The Wild West an Analysis of Post-Civil War Tension in...

Discuss the thematic implications of Doc Holliday and Granville Thorndyke (the Shakespearean actor) in â€Å"My Darling Clementine.† What is Ford trying to say about the relation to the civilized East to the unsettled West. (Clementine vs. Chihuahua is relevant here.) The Wild West: An Analysis of Post-Civil War Tension in John Ford’s â€Å"My Darling Clementine† Following the end of the United States’ Civil War, new territories had becomes states, notably what is now known as the West. The West, iconized by its Cowboys, gunfights, and horses in the years that followed the Civil War, made its way to the silver screen as one of the first genres of movies to be produced. The genre is popularized as a â€Å"Western† and is devoted to telling the†¦show more content†¦He depicts the landscape of the old West as vast valleys, lonely isolated homesteads, Native Americans sites, small frontier towns and deserted areas to show the wilderness where the old Westerners resided, such as the Tetons and Monument Valley. Another illustration of the West in Ford’s movies is his portrayal of the hostile element that thrived in the area, using guns, duels, violence, human bloodbaths, bank robberies, showdowns, outlaws, sheriffs, stampedes, cattle drives and cattle rustling - to depict the uncivilized West. Distinctive clothing is also one of the devices he relied on to create such an uncivilized, Western portrait. Men from the East appear sharp in fine suits whereas Westerners wear denim jeans, boots and hats. In the Western context Ford portrays - late 1800s, Texas - the law was implemented by a single man who takes on the role of both the sheriff and the jury. Arrests, executions and the such are all decided on by he who governs the town. Moral integrity, courage, principles, self-sufficiency, gun skills are all main characteristics of a Western cowboy which opposes to the educated, sophisticated portrait of a man coming from the East. John Ford explicitly shows such a contrast between the East and the West in one of his Western productions, â€Å"My Darling Clementine†. Henry Fonda, one of the leading roles, acts as marshal Wyatt Earp in Tombstone to find out who murdered his brother. Victor Mature plays the

The Kite Runner - Amir s Redemption - 1323 Words

The Kite Runner – Amir’s Redemption We all make mistakes, but it is how we make up for those mistakes that will decide the kind of person we will become. The Kite Runner novel was written by Khaled Hosseini about a boy who also grew up in Afghanistan just like the author. The novel opens during a peaceful time in Kabul and tells the story of Amir and his friend and servant, Hassan. It tells us about Amir looking for approval from his father, Baba, the ethnic tensions in Afghanistan and the events leading up to the end of the friendship of Amir and Hassan. These experiences as he grows up have caused so much guilt that he must find a way to forgive himself and find redemption. Rape represents a violent mental and physical attack on the powerlessness victims and is the main source of guilt for Amir. The kite is the symbol of childhood innocence and happiness during the early part of the novel, but changes to symbolize guilt after the rape of Hassan. The lamb symbolizes his sacrifice and shows how much Hassan loves Amir . The author also looks at the identity of Amir and his actions as both the villain and the hero on his long road to redemption. The Kite Runner uses the symbols of Afghan cultures and traditions to tell the story of betrayal and the overwhelming need to find forgiveness and redemption. Amir feels guilt throughout his life because he allows Hassan to be raped when they are young. He strives to feel remorse and remove his guilt by saving Hassan’s son Sohrab asShow MoreRelatedThe Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini.published Essay1264 Words   |  6 PagesThe Kite Runner is the kind of novel portraying the common issues of the lives of parents and children. The Kite Runner is the first novel by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini.Published by Riverhead Books, it recounts the narratives of Amir, a young boy from the WazirAkbar Khan district of Kabul, whose closest companion is Hassan, son of his father s servant Hazara. The story is situated against a backdrop of turbulent and volatile events, from the fall of Afghanistan s monarchy through theRead MoreKhaled Hosseini s The Kite Runner1679 Words   |  7 PagesHosseini s homeland was the inspiration for his novel, The Kite Runner, which gave his readers a taste of what Afghanistan was before the brutal invasions of the Taliban. He spent his early childhood living in Tehran, Iran, where he befriended his family s cook. The unexpected friendship between a young Afghan and a member of the Hazara ethnic group exposed Hosseini to the acts of injustice against minority groups in Afghanistan, a major theme in his writing (Bloom). Khaled s works areRead MoreSummary Of The Kite Runner 1196 Words   |  5 PagesLiterature II 20 November 2015 Mrs. Hogan Kite Runner Essay Amir: Lost In Fear Over the duration of history, it has been shown that guilt not brought to light can do little in the name of personal redemption. Moreover, this is clearly connected with and related to Khaled Hosseini s fantastic novel The Kite Runner, one of which describes as well as shows the thoughts and actions of teens through the story s main character, Amir, and his many adventures as an upset adult in the UnitedRead MoreThe Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini1695 Words   |  7 Pages The Kite Runner, written by Khaled Hosseini, is a famous novel for its honest portrait of betrayal, and redemption. The novel is narrated by fictional character, Amir, who starts a new life in America with his wife, Soraya, and is a successful author who tries to escape from his haunted childhood in Afghanistan.. Amir is the son of wealthy Afghan businessman, Baba. The opening chapters are told by an older Amir explaining about his childhood. As a reader, one will notice that every joy experiencedRead MoreTheme of The Kite Runner Essay682 Words   |  3 Pagesof The Kite Runner? The Kite Runner was written by Khaled Hosseini and published in 2003. It tells the story of Amir, a young boy from Kabul, Afghanistan, and Hassan, his father’s Hazara servant. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of Afghanistan’s Monarchy, through the Soviet Military intervention, the exile of Pakistan refugees to America, and the rise of the Taliban. The main theme of this book focuses on guilt and redemption. Throughout the novel, Amir is constantlyRead MoreShort Story : The Kite Runner 1246 Words   |  5 Pages 20 November 2015 Mrs. Hogan Kite Runner Essay Amir: Lost In Fear Over the duration of history, it has been shown that guilt not brought to light can do little in the name of personal redemption. Moreover, this is clearly connected with and related to Khaled Hosseini s fantastic novel The Kite Runner, one of which describes as well as shows the thoughts and actions of teens through the story s main character, Amir, and his many adventures as an upset adult inRead MoreSummary Of The Kite Runner Essay997 Words   |  4 Pages The Kite Runner Theme Paper In the song â€Å"hello† by Adele she talks about how she wants meet to talk about everything in the past the makes her feel this guilt because the time away just didn t do enough she hasn t got over this feeling. Also in The Kite Runner, the character Baba experiences guilt so he does acts of kindness to redeem himself. No one knows why Baba did those acts of kindness till the end of the book because he thought no one would think of him the same way. In The Kite RunnerRead MoreKey Theme Of Redemption In The Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini1198 Words   |  5 PagesPeople always feel guilty for the wrong choices they make, and many seek redemption afterward. The idea of redemption and guilt is a key theme in the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. The novel revolves around the life of Amir and his journey of redemption for his past sins. The story begins in Afghanistan during the Soviet Invasion in 1970’s, when young Amir betrays his servant and best friend Hassan . Throughout the story Amir makes attempts to deal with his guilt by avoiding it, but he is unableRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Kite Runner 1685 Words   |  7 Pagescould be used in a story. However, the theme of redemption seems to be one of the most common. Redemption is when one commits a wrongdoing and in order to erase the constant feeling of guilt, one will atone, or make up, for their sins. Khaled Hosseini uses the theme redemption in the novel, The Kite Runner, as he portrays the main character struggling to find himself and make right his childhood wrongs. To write a story with the theme of redemption helps to give the readers hope for a happy endingRead MoreThe Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini2240 Words   |  9 PagesSubject The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, is a novel about a young Pashtun boy, Amir, and his journey to seek redemption. The Kite Runner bounces between two settings. The story is narrated in 2001, in present day California and shifts back to Amir’s childhood in Kabul, Afghanistan around 1975. Amir was born into a lavish lifestyle with everything he could wish for, except for love, affection, and acceptance from his father, Baba. Ali and his son Hassan, of are servants to Baba and Amir. They are

Analysis of The Scarlet Letter Ch Free Essays

Nathaniel Hawthorne expresses Hester Prune’s self-perception by using the concept of physiognomy, the notion that the outer appearance of a person reflects his or her Inner qualities. One of the common methods through which people display their beliefs and emotions is the manner In which they present themselves to society. Hester displays her beliefs about her own character through her choice of clothing. We will write a custom essay sample on Analysis of The Scarlet Letter Ch or any similar topic only for you Order Now Hawthorne also uses clothing In order to depict Hester Implementation of self enmeshment, which is a result of her negative self-perception. She alms to express that her appearance has become so unattractive as a result of her sin. In other words, her the unbecoming state of her heart which has become Impure Is reflected In her clothing made of â€Å"the coarsest materials† with colors of â€Å"the most somber hue. † The most eye-catching article of her outfit, the scarlet letter, also greatly contributes to the physical display of her sin. Purposely reminding the people and herself about that which she is guilty of is how Hester punishes herself mutinously. Her self punishment involved not only wearing â€Å"plain† clothing, but also practicing asceticism in order to prevent her from experiencing any form of enjoyment. When Hester â€Å"devoted[sees] so many hours† to sewing â€Å"coarse garments† she is limiting herself from reaching her true potential of artistic talent. The coarse garments are symbolic of the bland dull distractions she turns to in order to restrict herself from working on that which she is truly passionate about, in other words, to refrain from creating beautiful and arabesque articles of clothing. Initially one would find Hester adornment of Pearl ironic in regards to her decision to live simply without any form of enjoyment. However, after closer inspection, it can be inferred from the diction within the text that this might be another form of self punishment. Hester makes beautiful clothing for her daughter Pearl to wear, however this is not for the sake of her passion to create elaborately designed needle-work. The fact that Hawthorne chose to introduce Pearl’s attire in this specific paragraph nits that there is a relation between Hester self punishment and the reason behind why she adorns her daughter. The implied â€Å"deeper meaning† refers to the same reason why Hester wears plain clothing. Pearl’s beautiful clothing makes her stand out when seen in the community, and the color and fancy design of the cloth reminds both Hester and the people of the scarlet letter. Thus, Hester uses Pearl’s attire as a way to punish herself; the clothing will never allow her nor society to forget what she did. Even today, clothing Is one of the mall WAP through which people express themselves. It Is also a way through which they reward themselves. The opposite of this case Is seen in chapter 5 of The Scarlet Letter; Hawthorne uses clothing to depict how Hester displays negative self-perception. She believes that she must atone for elaborate embroidery. She also uses clothing as a form of self punishment when she dresses her daughter, as it will serve as a constant reminder of her scarlet letter and of the fact that she is forever labeled as an adulteress. How to cite Analysis of The Scarlet Letter Ch, Papers

