The concept of progress or the pursuit of the American Dream

The concept of progress or the pursuit of the American Dream since 1930s has been a matter of concern for many immigrants who believe that they can achieve much in the US than in their native countries. Different people have varied perspectives about the concept of progress.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The concept of progress or the pursuit of the American Dream specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More To immigrants, progress in the US provides opportunities for them to achieve material affluence, advanced education, and general prosperity in life. However, in the process of achieving all these, immigrants experience different challenges but almost of a similar nature, in a strange land. While some of the immigrants are struggling to achieve progress in the US, many of them experience conflicting needs and desires. Most immigrants want to embrace the foreign culture, and at the same time maintain their native cultura l orientation and practices. Immigrants rarely discuss the possibilities of hardships or failure in pursuit of progress in the US. This essay shall present the concept of progress, and historical experiences among immigrants of Chinese and Filipino in the US using Bone by Fae Ng, and America is in the Heart by Carlos Bulosan. Ng tries to look at what happens when hopes of progress in a foreign land fail to come true. Ng looks at the feasibility of achieving progress among Chinese immigrants in the US. To most immigrants, the thought of achieving progress in the US is amazing. However, Ng notes that these hopes and dreams of happiness can fail and lead to disappointments. Ng presents realities immigrants experience in their pursuit of opportunities in the US. The author presents historical experiences of Chinese immigrants as full of challenges in their attempts to achieve freedom, life, success and happiness. Ng gives honest accounts of Chinese immigrants in the US through a family living in Chinatown, in San Francisco. The author presents a father figure who has failed to achieve his hopes of progress through a struggling family of Leon Leong.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Through this, Ng rejects the notion that all immigrants can achieve progress in the US. This is because most of the immigrants remain divided between their heritage orientations and giving it up in order to accommodate the new culture a foreign land presents to them. Scholars insist that not all can achieve progress in America. In fact, a closer look at the concept of progress and the American Dream suggest this fact. Ng presents a lead character who is among Chinese immigrants who can never attain this progress. These immigrants struggle but progress is simply out of reach for them. In order to prove that progress in America is not possible for all immigrants, Ng presents characters with limitations and eccentric acts. For instance, Leon shows possibilities of hope in achieving success in the US. However, we can see unavoidable failures in his approaches. Ng enhances this fact by showing that Leon main occupation is making household items from junks. This is after experiencing rejection and discrimination in most employment sectors. Leon says that â€Å"I only had to open the first few to know the story: ‘We Don’t Want You’. A rejection from the army: unfit. A job rejection: unskilled. An apartment: unavailable†¦He had job skills and experience: welding, construction, and electrical work, but no English†. Leon represents the historical experiences of most immigrants in Chinatown. Ng also demonstrates the attitudes and expectations of different immigrant generations. The author shows the conflicts of her characters as painful experiences. Ng notes that earlier immigrants hope to achieve progress through their children. This is bec ause they believed that surviving in a native land and improving their livelihood was in the distance future only possible to their children. Ng also highlights a representative life of constant strain leading to suicide. For instance, Leila has a strained relationship with every character in the novel. Ona’s suicide gives a new experience to Chinese immigrants’ life. These aspects of strained relationships show difficulties immigrants experience, sometimes pushing them to suicide. A family condition in this novel represents the broad picture of Chinese immigrants in San Francisco.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The concept of progress or the pursuit of the American Dream specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The first generation of Chinese immigrants in the US has to contend with the issue of identity crisis. The definition of self has to reflect both what it means to be an American and at the same ti me a Chinese. Ng shows this through Leila and her sisters. These generations must struggle with the American mainstream culture and culture of their heritage. Carlos Bulason shares the ideas of Fae Ng in relation to experiences of immigrants in the US. Bulosan presents negative aspects, which Filipino immigrants experienced in the US in pursuit of progress. Bulason characterises Filipinos’ historical experiences as full of historical injustices like racism, violence, severe experiences of poverty, and cultural alienations. At the same time, immigrants also experience inequalities in terms of social, economic and political rights. Bulosan serves the social role of a writer by exposing the unfair social systems in the US that Filipino immigrants had to contend with in a foreign land. Majority sees the US as a land of progress. Consequently, the US has attracted a large number of immigrants. However, multiculturalism has caused a number of problems to the immigrants. Despite the freedom in the US, many immigrants remained tied to their cultural heritages and races. These aspects hinder progress in the US among immigrants who find it hard to fit in the mainstream culture. Bulosan presents the idea that most Filipinos immigrants leave their home country to pursue progress in the US unknowing of the impending difficulties, and unfavourable conditions that await them. These immigrants experience sociological and psychological difficulties that prevent smooth integrations into the mainstream culture of America. America is in the Heart presents economic and assimilation challenges most Filipino immigrants face in the new land. Bulosan expresses the toil most immigrants undergo in the canneries for a mere pay of 13 dollars for the whole job fishing companies offer immigrants. These economic difficulties force many immigrants to become wanderers moving from one city to another in an attempt to secure employment opportunities. It is unfortunate that Filipino immigr ants cannot even secure works as farmhands. Immigrants experience career and financial difficulties because the American employers view their education as overseas and of no value.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Employers have noticed the nature of Filipino immigrants as hardworking. Consequently, these employers are ready to exploit cheap, available labour from immigrants. In addition, Bulosan presents several instances of racism and violence against him. For instance, while he was in San Diego, the hotel owner repeatedly assaults him. The drugstore also refuses to provide services to him. In California, the narrator and his friend hear the news that â€Å"local whites are hunting Filipinos at night with shotguns†. However, nasty experiences among Filipino immigrants occur to Filipinos with Native American women as their wives. For instance, in Holtville the narrator observes racial discrimination when a local hotel refuses to serve a Filipino immigrant with his family. In addition, the restaurant owner yells thus, â€Å"You goddam brown monkey have your nerve, marrying our women. Now get out of this town!† Cultural orientations of native Filipinos create conditions that make it difficult for them to assimilate in the mainstream American culture. Racial discrimination has extended to include features of the body, accent and poor English. Filipinos who speak fluent English are still foreigners in the US. The author tries to condemn such violations of immigrants’ rights, and at the same time show immigrants that progress in America can sometimes be elusive, and more often than not remains a dream among the majority of the immigrants. Bulosan highlights the fact that most immigrants lack appreciation of their own country. At the same time, they are also not aware of the difficulties that most immigrants undergo in such of progress in the US. He stresses that progress is not necessarily in the US but may also exists in one’s own native country. In conclusion, both Ng and Bulosan main concerns are the pursuit of elusive progress among immigrants. These authors note that most immigrants experience social injustices, economic hardship, and cultur al strains in their pursuit of happiness and economic prosperity. Once the initial hope has disappeared, most immigrants experience and turn to menial jobs for their upkeeps. In worst cases, some strains may even lead to suicides. Immigrants must understand the impossibilities of achieving success in a foreign land that present barriers of every nature. These authors believe that progress may not necessarily be in a foreign land, but rather in one’s own country. This essay on The concept of progress or the pursuit of the American Dream was written and submitted by user Bryant B. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Porcelain and the economy of china The WritePass Journal

