Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Schizophrenia Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments Free Essay Example, 1500 words

The recent evidence provided by GWAS and other studies examines the validity related to the binary categorical diagnostic classification for both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The GWAS further looks at the implications for the disorders when approaching from a scientific and clinical point of view. Other recent findings from GWAS in schizophrenia suggest common risk alleles despite being substantial is insufficient in terms of accounting for all genetic risks associated with schizophrenia. In addition, the recent GWAS in schizophrenia also suggest the rare role that alleles are likely to play (Doherty, O Donovan Owen, 2012). On another note, a combined analysis of samples from GWAS schizophrenia can only reveal a minimal number of common risk loci in relation to genome-wide levels of significance. As a result, this only explains a small part of risk; conversely, evidence from other common traits indicates that the identity of genes implicated suggests the possibility of a dis ease mechanism. In essence, the recent advancement with regard to genomic technology and in this sense, the use of GWAS platform has contributed to new findings related to schizophrenia disorder. We will write a custom essay sample on Schizophrenia: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page In addition, when comparing the studies of other complex diseases with schizophrenia suggests that schizophrenia as a disease is not atypical as evident in the number of loci identified per sample size.

Sunday, December 22, 2019

A Brief Note On The World War II - 2159 Words

Monika Gruca Professor Moore History 150 9 May 2015 Final Exam Part I: Identifications 1. Fascism- Fascism is a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power. It is usually emphasized by aggressive nationalism and often racism. Two countries that adopted fascism were Germany and Italy. Germany was under the leadership of Adolf Hitler, while Italy was under Benito Mussolini. Fascism led both countries to have extreme nationalism and instilled a great sense of pride in both countries. This great national pride can be seen during the initial years of World War II. Both countries took aggressive actions in Europe and Africa because of their national pride. 2. Calvinism- Calvinism was a branch of Protestantism formed by John†¦show more content†¦Bismarck was a master political strategist who was able to make many alliances that helped secure Germany security. Following German unification Germany became one of the most powerful nations in Europe. 4. The Black Plague- The Black Plague or popularly know as the â€Å"Black Death† was one of the most horrifying and deadly diseases in human history. Between 75 and 200 million people were estimated to have died. From 1346 to 1353 the Black Death was expanding across Europe. The Plague created religious, social, and economic problems all across Europe. 5. Glorious Revolution- The Glorious Revolution also called the Bloodless Revolution occurred between 1688-1689. This resulted in the deposition of James II and the accession of his daughter Mary II and her husband William III who was the prince of Orange and stadholder of the Netherlands. With their ascension to the throne came the constitutionalized English Bill of Rights of 1689. The revolution permanently established Parliament as the main ruling power of England. Part II: Essays 2. Nationalism At the beginning of the 19th century there was a turn from religious loyalty or loyalty given to a particular leader towards loyalty owed to a particular nation. Nationalism came from the formation of the public sphere. It allowed for the institution of patriotic symbols such as national songs, literature, and emblems. The French Revolution was the first to institute the idea of a nation-state, in which the

Saturday, December 14, 2019

The proper role of education is to teach facts, not morals Free Essays

Certainly, teachers have a long list of responsibilities every day. The most important one of course is enriching the minds of our children. A large amount of their time is spent with teachers throughout the week and they become one of children’s biggest influences. We will write a custom essay sample on The proper role of education is to teach facts, not morals or any similar topic only for you Order Now Sure, their major responsibility is to teach them reading, writing and arithmetic, they also have an obligation to encourage the right morals as well. In many cases teachers become one of the biggest influences in children’s lives. There are many people, including famous ones who will say that one of their teachers was their influence to thrive and succeed in life. Understandably, teachers are working hard to maintain the educational goals necessary to have the children succeed in life as far as academics is concerned. However, just as important is a child’s moral compass. Some may argue that it’s the parent’s responsibility to teach them morals at home, but it’s just as important that the teacher reinforce and instill new morals in the classroom. The most important factor that teachers and parents must consider is that children will one day become adults and having a great set of morals will greatly impact society. This idea is not novel; institutions of higher learning have these principals in place for their students for quite some time Most colleges and universities have codes of conduct that students must adhere to, in order to maintain student status there. Also, doctors take the Hippocratic oath, to ensure there are ethics that must be maintained in order to be a doctor. How to cite The proper role of education is to teach facts, not morals, Papers

Friday, December 6, 2019

Cash Bundren Sample Essay Example For Students

Cash Bundren Sample Essay William Faulkner’s As I lay Diing is about a hapless family’s battle to get by with the decease of their female parent Addie and transport her organic structure to the Jefferson Cemetery. Their male parent Anse is a low life. he is merely going with them to Jefferson so he can acquire himself a set of false dentition. The kids neer truly had a loving relationship with their female parent or male parent. Addie neer wanted kids. and Anse is excessively wrapped up in himself to care. â€Å"Anse of class is the existent monster. declining to work lest he sweat himself to death†¦Ã¢â‚¬  ( Wagner 94 ) . Cash Bundren the oldest boy of Anse and Addie Bundren is characterized as the diligent. sort. and dedicated leader of the household. Not merely do Cash’s actions prove these qualities but besides the descriptions of him by other storytellers prove Cash to be a hardworking. loyal adult male. As his female parent lies deceasing in bed he builds her a casket. Cash is a perfectionist ; he has each board approved by Addie. He wants her to be happy with the occupation he is making. Darl the 2nd to eldest boy of the Bundrens dainties Cash with regard and acknowledges his endowments in the beginning of the book. â€Å"A good carpenter Cash is†¦ Addie Bundren could non desire a better 1. a better box to lie in ; it will give her assurance and comfort† ( 4-5 ) . While Anse wallows in self-pity. Cash steps up to make full his fatherlike nothingness. All of the Bundren kids look up to Cash. Cash finds Vardaman losing right after seeing Peabody’s squad run off ; he goes out to happen him. He besides knows that Vardaman drilled holes into Addie’s casket because he still believes Addie is alive. even deadening holes into Addie’s face but hard currency still doesn’t cry at him. he merely mends the holes back. Anse of class. does non care much about Cash’s work or helpfulness. Even though Jewel shows small regard to Cash. Cash is still sort to Jewel and looks after him. When Darl and Cash become leery if Jewel mousing out at dark. Cash Tells Darl non to face Jewel because it would make no good ; Alternatively. Cash follows Jewel out one dark and finds he has been working on uncluttering a field to raise adequate money to purchase a Equus caballus. When gem arrives with the Equus caballus Anse gets angry. Cash defe nds Jewel and composures Anse’s nervousnesss by stating â€Å"Jewel worked difficult for his Equus caballus and merely spent his difficult earned money on it† ( 135 ) . Cash besides consoles Addie who begins to shout after seeing her boy withstand his male parent. Later in the narrative Darl catches a barn on fire. seeking to cremate his mother’s cadaver to stop their journey. He faces jail clip. Cash knows it is best for Darl to be sent to Jefferson. â€Å"It will be better for you†¦down there it will be quiet with none of the bothering and material. it’ll be better for you. Darl† ( 238 ) . Cash’s leading is seen during the beginning of the family’s trip to Jefferson. The Bridge that is the fastest path to Jefferson is destroyed by a inundation. Anse. being the male parent. should be the one to steer the household across the river. but because he is so lazy and dependent. he leaves the others to calculate out how to traverse. Cash takes charge and gives orders for the remainder of the household to traverse. while he. Darl. and Jewel seek to acquire the waggon across. Cash puts everything into his custodies and manoeuvres the squad through the river as he tells Jewel to back up him with his Equus caballus. Cash ends up losing the squad and about deceasing himself. Cash blames himself for the loss and his broken leg. When Ca sh was working on Addie’s casket. Anse comes out to detect. Cash tells him to travel back into the house and out of the rain. It took a few times stating him but even Anse listens to Cash. Cash evidently knows what is best. and all of the Bundrens trust his determinations. .u42aa77714427e721fac7798690fd5973 , .u42aa77714427e721fac7798690fd5973 .postImageUrl , .u42aa77714427e721fac7798690fd5973 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u42aa77714427e721fac7798690fd5973 , .u42aa77714427e721fac7798690fd5973:hover , .u42aa77714427e721fac7798690fd5973:visited , .u42aa77714427e721fac7798690fd5973:active { border:0!important; } .u42aa77714427e721fac7798690fd5973 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u42aa77714427e721fac7798690fd5973 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u42aa77714427e721fac7798690fd5973:active , .u42aa77714427e721fac7798690fd5973:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u42aa77714427e721fac7798690fd5973 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u42aa77714427e721fac7798690fd5973 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u42aa77714427e721fac7798690fd5973 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u42aa77714427e721fac7798690fd5973 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u42aa77714427e721fac7798690fd5973:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u42aa77714427e721fac7798690fd5973 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u42aa77714427e721fac7798690fd5973 .u42aa77714427e721fac7798690fd5973-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u42aa77714427e721fac7798690fd5973:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Nature Vs. Nurture : The Debate Of Nature Versus NurtureThroughout the full narrative Cash demonstrated his bravery and strength. For illustration when traversing the river and the waggon becomes unsteady. Darl jumps to safety. Cash on the other manus attempts to keep on to the casket in topographic point and salvage to wagon. He holds on until the waggon goes about wholly under. Cash neer screams or expletives or acted scared in any manner. Rather he keeps his composure in the face of the catastrophe. A 2nd illustration of Cash’s bravery is when he eventually emerges from the river with a re-broken leg. He neer frets the interruption or even Acts of the Apostless a s if he is on hurting. alternatively he reassures the household. â€Å"I can last it. it ain’t but one more twenty-four hours. It ain’t no fuss to talk of† ( 207 ) he doesn’t want to decelerate their journey in anyhow. When Anse wants to set cement on Cash’s leg. Cash doesn’t object to the awful thought. he allows it. Apparently cognizing it would make more bad than good. he merely wants to acquire his female parent to her resting topographic point. Cash is highly dedicated. to his work and to his household. When Cash was constructing Addie’s casket he worked nonstop through the dark and through rain. He puts a batch of difficult work. preciseness. and clip into her casket. â€Å"I made it on a bevel† ( 82 ) . Even thought it would take longer to chamfer the casket. and take much more work. he was dedicated to giving Addie a proper box to lie in. â€Å"it is better to construct a tight poulet henhouse. than a cheapjack courthouse† ( 234 ) . All of the younger siblings respect Cash. The most valuable thing Cash owns is his tools throughout the full book. Cash has his tools by his side and makes certain that their ever with him. Darl describes briefly Cash’s love for his tools when he rapidly returns to them after conveying in Addie’s casket: â€Å"He has returned to the trestles. stooped once more in the lantern’s lame blaze as he gathers up his tools and wiped them on a fabric carefully and set them into the box with its leather sling to travel over his shoulder† ( 50 ) . When Cash interrupt his leg seeking to traverse the river. his brothers find all his tools and put them by his side for the remainder of the trip because they know how much his tools mean to him. Dewey Dell has much regard for Cash ; she spends most of her clip on the journey to Jefferson be givening to Cash. Caring for her injured brother is one illustration. She wipes puke from his face with the hem of her skirt. She under stands Cash when he is inquiring about his tools. She is at that place for him. Vardaman. the youngest of the Bundrens. positions Cash severally. but every bit severally as a seven twelvemonth old can. He simply says a few things about Cash ; largely that he is his brother and so is Darl. Since Cash narrates so small of the first half of the book. he emerges in the 2nd half as the most rational storyteller. He decidedly seems to hold the most sense of any of the Bundren Children. and Even Anse. Cash normally doesn’t say much. except for their last two chapters but he reveals many things. Cash is really logical. which is seen when he talks about the ground why he built his mother’s coffin the manner he did ( 82 ) . Cash attacks issues with cautiousness and logical thinking. like when he tells gem to be patient because their male parent â€Å"ain’t every bit spry as him’’ ( 259 ) . .u181f82795252d146c9d2479795fbcd57 , .u181f82795252d146c9d2479795fbcd57 .postImageUrl , .u181f82795252d146c9d2479795fbcd57 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u181f82795252d146c9d2479795fbcd57 , .u181f82795252d146c9d2479795fbcd57:hover , .u181f82795252d146c9d2479795fbcd57:visited , .u181f82795252d146c9d2479795fbcd57:active { border:0!important; } .u181f82795252d146c9d2479795fbcd57 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u181f82795252d146c9d2479795fbcd57 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u181f82795252d146c9d2479795fbcd57:active , .u181f82795252d146c9d2479795fbcd57:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u181f82795252d146c9d2479795fbcd57 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u181f82795252d146c9d2479795fbcd57 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u181f82795252d146c9d2479795fbcd57 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u181f82795252d146c9d2479795fbcd57 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u181f82795252d146c9d2479795fbcd57:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u181f82795252d146c9d2479795fbcd57 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u181f82795252d146c9d2479795fbcd57 .u181f82795252d146c9d2479795fbcd57-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u181f82795252d146c9d2479795fbcd57:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Concert Report (252 words) EssayThroughout the description of Cash and his actions. he can be seen as the hero of his household. Possibly the lone 1 with the true kernel of kindness and fidelity. Even as the corruptness of the Bundren household is revealed. Cash remains the lone one pure bosom as he supports his household through its expedition. Cash ‘s dedication to his household can be seen non merely in the beginning when he is healthy. working and taking. but besides when he is injured. promoting the others to press on and disregard his jobs. Plants Cited Faulkner. William. As I lay deceasing Library of America. 1985. Rpt. Bookrags. 11-18-2004. World Wide Web. bookrags. com/essay-2004/11/18/212030/50Cached – Similar. Accessed on 02-11-2012 Six Decades of Criticism. Ed. Linda Wganer-Martin. East Langay: Michican State U P. 2002: 83-104. Print. e-notes. 01-25-2010. hypertext transfer protocol: //www. enotes. com/as-i-lay-dying/cash-bundren Accessed on 02-10-2012 Shmoop. 05-03-2001. World Wide Web. shmoop. com/as-i-lay-dying/cash-bundren-timeline. htmlCached – Similar. Accessed on 02-12-2012