The Winter of Mixed Drinks by Frightened Rabbit free essay sample

Frightened Rabbit is a band based out of Scotland, and therefore fairly new to the United States’ attention. This band has already released two albums, Sing the Greys and The Midnight Organ Fight. Now their newest, The Winter Of Mixed Drinks, seems to be the one taking the spotlight. Scott Hutchinson, the lead singer, heads off the band with his nasally, whiny, and (for lack of a better term) Scottish-accented voice. Hutchinson seems in this album to have developed an aptitude for putting emotion into his words, contributing to the overall sound of each song. The Winter of Mixed Drinks is indisputably the best Frighted Rabbit album so far. Highlighted with all of the bells and whistles, and maybe a touch of an odd instrument (bagpipes are even a possibility) here or there, it seems that the band has come together and realized the way every piece of a song can fit together. We will write a custom essay sample on The Winter of Mixed Drinks by Frightened Rabbit or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It seems on this album that the band has propelled themselves towards a more developed sound with heavier climaxes and more interesting variations. The lyrics, instrumental ability, and vocal variation all has developed, and it’s thrilling to be growing along with this band. Despite the lack of a song quite like the blunt favorite â€Å"Keep Yourself Warm† of Midnight Organ Fight, there are plenty of other favorites to fall into, that are truly more rewarding due to the complexity that forces the listener to really listen and evaluate. While some songs on this album are not up to par when compared with the rest, it’s exciting to see Frightened Rabbit making a name for themselves, especially considering their upcoming U.S. tour. Enjoyable to listen to, this album keeps your foot tapping.

An American Coup essays

An American Coup essays The Gore versus Bush post-election was infinitely more exciting and significant than the actual contest. Who would have thought that such a boring and manipulated competition would culminate in an American style, Supreme Court-certified coup detat. It was seriously a coup. Something happened out of imagination. Al Gore is the elected President of the United States. He received 539,898 more votes than George W. Bush. But he does not sit in the Oval Office. How interesting. I think thats when POWER comes from, and having access to powerbomb you are right there in white house. Michael Moore calls the election of George W. Bush, An American Coup. He is totally right. With all of these powers, connections, and money Bush was able to take over the votes and sit where was belonged to Gore, and become the president of the United Sates. Ignoring right votes changed the solution. Bush didnt win the popular votes, but it didnt stop him from becoming president of the country. Fixing the presidential election was the next best step. All the predictions said the race was close with Bush enjoying a slight lead. A little rigging here, a little calling in some favors there and the deed would be done. The main objective in Florida was to screw the Blacks and Jews who would be voting for Gore. A lot of Blacks kicked off the voting rolls because they considered as felons. What a trick. Bush had something that Gore didnt have. He had the connection. He didnt win the votes from state of Florida, but he won his brother Jeb Bush governor of Florida. The law states that ex-felons cannot vote in Florida. That means 31 percent of all black men in Florida are prohibited from voting because they have a felony on their record. Harris and Bush knew that removing the names of ex-felons from the voter rolls would keep thousands of black citizens out of the voting booth. Black Flo ridians, ...

Strategic Information System †Current Issues The WritePass Journal

Strategic Information System – Current Issues WRITEPASS CUSTOM ESSAY WRITING PUBLIC HEALTH DISSERTATION TOPICS Strategic Information System – Current Issues ) lists the main opportunities of strategic information systems’ application in healthcare as follows: Biomedical research Developing prevention and treatment standards Care delivery Linking national and regional registries Decision-support Challenges Blumenthal (2009) states that the resistance in the profession is the main barrier of SIS integration. Further challenges listed by Ngafeeson (2014) are: Lack of integration among systems Confusing standards Lack of well-developed exchange systems Cost restraints Potential Benefits The main potential benefits of SIS on the health care system to successfully deal with demographic challenges are: Accessibility (rural residents’ access to care) Cost savings Improved quality of care Education opportunities remotely Collaboration among departments (Rudowski 2008). Emerging Themes Clinical decision support systems can support primary care providers (Berner 2009) Rural access improvement through â€Å"internet doctor† services (Wood 2004) Data mining capability building to develop knowledge about trends (Ngafeeson 2014) Instant collaboration methods development Current Initiatives Chronic Disease Management Program in New Zealand helped deliver adequate diabetes control (Rudowski 2008) transmission of ECG signal directly from the ambulance to invasive cardiology centre (Rudowski 2008) Teleradiology Application of SIS in Health Care Berner (2009) lists possible areas of adaptation as: Preventive care (identifying risk populations) Diagnosis (database updates) Treatment plans (guidelines, templates) Cost reduction (duplicate test alert, for example) Follow-up management (alerts) (Berner 2009). Future Outlook and Research Hoque, Hossin, and Khan (2016) states that Strategic Information Systems Planning (SISP) will benefit developing countries more. The authors also define different stages of SISP: Strategic awareness Situation analysis Strategy conception Strategy formulation Strategy implementation SIS Challenges Difficulty to secure commitment Need for training and development Lack of IT support Underdeveloped technological environment IT leader selection and recruitment Issues with implementation and project management (Hoque, Hossin, and Khan 2016) Conclusion Several opportunities exist in improving health care access, diagnosis accuracy, and information flow in the health care system, related to the development of SIS. The main barriers of implementation were found to be lack of training opportunity, personnel resistance, and lack of IT leadership. References Berner, E.S., 2009. Clinical decision support systems: state of the art.  AHRQ publication,  90069. Hoque, M.R., Hossin, M.E. and Khan, W., 2016. Strategic Information Systems Planning (SISP) Practices In Health Care Sectors Of Bangladesh.  European Scientific Journal,  12(6). Ngafeeson, M.N., 2015. Healthcare Information Systems Opportunities and Challenges. In  Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Third Edition  (pp. 3387-3395). IGI Global. Rudowski, R., 2008. Impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) on Health Care.  Department of Medical Informatics and Telemedicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland. WHO. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2011.  A System of Health Accounts 2011. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Wood, J., 2004.  Rural health and healthcare: A north west perspective. Institute for Health Research, Lancaster University.

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 17

Assignment Example I will direct the preparation and implementation of a new communication tool for inter-office communication. My duties would include thepreparation of the final proposal, budgeting the whole process, staffing the required personnel and finally testing and launching the system. I will be given the task for supervising the introduction of the prototype of an events calendar which will help in reporting the upcoming events of the company to the community. If the prototype is successful, it will replace the current published calendar of events which appears in the company’s newspaper. The primary motive of my internship is to gain hands-on experience in the transformation process of a company’s department from a traditional, print-based department to a completely technologically advanced department with the application of electronic communication tools and techniques. I hope to implement my learning, during the internship period, to other organizations by supervising and helping them in introducing appropriate improvements that are cost effective and efficient. Among the numerous benefits of interning at Company X, the one and important benefit is the increased awareness and appreciation of the MEC program by my direct supervisor, and the President of the

Hubble Showcase Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hubble Showcase - Term Paper Example These stars are also held together loosely and are young stars that will gradually disperse with years. The spiral galaxy is a swirl of dust and gas particles as well as stars and is as vast as twice our galaxy which is the Milky Way. It is also called M101 and it is thought to have one trillion stars which is worthy of being put in Hubble’s gallery. 100 billion of the stars could be as fiery as the Sun and also as old as the sun. The outer arms of the galaxy have star forming nebulae and there a hydrogen particles as well that form clouds. New stars that are hot in temperate also branch out from these arms. It is such a thin galaxy that Hubble’s telescope can spot galaxies beyond that it as well which is equally fascinating. It is also termed Pinwheel galaxy due to its shape and it rests in the northern part of the constellation which is called Ursa Major also nicknamed The Great Bear, which itself is a many million light years away from the Earth. The distance from the worth, its shape and the number so stars it contains and the more in depth view into the world beyond are worth putting in a gallery. Nebulas are so far away from earth and even to the astronomer’s eye that they become fascinating subjects to study. Their structure is hard to gauge as well as their full form. The Helix Nebula looks like a colorful donut type image. It seems to be the gaseous evolution of something from a star that looks like a sun and it’s difficult to interpret. Some find it to have a mysterious coil like a snake shape. Latest research shows that even though it’s difficult to interpret it looks like there are two disks made of gas that are perpendicular and that is what forms its shape. It is called the NGC 7293. The supernova shockwave also called SN 1987A is the consequence of a stellar explosion which was the brightest the world had seen seventeen years ago. For months it blazed with the intensity of 100,000,000 suns and now even

Commonwealth v Schnopps Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Commonwealth v Schnopps Case - Essay Example Schnopps was convicted by a jury on murder in the first degree and was thus sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment. On appeal against his conviction, Schnopps argued that the trial judge failed to instruct the jury on voluntary manslaughter. The appeal court sided with Schnopps argument and opined that: â€Å"Instructions on voluntary manslaughter must be given if there is evidence of provocation deemed adequate in law to cause the accused to lose his self-control in the heat of passion, and if the killing followed the provocation before sufficient time had elapsed for the accused's temper to cool†. (Commonwealth v. Schnopps, p.180) Basing voluntary manslaughter on the theory of provocation implies that an act of killing must have been committed in â€Å"a sudden transport of passion or heat of blood, upon a reasonable provocation and without malice, or upon sudden combat†. (Commonwealth v. Garabedian, (1987) p. 313) The success of Schnopps appeal for a co nviction of voluntary manslaughter due to provocation establishes the principle that where there is reasonable evidence to show that a defendant had been reasonably provoked and had killed as a result of that provocation, a direction of voluntary manslaughter should be given to the jury. However, as established in Commonwealth v. Schopps, if enough time elapsed after the provocation to enable a cooling of temper, the act of killing could not be defended under the theory of voluntary manslaughter based on provocation.