Porcelain and the economy of china References Porcelain and the economy of china IntroductionReferencesRelated Introduction In studying the history of the United States, we come to learn of its rise as a worldwide power. The Global economy has weakened in recent times, especially due to wars and unhealthy banking, leading many economies to major financial setbacks and crisis. China has long been a critical player and worldwide force in the economy, and still stands strong today despite the economic crisis. As a key contributor to the economy, we have to look at it history and how it has affected the economy in the past. New York City is one of many places that was harbored Chinese immigrants in the early years of this country, and has a great cultural heritage of the Chinese people. At the Museum of Chinese in America, we see a diverse distribution of this installment. An item that I found at the museum was a porcelain teapot, titled â€Å"Teapot with gilded berry knob† (picture show in the appendix). This item caught my eye mainly because of its elegance, but also because of its age. As the city is so clustered together, one can easily miss the museum. It is a small building in the heart of China town in downtown. This makes it easy to navigate though; the artifacts and items are arranged in a chronological order, starting from the 1400s going to the early 2000s. It shows a historical journey and development the culture and arts of China people. Being an object dating from about 1775 to 1800, the teapot was displayed at the beginning of the tour. I wondered why the museum chose to include it, as it is the only sample alongside a beer cup, also porcelain. It is about 6 inches in height and 3 diameters wide. Like many porcelain pots it was white, with a painting of early Chinese 2 floor building in navy blue. It is cylindrical in shape with a simple handle and a straight spout, unlike modern teapots. The lid is about half of the top, with a small knob in the shape of a strawberry dotted with gold. The museum included this item donated by the New York Historical Society, to show its importance in the time period and how it became popular in the west. The curator mentioned that it was used mostly by the hierarchy in China; it was a symbol of wealth and power. It is also there as one of items used in trade when china began exploring the West, a popular item in high demand and interest, used by aristocrats and upper middle class in Europe and America. According to the curator; the hand painted structures were used as residential, religious, or governmental buildings, while the trees in the background were used to show the weight of hierarchy in the Chinese community. In this art form, depiction of items is of great importance, and is used as symbolism to show different attributes. We also see the horizon and few clouds. Chinese porcelain made its way to the West through the voyages of Admiral Zheng He. Born in 1372, the Ming Dynasty, he was captured by the ruling army at a young age and sent to work in the household of Prince Zhu Di. As he renowned himself during war and became commander of Chinese oceangoing imperial fleet. In his expeditions, he went to different places including India, Arabia and East Africa where he traded â€Å"Ming porcelain dishes and silks for medicinal herbs, spices, rhinoceros horn, ivory, exotic animals†, among other goods.   Zheng had about 300 ships in his expeditions, given rise to the debate of the reasons he was sent out on the voyages. However, Finlay states the purposes included â€Å"diplomatic displays, military exercises, and trading ventures, with emphasis on these aspects shifting in response to both Chinese intentions†. From this we can we can see the ambition of trade and its significance from early civilizations of China. From an article entitled â€Å"Prosperity in Porcelain†, the product is commonly believed to have originated from china. The Chinese are well known for their tea, and that it is has been part of their culture for a very long time. Growing of tea for long time has led to the evolution of teapots as well. In this article, we learn that the earliest porcelain products where fine roughcast and light grey. Items made included bowls, jars saucers and even candlesticks. They were usually decorated with lotus flowers symbolizing purity and enlightenment, as Buddhism was growing as well about 420-589. As generations passed, so did the teapots; reaching a level of excellence around the year 960, with the changing styles and shapes, thinner roughcast and a smooth glaze. After the invention of the Blue and White porcelain, it became the foremost product for a very long time. The article mentions that this was in great demand from a very long time and became the embodiment of Chinese porcelain. In his article, Shangyun also describes the growth of the industry. Production and exportation boomed to a point that a ban was placed on unofficial maritime trade during the Ming dynasty, but smuggling of the ceramic goods became prevalent. At this time merchants from European countries such as Britain, Portugal, and Holland, began businesses and build companies in East China. The products have become so popular especially among the royalty and nobility, that one of the authors sources recorded 16 million pieces of porcelain were transported to Europe in the 1600s, and another showed half a million pieces per year after 1648. It was after development of companies in Europe that the exportation declined. I believe that this is when the Chinese economy begins to grow and become insular; from the article â€Å"Admiral Zheng He Voyages Across the Indian Ocean, 1405-1433†, we can see that it was after his death that china began to focus more on internal trade. Voyages where disliked by the empire and sanctions on fleets became more widespread, leading to a decline in western trade. A quote from the museum stated: â€Å"China possesses all thingsand has no use for your country manufacturer†. This was from a letter to king George of England by the emperor Qianlong, showing the confidence he had in his economy. In today’s world the Chinese are still a giant in global economy, despite lagging behind other developed countries. Its leaders are optimistic and assert â€Å"†¦Chinese people are not reticent to boast that the stock market capitalizations of their corporations in energy, telecommunications, and banking are among the largest in the world†. This portrayal of confidence surely comes from a long tradition of trade that led the world for centuries. The vice president was quoted, saying pride Chinas history is the historical driving force inspiring people today to build the nation, (Lawrence, p.5). This is the sense of pride and patriotism that the Chinese express. China is very well known for its cheap labor, cheap goods and growing economy, but also for its political beliefs. It is currently under communist regime, which may hinder its economic growth among democratic states. With booming industries ranging from technology to agriculture, it is has had a growing economy for centuries. In conclusion, resilient economy of China has been influential for many centuries, and still plays a vital role in the world. From creation of porcelain teapots to technological gadgets, its presence is felt all over. References Admiral Zheng He Voyages Across the Indian Ocean, 1405-1433. www.people.hofstra.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jun 2011. http://people.hofstra.edu/alan_j_singer/CoursePacks/AdmiralZhengHeVoyagesAcrosstheIndianOcean14051433.pdf. Beijing Review, 6/24/2010, Vol. 53 Issue 25, p40-41, 2p, 6 Color Photographs Color Photograph; found on p40. Finlay, Robert. The Voyages of Zheng He: Ideology, State Power, and Maritime Trade in Ming China. Historical Society and Wiley Periodicals, Inc 8.3 (Sep. 2008): 327-347. Web. 20 Jun 2011. Shangyun, Zhou. Prosperity in Porcelain. Beijing Review June 2010: n. pag. Web. 20 Jun 2011. http://web.ebscohost.com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=7cb6b9e3-ebed-4822-ba18-8ef757a03b2a%40sessionmgr104vid=7hid=113. Lawrence, Robert. Today, pride in Chinas history is the driving force inspiring the Chinese people to develop their nations industries and economy. Bussinessweek 1/5/2010, p5-5, 1p: 5-5. Web. 19 Jun 2011. businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jan2010/ gb2010014_784725.htm.