Monday, November 25, 2019

Italys economic struggles essays

Italys economic struggles essays In the time period between 1700 to 1900 Italys economic situation was greatly effected by its disunity and its distribution among the many countries of Europe. Previous to 1860, Italy was not united, it was divided into separate city-states, or controlled by a foreign power. One of these being Spain, who had undergone a disastrous decline in its economy, leading to a decrease in Italys as well. In 1815, with the Congress of Vienna, Italy was reorganized and the disunity and separation became more severe. It was because of this disunity that Italy experienced a financial failure. With out territorial unity, Italy could not construct economic stability. Distracted by the hope and dream of a unified Italy, Italians focused on their political position rather than their economic situation . Although the Industrial Revolution began in the late 1700s Italy remained predominately agricultural and unindustrialized up into the late 1800s. This greatly affected Italy because agriculture encount ered a fall in prices among foreign markets. In 1878 with the abolition of the Free Trade System and the introduction of tariffs, Italy was able to expand its industry largely (8% a year). But even with the close of the nineteenth century, a century since the start of the Industrial Revolution, three out of four Italians depended on the production of cereal, olives, vines, fruit, sheep or some other means of agriculture to survive. While the majority of the rest of Europe was controlled by its industry, Italy remained under the poverty of farming. With economic hardship rising a vast amount of Italians (19%), essentially being from the small land owning classes, migrated to other countries with economic stability and prosperity. With the separation of Italy also came a separation in the regions of Northern and Southern Italy. The North, having been under the rule o ...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Organizational Technology Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Organizational Technology Plan - Essay Example Other important applications include informing the details of the company to the sales personnel, suppliers and others so that they become aware of company's goals and achievements. Feasibility study is an important phase in the software development process. It enables the developer to have an assessment of the product being developed. It refers to the feasibility study of the product in terms of outcomes of the product, operational use and technical support required for implementing it. Economic Feasibility: It refers to the benefits or outcomes. We are deriving from the product as compared to the total cost we are spending for developing the product. If the benefits are more or less the same as the older system, then it is not feasible to develop the product. Operational Feasibility: It refers to the feasibility of the product to be operational. Some products may work very well at design and implementation but may fall in the real time environment. It includes the study of additional human resources required and their technical expertise. Technical Feasibility: It refers to whether the product that is available in the market fully supports the present application. It studies the pros and cons of using particular product for the development and it's feasibility.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Woodrow Wilson & World War I Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Woodrow Wilson & World War I - Essay Example Yes the US was ready by 1917 dues to the mobilization of the military to be increased by enlisting men from the age of 18 years, getting money from businessmen to finance the war and even getting naval support. The strength however was not as great as it was by the time the war was ending. Yes it was initially when America was preparing to go into war but with the sinking of the US boat, it soon became abandoned as people decided to assist in any way they could to prepare the army go into war simply for revenge against the Germans. People were hostile towards military service and hence did not adopt the idea of being enlisted or having their kin enlisted in the military service. This came when the administration wanted to increase the military as a preparedness method to enter into war and this hostility as the reason US started with fewer soldiers. The Americans did not agree with the call for peace after the war took away over 50, 000 of their military troop. The treaty of Versailles points were emphasizing something that the Americans were not ready to accept

Monday, November 18, 2019

International Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

International Relations - Essay Example Each of these actors behaves in a certain way when they participate in international politics both individually and together. International relations comprises of the study of the behaviour of these actors (Mingst, 2010). There have been many key issues in the last 25 years that have been very significant with respect to international relations. This paper discuses two main issues, namely, armed conflicts and human rights. The paper describes why these issues have been very significant when it comes to international relations. It also identifies the major sub-issues, developments, controversies and problems regarding the issue. The paper also points out how the two issues have been linked to each other in international relations and then proposes possible solutions or resolutions to the issues. Armed Conflicts Armed conflicts across the globe have been one of the most significant issues that have affected the whole world. It has been the most important issue when it comes to Internat ional Relations. ... t of the armed conflicts in the recent times, mainly in the Middle East, have been internal conflicts which have been triggered due to issues of religion, ethnicity, identity and possession (competition) of resources. Mineral and oil wealth has been one of the main reasons for armed conflicts. On the international front, global terrorism has lead to major armed conflicts. One of the most prolonged armed conflicts has been the Israel-Palestine conflict. It will be discussed in detail later. An armed conflict leads to numerous sub-issues and problems. It has a profound effect on the population of the region. It becomes a major hindrance to the development of the region. The resources that could have been invested in the developmental activities such as education, business development, tourism, etc are diverted towards developing armaments. The direct and most immediate impact of armed conflicts are the disruption of food supplies, loss of human life, psychological distress, gender-base d violence, physical injuries, health hazards, etc. The effect that armed conflict has on children is very damaging as it influences their emotional, physical and mental development. These issues and problems become an interest of international politics. Global powers and organizations such as UN are required to resolve the issues and restore world peace. Global economic relations are also affected by armed conflicts as they affect trade, tourism, etc. International relations of numerous countries are affected by armed conflicts as questions of support and interests are raised. An example of this is the troubled alliance between US and Pakistan as a result of differences on support to Afghanistan and Taliban. Hence, armed conflicts anywhere in the world are very sensitive and gas an effect