Factors for Youth Drug Use

Factors for Youth Drug Use What factors leads male young people aged 11 18 years old into taking illicit drugs in the UK? Abstract Statistical data has shown that an increasing number of young people aged between 11 and 18 are using illicit drugs either experimentally or habitually. This study examines a small sample of males aged between 11 and 18, and through unstructured interviews ascertains the reasons for their drug use. The study aims to identify ways in which prevention could be better facilitated for this particular age group. Introduction In men and women the misuse of illicit drugs has increased dramatically over the last 50 years (Zerbe, 1999). Research has shown that the particular age when young people begin using alcohol, tobacco, and other illicit drugs is a predictor of later alcohol and drug problems. For example, 40% of young people who begin drinking at age 14 or younger develop alcohol dependence, compared with 10% of youth who start drinking at age 20 or older. (Ericson, 2001. In Laursen and Brasler, 2002: 181). It has been long-established that users of one drug are more likely to use other drugs than non-users (Gove and Geerken,1979) and that the use of correlates with the onset of psychiatric symptoms. Contemporary research suggests that amongst girls, tobacco use is often a strong indication that other drugs will be used in the future, and in males, alcohol use has been described as a ‘gateway to other drugs.’ (In Laursen and Brasler, 2002: 181). Reasons for young people experimenting or r egularly using drugs are varied, and include pressure from peers, stress and emotional factors, a desire to break convention, and the process of individualisation. Research into the consequences of divorce on young people has shown that negative consequences are most common shortly after a parental divorce (Frost and Pakiz, 1990). While research by Laursen and Brasler recorded the following responses as to why drugs were used: to numb the pain of abuse and neglect, to be accepted, peer pressure, to take control of my own life, for relaxation and pleasure to chill to improve my self-image because Im curious, stressed, or bored to assert myself. (Laursen and Brasler, 2002: 181) Social work practice is reliant upon research in order to find the most effective ways to deal with social problems (Chavkin, 1993). The National Institute of Mental Health ( 1991) proposed that social work research is invaluable because it ‘describes the work domain of social work as touching on a multitude of human problems that inflict pain and suffering on millions of individuals and families.’ (Chavkin, 1993: 3). As children develop into adolescence, they experience a series of dramatic changes, both physical, psychological , and psycho-social. Independence and identity are sought often through the need to belong to a group or more general movement. Substance use increases in adolescence (Johnston, OMalley, Bachman, 1998. In Laursen and Brasler, 2002: 181) as ‘smoking, drinking, and other drugs become a way to appear mature while fitting in with peers.’ (Laursen and Brasler, 2002: 181). Methodology A qualitative research method was decided to be most appropriate. Darlington and Scott (2002) highlighted the three most prominent research methods as being: In-depth interviewing of individuals and small groups Systematic observation of behaviour Analysis of documentary data (Darlington and Scott, 2002: 2) In-depth interviewing of individuals was chosen for this project, and it was proposed to interview five individuals between the ages of 11 and 18 within the young people’s service, using a random sampling method. As suggested by Darlington and Scott (2002: 3): ‘Research methods such as in-depth interviewing and participant observation are particularly well suited to exploring questions in the human services which relate to the meaning of experiences and to deciphering the complexity of human behaviour.’ This approach also offers far more potential for establishing a greater rapport with the individual, where a more trustworthy and detailed account of personal experiences might be achieved as opposed to observation techniques which might only offer relatively superficial or ambiguous evidence of inner thoughts and feelings. The interviews were taped; this ensured that the information was accessible, and facilitated more accurate and reliable research. For ethical reasons it was necessary to obtain the consent of the individuals being interviewed. It was made clear to participants that their information might be reproduced and possibly published as part of the study. It was necessary to obtain their consent prior to conducting the interview in case they objected to any later use of the information. In cases of younger respondents the permission of their older siblings or parents was asked prior to the interview. As the sample was chosen randomly the researcher did not have any influe ncer over the identity of the interviewees. Ten males were selected, of the ages: eleven, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen. All respondents were interviewed in their homes by trained interviewers. Data was collected primarily through interview, and also through self-reports which aimed to establish the presence of any emotional instabilities. The present study made use of the interview format undertaken by researchers in the study by Vandervalk et al (2005) into the relationship between family problems and the behaviour of adolescents. In the 2005 study researchers used a shortened version of the General Health Questionnaire, which measured the extent to which psychological stress and depression had recently been experienced. On a 4-point scale, the respondents indicated the severity of their symptoms (e.g., feeling tense and nervous, feeling unhappy and dejected) during the past 4 weeks (1: much more than usual to 4: not at all). This was replicated for the current study. Youngsters indicated on a 4-point scale whether they had considered committing suicide during the last 12 months (1: never to 4: very often) (Diekstra et al., 1991). To distinguish between internal and external factors the 2005 model study used an ‘Adolescent Externalizing Behavior’ approach that measured the following: Risky habits, measuring the degree to which adolescents were involved in risky or unhealthy behavior. Self-report data on the use of cigarettes, alcohol, and soft drugs were used. On 8-point scales, youngsters indicated if and to what extent they smoked, drank alcohol, or used soft drugs Delinquent behavior was assessed as the number of delinquent acts the respondents reported over the past 12 months. The delinquency measure consists of 21 items pertaining to 3 types of delinquent behavior: violent crime (e.g., Have you ever wounded anyone with a knife or other weapon?), vandalism (e.g., Have you ever covered walls, buses, or entryways with graffiti?), and crime against property (e.g., Have you ever bought something which you knew was stolen?). Educational attainment of adolescents and young adults was assessed by asking youngsters about their current level of education or about the highest level of education achieved, in case they no longer participated in the educational system. (Taken from Vandervalk et al (2005: 533) Results As the interviews were unstructured it was not possible to identify all of these factors for each individual. However, each interview did touch on these areas, and it was left to the individual concerned as to whether they wished to discuss these factors as potential reasons for their use of substances. A list of factors can be found in Appendix One. 5 out of 10 respondents said that a lack of money in their family had, on one or more occasions, led them to become involved in anti social behaviour. All of these respondents affirmed a positive link between anti social behaviour and drug taking. One male, aged fifteen, said that he would take drugs in a group, but never alone, in order to gain enough confidence to ‘cause trouble’ in their local area. 9 out of 10 respondents believed that their age group was not catered for enough in the local area and that they took drugs for ‘something to do’ rather than being forced into it by emotional or stress factors. However, one respondent, aged eighteen, said that he used cocaine regularly because it ‘made his stress go away.’ When asked about the nature of the stress involved he said that he felt under pressure to achieve at school. He expressed concern that if he didn’t achieve then his family would continue to struggle financially. An added stress in this case was that the withdrawals he experienced from his use of the drug were negatively affecting his relationship with his family, and reducing his ability to complete his school work. When asked about the amount and regularity of drug use, more than half of respondents said that they used drugs more than occasionally. 3 of those said they used regularly ‘for something to do.’ And another said that they used ‘whenever they were bored.’ Major positive correlations were found between the respondents’ self-reports, where negative thoughts and stress prevailed, and the number of occasions that they confessed to using drugs. Although this link appears to be a significant one, it is possible that some interviewees did not give a completely accurate account of their use patterns, possibly in fear of being ‘found out’ by parents. More than two respondents said that they were attracted to drug taking because of its associations with criminality Results were consistent with the premises of the Social construction approach to defining and explaining the use of drugs in young people. Past research has defined drug use by minority youth as ‘a dysfunctional effort to escape problems stemming from poverty and racism or as an alternative means of making money in the face of underclass isolation from legitimate economic opportunities’ (Merton, 1957; Cloward and Ohlin, 1960; Finestone, 1957; Williams, 1990; Harrell and Peterson, 1992; Currie, 1993. In Covington, 1997: ) However, Covington criticises the social construction of drug problems amongst young people as too easily explaining away reasons for use through emphasis on individual differences as opposed to collective conditions. She suggests that trends in minority and majority drug use should receive separate treatment. Conclusion and Recommendations Future prevention through social work practice needs to focus on the areas of inclusion. A high percentage of respondents said that they used drugs recreationally, and that this had contributed to their developing addiction. That there exists positive associations with criminality reflects the need for social work policy to adapt to find more ways of addressing the needs of young people in particular areas. The findings of the Hidden Harm report commissioned by the government found that children of drug users are one of the most vulnerable groups within society, and as part of the Government response to the report it was suggested that ‘the voices of the children of problem drug users should be heard and listened to.’ (Department for Education and Skills, 2005:4). Research into this minority and publication of results could potentially help social work policy to deter young users from taking drugs, and might also deter young users from bringing up children around drugs. Future research might include a more socially diverse sample, including a greater variety in terms of race and background. Externalising factors might also include social trends and political changes, as these greatly affect the nature and accessibility of service provision within a local area. Bibliography Boynton, P. (2005) The Research Companion. Psychology Press Brendtro, L., Brokenleg, M., Van Bockern, S. (2002). Reclaiming youth at risk: Our hope for the future. (2nd ed.) Bloomington, IN: National Educational Service. Bryman, A. (1993), Approaches to Social Enquiry. London: Routledge Chavkin, N.F, (1993), The Use of Research in Social Work Practice: A Case Example from School Social Work. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers Corby B 2006 Applying Research in Social Work Practice Buckingham Open University Press Covington, J., ‘The Social Construction of the Minority Drug Problem.’  Social Justice, Vol. 24, (1997), pp. Darlington, Y, and Scott, D, (2002), Research in Practice: Stories from the Field. Crows Nest, N.S.W: Allen Unwin. Department of Education and Skills, (2005), ‘Government Response to Hidden Harm: the Report of an Inquiry by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs’ [online]. Available from:  http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/_files/73D1398FE270B13D89AF63EF1A8B341D.pdf  [Accessed 2/08/08] Ericson, N. (2001). Substance abuse: The nations number one health problem. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Frost, A. K., and Pakiz, B. (1990). The effects of marital disruption on adolescents: Time as a dynamic. Am. J. Orthopsychiatr. 60: 544-555. Goldberg, D. P. (1978). Manual of the General Health Questionnaire. General Practice Research Unit, Horsham Gove, W.R, and Geerken, M., (1979), ‘Drug Use and Mental Health among a Representative National Sample of Young Adults. Social Forces, Vol. 58, No. 2, pp. 572-590 Laursen, E.K, and Brasler, P, (2002), ‘Harm Reduction a Viable Choice for Kids Enchanted with Drugs?.’ Reclaiming Children and Youth. Volume 11. Issue 3. P. 181+. Marlatt, G.A. (1998). Basic principles and strategies of harm reduction. In G.A. Marlatt (Ed.), Harm reduction: Pragmatic strategies for managing high-risk behaviors (pp. 49-66). New York: Guilford Press. Silverman, D, (2004), Doing Qualitative Research. London: Sage Strauss, A Corbin J. (1998), Basics of Qualitative Research. London: Sage. Vandervalk, I; Spruijt, I; De Goede, M; Mass, C, and Meeus, W, ‘Family Structure and Problem Behavior of Adolescents and Young Adults: A Growth-Curve Study.’ Journal of Youth and Adolescence. Vol 34. Issue 6. (2005). P. 533+ Zerbe, K.J, (1999), Womens Mental Health in Primary Care. Philadelphia, PA: W. B. Saunders Appendix One Unstructured Interview: To identify the presence of influence of the following factors: Internalizing behaviour Adolescent age Individual-level Factors Adolescent Education Externalizing behaviour Family-level Factors Family Structure Family Income

