Essay Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and The Civil Rigths...

Martin Luther King was an inspirational figure in his time because he helped begin the civil rights movement through his courage and bravery. Martin was an African American born in a time where race was the major factor for weather you were treated with respect or treated very poorly and treated as if you were slaves His story begins when he was an executive member in the NAACP but his fight for equality in the American South happened out of sheer luck. Martin was picked to host a meeting to support an African American woman named Rosa Parks, she had been arrested for refusing to give up her seat for a white person on a bus. Since King’s church was the closest church in the down town area his church was chosen. Martin through his fate†¦show more content†¦Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last! In 1964 the civil rights movement began to start working for Martin when on July 2nd President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 194, which outlawed the segregation of black people in public places and also for bided racial discrimination by private employers. With this being done in March 1965 King organised another protest with 3,200 civil right demonstrators began to march from Selma to Montenegro concerning the harsh voting laws against black people. About 5 months after the march the laws were changed and black people for the first time were allowed to vote. With this all being done to help the black community and also with the help of Martin being brutally beaten in Birmingham King was awarded the noble peace prize and also being they youngest person to win it at the age of 35. Shortly after this his main focus was on the Vietnam war, he started to ease away from the civil rights movement and focused on other issues relating to American society at the time, This Ultimately lead to his assassination in Memphis in 1968. Martin Luther King stood up for equality in a time of such bad racismShow MoreRelated The Life And Times Of Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay1714 Words   |  7 Pages nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia, the eldest of Martin Luther King, Sr., a Baptist minister, and Alberta Williams King. His Father served as a pastor of a large Atlanta church, Ebenezer Baptist, which had been founded by Martin Luther King, Jr.s maternal grandfather. King, Jr., was ordainded as a Baptist minister at age 18. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;King attended local segrated public school, where he excelled. He entered a nearby

Stick Shift vs Automatic Free Essays

Automatic vs. stick shiftbuying a new car might be a great experience. The question is which one is better, automatic or stick shift? It all depends in what you would prefer and what do you expect from the car. We will write a custom essay sample on Stick Shift vs Automatic or any similar topic only for you Order Now Saving gas, safety and fun are three important reasons to think before making a decision. It’s important that you know your needs are when deciding what type of transmission to get. Do you want a compact car or a larger vehicle? Do you have experience with a stick shift transmission? Will you be driving long distance, road trips, or driving in the city? Do you want to do your own repairs? Why are automatic cars so popular? Since most people drive in the city or in stop and go traffic, automatic cars are more convenient. Even though automatic cars are more expensive and tend to wear down faster. Cars with automatic transmission are a great way to drive around. They do not require much driving skills than stick shift cars. Automatic cars are made comfortable way of driving especially driving in heavy traffic. People who don’t like to drive usually choose an automatic transmission. Automatic transmission require a lot of attention to the engine and keeping up with all of the services such as oil changes, brakes, filters and transmission fluids. Automatic transmission are improving their standards and slowly catching up with to become more fuel efficient. However in some cases vehicles can still be as much as 10% increase in fuel use for an automatic transmission! Overdrive gears can help this problem also. Automatic shifts are not as fun as a stick shift because there not as challenging. On the other hand stick shift transmission saves you hundreds of dollars. Stick shifts are easier to repair and you may be able to do small repairs on your own. Stick shift transmissions have better gas mileage, they also have smaller engines, but they have a lot of power. For example racecar drivers prefer stick shift transmission because it allows them to take control and also the stick shift has more power. Race car drivers use stick shift to take driving to a higher standard. Even though stick shift saves you more money and gives you better gas mileage, if you stayed in the city like New York having a stick shift wouldn’t be your choice. Stick shifts are good for driving over a long stretches are good for road trips, driving in the city with a stick shift causes wear and tear on your clutch. Which sometimes can very expensive to fix, most people say that is just too much work to keep switching gears when you are in stop and go raffic, if you have experience driving a stick shift your transmission can last a lot longer than an automatic transmission. If you are looking for a larger vehicle or an SUV it would be hard to find stick shift switching gears to reduce speed also can save you on break repairs, stick shift transmission require you to be more active with your car and it allows you to pay attention when there is something wrong with your car because you’re not in con trol, so it’s hard for you to pay attention when there is something wrong with your car. How you feel in the car as well as you can handle the car. For a passive driver who is interested in learning how to coordinate the clutch then stick shift has a better handling for you. Stick shift has a lot of different gears and speed which require a stronger set of hands to control the wheel while driving. The automatic has normal handling on the wheel even when going at a faster speed an automatic can drive itself without the need to shift from one gear to another no matter how fast you go. The stick shift transmission requires you to learn to shift between one to five different gears. The transmissions are built differently when comparing an automatic to a stick shift transmission. With a stick shift you have to switch gears while you’re driving. The difference between an automatic or stick shift transmission, both come with different prices. When you are putting on an automatic transmission can range from a few hundred dollars cheaper than a stick shift transmission. Stick shift transmission is preferred for traditional racing. Where quick gear changes are required to exit turns quickly. Automatic transmission could not keep up with a skilled driver using a stick shift automatic transmission are preferred amongst the common drivers because of its ease of use a manual transmission requires coordination between the clutch throttle, and shifting of gears to provide a smooth ride and not damage the transmission. This decision is yours it’s your personal preference on what kind of transmission you would want to drive daily. I prefer driving an automatic car because it is much easier and comfortable for me. I live in a small town and I drive long distance to work and automatic always have been my favorite. I never wanted to learn how to drive a stick shift car even though it saves more on gas. I like to be able to relax when I drive. A stick shift requires too much, you have to switch gears constantly and it’s difficult in lots of traffic. Automatic vs. stick shift it’s your decision cars are made for driving. The choice is yours. How to cite Stick Shift vs Automatic, Papers

Essay Plan Hotel Hilton

Question: Write about the Essay Planfor Hotel Hilton. Answer: Introduction: The important role the business environment in which an organization operates itself plays, in determining its future cannot be undermined. One of the most recognized, global groups of hotels and resorts, Hotel Hilton has been operating in almost 86 countries across six continents, and Singapore is one of those countries (Salvioni, 2016) Although the Hotel itself does boast of a global brand name that easily helps it attract consumers in Singapore, in order to ensure the future sustenance of the Hotel in Singapore, the micro-environment of Singapore should be analyzed. The core micro-environment factors of an organization in a foreign country should be well-understood and analyzed, and hence the essay plan intends to discuss and critically evaluate the significance of each micro-business factor of Singapore that can affect Hiltons future sustenance. Discussion: While analyzing the crucial micro environment factors of Hilton Singapore, a thorough analysis of the following factors is needed: Competitors: Hotel Hilton Singapore is not free of competition in Singapore. The main two competitors of Hilton Singapore are Hotel Hyatt and Hotel Intercontinental that with their big brand names and bolder infrastructures, are hard to compete with. Besides, the iconic ones, other competitors of Hotel Hilton include Capella Singapore and Regent Singapore (Henderson, 2013). Suppliers: As far as the suppliers are concerned, Hotel Hilton Singaporegetsits supply from local, regional as well as global groups of suppliers for the provision of food and beverage, guest rooms and property operations. IHG is an important supplier for Hilton Singapore. Being a global brand, Hilton purchases its products from more than four thousand brands, and hence the suppliers of Singapore cannot largely affect its business prospects. Customers: The customers of Hotel Hilton Singapore largely consist of the people belonging to the higher strata of the society, and the elite group of people, such as the politicians, sportspersons and celebrities who want to be associated with a reputed brand. The customers do not have a variety of options available for them to switch a least as far as Singapore is concerned, and hence will have to stay loyal to Hotel Hilton (Worldwide, 2014). Employees: The organization keeps on offering a variety of perks to the employees, including employee training facility, career development opportunity, and paid time off that enhances their loyalty to Hilton Singapore. Porters Five Forces Analysis: Hotel Hilton Singapore: Bargaining Power of Buyers This is quite low, as the elite class of people will not be able to get any substitute of Hilton in Singapore, as most of the Hotels do not possess the global brand name. Bargaining Power of Suppliers The threat is low, as the organization purchases its raw materials from a variety of brands, and hence the absence of one will not affect its growth (Chathoth, 2016). Threat of Substitutes The threat is low, as the people belonging to the higher strata will not choose to stay in the relatives houses. Threat of New Entrant High, because of the growth in technology and infrastructure in Singapore. Rivalry It is very high, considering the company encounters fierce competition from Hotel Hyatt, Hotel Intercontinental, Capella Singapore and Regent Singapore. As it is evident from the above table, the bargaining power of the buyers is very limited. This is because the consumers of Hotel Hilton primarily comprise of the elite section of the society, who are attracted to the brand image of the restaurant. At Singapore, they might not be able to find any substitute of Hilton, and this is indeed profitable for Hotel Hilton Singapore. Next, Hilton being international brands buys its raw materials from a variety of global suppliers, they will not face difficulty in getting access to the supplied products. The threat of substitutes implies the extent to which an organization can get substituted by an alternative product. In case of Hilton the only available alternative to the consumers is to stay in the relatives house, and yt since most of the consumers here belong to the higher strata of the society, they would not ot for cost-effective alternatives. The threat of new entrant means the extent to which it is possible for a new company operating in the same industry enter the particular market. Considering the growth in technology and infrastructure in Singapore, this threat is quite high, and hence Hilton will have to adopt more innovative strategies to retain their competitive edge. Lastly, the last component of this analysis is competitive rivalry that shows the extent to which the company si able to face its competitive edge in the face of cut-throat competition. As mentioned above, the organization does encounter fierce competition from some of the iconic hotels like Hotel Hyatt. Conclusion: To conclude, it has been observed that Hotel Hilton does have huge future prospect in Singapore, considering its brand value and limited competitors. It is hard to replace the organization in Singapore, and the only thing the company has to ensure is to keep a track on Hotel Hyatt and Hotel Intercontinental. Reference List: Chathoth, P. K. (2016). Historical evolution of hotel chains.The Routledge Handbook of Hotel Chain Management, 27. Henderson, J. C. (2013). Selling the past: Heritage hotels.Turizam: znanstveno-stru?ni?asopis,61(4), 451-454. Salvioni, D. M. (2016).Hotel Chains and the Sharing Economy in Global Tourism.Symphonya, (1), 31. Worldwide, H. H. (2014). Hilton Revolutionizes Hotel Experience with Digital Check-In, Room Selection and Customization, and Check-out Across 650,000-Plus Rooms at More Than 4,000 Properties Worldwide.Retrieved August,4, 2014.

