Diamonds Essays - Diamond, Gemological Institute Of America

Diamonds Introduction For centuries, cultures have regarded diamonds as beautiful, magical, mysterious, and powerful. These precious stones have been sought after, fought over, and worshiped. Diamonds are associated with wealth, achievement, status, and love. The meaning and rarity of diamonds brings about much to consider when making a purchase. The rough gemstones must first be mined and cut. Once cut, diamonds are appraised to determine their value. Some of them undergo treatments to augment their appearance. Diamonds progress through these processes to be transformed into beautiful valuable pieces of personal adornment. Production Mining Diamond is a crystallized form of carbon that grows deep in the earth, under immense pressure and heat. This form of carbon crystal is the hardest natural substance known to humans. Diamonds are brought to the surface by volcanic eruption. These types of eruptions are referred to as pipe mines because they resemble pipes in the ground with molten minerals moving through them. The pipes surface layer is a clay-like rock known as yellow ground for its color. Under the yellow ground is a layer of a mineral referred to as kimberlite. Both layers serve as matrices for diamonds. This mining process originated in India over 4,000 years ago, and the modern mining industry began with discoveries in South Africa in the late 19th century. Today, the top seven diamond producing countries, accounting for 80 percent of the world's rough diamond supply, are Botswana, Russia, South Africa, Angola, Namibia, Australia and Zaire. (Levinson 234) A good deal of technology is used in mining diamonds. The matrix is removed by blasting and by automatic block carving machines. The rock is first broken up into smaller pieces, then the waste is removed, and the concentrate with the gemstones is left behind. The extraction of the diamond from the concentrate was formerly done by hand. Extraction from the matrix is now done by putting the concentrate on a vibrating belt greased with fatty substances that are adhesive to diamonds. Further separation is done by optical selection with the use of photocells and x-ray technologies. On average one ton of diamond ore yields half a carat of diamond (one or more diamonds adding up to less than the volume of a pencil eraser). (Levinson 246) Cutting Once the rough gemstones are extracted, they must be evaluated. The evaluation determines whether the diamonds are worth cutting for use in jewelry. Only about 20 percent of diamonds mined are used for adornment purposes. The rest of them are ground up and used for grinding wheels, glasscutters, milling cutters, and scientific purposes. The diamonds that are worth cutting are cut in a myriad of styles and shapes. The brilliant cut is the most common, as shown in figure one. Fig. 1. Brilliant cut diamond and ideal proportions; rpt. in GIA. There are several steps to cutting and polishing a diamond. The laps (cutting wheels) used in the process are all coated with diamond because the only material hard enough to cut diamond is another diamond. First, the rough diamond is cleaved. This means that the gemstone is sawn to prepare it for initial shaping. Once cleaved, the gem goes through the bruting process where it is given a shape with a girdle, crown, and pavilion. The final facets are then put on the gemstone and it is polished. The diamond is then ready for appraisal. (Levinson 238) Characteristics It is important to understand how the quality of a diamond is determined, and why some diamonds are more rare and valuable than others are. Value depends on quality, and the quality of a diamond depends on four characteristics called the 4Cs: Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat weight. (GIA) What do these terms mean when it comes to buying a diamond, and is one C more important than another is? To make it simple, the larger the diamond, the rarer it is (carat weight); the purer the diamond, the more valuable it is (clarity); the less color in a diamond, the more beautiful; and the more precise the cut of the diamond, the more brilliant it is. The combination of these individual factors makes up the diamond's overall quality and determines its beauty. Cut Once the diamonds are cut, they must be appraised to determine their characteristics and

Education is a RIght essays

Education is a RIght essays An education is a basic human need. It is a need by which human existence of striving and developing depends on. I Reneika Knowles believe that an education is not a privilege but it is a fundamental right. Madam Chairman, Honorable judges, ladies and gentlemen good evening. The word Education is simply a process of learning. A right is a term used to show that we are entitled to something. If combined the equation would be = Education + Right = A right to an education. When put into effect it will help man to communicate better with himself, the world and society. (1 minute) As a child growing up, my parents have taught me the basis of an education. From being taught my first word right down to learning how to read and write. As well as being taught discipline, manners, respect, patience and how to conduct myself. These are the ingredients that made me a well-rounded and open-minded individual. Therefore I firmly believe that education is a right that has begun within the home. And in the home the bible is the book that the lord granted us, as the most vital educational tool for our spiritual development. How are we supposed to therefore read this human element, in order to understand the world and Gods purpose for us.................. if we are stripped of the right to an education? This spiritual education is a God given right and will not be taken away by any man. (35 sec) Education was recognized as a basic human right 50 years ago in the United Nations Declaration of Human rights. 10 years ago the world community promised primary education for all by the turn of the century and to halve adult literacy, 5 years ago the promised slipped by 15 years, to 2015. A country where no one is educated. This would lead to chaos, no inventors, no pioneers and no leaders. And this would cause a vicious cycle of igno ...

Roles of regulatory, and accreditation agencies Essay

Roles of regulatory, and accreditation agencies - Essay Example Other than education, they also facilitate social changes among the people they are targeting. The social change ensures that the people are able to live a better lifestyle which ensures and enhances quality health care for themselves and their offsprings hence securing even the future generation. They also team up with the government in providing greater access to quality healthcare through health programs that they initiate and follow up to ensure their success to the people at all levels be it local, national or global (Skolnik, 2012, p. 196). Politics in especially African countries is very influential and enables get together a lot of people. The organizations and agencies use the politicians to gather large crowds of people in the target area especially the grassroots level and they teach them about healthcare. The same politics is in-charge of making legislation and policies and hence by teaming up with them, the agencies are sure to influence them to pass health care policies that will be beneficial to the population. The policies are passed at both the state and national level and their success is adopted and replicated globally. Politics come into play also because people are more likely to listen to political leaders they elected and whom they believe hold the power to assist them and will, therefore, most likely follow to the letter what the politician advice. The politicians are therefore in this case used as lobbyists for the health care agencies (Silviu, 2010, pp. 4-6).