The Misidentification of The Day We Were Dogs Essay -- Day We Were Dog

The Misidentification of The Day We Were Dogs      Ã‚   "The Day We Were Dogs," published in 1993 by Elena Garro, illustrates the common error of misidentification of Magical Realism. The fact that Garro is a Mexican author and that fantasy is so closely related to Magical Realism often causes the reader to associate this particular work with Magical Realism. However, this work also contains fantastic elements as well as sublime characteristics, which make it difficult to classify as a strictly Magical Realist work. As "The Day We Were Dogs" can be interpreted in so many different ways, the explanation of the details of the story become much more difficult. Are the two girls, Eva and Leli, pretending to be dogs or did they actually become dogs for a day? Each reader may have a different view of this important question, and this view may alter how he or she classifies this work. The short story does contain several magical elements and even fulfills several of the characteristics of Magical Realism as described by Faris. Should one assume the girls are actually in the canine form, one should notice that the girls are understood by the people around, even though Toni is not. The servants understand when the girls tell them to prepare lunch for three dogs. The men at the murder scene, as well, understand the "dogs" when they question what the dogs saw. This interspecies communication holds a magical aspect due to its nonoccurance in reality (Faris 167). The communication that exists between the "dogs" and Toni, another dog, one could understand. Toni communicates by some speech, but mostly by his actions. He bares his teeth during lunch so he might take the meat and, therefore, prove himself to be the head of the pecking ord... ...the story goes against its classification of Magical Realism in that hesitation occurs by both the reader and the characters. Where does one classify such a work? That answer truly depends upon one's own interpretation and opinion. Works Cited Faris, Wendy B. "Scheherazade's Children: Magical Realism and Postmodern Fiction." Magical Realism: Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, N.C.: Duke UP, 1995: 163-190. Garro, Elena. "The Day We Were Dogs." Latin American Writers: Thirty Short Stories. Ed. Gabriella Ibieta. New York, N.Y.: St. Martin's Press, 1993: 206-212. Simpkins, Scott. "Sources of Magical Realism/ Supplements to Realism in Contemporary Latin American Literature." Magical Realism: Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, N.C.: Duke UP, 1995: 145-159.   

