Evaluation of Voluntourism Essay

A trend has started in the recent years, where people participate in organizations that commonly claim to be helping developing countries. This trend is fuelled by the gap year phenomenon, which is defined as â€Å"a period of time between 3 and 24 months taken out of education or a work career.† (Jones, 2004) With enthusiasm of â€Å"making a difference†, more and more people choose voluntourism, combination of tourism and volunteer projects, as their gap year holiday option. Despite the well-intended enthusiasm, opinions regarding the contribution of voluntourism on local community are divided. The primary issue of debate is whether voluntourism provide help to the local communities. While some researchers using surveys find local people satisfied with volunteer tourists, other research investigating quality, tasks, motivation and local need of voluntourism have found it doing more harm than good. Such a harmful trend has made the UK director of VSO, one of the baggie st and earliest international development charity, warn â€Å"Young people want to make difference through volunteering, but they would better off travelling†¦rather than wasting time on projects that have no impact†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ward, 2007) In this paper, we will evaluate both side of the debate and carefully assess the value of voluntourism for local community. In order to assess the benefit given by volunteer tourists, it is essential to look at the quality of the helpers. Unskilled volunteers may be a burden to local communities that have to take care of them. As Stephan peck, operations director at the Scout Association, puts it â€Å"[bad volunteers] are like a cancer† (Ainsworth, 2012). Therefore, the volunteer selection process is critical in recruiting needed and appropriate volunteers that benefit local communities. While supporters of voluntourism claims those volunteers as satisfying, looking into their selection experience shall make it clear that these tourists are hardly qualified as helpful volunteers. Research done by Richard Forsythe in Ghana vlountourism showed that only 36% of all studied volunteer applicants in various fields went through application process more complicated than filling appli cation forms, and â€Å"no individuals remarked upon the selection process as a particularly challenging experience, and indeed several of the organizations interviewed admitted to accepting ‘almost all volunteers’ having ‘very few requirements, and taking ‘anyone who is interested’†(Forsythe, 2011). Recruitment through application forms or basic information can only depend on the self-evaluation of applicants, who probably had no volunteering experience, as to whether they will be helpful to the local community. With such a lenient selection, the volunteers selected are much more likely to be burden than help to local volunteers and community who cry out: â€Å"A lot of people have very unrealistic expectations about overseas volunteering, and they want to be there for only a month or less and have no skills that are critically needed in the developing world† (Huang, 2012). People may expect those unqualified volunteers to receive some training before starting work, but research has also showed that volunteer tourists receive almost no training. When they do receive information, much of it is about the culture and language, safety and packing with little attention toward the skills and duties involved within the volunteer placements (Forsythe, 2011). Furthermore, no more than half the volunteers received supervision or guidance during the placement (Forsythe, 2011). The organization’s local presence is indispensible for placements’ appropriate, long-term effectiveness and safety of volunteers. With the growing number of teenagers participating in volunteer tours, supervision and protection by organization are vital. However, some volunteers set out with enthusiastic motivation ends up in a awkward situation as Hannah Saunders, a gap year volunteer: â€Å"When I arrived†¦they didn’t know I was coming or what to do with me.† (Ward, 2007) Although the volunteers’ intention maybe beneficial, they are unqualified, untrained and unguided. Such groups of volunteers can hardly provide any high-quality help that is needed by local communities. Supporters of voluntourism may cling onto the motivation behind voluntourism to justify the trend. Indeed, motivation is also a factor often discussed when talking about the benefits of voluntourism. Supporters of voluntourism argue actions that come from altruistic intension to help, although may not provide substantial help, are at least better than nothing. The supporters say that by just participating and showing concern, it is already helping the people in dispair. It is literally, â€Å"you are the difference!† With the belief in altruism, people advertise voluntourism, â€Å"in which enthusiasm and good intentions are allowed to prevail† (Simpson, 2004). However, it seems the good intension behind voluntourism is not enough to be allowed to â€Å"prevail†. While many people wish to believe that motivation behind volunteering abroad is purely altruistic, research using evolutionally, social psychological, organizational and game theoretic literature as fram ework, has found that, in general, people volunteered most often when personal benefits are high (Murnighan, Kim, & Metzger, 1993). Consistent with this result, almost all authors of articles about voluntourism, even the supporters, agree that voluntourism does not come from purely altruistic motivation. Despite the difference in motivational factors concluded by different authors, all of them agree that these motivations outweigh altruism (Forsythe, 2011;Corti, Marola, & Castro, 2010;Wearing 2001; Brown, 2005; Cohen, Reichel, Shwartz, & Uriely, 2002; Tosun, 2000; Unstead-Jones, 2008). It is commonly agreed that volunteer tourists plan to satisfy the needs of communities through meeting their own needs such as â€Å"experiencing cultures†. If actions from altruism intention are the ones that give hope and â€Å"prevail†, voluntourism with self-centered motivation is not one. Furthermore, less concern in local community than in self-gain may result in idealized, incorrect assumption about local needs. Reflecting this worry about incorrect assumption, Sacha Brown, Program Manager of World Youth Intern ational, a NGO taking volunteers overseas for their development projects says, â€Å" there is a lot of development that is useless and is based on erroneous assumptions around what is ‘best’ for the community or country† (Huang, 2012). Inexperienced volunteers’ erroneous expectations on local needs, together with their self-centered concerns, make them concentrate on their own enjoyment without examining what help is needed. Organizations that seek to profit from voluntourism may increase rather than reduce neglect of local need. The director of VSO is worried that competition between organizations may lead to more emphasis on volunteer enjoyment and â€Å"may not deliver the maximum benefits to the communities these people are working in†. (Huang, 2012) Indeed, one of the organizations interviewed by Forsythe implied that its placements were driven by preferences of volunteers rather than local needs. It is not only researchers who are concerned about whether volunteering tourists’ helps are actually needed. Some volunteers interviewed by Justine Tillon express their feeling of lack of acceptance by local government and citizens. Some of them felt that â€Å"the government and local citizens are forced to be helped by the participants†. When there is evidence that help is â€Å"forced† on local people, maybe we should really ask ourselves: â€Å"Does this kind of help make a peaceful word?† All has been said, some supporters may provide research that show local satisfaction toward volunteer tourists. One of such research about Moroccan students’ satisfaction toward foreign volunteer teachers of French and English showed 79% of appreciation (Corti et al., 2010). The rate is indeed high, but we should look closer into this study. The job of the volunteers studied is to give English and French classes during vacation of school year. Out of 253 students who enrolled, 32.41% left to travel with their parents in the middle of classes (Corti et al., 2010). Although the desistance rate already implies that local community regards the classes as unserious holiday childcare rather than structured learning experience, several other questions can be raised against results of this and similar other studies. First, does the rate actually reflect the work done by volunteer teachers? The improvement in student’s language skills is not measured in the study. Since it was students who answered those surveys, it is questionable whether they looked at bigger picture and thought the experience educating or they were just excited to see foreigners. Inferring from previous evaluation of quality, training and supervision of volunteers, these teachers are likely to be unqualified as teachers. Of course supporters may say that the satisfaction rate is indeed the proof that the volunteers are qualified. That raises a second question. Is it voluntourism per se that is benefiting? Do they have to be volunteer tourists or they can be anyone? Considering that English and French are both official language of Morocco, classes given by mixture of nonnative and native speakers of the languages may hardly made any difference from that by local Moroccans who speak both languages. It is not clear whether the 79% satisfaction was toward â€Å"volunteers from abroad† or â€Å"people who helped†. Questions about the tourists’ help per se have been studied in different contexts. Study in Gahanna showed that many volunteers are placed in daily tasks and traditional chores such as bathing, dressing, feeding and supervising of children, that can be done by anyone else (Fosythe, 2011). To justify voluntourism itself, studies about unique benefit of voluntourism need be carried out. Through this paper, we have evaluated the quality, motivation and local need of voluntourism. While there are some studies showing satisfactions toward voluntourism presented, several essential questions are raised. Through evaluation, it became clear that volunteer tourists are unskilled, authentically motivated, and to certain extent, unwelcomed. Although it may be a valuable experience for tourists, it seems that voluntourism carry few value, if not harm, to local community. Whether or not it is primary desire, the desire to volunteer is laudable. However, we need to tread more carefully, especially when dealing with people who are already suffering. Unless we have enough knowledge and transferrable skills, we might do better to travel and bring money into developing countries. Works Cited Ainsworth, D. (2012). Bad volunteers are like a cancer, says Scout Association director. Third Sector Online . Brown, S. (2005). Understanding the motives and benefits of voluntourists: What makes them tick? Retrieved from http://www.voluntourism.org/newsstudyandresearc h1005.htm Cohen, E., Reichel, A., Schwartz, Z., & Uriely, N. (2002). ). Rescuing hikers in Israel’s deserts: Community altruism or an extension of adventure tourism? . Journal of Leisure Research . Corti, I. N., Marola, P. N., & Castro, M. B. (2010). Social Inclusion and Local Development through European Voluntourism: A Case Study of the Project Realized in a Neighborhood of Morocco. merican Journal of Economics and Business Administration 2 . Forsythe, R. (2011). Helping or hindering? Volunteer tourism in Ghana and its critical role in development . Huang, A. (2008, 8 1). Voluntourism: Benifit or Harm? Retrieved from Yahoo! voices: http://voices.yahoo.com/voluntourism-benefit-harm-775403.html?cat=9 Jones, A. (2004). Review of Gap Year Provision. Murnighan, J. K., Kim, J. W., & Metzger, A. R. (1993). the Volunteer Dilemma. Administrative Science Quarterly . Simpson, K. (2004). ‘Doing Development’: The Gap Year, Volunteer Tourists and a Popular Practice of Development. Journal of International Development . Taillon, J. (2007). The Identification of Motivation in Voluntourists: Particularly Extrinsic Motivators in Vacation-Minded Volunteer Tourism Participants. Retrieved from http://justintaillon.com/FINAL% 20PAPER.doc Tosun, C. (2000). Limits to community participation in the tourism development process in developing countries. . Tourism Management . Unstead-Jones, R. (2008). An Analysis of Volunteer Motivation: Implications for International Development. The Journal of the Institute for Volunteering Research . Ward, L. (2007). You’re better off backpacking-VSO warns about perils of ‘voluntourism’. The Guardian . Wearing, S. (2001). Volunteer tourism: Experiences that Make a Difference. CABI Publishing.

