Solar Radiation and the Earths Albedo

Solar Radiation and the Earth's Albedo Nearly all of the energy arriving on planet Earth and driving the various weather events, oceanic currents, and distribution of ecosystems originates with the sun. This intense solar radiation as it is known in physical geography originates in the sun’s core and is eventually sent to Earth after convection (the vertical movement of energy) forces it away from the sun’s core. It takes approximately eight minutes for solar radiation to reach the Earth after leaving the sun’s surface. Once this solar radiation arrives on Earth, its energy is distributed unevenly across the globe by latitude. As this radiation enters the Earth’s atmosphere it hits near the equator and develops an energy surplus. Because less direct solar radiation arrives at the poles, they, in turn, develop an energy deficit. To keep energy balanced on the Earth’s surface, the excess energy from the equatorial regions flows toward the poles in a cycle so energy will be balanced across the globe. This cycle is called the Earth-Atmosphere energy balance. Solar Radiation Pathways Once the Earth’s atmosphere receives shortwave solar radiation, the energy is referred to as insolation. This insolation is the energy input responsible for moving the various Earth-atmosphere systems like the energy balance described above but also weather events, oceanic currents, and other Earth cycles. Insolation can be direct or diffuse. Direct radiation is solar radiation received by the Earth’s surface and/or atmosphere that has not been altered by atmospheric scattering. Diffused radiation is solar radiation that has been modified by scattering. Scattering itself is one of five pathways solar radiation can take when entering the atmosphere. It occurs when insolation is deflected and/or redirected upon entering the atmosphere by dust, gas, ice, and water vapor present there. If the energy waves have a shorter wavelength, they are scattered more than those with longer wavelengths. Scattering and how it reacts with wavelength size are responsible for many things we see in the atmosphere such as the sky’s blue color and white clouds. Transmission is another solar radiation pathway. It occurs when both shortwave and longwave energy pass through the atmosphere and water instead of scattering when interacting with gases and other particles in the atmosphere. Refraction can also occur when solar radiation enters the atmosphere. This pathway happens when energy moves from one type of space to another, such as from air into water. As the energy moves from these spaces, it changes its speed and direction when reacting with the particles present there. The shift in direction often causes the energy to bend and release the various light colors within it, similar to what happens as light passes through a crystal or prism. Absorption is the fourth type of solar radiation pathway and is the conversion of energy from one form into another. For example, when solar radiation is absorbed by water, its energy shifts to the water and raises its temperature. This is common of all-absorbing surfaces from a tree’s leaf to asphalt. The final solar radiation pathway is a reflection. This is when a portion of energy bounces directly back to space without being absorbed, refracted, transmitted, or scattered. An important term to remember when studying solar radiation and reflection is albedo. Albedo Albedo is defined as the reflective quality of a surface. It is expressed as a percentage of reflected insolation to incoming insolation and zero percent is total absorption while 100% is the total reflection. In terms of visible colors, darker colors have a lower albedo, that is, they absorb more insolation, and lighter colors have a high albedo, or higher rates of reflection. For example, snow reflects 85-90% of insolation, whereas asphalt reflects only 5-10%. The angle of the sun also impacts albedo value and lower sun angles create greater reflection because the energy coming from a low sun angle is not as strong as that arriving from a high sun angle. Additionally, smooth surfaces have a higher albedo while rough surfaces reduce it. Like solar radiation in general, albedo values also vary across the globe with latitude but Earth’s average albedo is around 31%. For surfaces between the tropics (23.5Â °N to 23.5Â °S) the average albedo is 19-38%. At the poles, it can be as high as 80% in some areas. This is a result of the lower sun angle present at the poles but also the higher presence of fresh snow, ice, and smooth open water- all areas prone to high levels of reflectivity. Albedo, Solar Radiation, and Humans Today, albedo is a major concern for humans worldwide. As industrial activities increase air pollution, the atmosphere itself is becoming more reflective because there are more aerosols to reflect insolation. In addition, the low albedo of the world’s largest cities sometimes creates urban heat islands which impacts both city planning and energy consumption. Solar radiation is also finding its place in new plans for renewable energy- most notably solar panels for electricity and black tubes for heating water. These items’ dark colors have low albedos and therefore absorb nearly all of the solar radiation striking them, making them efficient tools for harnessing the sun’s power worldwide. Regardless of the sun’s efficiency in electricity generation though, the study of solar radiation and albedo is essential to the understanding of Earth’s weather cycles, ocean currents, and locations of different ecosystems.

Battle of Malvern Hill - Civil War Battle of Malvern Hill

Battle of Malvern Hill - Civil War Battle of Malvern Hill Battle of Malvern Hill: Date Conflict: The Battle of Malvern Hill was part of the Seven Days Battles and was fought July 1, 1862, during the American Civil War (1861-1865). Armies Commanders Union Major General George B. McClellanBrigadier General Fitz John Porter80,000 men Confederate General Robert E. Lee80,000 men Battle of Malvern Hill - Background: Beginning on June 25, 1862, Major General George B. McClellans Army of the Potomac was the subject of repeated assaults by Confederate forces under General Robert E. Lee. Falling back from the gates of Richmond, McClellan believed his army to be outnumbered and hastened to retreat to his secure supply base at Harrisons Landing where his army could shelter under the guns of the US Navy in the James River. Fighting an inconclusive action at Glendale (Fraysers Farm) on June 30, he was able to gain some breathing room for his continued withdrawal. Retreating south, the Army of the Potomac occupied a high, open plateau known as Malvern Hill on July 1. Featuring steep slopes on its southern, eastern, and western sides, the position was further protected by swampy terrain and Western Run to the east. The site had been selected the previous day by Brigadier General Fitz John Porter who commanded the Union V Corps. Riding ahead to Harrisons Landing, McClellan left Porter in command at Malvern Hill. Aware that Confederate forces would have to attack from the north, Porter formed a line facing in that direction (Map). Battle of Malvern Hill - The Union Position: Placing Brigadier General George Morells division from his corps on the far left, Porter placed the IV Corps division of Brigadier General Darius Couch to their right. The Union line was further extended to the right by the III Corps divisions of Brigadier General Philip Kearny and Joseph Hooker. These infantry formations were supported by the armys artillery under Colonel Henry Hunt. Possessing around 250 guns, he was able to emplace between 30 to 35 atop the hill at any given point. The Union line was further supported by US Navy gunboats in the river to the south and additional troops on the hill. Battle of Malvern Hill - Lees Plan: To the north of the Union position, the hill sloped down across open space that extended from 800 yards to a mile until reaching the closest tree line. To assess the Union position, Lee met with several of his commanders. While Major General Daniel H. Hill felt that an attack was ill-advised, such an action was encouraged by Major General James Longstreet. Scouting the area, Lee and Longstreet identified two suitable artillery positions that they believed would bring the hill under crossfire and suppress the Union guns. With this done, an infantry assault could move forward. Deploying opposite the Union position, Major General Thomas Stonewall Jacksons command formed the Confederate left, with Hills division in the center astride the Willis Church and Carters Mill Roads. Major General John Magruders division was to form the Confederate right, however it was misled by its guides and was late in arriving. To support this flank, Lee also assigned Major General Benjamin Hugers division to the area as well. The attack was to be led by Brigadier General Lewis A. Armisteads brigade from Hugers Division which was assigned to move forward once the guns had weakened the enemy. Battle of Malvern Hill - A Bloody Debacle: Having devised the plan for the assault, Lee, who was ill, refrained from directing operations and instead delegated the actual fighting to his subordinates. His plan quickly began to unravel when the Confederate artillery, which was strung out back to Glendale, arrived on the field in piecemeal fashion. This was further compounded by confusing orders that were issued by his headquarters. Those Confederate guns that deployed as planned were met with fierce counter-battery fire from Hunts artillery. Firing from 1:00 to 2:30 PM, Hunts men unleashed a massive bombardment that crushed the Confederate artillery. The situation for the Confederates continued to worsen when Armisteads men advanced prematurely around 3:30 PM. This keyed the larger assault as planned with Magruder sending forward two brigades as well. Pushing up the hill, they were met by a maelstrom of case and canister shot from the Union guns as well as heavy fire from the enemy infantry. To aid this advance, Hill began sending troops forward, though refrained from a general advance. As a result, his several small attacks were easily turned back by the Union forces. As the afternoon pressed on, the Confederates continued their assaults with no success. Atop the hill, Porter and Hunt had the luxury of being able to rotate units and batteries as ammunition was expended. Later in the day, the Confederates began attacks towards the western side of the hill where the terrain worked to cover part of their approach. Though they advanced farther than the previous efforts, they too were turned back by the Union guns. The greatest threat came when men from Major General Lafayette McLaws division nearly reached the Union line. Rushing reinforcements to the scene, Porter was able to turn back the attack. Battle of Malvern Hill - Aftermath: As the sun began to set, the fighting died out. During the course of the battle, the Confederates sustained 5,355 casualties while Union forces incurred 3,214. On July 2, McClellan ordered the army to continue its retreat and shifted his men to the Berkeley and Westover Plantations near Harrisons Landing. In assessing the fighting at Malvern Hill, Hill famously commented that: It was not war. It was murder. Though he followed the withdrawing Union troops, Lee was unable to inflict any additional damage. Ensconced in a strong position and backed by the US Navys guns, McClellan began a steady stream of requests for reinforcements. Ultimately deciding that the timid Union commander posed little additional threat to Richmond, Lee began dispatching men north to begin what would become the Second Manassas Campaign. Selected Sources History of War: Battle of Malvern HillBlue Gray Trail: Battle of Malvern HillCWPT: Battle of  Malvern Hill