Process Writing for ESL and EFL

Process Writing for ESL and EFL Process writing is an approach to incorporating writing skills from the very beginning of the English learning process. It was developed by Gail Heald-Taylor in her book Whole Language Strategies for ESL Students. Process writing focuses on allowing students- especially young learners- to write with plenty of room left for error. Standard correction begins slowly, and children are encouraged to communicate through writing, despite limited understanding of structure. Process writing can also be used in an adult ESL/EFL setting to encourage learners to start working on their writing skills from a beginning level. If you are teaching adults, the first thing learners need to understand is that their writing skills will be well below their native language writing skills. This seems rather obvious, but adults are often hesitant to produce written or spoken work that is not up to the same level as their native language skills. By easing your students fears about producing sub-par written work, you can help encourage them to improve their writing abilities. Only mistakes made in grammar and vocabulary that has been covered up to the current point in time should be corrected. Process writing is all about the process of writing. Students are striving to come to terms with writing in English by writing in English. Allowing for mistakes and refining based on materials covered in class- instead of perfect English- will help students incorporate skills at a natural pace, and improve their understanding of materials discussed in class in a natural progression. Here is a short overview of how you can incorporate process writing into your students learning routine. Aim: Improve writing skills from beginning levels of EnglishActivity: Process writing - journalsLevel: Beginning to advancedMaterials Needed: Notebook for each student Outline Encourage learners to write in their journal at least a few times a week. Explain the idea of process writing, and how mistakes arent important at this stage. If you are teaching higher levels, you can vary this by stating that mistakes in grammar and syntax on material not yet covered arent important  and that this will be a great way to review material covered in past levels. Students should write on the front side of each page only. Teachers will provide notes on the writing on the back. Remember to focus only on material covered in class when correctly student work. Start this activity by modeling the first journal entry as a class. Ask students to come up with various themes that could be covered in a journal (hobbies, work-related themes, observations of family and friends, etc.). Write these themes on the board. Ask each student to choose a theme and write a short journal entry based on this theme. If students do not know a particular vocabulary item, they should be encouraged to describe this item (for example, the thing which turns on the TV)  or draw the item. Collect the journals the first time in class and do a quick, superficial correction of each students journal. Ask students to rewrite their work based on your comments. After this first session, collect students workbooks once a week and correct only one piece of their writing. Ask students to rewrite this piece.

Employment Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 6

Employment Law - Essay Example Theopopolous. In addition the respondent has failed to abide by the statutory requirements pertinent to employment conduct and employment termination procedures. Originally, discrimination under the RRA 1976 can be committed in three ways: direct discrimination, indirect discrimination and victimisation. The primary distinction among the three is that in direct discrimination it is the respondent which treats the complainant comparatively less than the others by reason of the latter’s racial or ethnic origin, in indirect discrimination, it is the condition or requirement which becomes the tool of discrimination because such condition cannot be complied with by the complainant by reason of his racial or ethnical custom and beliefs, and in victimisation, the discrimination occurs after the complainant has filed a case of discrimination or done any other previous act testifying or informing others of such discriminatory practices by the employer (Race Relations Act 19976). In 2003 however, the RRA 1976 was amended to include another category – harassment – now integrated into the law as Section 3A. The said section states: The case of Gravell v London Borough of Bexley, [2007] UKEAT 0587_06_0203 which treats of racial discrimination in employment through harassment finds parallelism in the present case. The case was an appeal for a review of a part of a decision of the lower employment tribunal which struck out two specific allegations of the complainant: first, the policy of the respondent employer not to challenge racist comments, and; second, the failure of the respondent employer to correct the racial harassments made by her co-employer through test messages even though she specifically brought them to its attention. The lower tribunal’s rationale for its decision was that the allegations did not have much chance of success in the light of the obiter dictum made by the House of Lords in the case of Pearce v The Governing Body