Squandermania Mentality: the Root Cause of Social Evil

SQUANDERMANIA MENTALITY: THE ROOT CAUSE OF SOCIAL EVIL UDEKE CHARLES NDUBUISI POPE JOHNPAUL 11 MAJOR SEMINARY, AWKA [email  protected] com PREAMBLE Nigeria as a nation is ravaged by many internal problems. It is no longer news even to the blind that things are not the way they should be in our society. Nigeria problem is hydra-headed. Many scholars have viewed it from the different perspective as corruption, problem of leadership, indiscipline, greediness, consumerism, et cetera. Squander mania mentality is not out of the list. The rate at which people spread dollars at occasions is quite embarrassing.The history of Nigerians is that of a people in search of naira and the ostentatious show of wealth. Some people construe squandeermaniarism as a means of ascertaining themselves in the society. So, the more ostentatious you are, the more you are socially recognized and canonized. The root cause of social evil in our society is nothing but consumer consciousness. In bid to have more i n order to spend extravagantly people often indulge in all kinds of ills like: kidnapping, bribery, drug addict, money laundry, stealing, armed robbery, gangsterism, corruption and embezzlement.Squandermania consciousness has turned some of our leaders into caterpillars’ of common wealth. In fact the evil malice in us has been exalted to the point of genius in some of us. Moreover, in January 1987, the Anambra State government under the governorship of Captain Emeka Omeruah organized a crusade against squandermania. They so accurately deciphered the basis of indiscipline and underdevelopment in our nation as squandermania mentality. In this work we shall be looking at squandermania mentality as the root cause of our social evil and the possible remedy.In order to better appreciate this topic, let us explicate the basic concept. CONCEPTUALIZATION OF TERMS. Squandermania mentality literally means conscious wasteful or useless spending on daily basis. According to Okolo (1994:9) it is that disposition in a people by which they conceive and judge things by their consumable value. On the whole the society becomes one dominated largely by acquisitive rather than productive instincts. ’ Thus, for him it is materialistic consumable outlook on things. Then, Prof. P.N. Ejiofor (1986:3) viewed the term conspicuous consumption as ‘living above one’s resources and for the overall standard of living of the society for one’s inordinate self aggrandizement. ’ For him, it is spending unnecessarily. Here, squandermania mentality may be used interchangeably with consumer consciousness or conspicuous consumption. Based on this based backdrop, let us know to what extent squandermania mentality is the root cause of our social evil. SQUANDERMANIA MENTALITY IN NIGERIA: THE STORY SO FAR.Today, in our towns and villages, people both rich and poor, indulge in consumer consciousness such as charging astronomically high bride prices, engaging in co stly wedding ceremonies, pompous burial ceremonies, expensive chieftaincy title-taking, excessive feasting, excessive eating and drinking, and useless spending in luxurious cars and colossal village mansions. Prof. Ejiofor (1984:90) attempted to paint a picture of an aspect of conspicuous consumption as it pertains to our burial ceremonies. â€Å"First the corpse may be embalmed, and left in the mortuary for a period ranging from three days to two or three months.During this time, a new building is set up, if the dead did not build one in his life time, but if he did, the house and the walls are renovated. † In the same vein, pomp and pageantry go with weddings, birthday celebrations, title taking, chieftaincy installations, graduations, ordinations, and house warming ceremonies, etc. In fact, Nigerians are drunk with life of ostentation. We place undue emphasis in material social values as a way of life of a people. Thus material success and possession are highly valued in t he social and cultural lives of our people.Peace Pilgrim (1981:12) articulates it in the following terms, â€Å"in this materialistic age we have such a false criterion by which to measure success. We measure it in terms of material things. But happiness and inner peace do not lie in that direction. † Nigeria is the paradigm example of classical consumer society. Okolo(1994:10) viewed squandermania as the foundation of all our problems. â€Å"It is the problem behind our problems. To ignore it in our attack of societal ills would be to pursue a phantom, attacking the disease with a proper diagnosis of its cause. † We can talk of Nigeria problem without mentioning squandermania mentality.That Nigeria is a consumer society is never an exaggeration, for it is manifested in all their activities. Our society is characterized by unproductive spending, wealth exhibitionism and social importance. Hence, prestige and power are mainly construed in terms of material wealth and po ssessions. As a consumer nation, it exhibit one sided apprehension of labour. That is in terms of immediate gain, instant wealth and material success. Sweat, hard work and personal sacrifice have been sacrificed at the altar of laziness, cheap labour, instant gain and consumerism.Okolo(1994:11) posited that â€Å"people of consumer society generally manifest low enthusiasm or appreciation for high values such as patriotism, love of truth, honesty†¦ To labour or sacrifice for these spiritual goods or think of them important is hardly worthwhile for them. † In the educational sector, a lot of people read in order to obtain mere certificate, what is referred to as ‘certificate education. ’ They construe education in terms of its material relevance. Knowledge in the strict sense, for broadening ones horizon, understanding and conquering ones environment is not for them.They seek for certificate education in order to gain affluence and wealth through influence an d high positions in the society. They struggle in order to manifest supremacy in wealth and what it can buy. Success and social progress are defined by them in terms of material prosperity and acquisition. Russell (1975:38) in his own part described the situation thus, â€Å"but what typical modern man desires to get with it is more money, with a view to ostentation, splendour and the outshining of those who have hitherto been his equals. It is clear that the quest for instant wealth and material acquisition is the root cause of the societal ills. All that matters for Nigerian is naira accumulation, the means not withstanding. Consequently, it is no longer news that there is so much robbery, kidnapping, prostitution, human trafficking, embezzlement and all sorts of fraudulent practices in the nation. The hardship in the country notwithstanding, the syndrome for quick money and over night success is a pointer to squandermania mentality. The search for immediate wealth makes the Nige rian to hold tenaciously to power and authority.Conspicuous consumption will lead us to nothing but a consumer nation. Whereby, we spend more than we produce, consequently leading to many inefficiency or disequilibrium in the economy. CONS OF CONSUMER CONSCIOUSNESS The cumulative effect of it will lead to enlargement of his tastes, a change in his life style, in his social values and outlook in life. The person will define his social importance in terms of wealth acquisition and display, then, the type of home he lives in, property acquired and social entertainment held.So, the attitude of wasteful or unproductive spending and wealth exhibitionism will be high in the individual. Conspicuous consumption is one of the root causes of bribery and corruption, armed robbery, prostitution, smuggling, and drug trafficking. Faced by the huge financial demands which they can not meet by honest living, they land themselves in the aforementioned ills. Consumer consciousness channels all our res ources from working to leisure and from investment to unnecessary consumption. Many a time offices and markets are closed to give the dead a so-called befitting burial.The time we spent in long wake keeping ceremonies, marriage ceremonies, housing warning ceremonies, etc, is spent by the Whiteman in his library or laboratory researching on how to develop the machinery he will export later. The money we spend on those occasions is spent by him in taking a balanced diet and investing in meaningful businesses. It has destroyed the value system of our society. The people’s outlook on things is mainly from viewpoint of the consumable value and the material worth. In the developed countries, the most noble and masters are the researchers, the inventors, the statesmen, great philanthropists.In our society the statusquo are mostly the number of cars, the type buildings, the rowdiness of parties, etc. It is not surprise today that many young people indulge in different foul game in or der to make money quick. Squandermania mentality makes us to be more dependent on the industrialized nations. It discourages patronage of our native goods. It is not shocking that most of the drugs, food stuffs, scientific equipments and all sorts of manufactured and consumer good are not produced locally. This has stultifying effects on the creative and imaginative powers of the individual. By being dependent on other nations we enslave ourselves.It makes Nigerian to be imitators instead of competitors with other nations. Since we end up in imitating and reproducing, we lack originality, self transcendence, creativity and self reliance. More so, it vitiates the development of education, science and technology. Today, young people construe education in terms of material gain. Whereby, they end up in ‘certificate education. ’ People are not concerned with the qualitative functional education, which will help them conquer and transform their environment. Instead are inter ested in certificate education which guarantees them position of influence in the society.In fact, conspicuous consumption has adverse effect on moral, economic, developmental and political facets of the society. It reinforces wrong values, leads to exportation of wealth, encourages social vices, hampers productivity, and slows down the rate of economic development. We devote too much time in consuming than in producing. Since we have seen that the gestalt of our problem is squandermania in outlook, then, what shall we do! PANACEA What Nigerian need is a new awareness of self, a novel sense of dignity and altogether new life and value system. This new ideology should make value to be more qualitatively rather than to have more.That is to live more qualitative life instead of quantitative life. Education is vital instrument through which these values can be inculcated. Nigeria needs to imbibe the value of self-discipline. He must be ready to restrain his ungodly desires, goals and am bitious which he generally views in materialist terms. In quest to have more, display more, enjoy more, the Nigerian has lost sense of self discipline in quest for naira and what it can purchase. Thus, it through self discipline, the nation can manage her resources judiciously. Our society should cultivate the spirit of working for the universal good.For no society of human beings is possible without what binds them together, what they strive after together. Thus, common good is the good of the members of the society. If, we think of those things which make up the society as a whole, squandermanianism will be a forgotten issue. Management of our resources, time and talents well is a necessary condition. Foolish people waste their money, whilst wise people invest their money and are called investors. In order to shun squandermania mentality the Nigerian must cultivate pragmatic spirit. This imbues him with the mind to discover or invent and to be creative.This is attitude of sacrific e, self-dedication and labour. For consumer mentality radically weakens the will and people to put pleasure before business, sweet before sweat. More so, let us spend less time and money in celebrations, so as to have more money for the investment and time for working. It is by patronizing our locally made goods, can we encourage our local industries. CONCLUSION It is high time we admit that there is more to life than money, therefore, should focus not just on money wasting, but on general well-being.Studies have shown that those who are high in materialistic orientations are lower in levels of life satisfaction. Squandermania is a public enemy that should be stamped out of our society. It fails to satisfy men whose nature clamours for higher, more lasting values. We should aim at minimizing the traditional pursuit of wealth, conspicuous consumption and the acquisition of possessions and the attainment of status. Let us aspire to be more rather than to possess more. May all hands be on deck in order to bring to an end the inflicted wound of wasteful living.

buy custom The California Sutter Health Approach essay

buy custom The California Sutter Health Approach essay Sutter Heath is nonprofit organization which is headquartered in Sacramento, California. It provides health care and other hospital services to patients in over a hundred communities in Northern Californian towns and cities. Its doctors and other health service providers share expertise so as to advance access to Medicare. The organization is named after its Californian pioneer, John Sutter. Its establishment followed epidemics that occurred around fort Sutter. These tragic events prompted community leaders to construct a Sutter Hospital with an aim replacing an adobe structure that previously served as an improvised health facility. Sutter Health has been implementing other programs that facilitate patients welfare. For instance, according to Souza and McCarty, the organization is in a process of implementing strategies that are focused on offering discounted medical care to uninsured Californians. As a network of Californias most qualified medical organizations, Sutter Health is able to provide services such as cardiac and cancer care as well as women and children services at an advanced level of safety technology to the less fortunate members of the society (Gamble, 2011). The 21st century technology has facilitated advancement in Sutter Health. In fact, this organization was among the first to employ the bar code technology in its intensive care units so as to increase medical safety. In addition to providing health services, Californian Sutter Health has dedicating effort towards lean practices such as hospital designing. To implement such lean projects, Sutter Health refers to five big ideas which are recommended to project teams (Souza McCarty, 2007). The first idea is collaboration. Design is carried out after an interactive discussion with all stakeholders. Secondly, there are increased relations amongst all the project participants. In building health care facilities, collaboration, innovation and extensive learning are required as these projects are long-term and complex. Failed relations may lead to hindrances such as poor delivery of projects capital and difficulties in altering the design. Thirdly, projects should be networks of commitments. Projects require good coordination and thus, management has a duty to activate and articulate unequaled networks. They are also entitled to bring coherence to such networks in times when uncertain future is evident, thus creating a certain future with other project participants. Fourth, optimize the project as a whole and not in pieces. Priorities should be given to the whole project since failure of one piece is ultimately failure of the whole project. In some circumstances, managers may be forced to press their employees to speed up and lowering the cost of operations, hence a shoddy work being done. In Sutter Health, there is a greater opportunity as well as responsibility to ensuring reduction of workers exposure to risks during the construction of the projects. This results to more than 50% safety improvements on the work site. The fifth and the final idea is learning a firmly couple action. A continuous improvement of schedule, overall project value and cost is possible when project participants learn by effectively engaging in it. In their team selection, Sutter Health looks forward to forming project teams from the construction and design community. Facility Planning and Development Department focuses on forming an all inclusive project team, which does not allow for bosses and slaves but they are based on the principle of equality. The selection of construction managers, and architects is a competitive process and transparent and done early to ensure their innovation and participation. Sutter Health has based its risk management on several approaches. One of them is shared risk, aiming at reducing the risk of the entire project. Commercial terms also require a joint managing of contingency funds that are available to compensate risks that are not eliminated. Sutter Health aims at raising the designs quality by maintaining that design costs be sustained through a resource encumbered work plan. Disputes that arise are jointly managed as well. Sutter Health does this aiming maximization of an opportunity design ed for party-controlled dispute elimination. While developing their incentives, Sutter Health rewards the construction and the design team for achieving a superior performance and having successfully exceeded the project prospects and targets. Again, Sutter Health uses the incentives to encourage a higher performance founded upon their goals (Parrish et al, 2008). Sutter Health puts challenges to their vendors, to learn skills that are required in planning for Lean Project Delivery. Buy custom The California Sutter Health Approach essay

