Body Image in Women Essay

Jerrica Quinton November 10, 2011 English 1010 Professor Eden The Impact of Media Images and their Effects on Body Image in Women Proposal: In our society, media has a big influence on how people act, live, and feel about them selves. The ideal image of what is considered â€Å"beautiful† is decided upon what the media provides us with. It is an ongoing struggle to follow our own beliefs and be our own person when there is so much influence in magazines, TV shows, and movies that are â€Å"examples† to teenagers and even adults. The unrealistic beauty that the media portrays today is blinding our generation. The media is brainwashing people to look a certain way and that not a single flaw is allowed. With the way the media and the entertainment world runs, society’s view of beauty is limited to perfectness. If society weren’t seen as so picture perfect and â€Å"fake†, then maybe there would be fewer problems with self-esteem within women and there would be a more positive outcome. Three specific areas in which media is the most influential are modeling, sports, and the celebrity scene In modeling, models are pressured to have a certain thinness that makes the viewer observe beauty in an unhealthy way. Sports are very athletic, and seen as one healthy way to become skinny and fit, but in reality there are lots of problems with steroids, and eating disorders. In the Celebrity world, most who are seen on the red carpet are never as much as they seem; there is always some kind of unreal appearance to them. Along with the image of looking skinny, more and more stores are holding smaller sizes, limiting larger girls to what they can wear. Girls are also more caught up with what they look like and care less about things such as education and career. I knew someone who went into Hollister to buy a shirt, and they didn’t carry an extra large. I remember when she finally fit into a large, she was finally so happy because of how much she loved that store. Steroids and drugs are unfair and unhealthy and are mostly seen in the professional sports area. The media has made professional athletes to been seen as gods, they can run fast, jump higher, swing harder, etc. then the average person. No matter what sport it is athletes are put up on a pedestal for being extremely mind blowing and doing the unthinkable that nobody else can, being a â€Å"Legend†. It makes them seem untouchable, so the media puts them in ads to pursue the consumers to want to be more like the pros. Also, within sports, working too much while trying to live up to their name can cause serious physical problems. For example Olympic swimming legend Michael Phelps had been suspended from competitions for three months after he was picture apparently using illegal drugs. The pressure of performing your best can be a lot to handle on athletes; the fame can go to their heads, leading athletes to believe they can do whatever they want without any consequences. Which leads consumers that look up to them, to think so as well. In the celebrity world, it’s considered normal to be a size zero and to have the body that would only be seen in magazines. It’s wrong to want to distort your body to make it look perfect. To celebrities, however, it is their appearance that makes them famous; to the public, looking like a celebrity could make them feel wanted and famous too, but in reality you should appreciate your body for what it is and not worry about what others may specifically look like. For example, Miley Cyrus is a big time American Disney Channel Star and her peers are teenagers and young women who look up to her. Now that she is all grown up and into the whole celebrity scene, she is dressing more scandalous and has even been caught drinking. The influence that society has on us, the viewers, is similar to that of parents to their children. It’s like the saying, â€Å"monkey see, monkey do†. Children grow up and learn from their parents. They see the way their parents act and so they think that it’s right and it’s the way they should act as well. I see this a lot today with racism. If a child’s parents are discriminant towards a different race, then most likely that child will be too. Whatever their parents do, they deem correct and right. You are never born to think a certain way. It has to be taught and to be engrained in your body. The topic of how media negatively affects the image of young girls will provide a reason to why the media should stop limiting the idea of what counts as being â€Å"beautiful†. Most women and young teenagers are stressed about their skin, weight, and overall appearance, which can lead to eating disorders and other dangerous disorders that can cause serious problems. This is being caused by the typical commercials and billboard adds we see everyday. The make-up ads and the weight loss commercials, such as â€Å"Maybelline,† and â€Å"Weight Watchers†, are the causing factors to young women desperately wanting plastic surgery or being diagnosed with anorexia. My thesis on this issue is that the media and advertisements negatively influences young women to cause harm to their bodies by strictly defining ‘Body Perfect’ ideals that are both artificial and biologically inappropriate and unrealistic. To prove this thesis, I will use evidence from articles called â€Å"The Media’s Influence on Body Image Disturbance and Eating Disorders,† a article called, â€Å" The Effects of Beautiful Models in Ads on Female Pre-Adolescents and Adolescents†, a article called â€Å"Images in Magazines and On Television Increase Body Dissatisfactions†, and other advertisements on society’s idea of beauty. With statistics and persuasive articles from online sources, I will prove how the media influences women and young girls to eat, dress and talk a certain way. The effectiveness of media continues to increase as more and more commercials are created with the idea of the ultimate perfect beauty. I feel this will be a successful topic to address because media images and their affect on body image is a serious influential issue in our society, and it has such a strong effect on every one of all ages, and even all genders. It has the power to either harm or help everyone, depending on which way the topic is being broadcast. In my paper, I plan to address the following: How body image has changed overtime; how body image was perceived 10-20 years ago compared to what it is now. * How different products in society use body image as a way to sell. * How strong of an effect body image and the media has on people. Is the effect stronger on the younger generation or older? How is each age group/gender affected in similar or different ways? * Is body image the most influential factor in low self-esteem in women and young teenagers? Can it be changed? * How other cultures and countries perceive what is beauty and perfect body image? What are different peoples’ perspectives on the topic? How have they been personally affected by it? * Is using body image the ideal way for companies to sell their products? Advertising is a destructive force in our society, and the most destructive effect of advertising is its promotion of negative stereotypes, specifically in women. Advertising is an over 100 billion dollar a year industry and affects each and every one of us throughout our lives. Advertisments and the sell more then just products; they sell images, values, love and sexuality, popularity, success, and worth. Ads tell us who we are and who we should be, even if that is not their intention, but for the most part, it is. Media within our society constantly degrades women and sends negative messages about the ways in which women should be treated; women are becoming objectified in the sense they are viewed as objects with little value. The media, which seems to endlessly show women as sexual objects, has the capability of limiting a woman’s potential and damaging their self worth. And if being bombarded with images of other skimpily dressed women is causing comparison, competition, and self-loathing, how is more of the same going to actually help? The focus that women place on their bodies in this culture is unhealthy and imbalanced. The body is important, and it is a big deal. As with all attempts to deny reality, there are consequences. Why else would uninhibited exposure be causing so many emotional and self-esteem issues for so many women? Advertising highly profiles ‘Body Perfect’ ideals that are both insincere and physically wrong. Annotated Bibliography: â€Å"Body Image and Advertising. † Media Scope. http://www. mediascope. org/pubs/ibriefs/bia. htm Online. 17 March 2004. Summary: Notes the overwhelming use of sexuality and beauty as a marketing tool for advertisers and its effects on young women by promoting the â€Å"thin ideal. † Cites statistics from studies about young women’s responses to advertising in women’s magazines that includes consequences such as eating disorders and a distorted body image. Response: It is a big deal for the media to put out advertisements that the â€Å"thin ideal† is what women around the world should look like. I think that the girls/women we see on billboards or in magazines is just a false reality. Seeing the women on billboards who are stick skinny, is a toxic and depressing way to sell merchandise, and it works. Women are so caught up with the â€Å"thin ideal† that it leads young teenagers and women to accept eating disorders and to distort their body, to look pleasing enough to society. Heinberg, Leslie J. Thompson, J. Kevin. The Media’s Influence on Body Image Disturbance and Eating Disorders: We’ve Reviled Them, Now Can We Rehabilitate Them? † Journal of Social Issues. 55 (Summer 1999) Issue 2: 339-354. LexisNexis. Online. 17 March 2004. Summary: Notes the obvious tie between images and messages in mass media to body image and eating disorders. Mentions the changes in media messages from pre-20th Century to t he present in their representation of the female body. Implies that responsible social marketing is better for communication and the media’s influence on a person’s psychology. Response: The way media messages have changed over the years is incredible. The media in the 21st Century has to be the most advanced of its time. The way they can advertise things so many different ways is genius. Although the access we have to it can be extremely hurtful. Having advertisements around us 24/7 can lead young women to have eating disorders and think less of their body. I do believe that the media has a big influence on how women see themselves and does lead women to eating disorders. The media has changed since the 20th century but I feel it has for the worse. Martin, Mary C. Gentry, James W. â€Å"Stuck in the Model Trap: The Effects of Beautiful Models in Ads on Female Pre-Adolescents and Adolescents. † Journal of Advertising. 26 (Summer 1997) Issue 2: 19. LexisNexis. Online. 17 March 2004. Summary: Discusses a study created to Asses the unintended effects advertising has on adolescent women, suggesting that these women hold themselves to the standards of advertising models and thus their self-esteem and body image are affected. Response: As real as models say they are they are promoting being skinny, tall, and attractive. I believe it is all fake, looking up to models isn’t a decent way to live. It doesn’t benefit you in anyway it is not real, yes, the models look pretty, and skinny but the media still photo shops most of them afterwards. Advertising with thin models will always have a negative affect on young women. The model industry needs to start portraying women in a more positive way in order to receive a more positive outcome.