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Eyes Wide Shut: Adaptation Of Dream Story

Eyes Wide Shut: Adaptation Of Dream Story This essay is a critical analysis on the adaptation of Dream Story as Eyes Wide Shut. The analysis is organised around the key points identified within the argument such as ideology, point of view and the gendering of representation in narrative cinema. Stanley Kubrick masterful film Eyes Wide Shut (1999) is a faithful adaptation of Arthur Schnitzlers novella Dream Story (Traumnovelle, published in 1926 for the first time). In terms of genre Eyes Wide Shut combines a drama, a thriller, a neo-noir conspiracy mystery, a road story, erotic and melodrama. Both Kubrick and his co-screenwriter Frederic Raphael created a very faithful script, with only few alterations that were made because of the artistic narration that is very difficult to put on screen. Kubrick merged in his film the boundaries between different types of adaptation making the film both a transposition and a commentary on Dream Story. According to credits Eyes Wide Shut was inspired by Traumnovelle. The book was originally published as Traumnovelle and its literal translation Dream Story loses the word trauma, which was one of Sigmund Freuds areas of research. The novel represent the period of time of Vienna during the decadent 20th century when Freuds theories were extremely popular, and Arthur Schnitzler, being his devoted follower, attempted to describe his characters emotions and real motives. Freud famously joked that he did not want to meet the writer, and that was based on the belief that one could die upon meeting his double. In his adaptation Kubrick has transposed Schnitzlers Vienna to contemporary Manhattan and has altered the main characters names with Fridolin becoming Bill and Albertine becoming Alice. His fidelity to Schnitzlers story is remarkable and only few scenes are invented for the movie. The plot is following the relationship between Fridolin/Bill (Tom Cruise) and Albertine/Alice (Nicole Kidman) and their erotic fantasies. Their marriage was stable until Albertine has shattered Bills faith in her fidelity by confessing that during holidays in Denmark, she had a sexual fantasy about naval officer and at some point she was ready to abandon her husband and daughter in pursuit of forbidden attraction. This revelation generates despair in Bill and propels his sexual odyssey. He sets out on a two days quest for sexual thrills that entails: admission of love from deceased patients daughter, almost sleeping with prostitute, a masked orgy with amazing women at a ball. Returning home he tells Albertine about his adventures and from that point on the couple begins to patch up their marriage. In terms of non-linguistic sound codes, as Randy Rassmusen wrote, Dmitri Shostakovichs Jazz Suite Waltz No. 2 begins with the opening credits and that light music helps to reinforce our impression of a happy (on a surface) marriage with a hint of cynical flavour, but also moves us back to Viennese waltzes played in ballrooms. After all turbulences the marriage has to go through the same waltz returns during the final credits, suggesting a return to daily marital boredom (Rassmusen: 356). According to Raphael Schnitzler was aware of the disintegration of individual citizens within Austrian society, which has a clear expression in Dream Story, in where a happy marriage is dissected into perverse impulses of murderous madness and carefree sensuality, of mutual attraction and revulsion. Schnitzler said that: Feelings und understanding may sleep under the same roof, but they run completely separate households in the human souls (Schnitzler: xvi). It is the institution of a perfect marriage that Kubrick thoroughly examined in his film. According to Peter Bogdanowich Most sources state that Kubrick was introduced to the novel itself by his Austrian-born second wife Ruth Sobotka, whom he divorced in 1961. What struck Kubrick so much about Traumnovelle was that it would allow him to examine his own dark side, and one can speculate that he also saw it as a way to expiate his guilt suggests Kubricks biographer, John Baxter, referring to Subotka suicide in 1968. (Peter Bogdanowich: 243). Dream Story focuses solely on the male half of the marriage. This is also a case with Eyes Wide Shut, but Kubrick, unlike Schnitzler, gives his female lead moments of psychological independence from her partner. In Dream Story, Albertine is never given a moment away from Fridolin, but in Eyes Wide Shot Alice is given several without Bill, such as when she dances with a Hungarian millionaire at Victor Zieglers ball. In most cases though she is either stoned or drunk or has just woken up. Nicole Kidman didnt mind this and said in the interview: If my characters got one line, one word, Ill play Alice () We (Kidman and Cruise) want to dedicate our lives to making this film (Bogdanovich: 245) In terms of narrative organisation Mario Falsetto argues that the main patterns established in film are repetition and variation of narrative incident as key structuring devices (Falsetto: 16). In addition to this Eyes Wide Shut is full of allusions, symbolism and dream logic. Although Dream Story was responsible for most of the plot, according to Falsetto, Kubrick added many structural elements to his adaptation, that are not to be traced to the novel and which helps to allude scenes with each other such as Zieglers Christmas ball at the beginning of the movie that later echoed masked ball. The most apparent series of repetitions around which much of the films narrative trajectory is propelled is the series of subjective shots of Bill imagining Alice and the naval officer having sex (Falsetto: 17). These fantasy shots repeat couple of times thorough the film and they help adjust the story to Bills point of view and his consciousness. Falsetto argues that: The conception and articula tion of Bills subjective universe is often expressed through a deliberate use of perceptual point-of-view shots to create an emotional, as well as spatial, relationships to his world (Falsetto: 131) Seymour Chatman in Coming to Terms suggest, according to his dictionary, two senses of point of view: a point from which things are viewed and a mental position of viewpoint. The basic distinction is between a physical place from which something is seen (a vista and a lookout), and a viewers mental attitude or posture. At the beginning of the film Kubrick added the scene of Alice undressing in front of the mirror. That scene is missing from the book, as nudity in literature was rather bold during Schnitzlers life. This moment suggest that Alice is being watched though the doorway from the next room, and therefore, the audience assume the point of view is her husbands. His point of view is never really stated too obviously though and we are constantly made to wonder what exactly we are watching: a reality, a nightmare or a lucid dream? Dream Storys plot follows though Eyes Wide Shut with particular respect to magic word fidelity. Audience is left to wonder if the password to masked ball Fidelio (Denmark in the novel) refers to Beethovens famous opera, fidelity with original story, fidelity in marriage or fidelity to hidden underworld where sex magic are not just a fantasy? Randy Rasmussen argues that in Kubricks last film: () chance, coincidence, and misperception play in the fortunes of its characters. Just like Bill Hartford, we are constantly given an impression only to have it challenged or overturned. An in the final analysis, there are some things about which we can draw no definitive conclusions. In short, real life can be as difficult to figure out as a dream. (Rasmussen: 333). In that sense Kubrick may be trying to open peoples eyes. The first attempt to make public see takes place during the Christmas ball where Bill is called by Ziegler to resuscitate a call girl that had overdose. Bill says to her Can you open your eyes for me? Mandy, can you do that? Let me see you open your eyes. There you go, come on. Come on, look at me. Look at me (screenplay). The aim of making audience see was at the heart of Kubrick cinematography and that can be explained by the change of title from Dream Story to oxymoron Eyes Wide Shut which suggests a confused perception between reality and dream. As Brian McFarlane argues in Novel to Film: Commentators in the field are fond of quoting Joseph Conrads famous statement of his novelistic intention: My task which I am trying to achieve is, by the powers of the written word, to make you, before all, to make you see. This remark of 1897 is echoed, consciously or otherwise, 16 years later by D. W. Griffith, whose cinematic intentions is recorded as: The task I am trying to achieve is above all to make you see. McFarlane continues: Whereas Griffith used his images to tell a story, as means to understanding, Conrad wanted the reader to see in and through and finally past his language and his narrative concept to the hard, clear bedrock of images. (McFarlane: 3) Kubrick in Eyes Wide Shut wanted public to see with the use of image: cinematography, lightning, costumes and colour (lots of blue and red used as contrast). As Falsetto points out: They reinforce the reading that much of the film is a poetic rendering of Bills consciousness and often stands in for his emotions (Falsetto: 138). In Eyes Wide Shut Kubricks choice of image symbolism over dialogue in communicating his ideas is especially helpful because of third person and subjective narration of Dream Story that is extremely difficult to film. Falsetto argues that: One brief illustration is a shot that frames Bill stalker standing beside a STOP sign intercut with Bill holding a copy of the New York Post that carries the headline Lucky to Be Alive. (Falsetto: 138-139). That shot is accompanied by The Musica Ricercata II that was earlier heard in the orgy scene and it comes back later when Bill is reading the news about call girls death. The use of conspiracy thematic allusion seems to be more convincing and striking than mere words. In terms of gendering representation, around which the film is constructed, in the opening shot Alice, seen from behind, tosses her black dress out, revealing her naked body to the unseen male character. Undressing before the Zieglers party she asks: How do I look? Her body in that scene is revealed as an object of contemplation in a form of too-be-look-at-ness (Mulvey: 19). According to Mulvey, the womans body is an object of pure erotic observation, while the man, who is an active subject of gender representation, controls the direction of the gaze onto a female body. It was Kubricks choice to organise gender representation around the male visual pleasure. While Fridolin is a regular 19th century General Practitioner, Bills specialisation is plastic surgery which strengthens the connection with female bodies displayed in cinema as an erotic object, according to Mulvey. The determining male gaze projects its fantasy onto the female figure, which is styled accordingly. (Mulvey: 19). The ritual prostitutes, masked but naked mannequins, are the ultimate symbol of patriarchal visuality. Mulvey argues that women are excluded from cultural or governmental participation, their image has been stolen and their bodies exploited. (Mulvey: 112). Henry Kissinger famously said: Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac and sadly most women are excluded from sharing its pleasures as according to the dolly bird culture women are told how to behave and look and are commodified by men. Besides gender politics Kubrick attempted to depict the naked wealth of USA and the destructive effect it has on the society in general. The movie starts with a Christmas ball at the Zieglers mansion, which Kubrick invented for the purpose of his story as he was more concerned about social divisions than Schnitzler in his novel where Fridolin was not wealthy, but simply middle-class. Bill has reached the top of the social ladder only to discover that far above him there is another one to climb. Ziegler invited his to his party full of millionaires, where Bill didnt know a soul but no matter high he climbs the social ladder, the secret underworld he trespassed at the Black Mass will always be out of reach. In the end he is just a doctor. Originally Bill shows off his social status and wealth and because of that many doors are being open for him (in Schnitzlers original story his profession is not of such importance). Randy Rasmussen in his book Stanley Kubrick Seven Films Analysed says that Dr. Bill Hartford deceptively employs his identity as a physician to access information and material which advance his personal desires. And so, in their own ways, do the hospital staff member, amorous hotel clerk and balding costume shot proprietor upon whom he works his professional magic (Rasmussen: 330). However Bills exploitation of his professional status sometimes has benevolent consequences, as when he (and similarly Fridolin) tries to help a prostitute that offered to redeem him during the underworld masked orgy when he was told to take off his mask. He leaves the ball humiliated and is being warned that if he reveals the upper-crust secrets there will be the most serious consequences for him and his family. (screenplay) Kubrick changed the scene in which Fridolin is confronted by a band of members of Alemannic club (being in film confronted by average teenage yobs), which echoed the fact that Jews during Schnitzlers lifetime were banned from such fraternities and the apprehension of Jews facing Gentile provocation (Schnitzler: Xiii). Kubrick came back with issue of Alemannic clubs in his orgy scene in which he depicted black mass of secret society. In film, as well as book, the lead character is being threatened twice but is in both cases is lucky enough to get away unharmed. The sex-death connection continuous repeatedly through the film. Kubricks second wife Christine said of Eyes Wide Shut It had nothing to do with sex and everything to do with fear (Falsetto: 243). Those two opposite instincts always walk hand in hand during Bills nocturnal odyssey. Victor Ziegler sexual encounter at the beginning of the film almost ends with death from overdose of the call girl (scene invented by Kubrick); Alice suggests that terminally ill breast cancer patients may be actually sexually aroused in his presence (invented by Kubrick); Marion Nathanson reveals her feelings towards Bill in front of her father who has just died (same as in novel); Bill finds out that a prostitute who recently offered him her services is HIV positive (invented). Bills sexual desires can never be fulfilled in the same way like our dreams can hardly be controlled. Freud in Interpretation of Dreams (Part 4) argued that in each human being, as the primary cause of dream formation, two psychic forces (streams, systems), of which one constitutes the wish expressed by the dream, while the other acts as a censor upon this dream wish, and by means of this censoring forces a distortion of its expression. Bill is continuously being placed in dubious and dangerous situations which metaphorically act like coitus interruptus to his sexual adventures. Conclusion As Falsetto pointed out (Falsetto: 75) Eyes Wide Shot is a typically Freudian film, as it explores the psychological areas that drive sexual desires and death instincts. It replays gender conventions constructed within social and symbolic relations patterned within mainstream cinema. But what differentiate Eyes Wide Shut from the typical Hollywood pattern is the scene in which Bill subjectivity is threatened during the masked ball when he is asked to remove his mask and clothes. This time he is the one to be watched by hundred of hidden eyes and his anxiety reaches crucial point. Ironically, a gazing male becomes gazed at. To Freud this is a typical anxiety dream that symbolizes impotence and insecurity. It seems like to Kubrick it was his trademark as a filmmaker to question established and seemingly flawless patterns within basically patriarchal society and Hollywood gender representation. What is also made differently from typical gendering of representation is the first scene in which Alice is looking into a mirror, resembling Alices journey Through the Looking-Glass. Thanks to that metaphor Kubrick provides the female lead with a fantasy world and subjectivity which Albertine lacks. They are both housewives, dependant on their husbands, with Alice a previous owner of failed art gallery but, unlike Albertine, she is given several moment of privacy from her partner. Schnitzler and Freud believed that women have unhealthy desire for sex. For that reason Albertine fantasized about Fridolin being tortured and crucified but Kubrick got rid of those misogynist and archaic ideas altogether and in his film Alice fantasized healthily about the naval officer and is not scolded for it. Schnitzlers characters taking part in Black Mass orgy are all dressed as nun and priests but Kubrick, being aware that some of Freuds ideas were out of date, removed all references to religious symbolism. In summary EWS attempts to provide women with subjectivity and with fantasies and it also depicts the alienation of female sexuality within gendering representation of patriarchal social and political pattern. Kubrick reveals the deceit of mans claim to power and domination, which seems to come from selected Freuds critical ideas of religion and his analysis of family conflicts, sexual desires, guilt and the death instincts.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Things Fall Apart - By Chinua Achebe (diverse Cultures Essay) :: essays research papers

"Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe a) Describe in detail your impression of Okonkwo's character having read part one of the novel. b) What is Okonkwo's response to the arrival of the white man, and how does he cope with the changes that come about under the influence of a different culture. c) Describe your own reaction to Okonkwo's actions at the close of the novel. a) Okonkwo is a senior member of the Ibo tribe in Nigeria at the end of the last century. He is an extremely complex character, and in my opinion has two very different sides to his personality. On one hand, Okonkwo is seen as a powerful, respected man, who is well known throughout his home village of Umuofia and beyond. He is a brave fearless warrior, who as a young man had brought great honour to his village by beating Amalinze, and who for seven years had not been beaten "from Umuofia to Mbaino". He is not a man to shy away from conflict or confrontation. He is not a particularly intelligent man, but a man of action, who is more likely to settle an argument through violence than negotiation. He has an impulsive, explosive nature which can often land him in trouble. By nature, he is energetic and hardworking, and has no patience with men that are idle. He is a pillar of the community, and is looked up to by the majority of his clan members for his success and prosperity in life. However, beyond this manly display of strength and fortitude lies a man whose life is dominated by fear, a fear of being considered a failure. The main contribution to this fear is his father Unoka. When talking about Okonkwo, it is hard for Unoka's name not to come up, as he has been such a great influence and contribution to his personality, and the way in which he chooses to live his life. Throughout his life, Unoka had been a lazy, incompetent man, who was regarded as a failure by the majority of his fellow clan members. Unlike Okonkwo, he was a very peaceful, merry man who disliked war and violence. He was also a very emotional man, with a sensitive and reflective nature. When he died, he died having taken no title, and was heavily in debt. Therefore, Okonkwo strives to stamp out any character traits that he sees in himself that remind him of his father.