Renewable Energy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Renewable Energy - Essay Example The Atoms for Peace (2010) described renewable energy as â€Å"a source of energy or power that has the capacity to replenish itself. Renewable energy can sometimes be called infinite energy, because it relies on energy that is in infinite supply. Renewable energy is also considered clean energy, because it does not produce toxins or pollutants that are harmful to the environment in the same manner that non-renewable energy does. Thus, renewable energy is also known as green or clean energy† (Atoms, 2010, pars. 1 & 2). The . The alternative fuel sources such as solar power, wind power, geothermal, biofuel and tidal power have ultimately been proven and needed to sustain life and uphold the objective of providing a cleaner and healthier environment as a legacy to the next generations to come. Potentials for renewable energy sources actually abound. Ironically, despite man’s rapid growth and development, the most plausible alternative sources which remain to be available are the wind, tide and sun. These are not only renewable but perpetual. The essay hereby aims to proffer relevant aspects of hydrogen as fuel for transportation of the future. Specifically, the discourse would perform a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis on hydrogen as a direct combustible fuel for transport by 2025. Inititally, hydrogen would be discussed in terms of qualifying it as a portable energy storage method, rather than a renewable energy, per se. Prior to the presentation of a SWOT analysis on hydrogen as fuel for transport, a general discussion of the benefits of renewable energy would be enumerated, as well as its disadvantages, to highlight evaluative factors of renewable energy, as a whole. The utilization of renewable and alternative energy sources with emphasis on utilizing solar energy, the tides and the wind could provide man with the following benefits. There are advantages which are clearly identified in utilizing alternative fuel sources. Among

Geographical Characteristics of Cyprus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Geographical Characteristics of Cyprus - Essay Example Cyprus experiences a subtropical climate as a benefit from the presence of mountain ranges and vast central plain which is drained by rivers. The quick-developing Cyprus economy is largely indebted to its geographic specifications and the socio-cultural influences of the migrant populations residing in the mainland. This essay will clearly study the geography of Cyprus as an evaluative overview of its climatic, demographic and socio-cultural designs. Topographic Details The charm of the topography of the country is elevated with the mighty stand of Mount Olympus. Geologists like Simmons have always focused this island for its location; Cyprus covers around 9550 square kilometers of land area that lies nearly 65 kilometers south of Turkey and 105 kilometers far from the west of Syria with four major topographic provinces including the coastal belt, the northern range, the southern range, and the central plain (6). Cyprus has a typical climate that experiences warm winters and moderate ly hot summers with a high number of sunshine hours and frequent rains in winter. The country has been renowned for its historical and epical prominence in the European civilization. This small island country is known for its rich mineral wealth, wine produces and extreme natural beauty. Interim volcanoes along the mountains and violent weather conditions across the fertile valleys make the golden-leaf like island a location of might hiding in beauty. In the opinion of Bowman, Goult and Hunt, the prominence of Greek mythology has also helped Cyprus achieve the position as the world’s hottest choice for honeymooners, bird watchers and all kinds of tourists as this island is believed to be the home of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. This Island features home for a wide range of plants and animals that add to its specific beauty. Economic and Political Implications of Geography Salt lakes and salt marshes that lie over a large area of the mainland makes the scarcity of wat er worse; however, there are many rivers that drain the agricultural land and meet the purpose of the population to a great extent. Cyprus is largely an agricultural region where the people engage mostly in livestock production and related trades while a large proportion of the people engage in crop production. According to an expert’s opinion, â€Å"the island’s microclimates and varied topography allow for diversified crop production† (Mirbagheri, 4). Animal husbandry involves the production and sales of milk, egg and meat of different animals. Farmers engaged in the crop production from irrigated farms produce grapes, melons, lemons and bananas while wine grapes, cereals, olives, fodders and almonds are produced mainly depending on rain-fed farms. Spring-summer cultivation of majority of crops Cyprus depend on the stored moisture of the land and deep summer crops depend on irrigation. The crops produced are largely used for the domestic consumption while the surplus is exported mainly to the European Union nations. Certain studies reveal that Cyprus gains around 480milli litter of average annual rain fall – a meager quantity compared to the requirement – a result of which farmers depend on scarce water resources for agricultural purposes (Cyprus Profile). Continuous droughts and volcanoes create water shortage in the central plains of Cyprus that