Futile dreams in Of mice and men Essay

How far do you think Steinbeck presents dreams as futile in of mice and men? Steinbeck presents a lot of dreams as futile in his novel of Mice and Men. All the characters dreams are different in their own personal way but all of their dreams come to be in a different place to where they are at now. They all yearn for something better in their lives. The underlying theme of futile dreams in this novel is expressed throughout Steinbeck’s novel throughout many characters. The main dream in the novel of mice and men is that of George and Lennie living of the â€Å"fatta the lan'† getting their own place, being self-sufficient and not have to work on the ranch. The two of them are best friends and how different they may seem in the novel they both share this common goal; â€Å"Some day we’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an’ a cow and some pigs and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This shows they have thought about what they want in every little detail and truly believe it will happen. Their ambition, as they put it, is to â€Å"Get the jack together,† purchase a few acres of land and call it their own. They want to be in their own little place where they are not scrutinised by society; to be away for others in the big wide world where it seems Lennie is not supposed to be. George and Lennie are not unique in wanting this dream but unique in the fact that they have each other and can rest on each other through their dream. They want to be in a place with no rules or regulations. This dream is so appealing that Candy and Crooks want to join the dream of owning their own farm. This is because George and Lennie are close to reaching their dream so Candy and Crooks can actually be part of it for once instead of dreaming it; they can create it. This dream of George and Lennie also appeals to them as they can refer to the same things that they want for themselves but have never had the chance to go ahead with or the chance to achieve that goal. However, perhaps this dream only appeals to them because they see it as something that can be reached and will not remain a dream. They want to be able to live out this dream even if it is someone else’s. In section three, a section of narration shows how much they all want this dream; â€Å"They all sat still, all bemused by the beauty of the thing; each mind was popped into the future when this lovely thing should come about.† This quote shows that they all want this dream so much and really believe it will happen as it is no longer a dream as it says ‘when’ it will come about and not ‘if’. Steinbeck presents this dream of Lennie and George as being futile by speaking through Crooks when he says that he’s; â€Å"seen hundreds of men come by road an’ on the ranches, with bindles on their backs an’ that same damn thing in their heads. Hundreds of them. They come, an’ they quit an’ go on; every damn one of em’s got a little piece of land in his head. An’ never a god damn one of the get it. Just like Heaven,† by this quote I feel that Crooks has best summed up this dream as futile as he shows he has wised up to the dream and is starting to have second thoughts of joining them in the dream. He is brought back to the present when he figures that Lennie and George are just like the rest of the men that come on the ranch with a ‘little piece of land in his head’ and that their goal is never achieved. He is treating Lennie and George like their stereotype. Candy and Crooks want to join in this dream for different reasons; Crooks does not want to be an outcast anymore and wants to feel accepted in some way, Candy wants to join to have something to take his mind of his dog (his only companion) being killed. Although these are the main reasons Crooks and Candy want to join in these dreams they both come down to one thing. They don’t want to be alone. Unlike Lennie, Curley’s wife wants to experience the world for herself and has already had the opportunity of becoming the next up and coming movie star where she ‘coulda been in the pitchers’ snatched away from her; â€Å"He says he was gonna put me in the movies. Says I was a natural. Soon’ he got back to Hollywood he was gonna write to me about it.† Se is a virtual prisoner in her own home with which she has no power to change her fate. Curley’s wife will never live out this dream as she has dedicated the rest if her life to her husband who is unbeknown to her capabilities. She once had a dream but when she married her entire life changed, and not for the better. Curley’s wife has resigned herself to an unfulfilling marriage. What makes all of these dreams typically futile is that the dreamers wish for unbreakable happiness, for the freedom to follow their own desires. George and Lennie’s dream of owning a farm, which would enable them to look after themselves, and, most important, offer them protection from an unwelcoming world, represents a prototypically ideal life. Their journey, which shows George the impossibility of the dream, sadly proves that the bitter Crooks was right; such freedom, contentment, and safety are not to be found. By killing Lennie, George gets rid of a huge burden and a threat to his own life. He is forced to shoot both his companion, who made him different from the other lonely workers, as well as his own dream and admit that it has gone hopelessly wrong. He has the new burden of hopelessness and loneliness. Slim’s comfort at the end of the novel; â€Å"You hadda George† indicates the sad truth that one has to surrender one’s dreams in order to survive, not the easiest thing to do but something that one has no choice but to do in circumstances. Curley’s wife has already had her dream of being an actress pass her by and now must live a life of no hope. Crooks’ situation hints at a much deeper one than that of the white person in a place where black people are discriminated. Through Crooks, Steinbeck exposes the bitterness, the anger, and the helplessness of the black man who struggles to be recognized as a human being, let alone have a place of his own. Crooks’ hopelessness underlies that of George’s and Lennie’s and Candy’s and Curley’s wife’s. But all share the despair of wanting to change the way they live and attain something better; to have a dream. Even Slim, despite his wisdom and confidence towards this unattainable dream, has nothing to call his own and will remain a migrant worker until his death. Slim differs from the others in the fact that he does not seem to want something outside of what he has, he is not beaten by a dream, and he has not relied on a drea m to fulfill his life and is thankful for what he has. Slim seems to have somehow reached the sad conclusion indicated by the novel that to dream leads to, despair and ineffective, Futile dreams that lead to nothing but disappointment. This book makes you decide, should I be realistic or should I try and make my dreams come true?