Evidence-based Practice Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Evidence-based Practice - Assignment Example This research will begin with the statement that PICOT refers to a formula that is designed to answer focused clinical questions concerning a given target population or a fundamental issue for nursing research. PICOT was developed to enhance the efforts of establishing an evidence-based practice in nursing. PICOT calls for continued research to improve the body of knowledge and base the current nursing practice on sound scientific research. PICOT will help to maintain the status of nursing as a professional and autonomous career. PICOT is an acronym that is used by clinicians when carrying out clinical research. This method of evidence-based clinical research promotes understanding among the researchers. The letter â€Å"p† stands for the study population. The letter â€Å"I† refers to the clinical intervention and its variables. The letter â€Å"C† is the comparison with a placebo while â€Å"O† refers to the outcome of the process after a particular inte rvention. The letter â€Å"T† refers to the time taken for an outcome of a nursing intervention can achieve an objective. In a patient with an abscess that has been recurring for six months, does prophylactic antibiotic treatment, compared to no treatment, reduce the rate of recurrence? The PICO (T) elements are; P = Patients with recurrent abscess I = Prophylactic antibiotic treatment C = No antibiotic treatment O = Decline in the high rate of recurrence of the abscess T = Six months

Lean Principles and Application Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Lean Principles and Application - Essay Example p. 57). The challenges facing the sustenance of lean thinking include the need to develop the skills needed and the time needed to adjust to systems change. The lean production model is one that emphasizes the elimination of waste, by cutting down on the business processes that do not yield value to the customer, yet they consume production costs and time. The seven areas of waste reduction exploited by Toyota Motors include inventory, transportation, overproducing goods, waiting, defective products (defects) and over-processing. The success for the lean model is greatly hinged to change performance in the respective areas, for senior managerial staffs and also the employees. The advantages of the model include increase in productivity, reduction in product defects, and customer lead times. The benefits enjoyed in the long-term include increases in customer satisfaction, financial performance and staff morale (Dahlgaard and Dahlgaard-Park, 2006, p. 263). The model is heavily dependent on the principles of continuous improvement and making informed decisions at all points in the production process. The model works well for companies with clearly defined value chains, for example automotive (Toyota), pharmaceutical and industrial engineering companies. Business process management is the management model in use by the management of the department, and its outlook is relatively different from that of lean. When using this model, the R & D department will be explored in a holistic manner, as a collection of business processes. The model is used to leverage on the designing, modeling, execution, monitoring and the optimization of the production system, by automating the management of the processes. Through this paper, the writer will compare the differences in the organizational culture of Toyota (lean model) and that of the R & D department (BPM); the paper will explore the impacts of the differences in the implementation process for lean, and

