Benjamin Franklin Essay

Founding father Benjamin Franklin once said, â€Å"The way to see faith is to shut the eye of reason. † Theists for thousands of years have shut their eyes to reason and blindly followed the word of those who would have them believe in false gods. Reason demonstrates, through outlets such as Occam’s Razor, the lack of a need for the existence of those gods and the shortcomings of theists in attempts to prove their faith. Such shortcomings most prominently come in the failure to provide empirical data for the existence of gods, in fact, experimentation and observation show otherwise. To accompany a lack of need and a lack of evidence, because faith causes one to turn a blind eye to reason, arguments for theism are often weak, personal, and circumstantial at best, and can be easily negated. Reason, a lack of evidence, and weak arguments leave mankind only one option in regards to belief in the supernatural; no god or gods actually exist. Occam’s Razor not only establishes the falsehood of a requirement for gods, but also shifts the burden of proving the existence of gods unto the theorists. In blunt terms, the Razor states that, â€Å"All other things being equal, a simpler explanation is preferred over a complex one† (Krauss). Therefore, entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily, so the simplest of theories should be chosen before the most complex and that the unknown should first be measured in known quantities (Krauss). A deity, while providing a simple metaphysical escape for the absence of evidence, adds a plethora of unneeded layers of complexity to the creation of the universe. The addition of a supreme being to the equation not only dismantles established laws of physics, but creates a type of pyramidal scheme to the universal hierarchy, with the deity at the top, as its influence can â€Å"butterfly out† to touch everything in existence and possibly altering its physical properties. The metaphysical effect of a deity on the physical world would have unimaginable effect on known forces and constants, creating a faucet that streams unknown quantities. Fortunately, Occam’s Razor demands that without empirical data solving some of those unknowns, there is no need to add a god to the equation and the deity can be dismissed (Krauss). To stack on the allowance of a dismissal of gods by the Razor, Occam also requires that the burden of proof of gods falls to theists. Without a need for a god, one must not assume without evidence that a deity exists, just as one would not assume a Minnie Mouse teapot floats between the Earth and Mars without empirical proof of its existence (Krauss). Therefore, if there is no need for a god, then theists must provide tangible confirmation demonstrating the existence of such a being in order for a reasonable person to feel the need to believe in it (Myers). If the theists, on the other hand are unable to provide tangible confirmation, then the majority are essentially asking the world to follow their religion without a need for god, without proof, and on the terms that the church understands all there is to know of the universe. In the end, thanks to Occam’s Razor, in order for the thesis to stand atheists need not disprove the idea of gods, as one cannot prove a negative. They need only to disprove (or prove the absence of) the evidence supporting theism. The religious throughout history have failed to provide empirical data for the existence of gods; in fact, experimentation and observation shows otherwise. Theism ultimately provides no factual evidence indicating the existence of a god or multiple gods. The so-called strongest proof for the presence of the supernatural lies almost entirely in the realm of unreliable personal experiences (Faust 72). Theists will often claim that they know of their gods through personal communication or through the feeling of their presence in the world. This idea inspires quite the opposite of the confidence in God the religious are trying to demonstrate by sharing that information. What the concept of â€Å"feeling† gods or having them speak to a person is not only condoned as ludicrous by those who do not partake in the lie, but if true indicates something that drifts very nearly toward borderline mental illness. Those who believe their gods speak to them should not be granted any immunity other schizophrenics are not and need to be admitted into a psychiatric ward. The thought that personal experience that cannot and has not been processed through a reasonable scientific experimental procedure can take the place of real evidence is one shared solely by theists. The world does not so lightheartedly admit untested and inconstant variables such as personal experiences because no one who logically assesses the facts could morally do so. The nonreligious portion of the Earth’s population does not recognize personal experience as a viable form of evidence for anyone besides theists (Faust 72). This arises from the notion that these experiences claimed by the religious are not comparable to witness accounts r recollection of victims in the court of law. Unlike in the case of witness accounts and recollections, theists demand that the supernatural feelings they have be classified as stand-alone evidence without empirical data or essentially a case to back it up (Faust 74). This form of proof cannot stand by itself, especially when one takes into consideration the fact that these experiences happen so little and with so little correlation to any direct event or circumstance that when compared with the rest they produce an insignificant number (Faust 75). Not to mention of course, that any witness account in a case must be taken with a grain of salt, as one can never be certain they are telling the truth without the backing of empirical data. In a vain attempt to denounce alternatives to supernatural creation theists often cling to the proud notion that if they can find a single flaw in an important scientific theory, such as natural selection or evolution, then the entire case of the nonexistence of god collapses (Dawkins 51). First, as proved earlier in the paper, the burden of proof is on the theists, so even if theists can disprove every scientific theory they must still prove theirs (Dawkins 53). Second, a scientific theory must be show to be fundamentally flawed in order for it to collapse. A few issues in the theory simply shows that there is a small amount of data missing or that a certain aspect must be corrected, both of which existences would serve to further the theory (Dawkins 53). The distinct difference between science and religion is that the scientific method of proposing a theory allows for the theory to change and adapt according to what is observed, meaning the core of the idea is what needs to collapse for it to be incorrect, not the random outliers and exceptions picked on by theists. Conclusively, unlike religious arguments, scientific theory is based on observation and change and therefore need to be proven fundamentally wrong to be publically denounced. Atheists have all heard it before, â€Å"Complexity, complexity, complexity, complexity, complexity. Did you know that a cell is really complex? Complexity, complexity, complexity, and you are just going to be blown away by the Trilobites. It crazy, they’re like little machines. Complexity. Therefore, design. † The argument of complexity through intelligent design is another tidbit of supposed empirical data theists put forth in an effort to provide â€Å"physical† evidence for the existence of gods (Myers). This contention is one of the main, and essentially their only, religious attempts to put forth empirical data which scientists can measure. The entire idea of complexity indicating design is in every sense ridiculous. The notion can be dispelled by observing the known world and watching nature, or even humans, create complex structures by chance or accident. Take for example, a young boy who tires of playing with a stick and throws it into a nearby creek. The stick floats downstream until it gets caught between two rocks at a narrow, and begins to catch other debris floating by. Eventually a variety of different types of objects will form a natural dam in the creek, creating a small pond, which in turn can develop its own ecosystem filled with life giving the illusion of design, but being completely natural (Myers). As shown in the example, the complexity of the world derived not from design, but from the wonder of chance, evolution, and natural selection. Over hundreds of millions of years life has slowly developed and pieced itself together much like the dam, changing and adapting to conditions and lifestyles on Earth (Myers). The extreme complexity through which the systems of life today work is derived from the natural selection aspect of evolution, if a system does not work, or fails to quickly adapt, then the system is eliminated time and time again until a system that operates survives (Myers). The argument of complexity solely resides in world of fantasy, has no scientific basis, and should be disregarded as viable physical evidence. Full well knowing how pitiful the points of the argument of intelligent design are, theists look to one final, very childish, measure to save their drowning plight, questioning the validity of science and the scientists who propose it (Mathew 1). Worshippers have long tried to poke holes in important theories such as natural selection and evolution or convince people to dismiss them as simple â€Å"guesses by scientists† (Mathew 1). On the receiving end of most of this ill-informed ridicule rests a creationist’s worst enemy, the theory of evolution. According to many theists, evolution cannot be as there are, so pompously pointed out, several gaps in the evolutionary chain (Dawkins 52). Not only does this not affect the validity of a theory as proved earlier, but is entirely untrue. Fortunately in this world there stands a concept known as a universal constant, a constant essentially keeps humans from testing if the floor will hold them every time they leave bed, or if the stove is hot when the on light is on, or allowing them to understand if they ump from a building they will die. These constants allow mankind to make a series of assumptions that make up nearly every decision in an average day. These assumptions permit humans to deduce situations such as that if a malicious looking; blood-soaked man leaves a room with a knife in hand and a body is found that the man was the murderer. The same idea transfers to the concept of evolution in the regard that scientists, with proper reasoning and motive, can guide the theory across gaps in the chain and still hold a fair evidence base. This utilization of basic skills as assumptions paired with evidence to substantiate them, along with earlier points of scientific theories’ abilities to withstand isolated flaws discredits theist attempts to put science to the question. Not only do the religious weakly attempt to discredit scientific theory and method, but they often will question the religious background of scientists in an effort to win people over to their side (Mathew 4). Perhaps the two most famous cases of the abuse of character are that of Albert Einstein and Charles Darwin. For ages now religious fanatics such as Ray Comfort have bastardized their work by releasing edited copies of their books and mining for quotes that will purposely mislead the common citizen into believing the scientists were theist. For example, Ray Comfort puts forth this quote about Einstein, â€Å"I believe in Spinoza’s God who reveals himself in the orderly harmony of what exists†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Comfort removed the quote completely from context in order to misconstrue its true meaning (Mathew 4). Spinoza’s God is not a god at all, but a term used to sum up the forces of the universe into a word. Einstein in that very paragraph went on to describe how he does not believe in a god who concerns himself with the fates and actions of humans (Mathew 4). Einstein even addressed this kind of misleading material in his own day writing statements denouncing those who claimed him as a believer in God, â€Å"It was of course, a lie what you read about my religious convictions, a lie which has been systematically repeated (Mathew 4). Zealots like Comfort also release carefully crafted versions of great works like Darwin’s Origin of Species in which Darwin claims that he finds it hard to believe that something as astounding as the human eye could have developed through chance, neglecting to add the parts right in which Darwin continues to say that despite this, reason suggests that its true (Mathew 5). The attempt to discredit science and scientists by theists is disgraceful and such a ersonal attack in an impersonal topic alone should be grounds to dismiss the claim. Overall, theists have repeated neglected to present any actual empirical data, therefore have no proof of the existence of gods, and must resort to metaphysical or personal claims. Not only do Occam’s Rule and the absolute lack of empirical evidence disprove the idea of gods, but what arguments theists do rely on are weak, individual, and circumstantial at best, and can all be easily negated. One of these arguments for theism is the existence of morality and the correlation of morals throughout the world and history (Hauser et al 1). This can be easily negated as, put simply, atheists are the perfect example of how this cannot be true. Without guidance and belief in gods they are just as morally good as any religious person (Hauser et al 2).