buy custom The Economic History of Russia essay

buy custom The Economic History of Russia essay The Russian economy is ranked as the sixth largest by purchasing power parity and the eleventh largest economy in the world by the nominal value. Russia has rich reserves of natural oil, coal, gas, as well as other valuable metals. Soon after the Second World War as well as the collapse of the Soviet Union Russia has undergone considerable changes, shifting from a centrally designed financial system to an internationally incorporated and a more market-based financial system. Various economic reforms that happened after the Second World War aimed at privatizing industries, with distinguished exceptions in the defense and energy-related sectors. Nevertheless, the speedy privatization procedure, together with a much disapproved "loans-for-shares" plan that converted major publicly owned firms to politically related "oligarchs," has led to a high concentration of equity ownership. As of 2010, Moscow, Russias capital has the highest population of billionaires in the whole world (Central I ntelligence Agency 2). From the year 1991 when the Soviet Union was dissolved, there has been a huge economic turmoil, particularly in Russia, in the changeover to capitalism. This has been characterized by decreased standard of living and an economy that has failed to create a greater material lifestyle for several people. However, in the haze of this economic turmoil there has been a flare of light. This dazzling spot in the Russian economy is attributed to the presence of oil and gas. Since the end of Second World War and the fall of communism, Russia has invented innovative ways of trade as well as laying pipelines that link to countries, a situation that has greatly increased revenue. Nevertheless, the Russian economy has been under pressure as it treads on the intricate path of recovery following the crumple of the previous Soviet Union in late 1991. Even though Russia is recognized of having huge reserves of natural resources as well as a pool of well-educated workforce, it has had restricted achiev ements as it tries to get rid of an economy that is centrally controlled and a shift towards a market-oriented economy (Central Intelligence Agency 3. The unprepared Russian economy was badly affected by the 1998 global economic crisis. Throughout this period, the rate of inflation in Russia increased, additional cases of unemployment were reported, and there was a drop in the standards of living followed by a crashed GDP thereby creating a major disaster in the country. Nevertheless, the somber financial condition reverberated in the year that followed, and since then the Russian economy has made significant progress. This development has been mirrored in a stable decline in inflation, a rise in the GDP, a decrease in unemployment figures in addition to increase in both domestic and foreign investment. The major factors facilitated the economic recovery following 1998 crisis have been the aggressive enhancement from the weak rublealong with the trade surplus following an increase in world oil prices (Solanko 12). Though Russian economy has improved through the years, decades of socialist rule have inundated the country with different economic problems that have to be effectively dealt in order to preserve the positive trend towards economic growth. Nevertheless, there are various industries in Russia, these industries are in deprived states require modernization or replacement. Furthermore, issues over rights in land ownership have continued to discourage restructuring and investment. The Russian economy even faces a more serious problem of tax evasion and there is the giant subject of planned crime that has permeated the very fabric of the Russian society. Therefore, the Russian government will have to embark on a lasting plan, be more reliable with its strategies as well as produce an environment that is favorable to for investors. This will infuse a positive picture in the minds of the prospective investors and get their confidence (Solanko 15). The Russian financial system made a moderately excellent improvement in 2001 and 2002. In the year 2001 Russias GDP improved by 5 percent and in 2002, it improved by 4.1 percent. Although the proportional rise in the GDP in 2002 was small compared to that of 2001, the development was rather acceptable. Relatively, the standard proportionate boost in GDP in industrialized nations was 1.5 percent while in the United States, it was 2.3 percent. The year 2002 was the fourth consecutive year that Russia experienced a stable enhancement in its financial system after its miserable condition in the 1998 hence introducing a form of steadiness and creating financiers assurance (Solanko 21). Russia is among the most developed of the previous Soviet states. Nevertheless, years of poor savings have left a great deal of Russian business outdated and extremely incompetent. Apart from its resource-based production centers, it has generated huge manufacturing abilities, particularly in metals, provisions or foodstuffs, and transportation tools. Globally, Russia is currently the third-biggest exporter of main aluminum and steel. Russia took over most of the security manufacturing foundation of the Soviet Union, thus weapons are still an essential export kind for Russia. Based on the U.S. statistics of the Trade Representative's National Trade Estimate of 2010, Russia keeps on upholding numerous obstructions with regard to imports. Negotiations are in progress in the framework of Russia's WTO succession to eradicate these actions or amend them to be reliable with globally established trade strategy observations. Non-duty hurdles are recurrently employed to hamper alien admittanc e to the marketplace and are as well a considerable subject in Russia's WTO consultations (Wolf and Lang 53). Russia has gone through momentous transformations ever since the crumple off the Soviet Union, moving from an internationally-segregated, centrally-scheduled financial structure to a more market-foundation and worldwide-assimilated financial system. Most of the manufacturing industries in Russia were privatized by the monetary changes in the 1990s, with prominent exclusions in the electricity and security-linked segments. The security of possessions civil rights is still feeble, and the private zone is at the same time answerable profound state intrusion. Russian business is principally divided between internationally-viable product manufacturers; in the year 2009 Russia was the globe's biggest distributor of natural gas, the second biggest distributor of oil, and the third main exporter of steel and original aluminum; and other fewer viable important businesses that remain reliant on the Russian home market (Wolf and Lang 55). This dependence on product exports makes Russia defenseless against detonation and ruined sequences that pursue the extremely unpredictable sways in the international product cost. The administration from the year 2007 has initiated a determined curriculum to decrease this dependence and increase the nations enhanced proficiency areas, but with little consequences up to now. The financial system had standardized a 7 percent increase from the year 1998 when Russian experienced an economic catastrophe, leading to a multiplying of actual throwaway earnings and the materialization of a middle social rank. The Russian financial system, nevertheless, was one of the toughest strikes between the years 2008-09 international monetary predicament as oil charges went down and the overseas money that Russian financial institutions and companies depended on crumpled. The Central Bank of Russia used one-third of its $600 billion universal funds, the third largest, globally, in late 2008 to drag the ruble. The administration also dedicated $200 billion in a salvage arrangement to boost banks sector liquidity and support Russian companies that were not capable of settling huge overseas outstanding amounts of debts (Wolf and Lang 61). Solanko further explains that in mid-2009, the fiscal deterioration died out and in early 2010, the financial system started to develop. However, ruthless fires and famine in middle Russia condensed farming productivity, leading to a prohibition on the export of grains for a fraction of the year, and it reduced development in other divisions like industrialized and selling business. Increased oil costs held up Russian development in early 2011 and might assist Russia decrease the financial plan shortage passed down from the bad years of 2008-09, although inflation and augmented government expenses may hinder the constructive effect of these returns. Russia's continuing setbacks consist of a lessening labor force, an advanced level of fraud, complexity in getting investment resources for minor, weak firms, and poor communications helpless without huge investments (27). Buy custom The Economic History of Russia essay

The Problem of Sins And Evil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Problem of Sins And Evil - Essay Example This prideful rebellion and the greed for power made Satan into a self-proclaimed foe of God. In the Bible the Revelations, chapter 12, versus7-8 state, â€Å"And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven.† (Hurault, 1996 ). Having established evil the next step was revenge on God and to destroy His works, as the gospel according to Peter, chapter 5 verse 8 states, â€Å"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour†. The gospel according to Luke, chapter 10 verses 19 to 20 states, â€Å"But God gives us authority over the evil of this enemy as Jesus tells us. (Hurault, 1996) The production of this twisted evil can be accompanied with enlightenment and choice, as stated in the Gospel according to Mathew, chapter 25 versus 41 â€Å"All created beings have two ch oices, to accept this authority over the evil enemy or to follow Satan into "everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.† (Hurault, 1996). The second disobedience was of our first parents i.e. Adam and Eve. Satan epitomizes evil and sin and to disobey God was to initiate evil. When I ponder over this ‘evil’ I realized that evil is void of righteousness and evil cannot be created since evil does not exist as a separate entity nor does it exist in reality.

Understanding Stock Options Information Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Understanding Stock Options Information - Essay Example Understand how accumulation or distribution (Accumulation, the buying of stock, distribution is the sale of stock.), forecast the future expectation of stocks or options. Ascending and Descending tops P. 15 International Encyclopedia of Technical Analysis Page 15 and 16,), these illustrations show ascending and descending price top transitions, from time period- to- time period, that trail stock directions.Volatility charts show extremes —specifically, option volatility charts show relationships between puts, calls, strike prices, and expiration dates. Assumption associations are derived from historical patterns, price patterns,and supply and demand relationship. Historical relationships signal the likeness of direction, whereas, price patterns point to quantity of decrease and increase. â€Å"Market factors (Interest rate changes, economic conditions, political factors, announced pending acquisitions.), are already incorporated into current market price per share. If demand exceeds supply, the stock price will increase, and vice versa.†(International Encyclopedia Page 16 and 17, J. Siegel, J. Shim, A Qureshi, J Brauchler). Charts are technical, and fundamentals play little or no roll when the technician makes decisions to buy or sell. He’s only interested in charts — usually 50 or 200 day moving average charts, volume, and the accumulation or distribution of a stock. WHAT ARE OPTIONS?Options have basic uses. One, to hedge—using options to safeguard against the underlying stock reducing in value.... Understand how accumulation or distribution (Accumulation, the buying of stock, distribution is the sale of stock.), forecast the future expectation of stocks or options. (Ascending and Descending tops P. 15 International Encyclopedia of Technical Analysis Page 15 and 16,), these illustrations show ascending and descending price top transitions, from time period- to- time period, that trail stock directions. Volatility charts show extremes -specifically, option volatility charts show relationships between puts, calls, strike prices, and expiration dates. Assumption associations are derived from historical patterns, price patterns, and supply and demand relationship. Historical relationships signal the likeness of direction, whereas, price patterns point to quantity of decrease and increase. "Market factors (Interest rate changes, economic conditions, political factors, announced pending acquisitions.), are already incorporated into current market price per share. If demand exceeds supply, the stock price will increase, and vice versa." (International Encyclopedia Page 16 and 17, J. Siegel, J. Shim, A Qureshi, J Brauchler) Charts are technical, and fundamentals play little or no roll when the technician makes decisions to buy or sell. He's only interested in charts - usually 50 or 200 day moving average charts, volume, and the accumulation or distribution of a stock. WHAT ARE OPTIONS Options have basic uses. O ne, to hedge-using options to safeguard against the underlying stock reducing in value. Much the same way as an insurance policy pays upon death, a put option pays (Or goes up in value.) as the underlying stock goes down.