Motherhood and Womanhood as Illustrated in Tillie Olsen’s Essay

Tillie Olsen’s â€Å"I Stand Here Ironing,† is a short story presented in monologue form which reverberates a mother’s angst over motherhood and the stereotypical images attached by society to the female gender (particularly to womanhood and motherhood), which as a result becomes an image that the reflected takes on. The mother, whose identity was not divulged, illustrates the character’s universal relevance in terms of the images that she creates in the minds of the readers that as one listens to the mother’s reflections one may find herself entangled in the same situation and, perhaps, even share the same sentiments with the protagonist, even if the reader comes from a different time and place. The whole monologue translates the metaphorical â€Å"ironing-out† or straightening what she perceives as the â€Å"wrinkled† part of her personality of and the world around the main character using imageries that seem to conceal what is really happening within the individual’s reality. Her recollections of the past suggests one of the definitive behaviors women, regardless of time and space, have performed (sometimes with resentment but most of the times willingly— perhaps since the outside perceived pressure is insurmountable or they just want to maintain their sanity despite of the challenges): inability to translate into assertive words and actions what they really feel at the time when these should have been their refuge to their predicament. Hence, resentment is contained in a vacuum until such time when the ‘self’ could no longer contain the pressure she begins to vent out her emotions to other persons, things or events. Thus we hear the protagonist, in the end saying, â€Å"â€Å"My wisdom came too late. She has much to her and probably little will come of it. She is a child of her age, of depression, of war, of fear† (par 50). Realization dawned on her at a time least expected – when relationships (between mother and daughter) seemed to be â€Å"on the rocks,† when years that could have been considered most precious to the mother as well as to the mother have already past, and when everything else (the frailty [physically and emotionally]) of both characters (mother and daughter) could have been restored. Imagery colors the mothers’ world long before reality sets in. â€Å"She was a beautiful baby †¦ You do not guess how new and uneasy her tenancy in her now — loveliness (par 4); I was nineteen. It was the pre-relief, pre-WPA world of the depression (par 8): you spoke of her rare gift for comedy on the stage that [aroused] laughter out of the audience so dear they applaud and applaud and do not want to let her go (par 17). Even the convalescent home where Emily was forced to stay after her mother could not keep her any longer is described in the mother’s monologue as a place that resembles a saintly sanctuary: â€Å"Oh it is a handsome place, green lawns and tall trees and fluted flower beds. High up on the balconies of each cottage the children stand, the girls in their red bows and white dresses, the boys in white suits and giant red ties (par 26); she is more than this dress on the ironing board, helpless before the iron (par 51), which illustrates the paradox in the main character’s and her daughter’s life – the iron represents her as the mother who tries to straighten out the wrinkles (seemingly problematic condition in her daughter’s life as well as in her personality, which are represented by the dress being ironed out [before it was beautiful and served as a covering for the body, figuratively a conceals the characters’ soul and real identities]); both and the board and the iron served may be perceived as the outside pressures [the mother, represented by the iron being pressed by significant other’s stereotypical conception on motherhood and womanhood and the board, may be perceived as the sturdy socio-cultural norms that unavoidably shapes others’ perception of the main characters’ roles and identities. In all of these situations, reality (which is generally described as depressing) are presented alternately with the pleasant imageries creating an impression of concealing what is in existence like the mask that the mother has, perhaps put on for a long time before she finally had the courage to accept the natural order of things. The mother in the story, while ironing, â€Å"attempts to understand or â€Å"iron out† her ambivalent feelings towards her nineteen year-old daughter Emily, the oldest among her five children, and who is described as having a troubled childhood. Her monologue moves between the present and the past, starting from Emily’s birth during the â€Å"Depression† era of the 1930’s when the she was herself was just nineteen years old. With the monologue, the mother painfully recollects how she neglected Emily because of circumstances beyond her control. Throughout the mother’s monologue, the intended recipient of the message remained unnamed, although there was a particular mention of a social worker in the story (par. 30) and one hears the third person at the beginning of the mother’s monologue, â€Å"She’s a youngster who needs help and whom I’m deeply interested in helping. † In the monologue, the mother reveals her responsibility and guilt in motherhood. As the finishes her monologue, one could feel how she is caught between feeling responsible for her daughter’s unhappy childhood and recognizing her powerlessness and lack of alternatives. Nonetheless she realizes her own identity is separate from her daughter: even though she is part of her daughter yet separate from her, hence her daughter has a life of her own. In the end the mother ends her monologue: She is a child of her age, of depression, of war, of fear. Let her be. So all that is in her will not bloom — but in how many does it? There is still enough left to live by. Only help her to know-help make it so there is cause for her to know — that she is more than this dress on the ironing board, helpless before the iron (par 51). In much the same way, the person having a mind of her own, may choose to follow or reject how her significant other’s (in this case, the mother) upbringing (so Emily is described as, â€Å"She kept too much in herself, her life was such she had to keep too much in herself) (par 50). † Such behavior is explained in a study conducted by Robert Karen (1990) in which he stressed there are traits that are learned— that whether a person trusts others or not, whether one anticipates love or rejection, whether one will feel good about himself as a person depends on how much an individual learns from his significant others: These are not inherited traits, they are learned; and although subject to change, they are initially determined by the sensitivity and reliability of the care you received in your first years (in Karen 15). Because of the pressing process the characters have learned to adjust to imposing situations (how they react [whether positively or negatively] depends on how they perceive the process). Both characters’ personalities were subjected to the pressing forces of society and each person’s reactions to these pressures. The â€Å"ironing† process ended up straightening â€Å"wrinkled† dress (problematic characters); the change did not take place out of the individuals’ efforts but because they were forced by outside empowering factors. Without these outside forces, these characters might have remained â€Å"wrinkled† nonetheless. Hence both the process of â€Å"ironing out† has become both a necessity and a luxury (since there could be different modes of â€Å"ironing out† (others could be less tiring and takes only a while). Works Cited: Karen, Robert. (February 1990) â€Å"Becoming Attached,† Atlantic Monthly. Retrieved April 09, 2009 from http://www. psychology. sunysb. edu/attachment/online/karen. pdf Olsen, Tillie. â€Å"I Stand Here Ironing†