Argumentative research paper on Airport security versues Civil rights

Argumentative on Airport security versues Civil rights violated - Research Paper Example Security systems have been streamlined to keep the common goal of fighting terrorism alive across the world, with the most threatened countries making stringent efforts for the same. Such security systems have been facilitated at the airports, targeting international air travelers which are a common channel for terrorist activities (Basrky, 33). Stringent security searches have however faced profound criticism across the world. Whereas general rules guiding the conduct of security offices performing security searches and other procedures in airport security checks provide for humane treatment of the public, it is debatable as to whether it can actually take place. This is because there are two challenges that face the delicate issue of national and international security. First, the inherent human errors affecting officials even in other areas of service delivery could also affect the security department. Secondly, the public opinion has proved to be skeptical even in as serious as s ecurity is. The following text is an analysis of criticism launched against security systems at the airports, within the context of violation of civil rights. Alternatively, there are concluding remarks at the end of the analysis. Criticism has particularly been staged against airport security systems due to the violation of human rights that the public is exposed to (Committee on Commercial Aviation Security, 43). Personal space is intruded when the searches conducted in the airport reveal extra and irrelevant details of personal privacy and space. Some security checks are intrusive and against the reasonable intention that a similar exercise should achieve. The use of tactile searches is demeaning to the individuals undergoing it. The extensive tactile searches applied in the guise of searching for weapons and explosives are unnecessary and better methods and techniques should be devised. The objective of the search is in many instances not clearly brought out in the