Monday, November 11, 2019

The Straight-Edge and the Scene

Straight-Edge and the Scene For some youth it’s all about the scene. What is the scene? The scene is a general reference to the music venues in which these youth participate. The straight-edge subculture is one that many may not be familiar with. Why is this? Probably because the straight-edge lifestyle is one of the few countercultures in which the youth that is involved tries to steer clear of drugs and overindulgence. It is closely related to the hardcore/punk music scene. The straight-edge lifestyle refers to people who are involved with the hardcore/punk lifestyle but they refrain from drinking alcohol, using drugs, smoking cigarettes, and promiscuous sex. This subculture was created as a social movement against authority, drug abuse, and any type of overindulgence associated with punk rock (Kirchner, 2009). Background: the 1970’s to the Present Individuals who are straight edge take a pledge to live a drug, promiscuous, alcohol, and cruelty free lifestyle. Sometimes, this even extends into vegetarianism and veganism and Hare Krishna, a belief based on Hindu scripture (Kirchner, 2009). The basic philosophy of the straight-edge lifestyle centers around self control and regaining as much of one’s personal control over their lives as possible, by getting rid of the negative influences (Kirchner, 2009). Straight-edger’s, a common nickname, usually are involved with the environment, animal rights and pride their counterculture on keeping their focus on higher learning and a positive outlook (Wood, 2006). The straight-edge subculture emerged in the late 1970’s (Wood, 2006). The term straight-edge was coined by musician Ian MacKaye in a song called â€Å"Straight Edge† which he wrote for his band, Minor Threat. Their music was fast and powerful with angry and thoughtful lyrics, which is how straight-edge seemed to be viewed as at first. With further understanding, it was found that the straight-edge lifestyle was the opposite. In the 1970’s only a slew of prominent artists rejected drugs and alcohol and influenced the straight-edge ideology (Wood, 2006). After the term straight-edge was thrown out into the music community, many people picked up on it and many other bands for decades to come centered their music and lifestyle on the straight-edge, drug free lifestyle. Minor Threat was the first band to use the term straight edge and adopt the letter X as a representation of being straight-edge and living the lifestyle. The X symbol was believed to originate from the use of the letter on people who were underage (under 21) to symbolize that they were too young to drink at the shows and became the symbol for straight-edge by being used on album covers, as body art, and other paraphernalia (Kirchner, 2009). In the 1980’s the influence of music on the straight-edge seemed to be at an all-time high. Many bands seemed to be using the straight-edge lifestyle as a stepping stone and inspiration for their songs. During the mid-1980’s many of the vegetarianism and veganism ideas stemmed out and gripped straight-edge community members (Cogan, 2008). This propelled a trend towards animal rights and vegetarianism that would reach its peak in the 1990’s. Straight-edger’s want to be directly involved with both the music community in which they support, by either playing in a band or writing a webzine or article for the music and their regular community by helping with any aspect of it. Straight-edger’s use this subculture to move away from the stigma of destruction that hardcore and punk music seems to have veiled over the industry. Militant straight-edger’s were first identified in the early 1990’s. These individuals were characterized by less tolerance for those who were not straight-edge, more outspokenness, and more willingness to resort to violence in order to promote clean living and fight against homosexuality and abortion (Woods, 2006). This willingness to resort to violence led to some parts of the United States paying close attention to the straight-edge subculture and the subculture being treated as a gang by law officials. However, â€Å"a study done in 2006 suggests that a small minority of individuals who identify with the straight-edge subculture are violent. † (Woods, 2006: 38). In the 2000’s the straight-edge movement has become less violent and more about promoting a positive lifestyle. Straight-edge has moved out into different genres of music instead of staying specific to the punk/metal scene. The decline of aggressive behavior has been linked to the lack of a well known band leading the straight-edge movement (Irwin, 1999). The amount of tolerance from people who are straight-edge to non-straight edge participants has grown as well (Irwin, 1999). Deviant Theories Applied: Straight-Edge and Theories First, we have to ask why the straight-edge subculture is deviant. The straight-edge culture embraces moral inclination in a positive way. This subculture does not fit the â€Å"norms† of society. By abstaining from substances, sex, and other negative things, it makes this subculture stick out. If, in society, something about a group or person sticks out, they become deviant, which is departing from anything that is socially accepted or â€Å"usual† (Clinard, Meier, 2011). In the early 1990’s violence that was related to the straight-edge movement was high. Some militant actors used violence against random people and other straight-edge members who were drinking, smoking, or doing drugs in order to try and spread their substance free message. This violence was brought on because of their direct relation with the straight-edge culture. Functionalism can be used to describe this time period for the straight-edge activists. Functionalism describes how different social occurrences uphold and disturb social stability. It also claims that society needs crime to be functional and for various other reasons such as attaining group unity, innovation, and setting and preserving moral limitations. The straight-edge subculture has many moral limitations. They have a strict set of requirements that they have to follow in order to be considered straight-edge. The violence that took place by the straight-edge subculture was due to the fact that many who committed the violence, to random people or other straight-edge members, was for the preservation of their morals. Any type of substance abuse, promiscuity, and meat eating is an implicit sin for members of the straight-edge community. The disregard of these rules by both participants and non-participants in the straight-edge subculture alike were reason for some members in this group to become violent (Woods, 2006). Militant straight-edger’s used violence to try and force a straight-edge lifestyle onto others because they viewed, and for those who still use violence today, still view their lifestyle as the most morally right. The straight-edge lifestyle also indirectly calls for unity by forcing its members to follow the straight-edge lifestyle’s specific guidelines, such as not drinking. When members conflict with this or associate themselves with people who drink, smoke, or indulge in anything morally incorrect violence usually followed. In this subculture the deviance mainly applies to the push against abusing drugs, alcohol, and overindulging in any way. Why do individuals in the straight-edge community take this approach? The social learning theory may be able to explain this. The social learning theory asks how people become deviant and whether it is learned (Clinard, Meier, 2011). With this particular subculture it can be said that the majority of the straight-edge lifestyle is learned from music and peers. Many individuals who are involved in the straight-edge lifestyle found out about this lifestyle from the music scene or their friends. Others, driven to take part in the music scene, joined and others who wanted to be a part of a positive influence on their society because of music joined the straight-edge subculture (Woods, 2006). Many members of the straight-edge community became a part of it because it represented a break away from the increasing sexuality of rock music and the sexual revolution. The sexual revolution offered youth freedom and an alternative to the dating script and the straight-edge counterculture did the same (Kirchner, 2009). The straight-edge understanding embodied freedom as well. The freedoms between the two are quite different as one gave the freedom to indulge in one’s inclinations while the latter gives the freedom to make an intentional habit out of their choices to refrain from overindulgence. In society, sexual behavior is socially learned. What is acceptable and unacceptable sexually is made clear through social informative (Clinard, Meier, 2011). The straight-edge subculture tries to take sexuality back into a time where hooking-up was not the social norm. Being sexually promiscuous is frowned upon in society as well as in the straight-edge subculture. In society heterosexual deviance is an ongoing topic. The straight-edge society wants to be known for exactly the opposite of this. In society, sexual deviance is generally negative. Sometimes, women are objectified and men are a number of different things, which is why the straight-edge community rejects these ideas in order to show society that they have exerted control over their life by abstaining and â€Å"saving† their bodies (Woods, 2006). In the straight-edge society, the double tandard holds true as well because a lot of the time men who proclaim to be straight-edge may be being promiscuous at the time but can still claim the straight-edge lifestyle. A woman doing the same would no longer be looked at as straight-edge (Woods, 2006). Conclusion The straight-edge counterculture is one most interesting, yet unheard of subcultures. The reason why this subculture is so fascina ting is because of the values it represents. Although this group is vague and there are fewer members than before, the preservation of values is one of the many reasons to continue and study this fascinating unconventional group. Overindulgence is something that is common in this day and age. Drug addictions, sexual promiscuity, alcohol abuse, and other substance abuse are not shocking to hear about. These are daily occurrences that the straight-edge culture is trying to remove from their lives. From the 1970’s until now this culture has been constantly changing and rearranging itself to match the attitudes and music of the time. The straight-edge counterculture has been excellent in integrating modern ideas in with more traditional values, all while supporting the music scene. References Clinard, Marshall B. and Robert F. Meier. 2011. Sociology of Deviant Behavior. Belmont, California: Wadsworth. Cogan, Brain. 2008. The Encyclopedia of Punk. New York: Sterling. Kirchner, Michael. 2009. Edge: Perspectives on Drug Free Culture. DVD. California: Halo 8. Irwin, Darrell D. 1999. â€Å"The Straight-Edge Subculture: Examining the Youths’ the Drug Free Way. † Journal of Drug Issues. 20(2): 365 – 380. Wood, Robert T. 2006. Straightedge Youth: Complexity and Contradictions of Subculture. New York: Syracuse University Press.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Most Liberal U.S.Supreme Court Justices in History

Most Liberal U.S.Supreme Court Justices in History Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has long been a thorn in the side of American conservatives. Shes been pilloried in the right-wing press by a range of so-called political experts, including college drop-out and shock jock Lars Larson, who publicly declared that Justice Ginsburg is anti-American. Her stinging dissent in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, which recently granted corporations certain exceptions to the Affordable Care Act with regard to birth control coverage, has once again loosed the gates of extreme conservative rhetoric. One columnist in The Washington Times even crowned her liberal bully of the week  even though hers was the dissenting, not majority, opinion. These critics act as if a liberal judge on the Supreme Court is a brand new development, but its the work of previous liberal judges that protects their right to come pretty close to slandering Justice Ginsburg in their published work. The Most Liberal U.S. Supreme Court Justices Also unfortunate for her critics is the fact that its unlikely that Justice Ginsburg will go down in history as the most liberal justice. Just take a look at her competition. While they sometimes sided with their conservative colleagues (often in tragic ways, such as in Korematsu v. United States, which upheld the constitutionality of the Japanese-American internment camps during World War II), these justices are generally considered to be among the most liberal of all time: Louis Brandeis (term: 1916-1939) was the first Jewish member of the Supreme Court and brought a sociological view to his interpretation of law. He is justly famous for establishing the precedent that the right to privacy is, in his words, the right to be let alone (something right-wing extremists, libertarians, and anti-government activists seem to think they invented).William J. Brennan (1956-1990) helped expand civil rights and liberties for all Americans. He supported abortion rights, opposed the death penalty, and provided new protections for freedom of the press. For example, in New York Times v. Sullivan (1964), Brennan established the actual malice standard, in which news outlets were protected from charges of libel as long as what they wrote was not deliberately false.William O. Douglas (1939-1975) was the longest-serving justice on the Court, and was described by Time Magazine as the most doctrinaire and committed civil libertarian ever to sit on the court. He fought against any regulation of speech and famously faced impeachment after he issued a stay of execution for convicted spies Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. He is probably most well-known for arguing that citizens are guaranteed a right to privacy due to the penumbras (shadows) cast by the Bill of Rights in Griswold v. Connecticut (1965), which established the right of citizens to have access to birth control information and devices. John Marshall Harlan (1877-1911) was the first to argue that the Fourteenth Amendment incorporated the Bill of Rights. However, hes more famous for earning the nickname The Great Dissenter because he went against his colleagues in significant civil rights cases. In his dissent from Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), the decision that opened the door to legal segregation, he affirmed some basic liberal principles: In view of the constitution, in the eye of the law, there is in this country no superior, dominant, ruling class of citizens...Our constitution is color-blind...In respect of civil rights, all citizens are equal before the law.Thurgood Marshall (1967-1991) was the first African-American justice and is often cited as having the most liberal voting record of all. As an attorney for the NAACP, he famously won Brown v. Board of Education (1954), which outlawed school segregation. It should not be surprising, then, that when he became a Supreme Court justice he continued to argue on beha lf of individual rights, most notably as a strong opponent of the death penalty. Frank Murphy (1940-1949) fought against discrimination in many forms. He was the first justice to include the word racism in an opinion, in his vehement dissent in Korematsu v. United States (1944). In Falbo v. United States (1944), he wrote, The law knows no finer hour than when it cuts through formal concepts and transitory emotions to protect unpopular citizens against discrimination and persecution.Earl Warren (1953-1969) is one of the most influential Chief Justices of all time. He forcefully pushed for the unanimous Brown v. Board of Education (1954) decision and presided over decisions that further expanded civil rights and liberties, including those that mandated publicly-funded representation for indigent defendants in Gideon v. Wainright (1963), and required police to inform criminal suspects of their rights, in Miranda v. Arizona (1966). Certainly other justices, including Hugo Black, Abe Fortas, Arthur J. Goldberg, and Wiley Blount Rutledge, Jr. made decisions that protected individual rights and created greater equality in the United States, but the judges listed above demonstrate that Ruth Bader Ginsburg is just the most recent participant in the strong liberal tradition of the Supreme Court and you cant accuse someone of radicalism if theyre part of a long-standing tradition.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Macro-economics Essays - Macroeconomics, Economy, Economics