Is Illegal Immigration Harmful to the United States Essay Example for Free

Is Illegal Immigration Harmful to the United States Essay â€Å"The mighty tides of immigration†¦ bring to us different languages, opinions, customs, and principles†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Immigration opposing views 26). Immigrants from all over the world contribute to the United States by revitalizing cities, building the economy, and bringing their energizing culture to the bland society of America. About 12 million people in the United States are living illegally (scholastic, New York Times Subtitle) only because of the U. S code title 8 1325, which states that you have committed a federal crime if an improper entry has been attempted by an alien (legal information institute par. 1). Illegal immigration should not be considered harmful to the United Sates; hence, it molds society into a multi cultural and prosperous country. The current immigration policy brings tension to family ties and tears them apart. About one million spouses and children wait daily for visas in hopes of reuniting with their families (immigration opposing views 138-139). In some cases children are left behind in the care of their grandparents or uncles, while their parents go in search of a better job and a new life in order to support their family, or go back to their home country to resume their lives while their children get a better education, which causes many children separation anxiety. A reporter interviewed a 23 year old who now is in the process of becoming legal because of the Dream act. From now on she will be known as subject A. She first came here from Nicaragua legally with her mother on the year of 2001 to spend Christmas with her family. She has an older sister (Subject B) who was already here when subject A arrived. Subject B came to the United States from Nicaragua legally in the year of 1998, as her 15th birthday present, as she was visiting a category 5 Hurricane, known as hurricane Mitch struck all of Central America and the Yucatan peninsula but Honduras and Nicaragua were especially hit hard, on October 22 of 1998 (history par. 2 3), which did not allow her to go back to Nicaragua. As a result of all the damage done by the deadly storm the United States lend a helping hand to those countries in need by granting TPS (temporary protected status) to migrants of those countries. Subject B was eligible to receive TPS on January fifth 1999; she was given an employment authorization document (EAD) and was granted travel authorization if it was needed, as well as the reassurance that she could not be removed from the United States. Subject B was not able to fly out, so she had to stay with her mother’s sister also subjects B aunt (subject D). Subject D as very close with subject A and B; they even sometimes saw them as their second parents. Subject A and C had to fly back home, as Subject A had to return to her regular life, as Subject A approached the age of 13 she was told she had a colon disease which could not be treated in Nicaragua because of the lack of technology advancement. She quickly returned to the United States with her mother. As she stayed for about 3 months, her medical conditions worsened, Subject A’s family came to a mutual decision that she should stay in the care of her aunt (subject D) her uncle and her older sister (subject B). Soon after her mother flew back, and subject A was getting accustomed to the fast pace American life. The validity of her visa card came to an end, and she was now an illegal immigrant. She felt comfortable for only about two to three months, little by little she started to shut down and talked less and started to have pessimistic thoughts about life. Growing up as an illegal immigrant Subject A did not fell indifferent, only because she did not now situation she was in. Everything changed once she entered high school; she did not have the ‘normal teenage’ experience. But as she got older she grew to understand and started to have hatred feeling towards her mother for what she called ‘abandoning’ her and her sister. She grew jealous of certain family members because they growing up with both parents and they were able to go to parks with their dads while she went with her sister or aunt. As other kids were learning how to drive and taking the streets on their own, she was not able to, she had no driver’s license and that’s when she was seen as the ‘weirdo’, both Subject A and B had different responsibilities than just the normal chores. Subject B, while in high school worked because she was given the TPS, but she didn’t have the luxury to spend her pay check on herself, she was to send it to her mother back home in Nicaragua. She was starting to have ideas of wishing her mom would supply her financially instead of her, as she saw her teenage friends buy the trendiest clothes while she used thrift shopped clothing items. Subject B had a different experience than her younger sister besides everything, because she was older and was able to build a mother daughter relationship. In school Subject B would be bullied and sometimes harassed, what she saw as jokes because of her lack of understanding for the English language were actually meant as hurtful remarks, which lead her to become insecure about herself and her life. Subject A saw it as betrayal from her mother’s side, and she would have wished her mom was there to experience her first date, prom and several other high school milestones. Not only that but she was rejected from several colleges and universities because she was an undocumented immigrant. She grew frustrated, because she was brought up into a family that saw education as the only thing the government or your peers can’t take away from you, so she was always the top of her class, graduating with a 3. 97 GPA. Just to know that all those study halls, sleepless nights, and put down hangouts with her friends were in the end worth nothing. She was not able to qualify for scholarships, as a legal immigrant would be granted with the grades she acquired. Because of her situation she was charged as an international student, when her life was very well seen as the ‘American’ one. As she saw she had no hopes in enrolling into her dream university she entered a technical school, Robert P. Morgan. She was able to study in there for a few months as a business administrator for a few semesters because of the grants the government would gift certain community colleges to help man young adults in Subject A’s situation. She was later kicked out of the school because of the many budget cuts. Subject A felt as if her hands were tied to her back and she could not do anything to further her future, while she saw her friends and family move on with their lives. Her dreams were shuttered and many doors were closed in her face until they government would pass a bill aiding many illegal young adults in the education aspect of life, which in the 90’s it was not even thought of. As a result they both look back on their experience and are thankful for it. They have grown from it to become independent. Subject A has now been eligible for a driver’s license, id, and work permit because of the Dream Act, thanks to the endless protests and inspiring words of illegal high school and college students along with their teachers, mentors and peers. Once she is done with the lengthened process she will finish school, and hopefully in the near future will open a business that will give kids a helping hand, if it is only by giving them a shoulder to lean on o someone to talk to. As when she was growing up, her community discriminated against ‘aliens’. She would like to show them and lead them through different routes other than the one which many teenagers fall into; ingesting drugs, theft. Subject B did not have as many struggles as Subject A, she was able to wok a well paying job, and did not have to use public transportation everyday to get to and from work. She is now a single parent attending school to acquire her master’s degree in business administration, with a six year old attending kindergarten, which she is proud to know she can share her story with when he reaches and understandable age. Both subject and Subject B are strong believers of the idea that even though adults are not granted a legal life in the United States, illegal children should be. Because by denying them a legal status in this country you are shutting down possible opportunities of them ever having a proper education, a well paying job, and the future they deserve, not only because children are the future for this world but because they do not decide how they are going to live at the age of six. In other cases, parents are the ones who struggle financially and emotionally. Many are willing to leave their families in stable hands to come to the United States crossing borders in dark nights where the only light seen is the moonlight, just to make sure food is being placed every night and day at the dining table, and that their children have clothes to put on their backs. Many adults face discrimination when it comes to jobs, they are given low wages because many employers are aware that their employees are desperate for a job. Furthermore they are faced with abuse and harassment, which many are scared of the consequences if they report their employers, so they tolerate the mistreatment. Others go to sleep with regrets, thinking that maybe if they would have waited they could have found better opportunities, selling illegal drugs at a local corner they would have made it out better. Not only do they face hardships once they have been ‘settles down’ but also while they are crossing borders, many immigrants running away from patrols during their crossings are beaten with batons, fists or even their feet. Others are being tortured in their jail cells by being denied water or food, and many times they are sexually abused by border patrols (immigration opposing viewpoints pg 130-131). Usually the local residents of Arizona and Texas which tend to be Native Americans or anti- immigration citizens do not agree with the ‘felony’, but even though they have committed a crime by chasing the ‘American dream’ they have heard so much about, in an illegal way because it was their only option since all their other doors have been closed, they should not be treated like animals (immigration opposing viewpoints pg. 130-131). They have not taken a life away from the earth; they are only on a search for a better life. Many local residents decide to take matter into their hands and go ‘immigrant hunting’ as a recreational activity, which consists of gong late at night searching for immigrants crossing the border which they can target with their rifles (immigration opposing viewpoints pg. 130-131). Many of the patrol officers are thankful for all the ‘help’ the residents of the area have given them (immigration opposing viewpoints pg. 130-131) Many American citizens tend to see immigration as nothing but a disgrace to this Country. But there are others that strongly disagree. Illegal Immigrants revamp the economy by adding an extra 50 billion dollars of federal income taxes to the economy in the years of 1993 to 2003 (procon. org par. 11). A lot of citizens believe that by abolishing and making several laws to remove illegal immigrants out of this country will only make it better, but by several researches it has been proved that it will only make it worse, annually aliens contribute about 625 billion dollars, in sales tax, home rents, and utility payments (scholastic magazine par. 8). Usually the government just brings new technology to replace several problems in society but this is one is irreplaceable. Americans have to big of an ego to do jobs like clean toilets, work in construction or coal mines, all the work the call ‘scum work’, and these types of jobs are necessary, and illegal immigrants are willing to do it without complaints. Even though there are good amount of aliens that did not obtain doctorate degrees, much less are wealthy, but they do have patience, gratitude and most of all common sense, which gets the work that is looked down upon done. Many media circuits tend to believe that illegal immigrants do nothing but bring down the wages of American citizens, many are yet to be proved right. There are several statistics to prove that this is just false, also as logic and common sense when one gets a hold of something better they will not let go, they will fight for it. Some do receive low wages because they are forced to, but they will not go down without a fight. It might be hard to gain raises for them, but as they have been grown up to believe they will not give up. Sometimes America tends to forget that to empower their economy they need cheap labor. Not only that, but if you were to be unemployed all the aliens, there would still be more than 1. 4 million jobs opened, which cannot be left untaken. There are 8. 1 million illegal immigrants and 7. 5 million unemployed Americans (Houston chronicle 2008). Even if they were to build the highest walls, cannot deny that they need them, the market is talking (Houston chronicle 2008). Employers, men of affairs and industry leaders say immigrants are not a curse they are a blessing. They are still needed for industrial and commercial development, and credit should be given to them for the art they are playing in American industries. Consequently, they should be able to receive certain benefits and be able to use their gaining’s freely, even though many American that live in the immigration zone can say otherwise, it is only common sense to have equality (immigration opposing viewpoints pg. 83). The idea of having open borders throughout the United States scares many, because it may open doors to terrorists and the ones who want to do harm. The rate of illegal immigration is increasing rapidly, which may cause corruption, unless immigrants keep in touch with the technology and ideas of the government (immigration opposing viewpoints pg. 31). The problem seems to be keeping the wrong people out and not letting too many people in (pg. 174), that’s when the idea of putting up a wall seems comforting. â€Å"Immigrants come here to realize the American dream; terrorists come to destroy it† (pg. 174). Terrorists come from all over the world to cause harm to those living in peace, and because of the tragic event that occurred on September 11, it has ruined many opportunities of a bill passing that will legalize illegal aliens. The best thing to do is to allow immigrants into this country but stronger restrictions should come into play, that way the welfare status of the country is safe from fraud (pg. 31-41). By adding regulations it offers all (immigrants and non-immigrants) a comfortable way of living (pg. 31-41). Because certain events have given immigrants a bad representation, they are not welcomed, and the government thinks they have found a solution to their problem by building a wall keeping all the ‘unwanted’ out. The border would cost about 1. 2 million dollars per mile for it to come to life. The wall will have an annual cycle of 25 years, which will cost anywhere from 1. 64 to 70 million dollars to keep it standing (procon. org little did you know? ). Much of this money will come from taxpayers who include teachers, small business owners, and many employees with low income wages. Money will be taken out from their already invisible paycheck to set up a barrier for people who are trying to give a better life to their family by working. As seen to millions of dollars will be needed to withhold the ‘wall’ so many people are willing to put up, and these people are known to be big business owners, the ones that are well off, who don’t mind to pay for something with that high of the cost but they tend to forget about the ones that are already having a bad time as it is. Opening up the borders, will give an immense boost to the economy in the United States because of tourism, work and visitation, and as a result all the bad effects of illegal immigration will soon go away (Latino Americans and immigration laws 2006). The Idea of the U. S. being a melting pot has worn off and is now to be said it is a mosaic, because many newcomers and Natives prefer to keep their own heritages and to mix them than to give up on their traditions in order to adapt to the ‘normal American’ one (Latino Americans and immigration laws pg. 12-13). The United States of America has been known to have a foundation and to be a country of immigrants. Most seem to have been taught that the U. S. was first a British colony, when historians strongly disagree and state that â€Å"it is very clear that Spanish settlers were the first Europeans to have a colony permanently in North America† (pg. 34). Because the United States has been seen as a country of immigrants it is strange to many that there have been several disagreements on whether America should accept foreign born citizens (immigration opposing viewpoints pg. 69). Immigration from all over the world is what keeps the U. S. rowing, a regular American women has an average of 1. 93 children throughout her whole lf time with a replacement rate of 2. 1. With immigrants the U. S. population in 2050 would be 397 million without it would be 328 million. Without immigration illegal or legal the American population will shrink little by little (pg. 82-83). Denying immigrants contradicts the base this country was founded on; as a result we should extend the same welcome to them as our ancestors extended to us (pg. 139). Illegal immigrants should not be seen as harm to the United States; hence it mold society into a multicultural and prosperous country. Due to all the research there should be no doubt that immigration in general, is needed because of the mere fact that it revitalizes out cities, boosts our economy, adds an energizing culture and reinsures our basic values. If one was being persecuted because of basic right like religion and freedom of speech or equalities one should already have or just to chase the infamous ‘American dream’, would you like to be seen as criminal that has committed a felony for something anyone would do if they were to walk a mile in one of the citizens shoes that lives in a underdeveloped country? Several illegal immigrants have devoted their lives to this one country because they have hope for this country and their families, as a result they should be seen and be given equal rights especially those who have not committed any other crime than the one of entering this country illegally.