U.S. Immigration Sources Annotated Bibliography

U.S. Immigration Sources - Annotated Bibliography Example Some of the reasons cited as the negative effects of immigration include being a threat to American culture and traditions. However, overall, approximately 75% of Americans are favoring the opinion of giving the illegal immigrants an opportunity for the legal status and a path to citizenship. The overall progress that has been made by the president includes a proposal for the illegal immigrants to wait at least thirteen years before they could get the chance to apply to become citizens. This source is credible since it presents all sides of the controversial immigration issue before deducing any conclusions. The main political parties’ take has been evaluated and the potential effect that the issue may have on the outcome of those parties. The overall progress that has been made by the president is also evaluated to ensure that information from all concerned parties is available. Furthermore, the public’s view on this issue has not been ignored in the case because American’s views make a significant impact on the outcome of most issues. Personally, I would deduce that the larger portion of Americans is favoring the move to give illegal immigrants a legal status. Although this might affect the traditions as cited by some concerned Americans mostly due to intermarriages, U.S is a free country that gives individuals the freedom of choosing where they would want to belong. Additionally, if the illegal immigrants were granted the opportunity to become citizens, then issues regarding deportations on minor crimes would cease and create a better environment for the immigrants. The American health system is under crisis and the cause of the problem is being projected on to the immigrants. This is because the author indicates that both legal and illegal immigrants account for approximately one billion dollars annually in the form of unreimbursed medical expenses. Additionally, an

Plagiarism Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Plagiarism - Article Example In the article â€Å"A Debate About Plagiarism as The Times Investigates a Case† Margaret Sullivan sheds light on the issue of plagiarism and the way it is being widely spread nowadays. She provides a vivid example, pointing on the story of The Times reporter, Carol Vogel, who had written a short passage about arts, which is almost similar to the one in Wikipedia (Sullivan, 2014). She is ashamed that modern reporters may simply copy and paste, and that would be enough for the journalists seemingly. Sullivan also shows the example of Ben Johnson, editor in BuzzFeed, who was fired due to plagiarism. Sullivan shares that â€Å"At least one prominent writer doesn’t think what happened at BuzzFeed is such a big deal,† (Sullivan, 2014). Gene Weingarten form Washington Post stresses that plagiarism is a theft. I agree that a person has to write own ‘stuff,’ as Sullivan named it, otherwise it is compulsory to provide links and references. There is an intelle ctual property, thus, withdrawing it is a theft. Everyone who writes has to be capable of combining, mixing and synthesizing of information taken from different sources. In case nothing new is brought up, what is the deal? Such writing has no value. Even though there are things to be shared, own prism of the writer has to be present anyway. I cannot say that using information provided by others is bad; I suppose it is useful as there were many bright thoughts by the thinkers of the past and present. Anyway, it is essential to refer to an actual author of the idea.

The Study of International Relationships Term Paper

The Study of International Relationships - Term Paper Example Waltz discusses, in answer to some questions about the value of theory, how the use of theory in framing international relations is one of the biggest struggles that students face. He uses the study of economics as a parallel example of how theory is both useful and confusing, in that it requires social scientists to separate the subject from its context. Some say this separation dismisses the relationship of other factors to the subject, yet Waltz insists that it is necessary to use this fantasy separation in order to interpret and classify what is being studied—whether it is economics or politics. He says that international relations really is a struggle with the facts, and that it is hard to create theories because the field is full of complexities. Complexities, however, do not rule out the use of theories, says Waltz. On the contrary, they invite the use of theories to explain this complexity. The necessity of theories is supported by Rosenau and Durfee, who describe it a s something that must be done, but tentatively. They also talk about the use of the question â€Å"what is this an instance of?† This question, they say, helps us go up the rungs of a ladder to classify politics into some larger theory, and thus leads us to some sort of understanding, however temporary it may be. Buzan also discusses some of the challenging facing international relations, and cites one of the greatest of them as the need to connect the field with both history and sociology. Without history, says Buzan, one is stuck in a box of thinking of states as the only actors—a Westphalian idea. Buzan also explains something similar for sociology, which is important because it suggest the idea of an international society that goes beyond a simple group of states. When discussing realism, Buzan cites its flexibility—it allows for change and focuses on the human condition. However, as realism focuses on states, we realize how other theories can collide with i t. International relations, says Buzan, is full of paradigms that we develop as a way of explaining and understanding how the system works at different times. These paradigms include Realism, idealism, Marxism, and even the English school to which Buzan is attracted. Overall, Buzan sees realism as a good starting point for theorizing and observing the system. The English school itself is described more in detail by Linklater. He describes how the English school focuses on international politics as defined by a community of sovereign states with no greater level of authority, and find it amazing that this community exists in an anarchical condition. While in any state level society a lack of government would lead to total chaos, the English school is focused on the fact that this chaos is absent in the international, anarchical system. However, says Linklater, this should not be seen as a form of realism, but rather as a middle ground between realism and idealism. The major founder o f the English school, however, is Grotius. In his discussions he illustrates this school as one that takes a middle way. It recognizes international anarchy, but also gives credit to the play of power in rational, realist thinking. He mentions war often, but also moves toward the idea of an international society that emerges from the international anarchical system, dividing his thoughts from strict realism but definitely refusing to

Marketing Communications Strategies and Mix Case Study

Marketing Communications Strategies and Mix - Case Study Example Marketing communication refers to the use of messages and media to communicate information about products to the market. Marketing communication strategies entail advertising, branding, public relations, promotions, and marketing among others. These strategies focus on defining products that are provided to the market with the aim of promoting the company’s brand and image by effectively satisfying demand in the market. Marketing mix, on the other hand, comprises of a set of tactical marketing tools which work hand in hand to fully satisfy the demand in the market. These tools entail the 4P’s of marketing that is the product, price, place, and promotion which play a major role in describing the position of a product in the market. For instance, the UK automobile market is flooded by a plethora of vehicle brands such as Ford, BMW, Skoda, Aston Martin, Volvo and Jaguar which promise to fully meet all the needs and desires of customers. Being an industrial analyst for an investment corporation, I am supposed to come up with a marketing report which has a comparative analysis of the marketing communication strategies and mix used by the automotive industry in UK. Particular attention will be paid on the marketing communication strategies and mix used by the Skoda and BMW companies to market the brand of their vehicles and thus strive in the stiff market competition. The report will also analyze the message and image portrayed to consumers by the campaign strategies and use of media tactics that the two companies employ to market the brand of their vehicles. The effectiveness and efficiency of these mechanisms will be depicted and analyzed to determine the factors that make these companies be successful.