My Last Duchess and Othello: Striking Comparisons

In the dramatic form, be it monologue, dialogue or full theatrical scene, the author cannot step into the action to comment or interpret for us, as he can in a novel.   We must draw our own conclusions from what we see and hear, and this makes for powerful effects, as a character reveals him- or herself to us by what he or she says or does.   In the monologue My Last Duchess Browning misleads us with great skill before we realize that we are listening to a criminal lunatic.The dramatic force lies in the surprise we feel as the truth finally emerges.   In Act IV, scene iii of Othello there is again an agonizing irony for the viewer, who knows more than Desdemona and is of course impotent to help her.   Shakespeare works like a dentist without an anesthetic, and the pain for the audience derives from the unbearable innocence of the doomed Desdemona, who is surely something like the Duchess in Browning’s poem, helpless and bewildered in the face of a murderous insanity in her husband.Browning’s Duke sounds so sane!   He is wonderfully gracious and articulate – â€Å"Will’t please you sit and look at her?† (5).   As he tells his story he seems to weigh his words with great caution, as if he is quite free of the distorting power of anger or any other passion, and is keen to avoid any unfairness in his judgment: â€Å"She had / A heart – how shall I say? – too soon made glad† (21-2), â€Å"†¦but thanked / Somehow – I know not how – as if she ranked†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (31-2). He never raises his voice, and speaks with a measured confidence that quite takes us in.At first we might be tempted to believe that his attitudes are reasonable: â€Å"Sir, ‘twas not / her husband’s presence only, called that spot / Of joy into the Duchess’ cheek† (13-15).   His manner is restrained even as he hints at her infidelity.   The painter flattered her about her appearance, as of course he would, being a Renaissance artist totally dependent on patronage, but she was charmed by it – foolishly, the Duke suggests.   â€Å"She liked whate’er / She looked on† (23-24).   She was delighted by the beauty of the sunset, and the little tribute from the man who gave her the cherries, just as much as â€Å"My favor at her breast† (25).What he seems to be objecting to is her failure to be properly selective and aristocratic in her tastes.   This is a rather extreme sort of snobbery, but perhaps not unprecedented; we may not find it attractive, but we may accept it as a feature of a proud man. In Browning’s My Last Duchess, the murder is implied. It is not described in explicit terms as in Othello. In the lines, â€Å"Paint/Must never hope to reproduce the faint /Half-flush that dies along her throat† ,the speaker adores the ‘faint half-flush’ on his wife’s face that no paint could re-add and at th e same time leaves a slight hint that she had been throttled to death[dies along her throat].The intelligent monologue is enough to make the point overt and covert at the same time.All the time, Browning is luring us up the garden path.   We begin to detect the problem.   The Duke is immensely proud, a man of great heritage, while she is free of snobbery, charmed by the delights of the world and human kindness, and genuinely innocent. (Infidelity does not now seem to be the Duke’s concern.)   Then we begin to see how his pride is really pathological arrogance.   â€Å"Even had you skill / In speech – (which I have not)† (35-36), (he lies, of course) to explain your objection to her behavior – which is clearly quite â€Å"normal† – it would involve â€Å"stooping, and I choose / Never to stoop† (42-3).So, rather than speak to her about his dissatisfaction, which would involve impossible condescension by him, he chose to solve t he problem rather more radically: â€Å"This grew; I gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped altogether† (45-6).   It takes a moment for us to register what he did, so unbelievable is it and so evasively phrased.â€Å" †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..She thanked men,—good; but thanked /Somehow†¦.I know not how †¦.as if she ranked /My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name /With anybody’s gift,†-   the last part of the speech clearly brings forth the envy rankling in the speaker’s heart!The unbending pride of the Duke comes out through the turns of phrases of this part of this long monologue, â€Å"†¦.and if she let/Herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set/Her wits to yours ,forsooth and made excuse,/-E’en then would be some stooping and I choose/Never to stoop.†The Duke can hardly ‘chose to stoop’to give in to the childish demeanors of his beautiful wife.Again, jealousy seems to be prevalent in the tone of these words: â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..Oh ,Sir, she smiled no doubt,/Whene’er I passed her; but who passed without /Much the same smile?†Then having confessed to murder, or, rather, boasted of it, he continues his negotiations for his next Duchess, celebrating, incidentally, one of his favorite art works, â€Å"Neptune†¦ Taming a sea-horse† (54-5), the very image of the brutal control that he has himself exerted over his innocent last Duchess.The willow scene from Othello works differently, of course, because it is a dialogue, though it is the inner workings of Desdemona’s mind that the dramatic form reveals here, just as much as is the case in Browning’s poem There is an almost intolerable pathos about this scene because Desdemona is so helpless.   She has a good idea of what is going to happen – â€Å"If I do die before thee, prithee shroud me /   In one of those same sheets† (24-5) and is impotent in the face of her fa te.There seems to be no defence against the ruthless execution of Othello’s enraged will. She is in a sort of trance, a hypnosis of shock.   All she can do is wait for the end, and the pathetic simplicity of her reflections here is the sign of a wounded spirit in retreat from reality.   The tragic atmosphere is given additional poignancy by the occasional interruption of the everyday details of â€Å"undressing for bed†, the habitual continuing because there is nothing else to do in the face of the worst – â€Å"Prithee unpin me† (21).She continues at moments to pretend that this is just an ordinary night: â€Å"This Lodovico is a proper man† (35), not a comparison of Othello with her country forms, but a pathetic attempt at gossip. But her real thoughts emerge in the obsession with the willow song, which she cannot resist. It is the perfect mirror of her own fortune: â€Å"And she died singing it; that song tonight / Will not go from my mindà ¢â‚¬  (30-1). Like a detail from a psychoanalyst’s casebook comes the unprompted line in the song that gives away the deepest thoughts of the willing victim.–Let nobody blame him, his scorn I approve, —Nay, that’s not next.   Hark!   Who’s that knocks?–It is the wind.† (51-3)She corrects herself, but the absolute terror of realisation goes through her.   Compared with Desdemona’s helplessness in the face of the corruption of Othello, Emilia’s jokes have an immensely remedial health.   It is not a criticism of Desdemona, but it is a firm placing of trust in the human by Shakespeare.In Shakespeare’s Othello,the Moor can hardly be blamed for his rash decision of murdering Desdemona, who had been black-painted   by his ‘honest Iago’ and it was Iago again who had sown the seeds of jealousy in his mind. Desdemona pleaded her innocence at last and asked to call for Cassius but Othello ran berserk m addened by sexual jealousy.Othello could hardly be blamed for the attitude, as he was a Moor and unfamiliar with the ways and manners of the Venetian Republic. Naturally, he fell victim to Iago’s insinuations and committed the murder of hi beautiful wife, Desdemona, who was actually, innocence incarnate.In Act IV, sc ii, Othello in reply to Desdemona’s pleading innocence disgustingly cried out, â€Å"O Desdemona, away! away! away!†Desdemona , being totally unaware of the handkerchief she lost tried to reason with her husband, â€Å"Am I the motive of these tears my Lord?†It might have been possible that Othello could have turned deaf ears to Iago’s   vitriolic comments or aspersions cast on Desdemona, but as he was new to their society and culture, it became easy for Iago to prison him against his wife, a paragon of beauty.By way of rejoinder , when Othello speaks out, â€Å"Had it pleased Heaven/To try me with affliction ;had they rained/All ki nds of sores and shame on my bare head/Steeped me in poverty to the very lips/Given to captivity me and my utmost hopes/I should have found in some place of my soul/A drop of patience†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†and at last turns to the question of â€Å"complexion† , â€Å"Turn thy complexion thee..  Ã‚   †¦Ay there look as grim as hell!†, we find Othello a dejected, frustrated ,lost soul feeling small for being a Black Moor who was lien to the Venetian culture! Question of Culture and Identity assails him, no doubt!  Othello decided to put an end to the life of his unfaithful wife at last and as he uttered the words in Act V, Sc ii, â€Å"Yet, I’ll not shed her blood;/Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow/And smooth as monumental alabaster/Yet she must die,else she’ll betray more men†,Did he not sound the same as the Duke of My Last Duchess who had been driven mad by sexual jealousy? The murder could not be justified, but , Othello was quite a lover and a compassionate person than the Duke. He needed evidence to prove Desdemona’s betrayal, he had to fight immensely with his own conscience to come to the decision of murder.As a person, Duke was cold-blooded, but Othello was emotional and irrational at he same time. If this had not been so,   â€Å"†¦I will kill thee,/ And love thee after.One more and this the last./So sweet was ne’er so fatal. I must weep/ But they are cruel tears ;this sorrow’s heavenly ;/IT STRIKES WHERE IT DOTH LOVE,†could he utter such words? The Duke of My Last Duchess was never so overpowered with emotions to give vent to his pent-up goodness. Did he have any goodness, if at all?In Act V, sc i, Othello is making his mind up to vent his rage upon Desdemona. Here he again finds enough reason to slaughter Desdemona. On hearing the footsteps of Cassius, he blurt forth, â€Å"’Tis he;-O brave Iago, honest and just†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦minion your dear lies dead/and your unblest fate hies, strumpet I come†Till Lines 31 of Act V   Sc ii, we find Othello raves and rails on the murder of Desdemona. Othello seemed to give a chance to Desdemona to prove her innocence by saying, â€Å"If you bethink yourself of any crime/Unreconciled as yet heaven and grace /Solicit for it straight.†But he meant the murder and perpetrated it! In Act III ,Sc iii, when Othello grows blind in rage provoked by â€Å"honest Iago’s† words, he finds every reason to kill Unfaithful Desdemona and utters, â€Å"Monstrous , monstrous!!†On hearing Cassio’s dream-mutterings on his secret affair with Desdemona, Othello got green with anger and envy and saw betrayal from the cruelest possible angle.He found terrible monstrosity in it, profound mendacity in the whole episode, running on the sly.When Emilia came after the murder talking of Desdemona’s profound love for her husband ,Othello could not keep his cool, he blurted, â€Å"O cursed slave!/Whip me ye devils/From the possession of this heavenly sight/Blow me about in the winds, roast me in sulphur/Wash me in steep-down gulfs of liquid fire†¦O Desdemona, Desdemona, DEAD!!†[Act V, Scii] Could we ever expect the Duke speaking in such touchy, sentimental terms after committing the murder?No, never!!!Works Cited1.Shakespeare, William:Othello, Arden, London, 1974.2.Young, W.T.:Browning’s poems,Macmillan, London, 1975.