Free Essays - Troubled Holden in Catcher in the Rye :: Catcher Rye Essays

Troubled Holden in Catcher in the Rye In J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield is portrayed as a young, troubled individual. He tells us his story from the mental institution where he is currently residing. Holden refuses to acknowledge his emotions in regard to the death of his brother Allie. In reaction to Allie's death, Holden hides from himself, his true feelings about change, death and relationships with other people. He does not realize that his Allie died of leukemia three years before this story takes place. Holden speaks highly of his brother. He discusses how Allie was younger than him but fifty times as smart. Holden also tells us that Allie was much more mature for his age then he should have been. This is the basis of Holden's fear of growth and change. The more you grow, the closer to death you find yourself and death is the ultimate change. Reveling in innocence, perfectness, and being untouched by change is the most comfortable pattern of living for Holden: "In chapter 5 when Holden is waiting for Ackley to get ready to go to town, he looks out of the window of his room, opens it, and packs a snowball from the snow on the window ledge. He begins to throw it at a parked car, but doesn't because the car "looked so nice and white". Then he aims at a fire hydrant, but stops again because that also looks "too nice and white". Finally he decides not to throw it at anything and closes the window...What Holden sees through the window is for him a visual embodiment of what he unconsciously seeks: a state of Being which is distinct from the flux of this world of Becoming, with its corruption, violence, noise, decay and death." (Burrows 84) When Holden talks to us about how much he loves the museum, he says that the museum is great because everything just stays behind a piece of glass and does not change. Some things should not change. He is really saying that he doesn't want to change the way Allie changed. Also, he says

Child Devlopment Essay

Cognitive Development consists of imagination, sequencing, problem solving and memory, all these are featured in the boy I observed, Aaron King who was the little boy I chose to observe. He is a four year-old preschooler at the above named learning center. I started observing Aaron at the beginning of their circle time. During the circle time, Aaron amongst other fourteen kids in his classroom, sang the popular American Song: â€Å"IF YOU ARE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT, CLAP YOUR HANDS†¦. † While singing this song, the children’s voices were up and loud which indicated that they enjoyed singing songs. Aaron’s participation was great, he was so excited about the choruses, clapping & stomping of his feet. All the children in turn repeated and imitated all the actions of the teacher; as she needed the audience and focus of the kids for easy understanding of the wordings including choruses of the song. Aaron standing close to two other kids, a boy and a girl sang the song with seriousness while clapping their hands & stomping their feet at the same time. The teacher taught the Safety signs briefly. The children’s literacy is very high while learning safety signs as they were very interested in the emphasis laid in the safety signs. In order to ensure that the children understood what they were taught, the teacher asked Aaron what a particular sign stood for which he answered correctly. For example, stop sign is signified by a red color while â€Å"no bicycle† sign is signified by a cross on a bicycle, so on and so forth. The teacher taught the kids about â€Å"Me† book which described the parts of the body, however, she asked Aaron to touch his hands, elbows & cheek which he did correctly. After singing the clapping song and some other songs, the teacher changed the activity to coloring books. Meanwhile, Aaron moved from one place to another. He jumped and hopped around the classroom showing excitement. At a time, the teacher had to sit him down â€Å"Aaron sit down and do your coloring†¦ † He sat down to color while another boy watched him doing the coloring. Bryan & Joy who sat together sharing the same table with Aaron were also coloring; they also talked to one another in friendly manner while looking at each other’s work. Aaron was as excited as he was coloring his book. He finished his coloring using nice colors to color different animals indicating that he had a good taste. He also made a ship with legos, I asked him why he made a ship, and he told me that he would like to be an architect. Aaron amongst others was able to write their names and figure out pictures on the paper. For example, the letter Bb for ball and drew a line to join the letter to the picture of ball. He was able to do that for all the alphabetic letters to compliment individual pictures on the paper. Soon, Aaron stood up to go to the library; as he got to the place where the inscription of â€Å"Quiet Zone† was, another boy ran towards him and pushed him together with the book that he just picked – â€Å"Alphabet adventure†. He staggered, but he immediately got control of himself while he looked so surprised that he was pushed without doing anything. He reported the matter to the teacher â€Å"Ms. Patty, Josiah push(ed) me†¦ † then the teacher told Josiah to say sorry to Aaron which he did, then they both hugged one another. Thereafter, he went to sit down quietly in the library corner to read his book. He opened up the book so fast as if he knew where to read, then he stirred at a page that really caught his attention and started reading quietly. In summary, Cognitive Development is a very important outcome of learning for preschoolers as they always have their brain developed through creative arts. This consists of imagination, sequencing, problem solving and memory; all these are featured in the boy I observed. Acting drama is acting another character by putting on the costumes – for example, acting as a professional doctor or a lawyer or a nurse can be an eye opener to the preschoolers on what profession they may aspire to be in the near future; Aaron wants to be an architect, he says he likes to put up beautiful buildings. A good imaginative skill is very important for preschoolers to become smart; similarly, sequencing – doing things in an orderly manner is also a good learning skill. Ultimately, Aaron Kingsland has all these qualities. Child Development 201 A Preschool Language & Literacy Development Observation Child’s Name: Aaron Kingsland (An imaginary name) Date: October 7th, 2011 Time: 9:00am – 11:30am. Observer’s Name: —————————————- Location:Early Creativity Learning Center Classroom LANGUAGE & LITERACY DEVELOPMENT OBSERVATION OF A PRESCHOOLER – 4 YEARS OLD. My observation of language and literacy in a preschool classroom for children of four and five years old was interesting. Aaron Kingsland (four years old) was the preschooler at the above named learning center whom I chose to observe. I started observing Aaron at the beginning of their circle time. The kids in the classroom were seventeen in number – eight girls and nine boys. I observed Aaron in particular in the class for two and half hours from the beginning of the circle time till the end. The primary language used by the teacher was English; Aaron also speaks same language as well as the whole class. Language is said to be a means of communicating ideas, & feelings. There are four basic developmentally appropriate practices and clear language outcomes in the preschool classroom I observed. They are Literacy Development, Intellectual, Physical, Social and Emotional Developments. Literacy is a very important developmental appropriate practice. The four basic skills which young children need are Speaking, Listening, Writing and Reading. These were ultimately displayed by Aaron in the circle time activities performed that morning. During the circle time, Aaron amongst other seventeen kids in his classroom, started to sing the popular American Song: â€Å"IF YOU ARE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT, CLAP YOUR HANDS†¦. † If you are happy and you know it, clap your hands†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ } Thrice. If you are happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. } If you are happy and you know it, clap your hands†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ } If you are happy and you know it, stamp your feet †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦} Thrice. If you are happy and you know it, nod your head †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ } Thrice. If you are happy and you know it, do all three †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. } Thrice. While singing this song, the children’s voices were up and loud which indicated that they enjoyed singing songs. Aaron’s participation was great, he was so excited about the choruses, clapping & stomping of his feet. All the children in turn repeated and imitated all the actions of the teacher; as she needed the audience and focus of the kids for easy understanding of the wordings including choruses of the song. Aaron standing close to two other kids, a boy and a girl sang the song with seriousness while clapping their hands & stomping their feet at the same time. The teacher taught the Safety signs briefly. The children’s literacy is very high while learning safety signs as they were very interested in the emphasis laid in the safety signs. In order to ensure that the children understood what they were taught, the teacher asked Aaron what a particular sign stood for which he answered correctly. For example, stop sign is signified by a red color while â€Å"no bicycle† sign is signified by a cross on a bicycle, so on. After singing, the teacher changed the activity to coloring books. Meanwhile, Aaron moved from one place to another. He jumped and hopped around the classroom showing excitement. At a time, the teacher had to sit him down â€Å"Aaron sit down and do your coloring†¦ † He sat down to color while another boy watched him doing the coloring. All the Children talked and cooperated with one another in friendly manner. Bryan & Joy who sat together sharing the same table with Aaron were also coloring; they also talked to one another in friendly manner while looking at each other’s work. Aaron was as excited as he was coloring his book. He finished his coloring using nice colors to color different animals indicating that he had a good taste. Soon, Aaron went to the library and sat close to the place where the inscription of â€Å"Quiet Zone† was hanging. He picked a book – â€Å"Alphabet adventure†. He went to report a boy who pushed him on his way to the library to his teacher, he said†¦ â€Å"Ms. Patty, Josiah push(ed) me†¦ † The teacher took an appropriate action by telling Josiah to say sorry to Aaron and he did, then they both hugged one another. Thereafter, he went to sit down quietly in the library corner to read his book. He opened up the book so fast as if he knew where to read, then he stirred at a page that really caught his attention and started reading quietly and studiously. In summary, Language and Literacy development is the use of words to communicate ideas, listen and comprehend others’ ideas. Reading, talking and expressing what they do and following directions go a long way for preschoolers Through reading, Aaron amongst other peers has book knowledge, comprehension and appreciation of what he read. More importantly, literacy goes a long way in our society and even in the world.

