Ap Bio Lab One: Osmosis and Diffusion

Meghann Kiphart AP Biology Lab Report Number One Mrs. Irvine Introduction: Because all molecules have kinetic energy and are constantly in motion cells go through a process called diffusion. Diffusion is the movement if molecules from an area of higher concentration to and area of lower concentration. This process with continue to occur until an equilibrium is reached. Osmosis is a different and unique kind of diffusion. Osmosis is the diffusion of water through a permeable membrane. The phrase â€Å"permeable membrane† means that the membrane will only allow specific molecules through such a water or oxygen.In Osmosis water will travel from an area of higher water potential or an area of lower water potential. Hypothesis: I think that in this lab, osmosis and diffusion will occur between the solutions of different concentrations until a equilibrium is reached and there is no movement of water. Materials: EXERCISE 1A: Diffusion The materials include a 30-cm piece of 2. 5-cm di alysis tubing, 15-mL of the 15% glucose/1% starch solution, 250-mL beaker, distilled water, 4-mL Lugol’s solution, and string. EXERCISE 1B: Osmosis The materials used include 25-mL of these solutions: distilled water, 0. M sucrose, 0. 4M sucrose, 0. 6M sucrose, 0. 8M sucrose, and 1. 0M sucrose, scissors, string, a balance, six 250-mL cups, and six 30cm strips of dialysis tubing. EXERCISE 1C: Water Potential The materials that were used included 50mL of distilled water, 0. 2M sucrose, 0. 4M sucrose, 0. 6M sucrose, 0. 8M sucrose, and 1. 0M sucrose, six 250mL cups with lids, 4 potato cores for each cup, a balance, and paper towel. EXERCISE 1D: Calculation of Water Potential from Experimental Data This exercise required a calculator and a pencil. Procedure: EXERCISE 1A:Soak the dialysis tubing in water before you start the experiment. Tie off one end of the tubing to form a bag like structure. Through the open end of the bad, place the starch solution in to the bag. Tie off the o ther end of the bag to secure the substance inside. Make sure to record the color of the solution in Table 1. 1. Next you’re going to text the starch solution for the presence of glucose. Record the results in Table 1. 1. Fill a 250ml cup about 2/3 of the way full with distilled water. Add 4ml of Lugol’s solution into the distilled water. Record the color of the solution in the Table 1. . Put the bag in the cup full of the solution. Allow the bag and cup to stand over night. The next day record the final color of the solution in Table 1. 1. Finally test the liquid in the cup and in the bag for the presence of glucose. Record the final results in Table 1. 1. EXERCISE 1B: Get six strips of presoaked dialysis tubing and create a bag like was shown in exercise 1A. Pour 25mL of the six solutions into each of the six bags. Tie off the other end of the bags. Rinse each bag gently with distilled water and dry the outside of the bag with a paper towel.Weigh each bag and record the results in Table 1. 2. Put each of the six bags into the cups with the six different solutions. Let stand over night. The next day remove the bags from the water and carefully dry the bags with paper towel. Weigh each bag and record them in Table 1. 2. Gather the other lab group’s data to be able to complete Table 1. 3. EXERCISE 1C: Pour 50mL of the solutions into a labeled 250mL cups. Using a cork borer, cut the potato into 24 cylinders. (4 potato cores x 6 cups = 24 potato cores altogether) weigh the mass of each set of 4 potato cores.Record the data in Table 1. 4. Put 4 potato cores into each solution cup. Cover the cup with a lid to prevent evaporation. Let stand overnight. Remove cores from the cup and dry them with a paper towel. Then determine there combined weigh in groups of 4 (from the same cup). Record the results in Table 1. 4. Calculate the percentages changes in mass. Collect the class data and determine the class change in mass. EXPERIMENT 1D: Determine the solute, pressure, and the water potential of the sucrose solution. Then, graph the information that is given about the zucchini cores. Questions:EXPERIMENT 1A: 1. Which substances are entering the bag and which are leaving the bag? What evidence supports the answer? Distilled water and IKI are leaving and entering. Glucose is able to leave the bag. 2. Explain the results that were obtained. Include the concentration differences and membrane pore size in the discussion. Glucose and small molecules were able to move through the pores. Water and IKI moved from high to low concentration. 3. How could this experiment be modified so that quantitative data could be collected to show that water diffused into the dialysis bag?You could mass the bag before and after it is placed into the solution. 4. Based on your observations, rank the following by relative size, beginning with the smallest: glucose molecules, water molecules, IKI molecules, membrane pores, and starch molecules. Water molec ules, IKI molecules, Glucose molecules, membrane pores, and starch molecules. 5. what results would you expect if the experiment started with a glucose and IKI solution inside the bag and only starch and water outside? The glucose and IKI would move out of the bag and turn the starch and water solution purple/ blue.The starch couldn’t move inside the bag because its molecules are too big to pass through the membrane of the tubing. EXERCISE 1B: 1. Explain the relationship between the change in mass and the molarity of sucrose within the dialysis bags. The solute in hypertonic and water will move into the bag. As the molarity increases the water moves into the bag. 2. Predict what would happen to the mass of each bag in the experiment of all the bags were places in a 0. 4M sucrose solution instead of distilled water. With the 0. 2M bag, the water would move out. With the 0. M bag, there will be no net movement of water because the solutions reach equilibrium. With the 0. 6M-1. 0M bags the water would move into the bags. 3. Why did you calculate the percent change in mass rather then simply using the change in mass? This was calculated because each group began with different initial masses and we would have different data. All the groups need consistent data. 4. A dialysis bag is filled with distilled water and then places in a sucrose solution. The bag’s initial mass is 20g and its final mass is 18g. Calculate the percent change of mass, showing your calculations. 18-20)/20) x 100 = 10% 5. The sucrose solution in the cup would have been hypotonic to the distilled water in the bag. EXPERIMENT 1D 1. If the potato core is allowed to dehydrate by sitting in the open air, would the water potential of the potato cells decrease or increase? Why? It would decrease because the water would leave the cells and cause the water potential to go down. 2. If a plant cell has a lower water potential then its surrounding environment and if pressure is equal to zero, is the cell hypertonic or hypotonic to its environment?Will the cell gain water or lose water? It is hypotonic and it will gain water. 3. The cup is open to the atmosphere, what is the pressure potential of the system? The pressure potential is zero. 4. Where is the greatest water potential? In the dialysis bag. 5. Water will diffuse out of the bag. Why? It is because the water moves from the area of high water potential to an area of lower water potential. 6. What effect does adding solute have on the solute potential component of the solution? Why? It makes it more negative 7.Consider what would happen to a red blood sell placed in distilled water: A) which would have the higher concentration of water molecules? Distilled Water B) which would have the higher water potential? Distilled Water C) what would happen to the red blood cell? Why? It would leak, because it would take to much water. Conclusion: In Exercise 1A the data collected helped tell which molecules can and can not m ove across a cell membrane. IKI, we know because of its color change, was able to move across a membrane. Starch, although, is too large to move across a membrane.Glucose was able to move freely, along with the water, across the cell membrane. In 1B, it was proven that water moves faster across the cell membrane then sucrose. The water moved to help reach equilibrium between the 2 solutions. The sucrose molecules are too big to move across the membrane as fast as water can. In experiment 1C showed that the potatoes contained sucrose. The sucrose in the potato raised the solute potential, which lowered the water potential. The cup of distilled water had a high water potential water moves down the concentration gradient, causing the potato cores to take on water.