Impact of Brand Extensions

Impact of Brand Extensions Launching brand extensions are a bit like having kids just because you can doesnt mean you should. But if the conditions are right, and everything is thoroughly prepared and though through, then it can be terrifically rewarding Rory Sutherland, Creative Director, Ogilvy One, as cited in (Miller Muir, 2004). Initially, brand extensions begun in the luxury goods industry, when the French haute couture fashion houses started diversifying to jewelry, watches, cosmetics and accessories. In 1921, French luxury fashion house Chanel launched its first perfume, Chanel nÂÂ °5 and it remains until now one of the best-selling perfume in the world, enhancing the luxury reputation of the brand. In the last few years, many luxury fashion houses have launched new ventures in order to expand their recognizability outside their usual area of activities; i.e., clothing, cosmetics and accessories. This process initiated by evolving to new spaces such as hotels, bars, or restaurants where people can experience a special mood; often in strict relationship with the philosophy of the brand. With the success of many luxury brands entering the hospitality industry such as Bulgari, Versace, this research paper seeks to analyze Guccis brand extension and advise the head of directors on the impacts of extending to the hospitality business. Founded in the 1920s, Gucci has become one of the worlds leading luxury fashion brands. With a renowned reputation for design, quality and Italian traditional expertise, the brand offers a wide range of products (clothing, handbags, shoes, timepieces, jewelry and skis). Gucci covers all aspects of product launching, from designing, through manufacturing , and distribution. (Kering, 2013) In the study of the arguments for and against, the researcher will examine brands that have intended this diversification earlier to get an indication of the impacts of undertaking such a project. The key strategy used to examine the outcomes of progressing the Gucci group into the hospitality industry is the Brand extension strategy (Aaker Keller, 1990, pp. 27-41); that the researcher will enhance by applying the Categorization theory (Smith Medin, 1981). Furthermore, previous examples of failure or success of brand diversification will be discussed as in essential to avoid pitfalls and has an influence on the decision. Among these examples, the Golden Arch Hotel, case of McDonalds extends to the hospitality industry. In order to better conduct the research, the major first step is to clearly define the research aims and objectives. The Aim is what the paper wants to achieve depending on the business question, while the Objectives distinguish how the aim is going to be achieved (Manchester Metropolitan University, 2008). The next section will focus on both parts so as to build the structure and serve as a guiding line for the rest of this essay. Aim Objectives Aim This research project aims to analyze whether a luxury brand such as the Gucci group, should extend their products and services into the hotel industry in order to follow the path previously experienced by the Armani group in Dubai. Objectives To determine if the brand extension strategy successively fits the group; if it is compatible with the core brand and company goals, as diversification can enable a business to access new revenue streams. What is Brand extension theory? The conceptual model Does it apply to the Gucci Group? What are the costs of such a process? What are the benefits and limitations? What are the competitors? (SWOT Analysis) To critically review if the Italian lifestyle and the prestige of Italian fashion industry constitute important elements of cultural heritage that can be productively employed in the fields of leisure and hospitality marketing. Does the brand equity apply to the Hospitality Industry? What variables influence consumers perceptions about the acceptability of brand extensions? How similarity and consumer innovativeness may affect the brand? To analyze whether brand extension strategy is a proper tool to keep the brand up to date whilst the organization adapt to market changes. Does extending to the hospitality industry risk making it lose its relevance and appeal? Is the brand strong enough to guarantee successful brand extension? (Case study of McDonalds adventure in the hotel industry) Will it improve overall brand image or damage brand identity? Literature review Brand Extension Strategy The original definition of a brand, as cited by Aaker, is a distinguishing name and/or symbol (such as a logo, motto, package design or trademark) intended to identify the goods or services of one seller, and to differentiate those goods or services from those of the competition (Aaker Keller, 1990). A brand extension is defined when a company uses an existing brand name to introduce a new product (Vukasovic, 2012), as well as, when an existing brand is combined with a new brand when introducing a new product (Keller, 2008). Consumer Behavior Seminar, regrouping a number of contributors, first introduced brand extension in 1987. They were trying to understand how consumers extend prior associations about a companys brands to new products offered by the same firm (Boush, et al., 1987). Nowadays, brand extensions might be one of the most researched and impacting areas of marketing (Elliott Percy, 2007). Brand extension is considered to be the most attractive marketing strategy; indeed, it enables to reduce the launching cost of introducing new products by compensating with the consumers perception and awareness of the parent brand (Lassar, Mittal, Sharma, 1995). Therefore, a successful brand extension will allow manufacturers to take advantage from this by gaining a higher expectation in the consumers mind and hold more shelf space for their brands. It has also been determined that the least quality variation in product diversification is likely to gain more consumers than when the product lines are distinguishable (Lassar, Mittal, Sharma, 1995). The implementation of this strategy will result in lower advertising costs for the extended brand as well as higher sales because of the knowledge experience of the brand. Nonetheless, numerous researchers agreed that luxury brand extensions have been left behind. Even though the luxury brands were the first to initiate brand extensions by extending their haute couture brand to accessories, cosmetics, watches and jewelry, and though brand extensions are the essence of an organization model of the luxury haute couture brands (Uggla Lashgari, 2012), yet the main researchers that were conducted were either relating about a non luxury brand or a venture between a luxury and a non-luxury brand, which has some particular limitations (Stankeviciute Hoffmann, 2011). Previous findings on the impact of brand extensions on the luxury parent brand will be introduced, followed by a focus on the categorization theory and a self-created conceptual model. The Impact of Brand Extensions on the Luxury Parent Brand It has been proven that luxury brands may be compromising their reputation while diversifying and targeting a wider market share. We record well-known luxury brand Pierre Cardin who fall into every consumers reach goods by using his notoriety in marketing a commercial quality of hundreds of products. This can be understood by high quality non-personal needs when customers wish to buy products, not available to a broader public (Dubois Paternault, 1995). In order to strengthen the core luxury brand image of the parent brand, luxury brand extensions are often attempted, thus, the relationship between consumers and the luxury brand must be strengthened. In a study in 1995, Elyette Roux intended to measure the impact of luxury brand extensions on the parent brand image through brand prestige, brand confidence and desirability (Roux, Consumer Evaluation of Luxury Brand Extensions, 1995). In order to do so, Roux predicted that she could use conceptual fit, transferability, and perceived quality of original brand as variables. The results proved that brand confidence is only influenced by the conceptual fit approach. Thus, only luxury brand extensions that are in strict correlation to the build brand confidence and the parent luxury brands expertise will have a positive outcome on the parent brand. If extensions are uncertain, brand image dilution will happen due to brand confidence decrease. Brand prestige is mainly anticipated by brand quality and conceptual fit. On a lower extend, transferability contributes in a significant way to brand prestige. Only acknowledged luxury brand extensions will enrich brand prestige, assuming the luxury brand possesses the ability to substitute its credentials and has quality reputation. Luxury brand extensions are facing many challenges to extend target markets (Dubois Paternault, 1995). The aim is to increase consumers need for this specific brand. Brand perceived quality and conceptual fit are the main predictors for desirability. The decrease of brand desirability will harm the luxury brand image. People devoting to buy luxury brands for pretention motives, will remove their demand off these brands. Globally, the results proved that brand prestige; brand confidence and brand desirability are significantly linked with the nature of luxury brand extensions (Boush, et al., 1987). In 1996, Roux went a step further, expanding the study on the impact of brand extensions on a luxury fashion brands confidence, prestige and desirability balanced by the use of consumers knowledge level. The hypothesis was not supported, it involved that more knowledgeable people would give the parent brand elements more extreme evaluations. This hypothesis approves that consumers are attracted to buy luxury fashion brands because of their emotional benefit and image influence. Furthermore, the study states that brand prestige; desirability and confidence, when used as purchase intention variables, have no relationship among each other. (Roux Boush, The Role of Familiarity and Expertise in Luxury Brand Extension, 1996). The Categorization Theory Categorization enables a large variety of subordinate functions because classifying something as a category member grants people to bring their knowledge of the category to focus on the new entrant (Smith Medin, 1981). The step in which any cylindrical object is determined as a flashlight allows you to understand the Categorization theory. Therefore, people trend to predict its parts, trace its functions, and presume its behavior (Cheah Phau, 2008). Once people have categorized some new entity, for example, they may be using suitable knowledge for prediction and acceptation. For example, you can easily assume that the cylindrical object set as a flashlight will have one battery at least, will have some kind of interrupter, and will basically produce a beam of light when the switch is pressed. People do not only categorize to accept new market entrants, they also use the new entities to modify and update their concepts. In a nutshell, categorization supports learning (Medin Rips, 2 005). The Conceptual Model This conceptual model was proposed by the researcher in order to better understand the impact of brand extensions on the parent brand equity of luxury brands. As brand extension affects the four outcomes, these interact in a certain way. Figure : The impact of brand extension