The Fighter free essay sample

I was ten years old when I saw one of the most frightening sights of my life. I was at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, with my mom, my sister, and my grandmother. We were all gathered around my grandfather who was hooked up to numerous amounts of tubes, machines, and IV lines. My grandfather was in the middle of his fight against esophagus cancer and I remember thinking to myself, this is going to be one of the last times that I ever see my grandfather. The part that I did not take into consideration before that thought was; my grandfather has a fierce driving force to live deep down within him. No matter what obstacle is thrown in his way, it is not a question of whether he can get around it; he just wonders when he is going to conquer the problem. A few months later, when my grandfather was at home recovering, my family and I would make daily trips over to see him, since we live about a two minute walk away from each other. We will write a custom essay sample on The Fighter or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The majority of the times we would go over to see him, there would be a visiting nurse taking care of him, he would be sleeping, or he would be in too much pain and agony that my mother would not want us to come inside and see him. But then there were the times that my grandfather and I would sit and watch the Red Sox or just talk about what’s going on hours after my family left. Once summer time rolled around I was always over my grandparents house. I mowed their lawn and did small tasks that needed to be done around the yard. One day my grandfather came outside with me and I figured he was just supervising because I was working near a cluster of thorns. I didn’t notice the pair of clippers he was carrying. He told me that he was going to help me take down the vines that were strangling a group of trees. I was completely surprised and excited for us to be working together. From this moment on, every time I do a project at his house, he is right there next to me, even if he is sitting under a tree in the shade, while watching me work. All of my aunts, uncles, and cousins often say that I am the one that keeps my grandfather going because he’s always outside doing something with me. I know that he is a fighter and will never give up on anything that gets in his way.

Free Essays on International Business Communication Barriers

The international marketplace is changing rapidly. E-commerce is now a standard way to do business. The Internet has opened up vast opportunities for corporations to penetrate new markets and territories. As the economy is becoming more global in nature, companies are handling more business on an international level. Gronlund (1999) stated that one main reason behind this rapid growth is competition. International corporations are eager to use any resources available to gain market share wherever possible. While this kind of business enriches the international economy, there are communication barriers that sometimes prohibit further expansion in the global marketplace. In order for businesses to be effective they need to tackle the sometimes hidden culture issues that hamper smooth communications, or worse, halting growth all together. Companies, who do not take the time to research cultural beliefs and philosophies before conducting business, often fail their objectives beca use they simply do not possess the knowledge of their client’s cultural diversity. Each culture has its own rules about proper behavior that affect verbal and nonverbal communication. Whether a person looks the other in the eye-or not, or how close the people stand to each other when they are talking, are all rules of politeness that may differ from culture to culture. While cultural misunderstandings can probably never be eliminated, there are companies that have gone to great lengths to insure that their products or services adapt to different cultural beliefs. They have identified the challenges, and have broken key communication barriers such as language, technology, management styles, and needs. From their efforts, they have formed solid bridges to conduct their business. There is several communication challenges international companies face when conducting business globally. One main barrier is language. Non-English speaking employees may fee... Free Essays on International Business Communication Barriers Free Essays on International Business Communication Barriers The international marketplace is changing rapidly. E-commerce is now a standard way to do business. The Internet has opened up vast opportunities for corporations to penetrate new markets and territories. As the economy is becoming more global in nature, companies are handling more business on an international level. Gronlund (1999) stated that one main reason behind this rapid growth is competition. International corporations are eager to use any resources available to gain market share wherever possible. While this kind of business enriches the international economy, there are communication barriers that sometimes prohibit further expansion in the global marketplace. In order for businesses to be effective they need to tackle the sometimes hidden culture issues that hamper smooth communications, or worse, halting growth all together. Companies, who do not take the time to research cultural beliefs and philosophies before conducting business, often fail their objectives beca use they simply do not possess the knowledge of their client’s cultural diversity. Each culture has its own rules about proper behavior that affect verbal and nonverbal communication. Whether a person looks the other in the eye-or not, or how close the people stand to each other when they are talking, are all rules of politeness that may differ from culture to culture. While cultural misunderstandings can probably never be eliminated, there are companies that have gone to great lengths to insure that their products or services adapt to different cultural beliefs. They have identified the challenges, and have broken key communication barriers such as language, technology, management styles, and needs. From their efforts, they have formed solid bridges to conduct their business. There is several communication challenges international companies face when conducting business globally. One main barrier is language. Non-English speaking employees may fee...

Definition of the Disengagement Theory of Aging

Definition of the Disengagement Theory of Aging Disengagement theory outlines a process of disengagement from social life that people experience as they age and become elderly. The theory states that, over time, elderly people withdraw, or disengage from, the social roles and relationships that were central to their life in adulthood. As a functionalist theory, this framework casts the process of disengagement as necessary and beneficial to society, as it allows the social system to remain stable and ordered. Overview of Disengagement in Sociology Disengagement theory was created by social scientists  Elaine Cumming and William Earle Henry, and presented in the book  Growing Old, published in 1961. It is notable for being the first social science theory of aging, and in part, because it was controversially received, sparked further development of social science research, and theories about the elderly, their social relationships, and their roles in society. This theory presents a social systemic discussion of the aging process and the evolution of the social lives of elderly  and was inspired by functionalist theory. In fact, famed sociologist Talcott Parsons, who is regarded as a leading functionalist, wrote the foreword to the Cummings and Henrys book. With the theory, Cummings and Henry situate aging within the social system and offer a set of steps that outline how the process of disengagement occurs as one ages  and why this is important and beneficial to the social system as a whole. They based their theory on  data from the Kansas City Study of Adult Life, a  longitudinal study that tracked several hundred adults from middle to old age,  conducted by researchers at the University of Chicago. Postulates of the Theory of Disengagement Based on this data Cummings and Henry created the following nine postulates that comprise the theory of disengagement. People lose social ties to those around them because they expect death, and their abilities to engage with others deteriorate over time.As a person begins to disengage, they are increasingly freed from social norms which guide interaction. Losing touch with norms reinforces and fuels the process of disengagement.The disengagement process for men and women differs due to their different social roles.The process of disengaging is spurred by an individuals desire to not have their reputation damaged by losing skills and abilities while they are still fully engaged in their social roles. Simultaneously younger adults are trained to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to take over the roles played by those who disengage.Complete disengagement happens when both the individual and society are ready for this to occur. A disjunction between the two will occur when one is ready but not the other.People who have disengaged adopt new social roles so as not to suffer a crisis of identity o r become demoralized. A person is ready to disengage when they are aware of the short time remaining in their life and they no longer wish to fulfill their current social roles; and society allows for disengagement in order to provide jobs for those coming of age, to satisfy the social needs of a nuclear family, and because people die.Once disengaged, remaining relationships shift, rewards of them may change, and hierarchies may also shift.Disengagement occurs across all cultures but is shaped by the culture in which it occurs. Based on these postulates, Cummings and Henry suggested that the elderly are happiest when they accept and willingly go along with the process of disengagement. Critiques of the Theory of Disengagement The theory of disengagement caused controversy as soon as it was published. Some critics pointed out that this was a flawed social science theory because Cummings and Henry assume that the process is natural, innate, and inevitable, as well as universal. Evoking a fundamental conflict within sociology between functionalist and other theoretical perspectives, some pointed out that the theory completely  ignores the role of class in shaping the experience of aging, while others critiqued the assumption that the elderly have seemingly no agency in this process, but rather are compliant tools of the social system. Further, based on subsequent research, others asserted that the  theory of disengagement fails to capture the complex and rich social lives of the elderly, and the many forms of engagement that follow retirement (see The Social Connectedness of Older Adults: A National Profile by Cornwall et al., published in  American Sociological Review  in 2008). Noted contemporary sociologist Arlie Hochschild also published critiques of this theory. From her view, the theory is flawed because it has  an escape clause, wherein those who do not disengage are considered troubled outliers. She also critiqued Cummings and Henry for failing to provide evidence that disengagement is willingly done. While Cummings stuck to her theoretical position, Henry subsequently disavowed it in later publications and aligned himself with alternative theories that followed, including  activity theory and continuity theory. Recommended Reading Growing Old, by Cumming and Henry, 1961.Lives Through the Years: Styles of Life and Successful Aging, by Wiliams and Wirths, 1965.Disengagement Theory: A Critical Evaluation, by George L. Maddox, Jr.,  The Gerontologist,  1964.Disengagement Theory: A Critique and Proposal, by Arlie Hochschild,  American Sociological Review  40, no. 5 (1975): 553–569.Disengagement Theory: A Logical, Empirical, and Phenomenological Critique, by Arlie Hochshchild, in  Time, Roles, and Self in Old Age, 1976.Revisiting the Kansas City study of adult life: roots of the disengagement model in social gerontology, by J. Hendricks,  Getontologist, 1994. ​​Updated  by Nicki Lisa Cole, Ph.D.