Elderly Patients and Malnutrition Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Elderly Patients and Malnutrition - Dissertation Example Nevertheless, as previous reports establish, hospital services are insufficient to meet the nutritional needs of ill patients. Given the present scenario, the government, along with health care professionals, faces a serious problem of alleviating the risks associated with malnutrition in the elderly population. Several proposals have been made in the past to address the current issue but the problem remains unresolved. It is therefore important to reassess current approaches to nursing practice and further expand research in the field of elderly care. To date, experts have identified proper screening and management as basic responses to the current problem. However, the diverse needs of elderly patients in the hospital setting demand comprehensive approaches and resources in the nursing practice. Additionally, the availability of resources is another question. For such reasons, nurses assigned in hospitals should have a wide background of the issue and the solutions to the problem. Basic information such as the causes, symptoms, and risks of malnutrition are therefore imperative and should be considered common knowledge in the nursing practice. To address the current issue, nurses in the hospital setting should, in the first place, be aware of the symptoms and causes of malnutrition. A working definition of malnutrition should lead every health care practitioner to be aware of the problems associated with malnutrition and to be sensitive to the symptoms at-risk patients have. According to Peters (1996), malnutrition is a ‘deficiency state which occurs when inadequate proteins, calories, or specific nutrients are ingested to meet an individual’s nutritional requirements’ (p.45). Malnutrition can cause varying adverse effects on... This paper approves that the current literature offers a number of screening tools and interventions to malnutrition. Among screening tools are the MUST, GNRI, and Nursing Nutritional Checklist. Commonly, these screening tools aim to guide nurses on proper screening of at-risk patients. They also ensure communication between the nurse and the patient, giving way for patients to express their needs and apprehensions relating to hospitalisation. Screening tools also serve as guide for making recommendations to doctors, dieticians, and other health care providers. The screening tools found in the literature obviously vary in structure but they commonly aim at securing information about the patient. This paper makes a conclusion that pharmacologic therapy and giving supplements are the most successful interventions based on the literature. However, it should be clear that pharmacologic therapy was often used in the past for preventing anorexia among terminally ill patients. Therefore, future research should examine the effectiveness of the intervention to elderly patients in general, including those who are not suffering from diseases. Nevertheless, extra care should be taken when administering drugs to patients, making sure of the absence of side effects. Exercise, educating patients and their families, and minimising dietary restrictions likewise emerge as other alternatives to pharmacologic therapy in fighting the problem of malnutrition in the field of elderly care.

Answer movie question and summary article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Answer movie question and summary article - Essay Example Q5: I do believe that working in mutual trust is possible, however I do feel that some amount of fear is required to keep the Government working on its toes. This is imperative so that none of the participants in the democracy cross their moral boundary line. Q6: The ordinary people did absolutely the right thing by marching along the explosion, which took place courtesy V. This was something, which was required to be done as the people needed to be woken against the tyranny of the Government, and they did the right thing by waking up. Q7: I agree with the analogy of V that ideas are always bulletproof. Ideas are alive. A man can die but his idea lives on, and any one can reignite an idea and make it work according to the current level of situation in the place. Q8: This was a beautiful movie and the scene where V surfaces on public television giving his sermon of revolution to the people is the best scene for me. This was not a crazy comic flick as it made absolute total sense with respect to the situation prevailing in the society as of today. Q9: V’s quest for justice is absolutely justified by the means he adopted. I agree with the way he decided to blast the Parliament to tell the people that there is something very wrong with the way the tyrannical Government is functioning and something about it had to be done. The article written by the writer compares the Movie V for Vendetta with the philosophical ideology of Hobbs and looks at it from the perspective of psychological fear. The writer starts by saying that the movie defies in the way that Hobbs has been trying to portray his thinking of philosophy of morality, the idea of right and wrong and the means adopted to fulfill the quest for the people and to do the right thing. In the essay, the writer has posed certain questions and challenges on the theory adopted by Hobbs. Hobbs has said that morality should be the ultimate truth in everyone’s life, and one

Business plan for a restaurant Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business plan for a restaurant - Assignment Example This group of eight family run restaurants operating in northern California has been undergoing difficulties dealing with human resource issues. The operations manager doubles up as the human resource manager and embarks on a tedious process of physical inspection of the human resource requirements and problems of all the eight restaurants. Not only is this a time consuming and tiring process, the operations manager has also realized that it is costly and very inefficient. Therefore this plan presents a possible solution to the problem in the form of the implementation of an information system which will effectively aid the human resource manager with his operations thus allowing for efficiency and company growth. The restaurant industry is quite competitive with northern California being a haven for great restaurants. It is essential for one to cut a niche in the market and this can only be done if the various organizational resources are effectively managed. The replacement of the current manual system with an automated one will enable the company to manage its employees effectively allowing for good record handling, proper and easy scheduling, and effective communication within the organization. This will see an improvement in business processes which will culminate in the growth of the business reflected as higher profits. Introduction The implementation of an Information system is a vital part of business process transformation. For a business to succeed various steps must be taken to ensure that business process support and improvement is achieved. The use of a Human resource information system is a sure way of attaining this. A human resource information system will ensure that human resource functions are effectively managed by information technology hence creating an environment for profit making and business growth through efficient service provision and management. The human resource department is charged with the responsibility of payroll processing , employee recruitment and employee appraisals. These functions are increasingly becoming complex and thus require sufficient support. Automation of such a department, through the use of information technology, will ensure that the workload is sufficiently reduced and access to information is easy and quick. This business plan examines the effective role of implementing a human resource information system by performing a business analysis that will present the inefficiency of a manual system, and presenting a possible solution in the form of a human resource information system that can be implemented. Company Review The Castle Family Restaurants, a group of eight restaurants in northern California run by the Castle family, is a big employer of both part time and full time employees. It has employed more than 300 employees most of whom are on a part time basis as only 30% of these employees work on a full time basis. The operations manager usually has her hands full as she makes seve ral visits to all the restaurants managed by the group to perform human resource administrative duties such as employee recruitment, appraisals, payroll processing among other functions. This manual process of performing human resource functions is quite costly and very inefficient. Therefore there is a great need for improvement in order to eliminate the

Please answer two questions and i will upload the materials for the Essay

Please answer two questions and i will upload the materials for the writer - Essay Example An outsourcing website simply defined it as contracting out a non-core business to another company. (Sourcingmag.com, 2003) Countries especially in Eastern Europe are said to have well-developed human resources, and where wage costs are relatively lower. These are good conditions where one can get a vendor company to outsource business operations. (Alexandrova, n.d.) On the other hand, the same report of Prof. Alexandrova (n.d.) enumerated the risks that may occur when outsourcing certain functions of the business to these countries. Firstly, companies lose the ability to become more creative when encountering difficult business challenges. It was claimed that companies lose â€Å"competence to innovate through synergistic interactions†. (Alexandrova, n.d.) Risks are also observed when there is uneven level of technical and legal expertise between two parties in contract negotiations, as this may be possible among companies between developed and less-developed countries. There is also the risk related to the economy of the vendor country. Prof. Alexandrova (n.d.) mentioned that in transition economies in EU, these risks include those associated with exchange rates, policies related to profit repatriation, and those related to taxation. For UK companies, costs would still be the prime consideration when considering the option to outsource. There may be some social implications by resorting to outsourcing, the loss of jobs by British nationals being one. There are reports however, that claim that the benefits can outweigh the costs associated with it if outsourcing is managed well and supported by appropriate business policies. (Sourcingmag.com, 2003) The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an international body composed of 157 countries with headquarters located in Geneva, Switzerland. It was established in January 1, 1995 by the