American Ethnic Literature Essay

What does it mean to be inclusive of â€Å"ethnic† literature in American â€Å"English† classrooms? Educators across the country struggle to comply with industry standards as well as their own sense of what â€Å"globalization in literature† may comprise. The ideology of teaching the British canon is breaking down, particularly in the wake of the post-colonial criticism movement two decades ago, as well as the more immediate and pervasive influence of the World Wide Web, which connects people in different countries with different communication practices at the speed of fingers tapping on a keyboard. Diversifying the standard literary canon to include writers and character of different cultural and racial backgrounds means opening the master list of great works to marginalized text and voices. Ideally, the goal of including â€Å"ethnic† literature into the American education traditional should be to create a more complete view of the American culture as a great cultural melting pot and expose the ways in which all Americans share â€Å"Otherness. † Multicultural literature carries with it certain stereotypes as to what gets included and what gets excluded. Part of this is a response to the reader’s own ignorance or misinformation. Mary Frances Pipino wrote that â€Å"Students often are unaware of their own cultural values and the ways their values can be contradictory or ambivalent.. † For example, a person may consider The House on Mango Street to be â€Å"multicultural† in that the author, Sandra Cisneros, speaks Spanish and her main character, Esperanza, relates the effect cultural machismo has on her life as a young Hispanic woman. The novel Ceremony functions in a similar way. Author Leslie Silko gives the reader a glimpse into the life of a young Native American man, describing his violent experience as a soldier and as a man caught between cultures in a turbulent physical environment. The main character, Tayo, functions as both an entry point for readers unfamiliar with Native American culture, and as the ubiquitous â€Å"Outsider† even in the Native American community. Both of these texts conflate the â€Å"traditional† American experience (that is, the paternal Anglo-Saxon Christian experience) with the experience of the â€Å"outsider† (the disenfranchised racial minority). Silko and Cisneros incorporate ethnicity as a factor that both unites and repels. Esperanza struggles against the expectations of her culture as she dedicates herself to her studies and writing. Tayo is at home neither in the â€Å"white† community where he is physically Other, or in the Native American community, where his â€Å"whiteness† is known regardless of its visibility. Readers and students have an opportunity to read about a culture that is perhaps different from their own , or perhaps novels such as these are an opportunity to see racially similar characters as protagonists rather than antagonists or worse, utterly marginalized if ever present background noise. Traditionally, American students have had to satiate themselves on a steady diet of Caucasian male central characters. Studies in literature often revolve around the icons of English writing, such as Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton, Wordsworth, and Dickens. American authors honored as â€Å"canonical† include Irving, Hawthorne, Twain, Emerson and Whitman. To a large extent, these rightly revered poets and novelists fore-grounded characters with similar visages. Hamlet and Romeo seem essentially â€Å"white† and noble, and their exploits are generally understandable to a Western-minded reading audience. Wordsworth’s reflections and Dickens’ soulful hero, Pip, are both embodiments of natural man as a participant in both Nature and the wilderness of the Industrial revolution. Hawthorne, Irving and Twain all convey elements of the American pioneering spirit, as well as the dangers of forging out into unknown and often hostile environs. Again, these American protagonists routinely mimic the author’s face in the mirror. This picture of the traditional English Literature syllabus in its barest of bones unquestionably gives rise to the sort of charges levied against it by New Historicists, Post-Colonialists, and gender studies scholars. Laurie Grobman (2004) wrote, â€Å"In 1990 The Heath Anthology of American Literature was published under the sponsorship of the Reconstructing American Literature project (RAL) of the Feminist Press. † She credited Paul Lauter’s research as she went on to write, â€Å"Inspired by the Civil Rights movements, the RAL project attempted to redress the limited, exclusionary conception of â€Å"American literature† represented in most university curricula, syllabi, and anthologies, and to affirm the literature classroom as a potential site of social and political change† (2004, p. 81). The study of literature has been a limited one in the sense of variety and diversity, but obvious and deliberate steps were being taken. Perhaps on one hand, it can be said that the study of literature is most naturally conducted in one’s primary language, thus negating the study of Spanish, Russian or French tomes (for example). Thus, British and American-born writers should obviously comprise the canon. Grobman wrote that, however, â€Å"†¦certain texts by writers of color have become ‘canonized’ in the sense that they are frequently taught, studied, and even anthologized both as part of a larger canon of American literature and as part of canons within specific racialized ethnic literary and critical communities,† (2004, p. 83). The issue of translation is still a challenging one, as early editions of what is now considered classic literature were poorly and inefficiently translated from their native language into English. Unique linguistic nuances, which both added to the words on the page and also reflected the ideas and values of the particular culture for whom that language is native, were irreparably lost. Unfortunately, those nuances were not as valued as the ability to read the text in English, and such disrespect was costly. Thankfully, more attention is paid today on both the sensitivity of the translation and skill of the translator. The original standard of thinking, surely flawed and wretchedly narrow of scope, ignores how language mimics society at large. That is, the English language is itself in a constant state of growth, adaptation, modulation and reconditioning. Other languages play a unique role in the English language’s evolution, particularly in the United States, where languages are over-lapped, superimposed and threaded through each other to form new expressions. The Oxford English Dictionary, considered one of if not the authentic authority on the English language, regularly updates its immense record of words and their individual biographies. Holly E. Martin (2005) wrote: For multilingual authors, switching between two or more languages is not an arbitrary act, nor is it simply an attempt to mimic the speech of their communities; code-switching results from a conscious decision to create a desired effect and to promote the validity of authors’ heritage languages. Literary code- switching between Spanish and English, English and Chinese, and English and a Native American language†¦creates a multiple perspective and enhances the authors’ ability to express their subjects. Also, by including their ethnic languages, writers lay claim to the languages of their communities and resist the dominance of English by proposing that these languages can accompany English in the creation of works of US literature. (p. 403) If the language fluctuates due to outside influences, should it not be part of the process to examine those languages also, particularly when the reader can see first hand how the languages interact? Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street is an excellent example of the role ethnic literature can and should play: Esperanza’s voice effortlessly glides between English and Spanish, revealing few if any linguistic speed bumps. Her voice is, perhaps, is a representation of the idealized cultural blend—she is the embodiment of a truly integrated person. The reader is offered a glimpse of a seamless blend of both languages, representing both cultures as mutually complimenting each other rather than as existing as binaries. Indeed, the languages are not binaries, as they both come from the same root. Martin went on to suggest: †¦the inclusion of languages other than English in US literature is a natural artistic development for the novel (and for other genres of literature as well). Ethnic minorities and their languages are part of the social stratification of the United States, and therefore, a mixture of languages within literary works—and varieties within those languages— reflects the dialogue that occurs regularly within the US. (2005, p. 404) This sense of fluidity can offer a sense of regeneration, or absolute creation. Martin wrote, â€Å"The mixing of cultures and languages along the Mexican/US border can have a synergistic effect, creating a third mode of expression that leads to a more multidimensional understanding of human life in general, (2005, p. 407). This blending has other, darker consequences, however. In the text, Esperanza’s voice may blend, but her life experience certainly does not. She, like Tayo, feels little sense of acceptance and integration in either of her two â€Å"worlds. † Like Tayo, that disconnectedness manifests in violence and pain. The ethnic literature invites readers to experience the pain of enforced or assumed binary identities. The term â€Å"ethic† takes on the countenance of â€Å"other;† the person termed â€Å"ethnic† the non-white, often female, often non-Christian character. This character’s differences are highlighted as that which makes her â€Å"Other. † Esperanza is not ethnic because she is a writer; she is â€Å"ethnic† because she is born into a Mexican-American family. She is part of the greater immigrant tradition that forms the basis for contemporary American culture. This immigrant status gets revised for Ceremony, in which Tayo is the true Native, being cast in the role of Other by the immigrant Anglo-Saxons. Silko complicates the matter by having Tayo go to war as an American soldier, thus leveling him with the â€Å"violent conqueror† image of Americana as well as marking him as yet another Other/Outsider. Unfortunately, including stories of ethnic otherness can create a challenging set of questions and resistances in a class that has largely been kept free of challenges to the literary status quo. Pipino wrote: If the purpose of the course [that Pipino taught] was to invite moral introspection through imaginative participation in the life of the â€Å"Other,† then students frequently found themselves in the shoes of an â€Å"Other† whose hard work and desire were not guarantees of success which, as we discuss at the beginning of the course, is an essential part of the rhetoric of the American Dream. Thus, students’ resistant responses may reflect not just â€Å"compassion fatigue,† but a real fear that the hard work in which they are engaged as college students may not yield success; the failures of the protagonists of fictional narratives perhaps pose a threat to the optimism with which they regard their own futures, that is, their own narratives. (2005, p. 179). That is, the narrative of the Other may be a little too â€Å"dark† for readers who are (or who imagine themselves to be) part of the majority establishment. This response is certainly not the goal or object of introducing ethnic literature into the study of the American literary experience. Readers who forget that value systems differ across racial and cultural lines, and attempt to impose their own understandings as a steadfast â€Å"norm,† find themselves unable to reconcile the way characters of differing ethnic origin engage in their environments. The level of anger deployed against the white establishment in certain works of fiction and poetry can become overwhelming if not carefully and conscientiously dissected. Reading the Other can and should give the audience an opportunity to either experience being an outsider for the first time, or more likely, remind that person of the experience and engender feeling of sympathy for the character and the situation. The emotional response of being â€Å"tired of feeling bad for people† is a misguided and misplaced one, as it does nothing to enrich one’s life or the lives of others. Ethic literature should function as a safe, secure environment where common humanistic themes such as feeling a part of a greater whole while simultaneously honoring one’s past can be explored using a variety of lenses. Regardless of race, creed, sex or age, all people have had the opportunity to experience some variety of â€Å"otherness† in their lives. Those who choose to ignore or forget the experience are most often the people who perpetuate great cruelty in the world. Literature can and should function as a means to explore other value sets and other cultural identities not to simply shrug and admire the view, but to begin to identify ways in which our differences are actually the themes we share in common. Fiction and poetry offer readers the tools to transcend the often bitter real-life experiences people have that reinforce imaginary (and authentic) boundaries between cultures and people. Division and classification are part of the human psyche’s attempt to deconstruct and â€Å"understand† the world around us. As a fertile landscape owing all to the readers’ mind, literature can meet needs and expectations in a way that reality cannot, and it is the reader’ opportunity to find the connectedness in the midst of the difference. References Cisneros, S. (1984) The House on Mango Street. New York: Vintage. Grobman, L. (2005). The Value and Valuable Work of Multi-ethnic Literature. MELUS, 29(3/4), 81-90. Martin, H. (2005). Code-switching in US ethnic literature: multiple perspectives presented through multiple languages. Changing English: Studies in Culture & Education, 12(3), 403-415. Pipino, M. (2005). Resistance and the Pedagogy of Ethnic Literature. MELUS, 30(2), 175- 190. Silko,L. (1977). Ceremony. New York: Penguin.