The evolutionary anatomy

A, Differences between the hip skeleton and muscular structure of two-footed hominid and four-footed apes.TroyWorlds:Reduced tallness, comparative broadness ( it is of import in two-footed position, because the weight of the organic structure does non concentrate onto the spinal cord merely ) . Orientation of blade ( the curvature and the mediolateral orientation of the iliac blades help the Glutei medius and minimi to move as kidnappers and they can besides help in support of the bole. This curving form besides helps in equilibrating the upper organic structure during motive power, because the external and internal oblique musculuss attach to the iliac crest ) . Acetabular border and the well-developed anterior inferior iliac spinal column ( AIIS ) reflects the two-footed motive power. Rectus femoris takes its beginning here, that extends the leg at the articulatio genus. Rectus femur is really of import in some of the spring and clinging prosimians, as the bushbaby and lemurs, because Rectus femur is a leaping musculus in them. However, in apes, there is no big AIIS. AIIS is besides a topographic point for the iliofemoral ligament in worlds that prevents the hip articulation from overstraining. Apes: There is no S-shaped curve visible at the iliac crest and the crest undertakings laterally. Therefore, the iliac pit Easts anteriorly and the gluteal surface undertakings posteriorly. This orientation keeps the bole in an unsloped place during sitting or crouching. In instance if they want to walk bipedally, the Glutei medius and minumi musculuss medially rotate the flexed thigh at the hip – while in worlds they abduct the drawn-out thigh. The long iliac crest is an version to mounting. Latissimus dorsi beginnings from here and inserts into the humerus. Because this is one of the most of import climbing-muscles, the longer the iliac crest is, the better assistance is in mounting. The otic surface and the iliac tubercle are smaller in apes. It is chiefly because of the fact that their weight does non concentrate on their pelvic part and lower limbs ( hind limbs ) .IschiumWorlds:Ischial tubercle is an fond regard for the hamstring musculuss ( Biceps femoris, Semitendinosus, Semimembranosus and Adductor magnus hamstring portion ) . At a superior force per unit area during the two-footed position, the posterior portion of the sacrum elevates, and pulls upwards the ischial tubercle. The ischial tubercle – which is located merely below the great sciatic notch – reflects the bipedalism. Apes: Long ischial bone. The ischial tubercle is wider in apes than it is in worlds and it does non look so â€Å" pulled-up † in apes. The ischial tubercle lacks the aspects for the hamstring and adductor musculuss.PubisWorlds:Pubic crest and pubic tubercle are of import in two-footed motive power every bit good, because the pubic crest serves as an fond regard for Rectus abdominis that supports the backbones and pubic tubercle is associated with the inguinal ligament, which helps in back uping the bole. The iliopubic distinction is the splitter of the Anterior Superior Iliac Spine ( ASIS ) and the AIIS. Here takes topographic point the iliopsoas musculus that helps in flexing the hip and back uping the upper organic structure on the hip articulation. Apes: Apes lack all these human features at the pubic bone: they do non hold a pubic crest nor tubercle, and because their pelvis East otherwise, their ilipsoas channel and iliopubic distinction are losing. The pubic symphysis in apes are normally fuses together, while it merely seldom happens in worlds.AcetabulumWorlds:The orientation of the cotyloid cavity is inferior-lateral-anterior. The superior border of cotyloid cavity must get by with the biggest weight/pressure, it developed a really thick gristle, so did the caput of the thighbone. This is called laubrum. Very strong, Z-shaped, ligaments are present here. The deepness of the cotyloid cavity can state us a batch about the mobility of the hip articulation. If the cotyloid cavity is shallow, it reflects more flexibleness. The cotyloid cavity in worlds is shallow compared to many of the African apes ( but Pan troglodytess ) , but it is deep compared to the orang-utans. Apes: The ligaments are weaker than in worlds.Sacrum, tail boneWorlds:The human sacrum contains five amalgamate vertebrae averagely. However, it can be varied between four and six. The tail bone stands from four amalgamate vertebrae, normally. The sacrum in worlds is wider than in apes and it is non so long as an ape sacrum. This alone form is really typical sing to bipedalism. The wider sacrum means more distance between the sacroiliac articulation, which helps in reassigning the weight and the force per unit area from pubic symphysis. A wider distance at this articulation besides means a larger birth-canal. Apes: In apes and tamper the figure of the amalgamate vertebrae of the sacrum and tail bone may change from species to species. The form of the sacrum is non so broad and more extended. It reveals that they do non back up so immense weight on their pelvic part as do the worlds.FemurWorlds:The human thighbone is longer than that of an ape. The sidelong condyle in worlds is more outstanding. The bicondylar surface is larger in worlds than in apes. It is because of the Centre of gravitation of the organic structure. Apes: Medial condyle is larger in apes. More flexibleness at the hip articulation. B, Actions of musculuss at the articulatio genus and ankle articulations during two-footed motive power. Observed characteristics in hereditary hominid dodos. Extensor muscles of the leg at the articulatio genus articulation:Tensor facia lataeQuadricepss femoris musculuss ( Rectus femoris, Vasti lateralis, medialis, intermedius )Flexor muscles of the leg at the articulatio genus articulation:SartoriusGracilis ( besides can help in median rotary motion )Hamstringing musculuss ( Biceps femoris { it is besides the sidelong rotator of the articulatio genus articulation } , Semimembranosus, Semitendenosus { they besides medially revolve the articulatio genus articulation when the leg is flexed }GastrocnemiusPopliteus ( weak flexor, but it is a median rotator of the leg )PlantarisMuscles that act at the mortise joint ( talotibial ) articulation:Tibialis front tooth ( dorsiflexion )Extensor hallucis longus ( dorsiflexion )Extensor digitorum longus ( dorsiflexion )Peroneus tertius ( dorsiflexion )Peroneus longus and brevis ( plantar flexure )Gastrocnemius ( plantar flexure )Soleus ( plantar flexure )Plantaris ( plantar flexure )Flexor digitorum lo ngus ( plantar flexor )Tibialis buttocks ( plantar flexor )Dodo records: Australopithecus afarensis: The shinbone and the calf bone are rather interesting. We can detect versions to both arboreal and two-footed marks. This is called Mosaic morphology. The examined specimens: AL 129-1b, AL 288-1aq and AL 333x-26 ) . Ape-like elements: short boundary line to the sidelong condyle, in the first two specimens, there are characteristics that general in the apes ( under the epicedial there was the â€Å" hollowed-out visual aspect † ) which means that the Tibialis buttocks attached to the sidelong side of the tibia alternatively of the posterior side. Other fond regards – such as semimembranosus and gracilis are besides instead ape-like. However, other A. afarensis specimens show two-footed features: Distal articulation surface of the shinbone ( the angle of the mortise joint articulation and the shinbone and calf bone ) . But, yet once more, there are ape-like characteristics besides on the distal portion of calf bone: the way of the articular aspect, ( Easts distally instead than medially as in the modern worlds ) , they have an anteriorly oriented peroneal channel on their calf bone while it faces laterally in modern worlds. The A. afarensis Lucy ( AL 288-1 ) besides owns these Mosaic morphological characteristics: the posteriorly oriented distal tibial angle shows similarities with the apes, while in other afarensis specimens the angle is sidelong, which is a human characteristic. The transporting angle at the articulatio genus articulation besides shows more similarities to the modern human specimens. This can uncover an single arboreal wont of Lucy, and a more developed bipedalism in the other specimens. Homosexual habilis: The H. habilis specimens do non do so many statements than the australopithecines. They have more human like characteristics in their lower legs and less ape-like characteristics. Although, they do non miss these characteristics ( rounded anterior boundary line of the shinbone, in worlds the interpolation country of the Flexor digitorum longus is bigger than that of the tibialis posterior – it is rather the antonym in the habilis. The fond regards of other musculuss – soleus, popliteus – show kind of a passage between apes and worlds, etc. ) . The Neandertal mans: The calf bone and the shinbone are really robust, but bear the human features. Q2, Evolution of the early hominid pes The chief features of the human pes include the presence of the arches, the calcaneocuboid articulation, the proportions of the major parts of the pes, the form of the ankle-joint and the fact that the big toe can non be opposed. The arches in pes are rather alone, the apes do non hold arches ( they have merely one arch, the transverse arch ) . In worlds, apart from the plantar aponeurosis, there are other ligaments that aid in holding these arches: the spring ligament, the short plantar ligament and the long plantar ligament. The length of the distal figures of the toes are much shorter in worlds than in apes, nevertheless, the size of the large toe is about the same. The pes of Australopithecus afarensis, such as in the leg, shows Mosaic morphology. It means that certain characteristics are similar to the modern worlds, while others portion similarities with the apes. The human-like morphology: the scree – which besides has both human and ape features – together with the shinbone and calf bone, shows a more human like articulation at the talotibia. Although, the form of the scree is instead ape-like. Other marks that reveal a more human visual aspect in the afarensis pes are the talar trochlear form, the way of the ankle articulation ‘s axis and of the Flexor hallucis longus ‘s channel which suggest that the motions of the afarensis were really similar to those of the modern worlds. The form of the 5th metatarsals reveal a really similar ability of dorsiflexion as it is present in modern worlds. Their scaphoid castanetss in visual aspect are more ape-like, but the presence of the channel of the spring ligament proves that they might hold similar arches than the modern worlds have. The possibility of the two-footed motive power can be traced down besides by the human-like sidelong cuneiform, although, its hook makes it look more ape like. However, the ape-like curves of the phalanges suggest that they might be arborical. The chalky besides have both human and ape like characteristics, the median cuneiform is instead ape like, so is the first metatarsal ‘s rounded caput. The pes of Paranthropus robostus has several human-like features. These characteristics are the undermentioned: the big toe likely was adducted unlike in the apes where the large toe is instead abducted, the plantar ligaments suggest similarities to the human pes, the first metatarsal suggests that it bore more weight than the apes because of its robust visual aspect, but other characteristics on the first metatarsal bone reveal ape-like characteristics, excessively. Harmonizing to the article of Susman and Brain ( 1988, mentioned in Aiello and Dean ) , it is really likely that the Paranthropus robostus was two-footed but in a different manner than the modern worlds. The pes of the Homo habilis: The biggest statement is caused by the tarsal castanetss of a immature Homo habilis ( OH 8 from Olduvai Gorge ) , because some research workers do non believe that the human features of this specimen ‘s pes castanetss are good plenty to be classified as worlds. The elements of the pes show the marks of the bipedalism – even those agree with this who do non believe that this specimen deserves to be included into the Homo genus – but, possibly, in a wholly different manner as it is seen in the modern worlds. Another scree bone, the KNM-ER 813 from Koobi Fora, has less jobs with its categorizations, as it shows more similarities to the scree of the modern worlds. The first metatarsal is the most robust, and the 5th metatarsal bone of the OH 8 is the 2nd, while in apes the 5th metatarsal bone is the weakest. The size of the pes length of the OH 8 is besides more similar to the construction of the human pes. The dodo record suggests that the opposability of the large toe of OH 8 is non present, but the adduction of it can be observed. The ability of grasping is besides really likely, though. The pes of the Neandertal mans: Interestingly, the groundss reveal that the opposability of the large toe might be someplace between the modern worlds and the life apes. Others deny it, because of the more human features in the tarsometatarsal articulation, which can be varied on a great graduated table even in modern worlds. Typical Neanderthal characteristics are the short proximal phalanx of the large toe and the short cervix of the scree. The possible marks of the bipedalism in the fossil groundss: Apart from the castanetss of the pes other skeletal remains can uncover the erected organic structure position and the possible bipedal walking wonts. A comparative longer arm may be a mark of the arborical life-style, or partially arborical life fortunes. However, Lucy has comparatively short fingers, non ape-like, long 1s ( JOHANSON-EDEY 1990 ) The form of shoulder blade and the orientation of the glenoid pit besides can assist to reply this inquiry. A little fragment of an Australopithecus afarensis shoulder blade suggests that its proprietor had a more ape-like in this inquiry, than human like. In apes the glenoid pit faces towards the braincase and this characteristic can be observed besides in instance of this fragment. A more complete shoulder blade – which derives from an A. africanus ( Sts 7 ) – can state us more inside informations about the possible maps of the thoracic girdle. This scapula looks really similar to the scapula fragment of the afarensis specime n ( AL 288-1l ) , and they both bear more similarities to the thoracic girdle of the apes, particularly to the orang-utans. The ribcage has more ape-like features in its visual aspect. The form of the vertebral column, nevertheless, widens distally ( the lumbar vertebrae are the widest ) as it appears in worlds, which is another possible mark of the two-footed motive power. The pelvic girdle shows more groundss for the mosaic morphology yet once more. The iliac crest is instead human-like, although it is more extended laterally and the cotyloid cavity orients more anteriorly. Possibly this is the ground why A. afarensis has a comparatively really long femoral cervix. The iliac blades direct interiorly, as good. The form of the sacrum is really broad – another human-like mark, nevertheless its posterior section is non as curved anteriorly as it is in the modern worlds. Harmonizing to Johanson ( JOHANSON-EDEY 1990 ) , Lucy ‘s pelvic girdle is adapted to the two-footed motive power every bit good as to the possibility to give life to large-headed babes, as her pelvic girdle is so broad. All these characteristics make likely that the A. afarensis could walk bipedally, but in a more complicated manner. The anteriorly faced cotyloid cavity could ensue a really heavy bipedalism. On the femoral caput, we can detect a stronger fovea than it is on the femoral caput of the modern homo. In quadrupeds the tibial tubercle is more rounded and less crisp. The â€Å" acuteness † of the tibial tubercle is a more human ( or bipedal ) feature. This acuteness can be observed in Lucy, although her tibia looks more robust compared to the really tall juvenile, the Turkana male child ( H. erectus ) . In proximal thighbone of the Australopithecines, there are about the same figure of similarities to worlds ( the varied presence of the intertrochanteric line and the Obturator externus channel ) than to Pan troglodytess ( the little femoral caput and the non-flaring greater trochanter ) and the alone characteristics ( long femoral cervix, compressed femoral neck-cross subdivision ) , the more similarities to worlds in the inquiry of the distal thighbone ( the high/very high bicondylar angle, the egg-shaped shaped sidelong epicedial profile ) , and its ain alone phenomena in the epiphysis form and symmetricalness, but the femoral shaft ‘s more similarity to the Pan troglodytess gives us a really eclectic feeling about the possible motive power of the Australopithecines. As I wrote in the 1B inquiry, the pes of the Australopithecines show really varied image every bit good. It reveals both human and ape like characteristics – such as about everything else in the Australopithecus skeleton. The more human like elements of the pes include the human-like mortise joint articulation, the ability of a better dorsiflexion, the expanded base of the 5th metatarsal, the broad heelbone and the presence of the longitudinal arch. On the other manus, there are several ape-like features, like the form of the phalanges, the tubercle of the calcaneous has an egg-shaped orientation, besides has a immense peroneal tubercle, the already mentioned ape-like form of the â€Å" hook † of the sidelong cuneiform bone, and the rounded caput of the first metatarsal. Summarizing, the mosaic morphology in the Australopithecines are really strongly present, they portion similarities to the worlds, every bit good as to the apes, but they besides developed ain characteristics. It is really likely that they were adapted to the two-footed motive power, but non in a modern human manner. The essay has been written by utilizing the undermentioned books as a guide-line: Aiello and Dean, 2006: An Introduction To Human Evolutionary Anatomy, reprinted in 2006, Elsevier Academic Press, London The stuffs during the Demo-sessions And JOHANSON-EDEY, 1990: Lucy – The Beginnings of Humankind, Penguin Books, London, 1990.