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Food and Beverage Operations Management - Essay Example As the report highlights food production systems vary in methods of preparing, cooking and serving food to generate meals served to the customer. The methods differ in terms of the actual location where food production takes place, the total time from preparation to service, number of stuff required, quantity of food produced and the level of hygiene and control. The main considerations in food production include quality of raw materials, food hygiene, minimal wastage, proper food storage, suitable preparation of every food item, employees’ compliance with handling regulations and cooking foods to the proper temperature. Food production methods include centralized distribution, sous-vide, cook-freeze, cook-chill and conventional method.This essay discusses that cook-chill method is a catering system founded regular preparation and cooking of food and subsequent chilling and storage in monitored low temperature conditions. Food is then re-heated prior to consumption. The chille d food is rejuvenated in finishing kitchens that necessitate minimum staff and low capital investment. During the process goods are brought into the kitchen store, followed by preparation and cooking, portioning, packaging, blast chilling, re-heating and eventually consumption. The cook-freeze system of production entails taking goods into the kitchen, preparing and cooking, blast freezing, blast thawing, re-heating and serving when customer orders food. Food and beverage service was customarily viewed as a delivery system.

Critical Note Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Critical Note - Case Study Example Hedley gets the wrong end of a chicken/egg argument. He seems to imply that a properly managed portfolio would not have allowed British motorcycle share to have fallen so significantly, and that, if only someone had valued market share, the demise of the industry would not have occurred. This argument, however, discounts the overriding market forces that would have debilitated the motorcycle industry in any event. It was not a lack of market share that caused British costs to remain stubbornly high, but wages, lack of natural resources, and the overall decline of British manufacturing (Turnbull et. al. 1992). Not a single motorcycle or automotive company has effectively navigated the murky waters of British cost and regulation without being bought out or constructed off-shore (Turnbull et. al. 1992), so arguing that clever portfolio management could have stopped this disaster is untrue. Portfolio management is surely important, but this example describes it more as a panacea, which i s a bad way to think about it. Turnbull, P., Oliver, N., & Wilkinson, B. (1992). Buyer†supplier relations in the UK†automotive industry: Strategic implications of the Japanese manufacturing model. Strategic Management Journal, 13(2),

Sociology research term paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sociology research term paper - Essay Example Some academics believe that stratification is the difference between equality and inequality, elitism and non elitism. Stratification introduces the idea of "hierarchy" into society. Social hierarchy can be based on the possession of different qualities in different communities, and some societies are more equal than others, but none can ever be completely unstratified as there will always be inequalities in certain areas, due to individual differences. However, in contradiction to this anthropologists have confirmed that social stratification is not as universal as once thought. Non-stratified egalitarian societies exist which have little or no concept of social hierarchy, political or economic status, class, or even permanent leadership. Also known as acephalous (or "headless") societies, the best examples of egalitarian cultures all have hunter-gatherer economies, although not all hunter-gatherers can be considered egalitarian. In modern western society such as in the US, UK and Europe we live within a stratification system. David Grunsky describes a stratification system as; " the constellation of social institutions that generate observed inequalities." (523) The "observed inequalities" referred to generally points towards the unequally distributed resources in our society; privileged families receiving a disproportionate level of power, prestige and other valued resources. A common place saying that "money goes to money" perhaps therefore actually derives from an accepted creditable sociological theory / observation. Grunsky highlights that the three key components of a stratification system are: 1. Institutional processes that define certain types of goals as valuable and desirable. 2. The rules of allocation that distribute those goals across various occupations. 3. The mechanisms of mobility that link individuals to positions and generate inequalities. Inequality is thus produced by 'matching' systems; of occupation and social role to reward packages of unequal value and then the allocation of positions to individual society members to the defined positions and rewarded accordingly (Grunsky, 523) The stratification system is very complex and multidimensional. Many types of reward can be attached to certain social roles and different sociologist theorist would advocate differing factors / rewards as being pivotal in creating social stratification. Factors which can be used to create a social hierarchy / stratified group include economic, political, cultural, social honorific, civil and human factors. There are different types of stratification systems, each dependant on a differing factor. Examples include: Tribalism within a hunting and gathering society, created by human factors such as hunting and magic skills. Slavery within a horticultural and agrarian society, created by economic factors (human property). A Caste society created by honorific and cultural factors (Hinduism) And, most relevant in Western industrial society: A Class system created by economic factors and supported by Classical and Liberalism ideology. Socialism created by political factors and supported by Marxism and Leninism ideology. (Meyer, 523) In modern industrialised society there is a class system in operation, as a stratification system it is generally acknowledged as a system of inequality. The class system of stratification is the source of

Development of Movements and Its Importance in the Life of a Child Essay Example for Free