Dorothy Parker Essay

Dorothy Parker was an extraordinary woman. Extraordinary in her writings and extraordinary in what she achieved with her writings. Her books of poems and her short stories were bestsellers and her columns in The New Yorker were extremely popular. She was one of the only women and a central figure of the Algonquin Hotel Round Table, where all the great literary geniuses of her time would eat their lunch. Newspaper columnists qouted her and two Broadway plays were written about her. Briefly,she was one of the most talked about woman of her time. What is striking is that her fame came from her writings. So much fame for a woman’s writings is unusual nowadays but let aside in her time. And besides that she was not a minor writer but her literary output in the end was quite small: two volumes of short stories and three of poetry. The last decade of the nineteenth century and the first two decades of the twentieth was a time of large scale political movements and social changes among women. A new generation of women writers emerged with Dorothy Parker as their most famous one. More oppurtunities for writers existed before the dominance of radio film and television. The newspapers and magazines flourished and only the area of New York City alone published 25 daily newspapers. The â€Å"New Women† as they were labeled were worried with winning women’s rights: the vote, education, economic freedom, acces to a career and a public voice. These women were educated and progressive and wanted a break with the conservative past. Women writers of the era did not see marrying and having children as their ultimate goal in life. They rejected the traditional women’s sphere and claimed a the territory of arts that had been a complete male territory before. Many feared to be thought of as â€Å"women writers†. Dorothy Parker said that her most fervent prayer had been â€Å"Please, God, don’t let me write like a woman†. Parker’s writings on the other hand were for the most part confined to women and to what is important to them. What made Parker so succesfull? What made that era crave her writings? In order to understand Parker’s succes we need to view her works in the context of the time they were written. Dorothy Parker was born in 1893. The most striking evidence of change of the role of women in society at that time was the emergence of the college educated and self supporting new woman. By 1870 there were eleven thousand women students enrolled in higher education (21 procent of all students) and a decade later there were forty thousand women students enrolled in higher education (32 procent of all students). After they graduated they had to choose between a traditional role of domesticity and young marriage or a career of paid work. On August 26, 1920 women officially earn the right to vote by the 19th Amendment. Although women did not become a strong political force right after that the Amendment did increase the power of women to effect change. Another important aspect of the changes in women’s postion in society these years was the first world war. Although the United States participated in the war for a relatively short time and did people not really have a clue about what was going on in Europe the war did change American culture significantly. More than four million American men were were mobilized and sent off to Europe. One of the outcomes of this was that women entered the workforce in increasing numbers. Working not in only jobs that were particulary feminine jobs like nursing but also in offices and factories, in stores and governmental agencies and more. Women found themselves working in previously male-dominated fields and they were earning higher wages than in the past. These changes gave women a new notion of indepedence and self-confidence. In 1920 23.6% of the workforce was female with 8.6 million females, ages 15 and up, working outside the home. In 1920, for the first time in American history more people (54.3 million) live in cities than rural areas (51.4). As people became to move into the cities their lifesty les changed. Cities have more activities like going to the theater and nightclubs. Women in the cities were more likely to work in restaurants or offices and other locations that took them away from home. All these factors together created an environment of freedom that women had never seen in the past. One of the most visble outcomes of this freedom was the emergence of the Flapper girl. The breakdown of the Victorian sexual norms was a gradual process but slowely the American society was ready for newer ideas about sexual norms. The young working class woman had been known for her flamboyant dresses and love of nightlife and dancing. .They were relatively economically autonomous and freed either by work or school from intense familial supervision, and began to find a more individualistic culture for themselves. Women’s appearance changed to a slender and smaller silhouette no longer restricted by petticoats and corsets.When the war began women started to favor more practical, shirtwaist-style dresses. These dresses gave more freedom of movement and a greater exposure of skin. First they inched up to calf length then up to knee length. Flappers didn’t show their feminime curves, cut their hair short and wore dark eyeshadow. As the United States was becoming more and more urban, industrial production increased by 60 percent during this decade while population growth was 15%. Mass production requires mass consumption. Advertising became more important tempting people to purchase the latest fashions and newest cars and spend money on nightclubs and restaurants in the cities. For women this industrial production meant that they were more likey to have vacuum cleaners, washing machines, refrigarators and other household appliances that lightened their household work. This increased their leisure time. Advertisements targeted women in the 1920’s. Women seemed to have more economic power than before and seemed to be in charge of the households money. However these advertisements still reflected traditional thinking of the women’s role in society. These advertisements stressed domesticity and pleasing men over any message of independence. Dorothy Parker was born at the very start of this period of the â€Å"modern woman†. While men and women were now equal under the law, discrimination against women still persisted. Throughout the 1920’s and 1930’s women were still struggling against restrictions. For example, in several states women were denied to serve on juries till 1940. The economic advances for women, too, were minimal. There was still a strong sexual division of labor. Discrimiantion in family responsibilities, education, salaries and promotions remained plentiful. During the depression women lost the gains made in the career world during the 1920s. And a renewed emphasis on the woman at home crushed the recently gained hopes for equality. More and more a stereoype emerged that women during the 1920s were sexually active (the Flapper) but politically apathetic. Parker’s work points a sharp finger at that stereotype and defies is. She keenly points out the ongoing struggles for women to break free. Parker began her professional life in 1915 when she went to work as a caption writer for Vogue at a salary of ten dollar a week. By 1917 she transferred to Vanity Fair and worked for editor Frank Crowninshield until 1920. From 1919 to 1923 Parker wrote poems, sketches, essays and columnd for more than thirty-five different literary journals and magazines. Parker’s first poem â€Å"Any porch† pubished in Vanity Fair in september 1915 presents nine different female voices who discuss various topics as the vote for women, a game of bridge, someones new haircut and the war in France. In 1916 she wrote a series of â€Å"hate songs†, satiric descriptions of husbands and wives, actors and actresses, relatvies and so on. These â€Å"hate songs† made Parker very popular. She soon began to build a reputation as a sophisticated young writer with a witty message. In 1926 her first collection of poems was published. Parker soon played a distinctive voice calling for equality and social independence for women. This distinctive voice calling for equality and social independence for women was not out there in a way the feminist movements of that era were calling for it. This voice was hidden between the lines of her poems and stories. â€Å"The Waltz† was published in The New Yorker in september 1933. The story reflects the thoughts and conversation of a girl who is dancing a waltz with a man who dances very badly. He steps al over her feet and kicks her in the shin every so often. She keeps saying that she’s not tired, that it didn’t hurt when he kicked her and when she gets past all feeling, the orchestra finally comes to a stop. When it does, she tells him that she wishes he’d tell them to play the same thing. She said that she would simply adore to go on waltzing even though she hates it. The two voices in this short story reflect the contrast between a polite public voice and a witty and angry private voice. These two voices reflect a clear statement of the w oman’s outward conformity and inward rebellion. In this way the two voices in â€Å"The Waltz† are metaphoric for the woman’s powerlessness. Right from the start of the story it is clear that the woman does not want to dance with this man. She does not want to dance at all but definitely not with this man. But still she gets up and dances with him. Parker is trying to point out that there is not that many young women out there who say what they think. There is not really an alternative for the woman in this story, how can she be rude? She can’t be rude to a man who asks her to dance. Women after all were supposed to please men. Parker does not judge the woman in this story for not saying what she thinks. She is not trying to bring young women who act like that down. She just simply wrote down how things like this work in a woman’s head and letting the world know that woman do not always smile from the inside when they smile from the outside. In 1929 Parker published another short story with an hidden message about gender roles. In â€Å"Big Blonde† Parker tells the story of a talented woman, Hazel Morse. Men seem to like her and as Parker wrote â€Å"Men liked her, and she took it for granted that the liking of men was a desirable thing†. Hazel Morse wants men to like her and â€Å"she never pondered