More Than Just a Story Essay

Joanna Bartee’s critical essay of Kate Chopin’s short story, The Storm, maintains that the entire story is an allegorical look at feminism and sexual reservations in the Nineteenth Century. She maintains that the storm is a metaphor for the pent up sexual energy that culminates in an extramarital affair while Calixta’s husband and son ride out the actual storm at a small grocer’s store nearby. Bartee points out that Chopin was in touch with her own feelings regarding sexuality and through this story she was able to express her views though she chose not to make them known through publication in her lifetime. Freud said that sometimes a cigar is just a cigar; the opposite is also true. Bartee makes an effective argument that her assessment is correct by backing up her opinions with pertinent blocks of dialogue from the story and by simply pointing out the obvious. To begin Bartee says that the title of Chopin’s short story has a dual meaning, and though the tale unfolds during a raging storm, the storm of the title is representative of repressed human female sexuality. While Alcee comes to the home of Calixta seeking refuge from the storm it is more a rhetorical device to enable the plot to unfold as it does. The physical storm is irrelevant to the actual theme, which is sexuality and human desire. Bartee says that initially the story begins with just the facts that can be gleaned from a read, assuming the reader is capable of taking a bit of latitude. She tells us that the two main characters, Calixta and Alcee, were once lovers and have now met in the present time of the short story, during a powerful storm. She is reading more into this assessment than is actually said in the story when she declares, â€Å"†¦Calixta and Alcee, had a flirtation several years before the story takes place, but each made a more suitable marriage to someone else and they have not seen each other since,† (Bartee). It is known from the story that they had a flirtation but as for each making a more advantageous marriage, that seems to be speculation. Joanne Bartee’s essay addresses the title, saying that ‘The Storm† is metaphor for the pent up passions of a Victorian period. It seems logical that this is the case, for the author flaunts it at every opportunity. She says, â€Å"They did not heed the crashing torrents, and the roar of the elements made her laugh as she lay in his arms,† (Chopin II-20), to describe the passion of the two. Then she says, â€Å"The rain was over; and the sun was turning the glistening green world into a palace of gems. Calixta, on the gallery, watched Alcee ride away,† (Chopin III-1) to describe the parting of the two, saying that the storm of passion had ebbed. Bartee quotes critic Robert Wilson as well, saying that Wilson believes, â€Å"Chopin’s title refers to nature, which is symbolically feminine; the storm can therefore be seen as symbolic of feminine sexuality and passion. † Bartee points out that Claxita is the essence of domesticity as the story opens, totally unaware of an impending storm. This storm will not only be the one of nature but rather the storm of her pent up desires, released when her former paramour arrives unexpectedly. She is sewing, while her husband’s Sunday clothes are airing out on the porch. Bartee believes this is an allusion to polite and proper society in that Sunday clothes can be taken to mean those clothes that her husband would wear to church, accompanied by his wife and child. Early in her critique Bartee says that the entire short story is filled with illustrations of how the storm is the driving force and main theme of Chopin’s story. She also points out that the story was published posthumously, years later, indicating, perhaps, a reluctance to share her views with a Victorian public, believing it was too graphic to be read with her name attached to it. While it is mild by today’s standards, at the time that it was written it must have been considered a bit risque to have a woman author put her name to a story to obviously full of not only secret sexual desires and passions but infidelity and adultery. The idea that the storm passes just as the tryst is completed and Alcee is riding way is certainly an indication that the natural storm and the storm of passions, which have obviously been sated, are one and the same. Bartee points out that Calixta’s husband, Bobinot, wisely waits out the storm at the general store just as he avoids the passions of wife as well. He is aware of what the natural storm can do and does not intend to let it batter him, likewise, Bartee says, he is aware of the passions of which his wife is capable and he does not mean to allow himself to be battered that the emotional storm brewing in his wife’s psyche. Bartee believes that Bobinot is aware of the situation, though this seems to be conjecture on her part. If this is the case then Bobinot is hiding from the passions of a wife by avoidance, and there is not enough information given to make that claim. Bartee points out the obvious with clarity and most of what she says seems logical, but at this point she appears to be taking a leap of imagination that is not justified by the text of Kate Chopin. Calixta seems content to do her familial chores, tending to her home and seeing to her husband’s clothes. Bartee says at this point that many of the chores that she has to do are done in obvious frustration and are also symbols of the sexual repression of this Nineteenth Century homemaker. This may be the correct assessment as Chopin says that Calixta, â€Å" †¦ unfastened her white sacque at the throat. It began to grow dark, and suddenly realizing the situation she got up hurriedly and went about closing windows and door,† (Chopin II-1). This, Bartee implies, is the foreshadowing that a bad storm is about to blow, and it may overwhelm her. She is leery of how bad it is going to get and takes some nominal precautions to protect her home from the approaching storm. Bartee does not address the symbolism inherent in the actions of Calixta during the initial meeting of the two former intimates. Alcee asks for permission to take shelter on Calixta’s porch, but they both quickly realize that such shelter is totally ineffective against the fury of the storm, which, obviously at this point is not only refers to the weather but more pointedly, to the raging emotions beginning to build in the man and woman. When Calixta invites Alcee into the home of her family it is virtually a paradigm shift in her attitude toward both the old flame and to her duties as wife and mother. â€Å"He expressed an intention to remain outside, but it was soon apparent that he might as well have been out in the open,† (Chopin II-5). The two then find it appropriate to ‘put something under the door’, to further isolate them from the outside world. The description of her husband’s clothing, intimate possessions, which cover and protect a man, are exposed outside the home. There is a real possibility that they can be lost, damaged or destroyed, just as her marriage can be lost, damaged or destroyed by her emotional storm of passion. This symbolism of them hanging outside, exposed to the elements, Bartee says, is symbolic of the danger that Calixta feels concerning the approach of the storm. He husband’s intimate possessions are in danger of being destroyed or lost. Bartee writes, â€Å"They are in danger of blowing away from the strong winds that are approaching with the storm,† (Bartee). Alcee grabs Bobinot’s pants, which, Bartee says Wilson describes as a subversion of the constraints which Calixta, as a married woman, should be feeling. Bartee likewise correctly assesses the description Chopin gives the reader of symbolically putting away a cotton sheet. This sheet, that covers a marriage bed, is in sight when Alcee arrives, but as the two characters talk, Calixta pointedly puts the sheet out of sight, and, if could be inferred, out of mind. Bartee does not mention that the author describes the view she has of the marriage bed itself and that Calixta is aware that the son’s sleeping couch are in view as well. This could also be taken as symbolic of the intimate glimpse Calixta is permitting a virtual stranger, an outsider to her family, to have of her home and private life. Chopin describes the scene thus, â€Å" The door stood open, and the room with its white, monumental bed, its closed shutters, looked dim and mysterious,† (Chopin II-9). Bartee’s opinion is that in symbolically putting away the cotton sheet, an object of domesticity, getting it out of their sight, Calixta is now symbolically clearing her mind, removing any obstacles that might stand in the way of the two as they move inexorably toward the inevitable passionate union toward which the story has been leading. Bartee quotes lines from the story saying that not only do the two lovers lack any remorse, they feel renewed and invigorated by their act. Bartee says, â€Å"Chopin writes, â€Å"So the storm passed and everyone was happy. † Bartee does not mention what seems to be more than a casual comment immediately prior to that line. Chopin’s penultimate line reads, â€Å" Devoted as she was to her husband, their intimate conjugal life was something which she was more than willing to forego for a while. † This refers to the wife of Alcee, who, it seems, although unaware of the details of the tryst and the storm, has profited from it. The fact that everyone is happy must therefore include Alcee’s wife, and she is temporarily relieved of the more mundane of her ‘wifely duties’. Still, Bartee makes an effective argument that her view is correct by backing up her opinions with pertinent blocks of dialogue from the story and by simply pointing out the obvious. Works Cited Bartee, J. The Storm: More Than Just a Story Retrieved 5-23-07 from http://facultystaff. vwc. edu/~cbellamy/Southern%20Literature/SL%20Chopin. htm Chopin, K. The Storm 1898

Democratization of health care in Mexico Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Democratization of health care in Mexico - Essay Example Democratization of health care in Mexico Health challenges affect people of all groups although there are some significant differences in disease or risk factor rates among groups, which can be described as health disparities in the incidence, prevalence, mortality, survival and burden of health conditions that exist between specific population groups. These population groups are characterized by age, gender, ethnicity, income, social class, sexual orientation, disability and also geographical location. One of the most important influences on health status and risk is socioeconomic status (SES). This paper looks chronic illnesses on the high income and wealthy class of Mexicans, reviewing the current trends and outlining possible solutions. Background National health accounts developed in Mexico in the mid 1990’s showed that almost more than half of the health expenditure was out of what the citizens earned because approximately fifty percent of the population had no health insurance. Through applying these methods f rom the world health report 2000 to a series of national income and expenditure surveys, researchers showed that these high levels of spending from the savings were exposing Mexican to financially hard situations (Alcantara, April 2013). Approximately 4 million Mexican families in 2000 incurred impoverishing health expenditures. Mexico thus did not do well on the comparative analysis of fair financing internationally. These outcomes led policy-makers from the Department of Health to focus on health system financing and triggered analysis of the whole nation that indicated a high concentration of health expenditures in uninsured and poor households. However this did not fully solve the issues of health the country was yet to face. â€Å"According to 2010 census, Mexico’s population is now approximately 112, 336, 538, 000 inhabitants of which estimated 57, 500, 000 are women and 54,855,231 are men. Chronic illnesses are major causes of death in the overall population including heart disease, diabetes mellitus, malignant tumors, accidents, and renal failure. Some of the risk factors exposing citizens to these are smoking, sedentary lifestyle and obesity (Alcantara, 2013). In 2010, WHO indicates that high percentage of the population was overweight approximating to 68.3%.Among these obese cases, cholesterolemia, and high blood pressure were reported. In 2011, heart problems caused approximately 105 million deaths, ischemia caused 61.000 deaths followed by diabetes mellitus with 80,000 deaths, and 5,700 deaths were from suicide. In 2011, 12,960 smear tests were positive for TB. The report also indicates that there were 4,147 cases of AIDS in males and 1,116 in females in 2006. The prevalence of cancer in the population varies by gender. In men the most common types of cancer are trachea and lungs while the most common in women are breast cancer, cervical cancer and liver cancer. The most common predisposing factors are smoking, alcohol intake, environmental pollution and occupational exposure. In 2010, 15.6% of the population smoked including men and women† (Alcantara, April 2013). The state health report also point out that in 2010, 13.2% of kindergarten students and22.6% of third grade students in New Mexico were obese. In comparison, 18% of 6 to 11 year olds nationwide were obese. The average weight for kindergarten students in the obese category was about 20 pounds heavier than for those in the healthy weight category. The average weig