Blood diamonds, how they originated and what's been done to clamp down Essay

Blood diamonds, how they originated and what's been done to clamp down on the industry - Essay Example However, militant groups gain access to diamonds fields in order to get access to money. The main reason that Diamonds have been able to fund civil wars is not just because they are present in conflict regions but also because diamonds are a concentrated form of wealth. Moreover they are fungible and are dealt by smugglers and arms dealers. Diamond trade is considered to be a very shady business considering that this business has financed and ‘funded wars, massive death, and refugee crisis in Angola, Sierra Leone, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Cote d’Ivoire’ (Bieri, 1). Diamond mines are often accompanied with some militant groups who want to control the diamonds mines in order to fulfill their own agendas. Many civil wars have been fought where the only source of funding for the militant groups were diamonds that were traded legally in the diamond market. The money received from these deals was then used to buy weapons to further fund civil wars. Even to this date, trade of blood diamonds continues as militant groups have been replaced by terrorist organizations such as the Al-Qaeda. Reports on blood diamonds and Al-Qaeda have revealed that Al-Qaeda has been funded to some extent by blood diamonds (Campbell, 213). Blood Diamonds have been the cause of many crimes against humanity. Militant groups that deal with blood diamonds require the services of the local people to mine these diamonds. The local people are forced to work pathetically in diamond mines just out of fear of these militant groups. In order to instill fear among the masses, a militant group by the name of RUF, amputated lips, ears, legs, breasts, and tongues of the local people. The trade of blood diamonds has also been the cause of 4 million deaths. In the 1990s, before relevant steps were taken to curb the problem, conflict diamond trade amounted to be between 3.7-20 percent of the total global diamond trade (Bieri, 1). All these diamonds were

Education system Essay Example for Free

Education system Essay Nowadays almost every country is concerned about developing education system as it can lead to economic growth and individual prosperity. However, substantial amounts of money spent on education not always affect country successfully. Therefore the negative side like unemployment is important to consider. The key problem for many young people is that after graduation they have no possibility to find a job. Furthermore, if only high cost qualification opens doors to better job, families from poorer backgrounds can hardly improve their lives. Otherwise qualification can be powerful instrument for reducing poverty and inequality. In that case, the country must promote opportunities for people from all backgrounds. There are some places in the world, where not everyone has an opportunity to receive formal type of education. In fact, children have to help their parents in factories or do farm work. In other words, some young people can not choose learning even if they want it. It is clearly seen that nations with high standard of living always provide great circumstances to attain desirable education. It seems like the only way for poorer countries to improve their process of economic growth is to pay a lot of attention to development of education system. Moreover, they must be interested in every citizen. The authorities should be interested in every citizen ensuring equal opportunities to gain knowledge. In conclusion, learning and knowledge is a big investment in the future provided that other aspects of life are considered. National well-being is closely linked to education attainment Nowadays almost every country is concerned about developing education system as it can lead to economic growth and individual prosperity. However, substantial amounts of money spent on education not always affect country successfully. Therefore the negative side like unemployment is important to consider. The key problem for many young people is that after graduation they have no possibility to find a job. Furthermore, if only high cost qualification opens doors to better job, families from poorer backgrounds can hardly improve their lives. Otherwise qualification can be powerful instrument for reducing poverty and inequality. In that case, the country must promote opportunities for people from all backgrounds. There are some places in the world, where not everyone has an opportunity to receive formal type of education. In fact, children have to help their parents in factories or do farm work. In other words, some young people can not choose learning even if they want it. It is clearly seen that nations with high standard of living always provide great circumstances to attain desirable education. It seems like the only way for poorer countries to improve their process of economic growth is to pay a lot of attention to development of education system. Moreover, they must be interested in every citizen. The authorities should be interested in every citizen ensuring equal opportunities to gain knowledge. In conclusion, learning and knowledge is a big investment in the future provided that other aspects of life are considered. National well-being is closely linked to education attainment Nowadays almost every country is concerned about developing education system as it can lead to economic growth and individual prosperity. However, substantial amounts of money spent on education not always affect country successfully. Therefore the negative side like unemployment is important to consider. The key problem for many young people is that after graduation they have no possibility to find a job. Furthermore, if only high cost qualification opens doors to better job, families from poorer backgrounds can hardly improve their lives. Otherwise qualification can be powerful instrument for reducing poverty and inequality. In that case, the country must promote opportunities for people from all backgrounds. There are some places in the world, where not everyone has an opportunity to receive formal type of education. In fact, children have to help their parents in factories or do farm work. In other words, some young people can not choose learning even if they want it. It is clearly seen that nations with high standard of living always provide great circumstances to attain desirable education. It seems like the only way for poorer countries to improve their process of economic growth is to pay a lot of attention to development of education system. Moreover, they must be interested in every citizen. The authorities should be interested in every citizen ensuring equal opportunities to gain knowledge. In conclusion, learning and knowledge is a big investment in the future provided that other aspects of life are considered. National well-being is closely linked to education attainment Nowadays almost every country is concerned about developing education system as it can lead to economic growth and individual prosperity. However, substantial amounts of money spent on education not always affect country successfully. Therefore the negative side like unemployment is important to consider. The key problem for many young people is that after graduation they have no possibility to find a job. Furthermore, if only high cost qualification opens doors to better job, families from poorer backgrounds can hardly improve their lives. Otherwise qualification can be powerful instrument for reducing poverty and inequality. In that case, the country must promote opportunities for people from all backgrounds. There are some places in the world, where not everyone has an opportunity to receive formal type of education. In fact, children have to help their parents in factories or do farm work. In other words, some young people can not choose learning even if they want it. It is clearly seen that nations with high standard of living always provide great circumstances to attain desirable education. It seems like the only way for poorer countries to improve their process of economic growth is to pay a lot of attention to development of education system. Moreover, they must be interested in every citizen. The authorities should be interested in every citizen ensuring equal opportunities to gain knowledge. In conclusion, learning and knowledge is a big investment in the future provided that other aspects of life are considered. National well-being is closely linked to education attainment Nowadays almost every country is concerned about developing education system as it can lead to economic growth and individual prosperity. However, substantial amounts of money spent on education not always affect country successfully. Therefore the negative side like unemployment is important to consider. The key problem for many young people is that after graduation they have no possibility to find a job. Furthermore, if only high cost qualification opens doors to better job, families from poorer backgrounds can hardly improve their lives. Otherwise qualification can be powerful instrument for reducing poverty and inequality. In that case, the country must promote opportunities for people from all backgrounds. There are some places in the world, where not everyone has an opportunity to receive formal type of education. In fact, children have to help their parents in factories or do farm work. In other words, some young people can not choose learning even if they want it. It is clearly seen that nations with high standard of living always provide great circumstances to attain desirable education. It seems like the only way for poorer countries to improve their process of economic growth is to pay a lot of attention to development of education system. Moreover, they must be interested in every citizen. The authorities should be interested in every citizen ensuring equal opportunities to gain knowledge. In conclusion, learning and knowledge is a big investment in the future provided that other aspects of life are considered. National well-being is closely linked to education attainment Nowadays almost every country is concerned about developing education system as it can lead to economic growth and individual prosperity. However, substantial amounts of money spent on education not always affect country successfully. Therefore the negative side like unemployment is important to consider. The key problem for many young people is that after graduation they have no possibility to find a job. Furthermore, if only high cost qualification opens doors to better job, families from poorer backgrounds can hardly improve their lives. Otherwise qualification can be powerful instrument for reducing poverty and inequality. In that case, the country must promote opportunities for people from all backgrounds. There are some places in the world, where not everyone has an opportunity to receive formal type of education. In fact, children have to help their parents in factories or do farm work. In other words, some young people can not choose learning even if they want it. It is clearly seen that nations with high standard of living always provide great circumstances to attain desirable education. It seems like the only way for poorer countries to improve their process of economic growth is to pay a lot of attention to development of education system. Moreover, they must be interested in every citizen. The authorities should be interested in every citizen ensuring equal opportunities to gain knowledge. In conclusion, learning and knowledge is a big investment in the future provided that other aspects of life are considered. National well-being is closely linked to education attainment Nowadays almost every country is concerned about developing education system as it can lead to economic growth and individual prosperity. However, substantial amounts of money spent on education not always affect country successfully. Therefore the negative side like unemployment is important to consider. The key problem for many young people is that after graduation they have no possibility to find a job. Furthermore, if only high cost qualification opens doors to better job, families from poorer backgrounds can hardly improve their lives. Otherwise qualification can be powerful instrument for reducing poverty and inequality. In that case, the country must promote opportunities for people from all backgrounds. There are some places in the world, where not everyone has an opportunity to receive formal type of education. In fact, children have to help their parents in factories or do farm work. In other words, some young people can not choose learning even if they want it. It is clearly seen that nations with high standard of living always provide great circumstances to attain desirable education. It seems like the only way for poorer countries to improve their process of economic growth is to pay a lot of attention to development of education system. Moreover, they must be interested in every citizen. The authorities should be interested in every citizen ensuring equal opportunities to gain knowledge. In conclusion, learning and knowledge is a big investment in the future provided that other aspects of life are considered. National well-being is closely linked to education attainment Nowadays almost every country is concerned about developing education system as it can lead to economic growth and individual prosperity. However, substantial amounts of money spent on education not always affect country successfully. Therefore the negative side like unemployment is important to consider. The key problem for many young people is that after graduation they have no possibility to find a job. Furthermore, if only high cost qualification opens doors to better job, families from poorer backgrounds can hardly improve their lives. Otherwise qualification can be powerful instrument for reducing poverty and inequality. In that case, the country must promote opportunities for people from all backgrounds. There are some places in the world, where not everyone has an opportunity to receive formal type of education. In fact, children have to help their parents in factories or do farm work. In other words, some young people can not choose learning even if they want it. It is clearly seen that nations with high standard of living always provide great circumstances to attain desirable education. It seems like the only way for poorer countries to improve their process of economic growth is to pay a lot of attention to development of education system. Moreover, they must be interested in every citizen. The authorities should be interested in every citizen ensuring equal opportunities to gain knowledge. In conclusion, learning and knowledge is a big investment in the future provided that other aspects of life are considered. National well-being is closely linked to education attainment Nowadays almost every country is concerned about developing education system as it can lead to economic growth and individual prosperity. However, substantial amounts of money spent on education not always affect country successfully. Therefore the negative side like unemployment is important to consider. The key problem for many young people is that after graduation they have no possibility to find a job. Furthermore, if only high cost qualification opens doors to better job, families from poorer backgrounds can hardly improve their lives. Otherwise qualification can be powerful instrument for reducing poverty and inequality. In that case, the country must promote opportunities for people from all backgrounds. There are some places in the world, where not everyone has an opportunity to receive formal type of education. In fact, children have to help their parents in factories or do farm work. In other words, some young people can not choose learning even if they want it. It is clearly seen that nations with high standard of living always provide great circumstances to attain desirable education. It seems like the only way for poorer countries to improve their process of economic growth is to pay a lot of attention to development of education system. Moreover, they must be interested in every citizen. The authorities should be interested in every citizen ensuring equal opportunities to gain knowledge. In conclusion, learning and knowledge is a big investment in the future provided that other aspects of life are considered. National well-being is closely linked to education attainment