Which Factors may Encourage an Individual to Assimilate to a New Essay

Which Factors may Encourage an Individual to Assimilate to a New Society - Essay Example Assimilation can be difficult and it can be successful yet detrimental to the individual at the same time. According to the dictionary "assimilation" is "The process whereby a minority group gradually adopts the customs and attitudes of the prevailing culture." (American Heritage Dictionary). For many immigrants this is expected of them and they automatically attempt to do it, especially in the United States. There are man factors that go into assimilation that cannot be anticipated by the individual coming into the new culture. According to Le (2008) there are two basic theories that categorize how assimilation is going to happen. The primordial or essentialist theory says that people have a sense of ethnic identity that is fixed and it is a part of who they are and it cannot be changed. They say that most people have an instinct that tells them to take care of their kin and or co-kin and leave those who are not kin out of their assistance. (par. 3). Situational theory (also known as constructionist theory) suggests that people are always adapting to their environment and that ethnic identity is more fluid. Instead of being fixed they are more socially defined. They believe that ethnic identity is constantly changing and in their words "being renegotiated, revised, and redefined, depending on specific situations and set of circumstances that each individual or ethnic group encounters" (Le, par. 4). The situational theorists also suggest sub theories that work within the framework of ethnicity. Some sociolo gists suggest that people can ignore their ethnic identity depending on the circumstances they are in and after a specific event have a resurgence of that particular identity. This happened after World War II when many Japanese Americans tried to assimilate into the American culture and let go of their Japanese culture because of their imprisonment inside the internment camps. In 1980 many people protested this treatment and Japanese

Nonprofit Sector Assignment 2 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nonprofit Sector Assignment 2 - Coursework Example The theories that will help understand the nonprofit sector include Lohmann (1989) theory of commons, which categorizes goods into three groups namely; public goods, private goods and common goods, entrepreneurship theory, trust-related theories, the interdependence theory and the stakeholder theory. The nonprofit organizations chosen for illustration in this paper include American Heart Association, Salvation Army and the American Red Cross. Due to different multitudes of different organizational components in nonprofit management literature, management concepts suggested by Gomez and Zimmermann (1993) provides a practical step towards the growth of management models that are more in tune with the realities of nonprofit organizations. There are different approaches applied in this field, including the public goods theory. As put by Weibrod’s theory of public goods, public goods theory is an extension of the public choice theories, whereby a collective action is taken by affected individuals to resolve public good problems. This theory states that public goods, which would have been otherwise provided by the government are provided by nonprofit organization through a donor. Services provided by the American Heart Association is a good example of an organization that help fill the gap, if need be. In other words, nonprofit provision is substituted for government provision under conditions of demand heterogeneity fo r the public good in question. Hansmann (1987) points out that the critical weakness in Weisbrod’s theory is that it does not explain why nonprofit and not for profit firms come up to fill unfulfilled demand for public goods, especially when applying to quasi-public goods. Hansmann’s trust-related theory picks up this point precisely. Trust-related theories take a different angle by pointing out information problems inbuilt in the goods and services provided and the

Mary Barton Essay Example for Free

Mary Barton Essay Elizabeth Gaskell’s â€Å"Mary Barton† is a novel of social reform that explores injustice, abuse and inequality. The novel is especially concerned with the societal condition of England at the time. In her â€Å"Preface† Mrs. Gaskell asserted, â€Å"I know nothing of Political Economy, or the theories of the trade. I have tried to write truthfully†. The â€Å"truth† of â€Å"Mary Barton† is not political or economic but the truth of the human heart. The novel is not about industrial conditions but about people living in those conditions. Mrs. Gaskell’s social aim in writing is to inform rather than to reform. Her aim in writing is to give â€Å"utterance to the agony† and to explicate the consequences of â€Å"the seeming injustice of the inequalities of fortune†. In â€Å"Mary Barton†, the protagonist John Barton asks with bitter vehemence about the injustice of the massive gulf between the upper and lower classes: â€Å"Why are they so separate, so distinct, when God has made them all? [ ] We are their slaves as long as we can work; we pile up fortunes with the sweat of our brows; and yet we are to live as separate as Dives and Lazarus, with a great gulf betwixt us†. John Barton is ultimately driven to the act of murder by his outrage at the gulf fixed between the rich and the poor. John Barton is ultimately a victim of society and an example of how a man full of human kindness is hardened into hatred and violence. As the author tells the reader his wife’s death meant that â€Å"one of the ties which bound him down to the gentle humanities of earth was loosened†. The string of events that followed – the strike, the Davenports’ starvation and fever, the employees’ arrogant isolation and the failure of the petition, seem to purposely show that the world reckons the poor folk no account. And as John Barton lies on his deathbed his enemy Mr. Carson sits in his library quite unable to hate his son’s murderer. At the end Mr. Carson forgives John Barton and the murderer dies in the arms of the man whose son he has murdered and this image explicates the novel’s pivotal theme in the hope of human heartedness. In her novel Mrs. Gaskell presents men and women at the extreme of suffering at which point only the most radical of human actions remain be they despair and hatred or alternatively human compassion and forgiveness.

Cerebral Palsy Essay -- Disease, Disorders

Cerebral Palsy Cerebral Palsy (CP) is brain damage. It cannot be cured, it is not contagious, it is not a disease, and it does not get worse. According to Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, "Cerebral Palsy is a broad term for various nonprogressive disorders of motor function in people, resulting from brain damage around the time of birth. Damage to the brain could occur before, during, or shortly after birth"(â€Å"Cerebral†). Since the damage is done during the brain’s formation, and occurs in the part of the brain that controls motor and muscle functions, people with CP might have problems with motor skills, muscle tone, muscle weakness, reflexes, balance, excessive drooling, difficulties swallowing or speaking, shaking, tremors, and difficulty with fine motor skills (â€Å"Cerebral Palsy: Hope†). Although it may not be diagnosed until a child is a few years old, most children with CP are born with it, and even though it does not get worse the symptoms caused by the bra in damage can change and people with CP may have problems with vision, speech, hearing, or language, but with early intervention, support and treatment, many people with CP can manage their condition and lead full, productive lives. Dr. William Little wrote the first medical description of the disorder in the 1860’s. He thought most cases of CP were caused by complications at birth resulting in lack of oxygen to the brain. Cerebral Palsy was called Little's disease for many years. CP refers to neurological disorders that appear in early childhood and affect movement and coordination (â€Å"Cerebral Palsy: Hope†). Although CP is caused by damage to the motor areas of the brain and affects body movement and muscle coordination, it is not caused by problems in the muscles o... ... Work Cited â€Å"Cerebral Palsy.† (n.d.): Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia. Web. 15 Feb. 2012. Polzin, Scott; Odle, Teresa. â€Å"Cerebral Palsy.† Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, 3rd ed. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 15 Feb. 2012 â€Å"Cerebral Palsy: Hope Through Research.† National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Web. 14 Feb. 2012. Morgan, A M, and J C Aldag. "Early Identification Of Cerebral Palsy Using A Profile Of Abnormal Motor Patterns." Pediatrics 98.4 Pt 1 (1996): 692-697. MEDLINE. Web. 19 Feb. 2012. â€Å"UCP: Press Room - Vocabulary Tips.† UCP: Home Page. Web. 16 Feb. 2012. .