International Finance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

International Finance - Assignment Example These are bills of exchange with a period of maturity of about three months. The bills used for international payments. Credits required by importers to have possession of goods, after which they sell them and pay off their bills (Eighth 2012, pp. 10-12). Hedging happens when importers and exporters engage an agreement to buy and sell goods at a future date in current prices. The significance of this is avoidance of losses that caused by variation of exchange rates (Eighth 2012, pp. 10-12). It is an agreement between two parties in order to exchange currencies. The transaction carried out once for commercial customers and on the subsequent business day for the inter-bank traders (Eighth 2012, pp. 7-8). It is a more refined form of transaction. A technique shelters the borrowing a currency on a collateralized basis (Eighth 2012, p. 5). For instance, the dealer sells  £18,000 forward for dollars. The delivery is in three months at $ 2.4531/ £. The dealer simultaneously buys 18,000,000 forward for the delivery in a subsequent four months at a $ 2.4331. The difference accrued due to the difference between the selling and buying price has an equivalent rate differential. Terms and the number of units of foreign currency that is required to purchase a dollar are most common denominator in foreign currencies (Eighth 2012, pp. 10-12). For example, the exchange rate between the US dollar and the Swiss

Issues in Global Business and Consultancy Essay

Issues in Global Business and Consultancy - Essay Example The choice for those locations is due to the technological advancement and industrial production and as part of the globalisation strategy. As a result of the globalisation and to its contribution to the worldwide healthcare needs, the company ranks among the research–oriented healthcare and pharmaceutical companies in the world. Indeed, this has made the company to play a leading role in making sure that the global population remains healthy. As well, the company benefits from its global business approach, and enjoy Comparative Advantage, Absolute Advantage Fallacy, Endogenous Advantage, and Bilateral Trade Patterns, due to the nature of its production. Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Brief Research Methods 3 Globalisation 4 Globalisation Challenges and the Company’s Interventions 6 International Trade Theory 7 Comparative Advantage 7 Absolute Advantage Fallacy 7 Endogenous Advantage 8 Bilateral Trade Patterns 8 Recommendations 9 Conclusions 9 Bibliography 10 Appendix 11 Introduction Global business and consultancy are the major considerations for companies seeking success. There are certain issues affecting business operations, which have to be predetermined, analysed for the good of the business. In this report, the major issues to be discussed include globalisation and International Trade Theory relating to GlaxoSmithKline Company (GSK). The company was formed in the year 2000 when Glaxo Welcome Company and SmithKline Beecham merged (Weysig, 2004, p.16). Since the company is international based, operating in more than 100 countries, all the factors in the global business arena has an impact on it s operations. As any other company, GSK has internal and external challenges because they manufacture health products. Therefore, millions of people are depending on the products for their health needs, meaning that an outbreak of epidemic disease creates an impact of increase in the demand of the products. Int ensifying their research is the key to the company’s development. Some of the globalisation factors affecting the company include is he demand arising from low income countries. As a leader, they have the mandate and compulsion to fulfil their mission despite all the global challenges. Brief Research Method During the study, the researcher employed a deductive approach in doing the investigation. First, the researcher formulated the topic of discussion, under which the problem to be investigated was stated. Secondly, literature review followed, in which the divergent views of different scholars and other relevant company information was incorporated. Third, the researcher proposed the theory to be used in the company analysis, and designed the research to test the theories. Finally, the researcher started the study by collecting data, analysing them, using qualitative and quantitative techniques, after which the findings were presented. Globalisation The company is based in t he United Kingdom, with branches in more than 100 countries distributed across the world (Feenstra, 2003, p.44). The other important aspect of the company to note is that, the UK, US, China and Belgium host the major research centres of the company (Feenstra, 2003, p.45). Due to its contribution to the global health needs, the company is categorised

CSI and the Post Modern Body Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

CSI and the Post Modern Body - Assignment Example Therefore, it may not be fully dependable for the development of forensic science, as it seems more fictional. The CSI emphasizes more on the role of forensic science, including the relationships of DNA while undertaking investigations, while attaching less significance to the role of informers or even the detectives’ work (Harrington, 2007). The foundation of CSI is based on the fact that the identity given by the DNA tests undertaken is indisputable and accurately points to the suspect, regardless of the fact that the body could be mutilated. Most significant is the fact that it is impossible to accurately determine the actual gender of the victim, without the application of science. Therefore, the case of identity of the suspect becomes a puzzle to solve, up until the forensic science is applied, which identifies the suspect as a man, who has been living as a woman conducting surgeries and killing the victims (Harrington, 2007). The strength of the argument presented here is the fact that science is the undisputable basis of presenting an accurate identity of the individuals involved in crime. This is because; through forensic science, where the DNA of the suspects involved can be traced, then the real identity of those involved can be unquestionably noted (Harrington, 2007). Considering that through transsexual surgeries, the gender of an individual can be changed, then, it makes the investigations through detectives more complicated. This is because, while the investigation could point to the suspect of the crime from a certain gender, then tracing them would be difficult since they can change that. However, through forensic science, the real identity will always remain, as the DNA of an individual can never be changed (Harrington, 2007). Thus, the argument presents science as the basis of providing society with the unbiased truth of identity. The role of the detectives,

World History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

World History - Essay Example The former colonies and developing countries in the twentieth century experienced unequal distribution of wealth and widespread poverty due to colonialism (Strayer, 2013). Accordingly, the developing countries started mining precious metals like diamonds that were sold to former colonizers in return for imports. The developing countries had low levels of education and depended on manual labor thus leading to high costs of production and low output in the economy. The former colonies and developing countries were faced by several ethnic based tensions and conflicts due to struggle for control of political power and natural resources like land and grazing fields that supported the economy (Strayer, 2013). Accordingly, several developing countries engaged in wars with each other due to poorly documented international borders that were demarcated by the colonial powers in order to ease the control of violent tribal groups (Strayer, 2013). Differences in experiences of the former colonies and developing countries in the twentieth century to the earlier ‘new nations’ in the Americas in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries After attainment of independence, experienced internal power conflicts among the several states since the federal government had the powers to set the public policies and collect taxes across the country (Strayer, 2013). Accordingly, some states worried that centralization of power would lead to abuse of human rights and thus amendments to the US constitution was necessary in order to entrench the bill of rights (Strayer, 2013). The ‘new nations’ in Americas attained independence after revolutions that occurred in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The French revolution, Spanish and Portuguese revolutions led to creation of independent countries in Latin America such as Chile, Uruguay, Brazil, Venezuela, Bolivia and Argentina. However, internal divisions in Latin America marked the onset of creation of many of the new governments and countless revolts that prohibited Latin America from being united (Strayer, 2013). The new nations experienced political instability due to lack of constitutions and weak political systems that granted opportunity to rise of military leaders. Latin American new nations experienced social instability since the ruling elite and rebellions that led to mass murders and population transfers from native agricultural lands (Strayer, 2013). Central and North America experienced high growth in trade-networks and economic expansion of commercial agriculture due to availability of indentured servitudes that came from countries like India and China (Strayer, 2013). Accordingly, ‘new nations’ Americas saw growth in the size of militaries in the 19th century due to increased war tensions and military innovation by European countries. The encounter with other people and migration of the citizens led to diseases like smallpox, measles and influenza thus leading to d eath of thousands of citizens in those countries (Strayer, 2013). The new nations experienced religious revival and Great Awakening that spread across America due to advent of evangelicalism that believed new ‘new birth’ in spreading the gospel. There was spread of various religious denominations such as Methodists, Baptists, and Presbyterians that countered the beliefs of Quakers and Congregationalists (Strayer, 2013). The former colonies experienced neo-colonialism that contributed to decline in autonomy and political viability of the existing independent states. The former colonizers desired to maintain their influence through providing economic assistance in return for development contracts and markets for goods thus contributing to cordial relations with the former

History of the KKK and their influence in society Research Paper

History of the KKK and their influence in society - Research Paper Example The history of KKK can be broadly divided into three: first, second and third. To be specific, the first Klan can be connected with its origin, the second with its growth/development and the third with its decline. As pointed out, the first Klan can be considered as the origin of KKK in America. For instance, the first Klan was formed in the year 1865 in Tennessee. The retired hands from the Confederate Army were the members who established KKK as a terrorist organization to fight against the freemen. But Bullard (1996), states that â€Å"By the mid 1870s, white Southerners didn’t need the Klan as much as before because they had by that time retaken control of most southern state governments†. The name of this organization originates from Greek language, meaning ‘group or circle of brothers’. The organizational structure of the first Klan was not based upon centralization or decentralization of power because there were a number of groups based upon the same ideology of racism. During this period, the Southern states within America were deeply influenced by the first Klan. In addition, the leaders and members began to target the black population in the southern states. The people who were in favor of racial equality were treated cruelly or murdered by the Klan members. But the Force Acts passed by the authorities in 1870 and the following year were helpful to limit the anti-social deeds initiated by the Klan. In short, the first Klan can be considered as the crude form of KKK, which spread the message of racial supremacy among the people in America. The second Klan: 1915–1944 The formation of the second Klan was in Georgia, in the year 1915. So, this year can be considered as the benchmark of the growth and development of Klan as a racist organization. But Laqueur ( 1977), opines that â€Å"The Second Klan (ca. 1915- 1944) also stood for white supremacy, but at the same time it campaigned for a great many other causes such as patriotism and attacked bootleggers, crapshooters and even wife-beaters† (p.10). Later in 1921, the leaders transformed the Klan from unorganized groups to well knit organization. For instance, the second Klan adopted an innovative system to recruit new members to the organization which accelerated its popularity among the majority. From a different angle of view, large scale immigration helped the Klan to spread its influence to the Western parts of America. Besides, more and more ideas were inculcated to the initial plan to spread racism. For instance, national politics and protest against the spread of communist ideology were connected to the Klan’s initial plan. To be specific, this change helped the Klan to have wide spread popularity among the people and violent activism became the most important mode o f protest. Gradually, the second Klan became more and more centralized. This was helpful to co-ordinate the