International Trade and Tariff Essay

Tariffs Explain the various impacts of an import tariff in small nations vs. large nations. The impact of an import tariff in a small nation is entirely unlike then an import tariff from a larger nation. When smaller nations imposes a tariff, it does not affect world prices, however the price of the importable commodity will start to rise, usually by the amount of the tariff for manufacturers and trade in the small nation. When large nations impose a tariff, it will reduce the volume of trade. Large nation tariffs also improve terms of the nation’s trade. Since the volume of trade is being reduced, it tends to lesson the nation’s welfare. However it also can improve the nation’s welfare. It depends on the welfare of the nation to if it actually rises or falls depending on the two conflicting forces. What are the three main reasons governments prefer using a tariff to restrict imports versus quotas? A few reasons why tariffs are better option than import quotas is because, tariffs can generate revenue for the Government, import quotas can lead to administrative corruption, and import quotas can cause smuggling. The reason the government can make money off of tariffs is because there can be a percentage put on imported goods that will generate extra money. There are millions of different things that are imported into a country and the small percentage of tariffs generates a lot of revenue that would be lost of the government unless their trade had an authorizing fee on goods being imported. This can lead to administrative corruption, if there are no restrictions on importing goods then the government has the ability to pick and choose who can import and who cannot. This can give the custom officials a lot of power since they would have the ability to favor and only allow certain corporations. Tariff system helps to rid the possibility of corruptions. This not just the price, but also the quantity sold through supply and demand. Smuggling can occur with an import quota when there are large shortages. A tariff cannot provide a set number on the goods or products that are coming into the country so the number of imports will increase when the demand for it goes up. Should our government use a weak dollar exchange rate policy to make imports more expensive in order to help our exporters? The weakening of the U. S. dollar means that the dollar has fallen in value compared other currency. The weak dollar is good for exports, but not good for importers. The value of currency will decrease when the demand for that specific currency is low, which will make importing goods more expensive. A weak dollar can make things difficult for exporters that are selling to the United States. If a foreign company wants to sell goods to the U. S. it either needs to up the price of the product or sell it at a lower price because of the exchange rate. What roles do the IMF and WTO play in trade and the use of tariffs? The IMF or International Monetary Fun is an global business of countries that strives to guarantee the constancy of the worldwide financial and economic system. The IMF tries to make sure that there is balanced growth to international trade, it promotes exchange constancy and helps to give countries a way to balance payment issues. Tariff rate data comes from the IMF database and the country’s authority figures. The WTO or World Trade Organization is a global company that works on the rules of trade between two countries. It helps to ensure that international trade moves smoothly and generously. It also gives countries a helpful and just outlet for dealing with arguments over importing issues. The WTO regulations permit a nation to defend certain businesses if the elimination of tariffs would have detrimental side effects, such as the loss of necessary national trade.

Consolidating Theory and Research: Childhood Studies Essay

Essay This essay will discuss the new theories of Childhood Studies, possible benefits to teachers and children and how it relates to New Zealand early childhood practice. Let’s begin by looking briefly at what childhood studies entails. Childhood studies is a relatively new field of study that seeks to move away from the outdated theory of seeing children with a ‘social construction’ lens, where a child is a product of a particular set of culturally specific norms, to a ‘social constructivist’ lens, which focuses on the child as an individual and how they interact with their own environment. Not as passive earners, but people, with agency, who contribute to their own development (Clark, R. 2010). Childhood studies draw from different fields of study, e. g. , psychology, education, health, anthropology, law, and sociology, and looks at children using a Bronfenbrenner model. Bronfenbrenner saw a child as being within society, within the bounds of first , it’s family and setting, or the micro system. Then of its mesosystem, or the connections between the family and setting. Then of its community, or exosystem, where the microsystem function. Then in the macrosystem, or greater societal makeup of a child’s particular place of origin. Then lastly the cronosystem, or particular time in which a child lives, and the historic and societal factors of that time, that influence children (Clark, R. 2010). Because childhood studies look at childhood from a wider viewpoint, it allows children to be seen as functioning individuals within many different societal norms. It highlights problems with older theories of development e. g. Piaget’s stages of development (Claiborne, L. , & Drewery, W. 2010) Piaget’s stages define children within a narrow beam, with expectations clearly defined. But in reality, using theories in Childhood Studies, you find children with astly different competencies depending on their societal context. E. g. a three year old New Zealand child will be mostly dependant, protected and facing nothing more challenging than kindergarten and play, whereas a three year old child from the Congo or the South American jungle is likely actively participating in serious household chores and contributin g to family survival, undertaking tasks that a New Zealand parent would balk at (Berk, L. 2009). An interesting crossover is Steiner kindergarten’s practice of teaching children through participating in everyday life skills. e. g. , food preparation, cleaning, gardening, and useful echnological crafts like sewing and weaving (Oldfield, L. 2012), in a typically Western European setting of a teacher led service. The discourse that underpins modern European views of ‘normal’ childhoods being vulnerable and needing to be protected (Clark, 2010), run into problems in the new theories of childhood studies. When you look at children as competent individuals and give them agency, empower them and give them room to develop beyond normal expectation, children often preform well beyond ‘normal’ capabilities. Looking at children through a Childhood Studies focus forces teachers and researchers to reassess their philosophies and xpectations of children (Clark, 2010). Although teachers can use normative guides for approximate development, it is too difficult to paint an exact measure of ‘normal’ and fit all children within that expectation (Clark, 2010). Average and ideal competency is relative to societal influences, and even in a small countries like New Zealand, cultural differences in Pacific, Maaori and European cultures provide stunning examples of different levels of competency, agency and expectation in children. For example, a strong focus on tuakana/teina relationships in Maaori whanau, or the xpectation of a larger role in siblings caring for each other (Tomlins-Jahnke, H. , & Durie, A. 2008), and the serious attitude of respect and responsibility afforded to Pacific children relative to community and cultural practice (Pereira, F. 2004) & (Poland, M. , Paterson, J. , Carter, S. , Gao, W. , Perese, L. , & Stillman, S. 2010). Teachers can no longer presume that just because a child is of a certain age or size that the child’s developmental competencies will be at the expected normal level. From personal experience, I have a child who did not meet toileting self management at four, ut excelled in academics, and all my children were frequently mistaken for older children in early childhood settings because of their increased height and size. This often led to unreasonable expectation from other parents of their skill level and behavior. So in conclusion, Childhood studies urge us to know each child as an individual, so that we may cater to that child’s best interests and levels of competency. The best way to do this is work on building sound reciprocal relationships with children and their families (Ministry of Education, 1996), and by using qualitative methods of recording and presenting and valuating children’s learning in Early childhood settings (Ministry of Education, 2009). Childh ood studies allow us to look holistically at a child and its surroundings and work to meet its needs within that setting, shedding typical expectations and working towards strengthening skills and competency. Part two Perspectives of children Sourcing and analyzing seven media examples concerning New Zealand children, I found strong connecting themes. These were overt consumerism in western culture, poverty vs wealth in normal discourse, overwhelming misunderstanding as to best normal development anging from personal to government level, and the frightening tide of misuse of technology in western society threatening children’s development. Children were discussed in all examples, but there was no children’s voice. It seems normal to discuss and analyze children in media, but never to ask them their opinion! Which seems to go against any rights that children have (United Nations. 1989) to be treated equally, and have an agency in their lives and culture. I will break th e articles down to find the main themes underpinning each article, then link over lapping themes that run throughout. Article one â€Å"Kiwi families conned by promise of free childcare† discusses the 20 hours free childcare policy. We see that although the government tries to provide all children with free early childhood education (ECE), centres are charging extra. We ask ourselves is this because government undervalues children in general and doesn’t fund enough? Or is it because children are seen as commodities by EC centres who are trying to make a profit. Either way, children are being given economic value and both parties are struggling to balance books, not develop children. In article two, â€Å"Should preschool be compulsory? two pundits debate compulsory preschool. The article points out the inability of the poor to afford what is in fact not free education for 3-5 year olds under the 20 hours free policy. A topic carried over from the first article. From a child studies point of view it raises these questions; How can government presume all children fit appropriately into services in multicultural society? How can government insure centres meet cultural needs of children attending centres? And who decides the ‘magic’ set of skills a child needs to acquire before starting school? Skills listed in the article do not fit skills