SCM PepsiCo Essay Example for Free

SCM PepsiCo Essay The Beverage Industry is a mature sector and includes companies that market nonalcoholic and alcoholic items. Since growth opportunities are few compared to existing business, many members of the industry endeavor to diversify their offerings to better compete and gain share. Too, they may pursue lucrative distribution arrangements and/or acquisitions to expand their operations, product portfolios, and geographic reach. Most equities in this group are suitable for conservative investors. The largest companies offer reliable dividends, with regular increases, and above-average Stock Price Stability. There are a few selections for those that are more venturesome. Such issues might serve a particular market niche, for example, energy drinks or developing overseas markets. Generally, the group turns in a steady performance throughout the business cycle, but it will generally suffer in the most stressful of economic times PepsiCo is one of the largest food and beverage companies in the world. Its products include a variety of salty, sweet, and grain-based snacks as well as Csds and non-Csds. the company is responsible for the manufacturing, marketing, and sales of these goods. It has 18 brands in its portfolio and is headquartered in New York. PepsiCo has two divisions: bottle soft drinks and juice segment. In India the consumption proportion of both divisions are good as compare to the major competitor. PepsiCo have invested around 12000 crore in India and has the most of the market share in India in beverages industry. Mr. Anil R the Senior Manager of the organized trade handles the major area of Bangalore. His roles are to see the proper working in organized trade and to bring new business. OT has major area like restaurants, pubs, Cineplex entertainment, tourist area, and other major area of people’s needs. He was frustrated by the sales failure which done by PSR. Mr. Anil R, has noticed in the surprised visit of 20 outlets across the Bangalore is that the regulatory of the pre sales executive is not regular and they are not taking up the order from the customers time to time, not listing up the complaint of the customer which they are facing and above that they are not meeting up the target which they are proposed. Also what Anil found that the VISI cooler is also misused by the costumer, they put different stuffs in the costumer with other company beverages bottle. Anil found that these small looking issues have a big failure in future because it not only looses the costumer but also the revenue will decrease and for this he got to answer his highest authority. Taking the entire major problem on account and to the consideration Anil has started the training process and much needed to his PSR Mr. Prajapati and to Mr. Shail Sharma. The 7 days training consists of communication skills, behavioral skills about the product with clear detail and other major attributes regarding customer satisfaction. Anil only emphases on the customer satisfaction, he not only instructed his PSR about the regulatory visits to take the order but also he instructed about the PepsiCo commitment towards the costumer and about VISI cooler he also instructed. For all these he has given stick instruction for his PSR to follow up the good work if got failure may lose the job. Upon assuming the job, Anil does a Market research and compared the report on customer reaction. He discovered that Prajapati was well above the average for its costumer. In other words, Prajapati maintain the good relations with its costumer. On the other Shail stills lagging behind the performance. Anil’s conclusion is that Prajapati is performing well above the average level but stills it’s not the up to the company’s point of view. And Shail still face the failure. He fails to appreciate the importance of relationship. At his first sales meeting as senior manager Anil went over the financial data that demonstrated how much more expensive is to acquire new costumers than its current ones but we are losing even our existing once. Prajapati has 2 years of work experience in PepsiCo whereas Shail has 4 years of experience in the PepsiCo as PSR. Questions: 1 What course of action should Anil follow regarding PSR working Condition? 2 Should he hire new PSR? 3 Do you think Anil doing a good work to give training program?