Popular magazine Essay Example for Free

Popular magazine Essay The concept behind this method is concerned with signs and in particular three different component parts, signified, signifier and sign. To help in the explanation of these terms it will be useful to examine a recent advert taken from a popular magazine. One such advert within a current publication of OK magazine illustrates a woman smiling having used a certain brand of washing powder to clean clothes; the headline states Another load of your mind. (OK, 2002, p65) Within this particular advert the signifier would be the washing powder. The signified however would relate to the headline as another job done, whereas the sign would suggest that washing powder equals happy family with clean clothes, time to do other jobs around the house and its a mothers job to worry about dirty washing. However if this is the meaning then how was it arrived at because this particular advert does not state what is conveyed above. It may be that semiotics recognises that viewers interact with material presented, they do not just take it at face value, and they bring other meanings they may have encountered elsewhere in the social world. Indeed in support of this argument Kline tells us that for advertising to create meaning the observer has to do some work. (Kline, 1990, p202) Without denying this advert could have different signs for different individuals there may be a case here whereby advertisers are not reinforcing gender stereotypes, it is the reader bringing their own social background or life experience to the reading of the advertisement therefore reinforcing their own stereotypes. Williamson makes the point that although peopleinvent adverts these adverts do not claim to speak for them. (Williamson, 1978, p13) Therefore the interpretations individuals bring may be governed by codes and constraints within our social lives that may well affect the way adverts are constructed and presented Ideology is a code that is arguably influential on how adverts are put together and can change over time. For example if one looks at advertising of the 40s and 50s there was possibly many more obvious signs of hierarchy between the sexes. Indeed in many of the adverts used by Goffman in his gender advertisements publication, men were seen as breadwinners working outside of the home and women were seen as homemakers and carers with no indication of an occupation. Incidentally he defines ideology as a meaning made necessary by the conditions of society while helping to perpetuate those conditions. In other words leading people to believe certain values to gain agreement in an objective, in this case gender roles. (Goffman, 1979, p28-82) To reiterate this position Winship takes the argument a stage further and states that it is the ideology of patriarchy with its structures of domination that sets up inequality. (Winship, 1980, p17) so for Winship there is an influence of a ruling ideology that affects many facets of social life- beauty, sexuality and independence etc- that advertisers are bound to use because within that ruling ideology, society would expect or demand different roles from individuals therefore advertisers would reflect this. If however advertisers and individuals are constrained by a ruling ideology that again suggests that individuals have lost or never had the ability to think for themselves. Indeed akin to a hypodermic model whereby people are injected-metaphorically speaking- with information that does not get processed and comes out exactly as it went in. Gender stereotyping in advertising is therefore very subjective in that whatever way we measure and analyse the subject it must be stressed that we have the ability to disagree with any message that is conveyed by advertisers. Through the use of semiotics we can build up a picture of what is behind the images we are confronted with. By the same degree content analysis can give one the idea that the result is conclusive. However no method is perfect and in the same way it can be useful it can also be misleading as has been shown above. When one is also faced with the argument of ideology within advertising it is akin with all aspects of social life. It is true to say we follow rules and regulation in our every day social lives that may constrain some of our actions, in the same way that advertisers are constrained by bodies such as the BSC. However in the same way we are constrained, we are also protected by the same ideology, therefore we have some powers available to disagree with, contest and challenge messages or actions deemed unfair or stereotypical. As a result it is difficult to establish whether adverts reinforce gender stereotypes or if indeed we do that perfectly well for ourselves.