Environmental issues and policies in Madagascar Essay Example for Free

Environmental issues and policies in Madagascar Essay With the world’s population growing constantly and with human needs and desires growing pretty fast, we feel like every year there is less and less room for us to live on and it takes more and more effort for us to calmly and amicably share room and resources with our neighbors. In fact, it is too early to speak about global overpopulation, since there are still vast expanses of yet uninhabited land, to say nothing of the ability of humans, with the help of innovative technological facilities, to promptly acclimatize under extreme conditions. However, in many countries (particularly in third-world countries) some emigrational tendencies that are mostly dictated by economic and social factors, are creating quite a plausible picture of our future world, revealing the most likely and formidable phenomena we may face in future. Some large cities are experiencing serious problems related to rapidly increasing inflow of countrymen who, for various reasons, are forced to leave countryside and look for a better life in cities. Over the past few decades, most economies have been developing in such a way as to provide propitious conditions for rapid urbanization. Industrial development plus numerous revolutionary technological breakthroughs that took place in the twentieth century have resulted in the appearance of large factories. The growing demand for paid workforce has attracted country dwellers, leading to massed withdrawal of human resources from rural areas. In terms of personal affluence, the concentration of social and economic activity in the city has made urban environment more attractive and promising. Although governments of some countries have realized the danger of such economic tilts, most rural lands are still experiencing severe shortage of financial support resulting in persistent skepticism of many people about life in the countryside. It is to say, that it takes a lot of innovative thinking and political will on the part of a government to balance out the local economy, as well as the realization of the fact that harsh mandatory or administrative measures imposed on people to make them stay in rural areas alone will not suffice. It will be not before we manage to create economically healthy and prosperous environment in the village that we shall be able to speak about things in the countryside taking a turn for the better. We have considered the negative of withdrawal of human, financial, industrial and technological resources from the village from the standpoint of rural life. This long-lasting tendency seems to be making it hot for cities too. In many cities, especially in world capitals, unending inflow of immigrants seeking wealthy and prospect, has contributed to rapid and uncontrolled population growth, resulting in tough and fierce competition in the sphere of management and acute contradictions between management and hired staff, entailing collisions of interests, progressive social stratification and environmental deterioration. All this has led to a number of doubtful achievements and hazards, which appear to be making city life far less comfortable than it used to be a short while ago. Today, Mexico city is the world’s largest capital, counting about 22 million people. Mexico is a large industrial city, and it appears to be sharing the fate of most industrial centers of the world, barely coping with the influx of countrymen. The acceptance by the Mexican government of certain trading rules in line with international agreements, a paramount condition of the country’s participation in the WTO, has impacted rural economy, causing a dramatic economic collapse in the agricultural sector, resulting from the imbalance between local prices and those imposed by WTO regulations. This has triggered a new spate of internal migration from the countryside to the city. Unfortunately, problems that the city of Mexico has accumulated by now are not limited to overpopulation. It is not the overpopulation itself that poses most serious difficulties, but also ineffectual measures taken by the city government. To say the least, with the inflow so intensive and so evident, the city’s townplanning committee does not seem to be fully taking into account the migration problem, or they simply fail to keep pace with the time. The city infrastructure fails to keep up with the population increase, so people arriving in Mexico take up residence in shabby makeshift homes on the city’s outskirts or in slum districts. These districts lack water and gas supply, sewage, electricity, services, etc. , and there are no advanced waste disposal systems whatsoever. This has resulted in absolutely unfavorable environmental and epidemiologic conditions. Most of garbage and human wastes remain on or close to the surface of the earth, and large parts of it are carried by winds for miles away and into the city. Unsanctioned dumping may spoil water and cause massed poisonings or outbreaks of infection. This in turn directly affects the quality of the food, increasing the risk of its contamination with harmful substances and bacteria. There is another menacing phenomenon resulting from uncontrolled population growth and topped off by the city’s geographic position. Permanent release of carbodyoxide by factories, coupled with the release of automobile waste gases is putting the city on the brink of suffocation. Statistically, automobile emissions make up about 60% of all emissions, and, considering the increasing vehicle ownership, there seems to be no way to reduce automobile emissions. The realization that internal combustion is the greatest contributor to the accumulation of emission gases in the atmosphere has prompted automobile designers to equip vehicles with catalytic converters, but today there are too few such cars to make the effect palpable. The city is placed on a plateau fenced off with high mountain ranges. The cold air arriving from behind the mountains forms a cap over the whole valley preventing the warm and stuffed city air from getting away. This lack of natural convection contributes to the accumulation of harmful emissions in the area and may turn the whole place into a gigantic gas van. The continuing economic growth, extensive factory development and ever-growing population in Mexico City are aggravating the pollution problem. The accumulation of heavy metals in the air can undermine peoples’ health and result in serious progressive hereditary diseases, increasing the occurrence of cancer, chronic poisoning, high infant mortality, cardiovascular diseases, allergic reactions, innate orthopedic malformations, poor cognition and many other physical and mental abnormalities. Progressive intake of harmful substances directly affects the nation’s genetic makeup, and it is hardly possible now to precisely foresee all consequences of these destructive influences. Active use of depths of the earth, resulting from ever-bulging demand for minerals and oil has triggered rapid and unpredictable underground processes, resulting in unstable aquifers and causing much water to go deeper into the ground, making it less reachable. As long as the city is situated in a seismologically unstable region with an active volcano in its direct proximity, further deterioration of the bed may result in disastrous earthquakes, which, in turn, are likely to wake up the volcano and plunge the whole area into an apocalyptic calamity. Apart from the destruction of the bedrock, destruction of aquifers is fraught with the disappearance of water in some places and appearance of excessive amounts of it in others. This may cause lack of water supply and actual drying out of some areas and lead to unexpected floods elsewhere. The formation of empty spaces in the bed has caused some areas to sink significantly over the past few decades, which increases the possibility of flooding. At the same time, the emptying of the aquifers due to extraneous consumption of water by the growing city has led to a dramatic reduction of natural water resources, threatening to leave the whole city without water in the foreseeable future. According to last estimates, every second the city of Mexico takes 7,250 gallons of water, which amounts to an Olympic-size swimming pool per minute. With the consumption of water so intensive, there is a grave possibility that the amount of water remaining in the aquifers will be insufficient. Needless to say, this is much more serious a threat that inability to afford a car or a TV. In some areas, shortage of water is already tangible, and it has resulted in social upheavals. Changes in bedrock structure and the progressive subsidence of the ground can also result in the destruction of sewer and drainage systems, increasing the risk of contaminating fresh water and thus threatening to impair its quality. As we can see, all the aforementioned threats arise from one major phenomenon – overpopulation. Needless to say, increasingly intensive use of water and resources is attributable to population growth and human thirst for relative prosperity and every individual’s desire to occupy his or her niche in the booming economy. However, this brief outline of most significant problems and dilemmas shows that if we continue to use natural resources in the current fashion, the place we live in will soon become absolutely unlivable. In this respect, the city of Mexico can be presented as a small replica of our entire planet, which, with the same tendencies and phenomena persisting, will soon be confronted with similar problems. There is less and less room for industrial and vehicle emission gases and, like it is with the aquifers under Mexico city, the increasing encroachment upon minerals and oil resources is affecting the earth’s bedrock, creating pre-conditions for unpredictable and destructive earthquakes and massive destruction. With the situation so serious and menacing tendencies so evident, many governmental authorities of Mexico City, as well as state authorities express their concern about the country’s future and come up with lots of ideas, which are likely to prove helpful and effective in overcoming these negative tendencies. Whichever idea is the best, just one thing is evident today, and this is the necessity to create positive incentives and favorable conditions for people to live and work in the countryside in order to stem the growth of city population. As air quality issue appears to be the most evident one, the city government has developed a number of solutions aimed at reduction of industrial and vehicle releases into the atmosphere. By incorporating advanced technological systems and usage of higher quality fuel, it is possible to significantly improve air quality. Recently, a state-of-the-art air quality monitoring system has been implemented, so government officials and specialists have obtained control over air quality. Now every vehicle is required to feature advanced converting devices that are capable to cut down the release of toxic substances. In November 1989, the city Government introduced the so called No Driving Day (NDD), when car owners are supposed not to use their vehicles on certain days. The results of this innovation were a considerable reduction of traffic congestion and gasoline use. The use of refined types of fuel and the installation of waste gas purification and vapor recovery equipment are innovative measures regulated by the Clear Air Act Amendments of 1990. Hypothetically, these measures can be instrumental in reducing the amount of vehicle-related chemicals in the air and thus improve air quality. However, these ideas, though effective theoretically, have proven less feasible in reality. As a rule, advanced technological solutions are something than few people can afford, and most people find it less expensive to bribe authorized inspection employees and use old vehicles than purchasing new automobiles or applying expensive technologies. Not infrequently, the cost of implementing new equipment exceeds the size of fines by far, so people prefer to pay fines rather than spend money on equipment. For this reason, the results of the latest innovations have turned out to be less tangible than expected. The NDD policy has also revealed a number of unexpected actions on people’s side. Instead of increased usage of public transportation, Mexico City dwellers found a way around it by purchasing more vehicles in order to have a reserve automobile to be used on No Driving Days. Actually, this nullified the immediate positive tendencies that showed during initial stages of the NDD policy. Other attempts to limit air pollution include increased vehicle ownership taxation and boosting the price of fuels. The advocates of these measures believed that this would discourage people from using cars and thus reduce the impact on the environment. All these measures have proven less effective than expected, since most Mexico residents simply cannot afford new vehicles, to which the new regulations actually spread, and prefer to use old vehicles without having to purchase new equipment. Now, having discussed a few measures that have been taken over the last several years in an attempt to solve the ecological problem, we can see that they are not always applicable or effective. As there is just one major problem that all these issues stem from – the overpopulation – all efforts to change things for the better must be concentrated on solving overpopulation problem. Although mandatory measures, such as inspections, bans, taxation and can have a temporary effect, there is no way to achieve significant improvement in air and water quality but by using wise economical and political instruments. Once again, in order to encourage city dwellers to move to rural areas, healthy economic environment must be created in agricultural regions. This is only feasible through establishing price standards acceptable for country dwellers and creating an ample ground for agricultural business. In other words, in order to stop the growth of city population, we have to make the village no less livable than the city. Unfortunately, very little is being done to improve life in the country, since it would take a decision by the Mexican government to unilaterally withdraw from the WTO, which can entail a conflict with the USA, the founder of the WTO. Today, the Mexican government still prefers to use doubtful methods of forcing the poor to leave the city – by raiding their encampments, as it did in the late 1990s. 1. Phil Hearse. â€Å"MEXICO CITY Environmental Crisis, Socialist Solutions. Environment and Urbanization, Vil. 11, No 1, 53-78 (1999) 2. Ramiro Tovar Landa, 1995. â€Å"Mobile Source Pollution in Mexico City and Market-Based Alternatives† Published by the Cato Institute. Editorial and business offices are located at 1000 Massachusetts Avenue, N. W. , Washington, D. C. , 20001