if she might not be occupied doing something else†. She had been working for a couple years untill she met her husband. They got married and in the beginning everything seems fine. As the story goes on it becomes clear that Hazel Morse’s life revolves around pleasing her husband while she is so bored and unhappy at home. She gets divoced and gets married again a couple times but in the end in all her marriages and in the rest of her life she is never occupied with anything else than a desire for men to like her. One other desire Hazel Morse has is a desire for nice furniture and clothing. With every men that comes in to her life Parker describes wheter he is rich or not and what he buys for Hazel Morse. All this stuff does not make her happy either. At the end of the story Hazal Morse tries to commit suicide. What Parker tried to point out here is that women like Hazal Morse are only occupied by a desire for men to like them. This constant desire in the end makes women unhappy because they do not ask themselves what they want for themselves. She also targeted the new american consuming culture in this story. Parker stated that nice clothes and nice furniture are not going to make women happy in the end. Again, just as in â€Å"The Waltz† Parker does not judge Hazal Morse for her actions. But she does make very clear that the life of women who never ponder if they might be occupied with something else than pleasing men is not going to end well. In her stories on gender relations Parker did not criticize women directly but she does have short stories and poems in where she criticized women directly. In one of her early poems (1916) called â€Å"Women: A Hate song† she writes in the first paragraph of the poem how much she hates domestic women. She thought they were â€Å"the worst†. In her poem she groupes them together, there are no individual housewives they are all just as worse. They claim to all be always happy in Parkers view and all they do is hurry home to provide dinner for her family. The rest of their days are filled with making dresses and trying out recipes. Parker, by saying that she hates â€Å"the domestic ones† the most of all made a clear statement about the traditional role of women in society. She hated it. She hated the idea of women staying at home their whole lifes to take care of their families. Interesting is that she did not only criticize housewives but she also became known fo r her condemnation of the flapper. In her poem, â€Å"The Flapper† written in 1922 she starts her poem of by saying that flappers are innocent. Then she continues to say that flappers are not â€Å"what grandma used to be†. Women wanted to break from the traditions from the generations before them but in the way Parker said it in this poem it is not meant as a compliment. She also says that flappers are â€Å"girlish†. By saying this it becomes clear that Parker did not take them serious. They were not serious and grown up women but they were all young girls. She then continues to say that there is no more harm in them â€Å"than in a submarine†. Which clearly means that Parker thought they were capable of doing damage to the whole society. She also writes that the flapper girl is not â€Å"in control† and that people only focus on their pranks. They are only noticed for their unruly behaviour and not for any good that they do. She ends this poem by saying that the Flapper girls are young and that the life the live is a rough one. This poem makes clear that Parker did not agree with the way the Fl apper girls were trying to break with the past. The way the Flapper girls were trying to challenge the norm was not the best or most productive in Parker’s eyes. â€Å"Men seldom make passes, at girls who wear glasses† is one of Parkers most famous quotes. The quote was not actually written as a quote but as a poem in 1926 under the title â€Å"News Item†. In one line Parker was able to describe that men were usually not charmed by the smart women in society. (Since glasses are associated with intelligence or education). The modern woman had achieved more equality in education but as Parker describes men did not seemed to like these educated women. The major themes in Parkers writings are a lack of communication between women and men, disintegration of relationships, motherhood, women’s emotional dependency upon men, the selfishness of the wealthy and the danger of empitness in women’s lives. Her audience was broad. She managed to write for men and women of different social classes. The purpose of a writer was in Parkers opinion â€Å"to say what he feels and sees†. â€Å"Those who write fantasies† she did not consider artists. This nation of â€Å"to say what he feels and sees† made her stories extremely recognizable. In one of her short stories â€Å"A telephone call† Parker describes a woman waiting for a man to call her. The man had promised to call her at 5 and at 7 he still has not called. Parker described what goes through the woman’s mind. Anyone who has ever waited on a wanted telephone call knows exactely what the woman in the story goes trough because Parker sets out t he woman’s thoughts in so much detail. Her writings are satiric, which makes them fun and easy to read but behind and between the lines there is a clear message. A lot of the times this message were convictions on the existing gender relations in society. From her writings it becomes clear that Parker was a feminist. Later in her life she was quoted saying â€Å"I’m a feminist and God knows I’m loyal to my sex, and you must remember that from my very early days, when this city was scarcely safe from buffaloes, I was in the struggle for equal rights for women.† She did however never join one of the organized feminists movements. The feminist movements of her time convicted the gender relations in a more serious and less humourous way. Her talent to convict these gender relations in a humourous way are undoubtly one of the reasons of her succes. The majority of the people was not interested in reading serious and bitter comments on the gender relations. In her â€Å"New Item† poem she could have said: â€Å"Men are sexist pigs who want to hold women in the kitchen were they belong.† Instead of that she wrote a brilliantly witty poem that everyone knows untill today. Dorothy Parker might have been a feminist secretely fighting for women’s rights, she did not wanted to be associated with any sort of woman. In her short story â€Å"Women: a hate song† she basically stated that she hates every sort of woman. From the housewives to the Flappers. Parker wanted women to take advantage of the rights they had attained and she did not feel like enough women were doing that. What she rejected most of all were the standards for female writing and thinking. One of her biographers Marion Maede wrote that Parker did not presented herself so much â€Å"as a bad girl† but as a â€Å"bad boy, a firecracker who was agressively proud of being tough, quirky, feisty.† Parker’s writings satisfied a craving for comments on this â€Å"modern women† and the new gender relations that were a part of that. Women in American society on the one hand were happy on the one hand with their new achievements of equality between men and women. On the other hand, they were dissapointed in the actual changes. Not only were the achievements in equality by law, in economic advances and education not what they had hoped for, they were also dissapointed in the new image of a stereotype women who was sexually liberated but in every way was the minor in relationships between woman and man. These dissapointments and discriminations of the modern women were not out on the surface. No one would have probably even been able to explain at that time what these dissapointments and discriminations exactly were. Dorothy Parker could see the friction underneath the surface of a sophistication-thirsty, consumer-obsessed American society. In her short stories and her poems she was able to point a sharp finger at all these dissapointments and discriminations. She was able to do that in a humourous satiric way. Not in bold statements, but in a subtile way behind and between the lines of her writings. Her greatest achievement was that her writings were attractive to read for women and men. Popular writing for both sexes would be a great achievement nowadays but even more in that era in which the tensions between gender relations were at its sharpest. All these things combined made Parker succesfull in making her readers observe modern culture in a different way, and they all loved reading it. Bunkers, Suzanne L. Dorothy Parker as Feminist and Social Critic (1987). Evans, Sara M. Born for liberty. A history of women in America (New York 1989). Keats, John. You might as well live. The life and times of Dorothy Parker (New York 1970). Keyser, Catherine. Girls who wear glasses. In A New Literaty History of America edited by Wernes Sollors and Griel Marcus (Harvard 2012). Parker, Dorothy. Complete Poems (1999). Parker, Dorothy. Here Lies. The Collected Stories of Dorothy Parker (New York 1933). Sagert, Kelly Boyer. Flappers: A Guide to an American Subculture (2010). ——————————————– [ 1 ]. John Keats, You might as well live. The life and times of Dorothy Parker (New York 1970) 9. [ 2 ]. Colleen Breese, introduction in Dororthy Parker Complete Poems (1999) xvi. [ 3 ]. Colleen Breese, introduction in Dororthy Parker Complete Poems (1999) xvi. [ 4 ]. Colleen Breese, introduction in Dororthy Parker Complete Poems (1999) xvi. [ 5 ]. Sara M. Evans, Born for liberty. A history of women in America (New York 1989) 147. [ 6 ]. Sagert, Kelly Boyer Flappers xiv. [ 7 ]. Sagert, Kelly Boyer Flappers xiv. [ 8 ]. Evans, Sara M Born for liberty 161. [ 9 ]. Evans, Sara M Born for liberty 161. [ 10 ]. Sagert, Kelly Boyer Flappers 15. [ 11 ]. Sagert, Kelly Boyer Flappers 20. [ 12 ]. Colleen Breese, introduction in Dororthy Parker Complete Poems (1999) xxv. [ 13 ]. Colleen Breese, introduction in Dororthy Parker Complete Poems (1999) xxvi. [ 14 ]. Colleen Breese, introduction in Dororthy Parker Complete Poems (1999) xxvi. [ 15 ]. Colleen Breese, introduction in Dororthy Parker Complete Poems (1999) xix. [ 16 ]. Colleen Breese, introduction in Dororthy Parker Complete Poems (1999) xix. [ 17 ]. Colleen Breese, introduction in Dororthy Parker Complete Poems (1999) xxvi. [ 18 ]. Catherine Keyser, Girls who wear glasses, in A New Literary History of America, edited by Werner Sollors and Griel Marcus (Harvard 2012).