Macro-economics Essays - Macroeconomics, Economy, Economics Macro-economics Macro-economics GDP measure Expenditure approach Weakness of using GDP to measure wellbeing CPI Measure and its problem Unemployment Definition friction, structural and cyclical unemployment Inflation In the long run, the increase in MS leads to inflation Cost: Shoe leather cost, menu cost and tax distortion AD-AS Shape of AD and AS curves Monetary policy Open market operation Contractionary and expansionary monetary policy Draw graph to explain how monetary policy helps with inflation recession Fiscal policy Definition Instruments graphing Multiplier effect and crowding-out effect For graphing question, please draw graph clearly and label properly, and give brief explanation Graphing, labeling and explanations all carry marks. Graphing to illustrate monetary policy (expansionary and contractionary) Chinas central banktightened monetary policy by raising the interest rates it charges in open-market operations and on funds lent via its Standing Lending Facility. What type of monetary policy did Chinas central bank implement (expansionary or contractionary monetary policy)? What will be the impact on the economy, all else being equal? Use graph to illustrate. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-02-03/china-s-pboc-increases-interest-rates-in-open-market-operations MS2 Money supply, MS A D2 Y1 Y2 P2 Money demand at price level P AD1 Quantity of money 0 Interest rate r2 r1 (a) The money market (b) The aggregate-demand curve Quantity of output 0 Price level 3. ... which decreases the quantity of goods and services demanded at a given price level. 2. ... the equilibrium interest rate Increases... 1. When the RBA Decrease the money supply ... P1style.visibilitystyle.visibilitystyle.visibilitystyle.visibilitystyle.visibilitystyle.visibilitystyle.visibilitystyle.visibilitystyle.visibilitystyle.visibilitystyle.visibilitystyle.visibilitystyle.visibilitystyle.visibilitystyle.visibility Graphing to illustrate fiscal policy The above-mentioned moves underscore the leaderships determination to push up funding costs of short-term tenors to rein in leverage andswitchto the combination of less monetary stimulus and more fiscal support, after earlier easing fueled bubbles in bonds and the property market. What types of fiscal support can the government give? Use graph to illustrate its impact. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-02-03/china-s-pboc-increases-interest-rates-in-open-market-operations Quantity of output Price level 0 Aggregate demand, AD1 Increase government purchase or reduce tax rate AD2 7style.visibilitystyle.visibilitystyle.visibility Short answer question examples Explain shoe leather cost. It refers to the cost of converting between cash and other assets during high inflation. Explain interest rate effect that is used to explain the downward sloping curve of AD A lower price level reduces the interest rate, which encourages greater spending on investment goods. This increase in investment spending means a larger quantity of goods and services demanded. Explain sticky wage theory Nominal wages are slow to adjust, or are sticky in the short run. Wages do not adjust immediately to a fall in the price level. A lower price level makes employment and production less profitable. This induces firms to reduce the quantity of goods and services supplied. Is unemployment rate a perfect measure for unemployment? Justify your answer. It is not perfect measure because at least two groups of people cannot be accurately classified. Some people may claim to be unemployed in order to receive financial assistance, even though they arent truly looking for jobs. They are mistakenly classified as unemployed. Discouraged workers, people who would like to work but have given up looking for jobs after unsuccessful search, dont show up in unemployment statistics.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Module 7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Module 7 - Essay Example The biggest similarity between the three religions is that they are all monotheistic, but all other practices and beliefs are either entirely different or only bear minimal similarities. The paper discusses the similarities and differences among Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Judaism, Christianity and Islam, fall under the classification of monotheistic religions, meaning that they believe in one God. Muslims and Jews mostly emphasize the unity and oneness of God. The acclaim is at times misunderstood, as Christians go ahead to state that God is triune. However, this does not indicate that the religions are in denial of monotheism. Instead, it is only an affirmation of the intricacy of God. The three religions believe that God created and made everything in the world. They believe that God cares about the world and every creature that He created and desired that they all have a good life. According to the three religions, God is just and he instituted ground rules for the guidance of man so that humans can be righteous and good (Volf 8). In addition to that, the three religions believe that God is merciful and offers strength to people to do different things. Judaism, Islam, and Christianity believe that humans are supreme creatures on earth. Humans are the descendants of Abraham, who God blessed and gave the promise that his descendants would be great. The three religions also hold the perception that God created humans full of mystery, which implies that humans have the potential for perpetual growth, both as individuals and as a species. Humans are capable of being both good and evil. When humans grow in righteousness, goodness, and love, they become more like what their creator intended them to be. On the other hand, when they abuse their freedom and do evil things, they go against Gods will (Volf 9). Judaism, Christianity, and Islam religions hold almost similar views regarding the future. Although the past has

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Phase 4 Discussion Board Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Phase 4 Discussion Board - Essay Example Yes, I would switch to the Visa Student Card. This is because the interest charged using the Visa Student Card of $270 is lower compared to the interest charged using my existing credit card of $412.50. Most important, I would switch to any credit card that offers lower interest rate on my purchases after six months taking in account that the credit cards offers an interest rate of 0% on all purchases and balance transfers for six months. In case of Open-End Credit, a borrower can continue to borrow (purchase) and pay in various amounts. In case of Closed-End Credit, the lender tells the borrower how much they can borrow and a fee schedule is set up, which the borrower pays until the debt is paid off. In general, Open-End Credit is for small purchases and Closed-End Credit is for bigger purchase. Credit card purchases are an example of Open-End Credit and a Car loan taken is an example of Closed-End Credit. Many large appliance stores offer simple interest loans to their customers. For example, suppose a customer is interested in purchasing a $1,400.00 refrigerator at Myer Appliances. The customer is unable to pay the total amount at the time of purchase, so Myer’s lets the customer make a down payment of $140 and then 12 monthly payments of $120.75.   Suppose that you are unable to pay the total amount for your appliance at the time of purchase, so you take out a simple interest loan. The store will let you make a 10% down payment and then make 12 equal monthly payments for the remaining balance at a simple interest rate of

Thursday, October 31, 2019

How a person should be Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

How a person should be - Essay Example Another approach in the direction of understanding truth goes with the name of interpretive analysis of situations and the conclusions that individuals and groups draw from their experiences are indeed identified as truths. But, in the view of this group’s conceptual understanding, the nature of truth wholly and solely depends on one’s experiences alone. The final approach towards gaining understanding of reality is called postmodernism that simply states that nothing is in-definitively true and vice versa and therefore, the gathering of information is going to determine the truths and facts of the present time. There was a time in past, when scientists believed that world is flat like a table and if ships were to go far into the sea then, they may fall from the edge of the world. However, with the passage of time, the featured belief changed and so did the human behavior towards reality (Klein pp. 26). The knowledge always changes, modifies, and transforms the basic se t of beliefs from which the complete social value system is based and because of this reason, when beliefs go through the process of change, then, the societal behaviors mold in such a way so that they can represent the newly formed assumptions. The Plato developed a way that thrived on gathering people’s opinion about a particular matter and then, the group attempted to develop a consensus and that agreed upon statement was given the status of divinity. But, if people’s experiences are recommending against the general statement then, it means that the reality is outdated and needs modifications. Thusly, the major and the most important approaches towards reality are based on human interpretation of events. The scientific experimentation technique introduced by early Muslim scholars was based on the due principle of experimentation and it supported the notion of experimentation via that the statements about reality can be proven and disproven (Rorty pp. 1). The real ch ange in the community occurs on a cognitive level and then, a new thought is shared slowly and gradually with others (Gladwell pp. 2). Ultimately, it reaches the people who have the appropriate level of power and authority needed to bring the change. Therefore, a small change in a thought pattern leads to a major one. But, nobody cares to tell the name of a person who originally gave the seed of change and because of this reason, real thinkers of the community remain unknown and unsung in most number of the cases. In the modern scientific literature, the researcher is free to fabricate hypothetical statements about an issue but he or she has to prove it with the help of empirical experimentation in order to derive generally acceptable statements. Nevertheless, the above-mentioned approach can be taken as monistic evaluation of interpretive assumptions about reality. The trend of change in human belief system over the passage of time is supporting that nothing is true forever and tha t is an elementary assumption of postmodernism (Rorty pp. 2). The previous discussion highlighted the fact that not all of the approaches towards reality are hostile to each other but they are indeed complimentary. The monistic way of thinking helps humans in standardization of realism so that public can understand and comprehend the world around them in a shared manner. The interpretive analysis of the situations helps