Tumour Supressor Genes and Retinoblastoma

Tumour Supressor Genes and Retinoblastoma Throughout our life time growth is constant. Barring a few cells, most cells continue to grow, divide and replace themselves. Such processes require a strict regulation and this is brought about by cell cycle processes. These processes are carried out by proteins which control the growth and development. Proteins are coded by the genes and when the genetic information is altered or is mutated, it leads to a protein which is dysfunctional and the cell might lose its restraint on growth processes. This in turn leads to an uncontrolled growth of the cells which then causes cancer. Cancer is a disease of the genes. At a molecular level, there are two major reasons which have been attributed for cancer induction. The first one is the gain of function in genes and the other one is loss of function of genes. The genes which gain function, that is, get activated after certain specific events are known as proto-oncogenes. They are typically activated in cancer cells conferring new properties, such as hyperactive growth and division, protection against programmed cell death, loss of contact inhibition between cells, and the ability to become established in diverse and adverse environments. Those genes which lose their functions due to specific events are termed tumor suppressor genes (Eeles et al 2004). Tumor suppressor genes are inactivated in cancer cells, resulting in loss of normal functions, such as accurate DNA replication, cell cycle control, adhesion within tissues. Tumor suppressor genes are named such because when they are expressed in a normal cell they maintain the cell in a differentiated state and do not allow unchecked proliferation of cells. Therefore, at least one functional copy is required to prevent tumor initiation. That there are tumor suppressor genes was proposed when it was experimentally found by Harris et al. (1969) in cell fusion experiments wherein a fusion between a normal and a tumor cell rendered the cell non-cancerous and therefore, it was proposed there must be tumor suppressor genes which suppress cell growth in a dominant fashion (Skapek et al, 1997). As long as the normal copy is functional, the protein expressed maintains normal functioning of the cells. Many tumor suppressors have been identified and extensively characterized. TP53, WT1, NF1, BRCA, VHL, APC, MEN1 are a few examples of tumor suppressor genes. Tumor suppressor genes are divided into three categories- the gatekeepers, the caretakers and the landscapers. Gatekeepers are genes that directly regulate the growth of tumors by inhibiting their growth or by promoting apoptosis. In contrast, inactivation of caretakers does not directly promote growth of tumors. Rather, inactivation of caretakers leads to genetic instability that only indirectly promotes growth by causing an increased mutation rate. Landscaper genes do not directly affect cancer cell growth but contribute to an abnormal stromal environment that contributes to neoplastic transformation of the overlying epithelium. This project deals with one gatekeeper gene, known as retinoblastoma susceptibility gene (RB1). RB1 is the first tumor suppressor gene to be identified and cloned (Lee at al., Eeles et al, 2004; Andrade et al, 2006). It is the gene which when mutated predisposes a person to a common malignancy of the eye, retinoblastoma. Retinoblastoma is the most common intraocular cancer in children. It generally manifests in children before the age of five years with a majority of the tumors occurring by the age of 2 years (Lee et al., Eeles et al, 2004). Clinical features of retinoblastoma: As the name implies, retinoblastoma is one of the rare embryonic neoplasms originating in the retina. It is the most common intraocular tumor in children (Valverde et al, 2005). It was first described as a specific entity by James Wardrop. In majority of cases, the first sign at presentation is the characteristic cats eye reflex, which is usually noted by direct visualization. This white, pink-white, or yellow-white pupillary reflex, termed leukocoria, results from replacement of vitreous by the tumor or by a tumor growing in the macula. Another common symptom, strabismus or squint (exotropia or esotropia) can occur alone when small macular tumors interfere with the vision, or can be associated with leukocoria. Uncommon presenting signs for retinoblastoma are red, painful eye with secondary glaucoma, orbital cellulitis (infection of the soft tissues of the eyelids), unilateral mydriasis (excessive dilation of the pupil due to disease or due to trauma), and heterochromia (the iris of the two eyes show different color). In rare cases, presenting symptoms include hypopyon (pus in the anterior chamber of eye), hyphema (blood in the anterior eye chamber), keratitis, and vitreous hemorrhage (Vogelstein and Kinzler, 2002). A complete evaluation for retinoblastoma includes ophthalmologic examination, radiographic evaluation (skull X-ray, CT scan, MRI), and more recently, genetic testing. Fundus examination of first degree relatives is also done to look for the presence of retinoma or a regressed tumor which may indicate a hereditary component of the disease. Retinoblastoma can be exophytic or endophytic. It is exophytic when tumor occurs between the choroid and the retina and it is endophytic when it extends from retina towards the vitreous chamber. Therapy depends on the stage at which it is discovered. Based on that, treatment is given which includes enucleation, external beam radiotherapy, cryotherapy, episcleral plaques, xenon and argon laser photocoagulation, and chemotherapy. The choice of treatment depends on the factors such as: Multifocal or unifocal disease, Site and dimensions of the tumor, Diffused or focal vitreous seeding, Age of the individual, Histopathological finding. Therefore, staging and grouping of the disease is very important. Retinoblastoma can manifest in one of the eyes, both eyes and / or pineal body of the brain. When it is observed in one eye, it is referred to as unilateral retinoblastoma. When it is present in both the eyes, it is referred to as bilateral retinoblastoma. It is called trilateral retinoblastoma when the pineal gland is also involved. Why should retinoblastoma occur in one eye in some individuals and both the eyes in others? One more observation was that most of the individuals who came with retinoblastoma in both the eyes were diagnosed at an age earlier than those who presented with unilateral retinoblastoma. What is different in the genotypes of these two types of individuals that warrant a delayed onset of disease in the unilateral retinoblastoma cases? This was explained by Knudson in his study. Genetics in retinoblastoma: Retinoblastoma occurs with a frequency of 1 in 13,500 (Mateu et al., 1997) to1 in 20,000 (Di Commo et al., 2000). It is seen in both hereditary and nonhereditary forms (Knudson, Lee et al.) and shows no significant variation between races, countries, or level of industrialization (Mateu et al., 1997). However, contradictory views have been expressed by Mastrangelo as he questions the credibility of the data. Previous studies indicated that a gene predisposing to retinoblastoma manifests in young children was localized to chromosome 13. The gene was probably at band q14, since several retinoblastoma patients had shown to carry constitutional deletions of this region of chromosome 13. Retinoblastoma can be hereditary as well as sporadic. Those who have a mutation at one of the alleles of RB1 in germline cells are said to be predisposed to the disease. Such cases are categorized under hereditary retinoblastoma. Both hereditary as well as non-hereditary forms of retinoblastoma may show tumors in one or both the eyes. In the hereditary form of retinoblastoma, a germline mutation is transmitted as high penetrance (90%) autosomal dominant trait (Martinez et al). Most reported cases are sporadic (Knudson, 1971; Mateu et al, 1997). Retinoblastoma is caused by two mutational events at the retinoblastoma (RB1) locus (Knudson, 1971). That is, biallelic inactivation of RB1 due to mutations is a crucial event in the development of retinoblastoma (Andrade et al, 2006). Knudsons hypothesis: Alfred Knudson realized the implications of the fact that individuals with hereditary bilateral retinoblastoma were diagnosed at a younger age than those children with non-heritable disease, mostly unilateral retinoblastoma. The mean age of individuals on diagnosis was found to be 19 months in unilateral retinoblastoma cases whereas it was found to be 5 months in bilateral retinoblastoma cases. Also, in most cases of familial retinoblastoma, tumor develops in both the eyes. To explain these two important phenomena, age of onset and tumor development (unifocal or multifocal) in one or both eyes, Knudson proposed the two hit hypothesis. The hypothesis seeks to explain the occurrence of hereditary and nonhereditary retinoblastoma and its correlation with the age of onset of the disease. According to Knudson, the first mutational hit can be inherited through the germline or can be somatically acquired, whereas the second occurs somatically in both cases and leads to tumor in cells that is double defective at the RB1 locus (Knudson, 1971; Mateu et al., 1997). Thus in case of hereditary retinoblastoma, the individual must have inherited the mutation through the germline and hence, during the course of development may show the second mutational hit leading to tumorigenesis. As this individual already has a mutation in germline, it shows the second hit early in the life time. Statistical analyses indicated that as few as two mutational hits were rate limiting for the development of retinoblastoma tumors. The occurrence of the first mutation (M1) in the germline and all developing retinal cells gives retinoblastoma tumor a head start in hereditary cases (only M2 must arise in a retinal cell), compared to non-hereditary tumors where both M1 and M2 must arise in a single retinal cell. On the other hand, in unilateral retinoblastoma cases, the individual has not inherited a germline mutation at the RB1 locus. During the course of development, the cells of such patients gather both the mutations in somatic cells with some exceptions. Thus these tumors arise later than the hereditary forms of retinoblastoma. Knudson performed a statistical analysis of some patients presenting with retinoblastoma. The number of tumors in each eye was calculated and he devised a distribution keeping number