Groups Act

The signs and symptoms which people can recognize physical abuse is series of unexplained falls or major injuries. Injuries and bruises at different stages of leaning On adults' body such as having bruising in unusual sites- inner arms, thighs. Seeing fingerprints, abrasions on the head or face deliberately several times. When someone in shy, insecure but didn't used to be but may be a sign of physical abuse. Neglect- Neglect is one of the most common abuses.It is when person failures to provide necessary care, assistance, guidance or attention to the helpless, defenseless adult that can cause or is reasonable likely to cause the person physical, mental and emotional harm or substantial damage and or loss of assets. Financial abuse- This is when a person involves stealing money of people, not allowing a victim to take part in any financial decisions, preventing the victim from having a job. The form of abuse tends to happen in relationships. Sexual abuse: This abuse can range from ra pe to inappropriate touching of the body.Happens when someone is forcing someone to do something sexual that they may not want to engage in but are forced to otherwise there will be consequences. Emotional or psychological abuse: Often happens when a person who is being abused may also be threatened n order to keep them silent as if there not they could tell others and be found out. The victim may be told it's ‘our little secret' or that they will lose their accommodation if they tell anyone what has happened as it is often not a good thing happening to them.Victims often have continuous put-downs and name-calling in front of others, which often causes humiliation and loss of self-respect and pride in themselves as they often start to believe them. Such actions can lead to horrible things happening such as mental health; self harm, suicide. (UP) explain factors that may lead to abusive situations There are a range of factors that could lead to abusive situations. People who ar e abused are people who have something different about them to other people as some people may not view this as normal.Most commonly this could be something like skin color or where you are from, there culture or religion but really anyone who is different from what is seen as ‘normal'. A physical or mental disability or health problems can make someone vulnerable as they may think its k to happen to them. For example a person with a mental disability may not be capable of making responsible decisions or themselves and may make things easier to be abused in some way.Elderly people are vulnerable to from being fraud form people who want money and are often the targets Of telemarketing scams and other crimes. Young people and children can be easily lead with social media etc, a child could meet a ‘friend' online and not realist that they are really a bad person such as a photocopied posing as a child and go to meet this ‘friend' and get sexually abused in that way. B ullying is when someone keeps doing or saying things to have power over another person.Some of the ways they bully other people are by: calling them names, saying or writing nasty things about them, leaving them out of activities, not talking to them, threatening them, making them feel uncomfortable or scared, taking or damaging their things, hitting or kicking them, or making them do things they don ‘t want to do. People who are a different culture, color, background, religion etc can be discriminated against them, this can often lead to bullying and psychologically abuse the victim by insulting, tormenting, excluding them because of there well being.This can lead the victim to self-abuse or it can end up with the abuser hectically abusing them to gain more power over them and feel bigger and better than them by hitting, slapping and beating their victims. Another thing about abuse is gender, gender is also a factor that could lead to abuse. Typically women are seen to be the weaker sex and can generally be overpowered by a man meaning they are vulnerable and a bigger target for abuse. Sexual Abuse in any age is when a person has sexual contact between an adult or older teen and a child.This type behavior, is often wrong but is used to gain power over the child, person etc. There are many types of sexual buses, some include physical contact or touching offenses. MI) assess the likely immediate effects of two different forms of abuse on the health and well-being of adults Effects of sexual abuse: If an adult is still in a relationship with someone and are being sexually abuse by someone else may then cause friction between them as they may not believe what's happening.They may also find it difficult watching sexual scenes on the television or in movies and may freak out at this because of what happened and may not know how to explain it. A woman may also feel signal pain due to forced sexual intercourse, this could last for quite a while and can be very uncomfortable for the woman as they may not want to face up to what's happened. For a man being abused outside a relationship they might find erections problems.When being touched they might feel guilt, fear, anger, disgust or other negative feelings as they may feel that its going to happen again. .Ã'Å¡Ã'Å¡Effects of Bullying: CLC The experience of being bullied can end up causing lasting damage to victims. And this isn't often seen on the outside but inside the person. The person isn't have to be physical abused but even Words and gestures are quite enough to have a long lasting effect. People often will start to view themselves as a less than desirable, incapable individual.The first things also is that it becomes more likely that a person will become increasingly susceptible to becoming depressed and/or angry and/or bitter. Being bullied teaches you that you are undesirable, that you are not safe in the world, and (that you are relatively powerless to defend yourself because peo ple may start to believe it. DEL]Some people who are being or have been bullied may tart to self-harm and may have suicidal thoughts and feelings because of how it makes them feel.The person may be so fed up with the bullying and feel so worthless that they do not see the point in living anymore. Self- harming may be away of the person releasing their anger and pain. In the long-term they may find it difficult interacting with other people in the fear of something hurtful being said to them and will find it difficult trusting other people as previous people haven't trusted them. They may also have an increased tendency of wanting to be alone as they may feel that they are at sees risk of being bullied by others around them.UP) outline key legislation and regulations which govern safeguarding adult work The Disability Discrimination Act- 1995 but was later updated in 2005- This act tired to aim to put an end to disability discrimination which is aimed at the disabled in any different situations they may face in every day life and defined what disability may be- physical and mental The Mental Capacity Act 2005- The main aim of this act is to try and give help and empowerment to the vulnerable people who are unable to make any decisions by themselves thou people helping them for many reasons such as they may be suffering from a mental illness.Within the act it states who is able to make the decisions for them and it also allows people to people to plan ahead if one day in the future they would lose the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves. The people who are able to make their decisions on their behalf are family, doctors and social workers.CLIP C]The Human Rights Act- This Act applies to everyone and the law requires everyone to be able to have each Of the different rights within the act some are; the right to life, the redeem from slavery and forced labor, the right to a fair trial, the right to respect for private and family life, the freedom to ex press yourself, the right not to be discriminated against in respected of these rights and freedoms, the right to vote when over a certain age, the right to have an education and to be able to challenge public bodies over discrimination.The Health and Social Care Act 2008- This act aims to make the public health and social care system better by providing mesas re's that will try shrinking the amount of diseases that gets bread around and control it if there is an out break of disease Download this essay Print Save L]Safe Guarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006- C]This act was set up for people who work with children/ young people and also come into care with vulnerable individuals that need to be registered so they can have the care they require.DC The independent safeguarding authority to be able for deciding who shouldn't be allowed to be working with people that are vulnerable. Act applies to employed people and volunteers Candy there are lists to be taken out for those working with hillier and adults and checks must take place before an individual can work with the vulnerable as they may make them worse. AS: Outline working strategies and procedures used in Health and Social Care to reduce the risk of abuse.Recruitment of staff-Adults Barred List: This lists aimed at people who are banned from working with vulnerable adults for a number of reasons but the list is there to protect them. It then subdivides them into two categories- those who are automatically barred because they offer a ‘risk of threat' to the adults and those who offer a ‘very rabble risk of harm' and shouldn't be allowed near them. Employers and providers of services must check a person's status before employing them.This can be done by doing a CAR check of the person and making sure they provide the correct information about them. Organizational policies: This is Guidelines that are able to provide the basis on which organizations can develop their own policies to sort the type of company and people they are working with. It is important that the local and regional frameworks within the policies, strategies and procedures can be developed between agencies, so the protection of vulnerable adults is the best that it can be.Codes of practice for nursing and social: Professional codes for any types of practice require professionals to work to high standards in order for things to work the best that they can, and to be able to respect people using services as individuals and minimize the risk to them and harm that could promotional happen. The Nursing and Midwifery Council and the British Association of Social Workers produce such codes for their members, as does the regulatory body-the General Social Care Council.