Influence Of Media On The Public Behavior Sociology Essay

Influence Of Media On The Public Behavior Sociology Essay This research paper analyses the impact of Bollywood movies and generated ideas of romance and love marriage within middle and upper-middle class urban Pakistani marriages. It especially focuses on the influence of this on the acceptability of love marriages. It looks at selected samples of youngsters falling in the age group 17-29 and parents. Exceptions looked at are those falling outside the age group who had love marriages. The similarity of Indian and Pakistani mindset is scrutinized with respect to love marriages. It explores the issue of unacceptability of love marriages in Pakistan and the gradual changing trend. The vital role played by fantasy within Indian marriages is explored and the focal point is commercial Hindi films watched by the middle class of Karachi which fall within the genre of melodrama. Love marriages in bollywood are looked in depth. Finally the paper aims at exploring the factors responsible for the change in attitudes towards marriage and analysis of whe ther Bollywood movies influence is one of those factors which has considerably influenced the mindsets towards acceptance of love marriages in Pakistan. Research Question Have Bollywood movies influenced the increased acceptance of love marriages amongst the middle class of Karachi? Research Hypothesis Based on a review of literature as noted later in this proposal, there is one major hypothesis area that will guide the analysis of data i.e. Bollywood movies have influenced the increased acceptance of love marriages amongst the middle class of Karachi. Secondary Research Influence of Media on the public behavior How Does the Media Influence the Way People Behave? The influence of media on public behavior is becoming more and more significant as time is passing. With the development and advancement of new technology, it is possible to distribute media content pervasively with minimal costs. Because of a high demand and supply of media content, producers engage in competitive behavior and come up with new ways to catch attention of consumers. The type of content free media shows is solely dependent on the demand for media content. However, numerous research studies on the topic have revealed that media content can shape our thoughts and alter our behavior in a number of ways. The following part of the literature review will focus on the effects of media on the behavior and perception of the general population. Furthermore, a critical analysis of the impact of media on the conception of love marriages will be discussed with reference to research studies. Watching media content takes us into a different world or more specifically, a different level of consciousness. Media content not only arouses our cognitive neurons, but also changes our behavior if exposed frequently. The effect of media is not stopped even after exposure to media content is removed; instead it causes a lingering effect by initiating a gradual thought process that can lead to behavioral changes in many cases. A good example of behavioral manipulation caused by media content is the impact of action films on children. Research on television shows, movies, music and video games which contain violent behavior shows unequivocal connection between media violence and violent behavior in both short and long term (Anderson, et al., 2003). Empirical evidence shows children emulate violent behavior portrayed by the heroes in the movies thinking that they would be able to achieve their desired outcome though violent behavior just like hero tends to be victorious in the end of the movie. Children tend to adopt some behavioral aspects from media content over a long period of time. Moreover, some behavioral changes might change throughout the whole population as children adopt those behaviors as adults, practice those behaviors over others and leave a mark on the future generations. This is the reason why media is able to change some social norms that existed previously and why some nations are afraid o f cultural imperialism through media invasion. Media consumers, whether they know it or not, are affected by what they watch and what they see over a long period of time will still shape what they perceive as normal, thanks to oft-repeated themes and images in the land of movie love (Hefner, 2011). And while movies are not intended or expected to be entirely realistic, scholars of communication theorize that exposure to media like romantic comedies, especially for young people, can shape expectations about both romance and marriage, shifting adolescent perceptions about what love is like, and how to show it (McLanahan, 2008). Researchers followed 329 subjects over 15 years. They found that those who as children were exposed to violent TV shows were much more likely to later be convicted of crime. Researchers said that, Media violence can affect any child from any family, regardless of social class or parenting (Dispenza, 2011). All our actions are based on what we learn and what we know, and we as human beings learn by seeing and imitating. Following this trend of thought we can infer that as we see from movies, we tend to act accordingly, by the means of learning and practicing. Marriages When Frank Sinatra sang about love and marriage going together like a horse and carriage, he did not consider that to a great extent the cart is put before the ox. Marriages are arranged by parents in China, India and Indonesia three countries with 40% of the worlds population plus others that practice Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism. Pakistan is one such country where arranged marriages are practiced and dating is not permissible. Couples might get a 15-minute meeting followed in a few months by a wedding. But sparks are flying, and love marriages are breaking out in India, the worlds largest democracy, with 1.1 billion people.  CEO Raju Reddy of Sierra Atlantic in India, himself in an arranged marriage to childhood friend Neeraja, was surprised to learn at the Sierra Atlantic holiday party in December that about a dozen love marriages have germinated in recent years at the 13-year-old company. The Indian government does not differentiate in its marriage statistics. But young Indians interviewed say their observations suggest that 10% to 20% of their friends are having love marriages, and expert Poonam Barua, director of the Conference Boards India Operations, says that is probably true in most of Indias cities. Bollywood movies such as  Salaam Namaste  are based on the old formula of boy meeting girl and eventually fall in love. It will be decades, if ever, before love marriages dominate worldwide. In India, the trend is specific to the middle class of 350 million, not to the 70% of the country that remains rural. But the trend is undeniable, says Barua, whose niece began a love marriage on Feb. 2 with an Indian working for Citibank. Chambravalli and Mishra say if they have children, they also will be allowed to search for true love. In the meantime, Mom and Dad will be on the lookout. Plan A and Plan B, Mishra says. It seems like the neighbouring country Pakistan has been much influenced with this breakout of love marriages too. Similarity of Indian and Pakistani Mindset This section of the literature review focuses on how the Pakistani society and its mindset is similar to that of India which has led us to use most of our secondary research with regard to the Indian population. The fact that India and Pakistan have shared the same history coupled with the reality that both nations stand next to each other in the topographical location of the world map alone can point out how similar the thinking of these nations can be at one point in time and this section specifically focuses on the aspects through which the mindsets of the populations of these two nations can be hold similar. Originally, Pakistan and India have been a part of the same Indus civilization which has led them to having similar experiences and influences across decades. Before separation, Pakistan and India shared the same goal of freedom against the colonial rule and they were united in their fight against the British. Because of the division, a multitude of issues occurred regarding the distribution of power and dominance over the new nations and these resulted in frustration which turned the countries bitter towards each other. (India and Pakistan historic conflict and future outlooks, 2003). India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, all comprised the sub-continent at that time and the people residing in Hindustan lived together except the religious and cultural differences that had led to extremely brutal reactions and vast bloodshed at times, but this is only one side of the story the other side sticks to the fact that before the arrival of east India company in 1600 a mental asylum was created which reflects the sense of hospitability among the population there to take care of the mentally ill people as well as their society (S Sharma, 10/1984 ). This sense of love and affection is still present in both Pakistani and Indian community when residents of both countries visit the one another  [i]  . Furthermore, the established fact that the people of Pakistan came from the subcontinent makes it likely that the mind set of both the nations is parallel. Politically, both the countries have more or less a similar government structure consisting of the head of the country as the President, followed by the head of the government known as the prime minister and elected ministers who are answerable to the prime ministers. Despite the coups and political violations in both the countries, they manage to hold democratic elections. Due to all the similarities in their political framework, working alongside each other would be a lot less of a hassle as there are no starkly alien political systems to contend with. The economic structures of both the countries also hold a lot of similarities. The rates of unemployment and inflation are around 6% in both the countries. Indias 63% of workforce is concentrated mainly in the production primary goods and is self sufficient in food grains and it also produces cotton, tea, sugarcane, tobacco for export. Similarly, Pakistan also has more than 50% of its population involved in agriculture and the rates of labor involved in secondary and tertiary activities in both the countries are also similar which indicate high success rates of free trade agreements if both the countries agree for it.  [1]   As per the similarities among their cities, the two extreme ends of poverty and wealth in the city of Bombay bear a strange resemblance to that of the two extremes of living standards in Karachi. Bombay, like Karachi, is an industrial port city, plagued by over population, with colonial architecture dominating certain parts of town, and only the distance of 500 miles separating the two cities. The affinity between the two cities is not confined to the infrastructure and the living habitat, but even the afternoon breeze racing in from the sea at the verandah of the Bombay Gymkhana, is a de ja vu of the experience at the Karachi Gymkhana. Focusing on the differences between Bombay and Karachi, the most attention drawing aspect is the absence of statues in Karachi. We have monuments of fountains and swords and mountaintops in the middle of a landslide depicting Pakistans first successful nuclear test in 1998 but unlike Bombay, we have no statues of people. And then there is the city of Madras, which is a city that belongs clearly to the same region as Karachi and that is where their similarities end. The realization of being present in Southern India when in Madras is inevitable at all times, as Pakistanis, our association is stronger with the Northern India. For the students (of Stella Maris College), when asked which South Asian country they most strongly associated with, responded unanimously as Pakistan in complete contradiction to anyones expectations. When enquired as to why the students correlate with Pakistan, they replied that Pakistan had been a part of India. And when asked if they felt the same affinity towards Bangladesh, they declined profusely. (India and Pakistan historic conflict and future outlooks, 2003) To conclude, the mindset of both the nations can be attributed to be similar because of the sole reason that their forefathers have spent years together which has made their traditions, political systems, economic stances as being similar. It is the matter of self interest which has made the two countries apart like Kashmir issue is one where a conflict of interest between both the nations is seen. Apart from that religion has always been a major source of division and this is one subject where definitely no consensus can be reached as everybody has a right to religion. Models of Marriage Marriages can be put in four categories in Pakistan. There are: Partially Arranged Marriages Partially Love Marriages Totally Arranged Marriages Totally Love Marriages Totally arranged marriages and totally love marriages are two extreme forms of marriages and between these two extremes are Partially arranged and partially love marriages in which parents may take their selection and give their children the option to accept or reject their choice. Broadly these can fall under the two types of marriages (in India and Pakistan): Arranged and Love, as explained by Kavita Ramdya in her book Bollywood Weddings. These models are diametrically opposed. Love marriage will often involve a whimsical and incidental meeting followed by months and often years of dating. The arranged marriage excludes dating altogether and rarely allows for more than one meeting before the wedding day. When the boy and girl, words used to describe prospective marriage candidates despite their age, profession, or education, meet for the  ¬Ã‚ rst time, it is usually in a highly-regulated environment where both sets of parents sit in the same room accompanied by supportive extend ed family members. A wedding follows shortly thereafter, making it the second time the couple is allowed to see each other and after which the husband and wife embark on years of dating or getting to know one another without the nagging possibility of rejection. In the middle class, often family members stay on a lookout finding a suitable match, or a number of suitable matches. Then, the families meet to see if things work out. Long before this happens, though, the young men and women are carefully vetted for likes and dislikes, traits in common, complementary characteristics, and any other information that can be discovered and deemed relevant. Often, the process is much more informal, with the families in the community already knowing much about each other, and having already decided what could be potentially good pairings, and which may well be disastrous. The two opposed models of marriage are negotiated by the present generation as observed by Kavita Ramdya. Her examination led her to discover a middle path, which she called arranged meetings. Arranged meetings is an already negotiated and well-established third model for marrying. The second generation uses this method to  ¬Ã‚ lter out prospective marital candidates who do not have the right ethnic, religious, linguistic, and regional traits desired by their parents. In this way, neither arranged nor love marriage are excluded and the needs and desires of both generations are respected. The  ¬Ã‚ rst generation is still involved in  ¬Ã‚ nding a suitable partner for their child, whether through introductions by family and friends, or placing an ad on-line or in a newspaper. Additionally, candidates who do not come from the same religious sect, speak the desired dialect are cast away before a set of eligible prospects are considered. (Ramdya) Prevalence of Arranged Marriages Family forms the building block of a society. Human beings in turn follow the standards and norms set by the society to lead a perfect life. But everything is prone to change and so are the values and standards set by a society. In the same way, the ways of getting married are changing at a noticeable but slow pace. East is known for its traditions. Many countries in the East have been practicing arranged marriages since long. It is a known fact that love marriages are more common in the west than in the eastern countries. In Pakistan, marriages are most of the time arranged by family members. The reason is that the Pakistani society preserves family continuity through arranged marriages. collectivist societies like Pakistan prefer group decision over an individual one so marriages are a family affair rather than an individual one, and children are brought up to expect arranged marriages. It is seen that children can have veto power in few families but normally it is expected that the parents and other family members should commence and settle on the matter. In this society, marriage is not merely based on love relationships but family economics and social needs play a great role. Changing Trend of Marriages A couple of decades ago arranged marriage was the only known way to get married. But today it is not so. We see many Pakistani girls  and guys marrying by their own choice instead of that of their family. Love marriages are becoming more and more acceptable. Most of the marriages are arranged in Pakistan but some of the marriages are also based on love. Love marriages have been taking place in Pakistan in the last few years with the influx of western cultures and invasion of electronic media. Due to family obligations the trends of compromising and striving to sustain relationships have become the hallmark of eastern culture. However, this fact could not be denied that these trends are eroding day by day. People realize that the traditional system of totally arranged marriages needs to be adjusted. Partially arranged and partially love marriages are supported by the state religion. Today the exposure to various stimuli through the media has increased awareness. The improved education system could also be held responsible for this change. As compared to the previous years, the literacy rate among the Pakistani Women has increased by leaps and bounds over the past couple of decades. Education gives exposure and a sense of enlightenment. Women have become opinionated and smart. Many young women are given the right to exercise their choice in choosing a partner and the family members accept and support their decision. Dating agencies are emerging and proclaiming that although compatible partners inclined to marriage cant be picked off a supermarket shelf, they can be found on a website. Most work on the false assertion that a good profile and an insignificant  financial investment  is the only obstacle standing between you and the love of your life. If they are to be believed, a couple of cheesy emails can determine your compatibility. In a typical electronic dating set-up, the average person role plays in a desperate bid to make an impression.   It seems that love marriages are trending but we cannot deny the fact that the practice of an arranged marriage still heavily prevails in our society. Many times, the young individuals prefer not to take the decision themselves and they rely upon the family to find the best match for them. Gender Interaction The gender interactions part focuses on the evolving nature of interactions between male and female students and the resultant effect of this change on their marriage choices. Title: Student Attitude toward Mate selection in a Muslim Society: Pakistan Author: Henry Korson Journal: (Journal of Marriage and Family, Vol. 31, No. 1 (Feb., 1969), pp. 153-165) The study was conducted on 765 participants in two universities of Pakistan (University of Karachi and University of Punjab) and provides a treasure trove of vital insights into how marriage was viewed by students in urban Pakistan 40 years ago. The study results showed that atleast a quarter of respondents believed that the choice of life-partner should be left to them, while another quarter wanted their parents to consult them before making the final decision. This showed that over 50% of the respondents in that era wanted to have a say in the final decision of their life-partner. Another question that was asked was if the respondents would make a completely independent choice when it comes to marriage to which only 3.8% respondents replied positively. 17.1% female respondents from Karachi and 16.7% female respondents from Lahore also believed that their parents would arrange their marriage without consulting them. This is in contrast to the 45% female respondents from Karachi and 52% female respondents from Lahore who said their families will accept their opinions on the life-partner. Keeping in mind that these are graduate students from the 1960s when education for women was still at a nascent stage in Pakistan, they can only be classified as a minority. The women belonged to wealthy, forward-thinking families who were amongst the first to educate their daughters and thus had a progressive mindset. They were open to the idea of their daughters having a say in their own marriage decision but were not yet willing to accept their daughters to have complete cont rol over the decision. This is reflected by the fact that only 9.8% of female students from Karachi and 6.3% of female students from Lahore believed that their families would accept their decision of marriage if it was their own personal initiative. One of the most interesting statistic provided by this study revealed that upto 30% of the sample believed that meeting ones spouse before marriage was unnecessary. Females from Karachi (44%) and Lahore (47%) showed a great liking to this option thus showing confidence in their parents ability to choose the right spouse for them. This mindset is unthinkable amongst most contemporary university students of Karachi and Lahore who are more independent compared to their counterparts of yesteryears. The combination of higher education, globalization and media local, Bollywood and western has resulted in a mindset where the choice of life partner is no more the sole domain of the individuals parents. Moreover, the need to meet the prospective spouse whether alone, with mutual friends or with family has become paramount before the final decision is made. Students today believe that couples should have understanding and this can only be gauged if there is some level of interaction before the marriage. The above mentioned statistic was further reinforced when the students were asked about the optimum length of time for knowing ones future spouse before marriage. Although a quarter of the respondents did say that knowing ones future spouse for about 6 months is necessary, the majority of these respondents were male. 34.5% of female respondents from Karachi and 27.1% of female respondents from Lahore were of the view that there was no need to know ones spouse before marriage again indicating confidence in their parents ability to choose a spouse who was appropriate for them. The conclusions that Korson derives are insightful and can be used to explain todays phenomena of how traditional arranged marriages are wearing away. Korson says that because most families live in extended households, the presence of senior members of the family prevent any young student from initiating any change which runs counter to the belief systems held by the senior members. Uncles, aunts, grand-parents ensure that the parents conservative view is supported and reinforced within the family. This is primarily because of the belief that if one person is given leeway in deciding their marriage decision, others in the family will follow suit, thus creating disorder and depriving the senior members of their authority. Korson further states that male respondents showed greater self-assurance and liberality in their responses whereas majority of females favoured conservative options. This is probably because of both males and females already understanding their own personal situations. He believed their answers on what they believed will happen with them with respect to marriage were based on the experience of someone close (sibling, cousin, friend) who had already been married and the respondents belief that their marriage will be conducted in the same manner because they belonged to the same caste, class or family. The last and most notable finding that Korson reveals is that the Pakistani university system is based on Western education and that in the race to achieving higher education (and resultant higher social standing), people are bound to be in touch with Western values and principles and to be influenced by them. The mindset of collectivism that is the root of traditional arranged marriages where it is popularly said that families marry each other will gradually and eventually be trumped by the Western ideal of individualism students will begin to make their marriage decisions based on their own personal liking instead of following age-old conservative customs entrenched in their baradaries . Today this mindset of individualism has taken hold in the mindset of urban educated youth who are striving to ensure that their decision be respected and upheld when it comes to marriage. The Western education system in combination with media (primarily progressive and romantic Bollywood films of the last decade and a half) have led the youth to question the conservative practices that were previously held with much respect. Title: Attitudes of University Students from India Toward Marriage and Family Life Authors: Vicki T. Davis and Raghu N. Singh Journal: International Journal of Sociology of the Family 1989, Vol. 19 (Autum) : 43-57 In this research, 83 Indian students in Texas Universities were asked about their opinions on marriage and family life. The report says that many social institutions in India have faced constant and gradual change. In India, the family is a very sacred institution and ranks second in importance after religion (Rao Rao, 1975). Many researches have been conducted to explore the impact of higher education on family patterns. When people go abroad to study, they experience greater freedom to make their own decisions and are no more bound by the controls of their families, and develop individuality, which may affect all family patterns of dwelling (Ross, 1961). In Rao Raos study (1976), 65% college students preferred nuclear families as compared to 35% supporting joint families. A study by Sharma and Shriram (1979) surveyed 25 newly married Indian couples about their opinions on the selection of marriage partners. The importance of interaction with their future partners was stressed by 80% of the respondents. These couples believed it was necessary to meet, socialize with, and have the opportunity to truly get to know the potential marriage partner. The majority of the couples also thought that the main choice in the selection of the marital partner should be made by the individuals, with consent of the parents. When the same kind of questions were asked of graduate students in Pakistan in 1969, 65% believed it was important to meet and know ones potential spouse before marriage. 30% of the respondents believed that there was no need to meet the future spouse, thus indicating their confidence in their parents ability to find them a suitabl e match (Korson, 1969) Author: Lord, Keelin (2007) Title: Romantic Love vs. Marriage: A Psychoanalytic Approach, Journal: ESSAI: Vol. 5, Article 30. The research by Keelin Lord questions and critcizes Western countries for promoting the concept of love marriage and explains the reasons behind the failure of love marriages and the rising number of divorces in America. Although there are many reasons why Pakistanis oppose the concept of love marriage including difference in social status between families, loss of parental authority and conservative mindset, the fact that love marriages lose their charm soon after the wedding is also an important factor. The writer says that the vehicle for promoting romance in American culture is its cinema industry. Romantic love has been portrayed in visual arts of western culture for centuries, such as operas, plays, dramas, paintings and films. Although these arts directly influence culture, most view art as an illusion as well as an escape from reality. Yet Americans still believe that romantic love is tangible and serves as a solid base for marriage. The writer further goes on to say that instead of taking romantic love as granted, it should be questioned and its mistakes should be learned from otherwise it will continue to be the cause of failed marriages. The writer conducted scientific tests on a number of participants to explain how the concept of love holds in an individuals mind. The tests revealed that romantic love is associated with higher levels of dopamine being released to the brain resulting in increased energy, higher motivation to acquite rewards and feelings of ecstasy things that people relate to romantic love. However, with time the feelings of romance fade away because of increased levels of the hormone oxytocin. Keeping these findings in mind, when romance is a base for marriage and attachment, the romance fades shortly after vows and the craving for a new romantic relationship evolves. In realizing this, one would begin to question why peoples now look for romance to provide them with a happy marriage. Primary Research Methodology Focus Group Interview Survey The survey sample was 66, with the age group being 17-26 years. 31 males were part of the survey and 35 females. This is the data that was obtained for whether the sample people thought there has been an increased acceptance of love marriages in our society. Do you think there has been an acceptance of love marriages in our society? Frequency Percent Cumulative Percent Yes 55 83.3 83.3 No 11 16.7 100.0 Total 66 100.0 83.3% of the people (55 people) felt that there has been an increased acceptance of love marriages in our society and 16.6% (11 people) did not feel so. Of the 55 people who felt there was an increased acceptance, 28 were females and 27 males. And there was no correlation between gender and their opinion regarding acceptance of love marriages though, as analyzed by the Pearson correlation. When asked about whether Bollywood has played a role in the increasing number of love marriages amongst youth in Pakistan, 71.2% of people felt that it has had a role to play (47 people). Of these 47 people, 22 were males and 25 were females. Do you believe Bollywood movies have a role to play in the increasing number of love marriages amongst youth in Pakistan? Frequency Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Yes 47 71.2 71.2 No 19 28.8 28.8 100.0 Total 66 100.0 One person said As far as I have seen, Bollywood movies have created this fantasy-like image of love marriages in the minds of youth and lead to our youth to aspi