Exploring Transgender Troubles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Exploring Transgender Troubles - Essay Example Over the years many people have thought and associated transgender to gays or lesbianism. Being a gay would therefore mean that one is transgendered, deep study has however proved otherwise. Since the formal definition of lesbianism and gay, reports have claimed both contemporary and historical transgendered people as gay and lesbians. It is worth noting that transgender people have for long been unclaimed or unrecognized as homosexual. Since time immemorial, transgender troubles has been a topic of discussion with many arguing that, even homosexuality was not personhood until the late nineteenth century. Although transgender is a good term, not everyone talks good about transgender people, different societies, cultures and institutions have continually viewed it as an immoral and non acceptable. There is therefore, a lot of criticisms and hatred to individuals who exhibit transgender traits. How then can we define transgender people? Through many writers, a comprehensive understandi ng of the term has been made and thus transgender people are individuals who in one way or the other may fail to develop their gender identity that keep up a correspondence to identity as to whether male or female. In these people, it is not a surprise to find a male who exhibits a female characteristic and vice versa. These people may not as well respond to their gender roles appropriately as imposed by the society in which they come from. This aspect has thus lead to transgender troubles with many societies considering transgender behavior as a serious crime which ought to have a capital punishment, a good example is a country like Saudi Arabia. Transgender troubles are also apparent in its contents. It is unclear about what is contained in transgender. According to the general understanding of transgender, it is basically gender variance. Therefore, the question remains, what are factors considered in gender variance. The answer remains unclear and contradictory. It is therefore not easy to establish who is to be included in the transgender bracket and who is to be left out. Transgender behavior has sparked troubles in many countries, take for example, European and in North America, there are certain forms of violent behavior against these group. Many people have even gone ahead and considered this behavior as one of the major psychiatric illness is so serious that even justifies institutionalization. In trying to avoid all these discrimination and transgender troubles, communities with these restrictions have forced victims with transgender behavior to conform to their birth sex norm to avoid stigma and social violence surrounding them (Meyerowitz and Meyerowitz 24). Their attempt to achieve a new sex reassignment will not be allowed or supported. For authorities which only accept heterosexual marriages, official transgender changes can result to serious implications related to privileges and rights like inheritance, medical decision-making or even child c ustody. Another transgender trouble appears during classification. It becomes very difficult to classify these individuals because generally many countries or organizations only recognize two classes of people: male or a female. Doctors, transsexuals and journalists

Public Health Core Areas and the BSPH Program Essay

Public Health Core Areas and the BSPH Program - Essay Example Evidently, most women in Fulton County did not frequently or, even worse, have never gone or were not able to receive mammography screenings; they have been in the waiting lists for a long time. They eliminated the list and three hundred women received early mammography screening through the funds that Atlanta affiliate organization won (Schmid, 2011). American Public Health Association had a meeting on 2009 November 7-11 in Philadelphia, PA, and it was their 137th meeting. The meeting was about â€Å"The American Public Health Association† and the â€Å"Institute for Public Health and Water Research† coming into partnership and focusing on the importance of water; they had concerns which involved protecting public health. The partnership meant to have happened before the official World Water Day. They wanted to ensure safety in public health through the consumption of clean and safe drinking water (Schmid, 2011). â€Å"American Public Health Association† had their 128th meeting on 2000 November 12-16 in Boston, MA. The meeting was about issues concerning health disparities, for instance, how to eliminate the health disparities. The first thing to be undertaken in order to eliminate health disparities was to implement health reforms from a public health point of view. Another aspect of eliminating disparities that was suggested is that the health system of the nation needed reforms. In addition, they suggested that there be provision of more affordable health care services that are in line with promoting health and preventing diseases (Schmid, 2011). â€Å"American Public Health Association† had a meeting with Committee on Women’s Rights on 2006 November 4-8, in Boston, MA; it took place for the 134th time. The meeting was about empowering women and activities that were going to take place due to the efforts of the Committee on Women’s

Creative Writing, write a complete story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Creative Writing, write a complete story - Essay Example She moaned softly. Thank god for plush leather sofas, she said to herself. These parties always went on a few hours longer than they ought. People began to fidget, not knowing whether to leave or stay on, they stalled from minute to minute trying to decide whether they wanted to leave or stay on. The boisterous drunk trying to make conversation for everyone, the depressive ones staring stonily at nothingness, and the sober ones shiftily eyeing each other and the clock on the wall overhead; she smiled again, her lips curling up into that ironic twist that had made her so infamous around the office. The Snarky Bitch: that’s who she was. They thought she didn’t know, but she could tell. She could tell from the abrupt stop in conversations when she walked in, the knowing smiles they exchanged when she left, those infuriating little inside-jokes they would laugh about in her presence. She’d realized right away that she was never going to be welcome here, and had decided to make it her job to be as abrasive as possible. She wasn’t welcome, was she? Well, she didn’t want to be! She covered her eyes with her hands and tried to calm down. It had been two months here, she ought to have gotten used to it by now. Fragments of conversation began to float in. She froze and almost involuntarily, began to listen. â€Å"But of course, metaphysical poetry must necessarily be read in its contextualized framework of the period that is commonly called – but it is a gross error to call it so, although this is open to much debate, something I talk about in my last book, you know. Yes what was I saying? – The Renaissance. I mean someone like Donne, aspiring courtier, flamboyant in his romances –† Here the speaker paused to drain his glass, before continuing, â€Å"But of course, people like Rowling are very over-rated. I mean what has she really contributed beyond some copying and bringing together bits and pieces of

Marketing Across Cultures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing Across Cultures - Essay Example With this manipulation of elements, a firm can achieve its objectives in the market that it targets. The elements of the marketing mix are â€Å"product, price, promotion, and place, also referred to as the four Ps† (Bennet, pp. 44, 2009). The firm does not manipulate all of these elements to a significant degree every time it is marketing across cultures. However, the selections of elements, which require manipulation, are only possible in the light of the characteristics of the culture. For this reason, examples, such as the ones stated below, can help to elaborate this fact. The management of the marketing effort is also highly affected by the differences in the cultures of the firm's different target markets. The four functions of the marketing management are analysis, planning, function, and control (Maister, pp. 133, 1997). The degree of importance which management gives to each function is dependent on the characteristics of the market that the firm targets. For example , the characteristics of a market existing in one culture may emphasize the importance of planning above all the other functions, while a market in another culture may necessitate the control function to be the one the firm invests in the most. Again, the true effect of the culture on the marketing management can only be understood through in-depth analysis and examples. According to a case study, which studied international marketing by shedding light on Ikea’s operations in Shanghai, they learned that â€Å"the company must think globally and act locally in hope of building long-term customer relationships and capturing customer value. In marketing decisions, culture does not hold an ultimate status but still calls for due attention as much as other factors, such as the marketing environment and the company’s strategic plan† (Pan, pp. iii, 2005). This is an example of such a case, were marketing across several different cultures has led to a difference in the marketing elements employed, and will thus be useful in understanding the phenomenon.  Similarly, one can deduce that the strategic management that a multinational company does is on a global scale, following the rules it abides by in any part of the world. Whereas the local marketing strategies are designed locally, depending on the target market and culture of the country of operation (Doole and Lowe, pp. 218-225, 2008). Product: One of the elements in the marketing mix, which is majorly affected by the culture to which it is being employed in, is the product itself.

San Francisco Peaks Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

San Francisco Peaks - Research Paper Example However this entire mystery was resolved in 1980 when Mount St. Helen’s erupted. It is because of this erosion that the scientists and geologists were able to figure out that due to volcanoes a mountains entire face can disappear. Further, with the help of the geological testing and aerial photos it was concluded that the San Francisco Peaks experience the same kind of erosion and that is why it took a unique formation. It is believed by the geologists that the actual peaks were more than 16,000 feet high (San Francisco Peaks) The Peaks The San Francisco Peaks are located to the north of Flagstaff, Arizona and has a height of about 12,633 feet. It is considered to be the most distinct geological mark of the Colorado Plateau. These peaks have been named after the settler in the region the early 1620s named St. Francis of Assisi, however in the local area these are referred to as Peaks. The peaks are a collective formation of six summits that encircle the volcanic crater, which is now a quiet volcano. Out of all the six, the highest peak in Arizona is Humphreys Peak that is 12,633 feet high, Agassiz Peak is about 12,356 feet and the Fremont Peak soars up to 11,969 feet. The remaining three peaks; Aubineau Peak, Reese Peak and the Doyle Peak climb up to 11,838 feet, 11,474 feet and 11,460 feet respectively. Together all these peaks make a circular ring making the peaks the most significant geological display of volcanic rocks, together with the picturesque view of the lava flows and the deep alpine forest. As the peaks are a unique formation, they provide a dramatic landscape of the Flagstaff that is isolated, huge and quite unexpected. Since the peaks are quite tower-like, these can be viewed from quite a distance even from the Wupatki National Monuments (Priest, Duffield and Malis-Clark). Today these peaks have become tourist attractions as millions of people visit this place every year. The Peaks have a protected alpine environment (Inner Basin), a ski r esort (Arizona Snowbowl) and the Humphreys Peak (the highest point of Arizona). People visit the place for hiking, wildlife viewing, camping, and skiing and wilderness seclusion. The Formation of the Peaks Arizona’s volcanic pleasures begin to form about 6 million years ago when there were 600 volcanic eruptions in the region. It was due to these volcanic eruptions that the Peaks were formed, mainly the Humphrey’s peak that soared above the terrain making it a geological landscape, otherwise it would just have been a dry and arid plateau. Although the history of the formation of the Peaks varies in the region however the general geologic history remains quite the same. Nearly about 500 million years ago the Plateau region was below or at the sea levels and the sediments of limestone began to accumulate underneath. Although most of the volcanic eruptions are near the tectonic plates in the earths crust however Arizona has been quite far from the North American Plate. Th e reason of volcanic eruptions in this region is believed to be the molten rock that is the trapped area beneath the Northern Arizona named as the hot spot. This molten rock occasionally rises, moving the plate to the west and creating volcanoes. The Peaks are believed to be formed nearly 500,000 to 1 million years ago however its inner basin has been quite since its formation (Jones). Many geologists name this formation of the San Francisco Peaks as a stratovolcano meaning that it