Tectonic Processes and a Hazard Essays

Tectonic Processes and a Hazard Essays Tectonic Processes and a Hazard Essay Tectonic Processes and a Hazard Essay The extent to which tectonic processes represent a hazard depends upon when and where they are experienced (40) A hazard can best be defined as a situation that poses a level of threat to life, health, property or the environment. The overall impact of earthquakes as a natural hazard varies greatly from one place and timeframe to another. As do the types of hazards, which are categorised into primary and secondary. Primary hazards are created by the direct seismic energy of an earthquake; this could include liquefaction, slope failure and tsunamis. These primary hazards can in turn trigger secondary hazards uch as floods, fires, disease and destabilisation of infrastructure. A number of factors play a part in determining the severity of these hazards. For me the most influential factor is where the tectonic process occurs in relation to the levels of development of that area. MEDCs tend to cope better with the hazard of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions than LEDCs because they have all the necessary resources to survive the effects of these hazards at their disposal. Such as earthquake proof buildings that are designed to withstand earthquakes by using strong materials such as reinforced concrete or building special foundations that bsorb an earthquakes energy e. g. the Bank Tower in Los Angeles, California. Construction laws in some earthquake-prone counties (e. g. Japan and the US) have become stricter in recent years this means that newer buildings are more likely to be able to withstand earthquakes. Another technique in order to protect people from the effects of volcanoes is diverting lava away from settlements using barriers. For example when Mt. Etna erupted in 1983 a rubble barrier 10m high and 400m long was built on its slopes, which successfully diverted the lava flow. However, this is only ossible where the lava is slow moving and there is sufficient warning, this often requires high tech equipment to monitor where the lava will be and at what speed it will be flowing, this is associated with MEDCs . LEDCs on the other hand do not have these high-tech buildings and laws and therefore the effects are much more detrimental. This has been seen in Montserrat on 25th June 1997 when 19 people died and seven people were injured and this was mostly due to the lack of planning and management. Another influential factor that affects the degree of the hazard is here the epicentre is closer to a rural or urban area. Rural area tend to cope with earthquakes much better as there are less buildings that are likely to collapse and rural areas are typically sparsely populated, therefore a smaller amount of people are likely to be affected by the impacts of the earthquake. However, rural areas are less likely to have the infrastructure that could cope with the impacts of a serious earthquake whereas cities do, e. g. earthquake buildings. Many people in rural areas also have less knowledge of the impacts of earthquakes and may not know how to respond aurlng or arter tne quake. In densely populated uroan areas sucn as LAquila, Italy the effects of earthquakes can be much more detrimental as gas pipes can burst, habitats can be lost and thousands of buildings can be damaged. These in turn can have negative secondary affects for example in LAquila 70,000 people were made homeless and the bursting of gas pipes resulted in the spread of fire across the city, causing more damage. Time of day can also affect the outcome of a tectonic hazard. If a volcanic eruption occurs over night the level of danger is often increased as most people are asleep and react a lot slower. This is similar to if an earthquake occurs overnight, however, this is often worse as houses can collapse on people sleeping and may people are unaware that they are even there. The only benefit of earthquake occurring overnight is that families are often close together and can support one another through the traumatic event. Volcanic eruptions that occur during the day are often dealt with much better as people are out and about and can escape much quicker as escape routes can be planned and emergency services are there to lessen the impacts of the event. Earthquakes are often also safer if they ccur during the day as many people are at work, this is because business in earthquake zones often have rules set in place to deal with the event, therefore reducing the risk of injury to the members of the business. Although many would say that the day time is the best time for an earthquake to take place this cannot always be the case. For example in 1989 an earthquake hit San Francisco at 17:04 local time. The earthquake measured 6. 9 on the Richter scale and caused devastation to many. The main reasoning behind why the earthquake was so bad was because it occurred during rush hour, and before a major American football game. The earthquake caused damage to a lot of infrastructure with collapsed bridges and freeways, fires, shattered buildings, gaping cracks in roads and landslides. Due to the collapsed two tier freeway it resulted in many people being trapped under debris and a huge scale rescue undergone by the emergency team and locals. This ended in 9 deaths and hundreds of injuries. Overall you can see it takes a variety of factors to influence the risk of a tectonic hazard and the level of risk cannot be simple worked about by where or when the earthquake, volcanic eruption or tsunami occurs.

The Definition of Ethnicity in Sociology

The Definition of Ethnicity in Sociology In sociology, ethnicity is a concept referring to a shared culture and a way of life. This can be reflected in language, religion, material culture such as clothing and cuisine, and cultural products such as music and art. Ethnicity is often a major source of social cohesion as well as social conflict. The world is home to thousands of different ethnic groups, from the Han Chinese- the largest ethnic group in the world- to the smallest indigenous groups, some of which include only a few dozen people. Almost all of these groups possess a shared history, language, religion, and culture, which provide group members with a common identity. Learned Behavior Ethnicity, unlike race, is not based on biological traits, except in the case of ethnic groups that recognize certain traits as requirements for membership. In other words, the cultural elements that define a particular ethnic group are taught, not inherited. This means that the boundaries between ethnic groups are, to some degree, fluid, allowing for individuals to move between groups. This can happen, for example, when a child from one ethnic group is adopted into another, or when an individual undergoes a religious conversion. It can also happen through the process of acculturation, whereby members of a native group are forced to adopt the culture and manners of a dominating host group. Ethnicity should not be confused with nationality, which refers to citizenship. While some countries are largely composed of a single ethnic group (Egypt, Finland, Germany, China), others are composed of many different groups (United States, Australia, Philippines, Panama). The rise of nation-states in Europe in the 1600s led to the creation of many countries that are still ethnically homogenous today (the population of Germany, for example, is 91.5 percent German). Countries that were founded as colonies, on the other hand, are more likely to be home to multiple ethnicities. Examples Different ethnic groups do not use the same criteria to define group membership. While one group may emphasize the importance of a shared language, another may emphasize the importance of a shared religious identity. For example, French Canadians are an ethnic group for whom language is paramount. It is what connects them to the French colonists who first settled Canada in the 1600s and what distinguishes them from English Canadians, Scottish Canadians, and Irish Canadians. Other aspects of culture, such as religion, are less significant when it comes to defining who is and is not French Canadian. Most French Canadians are Christians, but some are Catholic and others are Protestant. In contrast, religion is an essential part of ethnic identity for groups such as the Jews. Unlike French Canadians, Jews do not define themselves based on a single shared language. In fact, Jewish communities throughout the world have developed a variety of different languages, including Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino (Judeo-Spanish), Judeo-Arabic, and Judeo-Aramaic (not to mention the many Jews who speak English, French, German, or any other of the worlds many languages). Because ethnic groups are self-defined, it is important to remember that no single aspect of group identity (language, religion, etc.) can be used to sort people into one group or another. Flashpop / Getty Images Race vs. Ethnicity Unlike ethnicity, race is based on physical traits that are inherited, such as skin color and facial features. Racial categories are broader than ethnic categories. Today, for example, the U.S. Census divides people into five racial categories: white, black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native,  Asian, and  Native Hawaiian  or Other Pacific Islander. Modern scientists regard race as a social construct, and racial categories, like ethnic categories, have changed over time. What Is My Ethnicity? Because ethnicity is more of a cultural practice than a science, you probably grew up understanding your own ethnicity in a way that tests will never be able to measure. The food you ate, the traditions you practiced, and the language(s) you spoke are all essential aspects of your ethnic identity. If you are interested in learning more about your exact ancestry, you can do so using a variety of DNA testing services. DNA Testing for Ethnicity DNA testing- available through services such as 23andMe, MyHeritage, and LivingDNA- allows people to explore their genealogy using their genetic information. Examining DNA can reveal information about a persons ancestry and ethnic background. While the principles of DNA testing are sound, the private companies that offer this service through home-testing kits have been criticized for their methodologies. Sheldon Krimsky, a scientist at Tufts University, says that these companies don’t share their data, and their methods are not validated by an independent group of scientists. Since each company uses a different database of genetic information, Krimsky says the tests can only give an indication of probabilities: The results are in no way definitive; instead each company uses common genetic variations as the basis for saying the  The popularity of DNA testing for ancestry has also generated concerns about data privacy.