Development of Movements and Its Importance in the Life of a Child Essay The world of Man cannot be imagined without movement. Life is indicated by movement. In animal/bird/fish life we can realise that immobility is impossible. Even those classified as immovable (plant life) manifest their life by movement. The human kingdom isolates itself from other non-human living beings by their capacity to work which is possible only by directed movements. There is movement in every area of human work-personal care, care of the environment, social behaviour, intellectual work etc. When we consider the Child as part of the human family we need to consider the importance of movement in his Life and Development. Movement in the human body In the general development of the human being we can see the role of the brain, the senses and the muscles. Among these the muscles are the ones which execute the movements. These movements can be considered as voluntary when they are controlled by the brain. This control is made possible by the senses feeding the brain or intelligence with the right messages. When these capacities work in co-operation, the last stage remains with the muscles which make the movements. Movement thus becomes the last part that completes the cycle of thought says Dr. Montessori. This co-ordination creates the unique characteristic of Man namely WORK possible. Movement is a mode of human expression. Animals too express themselves by their movements. Dr. Montessori asks Can we ignore this fact in Man? Movement becomes a system of healthy relationship with Mans environment (establish, maintain and restore conditions). We see the importance of movement without which no expression is possible(sign language, body language, writing, etc). Mans aspiration at the highest level is that of spiritual perfection. Dr. Montessori asks Is that enough? Can Man be selfish? Does he not circulate his experiences and thereby express them? Movement should occupy the place of a servant of the whole life and the spiritual economy of the world. Mental life and development depends very heavily on sensesdevelopment of speech on hearing and observation and understanding depends on the sight. This co-ordination of the brain and the senses has to be made in the very beginning. Then and only then can there be any human expression. Dr. Montessori says Here is a very good reason why Nature keeps the human being very immobile during infancy; when the co-ordination starts Nature gives the human being the facility for locomotion. In a child we see movement/work as a manifestation of the development of the mind. While he acts on the direction of the intelligence there is an extension in the understanding. Scientific observation shows that intelligence is developed through movement; movement helps psychic development. Again Movement has a great contribution to offer in the conquest of language which is one of the most fundamental conquests to be made by the psyche of the child. When the child performs work it becomes a co-ordination of the brain, senses and muscles. In Man, the mechanism of grace is not evident at birth but has to be created by physical experiences working at the environment, done with co-ordination. None of this co-ordination is established at birth. But there is a wide possibility of movements. The variety of movements is immense-massive to minute (ballerinagymnast). Dr. Montessori calls it harmonised opposition. The child is endowed with the capacity or potentiality to co-ordinate these movements. Man has a great diversity in skill in action but must create it by will, subconsciously or voluntarily. The combination of the brain, the senses, and the muscles in collaboration with emotional and social development can lead one to what we term grace. The variety is created by the human being himself and therefore he can decide which ones to develop. But there is a price to pay. He has to work at it repeatedly to obtain that versatility. Because of this factor, the capacities vary from person to person. This individuality is very easily seen in the human beings. The muscles are too numerous for all to be exercised; but there is a certain number of exercises below which it is dangerous for psychical life to go on. The human being may also perish. We need to remember that, when a person trains on very large gross movements the mind also remains so. When he works on more refined movements the psychic capacity also becomes more refined. It has also been proved that the quality of possible movements of a person has a close relationship to the quality of mental capacities. Development of human movement Man shares the characteristics of mammals by having four limbs. Mammals develop all the four limbs simultaneously and according to the species the form and function vary. They are predetermined. Among the mammals Man is an example of developing the limbs two at a time. The form and the functions are different. Considering the development of the legs and feet we can see them from three different points of view. †¢ Biological Stand on two feet †¢ Physiological Balance and walk †¢ Anatomical Keeping whole feet on the ground The legs have a task of gaining and maintaining equilibrium. Biological guidance for the development of feet, to put the whole foot down in order to get the equilibrium is given by Nature. We can identify four steps in the process. SitRollStand with support (Stand without support) Walk with help (Walk without help) The logic of Nature seems to be to stand upright, walk and become steady and move to take part in the life around. This indeed is a great achievement of independence on the part of the human being but very predictable. Walking as a human conquest made by the child is proclaimed as not only an achievement made at the physical level but also as booster for the most necessary ingredient in human life and developmentself confidence and self reliance. This is recognised by the modern psychologists. It throws open varied scope for mental activities also. The other two limbs meaning the hands seem to have a different method of development. In the history of evolution we see a great landmark when the thumb starts acting against the fingers and not along the same direction as seen in earlier rungs of the ladder of evolution. Hands depend, for their development, not only on the psyche but also on the psychical life of different epoches in time in different racial groups. Intelligence of the child will reach a certain level without the use of the hand, but with it a still higher level is reached and the child who has used his hands invariably has a strong character. In the individuals development of hands we see the attempt in grasping and that grasping made as an intentional movement. †¢ 1st step Grasping prehension instinctive to conscious movements †¢ Six months Intentional movements †¢ 1st year Hands and feet exerting the maximum, Creating challenges, Imitation of characteristic movements, Making efforts to fit himself for life and independence There is nothing biological or physiological in this. Hands can perform an immense variety of movements. They are not predetermined but depend on the individual. Therefore there is every reason to believe that it has something to do with the development of the mind. Dr. Montessori would take it even to the soul or personality. The hand thus become instruments of learning and the variety in these movements depend on what activities they have opportunity to perform. Around the time the child is one-and-a-half years, the leg movement and the hand movement co-ordinate. For instance, carrying a heavy object. This is another milestone in development. Nature prompts the child to exert the maximum effort. Dr. Montessori talks at length of the study of history and ancient civilizations being made available to us only because of the work of hands which also reflects the mental height of those who created the masterpieces. Civilizationsartifacts, historical relics reveal that hands combined with the emotional lives reveal the quality of the lives of people. Hands seem to have followed the intelligence, the spirit and the emotions. Dr. Montessori says Childs intelligence can develop to certain level without the help of hands. But it raises to greater heights with hand work. The strength of character becomes conspicuously stronger. Dr. Montessori would exhort us about the misconception with regard to human movement, Educational theory thinks that people have to sit still for intellectual activity. Therefore educationists try to separate movement from thought. This even leads to alternating mental and physical activities in schools. Montessori refers to it as the coordinated work of the red and the white man as an intimate reciprocal relationship. The red man indicates the circulatory system and the white man refers to the neuro-muscular system. Maturation is a great factor in this development. The Senses gather knowledge for the intelligence and the intelligence together with the Will carries on the work with the help of the muscles. Separation of movement and thought is injurious to development. To consider strengthening the muscular capacity alone as a means of strengthening the physique can be detrimental. It would be like making a prince (muscular system) live like a slave to a shepherd(mere vegetative lifefor creating appetite or strengthening the lungs). It must become a contributory factor to mental development. Eventually it should lead to emotional and spiritual enrichment. Some thoughts about handedness: Handedness means predominant use of one hand. Two factors determine the handednessthe preference for one hand as compared to the other, the proficiency or skill with which the hand can be used. Studies of handedness has shown that at birth the child is ambidextrous Earlier it was believed that the child was born either right or left handed. It has been proved otherwise. During the first year of life the child uses both hands without any particular preference. In the second year usage of left and right is done shifting as the necessity occursfor instance the proximity or the angle in which an activity has to be performed. Between two-and-a-half and three-and-a-half years the child is ambidextrous using both hands with equal proficiency and frequency. The bilaterality is very marked at this stage. From the age of four to six years there is a preference to unilaterality or a predominant preference to using one or the other hand. Such preference can be observed in the speed, accuracy, strength and steadiness in the movements.