Human resorces Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human resorces - Case Study Example Considering myself in the place of Joan, as director of scientific computing, I need to take Fred into confidence that I won’t let him down in my next appraisal recommendation for yearly hike. The difference in the salary would be compensated by offering a better yearly appraisal in salary to Fred than it would be offered to Bob. It would certainly reduce the difference and from there onwards, both the employees would be advised not to share their salary details, as it would tantamount to breach of the contract with the company. The bank needs to provide the related documents of the white employee who has not been reporting for work the same duration of time as has been on leave Ruth Wittman. The bank would also have to provide details of the white worker who was permitted to go outside the bank compound to verify the causes offered by the white employee for taking a break from the working hours so that the bank could prove the genuineness on its part by not permitting Ruth for the same. The bank also needs to provide the record of the employee who was not given heavy packets of checks for processing to prove that white employee was attending the training program and the training period of that white employee was yet to finish. If I were the EEOC District Director, I would take a decision in support of Ruth Wittman. My explanation for such a decision would be based on the issues highlighted by Ruth, indicating the practice of racial discrimination by the manager. Ruth gave three arguments, wherein she has stated color as the cause of giving Ruth a rough and biased treatment by the bank. The concerned bank did not present the specific records before the EEOC District Director to prove its argument; in stead the bank preferred to give reference of the policy and procedure and ignored the need to present some hard evidence against the blame of Ruth. Jack Otto should bring it to the notice of Bob Hill by calling him in his cabin and

Do some brief research on the topic of resisting change. What Paper

Do some brief on the topic of resisting change. What determines whether or not people resist change - Research Paper Example Researchers have observed many types of resistance. Employees avoid doing tasks or postponement of tasks, resignation and underproduction are the most common outcomes recognized by researchers. Another study unveils few other indicators that show resistance for change in the organization, which include increased absenteeism, impatience and frustration (Todnem, 2005). These indicators and reactions of employees are reflective of the resistance to change. In order to manage the change effectively and to avoid these negative after effects of change in the organization, mangers must understand the reasons behind the resistance. Employees do resist change and their negative responses are caused by few rational reasons. One reason behind the resistance of change by employees is uncertainty about the effects of change being implemented in the organization. Uncertainty about job performance is another reason that triggers employees to resist change because they are unaware of the tasks, which will be given to them after change and they have fear of not having the required skills. Another reason behind this resistance is no involvement of employee in the change process, which creates the fear of abrupt change in the mind of employees and they think they are not the part of the organization. To cope with these consequences, management must be proactive, enable employee participation, and make them aware of the effects of the change in the organization (Todnem,

Of mice and men Film Essay Example for Free

Of mice and men Film Essay Of mice and men is a very touching film of hopes dreams and friendship. Adapted from the novel by John Steinbeck. The film is about two friends, Lennie and George, with a dream of great times with their own land and house. But there is a another story intertwined with theirs, about what people think of women. The two stories together will hold you in an array of emotions from joy to sorrow, and pride to guilt. This film if full of brilliant acting and meaningful uses of light and props. Of the two stories we will look at the one about women. We open the film with a man sitting in the shadows. Little light is coming in through the slits in the wood he is leaning on. He looks depressed and upset and bows his head as if hes trying to recall his memories of what went wrong to lead to this depression. And then we are suddenly in a field with early evening light filling a beautiful landscape, the main focus of our attention is of the woman running across the picture, shes white with brown hair wearing a torn red dress. As she runs we can see shes trying to run away form something or somebody, shes crying and the only sound we hear is her distressed breathing like she wants to cry but is holding the tears back. She looks like she has been attacked, although the dress is torn we only see a petty coat and not any flesh so this suggests that it might not have been sexual. But we cant really say for sure. The red dress represents passion so this says it could be sexual. We the see the two main characters running so we now think that they are connected to this. We never see this woman again in the whole of the story. The next woman we find is first only known as Curlys wife. She first comes into the story when she enters the bunkhouse where Lennie and George have only just arrived and are unpacking. Shes wearing a flowery dress which could be seen as innocent as it is cool colours and doesnt reveal much of her figure. Her hair is also in a very feminine style again to show innocence. Im looking for curly she says, almost as if she needs an excuse for being there. But also at the same time using it in an almost flirty sort of way trying to see how the new boys will react. He was in here a minute ago, but he left George replies cutting off that conversation. He hasnt stopped staring at her since she entered but not in a flattering way. We know he is a cautious person and he is almost looking at her trying to spot any type of threat. Especially as when Curly was in here he wasnt particularly nice. So his wife, even if she isnt like him in character, can still get him into trouble. Well I guess I better look some place else she says turning to face the door, only not to leave, just so the light shines on her from outside, showing off her figure. We now know that this girl is just one big flirt and George can see that. He wants her to leave as its the only thing that can happen to stop this tension, he cant leave with Lennie as they have no excuse to. Eventually after some more flirty lines she leaves. Through this scene we have been introduced to the only other woman in the film and we know shes a flirt and danger even if her image suggest otherwise at times. The camera reinforces this along with what she does. It starts with full body shots at the beginning of the scene and as she gets more flirtatious the shots concentrate on her upper body, then just her face, the attention is on her a lot of the time. The next scene with Curlys wife is in a barn as George takes a mule in. As he calls out for the stable buck she answers instead and comes half way over to some bags of hay. Shes in another flowery dress, again trying to portray innocence be we know that she is anything but innocent. This time she is also holding a book, possibly a story or maybe a diary, either suggest that maybe she isnt as much of the tart as we first thought and that she enjoys reading. Once again she tries to start a conversation, but George is still cautious of her and ignores her, concentrating on the mule. So to try to entice him she starts to once again flirt, as she sits on the bags of hay she leans back a little defining her chest. Her dress has ridden up revealing quite a bit of her leg, she pats the seat next to her trying to get him to come over. But still he just ignores her so she shouts. come over here and talk to me! he gets up and walks over to her. She calms down now she has her way. So she flirts to get her way most of the time but what we really want to know is if she really after a conversation or whether she only wants a cheap thrill like she has implied. All we have seen of her is her flirting and even now as hes come over to talk she is leaning against a pole like a lap dancer, asking about whether he has a sweetheart back home. We can almost certainly say that she is only after one thing. But then some thing happens that maybe changes our perspective of her. Her husband comes in. He ask whats going on and she says nothing I wasnt talking to you. he replies get back in the house. you dont own me curly. She says he now comes close to her and says in a way that seems like he might hit her I said go. And so she does. In this brief 2 minute talk we can see her relationship with her husband isnt a good one but he had just caught her with another man so maybe he can justify his anger. In this scene we have seen that Curlys wife is as we thought very flirty but that her relationship with her husband might cause this. She next walks into shot again in a flowery dress with a book as Lennie and George are hard at work in a field. In the scene before this Lennie and Curly have a fight. Lennie ends up with a bruised and scratched face and Curly gets a broken hand. Hi. she says, this is given a glance but they dont reply or give any recognition. sure is hot out here to day. She trys again to get conversation going. But again they dont care and keep on working. So she trys again. I said it sure is hot out here. why dont you go back to your house we dont want no trouble. Says George in a way that says I know I cant force you but I dont want you here. This is of course because of what Curly did. She is taken aback by this, she is used to being ignored but not told to leave by anyone other than her husband. I just want some one to talk to. She says. you got a husband, go talk to him George replies. yeah I got a husband. She says almost in a disappointed way. She then asks how Curly got his hand broken. To which George lies and says he got his hand caught in a machine. But this doesnt fool her so seeking an answer she asks Lennie who she knows wont have the mental capacity to make up a lie. how did you get those scratches on your face? she asks. Lennie looks to George and then looks away saying, he got it caught in a machine. He answers. is that so? She says with a look that is trying to work out how Lennie thinks. Almost as if she is concerned for him. She then quietly leaves. In this scene we begin to see that she isnt stupid she can work things out. Also that she doesnt like Curly and being married to him. The possibility that all she wants is some one to talk to is again present. In her penultimate scene we change our whole opinion of Curlys wife. Its set at night as Lennie and George are returning to the bunk house. Most of the other men are still in town spending their money in a whore house on girls and drink. Just as they are about to enter the bunk house Curlys wife comes out of the shadows looking upset and as if she has been crying. is curly back yet? she asks. no. says George knowing that Curly could very well be with another woman right now. She then says how Curly broke her records and we finally see a frail side of her caused by the fact her husband is now out possibly with another woman, he doesnt even talk to his wife, he doesnt even leave her with some measly records to listen to. We are shoved into feeling sorry for this poor girl and guilty that we thought she was just after a cheap thrill, when all she really wanted was someone to talk too. We get to see the womans frail side in this scene and we finally see her true motivation for the way she is, we see that she is very hurt and is just good at putting a brave face on things. In her last scene Curlys wife walks into a barn where Lennie has just accidentally killed a puppy. As she comes over he hides away and says how she would get him in trouble. whats wrong with me? she shouts at him as he rejects her company. Lennie doesnt see her as a sex object and so he doesnt see any danger in her although he is slightly attracted to her. So he opens up a little to her and in turn she opens up and finally we see her shed this mask that only shows her body and the fact that she is just a woman and should be treated as just some object. But now Lennie is sitting there talking to her as an equal and this is the sort of interaction with other people that she has tried to get through out the whole film. We find out as she opens up that she wanted to be an actress and she had plans to go to the theatre or Broadway and be an actress. Lennie is going on about tending the rabbits and not really listening but still Curlys wife doesnt care and talks about her dreams still. Eventually they do start listening to each other, and they find a common like for soft things. She lets him feel her hair, and then we see her open up in another way. Usually Curly is only interested in one thing, quick sex to satisfy him with no feelings involved, but here with Lennie she is being appreciated with close touch. She likes the fact he is being gentle and soft only after the simple pleasure of being able to stroke her hair. But he is a child in a strong mans body and he doesnt let go of her hair when she asks him to stop as he gets a little rough, and she screams, he grabs her and gags her, he only wants her to stop shouting but as he lays her back down we see that he has broken her neck. She lies silently in a pool of light on the hay as Lennie runs in fear. For a brief second we saw this beautiful woman blossom and show her true self and now she is gone. Though this film we see a progressing way in how men picture women. In the bunk house scene all we see is a flirty woman, and we are focused on her body. In the second scene we get another showing of this but at the end we see her giving in to her husband and maybe a suggestion of how he treats her. Next we see her being ignored by the boys, they consider her trouble even thought its not directly her fault, also we see a bit of her intelligence and that she isnt that stupid. Then finally we see her frailty and that she is not just a pair of breasts on legs, she has feeling as well as a mind and emotions. We can conclude that because of the way men see her, causes her to flirt as its the only way to get any attention. Because she doesnt get the conversation and interaction from Curly she turns else where and flirting is the only way to get that interaction she wants. In the last scene we see her mind, her dreams, opinions and thoughts. we see the side of her that has been ignored by every one just because shes a woman. Through the whole film we dont even get to know her name. But with Lennie these barriers are broken as he doesnt understand them and so she can open up and talk to this person. Even though he might not be listening he isnt blocking her out because she a woman and she gets the interaction that she wants and that she has been searching for. Then finally she dies and we are left with a memory of a woman that showed her mind to us and how she was no longer just a body to be looked at by men. But for a brief moment considered as an individual person.