Picasso Final Paper

Final Paper William Kidwell ART101: Art Appreciation Instructor: Patricia Venecia-Tobin October 8, 2012 Evaluate Pablo Picasso’s Demoiselles d’Avignon. How did this work reshape the art of the early 20th century? Pablo Picasso’s painting Les Demoiselles d’Avignon is a wonderful piece of art, and the style in which the picture is painted is very typical of Picasso. The artist completed the picture in the beginning of the previous century, in 1907, and used oil on canvas. Generally, Pablo Picasso is famous for unnaturally distorted figures in his paintings of that year, and Les Demoiselles d’Avignon is a great example.The picture is now hanging in the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Pablo Picasso hated discussing his art, yet once he spoke frankly about â€Å"Les Demoiselles d'Avignon,† his greatest painting and a touchstone of 20th-century art that is 100 years old this summer. On this occasion, Picasso did not address the subjects that tran sfix art historians — the origin of Cubism, the supplanting of old avant- gardes, and the impact of non-Western art. He cut through academic dissertations to offer one of his most heartfelt admissions about why he made art. He spoke of artworks as â€Å"weapons . . . gainst everything . . . against unknown, threatening spirits,† and he affirmed that â€Å"‘Les Demoiselles d'Avignon' . . . was my first exorcism painting — yes absolutely! † His encounters also return us to the idea of art as â€Å"exorcism. † When Picasso spoke about art being a weapon, he was specifically describing African â€Å"fetishes. † He called them defensive weapons: â€Å"They're tools. If we give spirits a form, we become independent. † In this sense, the splintered spaces and awesome creatures of â€Å"Les Demoiselles† vividly embody looming malevolent and seductive forces — and stop them in their tracks.Picasso's painting pushes us to th e edge of primal confrontation. It projects human savagery only to trap it in the painted crust. [Jacques Doucet] failed to offer the painting to the Louvre, and a few years after his death the 10-year-old Museum of Modern Art acquired not only a masterpiece but international stature as the leading museum of contemporary art when it purchased the painting in 1939. Since that date, â€Å"Les Demoiselles† has been almost continuously on public view (a current exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, â€Å"Picasso's Demoiselles d'Avignon at 100,† is up through Aug. 7 and displays the painting with 11 related works). Yet only in the past few years have we had the chance to see it almost as it looked when it left Picasso's studio in 1924. In 2003-04, MoMA undertook a full-scale conservation effort and stripped the picture of layers of varnish that someone other than Picasso had applied. For generations, the varnish masked the physical texture and mass of Picasso's brushwork under an anodyne sheen. Now we see the painting the way Picasso left it — a raw, intensely fractured skin of ideas. ( Fitzgerald, M. (2007, Jul 21).PURSUITS; leisure & arts — masterpiece: His unladylike young ladies; in 1907, picasso's ‘les demoiselles' shattered convention. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/398999057? accountid=32521) [Pablo Picasso] worked on Les Demoiselles d'Avignon as he had never worked on any painting before. One art historian has even claimed that the hundreds of paintings and drawings produced during its six- month gestation constitute â€Å"a quantity of preparatory work unique not only in Picasso's career, but without parallel, for a single picture, in the entire history of art†.Certainly, it matches the work artists had traditionally put into history paintings and frescoes. Picasso knew he was doing something important, even revolutionary – but what? What struck Picasso about Af rican masks was the most obvious thing: that they disguise you, turn you into something else – an animal, a demon, a god. Modernism is an art that wears a mask. It does not say what it means; it is not a window but a wall. Picasso picked his subject matter precisely because it was a cliche: he wanted to show that originality in art does not lie in arrative, or morality, but in formal invention. This is why it's misguided to see Les Demoiselles d'Avignon as a painting â€Å"about† brothels, prostitutes or colonialism. The great, lamentable tragedy of 18th- and 19th-century art, compared with the brilliance of a Michelangelo, had been to lose sight of the act of creation. That's what Picasso blasts away. Modernism in the arts meant exactly this victory of form over content. That doesn't mean it is disconnected from the world. Les Demoiselles d'Avignon could not be more earthily, pungently affective – it is, after all, full of sex.It's a sexuality that bears no res emblance to that of, say, Klimt. Although it emerges from the same decadent milieu, it does things no artist of the fin- de-siecle had contemplated. In this painting Picasso anticipates the discoveries he made explicit in his cubist pictures: he all but obliterates the 500-year-old western tradition of perspective by flattening his flesh silhouettes in a space that goes nowhere. It's this visual violence that liberates his eroticism, because it erases any meaning or narrative.Such a tremendous unbinding of desire was unprecedented in art, not to mention Christian culture. After the first world war, Andre Breton came to Picasso's studio, saw Les Demoiselles d'Avignon and recognised it as the definitive modern masterpiece. Breton, the leader of the surrealists, saw in it a painting about the revolutionary menace of the unconscious, and he was right. (Jones, J. (2007, Jan 09). G2: Arts: Pablos punks: It’s exactly a century since Picasso painted les demoiselles d'avignon.Jonathan Jones reveals why this explosion of sex, anarchy and violence gave birth to the whole of modern art. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/246571101? accountid=32521) This painting was painted in 1907. It was called the most innovative painting since the work of Giotto, when Les Demoiselles d'Avignon first appeared it was as if the art world had collapsed. Known form and respresnetation were completely abandoned. The reductionism and contortion of space in the painiting was incredible, and dislocation of faces explosive.Like any revolution, the shock waves reverbetrated and the inevitable outcome was Cubism. This large work, which took nine months to complete, exposes the true genius and novelty of Picasso's passion. Suddenly he found freedom of expression away from current and classical French influences and was able to carve his own path. Picasso created hundreds of sketches and studies in preparation for the final work. It was painted in Paris during the summer of 1907. Demoiselle was revolutionary and controversial, and led to anger and disagreement amongst his closest associates and friends.Picasso long acknowledged the importance of Spanish art and Iberian sculpture as influences on the painting. Demoiselle is believed by critics to be influenced by African tribal masks and the art of Oceania, although Picasso denied the connection; many art historians remain skeptical about his denials. Several experts maintain that, at the very least, Picasso visited the Musee d'Ethnographie du Trocadero in the spring of 1907 where he saw and was unconsciously influenced by African and Tribal art several months before completing Demoiselles.Some critics argue that the painting was a reaction to Henri Matisse's Le bonheur de vivre and Blue Nude. Picasso drew each figure differently. The woman pulling the curtain on the far right has heavy paint application throughout. Her head is the most cubists of all five, featuring sharp geometric shapes . The cubist head of the crouching figure underwent at least two revisions from an Iberian figure to its current state. Much of the critical debate that has taken place over the years centers on attempting to account for this multiplicity of styles within the work.The dominant understanding for over five decades, espoused most notably by Alfred Barr, the first director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and organizer of major career retrospectives for the artist, has been that it can be interpreted as evidence of a transitional period in Picasso's art, an effort to connect his earlier work to Cubism, the style he would help invent and develop over the next five or six years.Since the late 18th century, artists had been re-evaluating the Renaissance's concept of pictorial space, created through the means of linear and atmospheric perspective, whereby a fixed spectator observed a cube of space in which the sense of depth was created by a geometric diminution of objects in sc ale and in clarity as, apparently, they receded into the distance.. For Picasso, this rendering of space was no longer valid because the â€Å"fixed spectator† no longer existed.Now the modern spectator had been transformed into someone who was in constant movement, forced to look at objects from several points of view. Picasso became obsessed with what he regarded as the anachronistic artistic rules governing the representation of three-dimensional form on a flat surface and with reconciling them with the new modern acceleration. Les Demoiselles d'Avignon represents a working out of this reconciliation. His solution was to paint five nude contorted women. Now let's examine why he would portray them in such a manner.If we examine the seated woman to our right, you'll notice that her face and arms are facing us but her torso, buttocks and extremities are turned away from us. In other words, Picasso lets us simultaneously glimpse at different aspects of this woman that a fixed viewer could not ordinarily do so. In other words, Picasso is trying to show us a composite of this woman from as many different points of view as possible so that we may experience her in her totality. Picasso does the very same thing to the woman standing to our left.If we examine her closely, we will notice that she is ambiguously portrayed. First of all, her face is depicted both laterally and frontally. She is posed like an ancient Egyptian form who looks to the side but whose eye looks directly to the front. Furthermore, if we inspect her body, we will discover something very odd. Her right side is depicted dorsally, whereas her left side is portrayed frontally. It's as if Picasso has twisted her body so that we may get a glimpse of as many aspects of her as possible.In other words, Picasso wants to show us this woman in her entirety. In rendering the new reality, Picasso also abandons harmonious bodily proportions. This, of course, was done on purpose since Picasso had been t rained at art school how to render the human figure through mathematical proportions. The woman located at the very center of the canvas is quite disproportionate, elongated as though she were a figure out of an El Greco painting. If we focus on her extremities, they seem to go on forever, as if her short-waisted torso was out of context with the rest of her body.And so it goes for the rest of the figures in the picture. Was there any precedent for doing such a thing? Picasso's Les Demoiselles is homage to Paul Cezanne's The Bathers. Not only do both works echo Cezanne's dictum of â€Å"the cone, the cylinder, and the sphere,† but both paintings distort the human body. However, whereas Cezanne distorts the women in The Bathers in order to bring the viewer into the pictorial plane and to balance the figures and structures within the painting, Picasso does so for a different purpose.Picasso distorts each of these women to show who is in power—that he can take control and mangle them—and that, in the final analysis, they still threaten him as human beings. But this distortion and use of pure geometrical shapes are not the only elements that Picasso borrows from Cezanne's work. Picasso limits his palette just as Cezanne does because both are concerned more with the rendering of form than with the use of color. To have used more colors than the blues, pinks, ochres, rusts, and grays that he employs would have been distracting.Furthermore, these colors are totally flat, as though to suggest that these women are linearly rendered, â€Å"constructed† rather than modeled. Les Demoiselles is also disturbing in the ghastly and violent way that the women's faces are portrayed. Georges Braque went so far as to say that â€Å"Picasso was drinking turpentine and spitting fire†. But these women appeared the way they do for very specific reasons. These women are, after all, prostitutes who are cold, calculating businesswomen who dabble in sex for a profit and who practice a â€Å"savage† profession.The three women on the left look as though they were made from stone, and, remember, the onlooker is a sexual voyeur who is experiencing sexual anxiety. There is nothing inviting about either of them. Their faces are derived from the pre-Roman Iberian bronzes that Picasso had seen in the Louvre and had been experimenting with since 1906. The two remaining women's faces are borrowed from African sculpture, a jarring juxtaposition. Perhaps one of the reasons why he did this is to suggest the dark, uncivilized nature of the â€Å"oldest† profession.Another reason is that these women represent a composite of the Spanish people, descended from native tribes the Iberian Peninsula, North Africa, and middle-eastern Jews. Furthermore, perhaps Picasso is even alluding to the final stages of syphilis, whereby the human face becomes a bulbous mask of thickened skin. But maybe Picasso’s interest in deforming their fac es is purely a formal one, a means of negating realism and embracing abstraction and distortion.Nevertheless, this plundering of African art was revolutionary in that Picasso uses it to shock the viewer through brutality and savagery. Painting was never to be the same. Originally Les Demoiselles was going to be an allegory of venereal disease entitled â€Å"The Wages of Sin. † In the study for the painting, Picasso sketched a sailor carousing in a brothel amongst prostitutes and a young medical student holding a skull, a symbol for mortality. But the subsequent painting is quite different from the original sketch: only the women appear.And these women are not the traditional nudes that viewers had become so accustomed to in the 1880's when Degas and Toulouse-Lautrec had begun to capture them in the moment of the â€Å"parade,† whereby prostitutes announced their wares and services to their clients. Nor are these women feminine and beautiful as Ingres’ Venus Anad yomene. Then who are these women in this brothel in Barcelona's Avignon Street and why do they appear the way they do? Perhaps the answers to these questions lie in Picasso's fear of women in general. Their flesh is not depicted as being soft and inviting but sharp and knifelike.In fact, their flesh suggests castration and fear of women. As Robert Hughes implies, â€Å"No painter put his anxiety about impotence and castration more plainly than Picasso did in Les Demoiselles, or projected it through a more violent dislocation of form. Even the melon that sweet and pulpy fruit, looks like a weapon†. But are there any other reasons why Picasso gives these women these shocking forms? Looked at in this way, it could be said that Les Demoiselles carries a message of filth and disease through its representation of these prostitutes, the crouching figure the most so.It is as if Picasso has deliberately mutated the figures as a way to express the rising cultural awareness and effects of venereal disease, which had become a major threat to prostitutes’ and their clients lives and each prostitute in the painting depicts a stage in the effects of sexual disease and decay. The whole painting gives an impression of uneasiness, because it breaks all the traditional rules of Art and also because it shows a disturbing scene that offers no sensuous interpretation; the Demoiselles are not pretty, they look barely human and some even interpret their distorted faces as the signs of illness.Pablo Picasso’s painting Les Demoiselles d’Avignon is a wonderful piece of art, and the style in which the picture is painted is very typical of Picasso. The artist completed the picture in the beginning of the previous century, in 1907, and used oil on canvas. Generally, Pablo Picasso is famous for unnaturally distorted figures in his paintings of that year, and Les Demoiselles d’Avignon is a great example. The picture is now hanging in the Museum of Modern Ar t in New York. In collusion, Picasso contributed a great deal to the world.He gave the world 50,000 timeless pieces of work. He helped express his opinions on violence and the Spanish Civil War. And finally Picasso contributed Les Demoiselles d'Avignon and cubism. Picasso was and extremely talented person and artist who gave the world a great deal of innovations and opinions and artwork. References www. faculty. mdc. edu www. pablopicasso. org http://search. proquest. com/docview/398999057? accountid=32521) http://search. proquest. com/docview/246571101? accountid=32521) www. ttexshevles. blogspot. com