Discussion of the early pioneers of moving pictures Essay -- Movies Fi

Topic : Discuss in detail how American filmmakers Edwin Porter and D.W Griffith built on early films by the Lumiere brothers and George Melies. Use examples from the oeuvre of each filmmaker to substantiate your argument. This essay will outline an introduction to the premature years of motion pictures and developments that helped shape cinema as we know it today. This paper will explore the roles of the early pioneers and the extent to which their contributions shaped cinema. In particular, it will look at how E.S Porter and D.W Griffith improved on the early years of cinema as result of influences from Louis and Auguste Lumiere and George Melies. The 18th century has marked the commencement of the innovation of cinematography. The invention of cinema owes its existence to a few investors and scientists who are broadly known for laying down its foundation. Among those pioneers are the Lumiere brothers who were some of the earliest contributors to cinema, inventing the first real film camera called the "cinematographe", which effectively functioned as a camera, projector and printer all in one (Barnauw, 1993:6). Thus giving rise to the art of film making. Initially, in the early years of cinema since there was no developed structure [or language] to tell cinematic stories, the early Lumiere brother?s films such as Workers leaving the Lumiere factory (1895) and The Arrival of a Train at the Station (1895), were composed of a single shot, no camera movement and only one continuous action from beginning to end (Obalil, 2007). Also since the camera was fixed and captured only what were before its lens without any manipulation these films ... ...ieved by the 08/02/2008. http://www.earlycinema.com/timeline/index.html: retrieved by the 08/02/2008. Knight, A. The Liveliest Art, Mentor Books, New American Library, (1957). p.25. Larson, E.H. George Melies, (2006). [Online] Available at http://www.nwlink.com/~erick/silentera/Melies/melies.html Lenin, M. Griffith classic: the making of birth of a nation, (2004). [Online] Available at http://www.leninimports.com/dw_griffith.html Louis LumiÃÆ'Â ¨re, The Cinematograph, La Nature, 12 October 1895. In Auguste and Louis LumiÃÆ'Â ¨re. (Jacques Rittaud-Hutinet, ed.) Letters. London: Faber and Faber, 1995. p.302. Obalil, L.J. Edwin S. Porter, (2007). [Online] Available at http://www.filmreference.com/Directors-Pe-Ri/Porter-Edwin-S.html Smith, D. Cinematic Reflections, (2005). [Online] Available at http://www.cinematicreflections.com/BirthofaNation.html

Waste Disposal

1. Advantages and disadvantages of landfill sites. Using Orgreave as a landfill site is a cheap waste disposal option for the local council. The site will look ugly whilst it is being used for landfill. Jobs will be created for local people. Dangerous gases are given off from landfill sites that cause local air pollution and contribute to global warming. Lots of different types of waste can be disposed of by landfill in comparison to other waste disposal methods. Local streams could become polluted with toxins seeping through the ground from the landfill site. The site could be re-landscaped and built on once it has been filled. This has happened nearby in Handsworth. Once the site has been filled it might not be able to be used for redevelopment as it might be too polluted. The gases given off by the landfill site could be collected and used for heating. The jobs created in the local area are likely to be low paid jobs. Waste transport costs will be reduced, as our waste will only have to travel a short distance to landfill. This will also reduce the amount of pollution caused by transporting the rubbish. The trucks delivering the waste to the site are very big and noisy. They will spoil the peace and quiet in the area and could also contribute to traffic congestion (traffic jams) in the local area. Local rubbish will be dealt with locally instead of shifting the problem to another area or country e.g. China. The gases given off from the site as the waste begins to decompose (break down) will cause the air in the local area to be smelly. 2. Problems of waste disposal * Waste is being dumped in the wrong culverts: the black and green culverts both have a mixture of food, metal, glass and plastic. * Animals (e.g. marabou storks and mongooses) get into the culverts and extract food and food contaminated burnable waste. * There is no separate place for disposal of non-burnable waste (metal and glass) – this is currently mixed with food and burnable waste. * Some culverts are full and waste is spilling out. These problems result in a highly unsightly, unhealthy environment for visitors, residents, and wildlife 3. How is waste disposal being improved for the future? * Sustainable installation and upgrading of waste management facilities * Extending sewage networks * Set up agency to monitor waste * Classification: now classified into inert, non inert non hazardous and hazardous * The need for a landfill liner and geological barrier on the base and sides of all non inert non hazardous and hazardous landfill sites * The requirement that all waste is pre-treated before being land filled * The requirement to have Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) for all land filled waste * The banning of liquid, explosive, corrosive, oxidising flammable and clinical wastes * A requirement for a 60-year aftercare provision