Political and religious corruption Essay Example for Free

Political and religious corruption Essay ‘Tragedy’ and ‘satire’ are the weapons used by men of letters for different ends. Tragedy arouses the emotions of pity and fear in the hearts of viewers and readers; while satire makes them laugh as well as make them see the real picture lying beneath the one appeared on the surface. Now, let us discuss in detail how the use of satire in writing literature conveys effectively the message of religious and political corruption as compared to the use of tragedy. Tragedy primarily deals with the disaster that comes to those individuals who represent the flaws and shortcomings that are, to a large extent, universal. Tragedy is basically a cry of protest against the tragic circumstances and situations in which the tragic hero finds himself. Aristotle in his book Poetics says that the aim of these incidents is to arouse the emotions of ‘pity and fear’ in the hearts of viewers and readers in order to carry out the ‘catharsis of such emotions’. He also believes that these incidences should happen to the hero not by some ‘vice and depravity’ on the part of the hero but by some ‘error of judgment. ’ So the basic aim of tragedy is purging the viewer of the emotions of pity and fear and not that of making him particularly aware of the corruption, depredations, degradations and problems existing in the society in the realms of morality, religion, politics etc. So a number of times it happen that the viewers weep at the tragic situations instead of thinking about the social and religious problems encountered by the hero of the story. For instance, ‘the duchess of Malfi’ makes the viewers less aware of the political and religious corruption existing at the time in the Jacobean society and more aware of the misfortunes and troubles that fall upon the duchess and Antonio –her second husband. Yes, Webster raised his fingers towards the corrupt practices existing at the time in the palace by the example of greedy, lunatic and incestuous Ferdinand and towards the corrupt religious situation by the example of the cardinal-the duchess’s brother, who plays an important role in conspiring the murder of her sister, has a mistress and then killed her afterwards. The murder of Duchess, Antonio, Bosola and the excessive terror and violence in the last scenes nauseates the viewers and do not give them enough time and space to ponder over the social, political and religious violations existing at the time and discussed in the play. On the other hand, satirist is believed to be a kind of self-appointed guardian of social standards, of truth, of moral, political, religious and ethical values. He is a man who is supposed to take upon himself the task of correcting, censuring and ridiculing the follies and vices existing in the society and thus to bring contempt and derision upon the deviations and irregularities from civilized and widely-acceptable social norms. Satirical comedy is meant to be dramatic, whose basic and primary purpose is to expose, censure and ridicule the follies, vices and shortcomings existing in the realms of society, ethics, politics, and religion. Thus as compared to the use of tragedy the use of satire works best as a weapon aiming at exposing the political, religious and social and ethical corruption of an era. Let us discuss it in detail with the examples of Gay’s ‘the Beggars’ Opera’ and Jonathan Swift’s ‘the Gulliver’s Travels’. Gay’s ‘The Beggars’ Opera’ is intended to be a satire on the politics and society of his time. The heroes and the heroines undergo many difficulties and there were, at times, clear indication of impending deaths. But the opera does not make the viewers teary, rather it amuse them, make them laugh and at the same time made them think on the bleak political, ethical, and social scenario prevailing at the time. The viewer’s attention was directed towards the political corruptions, thefts, and high-handed tactics adopted by Sir Robert Walpole-the prime minister of England at that time- by the examples of Peachum and Macheath. Peachums behavior as a thief, as a womanizer, and as a double-crosser directly aims at Sir Robert Walpole, who was also known as a corrupt leader as well as an adulterer at that time. Then the attention of the viewers was directed towards the corrupted ethical state of the society of that time by the examples of unmarried mothers in ‘the Beggars Opera’, by the example of Polly and Lucy. The corruption is shown to be permeated deep down in the annals of the society and the music, crispy and thought provoking scenes and dialogues made the viewers seriously think and ponder on the state of affairs. Unlike ‘the Duchess of Malfi’, the viewers of the Beggars Opera’ did not weep but the use of satire made them think and make decisions about the issues towards which there attention was directed by the writer of the Opera. Jonathan Swift in his book ‘the Gulliver’s Travels’ made pungent satire at the political, ethical, intellectual, physical and religious aspects of the English society of that time. He criticizes the politics of his time by making the readers feel, with the examples of the distribution of three colored ribbons to the winners in games, walking on tight rope, etc. that how the political offices at that time were distributed, not on the basis of intellect and political sagacity but on the basis of petty acrobatic skills. Flimnap-the Lilliputian treasurer, is a grotesque representation of Sir Robert Walpole. The Lilliputian palace intrigues are the satiric representation by Swift of the English Royal palace’s state of affairs. The king of Lilliput made the readers think about the greed and avarice and tyranny to which a king can fall. The by the example of Brobdingnagian King’s references to the politics and history of England of that time was very cutting and biting for the English readers- who think the politics of their country as the best of all in the world. The King’s remark that only justice and common sense is required to run the governments and not the bulk of books is also very thought provoking. All this was meant by Swift to shake the people out of their complacency and make them think how horrible the state of affairs has been. Swift made a reference to the corrupted religious situation of the time by discussing the feuds between the big-endians and the small-endians. This was a war waged between two groups of Lilliputian, one group insist on breaking the egg from its smaller end , while the other insisted on breaking it from the bigger end. This is a reference to the intellectual conflicts going on between the different religious sects at that time in England. The most pungent and intensely thought provoking satire is written in the last section of the book where yahoos are compared with the brutal elements in the human nature while horses-houyhnhnms-are considered as the paragons of wisdom and intellect. Yahoos are always ready to fight with one another; they are portrayed as very greedy, querulous, lecherous and gluttonous. Houyhnhnms are thinking of banishing the race of yahoos from their area. Thus from this whole discussion we gather that as compared to tragedy , the weapon of satire is better able to convey the social, political and ethical corruption prevailing at the time of writing of that piece of art to the readers and viewers. Tragedy primarily discusses the sorrows and misfortunes related to a single person, it purges the viewers and readers of the emotions of pity and fear by evoking and fashioning these emotions in them. Satire on the other hand is a tool with which the writer exposes the multi-dimensional social ills of the society with a smile on his face. The readers and viewers laugh with the writer and at the same time think about making amends of the faults and problems prevailing in the society. The satire does not nauseate the viewers and so they are left with enough energy to think about correcting the society and doing the needful.