Venezuelan Economy Under Hugo Chavezs Presidency Economics Essay

Venezuelan Economy Under Hugo Chavezs Presidency Economics Essay Venezuela is located in the upper corner of South America and neighbors with Colombia, Brazil, and Guyana. It has been nearly 200 years since Venezuela first gained its independence from Spain (1811). From 1830 onwards, when Venezuela split from the Bolivarian Colombia (1819-1830), the country was governed mostly by military and despotic regimes. That military period lasted until 1958 when the current democratic spell started following the ousting of General Marcos Perez Jimenezs dictatorship.  [1]  Despite that long period of military dictatorships, the Venezuelan economy is considered to be a mixed economy where there is a mixture of command and free market elements  [2]  . These will be discussed in greater depth in the following text. Venezuela had until the 1980s a series of successful periods of economic growth  [3]  . The country had from there on and until 1999 a succession of economic and political crises. The government previous to the election of Hugo Chavez headed by Rafael Caldera was in power from 1994 to 1999. During this time in office he had to deal with high inflation rates and a financial crisis. Due to these severe problems, Caldera was forced to impose an exchange control in mid-1994. This was shortly followed by more stabilization actions that were enforced by the International Monetary Fund agreement. Due to these severe actions taken by the Calderas government (Convergencia) he became severely unpopular among the electorate. This did not help him win his reelection and set the stage for Hugo Chavez  [4]  . The purpose of this essay is to discuss whether or not Hugo Rafael Chà ¡vez Frà ­as regime is moving towards a planned economy due his anti- American stance. Moises Naim states that the rise to power of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez is often seen as evidence of an impending backlash against globalization, American-style capitalism.  [5]  This statement reflects the change in the governments policies on the Venezuelan economic system. To further explain this transformation it is vital to define what a free market economy and planned economy are. Theoretical Background Hypotheses If the Venezuelan government is moving from a free market economy to a planned economy, one would expect to find evidence of this transition economy. Definitions are needed to be known before explanation of results. A free market economy refers to an economy in which markets, in other words the interaction of buyers and producers, determine price and output.  [6]  In addition, this economic system [relies] on free markets which permit people to engage in economic activities largely free from government control.  [7]  In other words the government must have a hands-off policy in regards to the economy. Therefore, all production is in private hands and companies are able to adjust their wages and prices according to the demand and supply curve. Furthermore individuals are able to make independent decisions regarding the price of products, amount of production, and retailing. The free market economy is one that allows for the best interests of both consumers and producers to be met  [8]  . Advantages of the free market economy include: resources are allocated by market forces and price mechanisms,  [9]  and the motivation of profits provides an incentive to reduce costs and be innovate.  [10]  As William Baumol points out, to some extent, innovation in the economy is important as it indicates the expansion of peoples creativities in businesses and therefore fosters productivity growth in the economy.  [11]  What this makes clear once again is that a lot of the power and decision making lie within companies and the market. Disadvantages can include resources being used up too quickly as firms seek to make high profits and to minimize costs.  [12]  Additionally, large firms can expand and dominate a particular industry; leading to higher prices, and results in excessive power. A planned economy is defined as an economy where decisions are made by the government on the behalf of the people, and in theory, in their best interests.  [13]  This indicates that the state has great ownership of resources in the economy and through this provides social welfare to the people. In this economy the government sets the price of resources. There are thought to be several advantages and disadvantages in a planned economy. The advantages are that the government can directly influence the distribution of income to make it more equal  [14]  . In addition the government determines which [types of goods] are to be supplied  [15]  . This necessarily gives the government the power to decide what goods are considered to be important in the society. A disadvantage of this economy is the government [s dominance which] may lead to a loss of personal freedom of choice  [16]  . Unlike the free market economy there is no incentive for individuals or firms to be innovat iveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ goods are often of poor quality and usually a limited choice.  [17]  No competition in the economy and low profit (or absence of profit altogether) can lead to inefficiencies of resources. In short, it is the government, and not the consumers, who make all the decisions. A planned economy is an ideology often used by governments in communist states. Countries like Cuba and North Korea are currently using a planned economy system. An important concept of economic theory in describing a planned economy and free market economy is the understanding of economic growth. Economic growth is defined as an improvement in the standard of living (that) typically occurs when an economy increases its output of goods and services during an expansion  [18]  . This leads to economic development which refers to an improvement in living standards in an economy encompassing material consumption, education, health, and environmental concerns.  [19]  Therefore the use of a production possibility curve (PPC) is implemented to determine economic growth. Looking at the graph below (figure 1), one can see the theoretical downfall of the total goods and services (GDP) as the market moves from free market to planned economy. The PPC1 curve shifts downwards to PPC2 a level where planned economy would function. In moving from a free economy to a more planned economy orientated structure (transition economy), theoretically the output of the countrys total goods and services would decrease because of the inefficiencies. Overall the economic growth diminishes as the governments dominance in the economy increases. Figure 1 The PPC can also be used to better understand the change in government spending in a planned economy. This curve demonstrates the shifting of the government spending. The graph below (figure 2) presents public sector production and private sector production. The PPC curve represents the maximum amount of output possible given the available resources.  [20]  . At point A, there is an equal amount of production from the public and private sector. The total production at point A is on the PPC curve meaning that the maximum level of production is obtained  [21]  . As the government moves closer to a fully planned economy and it begins to invest in the public sector which include schools, health programs, housing, and so forth bureaucracy and inefficiencies increase and production moves to point B.  [22]  As we can see in figure 2, point B is no longer on the PPC curve but below it, signaling that the maximum level of output is not being achieved. Figure 2 Methodology Departing from the following hypothesis If the Venezuelan government is moving from a free market economy to a planned economy, one would expect to find evidence of this transition economy. This evidence would be found in several areas. One would expect to find more government bureaucracy and interferences in private enterprises. This could take the form of increased unjustified fines, paper work, restriction of all kinds, and control, which all result in reduction of business. One would also expect to find an increase in the nationalization of private companies; this could take the form of expropriation of private lands by the government. Further evidence of a movement towards a planned economy would be greater spending on social welfare. This would be clear in areas such as health, education, and housing. Finally, one would expect to find evidence of more interference in the economic structure exemplified by manipulation of currency exchange rates. To prove my hypothesis, this evid ence should be demonstrated as actually present in order to confirm the transition of Venezuelas economy. To prove or disprove my hypothesis I relied both on primary and secondary sources. In investigating primary sources, I met with two local business men  [23]  and one professor  [24]  in Venezuela. I then asked them specific questions  [25]  regarding their businesses in this transition economy. Furthermore, in October 2010 on a visit to Venezuela, I was able to make my own observations of the state of the country. In investigating secondary sources, I researched articles and books written by authors and journalists. In addition, I looked for statistics that represent the movement from a free-market to a planned economy. Results Analysis Evaluation More government interference on businesses When Hugo Chavezs government got into office in 1999, the government slowly imposed new regulations on all sizes of businesses. This policy mainly impacted negatively small businesses and employment. I interviewed one business man, Otto Horn, regarding the increased bureaucracy that his firm, Floritec  [26]  , encounters. In this interview he stated that It is harder to import and export raw materials and finished products abroad  [27]  . Many businesses are required to fill in extra custom paper work for SENIAT (the governments tax collection entity)  [28]  and face crippling fines for even a minor inconsistency in the eyes of custom agents. It gets harder by the day to keep small enterprises in business. This has led to higher cost for businesses as these bureaucratic obstacles force the firms to hire more labor to deal with these issues. As well, it is noticed that waiting for approvals from the government in so many newly imposed demands on small enterprises means los s of time and money which impacts the efficiency of these businesses. To put an example, the government has begun charging firms for the use of their own company logo on their own trucks. Otto Horn stated, If you want to put a company logo, you need to buy a license from the government and this raises costs.  [29]  These examples point to an increased level of government interference. Small businesses are mostly affected by these measures as they dont have enough capital to cover these new expenses. Big businesses have also been affected by these government interferences and even though they are better prepared to cope with it the uncertainty leads to less investment and further instability in the economy as a whole. In early 2009, the economy encountered high inflation  [30]  . This caused a surge in the prices of all products. The Venezuelan government, under Chavez, made several attempts in reducing this high inflation. One of the actions taken was imposing price controls on certain staple foods in an effort to make them more affordable to everyone. However, this action did not have the best outcome, [the] government [`s] attempts to impose price control has had limited effect as big food producers have cut back on production, food distributors have decreased shipments and even hoarded essential goods and retail sellers have traded on the black market  [31]  This control further damaged the food producers by cutting their profit which forced them to reduce the costs, which in one example was achieved by reducing the number of employees. Furthermore, Luis Carmona of Polar states, Forcing companies to produce rice at a loss will not resolve the situation, [and] simply makes it worse.  [32]  In addition, fewer goods could be established on the market. These price controls largely affects food producers and many food processing companies became bankrupt. Hugo Chavez and his government decided to sue or even nationalize dysfunctional companies if they do not follow the governments rules  [33]  . Hugo Chavez said he would take over the control of the food processing industries, as he said in one of his statements, I will expropriate them, I have no problem with that, and Ill pay them with bonds. Dont count on me paying with hard cash  [34]  . This suggests that the government is serious about making food available to the poor but on the other hand, private firms cannot cope with the price changes unless it cuts down on costs. This is all evidence of a planned economy. Government interference was evident in the conversation with another business man named Jorge Redmond, CEO of Chocolates El Rey  [35]  . Mr. Redmond initially wanted to merge his company with the world renowned company, Nestlà ©. He wanted to merge the company to avoid suffocating levels of governmental interference and bureaucratic hurdles brought upon the firm affecting its products exports mainly to its U.S customers. However the government blocked the deal between the potential mergers, as the government did not want more foreign presence in Venezuela  [36]  . The governments move against expansion of global assets limits the choices of private firms. This emphasizes the governments bureaucracy and interference on businesses. Government Nationalization Growing bureaucracy and government interference have led to a failure of private companies as they cannot maintain healthy profitability levels. This has given the government an excuse to nationalize private firms. Common examples are CA Nacional Telefonos de Venezuela (CANTV), the countrys telephone company and Electricidad de Caracas, the largest electric company in Venezuela  [37]  . These nationalizations were linked by Chavez to his pursuit of XXI century Socialism  [38]  . In July 2007, at the start of the high fuel prices, the government nationalized key infrastructures of the Venezuelan economy in an attempt to reach the goals of the government.  [39]   Also in 2007, the government stripped assets from two U.S. oil companies Exxon Mobil Corp. and ConocoPhilips.  [40]  The government seized control of the profits of both companies. In the following year, 2008, Hugo Chavez and his government ordered the nationalization of the cement industry, Cemex,  [41]  a Mexican owned company. Chavezs rationale was to prepare for future building in the housing sector. In addition, in 2008, the Venezuelan steel mill, Siderà ºrgica del Orinoco SIDOR, was nationalized. Chavez complained the companies do not put a high enough priority on supplying the domestic market  [42]  . In 2009, the government for the first time ordered the Venezuelan armed forces to take over a business, in this case a rice processing plant  [43]  . In October 2010 the government nationalized AGROISLENA, the countrys largest producer of goods and services for the agricultural sector  [44]  . According to The Economist, since Hugo Chavez got into power in 1999, almost 400 companies have been nationalized, the vast majority in the past two years.  [45]  This shows the governments movement to take over major industries in order to fix the prices of the goods. All the above actions taken by the government have been sweeping reforms throughout the nation with the aim of reducing the prices of products which would result in massive consumption of the products by the local economy. The nationalization of firms by the government points to evidence of a planned economy as the government begins to de-privatize companies, moving towards a greater control of how the economy functions. More Social Welfare Spending Hugo Chavez came to power by promising the people a reduction in poverty and an increase in quality of life for the masses. This spending was fueled by high oil prices in July 2007, crude had reached the remarkable world market price of $US 147 per barrel.  [46]   This increased spending in the public sector gives more evidence of the move to a planned economy. The graph (figure 3) below shows the statistics of government public expenditure  [47]  . The current regime under Hugo Chavez has increased public spending by a factor of 13 between 1999 (the year Chavez entered office) to 2008. Figure 3 The government has spent money on the educational, health, and housing sectors. With the increase profits from the oil rents and productions, the Ministry of Education has introduced mission programs, Robinson I and II are mission[s] focusing on literacy and primary education for adults, Ribas and Sucre target secondary and university education for individuals who never had the opportunity to attend or those who dropped out.  [48]  This missions are examples of increased spending on the public sector. Hugo Chavezs government has increased public spending on the health sector of the economy. The government has created new mission programs such as, Barrio Adentro [which] provides free health care to the poor through the assistance of tens of thousands of Cuban doctors  [49]  Internet correspondence with Guillermo Buhrkohl  [50]  , a political professor from Venezuela, confirms this in the following, The health programs known as Mission Barrio Adentro and Mission Miracle, are programsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ aiming [at]à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ providing primary medical attention to the shantytown population; however the professor confirms the government is literally asphyxiating both health care provided by private hospitals and the traditional public health system, paradoxically the later is the place where the poor go when a very limited Barrio Adentro cannot cope. This proves that there has been an increase in government spending on healthcare which could be seen as detrimental to both priv ate and public sectors. The government promised the masses to increase the public social welfare to all. This would also include the construction of close to free housing for each family. From my own personal observation while visiting the country in October 2010, the use of the billboards to promote housing plans was clearly evident everywhere  [51]  . This evidence of increased spending in the public sector mostly for political purposes adds up to the motive of the planned economy. Manipulation of currency Hugo Chavezs government has interfered deeply into the currency market. The government has made severe adjustments to currency, starting with the introduction of strict exchange rate controls by pegging the exchange rate to the American dollar in 2005. In 2008, the government changed the numerical currency making 1,000 Bolivars equal to the value of one Bolivar Fuerte (strong Bolivar)  [52]  . This measure could be seen to minimize the perceived inflation due to government action. However, it does not address the inflation that the country faces. In January 8th 2010, the government announced the devaluing of the currency by up to 50%  [53]  . The government believed that the devaluation of the Bolivar would trigger an export boom as Venezuelas exports would become more competitive. In reality, the devaluation had little to no effect on the countrys exports, as can be seen in Figure 4  [54]  . Figure 4 As mentioned above, in 2005, Hugo Chavezs administration made extreme adjustments to the Venezuelan financial system. The governments control over the currency exchange rates is shown in a statement, The introduction of the exchange controls has meant that companies and individuals have to apply to the Comision de Administracion de Divisas (Cadivi, the official foreign exchange agency).  [55]  This is where the government fixed the currency rate at 2.15 to the dollar. This triggered an increase in imports from 2005 which can be seen on the graph above (Fig.3)  [56]  . On January 8, 2010, the devaluation has occurred; from 2.15 bolivars to the [US] dollar to 4.3 bolivars to the [US] dollar  [57]  explained above caused higher consumer inflation on goods thus affecting the total spending on imported goods like televisions. The devaluation of the currency and exchange controls has lead the Venezuelan economy to have extremely high inflation. Consumption in the Venezuelan economy has decreased and business production has lowered to meet their expenditures. For example, Movistar, [in Venezuela] a mobile phone company owned by Spains Telefonica, last month [August 2010] à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ suspended roaming agreements in 13 countries.  [58]  This indicated that the dollar squeeze is affecting the Venezuelan economy deeply. On the other hand, high inflation means that the government gets more Bolivars from a quick recovery of oil prices, and exporting oil to United States. This money allows the government to satisfy the needs of the Venezuelans to the best interests of the government, and this brings the role of the government into everyday lives as, that gives Mr. Chavez the chance to throw money around: pay rises for the army for example.  [59]  This manipulation of the currency gives solid evidence of interferences in economy by Hugo Chavezs government which adds a new element that confirms the hypothesis of a transition towards a planned economy in Venezuela. Conclusions In this investigation, I found information that supports the transformation to a planned economy from a free market economy in Venezuela. The evidence included: increased government bureaucracy, nationalization of the private sector, increased government spending in social welfare, and increased manipulation of the currency. This has led Hugo Chavezs government to gain greater control of the Venezuelan economic system since his election in 1998. The government is able to decide which goods and services are considered to be important for society. Such examples are the heavily subsidized food distribution firms (MERCAL and PDVAL) created by the government  [60]  . In this investigation, there are a number of difficulties that hinder the gathering of evidence. First, it was hard to gain true statistics regarding the economy. For example, the unemployment rate is hard to determine due to the fact that workers in the informal sector of the economy are included in the statistics which constitutes half of the countrys total workforce  [61]  . It was difficult to find statistical data to support the losses of business budget. Despite my attempts to access this information through internet sources, I was unsuccessful. Secondly there has been a strong political bias in many articles, books, and interviews. These biases affected my research and influenced me deeply, though I made every attempt to remain objective. In addition, it was often hard to separate politics from economics where both are closely linked together. These shortcomings together with a lack of time beg for further and more in depth research to formalize conclusions. Specifically, I would wish to focus on a significant number of concrete business cases where the governments interference in the economy has greatly affected their profitability. I would be interested in confirming the statistical data to support the hypothesis presented. However, the evidence and research presented here demonstrate that there are elements to sustain my hypothesis. It is clear that the government is seriously attempting to impose upon the country a planned economy of the Venezuela. Whether the government is able to complete a transition to a fully planned economy or not, this conclusion stands regardless. In my opinion, the move to the planned economy under Hugo Chavez can have a negative impact on Venezuela as it has negatively limited the freedom of Venezuelan businesses and increased government interference in the economy. Evidence can be found in articles discussing the current brain drain  [62]  ; the educated Venezuelans are more likely to leave the country. Many of these educated people whom are students, professors, doctors, business owners and so forth have either moved to Colombia or to the United States. References Bad news for Venezuelan economy. El Universal 24 May 2010: n. pag. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. . Baumol, Willam. The free-market innovation machine: analyzing the growth miracle of capitalism. Oxfordshire: Princeton University Press, 2002. Print. Blink, Jocelyn, and Ian Dorton. Economics: Course Companion. Oxford: Database right Oxford University Press, 2007. Print. The Bolivarian Brain Drain. Newsweek 1 July 2009: n. pag. Web. 22 Nov. 2010.