How far did America achieveprosperity in the 1920s? Essay

The 1920s was a time of great change in the USA’s economic situation. After the First World War, America experienced an economic boom, which led to the state of society changing by vast differences. These differences were also apparent in the way that the change effected different people in different situations. The number of people living below the bread line in 1928 increased to an estimated forty-two percent of the American population, however this was during the same period that the number of Americans owning cars was around one car to every five people. Therefore, there is great controversy over to what extent the USA achieved prosperity in the 1920s. Prosperity is a word that is used to describe affluence and wealth within a country. Estimating the rate at which a country experiences prosperity during a period would reveal hoe rich and well off that country was at the time. Many factors contribute and deduct from the prosperity of America during this period, as it is therefore difficult to say how far the current wealth of the country spread within all areas of society. Factors that would state that America’s prosperity spread throughout the nation during the 1920s include the new industries and new industrial methods of the time, mass marketing of new products and the motorcar industry. However, contradicting these areas of American industry include the farming situation at the time, overpopulation of the country, USA’s black population, new immigrants to the country and people involved in old industries. During the 1920s, new industries and new methods of production spread through American manufacturing. It was able to exploit it’s vast natural resources of raw materials to produce steel, chemicals, glass and machinery. These products then became the foundation for secondary industries- or consumer goods. Telephones, radios, vacume cleaners, and washing machines were mass-produced and therefore more people could afford them. Such an example shows hoe America was developing well as an industrial nation, and reveals how the people of the country were now able to buy consumer goods, which before were they were unable to afford. Within this same period, big industries were developing advertising and marketing techniques. Advertising companies were a resultant factor, and came about as groups developed their ideas of propaganda developed during World War One and applied them to industry. This aspect of American society is further evidence for how the USA was favouring the consumer aspect of living in the early twentieth century. Perhaps the most significant contribution to showing how all areas of America succeeded in achieving prosperity in the 1920s is the motor car industry. In 1900, only four thousand cars were built. By 1929, four million, eight hundred thousand were made- indeed it was believed that a Ford Model- T was completed every ten seconds. By 1928, the industry was America’s most successful, and employed hundred of thousands employees directly, and yet more indirectly. The car had vast impacts on the rest of American industry. The businesses supplying raw materials required to make a car also prospered at a similar rate. More glass, rubber and steel were required; boosting these areas of industry. Furthermore, increased amounts of petrol were required, and more people found employment- building miles of roads across the country to cater for the increased amount of traffic. The car industry also stimulated the housing industry. It meant that more people were able to buy homes away from the cities in the suburbs, and commute on a daily basis into town. This factor, I feel was the most important cause to America’s successful spread of prosperity in the 1920s. Apposed to these views, numerous factors exist which show evidence against the notion of America’s wealth in the 1920s being nationwide, and influencing every area of society. A clear example of an industry, and therefore it’s people, which did not benefit from this time is farming. The average farm income fell from twenty- two billion dollars in 1919, to thirteen billion dollars in 1928. This was largely due to the European market. During the war, American has shipped millions of tons off grain to Europe. However, the war also bankrupted Europe, meaning few people could afford American goods. Furthermore, the Republican tax on American goods was still in place, resulting in Europe sill unable to afford American produce. From 1900 to 1920, while farms were doing quite well, more and more land was being farmed. Improved machinery, especially combine harvesters and improved fertilisers made US agriculture extremely efficient. The result was that by 1920 it was producing surpluses of wheat, which nobody wanted. Farming communities were devastated as farms struggled to sell wheat, even at extremely low prices. The extent of this hardship is shown when it is realised around half of all Americans lived in rural areas. Mostly working on farms or in businesses that sold goods to farms. Therefore, this problem directly affected millions of people. As the farm income fell, the situation of many rural communities was desperate. It is clear when looking at the effects American prosperity had on it’s Black and new immigrant populations that current American wealth did not reach all areas of people. The black population was badly hit. They held the tradition of holding the least skilled jobs in rural areas. As they lost their jobs on the farms, three quarters of a million of them became unemployed. The majority of farming families remained very poor throughout the 1920s, meaning that they did not see the technological advances of the time- including electricity, cars and radios. New immigrant to the country at this time did not receive the great welcome of a liberated country they had all hoped. They faced discrimination in the work place, and took whatever work they could- partly because they were generally uneducated as other workers. A large number worked in the construction industry where, at the time, there was a big boom. However, despite this increase in the industries size, the average was only rose by four percent in the 1920s, because the immigrants were a source of cheap labour, and more work was becoming mechanised- resulting the lack of need for labourers. The unemployment rate within new immigrants rose throughout the decade. Older industries were undergoing modernisation. Some industries such as steel, for which there was a boom, benefited from general expansion. However, in others, particularly the raw materials industries- cotton, coal, tin and copper- were suffering. There was an overproduction in these industries, prices dropped and wages fell. From looking at this evidence, it is clear that the prosperity and affluence of the USA in the 1920 was highly apparent. However, it is also clear that it did not reach all areas of society. Therefore, it is justified to say that prosperity during this period was partial- as not everyone was buying cars, radios and other consumer goods. It is vital to remember that during a boom period, it is difficult to spread the wealth of the country evenly- due to the determination for personal gain, not for equality.

Free Essays on Survival In Austwich

In the History of the world there have been few incidences of atrocities that equal the treatment of the Jews in Europe during World War II. It is difficult to accept the levels of systematic cruelty and terror experienced during this period. In the book Survival in Auschwitz, Primo Levi paints a picture with disturbing detail that is meant to serve as a reminder of the unimaginable horrors millions of men, women and children were forcefully subjected to as a result of hate. As a Jew, Levi knew he was in danger while living in fascist Northern Italy. By 1943, the Nazis had moved south and set up holding camps around Italy to detain political prisoners and those of the Jewish nationality until they could be transported to established concentration camps such as Auschwitz and Dachau. This book depicts what happened to Levi after his arrest in 1944. Along with 650 others, he was loaded into a freight train for a four day journey without food or water and without the liberty to leave the train at anytime. Upon their arrival at the camp of Auschwitz, Poland, the first of a precession of selections took place. The German SS Soldiers separated those they deemed capable of work from those they deemed incapable, such as women, children and elderly. Only 135 of the 650 from Levi’s train were admitted into Auschwitz, the other 515 went immediately to the gas chambers. These methods of selection were to a degree, a logical means as compared to other rand om selections. â€Å"Later, a simpler method was adopted that involved merely opening both doors on the train. Without warning or instruction to the new arrivals, those who by chance climbed down on one side of the convoy entered the camp; the others went to the gas chamber."(20) He was herded with the others into the camp and after being striped naked and having his head shaved, he was given an old striped uniform and the identification numbers 174517 tattooed on his arm. Levi recalled ... Free Essays on Survival In Austwich Free Essays on Survival In Austwich In the History of the world there have been few incidences of atrocities that equal the treatment of the Jews in Europe during World War II. It is difficult to accept the levels of systematic cruelty and terror experienced during this period. In the book Survival in Auschwitz, Primo Levi paints a picture with disturbing detail that is meant to serve as a reminder of the unimaginable horrors millions of men, women and children were forcefully subjected to as a result of hate. As a Jew, Levi knew he was in danger while living in fascist Northern Italy. By 1943, the Nazis had moved south and set up holding camps around Italy to detain political prisoners and those of the Jewish nationality until they could be transported to established concentration camps such as Auschwitz and Dachau. This book depicts what happened to Levi after his arrest in 1944. Along with 650 others, he was loaded into a freight train for a four day journey without food or water and without the liberty to leave the train at anytime. Upon their arrival at the camp of Auschwitz, Poland, the first of a precession of selections took place. The German SS Soldiers separated those they deemed capable of work from those they deemed incapable, such as women, children and elderly. Only 135 of the 650 from Levi’s train were admitted into Auschwitz, the other 515 went immediately to the gas chambers. These methods of selection were to a degree, a logical means as compared to other rand om selections. â€Å"Later, a simpler method was adopted that involved merely opening both doors on the train. Without warning or instruction to the new arrivals, those who by chance climbed down on one side of the convoy entered the camp; the others went to the gas chamber."(20) He was herded with the others into the camp and after being striped naked and having his head shaved, he was given an old striped uniform and the identification numbers 174517 tattooed on his arm. Levi recalled ...

A Strange Role Model

When a person has a role model, they look up to that special someone, adoring them, wanting and trying to be everything that person stands for. Little boys look up to Michael Jordan, the sports hero of our time. Little girls look up to models and Barbie, wanting to be beautiful, poised and sophisticated women. Me, I always thought that I had no role model, no one I wanted to be. Then one day my dad and I had a huge argument. Nickay! he always screamed, not yet having mastered the art of talking. Why didnt you wash the dishes last night? He barged into my room. I looked up from my homework and calmly explained that I had so much homework to do that I had fallen asleep. He screamed some more and, angered, I screamed back. He said Id better not let it happen again or I would see what would happen. My father has always been a believer in ruling the household with a firm hand. When he left my room, I thought, boy do I dislike that man and click, it came to me. My influence is my father. This brazen, rough man is my role model for everything I dont want to be. When I grow up, I dont want to be anything like my father. Growing up was hard. When I was smaller, I tried desperately to be Daddys little girl. I wanted him to protect me. I wanted him to buy me a necklace with a charm that said Daddys Little Girl, and one day in return Id give him one that said Number One Father. I wanted to go out for ice cream and talk about different things. Sadly, it never happened. My father was nothing like I dreamed. He made many promises and broke them all. Growing up, I always studied hard and strived to be the best. My father would be proud some days but others, when he was mad, would tell me with a mean face, I dont care how many books you read or study, youll never be smarter than me. This from a security officer with a high school diploma. My father brought me up with a stern hand; I feel children should be allowed to be children, and should be loved, not beaten. Now that Im seventeen my dad doesnt hit me anymore, but he may slap me once in a blue moon. He feels I have no respect and wants to put me in my place. He is the parent and I am the child. Nothing more, nothing less. But in reality, I dont hold any respect for my father. In his house, my dad feels that his way is always right, and tries to enforce his brazen ideas. But somehow I have been able to develop an independent mind and believe in myself. The only thing we have in common is our love of sports. Still, its different. He wants me to run track in the Olympics and, while I love track, I value an education more. Today, I am a strong, independent, black-Hispanic woman. Unlike my father, I love different cultures, new ideas and concepts. I have grown to love classical and some alternative music music that he ridicules. However, I just lock my door and pop in Beethovens Symphony No. 9, or my favorite, Tchaikovskys 1812 Overture. I love Broadway shows and dream of the day my father will take me to see Miss Saigon, which some of my girlfriends have done with their dads. But I am forced to save money to see this play on my own. I love to read and discuss books, something my father would never do with me. So I discuss books with my teachers and my uncle, who is a bookworm. My father feels there is no life beyond the city, but I want to travel and see the world. I have always been fascinated by other cultures, which is why I want to study International Relations. This probably comes from my diverse background. I am Hispanic, but I look African-American and realize how different these two cultures are. My Hispanic friends are open to friendship and are more sentimental than my black friends. Ive lived in Panama (my birthplace), Costa Rica, Hawaii, Texas and now on the East Coast. But my main goal has always been to try to lend a helping hand. It hurts me to see all the troubles in countries like Serbia. I feel a nagging pain to want to help. Graduating from high school and college are my top priorities. I dont ever want to stop being who I have become, because I have grown to like myself. My father and I have come to an understanding leave him alone and he leaves me alone. Lately, he has been proud of my accomplishments. I was in an article in the city newspaper, and he showed it to his friends. It may seem a little late for my father to begin understanding me, but I will give him a chance because someday I would like to be someones role model. fl