Energy Performance of Curtain Wall

Energy Performance of Curtain Wall Introduction Building envelope is used to separate the conditioned and unconditioned environment, the material used in envelop will affect the indoor environment of the building. For a commercial building, the electricity consumption of HVAC system and lighting system is related to the features of the curtain wall system, such as U-value, shading coefficient and visible transmittance. The energy performance of each curtain wall system will be studied in this chapter and it can separate into three sections: 1) U-value and Energy Consumption of HVAC system, 2) Shading Coefficient and Energy Consumption of HVAC system and 3) Visible Transmittance and Energy Consumption of Lighting system. U-value and Energy Consumption of HVAC system According to Bougdah (2009), U-value, a thermal transmittance coefficient, is used to measure the insulation property of a building element. As thermal insulation of curtain wall may affect the energy consumption of the building, the relationship between U-Value and energy consumption of HVAC systems is studied in order to analyze the energy performance of various curtain wall system. Based on table 6.2.1, the relationship between U-value and energy consumption of HVAC systems can be shown. The U-value of curtain wall system is directly proportional to the annual energy consumption of HVAC system. With higher values of U-value, the energy performance of the curtain wall system becomes poorer and it requires more electricity as the heat can more easily transfer from outdoor to indoor. On the contrary, the lower in U-value, curtain wall system can perform better energy consumption in HVAC system. Table 6.2.1 U-value and Energy Performance of HVAC System of Targeted Curtain Wall Figure 6.2.1 Relationship between U-Value and Energy Consumption of HVAC System Figure 6.2.1 demonstrates the directly proportional relationship between U-value and energy consumption of HVAC system obviously. With the saw-tooth pattern of the line chart, there are some types of curtain wall system which have three layers of glazing require more energy than two layers one. It means that there are other factors, such as shading coefficient, which may also affect the energy performance of the HVAC system. The relationship between shading coefficient and annual energy consumption of HVAC system will be discussed in the next section. Shading Coefficient and Energy Consumption of HVAC system According to Ander (2014), the shading coefficient of glass is a measure to determine the solar heat gain through the glazing. Radiation is a method to transfer heat from the outdoor environment to the indoor environment. For commercial buildings with curtain wall system, shading coefficient becomes another major factor that affects the amount of heat transferred to the building. The external envelope of the building is glazing which has lower insulation for heat transmission through radiation. Since the shading coefficient will affect the energy consumption, the relationship of shading coefficient and energy consumption of HVAC system is studied. Based on the table 6.3.1 below, the shading coefficient of curtain wall is directly proportion to the energy consumption of HVAC system. It means that the amount of annual energy consumption of HVAC system becomes higher with a relatively high shading coefficient of curtain wall system. With the lower of the shading coefficient, the lower the energy consumption of HVAC system, less heat transfer from external environment to internal environment. The major factor affected the shading coefficient of curtain wall system is the type of glazing. In this study, clear glasses and tinted glasses are used in various types of curtain wall. Tinted glass is a common glazing that used to construct the curtain wall system and Pfrommer (1995) stated that the tinting can produce various colours, such as green, bronzer and tinted glass can absorb solar radiation and reduce those heat and light transmission. Tinted glass can perform a better energy saving performance compared with clear glass which do not contain any chemicals to absorb radiation. However, the price of curtain wall system with tinted glass is more expensive than clear glass. Besides, the number of layers of curtain wall system is another reason affected the shading coefficient of that curtain wall system. It is easy to understand that the radiation transmission becomes lower with a higher number of layers of curtain wall system. Therefore, triple glazed curtain wall with tinted glass has the lowest annual energy consumption while single glazed curtain wall with clear glass has the highest annual energy consumption. Table 6.3.1 Shading Coefficient and Energy Performance of HVAC System of Targeted Curtain Wall Figure 6.2.1 Relationship between shading coefficient and Energy Consumption of HVAC System From the figure 6.2.1 above, a straight proportional relationship between shading coefficient and annual energy consumption of HVAC system can be identified. Type I triple glazed curtain wall system with spectrally low-e tinted glass which has the lowest shading coefficient has the best performance in annual energy consumption of HVAC system. However, Type A single glazed curtain wall system with clear glass which has the highest shading coefficient has the poorest performance in annual energy consumption of HVAC system. Visible Transmittance and Energy Consumption of Lighting System Apart from the attractive appearance, a high portion of natural lighting is another characteristic of curtain wall system. Unlike other external wall construction, curtain wall systems are constructed by glazing elements and more daylighting can pass through to the indoor environment of the building. Efficient Windows Collaborative (2014) stated that visible transmittance is the amount of light in the visible portion of the light spectrum that passes through glasses and it will be influenced by the glazing type, the number of panels, and any glass coatings. Based on the table 6.4.1 and figure 6.4.1, lighting transmittance is inversely proportional to the annual energy consumption of the lighting system. With a higher value of lighting transmittance, the amount of annual energy consumption of lighting system becomes lower. It means that more visible light transmitted from the external environment to internal environment and the target building can save more energy in lighting system. However, more energy is used in lighting system in case the value of lighting transmittance is in a small value. In this study, two factors affect the lighting transmittance of curtain wall can be identified. The first reason is the number of layers. More layers can increase the thickness of curtain wall, thus less visible daylighting can pass through curtain wall. This is easy to understand that triple glazed curtain wall system blocks more lighting than single glazed curtain wall and double glazed curtain wall system. The second reason is the type of glazi ng. From table 6.4.1, clear glasses always have higher lighting transmittance than tinted glasses. As mentioned above, tinted glasses can reduce light transmission. Although it performs good energy saving in HVAC system, it consumes more energy in lighting system. Table 6.4.1 Visible Transmittance and Energy Performance of Lighting System of Targeted Curtain Wall Figure 6.4.1 Relationship between Visible Transmittance and Annual Energy Consumption of Lighting System From the above figure 6.4.1, the inversely proportional relationship between visible transmittance and annual energy consumption of lighting system is shown. Type I triple glazed curtain wall system with spectrally low-e tinted glass which has the lowest visible transmittance has the poorest performance in annual energy consumption of lighting system. Nevertheless, Type A single glazed curtain wall system with clear glass which has the highest visible transmittance has the best performance in annual energy consumption of lighting system. Overall Performance in Energy Performance After assessment, the performance of each curtain wall system can be assessed. Using the ranking as the score to calculate the performance of curtain wall, curtain wall system with a higher performance score means they perform better in energy consumption of Building A. The performance ranking is converted to score from 1 (the poorest performer) to 10 (the best performer). As around 70% of electricity is consumed by HVAC system normally, the over score is equal to â€Å"HVAC System Score x 70% + Lighting System Score x 30%†. Based on the following table, Type J obtains the highest score in this study, whereas type B obtain the lowest score in this study. Table 6.5.1 Score of Targeted Curtain Wall System Type A Curtain Wall System Type A curtain wall is constructed by single glazed with clear glass. As there is only one layer of glass, the U-value of curtain wall is the lowest. Clear glass used in Type A cannot absorb radiation but it can provide more visible lighting to Building A. From the above reason, Type A obtains the highest score in lighting system and the lowest score in HVAC system. Type B Curtain Wall System Single glazed with tinted glass curtain wall system is similar to Type A curtain wall system. Nevertheless, tinted glass is used in this curtain wall system. Type B curtain wall system has a relatively low shading coefficient and visible transmittance compared with Type A curtain wall system. Type C Curtain Wall System Type C curtain wall system is double glazed with low-e tinted glass. The low-e coating can minimize the amount of ultraviolet and infrared light that pass through glass. As there is air space between two glasses, the U-value of curtain wall is lower than curtain wall system with one layer. And less heat can be transferred from the external environment to the internal environment since tinted glasses can reduce the heat transmittance through radiation. Type D Curtain Wall System Type D curtain wall system is double glazed with low-e clear glass. Compared with Type C, it has better performance in annual energy consumption of lighting system as it has a higher value in visible transmittance. However, clear glass has a poor performance in thermal insulation in which the amount of heat transmitted through radiation is higher than Type C. Type E Curtain Wall System The emissivity level of Type E curtain wall system is lower than 0.1. With a spectrally low-e value, U-value and shading coefficient of the curtain wall system will be reduced and the energy consumption of HVAC system also can be reduced. However, the visible transmittance will be reduced because of the low-e coating. Type F Curtain Wall System Like Type E curtain wall system, it performs a better performance than Type D in saving energy of HVAC system because of spectrally low-e coating. On the contrary, the annual energy consumption of Type F curtain wall system in lighting system is higher than Type D which has the same number of layers as Type E curtain wall system Type G Curtain Wall System Type G curtain wall system is constructed by three layers of tinted glass and its U-value is higher than previous curtain wall systems. It has a better thermal insulation compared to one layer and two layers because of increasing in thickness and number of air space. It ranks no.3 in this assessment because of its low value of shading coefficient and U-value. Type H Curtain Wall System Triple glazed with low-e clear glass has same U-value as Type G. Nevertheless, the visible transmittance of Type H curtain wall system is higher than Type G since Type H curtain wall uses clear glasses which cannot absorb radiation. As mentioned before, the thermal insulation of clear glass is relatively lower than tinted glass used in Type G. Type I Curtain Wall System In this assessment, Type I has the highest score. The emissivity of Type I curtain wall system is lower than 0.1. The U-Value and shading coefficient of Type I are lower than Type G system and it has the best performance in annual energy consumption of HVAC system. Type J Curtain Wall System Triple glazed with spectrally low-e clear glass has a better performance than Type I in the energy consumption lighting system. However, more heat can be transferred to indoor as shading coefficient of clear glasses is higher than Type I. It still ranks no.2 in energy consumption because of three layer glass and spectrally low-e coating of curtain wall. In figure 6.5.1, U-value and shading coefficient are direct proportion to the annual energy consumption of HVAC system and it means that both of them may affect the energy consumption directly. For energy consumption of lighting system, visible transmittance can influence the curtain wall performance. However, an interesting results is identified. The influence of shading coefficient is more obvious compared to U-value. Using Type B and Type D curtain wall system as an example, although Type B and Type D have similar amounts of annual energy consumption in lighting system, the U-value of type B is much higher than type D. It shows that the shading coefficient of curtain wall system is in the first priority during making decision on the types of curtain wall system. Figure 6.5.1 Overall Performance of targeted building in HVAC System

Remember Me :: essays papers

Remember Me Throughout life you will meet many different people. Some of them you will forget in a matter of minutes. Others you might think about every now and then, wondering how life is treating them. Then there are the people that touch you in some way. Maybe just because they smile at you everyday, maybe they are there for you at times when no one else is, or maybe they did something special for you that was greatly appreciated. Whatever the reason, there are always people out there that you will remember. I am an ordinary seventeen year old girl. I have posters of cute guys hanging on my bedroom walls and my favorite stuffed animals rest on my bed. My closet is full of clothes, half of which I don’t wear, but it’s full just the same. I have a house, a car, more friends than I ever asked for, and a good life. However, all of these things do not make me. I am a thoughtful teenager, striving so hard to grow up and yet, still so full of dreams. My biggest dream of all is to be remembered. I want to touch people in such a way that they will never forget who I am. I want them to tell their grandchildren stories about me and for them to tell their grandchildren and so on. That way, I’ll still be alive years after I actually die. However, this will be very difficult. I don’t know where to start in my quest for being remembered. Everyday I wake up, take a shower, get dressed, brush my teeth, and do whatever I have planned for the day. That’s certainly nothing to be remembered for, but it is only how I begin my day. If I go to school, I get in my little black Tracker and drive up 741 to the parking lot. I pull into spot 41, get out, throw my bag over my shoulder, and go into the building. It’s a rare occasion that there isn’t a smile on my face throughout the day. I go to my friends and ask them how they’re doing. I know they can count on me to sincerely listen. I’ve worked hard for many years to become a good listener. If I go to work, I maintain a smile as well.