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

The Elimination of the Electoral College Essay Example for Free

The Elimination of the Electoral College Essay With the recent election, a controversy has come up about the eliminating the Electoral College. The Electoral College is made up of a group of electors where they vote for the President and the Vice President based on the states popular vote for the candidate. There are 538 Electoral College votes and in order to win the election, a candidate must have a majority of 270 votes to become the President. When Americans cast their vote, they are actually casting votes for the electors who will then cast their votes for the candidate. So, what’s the issue? Well, the issue is that, â€Å"The current system has the problem that presidential campaigns concentrate on only ten of the fifty states, and at least four out of five Americans are left out of the process of deciding who their president should be,† according to John Koza. In this election alone, President Obama and Governor Romney have visited Ohio a total of seventy-one times because Ohio was a major battleground state. To add on, statistics show that President Obama and Governor Romney have spent about ninety- five percent of their time and money in only ten out of the fifty states. Why? Because those battleground states have citizens who are undecided as to which candidate they should vote for, whereas most of the citizens in other states are decided. Now, let’s say that there was no electoral college and the candidates won by popular vote, chances are that they will spend a lot of their time and money campaigning in heavily populated areas such as the New England states, the South, and the West Coast. This unit has mostly been about public opinion and political participation. It has also been about the election. We learned how people choose the president and we got a general idea about the Electoral College. The Electoral College plays a HUGE role in an election. As I mentioned in the first paragraph, the electors vote for a candidate based on the states popular vote. Take Virginia for example, if you were to look at the counties, you would see that a majority of them voted for Governor Romney. If you were to look at the heavily populated (urban) areas like Richmond or D.C., they voted for President Obama. So, what candidate did the electors place their vote for? President Obama. Just by looking at the map, one would think that Virginia voted republican. The Electoral College was an agreement between the election of a candidate by a vote in Congress and the election of a candidate by popular vote of citizens. I’m sure that back when the Electoral College was formed, no one questioned the fairness of it. The popular vote is basically being spilt from the Electoral College vote. In my opinion, the Electoral College should be eliminated because it should not be electors from each state deciding the â€Å"fate† of our country. It should be the citizens deciding the outcome of an election because after all, that is why we are allowed to vote. I feel that even though we are allowed to vote, our vote doesn’t really count because of the Electoral College. Voting is a great way for our votes to be heard and to exercise one of our many rights, but if the Electoral College is eliminated, then we might as well not vote. Works Cited Page Savage, George . George Savage: Time to eliminate the Electoral College.Madison.com Madison WI news sports entertainment. N.p., 5 Nov. 2012. Web. 8 Nov. 2012. Jeunesse, William La. Time to eliminate the Electoral College? | Fox News. Fox News Breaking News Updates | Latest News Headlines | Photos News Videos. N.p., 5 Nov. 2012. Web. 8 Nov. 2012. . Is it time to eliminate the Electoral College? | TheGazette. Eastern Iowa Breaking News and Headlines | thegazette.com Cedar Rapids, Iowa City. N.p., 6 Nov. 2012. Web. 9 Nov. 2012. .

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Strengths and Weaknesses of Crime Statistics and Victimisation Surveys

Strengths and Weaknesses of Crime Statistics and Victimisation Surveys Rates of crime are recorded using two key sources; Police Recorded Crime (PRC) and Victimisation Surveys. Both will be explored and examined to see how they can, effectively assist policy makers in targeting areas for change. In addition the advantages and disadvantages of each method will be discussed along with their similarities and differences. To understand why it is important to record crime levels, three key notions must be clarified. Firstly, crime is legally defined as any act or omission outlawed by the criminal law and thus punishable (Odgers,1911). Secondly, the purpose of the judicial system is to enforce the law and protect victims of crime. Thirdly, criminal guilt relates to premeditated intention. Universal law is non-existent; therefore each country or locality has its own legal system. The shared aim is to hold person/s accountable for their behaviour. Substructures of the judiciary may focus on specific areas of interest. These may include the courts, and penal system and constabulary. The role of the courts and penal system is specific. It is in place to serve and protect the innocent, to pass judgement on the guilt or innocence of persons presented and to serve a proportionate punishment in response to the criminal act committed. Any form of justice served must remember the civil liberties of all concerned, including the offender. Crime prevention and law enforcement are a separate division provided by the constabulary. The term criminal guilt stems from two fundamental Latin principles. These are actus reus which translates as bad act and mens rea guilty mind. The accused must be found to have committed actus reus with the willing intention to perpetrate the act and/or to have assessed the risk i.e. accident or fear may be experienced as a direct result of the action (Dubber, Markus D. (2002). Few exceptions to being found guilty of one of these alone exist, these concern whether a person can be fully answerable for their actions. Examples of mens rea without actus reus can relate to crimes, where although the action is deemed illegal, the act may not have the deliberate intention to harm another. Examples of this could involve driving at excessive speed, an act of accidental manslaughter or self-defence. (law.jrank.org) Two comparable sources are used to measure crime rates within the UK. Police recorded crime measures the volume of notifiable offences committed over a fixed period, within the jurisdiction that the constabulary serves. Crime-related statistics are obtained at request of the British Home Office, where they are collated, analysed, and published throughout the year. The figures provide the government and the public with a summarised account of the information obtained. They aim to reveal and compare crime rates within specific localities. They are also used to demonstrate the effectiveness of policing. This information can be used to suggest areas for improvement and assist in the constant struggle to prevent crime occurring. The second method that is utilised, verifies the extent to which crime is perpetrated and is a valuable tool when combatting crime. Victimisation surveys; primarily recognised as the British Crime Survey (BCS) is a form of crime-related statistical research that was established in 1982. It was introduced in response for an alternative complementary system to exist alongside using police records alone. It aimed to gather intelligence on the public attitudes towards crime and their opinions relating to the judicial system. Although operationally independent from any government body, the BCS is still conducted for the British Home Office (First BCS report, Hough and Mayhew, 1983). The survey confidentially canvasses in the region of forty to fifty thousand individuals (Office for National Statistics, 2005) to uncover various information relating to crime-related experiences, including anti-social behaviour and police interaction and response to criminal activity. The people questioned span various demographics and aim to be representative of society. They are interviewed anonymously via door to door visits or telecommunications. Police recorded crime statistics are easy to conduct and provide a good measure of criminal cases both regionally and nationally. Because the statistics are compiled from police reports readily available, the only additional cost incurred involves the information being sent, analysed and evaluated. Over time re-occurring inclines and declines in illegal behaviour can be identified and used when analysing patterns of crime, in particular to risk assess, highlight and tackle crime hotspots. Crime statistics can also indicate the workload and performance level of police forces throughout the country.  [1]   An indication of a reduction in crime related incidents could boost public morale. If necessary the findings could influence change surrounding governing policy. For example, the allocation or re-allocation of specific resources within a police department could lead to a more efficient service. Identifying the need to place patrol officers where the greatest street crime occurs would be one way to maximise effectiveness of the police service. Unless a crime has been reported to the police and they have classified it as criminal it will not be included. This means that all minor misdemeanours that would be trialled as summary offences in court such as, crimes relating to anti social behaviour, assault, disorderly conduct and criminal trespass, along with most either-way offences for example theft and drug offences are excluded from being recorded  [2]  . This highlights one of the main failings of this form of data collection as it leads to discrepancies when analysing the results, especially when comparing between PRC and victimisation surveys. Data collection and recording of PRC statistics are affected by the regulations implemented by the current governing body  [3]  . The results uncovered may point to a rise in criminal acts being committed. This could have a negative impact on society. As a result the published findings could become biased and used as propaganda to mislead people into believing that crime rates are more favourable than factual. In some situations the volume of crime could be falsely recorded to meet performance and administrative targets (Chambliss, 2001). This is in direct contradiction of providing a good service to the public. British crime surveys are independent from government reports and not affected by changes in how crime is reported and documented. They play an important role in serving the public interest and governing change and policy. They provide a better indication relating to long-term trends of crime within society  [4]  , in particular highlighting crimes which affect different sociological groups. For example, crimes against women and those which affect minority groups such as the vulnerable, mentally ill, the disadvantaged and ethnic minorities. The BCS provides statistics which demonstrate the extent to which crime occurs. It accounts for minor offences, antisocial behaviour and victimless crime such as fraud. It also includes household and personal crime which may not be otherwise reported or deemed a criminal act  [5]  . The BCS is constantly changing to adapt to new concerns affecting society  [6]  . Recent expansion has seen the inclusion of acts committed against minors such as gadget theft which has seen a vast increase as technology advances; however this is only in the testing stage and is yet to be fully implemented. It has also seen the inclusion of crimes relating to identity theft  [7]  . The confidential method of surveying is flexible and can reach a wide proportion of people. Interviews conducted may take place at home, by visiting door to door or over the telephone. This can motivate people to openly speak their mind about their experiences and concerns. It may also lead to the discussion of topics of a sensitive nature for example, being the victim of racially incited or homophobic hate crimes, which they may not have wanted to report. This may be due to shame, embarrassment, a fear of repercussions or not being believed or taken seriously by the police service  [8]  . Over all the BCS appears to paint a broader picture of how a variety of crime-related issues really affect a range of varied people. Perhaps this is because they take the initiative and seek to learn more. Shortcomings surrounding this form of canvassing is that it is very costly to conduct, not only in man power but also time and resources. The effectiveness is questionable as the results gathered rely on a persons honesty and personal insight in to how they have been affected which may provide exaggerated responses or false information. The BCS also excludes the recording of commercial crimes and heinous crime such as murder. However, the Commercial Victimisation Survey and the Offending Crime and Justice Survey are both in place to ensure that crimes outside the boundaries of the BCS are still accounted for  [9]  . In summary, I have explored both methods used to research crime statistics and outlined the strengths and weaknesses of each. For example, The BCS relies on the respondents personal view of the effect of crime. PRC assumes that crime is always reported. Both methods are dependent on the classification of crime. Victimisation surveys fail to provide an accurate depiction of society. This is because surveys of this form assume that people interviewed can and will provide a reliable version of events. An effective source of information can not solely rely on the integrity and factual representation of those it surveys. Individual perception can vary hugely, and factors such as differences between living in a rural versus urban location and coming from differing socio-economic backgrounds can lead to ambiguous results. For example, certain groups of people may be targeted more or less than indicated. If these variables are not taken in to account then the measure of crime rates could be distorted and the overall findings in relation to the sample population unfounded. Overall it can be seen that both the BCS and PRC are adequate methods for collecting information. When trying to measure crime the most effective method is to examine BCS and PRC together as the results combined provide a more com prehensive picture of how crime really affects society.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Japan :: essays research papers