Business Process Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Process Management - Assignment Example rs is because it has worked in eliminating symptoms of business dysfunction such as slow service rate, poor data management and inefficiency in customer service. While this process is crucial for any organization, it is surrounded by a number of challenges and disadvantages that make it hard to implement. However, in the face of current business competition, it is crucial for every organization to focus on business process management to ensure that they remain competitive through efficiency in accomplishment of their goals and objectives. Business process management is a strategy that is concerned with streamlining business operations to ensure that they are optimally efficient. In other word, it is referred to as business process optimization through technological strategies. The BPM is based on the principle that if the organizational functions are accomplished with high efficiency, it is possible for an organization to achieve higher profits (Bhasin & Parrey, 2013). BPM ensures that there efficient information processing, project monitoring, risk measurement and service delivery within the organization. There is a great link between the line of business and the information technology in developing efficient business systems. With the current proliferation of technology, BPM has become an important aspect in deploying information technology in streamlining business operations. For instance, software applications are currently used to process large data to ensure that a company can use a wide range of data to make b usiness decisions. Software systems are used to monitor business operations to ensure that the projects remain within the schedule, which is critical in following the critical path. In large business organizations, technology is used to streamline communication within the organization among the employees. Efficiency in business operation is responsible for increase in the organizational profits. Business process management has both advantages and

How has the 'American Ideology' changed since 1980 Answer with Essay

How has the 'American Ideology' changed since 1980 Answer with reference to notions of self reliance, equality of opportunity - Essay Example Self reliance is the conception that free and independent individuals should take responsibility of their social well being (Weir 2007, p. 746). Weir continues to argue that individualism closely relates to self reliance in the United States. However, this issue raises numerous controversies to various people. Since the eras of George Washington after the founding of America to the era of Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, Americans had been embracing self reliance. Weir states that one of the founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin is known for his statement â€Å"God helps them that help themselves,† which many Americans misunderstood as a quotation from the bible (2007, p. 746). The government of Ronald Reagan since he assumed power as president in January 20, 1981 to 1989 greatly supported the ideology of self reliance. The former president is quoted saying â€Å"Every time the government acts, we lose self-reliance, character, and initiative (About.com n.d.). The current government of the United States in the leadership of President Barack Obama does not support self reliance. At a fundraiser in San Francisco in the last week of October 2011, the President warned the audience that if they do not re-elect him, they stand to face a new era of self reliance in America (Fleming 2011). Self-reliance implies that Americans do not stand a chance to rely on the government for provisions such as health care, education or anything they consider as a requirement. Fleming (2011) argues that most Americans would consider it unthinkable to do away with entitlements, they would worry if let to use their own resources. The American federal government takes the active role of including entitlements and safety nets such as retirement saving for its citizens in its budget. However, some Americans support the aspect self reliance because it comes with a sense of freedom. For example, most of the funds used for entitlements come from the taxpayers. The government takes a large sh are of the taxpayer’s income in the form of tax by using regulations which ensure Americans’ minimal requirements are taken care of. There is a lack of freedom in such situations because taxpayers have no control over what to do with their money. In fact, the government takes its portion before taxpayers can access their share. The main problem arises when needs keep increasing and changing with time. For example, health insurance is a right to the Americans while electricity and water are basic needs. The use of resources to provide the society with basic necessities is the key reason why Americans continue to wallow in dependency. As a nation, America opts not to risk gaining freedom by accepting self reliance. Equal opportunity is the provision that all people should receive similar treatment with the absence of obstacles such as preferences or prejudices and artificial hurdles except in cases where they are justifiable. The provision of equal opportunity supports s ituations such as offering job prospects to candidates with proper qualifications with the certainty that they can perform ably in the task. It disregards use of connections such as friendships, race, ethnicity, religion, birth relations and involuntary attributes such as sexual orientations, disability and age to whoever has control of offering the job. Equal opportunity provides advancement chances to all parties with interest, and allows them to compete on equal

Analyze a major social, economic, military, and technological issue Essay

Analyze a major social, economic, military, and technological issue since the Civil War, trace its significance over time - Essay Example American diplomacy in the 1920s may be termed as subtle and a bit passive, but it was equally ambitious and effective in reality. American strategy in the years leading up to the annihilation of Pearl Harbor was in fact quite reactive to events which were happening on the European continent. In short, American isolationism was somewhat of a myth, though it remains a fact that American foreign policy during the 1920s and 1930s was hugely different from the aggressive US foreign policy what the contemporary global order witnesses (Braumoeller, p.1). The changes have occurred eventually and over time the role of African Americans in ending the segregation, discrimination and hence the isolation in order to reach the goals of civil rights and equality have been significant. The reality of American isolationism The actual notion of ‘American isolationism’ developed because the US authorities concentrated on building cottage industries to strengthen their domestic economic inf rastructure. This act sent a global message that the US authorities were trying to create a neo-socialist order. The reality was far from this. Cottage industry grew around the topic of American isolationism in the interwar era – so much so to facilitate that â€Å"isolationism† had become the average categorization of America’s foreign policy amid the two World Wars. ... Such assertions, both in textbooks and in the articles of some of the finest scholars, can be multiplied for an indefinite period (Braumoeller, pp.2-3). African Americans and the tale of struggle African Americans were the indomitable human beings who were brutally treaded by the whites into the American territory in 1619. Thus began their apathetic journey of struggle against intolerance, violence, and racial discrimination. The tradition of importing slaves came to halt in 1808. But that did not change the dire circumstances of the African people residing in nation that looked upon them as beasts embraced in a black nutcase. In 1857, the US Supreme Court decided to bar African slaves from entering or bringing a case into the court premises. The devastating situation of the African Americans took a turn with the introduction of the US Civil War which started in 1861. Abraham Lincoln took some revolutionary steps as the newly elected president of the United States. For most of the bl acks, liberation and the conclusion of the Civil War meant a revitalization of hope. A hope filled with economic prospect, social mobility, and political potential. Great white centric institutions like Tuskegee, Hampton, and Howard University were at the midpoint of a debate over what kind of training, education, and preparation African Americans required for paving their way into the world. Booker T. Washington became the orator on behalf of those who believed that industrial education skills training and vocational education were the greatest means for blacks to achieve economic progress and equality. Each and every women student at Tuskegee, for an instance, was

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Causes

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Causes Herla Dorvil Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is one of many public health issues America faces. It is among the leading causes of death in the United States. It is affects more Americans just as any other disease. People with COPD are impacted where it can affect daily living. Due to the destruction of the alveoli in lungs, more individuals are requiring hospitalization frequently. Many people are diagnosed with COPD each year. COPD is a group of chronic pulmonary diseases such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema that impair air flow to the lungs causing difficulty in breathing. According to (Chen et al., 2013), the World Health Organization has reported approximately 5/100 deaths worldwide due to COPD. Although COPD is a huge issue in public health, still many are unaware of the risk factors, target population it affects and the impact this creates in someones life. There are many ways that people can develop COPD. COPD occurs mostly in current or former smokers. Cigarette smoking and long-term exposures irritates and damage the lungs. â€Å"Cigarette smoke causes progressive destruction of the lung tissue, resulting in irreversible narrowing and scarring of the airways and loss of the alveolar interface where gas exchange takes place.† (Barnes et al., 2011, p. 612) Environmental factors such as air pollution, dust particles, and chemicals are also detrimental to one getting COPD. People who work around chemicals for a long time are at risk to damaging their lungs. The chemicals that are inhaled from the work environment and air pollution causes serious affects to the lungs. Breathing in secondhand smoke also poses a risk because they are around it all the time. People are most likely to develop COPD after being around family members who smoke or have a history of smoking. Another factor is the heredity of alpha one antitrypsin deficiency . An absence of alpha one antitrypsin increases your risk for lung disease. The lungs are protected by this protein and it is produced in the liver. It protects the body from unwanted effects from other proteins that cause harm to different organs of the body (Cox, 2011). Some patients that have asthma are usually categorized under chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. It affects the lungs by narrowing the airways and making it hard for one to breathe and usually have to take maintenance drugs if necessary. Common symptoms that are seen with COPD are chronic cough, increase in sputum production, chest tightness, wheezing, and shortness of breath. People with COPD usually have exacerbations, which is when their condition becomes worst over time. COPD is more common in older age groups and is said to be prevalent in women. People who get COPD are usually 18 years and older. Sometimes individuals are unaware that they have COPD until later in life after it progresses and they start developing symptoms. Studies say that women are twice as likely as men to get COPD. Although COPD affects all ages and mostly older age, the prevalence is high among adults less than 65 years old (Barnes et al., 2011). Due to under diagnosis the amount of people who have COPD may be higher. Many people don’t go to get regular check-ups and don’t have the money to do so, therefore they go a long time without noticing symptoms and end up finding out when it exacerbates. COPD is a chronic progressive disease that affects the pulmonary system creating a huge burden on ones life depending on the severity. Some patients with COPD experience weight loss skeletal muscle dysfunction and it makes it difficult to perform daily living activities as well as physical activities. The disease can cause one to experience shortness of breath with any type of movement. Kulich, Molen, Polkey, Rabinovich, Troosters, Vogiatzis (2013) emphasizes that the lack of physical activity contributes to the progression of the disease and creating poor outcomes. It is marked as reasons for mortality in hospitalized stations for many individuals. When physical activity is increased, it produces better outcomes for the patient. As the disease progresses individuals are frequently hospitalized, thus creating increased debt and healthcare expenditures. According to Chen et al. (2013), the average amount of medical expenses for a COPD patient is estimated at $27,656 per year, which i s four times higher than the average cost for patients without the disease. The individual has to constantly buy medication and it also creates problems at home where it interferes with their economic stability. It causes one to become unstable and unable to pay their bills and incompetent to take care of their selves which then leads them into depression. â€Å"In individuals with COPD, depression is significantly associated with decreased functional status; impair quality of life and disease progression and mortality.† (Das, Negi, Pandey , Raval, Sarkar, 2014 p.403) Due to the clinical depression, patients may not be in compliance with their management programs such as taking their medications, attending smoking cessation programs and pulmonary rehabilitation. By not taking these measures it leads to poor clinical outcomes and patients tend to relapse. COPD Individuals with depression cause higher financial problems for themselves. Das et al (2014) also showed that the occ upational status of a person showed an association with the presence of depression which develop into mood disorders. Not only is there an economic burden and depression, it also triggers other illnesses that will generate further complications (Chen et al., 2013). Some people later get peripheral artery disease, stroke and lung cancer. The impact of COPD can causes people to completely stop working because of the severity and the complications it produces. An understanding of the chronic disease complexity can help improve the quality of life for those individuals living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Recognizing the impact of COPD may help the population to better identify, to get proper treatment and to reduce severity and exacerbations. The population of young, older men and women has to be educated and be made aware of the risk factors and importance of preventing the disease progress for a better and an improvement in life expectancy. References Chen, P., Livneh, H., Lu, M., Sung, F., Tsai, T. (2013). Increase risk and related factors of depression  among patients with COPD: A population-based cohort study. BMC Public Health, 13. doi: 10.11.1186/1471-2458-13-976 Coz, L.A. (2011). A casual model of obstruction pulmonary disease risk. Risk Analysis, 31(1), 38-62. doi:  10.1111/j.1539-6924.2010.01487 Barnes, N., Buist, S., Fishwick, J., Fletcher, M., Hutton, J., Jones, P., Walsh, J. (2011). COPD uncovered:  an international survey on the impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on a working population. BMC Public Health, 11(1). doi: 612.62410.1186/1471-2458-11-612 Das, P., Negi, H., Pandey, K., Raval, A., Sakar, M. (2014). Presence of depression and its risk factors in  patients with chronic obstruction pulmonary disease. The Indian Journal of Medical Research, 139(3), 402-408. Retrieved from http.www.ebcohost.com Kulich, K., Molen, T., Polkey, M., Rabinovich, R., Troosters, T., Vogiatzis, I. (2013). Improving physical  activity in COPD: Towards a new paradigm. Respiratory Research, 14(1),115. doi:10.1186/1465-9921-14-115

