes speculation among many historians today (History Reference Center). For those who do believe, however, the Hanging Gardens stood in Mesopotamia , near the present location of Baghdad, Iraq. Berossus, a Babylonian priest, wrote the first account of the Gardens in 3rd century BC, but since then, the works have been lost. Strabo and Philo gave the next ancient descriptions. Philo wrote, The Hanging Garden has plants cultivated above ground level, and the roots of the trees are embedded in an upper terrace rather than in the earth. The whole mass is supported on stone columns.Streams of water emerging from elevated sources flow down sloping channels. These waters irrigate the whole garden saturating the roots of plants and keeping the whole area moist. Hence the grass is permanently green and the leaves of trees grow firmly attached to supple branches. This is a work of art of royal luxury and its most striking feature is that the labor of cultivation is suspended above the heads of the spectators. (Books)   While most of Mesopotamia lived up to its appellation the Fertile Crescent, Babylon differed, having a desert-like clim ate.According to ancient writers like Berossus, Philo of Byzantium, and Diodorus Siculus, King Nebuchadnezzar II ordered the Gardens built for his wife around sixth century BC (Infoplease). Amyitis, a native of the luscious green Persia, greatly missed the beautiful landscape of her home, and as any affectionate husband would do, Nebuchadnezzar built the Gardens to appease her. The King filled the Gardens with pears, plums, grapes, and many other colorful plants. Providing great shade among the sandy landscape, the Gardens served as a retreat for the royal family.For the scholars that believe that the Hanging Gardens actually existed, another argument arises over whether or not the Gardens actually â€Å"hang. † In their Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, Michael and Mary B. Woods argue that the description of the Gardens as â€Å"hanging† comes from a translation issue. They assert that the original Greek word can be translated into â€Å"hanging† or â€Å"ov erhanging† and claim that the original authors meant â€Å"overhanging†. Because its very existence remains disputed, no evidence of the date or method of destruction endures.Built in 560 BC, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus paid homage to the Greek goddess Artemis, goddess of the hunt, childbirth, and virginity (History Reference Center). King Croesus of Lydia ordered the Temple built on a marshland in present-day Turkey, and one hundred and twenty years later it opened for worship. Towering above other structures in the land, the Temple, made of marble, stood 300 long by 150 wide and massive columns (Infoplease). Croesus chose the location in hopes of protecting it from volatile earthquakes.That natural disaster, however, would not cause the destruction of the Temple; instead, it would fall victim to arson committed by a power-hungry Herostratus in 356 BC, on the birthday of Alexander the Great. Greek legend holds that Artemis, busy assisting with Alexander’s c hildbirth, found herself too preoccupied to protect her Temple. Alexander, sympathetic to this story, offered to pay for the restoration of the Temple, but the Ephesian leaders rejected the request claiming it was â€Å"inappropriate for a god to dedicate offerings to the gods† (Books).Despite Alexander’s dismissal, the Ephesians, led by sculptor Scopas of Paros, rebuilt the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, beginning almost immediately after the original’s destruction. The new Temple, the first made purely of marble, laid the foundation for extravagant building. Bigger than the original, it had 27 columns stretching 60 feet into the sky, spanning 425 feet long and 225 feet wide. Athens’s pride and joy, the Parthenon is believed to have only been a quarter of the size of the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus.Pliny the Elder provided a base ancient description of the Temple, along with many other Grecian works, in his Natural History, written in the 1st century AD. Of the Temple, he wrote, â€Å"The most wonderful monument of Grecian magnificence, and one that merits our genuine admiration, is the Temple of Diana at Ephesus† (Books). Some, like Pliny, referred to the Temple as the Temple of Diana, Artemis’s Roman form. As Christianity spread through the ancient world, the Temple slowly became obsolete and eventually met its demise through raids from the Goths in 268 AD.Dedicated Ephesians made a final attempt to rebuild the Temple after its destruction, but Roman Emperor Theodosius the Great’s decision to outlaw Christianity, eradicating the Temple’s purpose. Site of the earliest Olympics, Olympia wished to honor its supreme god, also patron of their games, for their prosperity and success. To do this, they commissioned Phidias, chief sculptor behind the Parthenon, to build a statue paying homage to this god, Zeus. Using an innovative method designed by Phidias himself, he built a wooden skeleton in the intended sh ape of the statue and ordered workers to adorn it.Sheets of iron and gold were cut and fashioned to cover the wooden structure. Looming over the Temple of Zeus, the statue rose 40 feet into the air and was a massive 22 feet wide. Zeus’s Statue features him sitting on a magnificent throne, with his head brushing the ceiling. The ancient historian Strabo criticized the proportions of the statue, claiming that Phidias â€Å"depicted Zeus seated, but with the head almost touching the ceiling, so that we have the impression that if Zeus moved to stand up he would unroof the temple. (History Reference Center). Citation Page 1. Scarre, Chris. â€Å"The Seven Wonders Of The Ancient World. † (2004): 125-127. History Reference Center. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. 2. Infoplease. Infoplease, n. d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. . 3. â€Å"Books. † Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. N. p. , n. d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. .