‘Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ Commentary

Andrew Vollen English Commentary ‘The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner' was written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1791. He was part of the Romantic Era in literature. The ballad is about a Mariner who shoots an albatross, and is cursed forever. This essay will analyze part the seventh. In this extract the Mariner is talking to a Hermit about his travels and the effect it had on him. In the extract he begins by describing the Mariner's repentance and catharsis doings. He later creates a juxtaposition, with a structural shift, between the horrible pain he felt and the happy wedding.Throughout the extract the writer uses religious symbols surrounding his pain or the wedding. This extract is significant in the ballad, because he describes why he is forcing people to listen to his story. It brings a full circle to the ballad, and it returns to the wedding. The Mariner has arrived in England, and he was spotted by a curious Hermit. The Hermit then questions who he is, and he describes the pain he feels. These stanzas are from the middle of part the seventh. Coleridge writes, â€Å"Forthwith this frame of mine was wrenched with a woeful agony, which forced me to being my tale; and then it let me free. In the first line Coleridge writes, â€Å"this frame of mine. † This means he does not belong to his own body. This would be done, because he only lives to warn others of his wrong doings. The Mariner, himself, died on the boat, and only his body exists. This connects with the thesis, because he has become his story, and it introduces the pain he has suffered. In the third line of the second stanza Coleridge writes, â€Å"which forces me to being my tale;† Here, he is talking about the â€Å"woeful agony† he felt as a result of his actions.His tale is the warning he gives to others who must hear, so they do not make the same mistake. The pain he felt creates, and is the reason for his story. This is the origins of the ballad, because he is talking to the wedding guest as a warning. It is also a reason the extract is so significant, because his connection with the wedding guest being the ballad to a full circle. The story has ended back where it began, therefore it is an epic. In the fourth and final line of the extract he says, â€Å"let me free. † Here, he is referring to the previous line about why he tells his tale.By telling the tale it releases him from the pain brought upon him. This life and being has become the telling of his tale. When he feels pain, the only way to relieve it is by telling his story. He was cursed by the god Life and Death after he killed the albatross, which causes the curse. Between stanzas four and five, Coleridge switches perspectives from first person to third person. In doing so he creates a juxtaposition between the horrible pain he felt and the happiness of the wedding. From the fourth to the fifth paragraph the Mariner returned to third person.This caused the scenery of the fifth sta nza to change. The reader becomes aware that the ballad has returned to the wedding. This creates a full circle effect, because the ballad has returned to where it began. This makes the ballad an epic, although an epic must include an educational or emotional experience that the main protagonist had. This was an emotional experience that the Mariner had. His life goal has become warning all those who need to hear about his accident. There is another important technique used in the transition from the fourth to the fifth paragraph.That is the juxtaposition created between the pain of the curse, and the happiness of the wedding. In the third paragraph he describes, â€Å"This heart within me burns. † This describes the immense pain he felt, when the gods want him to tell his story. This pain originally stems from the shooting of the albatross earlier in the ballad. Before this stanza there is no description or understanding of the pain the Mariner has felt all this time. The th ird and fourth stanzas have a claustrophobic feeling to them, to speed up the reading and create an ending to the Mariner's story.In the fifth and sixth stanzas he indicates the change to third person by narrating all of the sounds that are heard. For example, â€Å"What loud uproar bursts from that door! † This makes the reader feel like they are looking in from above. The reader now senses the happiness of the moment by the description of the environment, â€Å"And bride-maids singing are; And hark the little vesper bell,† It creates the scene of the wedding, and the church bells ringing. This is a juxtaposition of the stanza before where he is giving the reasons for the pain he has endured.This connects with the thesis, because the structural shift causes the scenery of the ballad to return to the wedding. This return to the wedding is what causes the full circle effect. Throughout the ballad there are different references to religion, mostly surrounding Jesus and h is execution. There are many different religious symbols in part the seventh, whether in this particular extract or through the part. The first stanza there are two instances of religious references. This is when the Mariner has just arrived in England, and is greeted by the Hermit. He says, â€Å"O shrieve me, shrieve me, holy man! To â€Å"shrieve† yourself, is to purify yourself of wrong doings through pain. This is what Jesus did when he was hung from the crucifix, he purified the human race from their sins. By calling the Hermit a â€Å"holy man,† he sees everyone that is not himself as heavenly. This shows the pain and suffering he has endured. In the third stanza there is only one religious word. He describes the pain that he feels before he warns someone of his past, â€Å"This heart within me burns. † The word ‘burns’ has a correlation with hell. Here, he writes that his heart is burning in hell.The fourth stanza is the returning to the we dding, and there is religious symbols. These include, bride, biddeth, and prayer. The bride is seen as a liberator of his suffering, because she is the first person that he sees after the description of his pain. She is performing the most religious deed, marriage. The final line in the stanza says, â€Å"Which biddeth me to prayer. † This means the vesper bells command him to pray. Praying is a completely religious word and action. In the final stanza the author mentions â€Å"God† himself. Here, he is commenting how on the boat there seemed to be no presence of God.This connects with the thesis, because the use of the religious symbols makes him seem more innocent and guilty. He is guiltier, because he shot the albatross which is depicted as a savior. He is more innocent, because of the comparison between the pain Jesus suffered and his suffering. In conclusion, this extract is significant, because of the Mariner’s painful repentance, the structural shift, and religious symbolism. Each one creates a full circle effect, where the ballad returns to the wedding. There is also an explanation of why he is repeating his story to all those who need to hear.

Scout Quotes From To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Scout Quotes From 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee The young Scout Finch,  from To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, is one of American literatures  most iconic and unforgettable fictional characters. The book deals with issues of racial injustice and gender roles in the American South. The book was largely based on Lees own childhood, growing up in Monroeville, Alabama, during the Great Depression. Published at the start of the civil rights movement, the book called for tolerance  and condemned the treatment of African-Americans in the South. Through its tomboy narrator, the author discusses the frustrations of living within strict female gender roles.   On Being a Girl â€Å"[Calpurnia] seemed glad to see me when I appeared in the kitchen, and by watching her I began to think there was some skill involved in being a girl.† â€Å"[Aunt Alexandra said that] I was born good but had grown progressively worse every year.† â€Å"I was not so sure, but Jem told me I was being a girl, that girls always imagined things, that’s why other people hated them so, and if I started behaving like one I could just go off and find some to play with.† â€Å"I felt the starched walls of a pink cotton penitentiary closing in on me, and for the second time in my life, I thought of running away. Immediately.† On Boo Radley Then I saw the shadow. It was the shadow of a man with a hat on. At first, I thought it was a tree, but there was no wind blowing, and tree trunks never walked. The back porch was bathed in moonlight, and the shadow, crisp, and toast moved across the porch towards Jem. (They think the shadow is Boo Radley, whom theyve been taught to fear.) On Jem The sixth grade seemed to please him from the beginning: he went through a brief Egyptian Period that baffled me- he tried to walk flat a great deal, sticking one arm in front of him and one in back of him, putting one foot behind the other. He declared Egyptians walked that way; I said if they did I didnt see how they got anything done, but Jem said they accomplished more than the Americans ever did, they invented toilet paper and perpetual embalming, and asked where would we be today if they hadnt? Atticus told me to delete the adjectives and Id have the facts. To Jack â€Å"Pass the damn ham, please.† (said during Scouts attempt to try and get out of going to school) On Fighting â€Å"Atticus had promised me he would wear me out if he ever heard of me fighting anymore; I was far too old and too big for such childish things, and the sooner I learned to hold in, the better off everybody would be.† â€Å"After my bout with Cecil Jacobs when I committed myself to a policy of cowardice, word got around that Scout Finch wouldn’t fight anymore, her daddy wouldn’t let her. This was not entirely correct: I wouldn’t fight publicly for Atticus, but the family was private ground. I would fight anyone from a third cousin upwards tooth and nail. Francis Hancock, for example, knew that.† ​ On White Lies â€Å"I said I would like it very much, which was a lie, but one must lie under certain circumstances and at all times when one can’t do anything about them.† (on Aunt Alexandra moving in) On Dill â€Å"With him, life was routine; without him, life was unbearable.† On People I think theres just one kind of folks. Folks.