Asian American Identity Essay -- Culture Race

Silence as Beauty, Silence as Self: The Asian American Identity The label â€Å"American† encompasses many different cultures and races. However, American society is often guilty of assuming there is only one true, certainly white, â€Å"American† face, voice, and behavior. Associate Professor of Sociology, Minako Maykovich, states that â€Å"the criteria for physical characteristics are generally determined by the dominant group in society,† thus â€Å"racial difference is the greatest obstacle to the process of assimilation† (68). In Traise Yamamoto’s nonfiction narrative, â€Å"Different Silences,† and Janice Mirikitani’s poem, â€Å"Breaking Silence,† the authors explore their Asian American identities as defined by American culture. The quest to eliminate stereotypes and expectations through visible behavior coincides with an Asian custom that â€Å"value[s] silence more highly then North Americans† (Donahue 265). Mirikitani’s poem, â€Å"Breaking Silence,† focuses on her mother’s experience testifying to the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Japanese American Civilians in 1981. Yamamoto, who is also a poet, takes a more assertive and personal stance in her autobiographical narrative, â€Å"Different Silences.† These Japanese American authors seek to reclaim their heritage by aggressively confronting their white American audience, while retaining an empowered, wise attitude that uplifts the seemingly invisible and silent Asian American community. Yamamoto’s â€Å"Different Silences† and Mirikitani’s â€Å"Breaking Silence† both recognize how Asian Americans in the past and present have used, or use, silence for protection. As Japanese Americans of the third generation, or Sanseis, Yamamoto and Mirikitani both reflect on their ethnic herita... ...icans; some are shameful silences that need to be â€Å"broken,† as Mirikitani observes, but the healthy silences are inherently part of the Asian American identity. Works Cited Donahue, Ray T. Japanese Culture and Communication: Critical Cultural Analysis. New York: University Press of American, Inc., 1998. Espiritu, Yen Le. Asian American Women and Men: Labor, Laws, and Love. London: Sage Publications, 1997. Leitner-Rudolph, Miryam. Janice Mirikitani and Her Work. Austria: Braumueller, 2001. Maykovich, Minako K. Japanese American Identity Dilemma. Tokyo: Wayside University Press: 1972. Mirikitani, Janice. â€Å"Breaking Silence.† Shedding Silence. Berkeley: Celestial Arts, 1987. 33-36. Yamamoto, Traise. â€Å"Different Silences.† Asian American Literature: A Brief Introduction and Anthology. Ed. Shawn Wong. New York: Harper Collins College Publishers, 1996. 45-50.

Against Gun Control in America :: Second Amendment The Right To Bear Arms

Constitutional Law Gun Control Paper Gun control is undoubtedly an issue that most Americans have been exposed to. In 1989, guns killed 11,832 Americans. The National Rifle Association (NRA) members believe that it is their constitutional right to own guns, stating that guns are not the root of the crime problem in the United States. Gun control activists like the members of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV) argue that guns are responsible for the majority of violent crimes that take place. They wish to instill many types of bans and waiting periods on firearms, making it nearly impossible to obtain a handgun. In fact, in 1993 the Brady Bill, which mandates a waiting period on buying firearms, was passed. Their arguments range from protecting children to saying that guns are diseases, but when one looks at the facts, though, the arguments of gun control advocates seem irrelevant and it becomes clear that guns should not be controlled. The Supreme Court has been very careful in limiting the rights of individuals to carry firearms. They have also been debating about weather the framers intended the Second Amendment to apply to individuals, or to state militias. In U S v. Cruikshank, 92 U.S. 542 (1875) the court ruled that laws could be passed regarding gun control. The court said â€Å"The right they’re specified is that of 'bearing arms for a lawful purpose.' This is not a right granted by the Constitution. Neither is it in any manner dependent upon that instrument for its existence.