Japan, a country made up of islands, has a very extensive history that goes along with it. Recorded Japanese history beings about A.D. 400. It is believed that Japan was created by the sun goddess, from whom the emperors descended. The first emperor was Jimmo, who supposedly ascended the throne in 660 B.C. There're two main reasons for this report. To give people an overview of Japanese History, and what happened to make it what it has become. Also, to give a better understanding on what happened, and facts that led up to certain Japanese events.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In approximately A.D. 400, the Yamato clan, eventually based in Kyoto, managed to exact a control of the other family groups of central and western Japan. Korean contact introduced Buddhism to Japan. Through the 700's, China greatly influenced Japan, and there was an imperial court set up much similar to that of China. The authority of the Imperial court in the ensuing centuries was undermined, and various family clans vied for control. During this time, warrior clans were rising as a distinct clan known as samurai. In 1192, the Minamoto clan set up a military government under Yoritomo, their leader. Yoritomo was designated shogun (a military dictator). For the next 700 years, shoguns from different clans ruled in Japan, and the imperial court existed in relative obscurity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In about 1542, Japan had its first encounter with the Western World. An off course Portuguese ship arrived in Japanese waters. Soon after, Spanish, Dutch, and English traders followed. From Christianity, and the Portuguese support of a Japanese revolt, the shoguns of the Tokugawa period (1603-1867), cut off all trade with the foreign countries, only allowing the Dutch trading post at Nagasaki. The western countries tried to renew the trading, but failed up until 1853. In 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry, from America, sailed a fleet of American ships into Tokyo Bay. Trade was forced upon Japan, under terms not favorable to the Japanese. Struggles caused by these actions brought the shogun rule to an end. Emperor Meiji came to the throne in 1868   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1889, an Imperial army was formed, and also a parliamentary government. The Japanese began to make steps to extend their empire. In 1894-95, there was a brief war between Japan and China. Japan gained Taiwan (Formosa), the Pescadores Islands, and part of southern Manchuria. China also recognized the independence of Korea, which Japan annexed in 1910.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Economic inequality Essay

Application and evaluation question  Candidates are required to demonstrate understanding of SOL by applying the data given to assess the change in level of SOL in Singapore. They are also required to identify limitations of data given in assessing non-material aspect of SOL and suggest possible indicators to provide a more comprehensive measurement of SOL in Singapore. Schematic Plan (to be done in 2-3 minutes) Thinking Process Introduction (GIST) Define SOL, provide an overview of the essay Provide the thesis – Show how the data given support a rising SOL Analyse how economic growth can translate to rising SOL Analyse how a low inflation rate is necessary for increasing SOL Analyse how the creation of more jobs can lead to a rising SOL Provide the anti-thesis – why the non-material SOL should be examined and analyse how stress level can affect non-material SOL Analyse how income disparity can affect the SOL of Singaporean despite evidence of economic growth Analyse how negative externalities can affect the non-material SOL Reiterate your stand and conclude General Statement (Key idea) Interpretation (Definitions, clarify concepts / question) Scope (Set up directions for the answer) sTand (State the stand) Standard of living (SOL) is a measure of the welfare of a populace. It is comprised of material aspects such as quantity of goods and services consumed and non-material aspects such as amount of leisure time and access to necessities of life. To determine whether the standard of living in Singapore has been rising over the years, it is necessary to examine changes in both the material and non-material aspects. While the information given in the preamble seems to suggest an improvement in the material aspect, there is a lack of information to prove that there is a corresponding improvement in the non-material aspect. Nonetheless, given the positive data in the preamble and taking into account the government’s constant effort to improve the non-material aspect, such as pollution level, we can reasonably conclude that the standard of living in Singapore has been increasing to a large extent. Body (PEEL) PEEL – 1 State the Point (P) As mentioned in the preamble, the Singapore economy grew by 9.2% in the third quarter, this is likely to lead to an improvement in the material well being of Singaporean in general. Explain the point with clear causal links (E) Elaborate the point with examples (E) The 9.2% economic growth in the third quarter of 1993 means that real Gross Domestic Product in third quarter of 1993 increased by 9.2% over the previous year. Since GDP is the total value of the final output produced within a country, this would meant that national output and hence national income increased by 9.2%. This increase means people are enjoying more income which allows them to purchase more goods and services to satisfy their wants. For example, now more people can afford to buy luxury goods such as cars. Link back to Question (L) This increases their welfare and hence the SOL increases. PEEL – 2 State the Point (P) As mentioned in the preamble, the inflation is low at the rate of 2.4% per annum, this is likely to translate to an increase in material standard of living. Explain the point with clear causal links (E) Elaborate the point with examples (E) As discussed above, the economy grew at 9.2% and that would translate to higher income for the average consumer. A low inflation rate of 2.4% ensures that the increase in the income of the average consumer is higher than the increase in the prices of the goods and services he consumes. As such, for the average consumer, his real purchasing power increases and he is able to consume more goods and services as compared to before. Link back to Question (L) This means that his welfare and SOL is improved. PEEL – 3 State the Point (P) As mentioned in the preamble, 19000 jobs were created, this is likely to lead to an improvement in SOL for Singaporeans. Explain the point with clear causal links (E) Elaborate the point with examples (E) With the creation of these 19000 job opportunities, many previously unemployed workers would be able to find jobs and start to earn an income. These people who were previously unemployed would now be able to afford more goods and services, such as more meals or entertainment in clubs, with the income they now earn and hence enjoy a higher material standard of living. At the same time, as unemployment rate goes down, the labour market becomes increasingly saturated and companies may be willing to pay a higher wage to attract workers. With a higher wage, workers are now able to consume more goods and services than before. Link back to Question (L) As such, the welfare and SOL of the average Singaporean is likely to improve. PEEL – 4 State the Point (P) However, it is insufficient to only look at the material aspect to determine if the SOL in Singapore has been rising over the years. It is also necessary to examine changes in the non-material SOL for a comprehensive analysis of the level of SOL in Singapore. One possible indicator would be the stress level of the average Singapore worker. Explain the point with clear causal links (E) Elaborate the point with examples (E) The high economic growth of 9.2% reported in the preamble could have come about as a result of longer working hours. For instance, there is an increasing number of 24 hour coffeeshop in Singapore and existing employees are paid to work longer hours. As workers work longer hours to produce more goods and services, they experience a higher level of stress. At the same time, majority of the 19000 jobs created might be in the sales and retail sector where the stress to perform is extremely high. As such, the stress level of Singaporean may have gone up. Link back to Question (L) / Evaluation If the stress level of the average Singaporean worker has increased over the years, then the non-material SOL, and hence the overall SOL, of the average Singaporean may have worsened. However, to address that, the government has been encouraging companies to have a healthy work-life balance to promote families togetherness. Work days for most companies have been limited to 5 days week. As such, it is likely that the increase in stress level is limited and the average Singaporean still enjoy a rising overall SOL. PEEL – 5 State the Point (P) Another possible way to examine whether the average Singaporean’s SOL has risen is to examine whether the gains from the economic growth is distributed equitably. Explain the point with clear causal links (E) Elaborate the point with examples (E) If the income disparity has widened, it would mean most people gained less  benefits from the economic growth while the rich gained the most. This would mean the income of the majority has changed little and hence their welfare increase is limited or negligible. Hence on the whole, the SOL may be unchanged or has even decreased in an extreme case. Link back to Question (L) / Evaluation On further analysis, this may be an unlikely scenario for Singapore. The government has had attempt to close the income gap through financial benefits such as GST credits and fundings for Comcare, the Edusave merit bursary and the likes to ensure the poor’ s finances are enhanced. In fact, recently the income disparity in Singapore has eased according to the Gini coefficient which assigns a value of 1 to the most unequal income distribution and 0 to the most equal. Singapore currently hovers around 0.430. As such, it is likely that most Singaporean would be able to enjoy the fruits of the economic growth and experience an increase in SOL. PEEL – 6 State the Point (P) Finally, it is also important to examine the impact of negative externalities in assessing the change in the non-material SOL of Singaporeans over this period. Explain the point with clear causal links (E) Elaborate the point with examples (E) It is possible that more pollution and traffic congestion may have arrived due to the increase in national production (hence output). These increase in negative externalities worsens the living environment and exacts a cost (in the form of healthcare cost) for example on the people. Hence the net benefits from the economic growth may be eroded. Link back to Question (L) / Evaluation However, the government of Singapore has had a track record of developing a clean and conducive living environment for all. It has strict laws on pollution and efficient policies on tracking traffic congestion like ERP and promoting public transport. Hence a rise in social costs is unlikely to be significant compared to countries such as China and Thailand. As such, the impact of negative externalities is likely to be limited and the overall SOL of Singaporean is likely to have increased. Conclusion Summarise and Reiterate (SR) All in all, it can be safely concluded that there is a rise in living standards in Singapore to a large extent in spite of a lack of data on the non-material aspect of SOL. This is because of the track record of the government which has worked to increase the SOL of Singapore since 1965 effectively and dramatically. However, it is still best to include other indicators such as the PSI (to see the level of pollution), the Gini coefficient and MEW. These will help to give a better estimate of the change in the SOL. Ultimately, SOL is too broad a concept to be measured by any single indicator.