New Beginnings in Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf :: Whos Afraid Virginia Woolf

New Beginnings in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf  Ã‚   Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf is a disturbing and powerful work. Ironically, it is disturbing and powerful for many of the same reasons. As the audience watches George and Martha tear savagely at each other with the knives of hurled words, sharpened on pain and aimed to draw blood, the way in which these two relentlessly go at each other is awful to see, yet strangely familiar. Like wounded animals, they strike out at those closest to them, and reminds one of scenes witnessed as a child between screaming parents from a cracked door when one is supposed to be in bed. In this age of psychoanalytic jargon, George and Martha are the quintessentially dysfunctional couple. Yet, with all their problems, Albee reveals that there is a positive core of feeling that unites these two troubled people and that helps them look beyond their self-created hell. The truth of their relationship is exposed layer by layer as the play progresses, like the peeling of an onion, and though the pattern of this truth appears vague at first, with each cycle of revelation, the pattern becomes more distinct, and the picture is fully revealed in the final, cathartic scene. One of the most consistent themes of the play is the question of George and Martha's "child," and all that this child, and children in general, symbolizes for them. The "child" seems not only a desire for fecundity within their relationship, but also a projection through which they express many of their personal desires, needs, and problems, and, in this context, the child's subsequent "death" signifies a mi lestone in their understanding of their marriage and of themselves. By the end of play, after much suffering and flagellation, George and Martha appear ready to deal with their lives in a new way. George and Martha have a history. They are also emotionally trapped by this history, especially that of their respective childhoods. As a consequence, both are plagued by low self-image and self-doubt. The audience learns of this history slowly, in bits and pieces. Martha tells Nick and Honey in Act 1 how she lost her mother early and grew up very close to her father. She was married briefly, but her father had the marriage annulled. She returned to live with her father after college, and met and fell in love with George.

Black Women in Art Essay -- essays research papers fc

Black Women in Art Historically and currently African American women use art as a way to express themselves, their emotions and as an act of resistance. In this paper, I will discuss the various ways two very influential artists, Laurie Cooper and Lorna Simpson, use imagery to uncover and forefront the various forms of oppression that affect their lives as African American women. Since the late 1970s, African American art, as a form of self expression, explores issues which concern African peoples worldwide. During this time period, African American artists use symbols which represent the struggles, despair, hopes and dreams of a people striving to debunk prominent stereotypes and dismantle the intersecting oppressions of race, class and gender. Despite the long history of African American art, many black artists in contemporary society still have a difficult time getting their art viewed or accepted by the masses. Society, in general, tends to look at African art as ethnic, trivial, simple, folk art, perhaps even collectable, but not worthy of true in-depth exploration of fine art accreditation. However, Laurie Cooper and Lorna Simpson disrupt these perceptions in their art. Lorna Simpson, a photographer, was born in New York during the sixties. Still residing there today, she remains active in the art world. Simpson brings much attention to a cause near and dear to her, the â€Å"situation of black women in society.† The ambiguity in her photographs allows the viewer to evaluate the meaning of her work and to draw their own conclusion with her spirit in mind. An excellent example of this is in her piece Counting(1991). The Albright-Knox Art Gallery helps interpret the piece: Lorna Simpson’s work, Counting, contains three images: a fragment of a woman’s body, a small brick hut, and a group of braids. The figure is anonymous and wears a white shift, Simpson’s preferred costume for her models. She likes the simplicity; she believes that it indicates what she terms "femaleness," without bringing up issues of fashion; and she also likes the fact that there are many possible interpretations for such an outfit. The times to the right of the figure might indicate work shifts, but the schedules are unrealistic if considered closely. Other possibilities for what they might mean are open to viewer interpretation. The central image shows a smoke house in Sout... ...e, the work is not answer oriented. It’s intentionally left open-ended. There’s not a resolution that just solves everything. This statement leaves the viewer free to form their own conclusion and remain open to various interpretations. Lorna Simpson and Laurie Cooper help to change the world for the better by addressing confrontational, silenced issues by opening the eyes of the world to all of the â€Å"isms† that plague society and gives us hope for the future. Both women subvert traditional imagery, physically and psychologically in prominent historic and current representations of African American’s historically and currently in American society. This subversion allows their artwork to escape the marginalization of African American art as seemingly â€Å"ethnic folk art† and exposes their works as tools for social progression. Bibliography 1. 2. 3. 4. Jorge Arango. â€Å"At Home with Lorna Simpson.† Essence Magazine, 2002, p.172 5. Audre Lorde. â€Å"Beyond the Margins† Words of Fire, The New Press, 1995, p.287

Advantages and Disadvantages of Forming a Civilization

There are many advantages of forming a civilization on a delta or near a river valley. One advantage is that there is plenty of fertile soil for farming. Hunters and gatherers needed to be able to produce their own food. In Mesopotamia, the Fertile Crescent, the Tigris and Euphrates flood and deposit rich soil for farming. Eventually, the farmers learned to irrigate the river water, which led to surplus food supplies. In Sumer, which is located on the delta of the Euphrates, the Sumerians were able to produce so much food that they did not need as many farmers.This led to division of labor, the specialization of jobs amongst the people. Instead of farming, a person could be a merchant and engage in trading surplus supplies. Now, the people can acquire things that they can not produce for themselves. Another advantage is that the people will have access to water, a natural resource. Water is needed for survival. People need water to drink, cook, and bathe. Other natural resources incl ude straw and water. The Sumerians mixed sand, water, and straw to make mud bricks. They used the bricks to make homes and other buildings such as ziggurats, religious structures.A third advantage is that the people can use the river to travel and trade. For example, the Egyptians use the Nile to transport their surplus supplies to the Mediterranean Sea or Isthmus of Suez, a major trading area connecting Africa and Asia. The Nile River flows north, so the Egyptians would not have to work as hard transporting their supplies. In the Huang River valley, the people use the Silk Road for trading. They transported their goods over land to the Mediterranean Sea where they traded. Finally, the natural barriers around these ancient river valleys are important because they protect the people from invasions.For example, in Egypt the Sahara Desert and the Libyan Desert protect the Egyptians on the south and west. The Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea protect the Egyptians on the east and north, respectively. Because of these natural barriers, the Egyptians were able to preserve their civilizations for 3,500 years. Fertile soil for farming, natural resources, travel and trade, and natural barriers are a few advantages of forming a civilization on a river valley. Two disadvantages of forming a civilization on a delta or near a river valley is over irrigation and flooding.Over irrigation creates a shortage is water. As more and more farmers irrigated their land, the water supply decreased. In Mesopotamia, this became a major source of conflict. Eventually, the dispute over water led to the downfall of Sumer. Another disadvantage is flooding. Flooding damages crops and buildings. Flooding also prevents farmers from working. In Egypt, the river floods every year, thereby, preventing farmers from planting their fields. Although these are major concerns, the advantages of living in a river valley have far more advantages.