Characters that Most Influenced Inman in Cold Mountain Essay -- essays

The novel Cold Mountain is about two peoples’ independent journeys through different struggles and situations at the same time. One of these people is Inman, an injured soldier who is trying to find his way home after deserting from the fighting. He meets a lot of strange people along the way. Some of them help and some of them hinder. However, they all teach him something about himself, or something that he can relate to himself. There are some characters that are more significant in this respect than others and they have more of an actual influence on Inman’s journey. One of these characters is Veasey, the preacher. Inman meets him when he catches the preacher trying to throw a drugged, pregnant girl into the ‘Deep River’. Inman saves the girl from Veasey and leaves him to face his punishment. Later on in the story, Veasey returns with â€Å"his face†¦cut and marked by bruises†. Veasey is a general negative influence on Inman’s odyssey. He uses religion to justify his immoral acts and symbolises false faith and unrestrained selfishness. He is, however, company for Inman, even though Inman does not want it. They travel together and find a â€Å"grim roadside inn†. It is here that we see Veasey as being a danger to Inman. Veasey meets a prostitute called Big Tildy and makes a deal. Here, he picks a fight with a drunken, armed man who tries to take Big Tildy elsewhere. The two men draw their pistols at each other, but Tildy takes Veasey’s from him. Veasey wants to continue with the fight. Inman steps in a nd the drunken man goes away. â€Å"You’re set on getting us both killed.† Inman realises that Veasey is a danger and tries to leave him behind when he leaves, the next day. Veasey however, catches up to him again. Together they both meet Jun... ...s ironic because all throughout the novel we have heard stories of Inman’s terrible ordeals in the war. Inman’s journey has been both negatively affected (Veasey) and positively affected (Sara). In my opinion, for all of the bad things that happen to Inman, something good happens. The best example of this is Veasey. Inman puts up with Veasey and his annoying habits for so long, and he saves his life in the end. Therefore, even the negative influences that Inman experiences on his odyssey, result in a positive outcome. Inman learns a lot from the people that he meets on his odyssey. Some affect his journey and some do not. There are characters that have not been mentioned because they are not as influential as the ones that have been. Characters like the gypsies, who show Inman that stereotypes cannot always be trusted, do not help him on his psychological journey.

Changes in Catherine throughout the Play :: A View from the Bridge Arthur Miller Essays

Changes in Catherine throughout the Play "A View From A Bridge" is a play by Arthur Miller. It is set in 1950s New York. The play concentrates on a poor family and what happens when some Italian relatives come to stay, illegally. I have chosen to concentrate on Catherine because I fell she undertakes the most emotional changes throughout the play. Catherine is a 17 year old girl who is still studying at school. She lives with her Auntie and Uncle, Beatrice and Eddie. I went to see a production of the play at the Belgrade theatre in Coventry. Overall the play was good. The first act was a little slow and tedious but the second act was excellent. They did rush the end part in which Eddie dies. Catherine was a little over the top and looked like she was trying to seduce Eddie at one point. I liked how they ensured that they were all in the correct attire. Eddie wore a shirt and trousers with a large belt. Both Catherine and Beatrice were in dresses with their hair tied up. Rodolfo had a big quiff and dresses like an old fashioned "teddy Boy". I thought the way the stage revolved to give the idea of a journey with superb. The play starts and Catherine comes in. She is very cheerful and talkative with Eddie. She has a new skirt on and asks Eddie if he "like[s] it". She tells him that "it's the style now." We can see from the start that she is very reliant on Eddie and she wants him to approve of everything she does. This idea is establish when she has news for him. She has been offered a job but she has to check it is alright with Eddie. This gives the impression that Eddie has kept her away from the world and has protected her. They then talk about the job and Eddie agrees to let her take it. Catherine's mood changes when she hears that Beatrice's cousins are arriving. She is excited because she hasn't met many people and has no social life. She wants to meet new people. When they arrive Catherine is in awe of them. She hasn't much experience with new people and she is quite hyperactive. She asks many questions and we get the impression that she is attracted to Rodolfo. She asks him if he is "married?" She likes the fact that he is blonde because there are not many blonde men about. "He's practically Blonde!" We can tell Catherine is trying to make a good impression when Eddie says "What's

A Sample and Critique of psi Research :: Telepathy Precognition Psychic Papers

"Do you remember how electrical currents and 'unseen waves' were laughed at? The knowledge about man is still in its infancy." - Albert Einstein Introduction Perception of future events (precognition), communication through thoughts (telepathy), material manipulation without physical contact (telekinesis), sight of an object or place millions of miles away with enough accuracy to draw it (remote viewing) – these are a few cases of what is referred to as "psi phenomena," also known as parapsychological or psychic phenomena. "Psi" refers to "anomalous processes of energy or information transfer... that are currently unexplained in terms of known physical or biological mechanisms."(1) Long dismissed by scientists and other skeptics all over the world, these occurrences are often attributed to trickery, hallucination, lying, chance, and even spiritual influence. Claims of psychic ability come from many varied sources. From the friend who has premonitory dreams and the dog who knows when the master has decided to come home, to the glamorous astrologer with a 900-number and the clairvoyant with a TV show, stories of paranormal abilities range from personal and thought-provoking to distant and Hollywood-esque. Are these things really possible? What does the scientific community actually know about these phenomena? Ultimately, one must ask the question, what can the scientific community know about these phenomena? This paper is intended to provide a small sample and critique of the available scientific research on these unexplained and often dismissed phenomena. The examples which form this review are: research on unexplained phenomena not associated with "psychic" individuals, large-scale research centering on many individuals with "psychic talent," and an investigation of the claimed abilities of a single internationally celebrated "psychic." Despite the historical and prevalent stigma and sensationalization associated with this field, many respected educational establishments have laboratories involved in the research of psi. The Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research program, instituted in 1979 to investigate mind-matter interactions (2); the Parapsychological Association, a 1957 offshoot of the Duke Laboratory (3); the Koestler Parapsychology Unit at the University of Edinburgh (4); and Stanford University's 1946 endeavor, Stanford Research Institute are four of these. It should be noted that Stanford Research Institute separated from the university in 1970, and became SRI International. (5) Examples Impersonal phenomena If a person is asked to identify the color of a rectangle, and is subsequently asked to read a randomly generated color name, it is well-known that a matching color name will be called out faster than a mismatching color name.