The Controversy Over Music Censorship Essay -- Media

The Controversy Over Music Censorship Censorship in music is a very controversial subject in today’s society. What is considered a form of artistic expression to some is also considered vulgar and inappropriate to others. But who ultimately gets to decide what is considered vulgar and what is not? Who decides who hears what in the music industry? The RIAA is responsible for applying the Parental Advisory stamp on every album that is released in the United States. The FCC is responsible for making sure that no vulgarities or controversial comments are aired on radio or television. But why is some content edited and other content not? I will try and explain these questions in our article. What decides whether or not the Parental Advisory stickers get placed on an album? The RIAA follows seven guidelines in applying this important notice. 1) Contemporary cultural morals can not be offended or mocked in any way, shape or form. 2) The context of words can not be used offensively. This includes curse words. 3) The context of the song itself must not be offen...

International Business: Volkswagen Essay

The foundation of Volkswagen dates back to the Third Reich. For the opening of the international automobile show in Berlin 1934, Adolf Hitler demanded the development of a car which should be priced at a maximum price of 1000 Reichsmark and thus remain affordable for the average citizen. This car should be named ‘Car of the people’ (Volkswagen) and offer space for a family of four members. The first model was designed by Ferdinand Porsche in 1934 and in May 1937, the â€Å"Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH† (a company for the preparation of the German Volkswagen Ltd.) was established in Berlin (Volkswagen AG 2013). One year later, the company changed its name into â€Å"Volkswagenwerk Gmbh†: The beginning of today’s popular German car manufacturer. Over the last decades, Volkswagen turned from being the owner of a single production plant in Wolfsburg into Europe’s largest automobile producer and the third largest of the world with a yearly turnover of about â‚ ¬ 192,676 million. The company sells, directs and produces twelve automobile brands all over world. 550,000 employees work together to produce 37,700 cars per day which can be purchased in 153 countries (Volkswagen Company 2013). The following report focuses on the automotive division, excluding the financial services division and other subsidiaries. 1a) The design of a multinational enterprise’s (MNE) strategy is primordially determined by the institutions and the prevailing culture of its home country. Volkswagen’s (VW) economic origin is found in central Germany, a town called Wolfsburg, where one of its largest production sites is still in place. Often described as Europe’s economic engine (Iwulska et. al 2013), Germany possesses a culture favoring individualism and refusing power distance (Hofstede 2013, appendix 1.1.). With a score of 67 on Hofstede’s individualism scale, Germany joins those Northern European countries prioritizing self-actualization, which often leads German workers to pioneer the motto of â€Å"live in order to work†. In this context, the work itself constitutes an important source of self-esteem in the German culture. This mentality strongly ties in with a pronounced masculinity, prioritizing career progression and material rewards as well as approving a sharp differentiation in gender roles (Peng & Meyer, p.75).At the same time, the exchange between the average worker and their supervisor is marked by mutual constructive feedback and participation (Peng & Mayer, p.75), as expressed in low power distance scores. However, one can observe the strong concern for structured situations which describes a core element of the German culture (Vector Study 2012). Typical for a country scoring high on the uncertainty avoidance scale, Germany favors a bank-based financial system where risk reduction portrays a priority (Tadesse et al. 2005, p.4). In contrast, Germany scores particularly low on the long-term orientation scale, as expressed in its great appreciation for respecting traditions as well as establishing the truth (Hofstede 2013, appendix 1.1.). Another determinant of designing a successful strategy displays the global connectedness of the country, namely the degree of information exchange, human resources and trade with other economies of the world. With the second highest overall connectedness index, Germany meets the expectations of one of the world’s largest exporting economies. Such strength in export is promoted by the achieved European Integration (EU) which remains the most globally connected region of the world (Ghemawat 2012). As opposed to the modest sustainable rally of the overall global connectedness index in those years following the financial crisis (Ghemawat 2013), Germany managed to further approach its peak value of 2007 whilst consolidating its economic position in Europe as seen by its presence in Europe’s top 10 countries in all four pillars of the index (Ghemawat et al. 2012, appendix 1.2.). Given Germany’s increased trade with other European countries, its merchandise trade score in the breadth dimension is more inward-oriented. Contrary to this, Germany shows a strong tendency for outward trade flows of both merchandise trade as well as services in the breadth dimension. In this context, Germany’s focus on manufacturing becomes evident with reference to higher scores obtained for both inward and outward merchandise trade than for its equivalents in services. Overall, Germany displays an example of rising depth in its global exchange with other economies whilst continuing to sharpen its global profile as expressed in an increasing score in the breadth dimension. b) Volkswagen can be described as a truly home-region oriented company, given that the largest proportion of sales revenues is created in Europe (table 1). However, it nearly achieved to attain 20% of its sales revenues in another region, namely South America, pointing towards Volkswagen’s objectives of further expanding globally (Volkswagen AG 2013). Region| Europe| North America| Asia-Pacific| South America| Total| Sales revenues(mio)| 28.191| 6.554| 4.392| 7.429| 46.565| Percentage sales(sales revenues/Total sales revenues)| 60.541%| 14.075 %| 9.431%| 15.954 %| 100%| Table 1: Sales revenues by region (Interim Report 2013) 2a) One of VW’s most important ownership advantages at the upstream end portrays its standardization in production practices, namely in terms of MQB and MLB (Taylor 2012). These production systems allow for building different models from using the same components whilst increasing the productive efficiency and reducing the throughput time across all its international business units (Buiga 2012). In this context, the transfer of its standardized production practices across its business units globally is supplemented by VW’s ability to do so â€Å"without the customer noticing† (Taylor 2012). This ability is, however, strongly promoted by its second remarkable ownership advantage at the downstream end, namely VW’s internationally recognized and maintained brand identity. Generally, Volkswagen is perceived by customers as a carmaker offering high both quality and longevity with cars such as the beetle succeeding over decades (Haig 2011). Consequently, its brand identity displays the source of its global competitive advantage, given that consumers associate it with the aforementioned advantages (Taylor 2012), contributing to its continuously increasing brand value (Interbrand 2012). Given its innovations in the light of fostering sustainability and the resulting recognition of being ranked fourth among Interbrand’s Best Global Green Brands, Volkswagen’s brand identity is destined to improve further; most likely to be presented through the continuation of its brand value growth (Interbrand 2012). b) The Uppsala model by Jan Johansen and Jan-Erik suggests â€Å"that internationalization is a dynamic process of learning in which firms take decisions over their next step based on what they know at that time†(Peng & Mayer 2011). Experiencing new markets and cultures reduces the liability of outsidership and influences the firm’s ability to perceive risks and to recognize opportunities. The stage model is similar to the Uppsala model because both models imply that a step-by-step process is necessary to reduce market uncertainty whereby the stage model does not focus on the experimental learning process, but on the increase in degree of commitments. If firms, for example, first make use of licensing, afterwards founding a joint venture and finally owning subsidiaries, then they are able to reduce cultural and institutional distance. After China started to open some of their trade borders to take part of the international trade, VW signed a contract in 1985 to establish a joint venture â€Å"Volkswagen Shanghai Automotive Company Ltd.† was the first joint venture in the Chinese automobile market. With an equal share of 50% for the German and Chinese shareholders, VW is and will not be able to fully own a subsidiary. To ensure the market leader position, VW founded a second joint venture in 1991 whereby the German shareholders only have 40% of the shares (Volkswagen AG 2013). However, in April 2002 the Shanghai-VW joint venture extended the contract until 2030 which shows that VW puts great value on effectively occupying the position of China’s largest foreign car marketer (Feng 2007). VW’s entrance into the Chinese market supports the stage model more than the Uppsala model because the incremental steps are recognizable; founding the first joint venture in Shanghai, then another one in Changc hun and finally extending the contracts. 3a) The automotive industry is known to be one of the most globalized industries due to companies organizing its production in a global value chain (Sturgeon et al. 2008). As Volkswagen is one of the world’s largest automotive companies, its thousands of suppliers are located across the globe. Even though VW’s headquarters are located in Germany, only 26% of their cars were produced in its home country. The company operates with more than 100 foreign affiliates in South America, Eastern and European countries, South Africa and Asia (Chiappini 2011). In most factories, different motor vehicle models are produced, whereas in others, automotive products and components are assembled. Considering the number of factories outside its home region, VW’s degree of offshoring is very high . As the suppliers make a substantial contribution to the company’s success, reliable partnerships need to be present. This leads VW to establish a cooperative relationship with a number of long-term oriented suppliers to increase its focus on the quality of each component. Furthermore, VW’s focus on quality, technology, and innovation, leads it to select its suppliers on cost to quality basis. Additionally, VW selects only the suppliers which implement production-related environmental and social standards according to global minimum standards (Volkswagen AG 2006). b) The advantages of VW’s international sourcing strategies are stable relationships with its suppliers which allow for a high integration in the production processes. By choosing reliable and trustworthy suppliers, VW gains a competitive advantage in ensuring the high quality of assembled components. As the focus lies on the product’s quality, sourced inputs cannot always be purchased at the lowest price. In order to provide all production facilities with the necessary supplies, VW is dependent on a large number of suppliers which increases the risk of deficient components. VW tries to counteract this risk by implementing a selective admission process for its suppliers. Its offshoring strategy enables the company to exploit lower production costs in emerging countries. At the same time, by setting up production facilities in different countries, import restrictions can also be avoided. In order to become the world’s leading car manufacturer by 2018, VW must enhance its collaboration and integration with its suppliers in the long term to strengthen its competitive advantage. 