Protein Thermal Stability Essay example -- Research Analysis, Isolatio

Isolation techniques for protein take the least refined forms of the protein and develop a highly concentrated product. A concentrated protein product allows utilization of functional properties of proteins without fat, moisture, or carbohydrate contributing to or inhibiting the system. For example, through the use of isolation techniques, the starting concentration of soy flour or grit, 40-50% protein, can increase to more than 90% (Petruccelli 1995). When other substituents such as starches and fats are present in a system, water absorption generally occurs within the carbohydrate instead of the protein (Wolf 1970). As a result, isolation plays a two-fold role in concentrating the selected protein as well as eliminating unneeded or undesirable constituents in a food product. Soy protein holds desirable, functional properties. Such properties of isolated soy protein include the formation of gels and emulsions. The protein’s hydrophilic properties make it an ideal component in confectionary and baked goods because of its water retaining properties and ability to maintain freshness. Additional uses in food stuffs include aeration, an adhesive in meat products, color control, and inhibition or promotion of fat absorption (Wolf 1970). These functional properties have allowed soy protein to become an emerging protein and usable food constituent. Whey, an important by-product of milk, contains almost all of the milk carbohydrate and about one-fifth of milk’s protein (Smithers 1996). Isolated whey’s value, however, derives from its protein content. Its unique functional properties provide opportunities for a variety of applications. For example, whey proteins, because of their stability to acidic conditions, are an integral part of ... ...ments DJ. 1997. Physical properties of whey protein stabilized emulsions as related to pH and NaCl. J Food Sci 62(2):342-347. De Witt JN. 1990. Thermal stability and functionality of whey proteins. J Dairy Science 73(12):3602-3612. Petruccelli S, AÃ ±on MC. 1995. Soy protein components and their interactions. J Agric Food Chem 43(7):1762-1767. Smithers GW, Ballard GW, Copeland AD, De Silva KJ, Dionysius DA, Francis GL, Goddard C, Grieve PA, Mcintosh GH, Mitchell IR, Pearce H, Regester GO. 1996. New opportunities from the isolation and utilization of whey proteins. J Dairy Sci 79(8):1454-1459. Thompson, L.D., Dinh T. 2009. FDSC 4303/5305 food chemistry lab manual. Lubbock, Tx.: Texas Tech University, Department of Animal and Food Science. Wolf, WJ. 1970. Soybean proteins : their functional, chemical, and physical properties. J Agric Food Chem 18(6):969-976.