Globalization: the Making of World Society – Book Review

Running Head: GLOBALIZATION: The Making of World Society Review Essay: Globalization: The Making of World Society Part One: Summary Introduction Since the industrial revolution, the structure of world has been constantly evolving and progressing. The spread has involved the interlacing of economic and cultural activity, connectedness of the production, communication and technologies around the world, and it is now known as – globalization. The book I chose for this particular essay is Frank J.Lechner’s, Globalization: the Making of World Society first published in 2009. Author Frank J. Lechner was born in 1958 in Amsterdam, Netherlands and is the director of Graduate Studies & Professor Department of Sociology at the Emory University in Atlanta. In 1982 he earned his Master in Arts degree in Sociology at the University of Pittsburgh followed by a Ph. D. in 1985 in sociology as well. Most of his focus lies in global culture, change, religion and theory. One of his most r ecent researches involved national identity, specifically concerning the Dutch.In addition to publishing Globalization:  The Making of World Society  (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009), Lechner is the author  The Netherlands: National Identity and Globalization  (2008), and  World Culture: Origins and Consequences  (with John Boli, Wiley-Blackwell, 2005), as well as numerous papers on religion and sociological theory. Book Summary In Globalization: The Making of World Society, Lechner talks about the processes that unfold in a wide range of fields such as sports, media, food industry, global economy, environment and religion due to globalization.He describes its effects on everyday experience all around the world and demonstrates how globalization is also generating new discourses, cultures, and state policies. He explains globalization as a part of a still-greater transformation, both technical and social. Lechner wrote this book and divided it into three main parts: Global Experi ence, Global Institutions, and Global Problems. Each of these three parts is further divided into few more sub-topics such as for example, food, sports and media in Part I.In the first part of the book, the author describes the three â€Å"waves† of food globalization around the world. The first â€Å"wave†, he describes as a â€Å"wave† in which Jamaica became a â€Å"sugar island† at the centre of the global network. The wave started not with a desire for sugar but with a search for spices. Many European explorers lured into travel by the prospect of finding gold and silver and were able to not only bring precious metals home but have brought tomatoes and potatoes to the European diet.Another part of the first wave that the author talks about is when the Portuguese reached China and introduced maize, sweet potatoes and peanuts which later helped to sustain China’s population boom. With the first wave of globalization, more people became globally connected in more ways than ever before. People in different parts of the world were able to taste foods from other continents. As the new links in globalization were beginning to become established, they benefited some and harmed many others. Early globalization thus began to create a global hierarchy.The second â€Å"wave† which dissipated in the early twentieth century is described as the time in which the Dakotas became the bread basket of the world. Also, large parts of Canada, Argentina and Australia became a source of food and profit and by 1913 they produced more wheat than all of Europe. As globalization continued to spread, a global food system emerged, tying all producers into a network of interdependence. The world market created enormous wealth and leading nations, tied together through free trade, strove to safeguard their power by extending their imperial reach.The third â€Å"wave† of globalization was called â€Å"McDonald’s in East Asia. † In this section of the book Lechner talks about how with globalization nothing stays exotic as it standardizes experience through organized diffusion. Although the third wave incorporates a lot of what the first and the second waves started, it is unique in the aspect that a fast food restaurant such as McDonald’s could be everywhere, yet nowhere in particular, as it helps deterritorialize eating itself – a step beyond both first and second waves f globalization. Furthermore, in the section on sports and the direction of globalization the writer describes the way sports and in particular soccer, has grown from the homeland of England to a worldwide game with the same rules. He explains that globalization does not mean that global rules, organizations, or models just take over. The global connections of the world society do not substitute for local ties such as American football in US, rather they move in tandem.It is clear that in sports, globalization occurs in and through local and national settings as it adds another layer of connections and a new kind of shared awareness to the people in a certain society. In the last sub-category on global media, Frank Lechner talks about the role of Indian television, patterns in global television, and interpretations for global television as well as cultural imperialism. He describes the way the rights for television shows and programs such as â€Å"Who wants to be a Millionaire? † have been sold to well over 80 countries and have enjoyed great success worldwide.Many commercials and advertisements on TV carry subliminal messages that are aimed for a certain audience with a high degree of studying being put forward into the creation of the â€Å"perfect commercial†. In Part II of the novel the author begins to unravel the complicated and sometimes confusing aspects of the world economy. He begins with describing the way China, a country with extraordinary size and history, transformed and r ebuilt itself after World War II at a time when broader reforms were sweeping the world hierarchy.He goes on to explain America’s three main goals in the post-war time: to make trade flow much more freely, to stabilize the world’s financial system, and to encourage international investment. Moreover, Lechner describes the significance of Otto von Bismarck, chancellor of Germany in the late nineteenth century, and his role in introduction of accident insurance bills and health care bills in Germany which marked the beginning of rise of welfare states. He also outlines Roosevelt’s and Veldkamp’s positions and their contribution in Britain and Netherlands respectively.Frank Lechner continues with talking about the way in which globalization creates a political opportunity for the left-leaning political parties, promising to ride to the rescue in a time when some argue that globalization dampens welfare nations, to rather strengthen these states. Another aspe ct of globalization discussed in this part of the book is education. Education plays a key role in today’s society and with many people travelling with their high school kids to the United States and Canada in order to have a higher chance for a university or college admission, proves that in higher education a global market already operates.The next section of the second part of the book briefly describes global civil society and global governance. United Nations, according to the author, has taken on â€Å"a larger law-making role than its founders had envisioned†. The direction of change proposed by such an institution does not always have the full consensus of relevant states in an issue, yet that change is toward more organization of certain fields above and beyond states. Part III of Globalization: The Making of World Society strictly focuses on global concerns.The author describes key issues such as global migration, inequality, environment, and justice. First o f the four issues listed is migration. The third wave of globalization witnessed a rise in migration, mainly from south to north along the gradient formed by global inequality. In this section of the book Lechner touches on the issue of redefining the national identity of a country as it is a goal in certain countries, which also links back to his previous two books:   The Netherlands: National Identity and Globalization  (2008), and  World Culture: Origins and Consequences  (with John Boli, Wiley-Blackwell, 2005).The second issue at hand in this section of his book is global inequality. In this section of the book the writer explains that globalization is essential for countries in the â€Å"bottom billion† to catch up, yet there is no single success path for all of the poorest nations. In this chapter he clearly paints his main argument that â€Å"globalization is not bound to make the rich richer and the poor poorer,† and goes on to say, â€Å"but if it is to lead to a more tangible ‘world society’, it will have to help reduce poverty and inequality far more† (Lechner, 241).The last two section of the book primarily touch on the effects of globalization and its interconnectedness with global environment and global justice. Lechner discusses environmentalism and the way countries such as China deal with the environment and society in a balanced way. He put forward an example of Three Gorges damn built in China which displaced 2 million Chinese people, created a reservoir of nearly 400 miles and supplies 20 times more energy than America’s Hoover Dam. as an example of what a county could do in order to decrease the environmental damage, yet at the same time take a risk of displacing 2 million residents of the area. Literature Comparison Globalization: The Making of World Society by Frank Lechner is his attempt to clarify the key issues surrounding globalization in a brief, accessible and critical analysis of a complex topic. From the research conducted, I it is safe to conclude that this book is not a reply to any other book proposed by other writers; rather it is his attempt to explain his point of view on globalization and issues proposed by it.Yet the author explaining his point of view represents one side of a bigger argument about globalization’s effect on the world, but no clear intentions of proving a point to a specific person or institution has been noted. Main Argument(s) The main argument proposed by Frank Lechner is that although there are many issues around globalization as a whole, he believes that globalization is essential for the poorest nations to catch up. He is keen on his point of view, and thus goes on to explain that development is the only way to reduce economic inequality.Another part of his argument is that â€Å"globalization is not bound to make the rich richer and the poor poorer†¦but if it is to lead to a more tangible ‘world societyâ€℠¢, it will have to help reduce poverty and inequality far more† (Lechner, 241). Part Two: Critical Analysis Personal Opinion After analyzing Lechner’s work, there are too many factors that make an accurate prediction difficult. The industrial revolution and the global expansion that it created, is on a scale that has never been seen in history. As a result, new issues are created, while old issues are modified.The interdependencies between nations revolve around a free market. This encourages exploitation as a method to produce capital. The astronomical growth of supply and demand puts a heavy toll on the environment and its resources, which leads to an inevitable carrying capacity. The gap between rich and poor continues to increase around the world including capitalist drivers such as Canada and United States. Although Lechner does not see globalization as the main force in the inequality gap, I believe that this issue is of great concern.In order to have a more objec tive opinion of globalization, we need to analyze the detrimental factors and the potential they have in slowing down or even reversing the constructive effects of globalization. When taking these factors into consideration, they become latent by the profits created. There is a growing concern with enormous amount of evidence of corruption happening in most developing, third world nations. Bribery enables transnational companies to gain export contracts, particularly in the arms trade and in construction, which they would not have otherwise won.Every year, Western companies pay huge amounts of money in bribes to the officials and rulers in the developing countries in order to win over competitors. As these bribes go through, they have unfavourable results on the developing country, as they disadvantage smaller domestic firms, weaken development and deteriorate inequality and poverty, distort decision-making in favour of the project that benefits few rather than many, increase nation al debt, benefit the investor not the country, as well as damage the environment.All of the factors listed above are proof of negative effects of corruption on successful globalization, which according to Lechner, â€Å"is not bound to make the rich richer and the poor poorer† (Lechner, 241). The second issue I would like to address is the growing gap between the rich and poor in not only developing countries, but the capitalist hubs. According to the latest consensus data released on May 1, 2008 by Statistics Canada, â€Å"between 1980 and 2005, median earning among Canada’s top earners rose more than 16 percent while those in the bottom fifth saw their wages dip by 20 percent (The Canadian Press, 2008).Furthermore, the  gap between rich and poor  is widening, both within and among countries. In 1960, the richest 20 percent of the world’s population controlled 70 percent of global income, yet by 1993, the â€Å"richest 20† controlled 85 percent. In the same time period, the share of the poorest 20 percent had decreased from 2. 3 to 1. 4 percent. These disparities are likely to increase for the next half century as above stated issues such as corruption continue to affect the developing world (Human Development Report, 1996).The third big issue at hand, which I believe causes globalization to have a negative outlook in the eyes of the proletarian individuals including me, is the environmental damages that are caused. Economic theory argues that the free market can be expected to produce an efficient and improved level of resource use, production, consumption, and environment protection, yet when private costs, which are the foundation for market decision, diverge from social costs, a market failure occurs resulting in pollution levels. Intensified trade and competitiveness pressures between companies generate harmful impacts on environmental quality (Esty, D. nd Ivanova, M. ). As the big name companies move into an immature eco nomy of a developing country, they have the power to make the government change the laws and reduce their previous environmental requirements. Thus, the company that cannot function in Canada or Germany with those amounts of emission without paying fines will use the developing country’s position to produce high level of emissions with no restrictions. This point links back to the issue of corruption in the developing countries described earlier.In addition, local government must protect the environment by not letting giant companies take over and control the government in order to make huge profits. Likewise, economic agreements that do not promote the common good and that are designed to increase the profits of few people in the world should be rejected by the authorities, if not local, then global. In conclusion, Globalization: The Making of World Society by Frank Lechner describes how the processes of globalization unfold in a wide range of fields including sports, religi on, media, and the environment.The author tries to explain and analyze the complex subject of globalization in a concise and easy-to-understand manner. His main argument in the book surrounds the explanation of how he believes that globalization is essential for the poorest nations to catch up and that globalization is not bound to make the rich richer and the poor poorer. References Dauvergn, P. (n. d. ). Globalization and the environment. Esty, D. C. C. , & Ivanova, M. H. (2003). Globalization effects on the environment. Globalization nd Environmental Protection: a Global Governance Perspective. Retrieved November 20, 2011 from http://www. yale. edu/gegdialogue/docs/dialogue/oct03/papers/Esty-Ivanova. pdf Lechner, F. J. (2009). Globalization: The Making of the World Society. Hong Kong: Wiley- Blackwell Publication. Research and markets; globalization: The making of world society. (2009). Investment Weekly News,  (19458177), 423. Retrieved from http://ezproxy. qa. proquest. com/d ocview/ 200892079? accountid=14771 Shah, A. (2011). Corruption.Global Issues. Retrieved November 21, 2011, from http://www. globalissues. org/article/590/corruption#GlobalizationMultinational CorporationsandCorruption The Canadian Press. (2008, May 1). Rich get richer, poor get poorer, census results show. Retrieved November 21, 2011, from http://www. ctv. ca/CTVNews/Canada/ 20080501/rich_poor_080501/ The gap between rich and poor is widening. (2004). World Resource Institute. Retrieved November 19,2011 from http://www. wri. org/publication/content/8659