Majority Language - Definition and Examples

Majority Language s A majority language is the language thats usually spoken by a majority of the population in a country or in a region of a country. In a multilingual society, the majority language is generally considered the high-status language. It is also called the dominant language or killer language, in contrast with minority language. As Dr. Lenore Grenoble points out in the Concise Encyclopedia of Languages of the World (2009), The respective terms majority and minority for Languages A and B are not always accurate; speakers of Language B may be numerically greater but in a disadvantaged social or economic position which makes the use of the language of wider communication attractive. Examples and Observations [P]ublic institutions in the most powerful Western nations, the U.K., the United States, France, and Germany, have been monolingual for over a century or more with no significant movement toward challenging the hegemonic position of the majority language. Immigrants have not generally challenged the hegemony of these nations and have usually assimilated rapidly, and none of these countries has faced the linguistic challenges of Belgium, Spain, Canada, or Switzerland. (S. Romaine, Language Policy in Multinational Educational Contexts. Concise Encyclopedia of Pragmatics, ed. by Jacob L. Mey. Elsevier, 2009) From Cornish (Minority Language) to English (Majority Language) Cornish was formerly spoken by thousands of people in Cornwall [England], but the community of Cornish speakers did not succeed in maintaining its language under the pressure of English, the prestigious majority language and national language. To put it differently: the Cornish community shifted from Cornish to English (cf. Pool, 1982). Such a process seems to be going on in many bilingual communities. More and more speakers use the majority language in domains where they formerly spoke the minority tongue. They adopt the majority language as their regular vehicle of communication, often mainly because they expect that speaking the language gives better chances for upward mobility and economic success. (Renà © Appel and Pieter Muysken, Language Contact and Bilingualism. Edward Arnold, 1987) Code-Switching: The We-Code and the They-Code The tendency is for the ethnically specific, minority language to be regarded as the we code and become associated with in-group and informal activities, and for the majority language to serve as the they code associated with more formal, stiffer and less personal out-group relations. (John Gumperz, Discourse Strategies. Cambridge University Press, 1982) Colin Baker on Elective and Circumstantial Bilingualism Elective bilingualism is a characteristic of individuals who choose to learn a language, for example in the classroom (Valdà ©s, 2003). Elective bilinguals typically come from majority language groups (e.g. English-speaking North Americans who learn French or Arabic). They add a second language without losing their first language. Circumstantial bilinguals learn another language to function effectively because of their circumstances (e.g. as immigrants). Their first language is insufficient to meet their educational, political and employment requirements, and the communicative needs of the society in which they are placed. Circumstantial bilinguals are groups of individuals who must become bilingual to operate in the majority language society that surrounds them. Consequently, their first language is in danger of being replaced by the second language- subtractive context. The difference between elective and circumstantial bilingualism is important because it immediately locates diff erences of prestige and status, politics and power among bilinguals. (Colin Baker, Foundations of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 5th ed. Multilingual Matters, 2011) [U]ntil recently, bilinguals have often been wrongly portrayed negatively (e.g. as having a split identity, or cognitive deficits). Part of this is political (e.g. prejudice against immigrants; majority language groups asserting their greater power, status and economic ascendancy; those in power wanting social and political cohesion around monolingualism and monoculturism).However, the portrayal of bilinguals varies internationally. In some countries (e.g. India, parts of Africa and Asia), it is normal and expected to be multilingual (e.g. in a national language, an international language and one or more local languages). In other countries, bilinguals are typically immigrants and seen as causing economic, social and cultural challenges to the dominant majority. . . . With both immigrant and indigenous minorities, the term minority is decreasingly defined in terms of smaller numbers in the population and increasingly as a language of low prestige and low in power relative to the majo rity language. (Colin Baker, Bilingualism and Multilingualism. The Linguistics Encyclopedia, 2nd ed., edited by Kirsten Malmkjaer. Routledge, 2004)