4a) Ghana is currently one of the most favorable emerging markets in West Africa with a GDP growth rate of 14.4 % and a FDI inflow of US$3 billion per year (World Bank 2013). It is one of the most secure countries in terms of corruption and furthermore, the supported change in institutional frameworks by the World Bank and the IMF simplifies business practices (Gyetuah 2009). Moreover, the geographical location offers many opportunities to serve the complete west coast by shipping and to reduce transaction costs. Volkswagen already has plants in South Africa, which recently gained a membership of the BRICs, but the company’s responsiveness to market changes in the northern countries is poor because of the distance. Besides, Ghana offers a unique opportunity set for businesses. It has many natural resources for example cocoa, gold, silver, industrial diamonds, manganese, bauxite, fish, rubber, hydropower, petroleum, timber, salt, limestone and oil (The Central Intelligence Agency 2013). Ghana has become the magnet of many European and especially Chinese companies, particularly in the oil industry which shares ties to the automotive industry. Currently, only Toyota Ltd. has a plant in Ghana and consequently competition is relatively low which facilitates the gathering of a significant market share (List of companies 2013). However, Ghana is weakened by â€Å"the increasing flow of drugs through West African States [that] is beginning to undermine the state, through weakening its institutions, its local communities, and its social fabric† and since the production of oil and gas not only businesses but also terrorism is attracted which create a certain risk for many companies (Aning 2008). Figure 1: Emerging Markets (http://emergingmarkets.ey.com/worldmap/ghana/) b) Volkswagen should focus on the hub in Ghana by founding a majority joint venture with a local company. This strategy lowers the liability of outsidership while accelerating the comprehension of the culture and economy to prevent threats of piracy. Volkswagen can consequently share costs and risks with its local partner, thus limiting the financial risk of investment. Furthermore, a fusion with a local company creates a dynamic network which is vital for the distribution to other countries and is politically preferred. The strategy of a joint venture in an emerging economy is more profitable and secure than in a developed market where formal and informal institutions are important and an inherent part of the legal framework and culture. While entering developed markets is more profitable when taking direct actions, making use of the ownership advantages and critical success factors, entering an emerging mark et stresses cultural sensitivity and caution. 5a) Recently Volkswagen entered the Mexican emerging market by finishing a new plant in January 2013. This was primarily done due to aid their strategic objective to increase sales in the United States. The demand for passenger cars in the US is forecasted to be 7 million units. Moreover, in 2011 the automobile â€Å"production increased by 12.5% to 2.64 million units† and a growth of 8 – 9 % per year are expected until 2016 (Bouman 2012). With the favorable geographic location of Mexico and its 12 FTA with 43 countries, NAFTA Volkswagen has a great opportunity to expand sales (Grant Thornton 2012). Another strategic objective is to strengthen its market position in North America which is an essential component of the Volkswagen Group’s global growth strategy (Volkswagen AG 2013). Apparently, North America has 17,167,000 cars of which 4.9 % are vehicles of Volkswagen (Volkswagen AG 2013). To fulfill its strategic objective with a high cost reduction it was necess ary to enter the Mexican market. b) VW regards FDI as one of its preferred entry modes. With the intention of penetrating both local and neighboring markets, VW has set up manufacturing plants in India aiming at establishing an â€Å"export base to the around regions† (Wen 2007, p. 51) in addition to its recent announcements of increasing the density of its production facilities network in Mexico (FDITracker 2013). Aside from FDI, Volkswagen has entered foreign markets through those modes considered less risky: strategic alliances and joint ventures. Throughout the portfolio of countries in which VW operates, it has formed strategic alliances with firms such as Daewoo Motor Sales Co for marketing purposes in South Korea. Additionally, VW entered several joint ventures and thus achieved the penetration of markets in both developing (e.g. Angola) and developed (e.g. U.S.) economies (Wen 2007, p. 52-53). In this context, the formation of joint ventures displays VW’s prior mode of entry for the Chinese market and could not have been substituted by any other of the aforementioned entry modes. Given the legal obligation by Chinese authorities, VW entered two joint ventures in the 1990’s which have been extended ever since whilst continuously pursuing FDI by investing in both existing and new production facilities (Schrott 2012). In the case of China, these joint ventures displayed not only VW’s single -legally possible- entry mode for one of the world’s largest car markets, but also a source of production resources, as well as both knowledge and network relations for the Chinese automotive market (Schrott 2012). c) As far as VW’s multinational strategy is concerned, one can clearly identify its global approach, characterized by its standardization practices throughout the primary process and the bureaucratic operation that envelops its subsidiaries. Figure 2: VW’s multionational corporate structure (Pà ¶tsch 2011) In this context, VW has recently implemented the standardization of its IT infrastructure across unit and country boundaries, in addition to the cost-efficient MQB (see 2a) production system in place (Microsoft 2012). Such measures clearly indicate the identification of VW’s global standardization strategy given that it holds centers of excellence in each of its sales regions (see figure 2.). Nevertheless, VW still lacks the diffusion of knowledge and innovation across country boundaries and among subsidiaries in the same region, as a result of the centralization of R&D in its home country (Schmid et al.). Consequently, VW does not follow a transnational strategy which would include this aforementioned diffusion, but remains strategically centralized (Mà ¶ller 2005), particularly in considering itself as â€Å"the innovative car maker from Wolfsburg [..]where [its] home lies† (Volkswagen 2013). 6a) As one of the world’s leading automobile manufacturers, VW sets high standards in both, social and environmental concerns and it was therefore not easy to find significant dilemma situations. Nevertheless, in many emerging countries, VW was confronted by the social issue of rising pressure to engage in behavior, which is considered strongly unethical in the Western World (Deutsche Presse Agentur 2005). Figure 3: Worldwide Governance Indicators (http://info.worldbank.org/governance/wgi/mc_chart.asp#) Engaging in corruption and bribery is common in countries with weak control systems and can give firms large advantages. With the high degree of power that comes along with the size of an influential company like VW, it is also harder to keep control over all business entities. Over the last decades, VW had to face several allegations of bribery and corruption. In 2005, information about a bribery scandal in India involving the former HR chief at VW’s Czech unit, Skoda, became public. The firm reacted immediately by submitting the case to court (NDR 2013). Besides, VW also faces the environmental dilemma of increasing sustainability while keeping costs to a minimum. Furthermore, VW is pressured by several environmental organizations, particularly Greenpeace, who accused VW of not making sufficient progress on fuel efficiency. Over the past five years, VW reduced the carbon emissions of its latest models by 13% and introduced a range of new car models with cleaner engine technologies, thereby acting in accordance to the latest criteria (Handelsblatt 2012). In 2013, VW also agreed to reduce the CO2 emission standards of its newly produced cars to an average of 95g/km by 2020 and subsequently finally reached an agreement with Greenpeace. * b) As a large MNE, VW has a number of stakeholders that need to be satisfied. Since its stakeholders are highly interrelated, the firm has to focus on strategic actions that are in accordance with all its stakeholders. * * * Figure 4: Stakeholder Dialogue (Volkswagen 2013) * * Even though the social dilemma of corruption can occur all over the world, it is prevalently perceived in emerging countries. The issue is therefore of global relevance and especially harmful to the company and its employees. Uncovering corruption is of utter importance for VW and in order to satisfy all stakeholders, the firm has implemented a specific system which enables employees and business partners to fight corruption (Volkswagen AG 2013). A globally standardized strategy in this issue is explicitly important since any form of fraud is unacceptable in VW’s home country. Volkswagen is therefore trying to counteract any mode of corruption, as the publication of such affairs involves highly undesirable consequences for the future. * The increased need of sustainable processes and environmental awareness is also a global issue. Even though sustainability does not have the same significance in every culture, VW sets high standards for all the production facilities as well as its suppliers worldwide. By implementing the same norms for all employees, suppliers and other parties involved, VW wants to ensure the same quality and standards that it is known for in its home region. In order to maintain the credibility concerning sustainability and CSR, a globally standardized strategy is highly appropriate. c) Both, VW and Unilever have remarkable similarity in allocating considerable value to social responsibility and sustainability. Unilever’s approach is very similar to that of VW as both companies have similar corporate governance manuals and strongly encourage ethical behavior. While Unilever actively tries to reduce its impact on the environment by trying to halve its carbon footprint by 2020, VW set the goal of reducing the CO2 emission of its new-car fleet by 30% until 2015. Furthermore, both companies sacrifice retained earnings to invest in the improvement of sustainability and social responsibility in order to maintain a good public image. Moral philosophies and environmentally sound behavior are highly prioritized and both firms refrain from behavior that can be considered unethical in the host countries, for instance by implementing strict regulations for their suppliers. Improving corporate social responsibility policies, as well as developing more efficient processes, is favored from the viewpoint of the corporation and the society at large, so both firms’ approaches can be supported. Aning, K 2008, ‘From ‘voluntary’ to a ‘binding’ process: towards the securitisation of small arms’, Journal of Contemporary African Studies, vol. 26, no. 2, pp.169-181 viewed 12 May 2013, . Bouman, S 2012, Mexico: Business opportunities in the automotive industry, draft, 14 August, Agentschap NL, viewed 12 May 2013, . Buiga, Dr A 2012, â€Å"Investigating the Role of MQB Platform in Volkswagen Group’s Strategy and Automobile industryâ€Å", International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences September 2012, vol. 2 no.9, pp.391-398, viewed 2 May 2013, retrieved from . Chiappini, R 2011,