Cross Cultural Negotiations :: essays research papers

Cross cultural negotiation is one of many specialized areas within the wider field of cross cultural communications. By taking cross cultural negotiation training, negotiators and sales personnel give themselves an advantage over competitors. There is an argument that proposes that culture is inconsequential to cross cultural negotiation. It maintains that as long as a proposal is financially attractive it will succeed. However, this is a naà ¯ve way of approaching international business. Let us look at a brief example of how cross cultural negotiation training can benefit the international business person: There are two negotiators dealing with the same potential client in the Middle East. Both have identical proposals and packages. One ignores the importance of cross cultural negotiation training believing the proposal will speak for itself. The other undertakes some cross cultural training. He/she learns about the culture, values, beliefs, etiquette and approaches to business, meetings and negotiations. Nine times out of ten the latter will succeed over the rival. This is because 1) it is likely they would have endeared themselves more to the host negotiation team and 2) they would be able to tailor their approach to the negotiations in a way that maximises the potential of a positive outcome. Cross cultural negotiations is about more than just how foreigners close deals. It involves looking at all factors that can influence the proceedings. By way of highlighting this, a few brief examples of topics covered in cross cultural negotiation training shall be offered. Eye Contact : In the US, UK and much of northern Europe, strong, direct eye contact conveys confidence and sincerity. In South America it is a sign of trustworthiness. However, in some cultures such as the Japanese, prolonged eye contact is considered rude and is generally avoided. Personal Space & Touch: In Europe and North America, business people will usually leave a certain amount of distance between themselves when interacting. Touching only takes place between friends. In South America or the Middle East, business people are tactile and like to get up close. In Japan or China, it is not uncommon for people to leave a gap of four feet when conversing. Touching only takes place between close friends and family members. Time: Western societies are very ‘clock conscious? Time is money and punctuality is crucial. This is also the case in countries such as Japan or China where being late would be taken as an insult. However, in South America, southern Europe and the Middle East, being on time for a meeting does not carry the same sense of urgency.

The Dramatic Effect of El Nino on Southern Californias Seal and Sea Lion Population :: Animals Nature Environment essays Climate

At the beginning of our winter season, El Nino left some dramatic effects on our seal and sea lion population here in Southern California. Since June of 1997, about 6,000 sea mammals have perished on this San Miguel Island, 50 miles off the Ventura coast. This island is home to the largest population of seals and sea lions south of Alaska. Scientists estimate that there are approximately between 85,000 and 180,000 California sea lions breeding on this island and other Channel Islands. There are about 11,000 Northern Fur Seals on San Miguel Island. The adult sea lions go to northern California and British Columbia after they breed, while the pups are left behind around the central coast. In one of the most physical demonstrations of El Nino, oceanic warming drove away much of their food supply: squid, anchovies, herring, and sardines. The pups are spending most of their energy in search of colder waters for their daily intake of 30 pounds of food. Experts in marine biology are strictly observing and documenting the famine, not attempting to rescue the dying animals. They have been conducting studies on this island since the 1960s. Several rescue groups, such as Sea World located in San Diego, were ready to bring back the starving pups. However, the 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act prohibits them from going to the remote island and disturbing their natural habitat. Experts would rather wait for the mammals to get washed up ashore than to separate a pup from its mother. The goal is to minimize human impacts. Scientists are now trying to learn from the mistakes they made when studying the effects of the 1983 El Nino. There was a research project conducted on the marine ecosystem at the Punta San Juan de Marcona sea lion reserve, a remote point of land on the coast about three hundred miles south of Lima, Peru. The project consisted of an in-depth study of the sea lion and the ecosystem it inhabits; it focused primarily on the behavior of more than fifteen thousand sea lions, the largest sea lion colony in the South American Pacific. Documenting the sea lions living traits for over 10 years, the biologists are also observing behavioral changes produced by El Nino, the same Pacific current that altered oceanic conditions. When El Nino dampens the point in warmer water, the sea lions' prey swims deeper. Consequently, the pups remain with their mothers longer, until they are able to dive themselves to hunt for food.

Foreshadowing and irony in “Story of an Hour” Essay

Throughout the story â€Å"Story of an Hour† there are a few subtle instances of foreshadowing and irony. These instances explain the some of the scenes throughout the story. The opening sentence foreshadows Mrs. Mallard’s death at the end of the story as it explains how serious Mrs. Mallard’s heart trouble really was, as great care was taken to break the news of her husband’s death. The irony that is of Mrs. Mallard’s death upon finding out her husband did not die in the train wreck, and when she sees him the shock kills her. Richards was so careful to break the news of Mr. Mallard’s death it’s ironic that Mrs. Mallard ended up dieing when she learned he was still alive and not of his supposed tragic death. The detail where â€Å"her bosom rose and fell tumultuously† is more than just a feeling. That sentence leads the reader to a better understanding of why Mrs. Mallard’s died so suddenly after she sets her eyes on her husband. The line explains how Mrs. Mallard is becoming more and more agitated with overwhelming feelings of sadness for her husband but at the same time freedom for herself. This, getting her troubled heart going, she feels the possibility of death approaching and tries to fight back with her will. The Mood inside the her room is confusion, as Mrs. Mallard is both upset of the death of her husband but at the same time excited with the possibilities of being a widow finally being able to gain some control over her life. As Mrs. Mallard looks out the window she sees the tree tops, blue skies she hears the birds singing and the noise of the street below. All of these things open her eyes to the freedom her husband’s death has giver her. The confusion inside disappears as she looks out the window into a potentially happy life awaiting her. Richness is added to the story by all the hints, clues and suggestions show how Mrs. Mallard spends an hour of rollercoaster emotions from sadness, happiness, freedom, relief and finally shock. Which in the end takes her life after feeling the highs and lows of her emotions in such a short period of time, her troubled heart just can’t take it.

Learning in the EYFS Essay

Knowledge and understanding of the world – Knowledge and Understanding of the World relates to children’s everyday lives, their homes, families, other people, the local environment and community and the wider world. Personal, social and emotional development – The social and emotional development of a child helps practitioners/parents understand the behaviors they exhibit. Though children develop and mature at different rates, social and emotional development generally occurs in predictable stages. Communication language and literacy – Children’s learning and competence in communicating, speaking and listening, being read to and beginning to read and write must be supported and extended. They must be provided with opportunity and encouragement to use their skills in a range of situations and for a range of purposes, and be supported in developing the confidence and dispositions to do so. Problem solving reasoning and numeracy – This area mostly focuses on a child’s ability to solve simple problems and builds an awareness of shapes space and measures. Practitioners do this by looking at shapes, numbers, building bricks etc. Physical Development – Children are encouraged to take part in a variety of physical activities. Children develop physically at different stages and times. This area helps practitioners to keep track of each individual child’s development. Creative development – Being creative covers a multitude of ideas including how children express and communicate ideas. They can explore all sorts of media (eg ICT, music) and materials. They will also develop their imagination through play. Although they are all different a good planned activity will cover more than one area of development. For example, playing a snakes and ladders board game will help a child with their Problem solving, reasoning and numeracy mainly but it will also help them with their Communication, language and literacy development as they are being encouraged to communicate with other children playing the game. Also the areas are interdependent if the child is struggling with one area it can affect how they develop in other areas. For example, if a child is disabled and cannot join in physical activities this can affect their physical development but it can then also affect their communication, language and literacy and Personal, social and emotional development because they aren’t joining in with the same activities as their peers. This can be avoided or at least limited by good planning and inclusive practice. 1.2 Outcomes are given to the different areas of learning within the EYFS to ensure that practitioners have something to focus on. These outcomes are outlined within the EYFS as â€Å"overarching principles† these are: Every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships Children learn and develop well in enabling environments, in which their experiences respond to their individual needs and there is a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and/or carers Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates. The framework covers the education and care of all children in early years provision, including children with special educational needs and disabilities. And three main areas of development which are; Physical Development – This is the development of a child’s physical skills. It includes the Gross motor skills, such as walking, jumping, running, catching and the fine motor skills such as the pincer grip, hand-eye-coordination, doing up laces or zips. Personal Social and Emotional Development – The social and emotional development of a child helps practitioners/parents understand the behaviors they exhibit. Though children develop and mature at different rates, social and emotional development generally occurs in predictable stages. Communication and Language Development – Language development is the process by which children come to understand and communicate language during early childhood. 1.3 The documented outcomes are assessed by practitioners in different ways. On-going assessments are carried out in settings frequently. Practitioners plan an activity, observe the child/children, record information and evaluate the outcome. If needed they then plan another activity and repeat the process until they get the information they need. These are also known as â€Å"formative assessments† and they are an integral part of the EYFS framework. It helps parents, carers and practitioners to constantly monitor a child’s progress and pick up on and solve problems if there are any. At the age of two a child has a progress check. This is when practitioners review their progress and produce a short written summary of a child’s development in the main areas of development. This helps to make sure a child is on track with their development and helps to identify any areas that a child may be developing at a slower rate than is expected. This can also pick up on any dis abilities or learning difficulties. If a practitioner does pick up on a learning difficulty they should put together a plan to support the child’s future learning and development. Practitioners must discuss with parents how the outcome of the assessments can be used to support the child’s development at home, and parents are encouraged to share the outcome with any relevant professionals i.e. a teacher or a health visitor. In the final term of the year in which the child turns five practitioners must complete the EYFS profile for each child. This profile must reflect on-going observation, all relevant records held by the setting, discussions with parents and carers, and any other adults whom the teacher, parent or carer judges can offer a useful contribution. The profile lets parents, carers and other professionals have an overview of a child’s knowledge, understanding and abilities, their progress against expected levels, and their readiness for year one. Year one teachers are given a copy of this profile and it will outline whether the child is meeting, exceeding or not yet reaching the expected levels of the early learning goals. I think assessments are important to Practitioners and other professionals like teachers because it helps them to work together to identify any problems that may arise with a child’s development and address the problems quickly and effectively also if the child is very quick at development it can be spotted and they can be given extra planned work to stop them from getting bored. I think it is also good for parents because they have guidance on how to help their child’s development at home.