Customer Insight Research Paper

Customer Insight Research Paper Customer Insight Research Paper Introduction The aim of the interview of the interview was to find out some of the factors that motivate customers to choose online shopping and the factors that motivate other customers to opt for off-line sopping. The interview also sought to know and to establish the behavior patterns between the two groups of consumers, online and off-line shoppers. In the interview, customers started by identifying themselves either as online or offline shoppers, after which the interviewer asked them to describe the main reasons that motivate their mode of purchase, as well as their purchase patterns. The main reason of choosing questions aimed at identifying the motivation factors was to find out the differences between the two groups. For instance, a question such as; â€Å"why do you choose to buy products online?† was included in the interview questions because it gives the customer an opportunity to give a direct response that would give the interviewer a clear understanding of some of the factors. Analysis of Results The results of the online shoppers indicated that 45 percent of people in a highly competitive business environment would get out of the shops and make online payments at a discount of 2.5 percent. This shows that customers opting for online shopping and payment are enticed by the low price offers that retailers and wholesalers provide for such payments. The percentage increases to 60 percent for those customers who choose online shopping after getting a discount as high as 5 percent for all the purchases they make. Similarly, when retailers offer high discount rates which may reach 20 percent, only 13 percent of shoppers remain in selling stores to complete their purchases. These results are substantial evidence that online discounts are a motivating factor that influences the customers’ decision to purchase goods online. The survey also found out that the most common products bought online are electronics such as TVs, movies game items, laptops and audio equipment. However, many online shoppers showed little concern for home appliances such as fryers, kettles and vacuum cleaners. During the interview, the results also showed that show- rooming behavior is also significant feature that leaves many mortar and brick sellers with few offline customers. Many online customers reveled that show-rooming is anew habit that gives them an opportunity to compare prices from one store to another, just by the use of their mobile phones. Online customers also mentioned carrying out price comparisons from one in-store to another is more expensive compared to online stores. Online customers have changed their shopping to use the in-store premises as a step in their purchase processes, and not as the final point. Consumers decide to shop their household products because of instrumental reasons to achieve certain goals and because of experiential motives (Arnould Wallendorf, 1994, pp 486). However, in the interview, goal oriented customers tend to more common than experiential and instrumental oriented customers. Based on the interview, the interviewers employed 5 online and 5 offline groups and many online customers attributed their behavior to availability of information about the product, wide range of products and the opportunity to avoid unwanted contacts such as spouses or sales agents in the retail premises. The goal oriented online shopping gives rise to experiences that are too involving for customers (Batra Ahtola, 1999, pp 167), but which leads to little commitment to the buyers. Customers indicated that they buy online when they want, and have the convenience to abandon the shopping cart when they feel the products on sale are not pleasant. Whereas some customers ware more likely to explain their offline shopping rather than online shopping in experiential purposes, there was more experiential motivation for customers who choose to shop online than the offline shoppers. On the other hand, offline shoppers attribute their motivation to the social aspect and experiential benefits associated with visits to retail and wholesale in-stores. Many of these buyers describe online shopping as never enjoyable and sociable. They also described their liking for offline shopping as an opportunity to ask for a lot of information about the products they purchase. Others claimed that in- store purchases offers after sales services that many online stores were found to be lacking. Because of information security reasons (Citrin, Sprott, Silverman Stem, 2000, pp 298), some offline shoppers did indicate lack of trust that their card numbers and identification documents were safe if used to pay for goods online. A good number of off-line shoppers also indicated that the opportunity to bargain for good commodity prices motivates them to make purchases from in-store retailers since it enables them to save a lot of money. Another factor given by the offline shoppers for the dislike of online shopping is the difficulty experienced when inspecting a product or service that retailers sell online. This is attributed to internet shortcomings that do not enable a customer to employ other senses such a touch or taste, and consumers have to rely only on sight. Other offline customers dislike online shopping because of the fact that they have to wait for the product delivery, especially in cases of overseas shopping. Risks such as pilferage, perishable products and damage during transportation highly discourage some customers from shopping online (Chen Tan, 2004, pp 78). In this group of shoppers, the psychological risks are perceived to be more demotivating than even the financial risks. Thus, any initiatives by retailers to offer discounts on online goods and series does not some offline shoppers to change their shopping decisions. Customer behavior literature According to Foucault and Scheufele (2002, pp 411), in a study involving 1000 customers in the US, researchers used multiple hypothetical scenarios of showrooms of ten items with different prices to find out the behavior of online customers. The results showed that 44 percent of online customers used mobile phones to influence their purchase choices when purchasing goods online. The researchers also found out that when the price difference between the online and in-store products is more than 5 dollars, customers showed a preference for the online products. This is similar to the views given by online customers in the interviews conducted to understand consumer behavior for online shoppers. The US research further profiled their customers based on age and gender, and the outcome of the study indicated that young female shoppers made online purchases more frequently than any other age bracket. On the other hand, old male shoppers whose minimum age is 50 years came out as the group of shoppers who were easily swayed to make purchases offline in retail stores. Other customers who happened to get advice from sales agents were 12.5 percent likely to make purchases offline. The results of this study are similar to the outcome of the interviews conducted in the group survey, since many of the choices that a majority of shoppers made are similar in motive and influence. According to Wachman (2012, pp 14), people spent nearly 8 billion US dollars in December 2011 on goods bought 0onine despite the difficulty shopping experiences that are usually associated with the month of December. According to the Capgemini research, a business consultancy organization, people spent remarkable 68 billion US dollars online in the year 2011. This is an indication that the number f online shoppers is ever growing as people move from the conventional culture of in-store purchases. According to Graham (2012), in UK, online purchases account for 17 percent of the total retail business, and this predicted to increase with the growth in mobile technology. The number of retailers launching online stores is also growing at a remarkable rate. Other literature sources indicate that utilitarian or goal oriented shopping is understood to be rational, deliberate and efficient (Kelly, 1998, pp 45). Therefore, the online search provides the medium for this task because the costs associated with dramatically lower than in in-store search. Moreover, some shoppers prefer to carry out efficient searches on the online stores with remarkably few clicks of the computer to obtain the details they need. In line with the objectives of goal oriented online search, shoppers who employ internet services in their purchase tasks end up saving a lot of time. According to Modahl (2000, pp 67), some customers do not perceive online purchases to be shopping; rather they perceive it to be a â€Å"buying† experience. As well, other online shoppers believe that they only decide to buy products online when they are convinced that they need the particular product, which further describes online shopping to be attracting a majority of customers who have a planned activity. Some online shopping surveys indicated that offline shoppers are more impulsive than online shoppers, because of limited accessibility and convenience and the influence by sales people in retail stores. Unlike online shopping (Rayport, Sviokla, 1999, pp 89), offline shoppers are proud of the personal associations they establish with business owners, which can help them build loyalty. Such loyal customers have the advantage of accessing goods on credit, or on hire purchase agreements, a feature that online shoppers are denied. Other customers who enjoy using senses beyond the sense of sight are well placed to fulfill their pleasure by shopping online since in- store commodities provide them with the opportunity to touch, feel, smell or even taste some of the goods before they pay form them. As observed in the analysis of results in the section above, this was one of the reason some customers prefer getting goods from an in-store retail, as opposed to online stores. Some businesses perceive offline shopping to be appropriate over online shopping because it helps them manage the products that customers buy. For instance, as much a restaurant can employ online advertisement services, it cannot manage to serve its clients online (To, Liao Lin, 2007, pp 778). Similarly, an auto dealer may not be effective by leasing a car online, because of security and lease agreement procedures and requirements. Marketing strategy and recommendations In order to reap from the changes in consumer behavior, retailers have to be keen when designing their marketing techniques. A lot of focus should be on the provision of goods based on location and population features. As observed in the analysis of results, young female shoppers are most likely to spend more money shopping online than older male who are easily swayed by sales agents. Thus products which female consumers need to be marketed or sold online, while products meant for the old generation can be kept in in-retail premises. Many brands sold to the middle and low market ends continue to report poor sales results, while luxurious products that target high end customers are continuing to generate profits. This scenario is partly attributed to the spending behavior of consumers spending [patterns whereby middle and low income consumers are squeezed by inflation, while the wealthy are continuing to earn goo d income. In order to cope up with these market changes, retailers and wholesalers have to employ a wide range of marketing strategies that target each group of consumers in the market. E-retail business activities remain a significant component of the broad retail trend (Spiggle, 1994, pp 498), and marketers have to incorporate it in all the strategic company plans. Despite the reduction in consumers’ disposable income, online shopping continues to record impressive sales growth every year. In order to motivate a number of offline shoppers who are demotivated to shop online by psychological factors, retailers and companies need to implement appropriate initiatives that address the psychological concerns of such customers. Online grocery businesses are in the most sophisticated field, and to make the business efficient, they can give consumers the chance to choose the nearest collection and deliver points that enable consumers to access the products in reasonable time. Availability of storage facilities and frozen food is also a technique to see business people benefit from online ventures. It is worth noting that dealing with consumable goods such as drinks vegetables or fruits need a high standard of hygiene; thus, retailers need to ascertain the hygiene levels of the agents they appoint to distribute goods on the retailers’ behalf. By putting in place measures to encourage online shoppers develop loyalty in commodities and brands, organizations and companies need to incorporate information security protocols that will assure buyers of the safety of their bank accounts, and the need to trust the websites. Once customers are convinced that their details are safe, retailers will be able to provide for the needs of customers in order to attract other buyers.

PROPERTY ECONOMICS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

PROPERTY ECONOMICS - Essay Example The report establishes that there a number of micro and macro economic factors strongly account for rental volatility in the non-residential property market. These factors ranged from changes in the demand and supply for commercial property, the level of industrialization, interest rates, and government policy on economic and regional development. This report about rental volatility in the commercial property market is divided into four sections. The first section would look at the cyclical movements in rental volatility, resulting from the interaction of the micro and macro economics factors, as well as government policy on economic and regional development. The second section would make an investigative view on why this rental volatility has witnessed marked variations on a regional basis. Then the third section would give an outline of the extent to which government planning has influenced rental volatility in the commercial property market. Subsequently, the role of government and council reforms in determining the frequency and extent of rental volatility would be examined in the fourth section. Finally, there would be a section for conclusion on the trend of rental volatility in the commercial property market. Ball et al (2002) hold that the commercial property markets consist of thousands of parcels of l... This makes it difficult for a property to be a perfect substitute of the other. In the context of property economics, Jackson and Watkins (2007) opine that rent refers to the price mechanism that balances the demand and supply property to achieve equilibrium in four interlinked markets: the user market, the development market, the financial asset market, and the land market. The volatility cycle would now be viewed in the above ways. They further argue that in the user market, the payments a firm makes in order to use a given amount of commercial property for a particular time period is called building rent. It acts as the key signal to agents active in the market, and, through its rises and falls, clears these markets by equating the quantity supplied with that demanded. According to Ball et al (2002), rent volatility in the property market can best be explained using the DiPasquale and Wheaton framework. The equation, according to Dobson and Goddard (1992), maintains that property rents are a function of industrial investment in leasing or buying or new property, the floor space and geographical location. This means that the higher the rate of industrial investment, the higher would be the demand for commercial property. This would certainly drive up the price of property without any certainty in the supply. A look at the demand and supply curve would help clarify this scenario. Market forces on the demand and supply of property Price D1 D2 S P2 P1 Q1 Q2 Property demanded/supplied For instance, the above diagram shows a typical situation in an increase in the demand for property. In the diagram, there is