Compare the policies of Krushchev, Brezhnev and Gorbachev in regard to Essay

Compare the policies of Krushchev, Brezhnev and Gorbachev in regard to managing relationships with ruling communist parties on the Eurasian continent - Essay Example Khrushchev was optimistic about the industry. Stalin his predecessor had come up with strategies that Khrushchev thought had dragged down the progress of the industries and had an effect on the economy (Smith 23). He saw it wise to set new methods to cub this problem and boost the way of living of the Russians. He divided the civilians into groups and allocated them with fridges, vehicles, and even washing machines. He came up with a plan that would take 7 years, whose main goal was to improve the common mans’ standards. He gave the people consumer goods, recyclable plastics, and even chemicals. According to Khrushchev, Stalin had put up too many industries in Moscow and ignored the other parts of Russia. He (Khrushchev) wanted a decentralized system where industries were readily available in all parts of Russia (Smith 45). In 1957, Khrushchev closed down almost all the industries in Moscow and this provoked rivalry. He also made favorable the employees working conditions and increased their salary and ensured tax was lowered to favor the common person. He made sure goods were sold at a reasonable price, offered pension to the retirees and ensured children went to school even if they did not have tuition fees. Through his new techniques, the first man to go into space was from Russia. The journey to space however did not favor the less fortunate. Employees worked under minimal supervision, and local leaders were allowed to make decisions in regards to the industries without having to wait for instruction from their superiors. A council of leaders was formed in 1958 and they were allowed to make decisions on their own and decide what products they were to make. In 1977, Brezhnev gave the Russians a new constitution. The constitution gave the people several freedoms like freedom of speech and assembly (Ouimet 33). He wanted to undo the strategies set by Khrushchev and to bring back imprisonment, jail, and deportation. Due to shortage in

Gender And Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gender And Power - Essay Example It is in this regards that the paper presents a detailed analysis of the trio to provide a clear cut difference while at the same time initiating various developments in each sector. An examination of gender presents many underlying factors that require a strategy for successful initiation of equality. Gender imbalance remains a common activity in many societies with women disadvantaged while making decisions and carrying out various activities. The roadmap in the gender sector involves achieving equality by addressing six key areas of the society. Employment remains a vital area of consideration in order to achieve gender sustainability (Disch 45). This involves giving equal chances to both the genders with women given equal chances as men. An analysis of labor market points out that there is a structural difference of 15 percent between men and women. The gap continues to widen due to structural inequalities with only 30 percent of women existing as entrepreneurs. This is because, â€Å"Welfare reform is only one dimension of the shrinkage of social support systems from federal and state assistance. The shrinkage of social support is not only affecting the very poor† (Disch 61). For improvement in gender, attempts to increase the percentages become a priority in a road map to achieve a balance. Notably, poverty becomes another crucial element to be addressed to bridge the gap as these leads to heath risks and lack of sustainability power. Since there is an interrelation between gender race and class, improvement of gender without race and class will be invalid. It in this regards that race and class gets addresses while creating employment positions. Young black women for instance find it difficult, to make decisions while at the same time securing employment. Race draws a line in many activities dictating who should be doing what and who should be entering in which place. This is because, â€Å"complex array of antiblack practices, the unjustly gaine d political-economic power of whites†¦ and the white racial ideologies and attitudes created to maintain and rationalize white privilege and power† (Disch 82) Racial analysis is, therefore, a fundamental aspect as it determines many things in the society. For a black boy to secure a place in school, for example, many conditions are given as compared to white children. Consequently, it becomes difficult for a black person to secure an employment opportunity as compared to a white person. In developing countries, white gets treated with respects as compared to how blacks get treated in the same positions. This, therefore, dictates that race play a significant role in the society that needs mainstreaming in order to provide sustainability. The relation of this aspect to gender and class further complicates it as due to its substantial role in determining and dictating success of other avenues. Class is a common phenomenon in the society, which also play a significant role in either motivating racial discrimination or gender disparity. According to research, â€Å"The United States is in the midst of a sizable redistribution of wealth, with a greater concentration of wealth and income in the hands of a few than at most previous periods of time† (Disch 103) People of high class get preferential treatment in every class. This is the same to race where people from a given class of race find privileges than others. This calls for a question with no answer but steps.