Amiri Baraka- Black Arts Movement

The Black Arts Movement Experience The spirit of the 1960s’ Black Arts Movement is captured in Amiri Baraka’s â€Å"AM/Trak,† which addresses the theory of the underlying relationship between art and culture. This simple theory of how culture works and how art reflects and influences the culture that produces it was the whole purpose of the literary movement led by Baraka. In order for one to understand their own experiences, they must acknowledge what factors have influenced how they have shaped their lives.By doing so, they will self-consciously discover and create themselves. The basis of Baraka’s poem, â€Å"AM/Trak† illustrates the defining concept of the Black Arts Movement; the notion of creating identity influenced by experiencing racial and social alienation. The development of a modernized black culture is continually drawn to question because there are many outliers that can influence the basic fundamentals of experience. â€Å"What make s experience such an important concept for Baraka is how it frames the relation between the individual and the collective†(Punday 782).The Black Arts Movement was a period of an assembled reaction against several things including the Korean War, capitalism, and the assassination of Malcom X. Although Baraka incorporates these historical events into â€Å"AM/Trak†, the history of the Beats is approached more by expressing an individual’s reaction, rather than a single technical change or influence of history on society. The appreciation of the degree of exposure from an artist or individual models how the Beats linked the identity of black culture to specific trials and tribulations.A desirable relationship between culture and society is a focalized theme in African American literature, but has been obliterated by the constant severance between historical transitions and the lack of ethical alertness (Quayson 1). Isolation of the African American population from w hite America has been influenced by harsh racism and inequality for several centuries. Although the discrimination thrived for thousands of years, the collective attitude towards the relations of the past began to deviate into a different outlook in the 1960s.The black community began to celebrate an emphasized change when exercising their self-proclaimed freedom of personal expression to improve social and economic conditions of the African American community (Yost 2). In order to establish a distinct black identity against the social reality of separation, they incorporated music, literature, and other forms of art as a way of advocating their presence not only in the United States, but the world.Baraka captures the true meaning of the new scholarly awakening with the influence of the Beat-generation by describing John Coltrane in â€Å"AM/Trak†, in which he uses a distinct style of writing to portray not only the life of the artist, but specific annotations of his music. T he musical embodiment of his work prevails that he was undoubtedly a major contributor to the spirit of the 1960s’. By analyzing Coltrane’s passion and transformation during this decade with extreme expression and struggle against racism, â€Å"AM/Trak† is brought to life: Trane was the spirit of the 60’sHe was Malcom X in New Super Bop Fire Bahhhhhh Wheeeeeee . . . Black Art!!! (152-155). The poem is a clear representation of not only the musical development of John Coltrane’s career and repressed life, but also the importance of how African-American musical expression extrapolates the expectations and contributions of individuals under the pressure of alienation (Quayson 3). According to literary critic, Henry Lacey, Baraka uses imagery to encompass the variety of ways the poem portrays the inspiring musician to be the â€Å"interpreter of the Black experience† through his music (Lacey 14).The different stages of achievements, hardships, a nd responses during Coltrane’s life are a direct narrative of the same ones produced throughout the history of the Black American life. There is an undeniable similarity of technical elements displayed in Amiri Baraka’s writing that support the same individualist revolution. One painful aspect of the African American experience begins with the lack of consciousness influenced by authority and pressure. Baraka begins the second section of the poem by describing the early experiences of Coltrane’s career in a very degrading fashion.The mood of the poem immediately digresses when Baraka mentions the names of alto saxophonist, Johnny Hodges, John Burks Gillespie, and Eddie Vinson and Blues vocalist, Big Maybelle (Lacey 15). Amiri even incorporates an allusion from Langston Hughes poem â€Å"Jazzonia,† in which he writes †Trees in the shining night forest† (Lacey 16). The tree is used as a direct reference to the lack of originality Coltrane embodi es while he works with the Joe Webb Blues Band, followed by Miles Davis.As the poem continues, the depression of the main character develops into a substance addiction and even an abusive relationship with a fellow musician, Davis. In fact, Amiri uses the word â€Å"honk† to symbolize the repetition of his continued unimportance at performances and as cry for help in the only way he knew how to; musical expressionism. It was not until Coltrane could accept his past and everything he had learned, that he could regain full consciousness of his true identity and potential future as a great musician.Similarly, the Black Arts Movement began in spite of depression and the constant repetition of haunting racism. More specifically, the death of civil rights activist, Malcom X, hindered Amiri Baraka’s determination to reform the presence of the African American culture in the United States. Consequently, the African American culture endured a period of recovery, as did Coltrane . Coltrane quest to continue searching for his identity as a musician began again by joining Thelonious Sphere Monk, co-founder of bebop, in part four of â€Å"AM/Trak† (Lacey 18).Baraka’s disjunctive mood swings represent how Coltrane conveys his emotions with Monk’s unique style of expressionism and unexpected musical transitions to understand music on a deeper level. Which then leads to the entire Be-bop movement. Coltrane uses this time as a period of regaining consciousness of the experiences that have shaped him. There was nothing left to do but be where Monk cd find him that crazy mother fucker duh duh-duh duh-duh duh duh duh duh duh-duh duh-duh duh duh duh duh duh-duh duh-duh duh duh duh uh Duuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhh (71-80). At first glance, the lines representing Monk’s compositions differ from any syntax or vocabulary used in the previous allusions. Baraka uses the distinct sounds of Monk’s work in a disjunctive manner that can only be approach ed if read aloud. When read aloud, the simple word transforms into a series of playful melodies. â€Å"Trane stood and dug / Crazy monk’s shit,† provides substantial evidence that the short time spent with Monk, Shadow Wilson, and Wilbur Ware had a lasting impact on John Coltrane’s career.In fact, it also suggests the sources essential to his success in music were also responsible for shaping his identity despite past alienation and struggle. Similarly to many African Americans during the Blacks Art Movement, Coltrane was allowed to completely expose himself. â€Å"This was Coltrane’s College. A Ph motherfuckin d / Of Master T Sphere† (100,104). As Amiri Baraka wrote the poem, he also established symbolism that the reader may relate to exemplify Coltrane’s efforts to battle several obstacles.Accordingly, in American society graduating college and especially receiving your PhD is one of the highest accomplishments recognized in our country. U tilizing this metaphor near the end of section four not only summarizes his success, but also leads the reader to question, ‘What’s Next? ’ because of the lengthy section that follows. â€Å"AM/Trak† undergoes another mood change as section five introduces the destructive forces of class struggle and maintaining true identity after being exploited by the public.Although the poem portrays the hardship of life of a musician and inspiration leader, Lacey refers to Coltrane as the â€Å"prophetic voice of his age† (Lacey 18) or as described in the poetry â€Å"A man/ black blower of the now† (121-122). However, Baraka does not immediately persuade the reader to believe that Coltrane has collectively reshaped the Be-bop movement and the black cultural identity; he forces them to establish an answer themselves based on their individual experience after reading the poem.Based on the dynamics of writing style portrayed in the poetry, Coltrane influen ces future musical generations to come with the creative features within that clearly influenced the Black Arts Movement within the text, the validity of the following quote by literary critic, Joyce A. Joyce, â€Å"An understanding of Negro expression cannot be arrived at without a constant reference to the environment which cradles it,† can be useful in making a final decision as the reader. Amiri Baraka continues the poem by concentrating the rest of the text on his own impression of Coltrane’s influence on the Blacks Art Movement, musicians, and society.He precisely acknowledges the relationship between the collective and individual response to the end of the revolution of identity and creation of the reputable quartet: â€Å"Jimmy Garrison, bass, McCoy Tyner, piano, Captain Marvel Elvin / on drums, the number itself-the precise saying / all if it in it afire aflame talking saying being doing meaning (169-171). The quartet inspired the African American community t o become believers and to preserve their true identities despite social alienation and harsh racism.If the band expressed their opinions and identity freely, then the entire black culture should have possessed the same rights without limitation as well. Fortunately, at the end of the poem, the Black Arts Movement was reflected as the turning point in accepting cultural identity; a representation of their contributions that shaped the historical experience. But did the Black Arts Movement really change â€Å"black† and â€Å"white† cultures and criticism? Literary critic, Joyce A. Joyce disagrees with the idea that white America has changed its attitude toward the African American population.Although there has been a significant transformation in the merger of black literature and white literature in our society through out the past century, African Americans are usually forced to adopt the mainstream values and lifestyles of those of in the modern American society. Joy ce disassociates Black literary criticism with mainstream analyses because African Americans have a unique duty to express their own ideas without a predetermined and uniformed consciousness based on culture or even color (Joyce 339-341).The poet’s opinions remained somewhat vague until the narration of the poem alters from Trane to Amiri Baraka, the poet himself. His vulnerability exposes his current condition and state of mind when recollecting his wearisome life compared to Trane’s portrayed personal anecdote expressed in his music: ( I lay in solitary confinement, July ‘67 Tanks rolling thru Newark and whistled all I knew of Trane my knowledge heartbeat and he was dead They saidWhen Baraka was confined in prison for the Newark riots of 1967, Lacey notes that â€Å"the poet attributes his survival to the memory of Coltrane’s music† (Lacey 19). As the poem concludes, Baraka decides to choose life over death because he is influenced by character of his own work of art and the actual inspirational of the power of his music. Most scholars would agree with Gayle, Jr. claim that, â€Å"The question for the black critic today is not how beautiful is a melody, a play, a poem, or a novel, but how much more beautiful has the poem, melody, play, or novel made the life of a single black man?How far has the work gone in transforming an American Negro into an African-American or black man? † (Joyce 340). This is perhaps an attempt to illustrate the fact that both the artist lives are surrounded by changes revolved around freedom of expression through art and alienated culture. Without enduring these experiences, good or bad, the identity of an individual cannot be defined, nor the basis of an individualistic black culture. Work Cited Lacey, Henry C. â€Å"Baraka's â€Å"AM/Trak† Everybody’s Coltrane Poem. Obsidian II: Black Literature in Review. 1. 1-2 (1986): 12-21. Print. Joyce, Joyce A. â€Å"The Black Canon: Re constructing Black American Literary Criticism. † New Literary History. 18. 2 (1987): 339-341. Print. Punday, Daniel. â€Å"The Black Arts Movement and the Geneaology of Multimedia. † New Literary History. 37. 4 (2006): 777-794. Web. 7 Dec. 2011. Quayson, Ato. â€Å"Self-Writing and Existential Alienation in African Literature. † Research in African Literatures. 42. 2 (2011): 30-45. Web. 1 Dec. 2011.

Inter Textual Synthesis Essay Essay

Kate Chopin’s novel, The Awakening, centers around the theme of discovering oneself. The book shows readers the world of Edna Pontellier and gives them a window into her numerous insecurities and hesitations. Throughout the book, Edna attempts to become the opposite of the stereotypical women of her time. She chooses to be herself instead of the socially acceptable role she is expected to be. Additionally, Natasha Tretheway’s poem â€Å"Domestic Work† and Bobby Coles’ poem â€Å"Finding Yourself† attack the issues of independence, relationships, and gender. These two poems in combination with The Awakening strive to challenge the status quo of women everywhere. In the 19th century, women were expected to be domestic goddesses. As a married woman, it was important to be a positive influence on her husband and children, but was still expected to address to her husband as the head of the household. These restrictions had many women, including Edna in The Awakening, feeling trapped. Some women felt the need to become their own person, as opposed to the woman they were expected to become. In the poem, â€Å"Domestic Work†, the reader is given a preview of a typical woman in the 1930’s: â€Å"She beats time on the rugs, blows dust from the broom like dandelion spores, each one a wish for something better. † (Trethewey 23-26). The poem displays the monotonous life of women in the 19th century, and how some women desired something more. Edna, from The Awakening, is included in the category of women who longed for a life beyond household chores. In both The Awakening and â€Å"Domestic Work†, independence and a woman’s relationships are subjects of choice. Edna feels that she should be able to be free and independent. She wants to make her own choices about men and decide on her own who she loves without anyone else’s opinion influencing her choice. When Edna starts to lose the feelings she once had for her husband, she falls for Robert Lebrun. In fact, Edna had no intention to marry Leonce to begin with; â€Å"Her marriage to Leonce Pontellier was purely an accident, in this respect resembling many other marriages which masquerade as the decrees of Fate† (Chopin 23). Edna desires to have freedom. Robert wants a marriage with Edna, which conflicts with what she wants. Her feelings for Robert are strong but Robert has mature feelings for Edna, eyond what she feels for him. Though Edna wishes she could say the same, her love for him is more an infatuation-not true love. â€Å"As Edna walked along the street she was thinking of Robert. She was still under the spell of her infatuation. She had tried to forget him, realizing the inutility of remembering. But the thought of him was like an obsession† (Chopin 71). In the end, Edna realizes she cannot have both independence and true love. She decides to keep Robert out of her life and ends up drowning herself because of the internal conflict she has endured. In the poem â€Å"Finding Yourself†, author Bobby Coles explains that a person has to reach inside himself/herself in order to discover who he/she is. Similarly, Edna and the woman in â€Å"Domestic Work† are enduring their own journey. In Coles’ poem, he intentionally writes without specificity of gender, therefore making the poem easily relatable to readers of any gender. Coles uses descriptive language to create an image of what it is like to go through the process of finding yourself like Edna and the woman in Domestic Work did. â€Å"When are you most comfortable? Are you being true to yourself? You are in there somewhere. Judge on your own. Listen not to others. Look in the mirror. See beyond the image† (Coles 35-41). Coles encourages readers to not be influenced by the opinions of others, and instead, judge for themselves. In each text, the idea of taking your life in your own hands is present. Each of the poems and The Awakening displays themes of gender, relationships and independence. These themes help shape the stories and give the reader a greater understanding of the messages, as well as make connections to each of the characters.