Benefits and costs of foreign direct Investment

Benefits and costs of foreign direct Investment Foreign direct investment (FDI) according to Hill(2007) takes place when a firm invests directly in facilities to produce and/or market a product in a foreign country. The facilities could include resources such as the factors of production; land, labour and capital. It could be said today’s major players in business seek not only to expand their territories in their home market but also have through FDI sought effective ways of improving existing products and breaking into new foreign markets. For example the import tariffs in China make it very challenging for other countries to serve the Chinese market through exports. Hill (2007). Via the use of FDI strategies foreign organisations are able to access pool of economic possibilities. Through the assessment of various sources the essay is going to critically assess the impacts of foreign direct investment (FDI) on a host country. It will critically discuss the benefits and disadvantages FDI has on the growth of a country. Ac cording to Gorg and Greenway (2004) foreign direct investment is a key driver of economic growth and development. FDI assists in the economic progression of the country where the investment is being made. According to Mencinger (2003), a vast number of countries through various ways desperately seek to attract as much foreign direct investment as probable in the hope of advancing their economic growth. The economic growth could be advanced in that FDI leads to the creation of factors such as jobs and more investment into the economy. However it could be argued that the efficient adoption of FDI is most effective under certain conditions. For instance FDI contributes to economic growth only when a sufficient absorptive capability of the advanced technologies is available in the host country. Borensztein, Gregorio and Lee (1998). FDI strategy is more successful if it is carried out in economically developing countries. Developing host countries compared to developed countries are usua lly more keen to attract foreign investments in order to reap the benefits that come with it and this usually reflected in the legislation of one’s country. One could find that a business is more willing to first invest in a developing country as the legislation is more lenient compared to the first world countries. However it is important to note that this does not apply to all countries. China for example has a highly regulated environment, which can prove to be difficult when it comes to carrying out business transactions, and shifting tax and regulatory regimes. Hill(2007). It could be said that when making legislation those in power should regard the relative impact of the laws passed on potential FDI. On the other hand one could argue that more countries are becoming more aware of the importance of creating more favourable conditions for FDI. Gorg and Greenway in their report state that in 1998 legislation changes made by 60 countries, more than 90 percent of those chan ges created a more positive environment for FDI. FDI if managed efficiently should aid to the hosts county’s economic development. â€Å"FDI inflows have been a major source of investment and economic growth in China†¦accounting for perhaps as much as 30 percent of the county’s growth.†(Hill, page 242, 2007). The mixture of cheap labour and tax incentives usually found in developing countries make an attractive base for foreign investors. The new economic investment brought in by foreign businesses will help in increasing the host country’s national income, at the same time bringing other economic benefits known as spillovers that will result in the increase of productivity within the country. Gorg states that, â€Å"†¦theoretical literature identifies four channels through which spillovers might boost productivity in the host country: imitation, skills acquisition, competition and exports.† These channels if recognised and implemented pr operly could lead to the increase of the host country’s productivity and economic growth. Through the imitation of foreign goods, services and processes the host country can increasing improve its processes, facilities and the way business is contacted in its own business environment. One of the worries for many foreign investors when wanting to invest in developing countries is that the host country will not have the facilities ( for example the equipment or the right business structure for the manufacturing and deploying of products) they need in order for business affairs to run smoothly. Through the imitation of the way foreign organisations handle their business affairs, host countries can improve their processes and facilities, arguably to the extent that they will make their country enticing to FDI. Imitation of products will improve the quality and range of products of the local organisations, making them competitive an appealing to customers. The increase of the prod uctivity of more high quality products could lead to the attraction of not only local customers but global customers and this could also lead to more FDI in the host country.

Social Learning Theory - A. Bandura Research Paper

Social Learning Theory - A. Bandura - Research Paper Example There involves a wide rage of technical aspects that need to be focused and incorporated to achieve the very educational goals of the overall education system. According to Bandura, school must do more than just imparting knowledge in the same old traditional ways, which according to him do not have a thorough influence over the long-term learning of the students. Let the paper first analyze the key points that the Social Learning theory (Ormrod, 2007) revolves around and subsequently, will move towards specific aspects of educational systems that one should incorporate, in order to achieve the highest rate of development in the light of this theory. Social Learning Theory (Ormrod, 2007) primarily advocates the idea that the learning capability of people is because of their observations. When people observe some one practicing something and achieving any kind of results, they like imitating the person’s behavior after a sequence of cognitive processes. This means that imitatin g makes people learn and thus observation is the key element. Moreover, since behaviorist theory and other learning theories like cognitive learning theory also emphasize upon people’s learning due to their abilities of memorizing and retention; social learning theory can play a vital role as a bridge between these theories since this element is mutually found in the mentioned three theories. In addition, the factor of motivation has to be present to make the individual move forward in adopting a behavior and evolving his personality (Learning-Theories, 2008). Furthermore, there are three significant variables, Bandura has put his theory upon and integrated them with proper reasoning. As discussed earlier, firstly behavior is the key element of learning (Ormrod, 2007). The second most important feature is personal variable. The preferences of an individual play a significant part in making them distinguish between what they want to learn and what they should and what they do not want to learn and they should not. Every individual has their own area of interest with a set boundary of ethical values and mores. Imitation and observations are greatly influenced by the values that the individuals hold previously. Third important variable is the environmental events that take place. This incorporates the answers to questions like what kind of an event is taking place, how frequently and how much the recipient is involved. Thus, according to Bandura, all these factors have a collective effect over the personality development of the individuals (Frick, 1991). Educators play a significant role in making the students realize that all of them can learn anything at any point in time and in any stage of their lives. Since, every individual possesses different qualities and even each one of them has their particular bent of mind to learn according to their own capacities, the focus should be on the factor of motivation. Thus, educators should primarily try to bring a bout the motivation factor in their students at first because if motivation were not present, individual learning process would hinder a lot (Books, 2010). Secondly, educators must try knowing about the specific learning trends of every student. This connotes that some students are visual learners, some are auditory learners, and some learn through simulations and not by any other means. Once, the educators have a grip on these aspects, they can move on while focusing over