President Jackson Guardian of the Constitution

With good intention of building a nation based on principles of freedom, opportunity, and equality, the United States early leaders had many struggles in doing so. A utopia world can be imagined and planned out, but tribulations will always occur, making a utopia impossible to be created. The Jacksonian Democrats viewed themselves as the guardians of the Constitution, individual liberty, and equal opportunity, but then again, tribulations are inevitable. Jacksonian Democrats took on the duty of defending the country from mostly outside powers, but also from problems that take place in the country. The Declaration gives the American man many rights, which can be, and will be abused. Document A explains how the Jacksonian's recognized this, and again, with good intent, they have assigned themselves as an organized party, with leaders of high meaning to protect any misuse of the said freedoms in the Declaration. President Jackson takes a commanding step in his faith of defending the country in his veto of the United States Bank re-charter showed in Document B. He gives a good argument for why the Bank is disrupting and harmful to the United States, and his veto is because he is trying to protect the United States. Document D shows how the United States was already very prospering, and the document really emphasizes the amazement of individual liberty. Never before, anywhere else in the modernized world was the a working democracy, but the United States seemed to be a very able country even with individual liberty. The writer claims she was â€Å"painfully amazed† when the question was up-rose of whether the people are encouraged to govern themselves, she was surprised because it looked as if it was a great environment. Document E tells of how a riot broke out in Philadelphia because of the issue of slavery, and black discrimination. This is a struggle that will always haunt those in power. The issue of slavery completely goes against the Democrat belief of individual liberty. The very unmoral view of the situation will claim that blacks are not considered humans, but property. Document E shows that South Carolina moves to suppress the non-slave states' publishing and printing. Document G shows how the United States took the rights of the Indians in the Indian Removal Act, which led to the Trail of Tears. The Indians were forced out of their living space, and had their rights abused. In Andrew Jackson's veto explained in Document B, it shows how he is defending the equal opportunity of the United States. He says, â€Å"It is to be regretted that the rich and powerful too often bend the acts of governments to their selfish purposes. † He is defending the common man and in doing so, he is also defending the Constitution. Equal Opportunity is also shown in Document F. South Carolina accepts the views of the non-slave states, but they realize the influence of of the non-slave states may be seen in the slave states, so they set restrictions on what they can print and publish in newspapers and pamphlets. They do not want the non-slave states to interrupt with their potential. The Jacksonian Democrats claimed to be defenders of the United States. They defended the Constitution, individual rights, and equal opportunity the best they could. But arguments and problems are always on the horizon, and sometimes defending them can turn someones actions on what they previously claimed their beliefs. For this, the Jacksonian Democrats were continuously challenged on their position on different subjects.

Human development the three domains Essay

They begin to form their own views such as which sports to play, which groups of friends to be included in, and what personal appearances are attractive. The development in thinking that happens during adolescence needs nurturing in order for it to develop. If an adolescent is not exposed to abstract concepts and ideas at home and in school, then this ability atrophies, and the teenager may grow up to be an adult who is a concrete thinker in most aspects of life (Huitt, W., & Hummel, J. 2003). The adolescent would not be able to make intelligent decisions about life in a modern society. Emotional and social domain states the changes in emotional communication, self -understanding, knowledge about other people, interpersonal skills, friendships, intimate relationships, and moral reasoning and behaviour. During adolescence, the changes of friendship occur, moving in the direction of intimacy and loyalty. Girl’s friendships place greater emphasis on emotional closeness, boys on status and mastery (Berk, 2003). Throughout adolescence the amount of time spent with friends increases. Teenagers enjoy spending time with their friends. They feel more understood and accepted by their friends. Less time is spent with parents. Female adolescent tend to place importance on attractiveness. Often causes of poor self-esteem are when teens do not perceive themselves as attractive. Typically, self-esteem increases during late adolescence as teens develop a better sense of who they are (University of Michigan Health System) (UMHS). A general example that clearly identifies all three domains including social/emotional, cognitive and physical is an adolescent who is playing a soccer tournament. Physically he is kicking the ball and running also he feels the pain on his leg when he kicks the ball. Cognitively he is thinking what if he misses the goal. In other words his full concentration is just on the ball. In terms of his emotional feeling he is feeling pressured and nervous. Socially he is communicating with the other players in his team. Therefore these examples clearly identifies the three domains are interrelated. The environment influences such as peers, family and education have shaped my life and have shaped my unique development. Peers have had a greater influence on shaping my life. The peer group is important because it helps a child learn social, friendship, loyalty, and values with other peers. Peers do have greater influence over matters of immediate lifestyle, such as musical tastes or leisure activities (Troll and Bengston, 1982 and Davies and Kandel, as cited in Robertson, 1989, p.84). Through out my life peers have always been important to me. As I grew older I spent more and more time in the company of my peers. Spending time with my peers I felt more connected. I chose peers who accept me and whom I share my attitudes and interests. I can trust my friends and we help each other out when we have problems. Friendship provides adolescents with a warm, close and trusting relationship (Santrock 2002). My peers have helped me to be more independent and confident. I was shy, quite, but by making friends I felt more comfortable and independent around them and around others. The family has the greatest impact on people’s life. From the moment of birth, children have and ascribed status in a subculture of race, class, ethnicity, religion, and region-all of which may strongly influence the nature of later social interaction and socialization. For example, the values and expectations that children learn depend very much on the social class of their parents (Robertson, 1989). I believe my family has had a lot of influence on shaping my development. In my relationships with my family we show respect for each other and we have values in our house. Most values that I hold have been my beliefs in religion. It was my parents who taught me the beliefs that god exists and today I am a strong believer of god. We have Hindu traditions that we celebrate together including Diwali (festival of lights). Through out high school I didn’t smoke, drink or get into drugs this is because of my close relationship with my family, healthy open communication and parental support. Research shows teens who have positive relationships with their parents are less likely to engage in various risk behaviours, including smoking, fighting and drinking (Santrock 2002). My family has also had a lot of influence on my dietary behaviour within my home environment. My parents are vegetarian and this has had a huge impact on my diet today. They have strongly emphasized no killing of animals. Education is another environmental influence that has shaped my development. Education is the systematic, formalized transmission of knowledge, skill, and values (Robertson, 1989). Through education I have learnt how to speak English which is my second language. Language has helped me to communicate with others and has helped me to introduce my self to a wider community of people. By going to school I have learnt a variety of facts and skills such as interacting with others. Through involvement in academic programs and campus life, students engaged in exploration that produces gains in knowledge and reasoning ability, revised attitudes and values, enhanced self-esteem and self knowledge, and preparation for a high-status career (Berk, 2007). Schools have also taught me habits of punctuality and obedience to authority, this has helped me through out my life. Through my education I have started to eat healthy food and exercise regularly as before I would eat a lot of processed and unhealthy food. (REF). Education has been an important opportunity to occupational and financial success. It has given me the ability to attend university and finish my certificate programme which will lead me to bachelor of nursing degree. To conclude its contextual influences that drives these three domains which are physical, cognitive and emotional/social domains, for example responsibility, environment, food, education, family, relationships and culture. These are used in everyday life. Berk, L.E. (2007). Development through the lifespan (4th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Robertson, I. (1989). Soialization. In society: A brief introduction. (pp. 69-93). New York: Worth. Santrock, J., (2002). Life-span development. (8th ed.). Boston: McGraw Hill.