of tumors in one eye, m= 3. Each tumor which is seen originates from a single cell. Thus, a mutation rate can be roughly calculated. If the total number retinal cells are n, m/n is the probability of a cell undergoing mutation at one of the alleles. Now, retinoblastoma is derived from the inner and outer neuroblastic layer. The order of magnitude of retinoblasts is reflected by the magnitude of the number of ganglion cells which are derived from the early differentiated inner nuclear layer of the retina. The estimated number of ganglion cells has been put at 2 x 106 per retina. Thus, using this as an approximation for the total number of cells, the probability that a cell will inherit one mutation is 0.75 x 10-6. Since a majority of hereditary cases occur in the first two years of life, the probability expressed per year at either member of the autosomal gene pair would be one fourth of this value, or approximately 2x 10-7 per year. This estimates the rate of second mutation in mutated cells (Knudson, 1971). It is seen that the rate at which the second mutation occurs is relatively lower than the first mutational hit. Retinoblastoma in hereditary cases which present themselves as bilateral retinoblastoma show high penetrance. In such cases, the vast majority of high penetrance mutations are null alleles where the mutations abrogates which destabilizes RB mRNA, presumably due to pre mature truncation of translation, so that no pRb is detected. However, some mutations show low penetrance. The low penetrance phenotype can result from several different types of RB alleles. Germline deletion of the whole RB gene often results in unilateral retinoblastoma, presumably because an unknown adjacent critical gene is also deleted, without which the RB-/- cell cannot survive. Only cells in which M2 is a different intragenic RB mutation on an allele with the adjacent critical gene still intact can survive to form retinoblastoma. Some mutations reduce expression of wild type pRB by targeting the promoter or splice sites. In-frame mutations result in a stable pRB with some aberrant functions. THE RB1 GENE: The RB gene family includes at least three members- RB1, RBL1, and p130. The RBL1 and p130 also show similar protein binding characteristics as RB1 and therefore they come under one gene family (Mulligan and Jacks, 1998). All three genes code for pocket proteins because their main sequence similarity resides in the pocket domain, which mediates interactions with the cellular and viral proteins to exert biological functions of this family (Pogoriler et al., 2006). The RB1 gene has been localized on chromosome 13 of humans on the long arm with locus 14.2 (Cavenee et al, 1971). The RB1 gene codes for a protein which is 928 amino acids long. There are 27 exons in RB1 and occupies nearly 200 kb of the genome. The gene transcribes a 4.7 kb mRNA. The exon size varies across the gene. The largest is exon 27 which is 1892bp long while exon 24 has only 30bp in its exonic region (NCBI database: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/). Comings et al. suggested that RB1 is a tumor suppressor gene which is recessive at cellular level (Comings, 1971; Di Commo et al., 2000). The RB1 promoter present upstream of the exons does not show the typical TATA box binding domain. The promoter sequence of RB1 reveals that the sequence between -300 and +400 is GC rich (Hong et al, 1989). As the promoter lacks a TATA element, it might explain the presence of three transcriptional initiation sites. Deletion analysis of the promoter by Hong et al demonstrated that the sequence stretching from +13 to +83 suffices the promoter activity. Another characteristic of the promoter region is that the G+C rich region shows similarity with many housekeeping genes (Hong et al, 1989). This outlines the fact that the RB1 gene is expressed constitutively in almost all tissues of our body. The Leiden Open source Variation Database (LOVD) maintains the reported mutations in the RB1 gene. Almost 940 mutations and polymorphisms have been reported in RB1 by many scientists (www.rb1-lsdb.d-lohmann.de/). Single base pair mutations are the most frequent M1 mutations and account for nearly 40% of the confirmed mutations, followed by short and large mutations. The second hit might be associated with loss of heterozygosity (LOH) mutations, promoter hypermethylation, or even a second independent base substitution (Andrade et al, 2006; Lohmann et al., 1996). The most common point mutation found in the studies is the change from C>T at the CGA sites which codes for amino acid arginine. This change leads to premature termination of the protein (Lohmann et al., 1996). Expression of Rb protein: Initially, RB gene was considered to be expressed ubiquitously in all tissues of the body considering its role in maintaining cell differentiation (Karantza et al, 1993). However, later studies revealed differential expression of Rb protein. In situ Hybridization studies done with Rb expression during embryogenesis show, that the Rb family of proteins is differentially expressed in only certain specific cell lineages. According to studies, Rb1 mRNA transcripts were detected not only during in the ganglionic cell layer of retina but also during neurogenesis, hematopoiesis, myogenesis, lens development prior to and during differentiation. In the liver and the CNS, RB1 is co-expressed along with p107 protein. Consequently, RB-/-, p107-/- cells undergo cell apoptosis. RB1 transcripts were also detected throughout myogenesis. pRB has also been found to be expressed during spermatogenesis (Yan et al, 2001). Since RB1 mutations specifically arise in the human eye, analysis has been performed for the developing eye. The results suggested that RB1 transcripts were detected in the ganglion cell layer of the developing retina from embryonic day 14 through 18 (Jiang et al, 1997). Preliminary studies had indicated that Rb expression in developing retina initiates as the cells commit to differentiation, but pRb has been detected only in certain subsets of retinal cells (Di Commo et al, 2000). In conclusion, pRb expression is important for terminal mitosis in peripheral nervous system, keratinocytes, and skeletal muscles (Di Commo et al, 2000). THE RETINOBLASTOMA SUSCEPTIBILITY PROTEIN: The RB1 gene transcribes a 4.7 kb mRNA which encodes a phosphoprotein which is 928 amino acids long. It is an example of a pocket protein as there are sites or pockets which interact with other proteins. The protein is a negative regulator of the cell cycle. The pRb migrates in SDS PAGE as a multiple, closely spaced bands with molecular weights between 110 and 114 kDa (Skapek et al, 1997). The pRb can be divided into three domains protease resistant, protease soluble and structural domains comprising of the N terminal, R motif, and A/B pocket (Di Commo et al, 2000). The N Terminal: The N terminal region extends from amino acid 1-379. Although the N terminal is well conserved among Rb orthologs and paralogs, it has been studied far less. However, a significant number of mutations in this region occur in retinoblastomas, strongly implicating it in tumor suppression. Another study by Goodrich et al, 2003, suggested that integrity of the domain is necessary for rescue from both developmental defects as well as tumor susceptibility. The crystal structure of the domain reveals a globular entity formed by two rigidly connected cyclin folds similar to the pocket domains which suggests that Rb evolved through domain duplication. A coherent conformation of the Rb holoprotein has been suggested in which the N terminal domain and the pocket domains interact directly (Hassler et al). The A/B domain: The pocket domain consists of two non consecutive stretches of amino acids, A (amino acids 380-577) and B (amino acids 645-785) (Xiao et al, 2003). It is coded by the exons 12 through 22 of the RB1 gene (Brichard et al, 2006). This region has been shown to interact with many proteins. This domain has been shown to be critical for many interactions of pRb including interaction with a variety of cellular proteins like E2F transcription factor (extensively characterized), tethering of pRb to nuclear structures (Skapek et al., 1997), phosphorylation during the G1 phase of cell cycle. Between the A and B domain is a small stretch of 75 amino acids, the spacer region. A small deletion within the spacer region or replacement of the spacer region with a random sequence has no effect on the function of pRb. However, deletion of entire spacer affects the physical interaction between the two domains. There is another pocket referred to as the C pocket domain in the large A/B domain of the pRb protein. This C pocket lies within the minimal functional domain of RB (Rb amino acids 395 to 876) (Whitaker et al, 1998). The C terminal: The C terminal stretches from amino acid 786 to 928. Of the sixteen sites for phosphorylation by cdks identified, six lie in the C terminal. It has been demonstrated that phosphorylation of S788 and S795 destabilizes the E2F complex interaction directly while phosphorylation of T821 and T826 induces an intramolecular interaction with Rb pocket that destabilizes the remaining interactions indirectly (Rubin et al.). The C terminal also contains a Nuclear Localization Signal (NLS) as well as cyclin binding motif [R/K]XL that are important for Rb phosphorylation (Di Commo et al, 2000). RB AND CELL CYCLE: pRB is a negative regulator of the cell cycle. The cell cycle consists of DNA synthesis (S phase) and mitosis (M phase) separated by two gap intervals, G1 and G2. When they are not cycling, cells are in a quiescent phase, G0, and extra- and intracellular signals are required to re-enter the cell cycle. Serum-starved cells in G0 will enter G1upon growth factor stimulation, and will return to G0 if mitogens are removed prior to a point in late G1. Beyond this restriction point (R) cells traverse through S, G2 and M, and will not stop even if serum is removed. There are two checkpoint controls which ensure proper cell cycle progression. The first one is referred to as the G1S checkpoint that ensures that there are proper environmental conditions for cell division. Importantly, many of the extracellular and intracellular signals that regulate passage through R point converge on the pRB pathway (Di Commo et al.) The second one is called as the G2M checkpoint which ensures that all the req uirements for cell division are fulfilled. Fig: Schematic diagram showing RB phosphorylation pathway. (1) E2F activity repressed in G0 phase imparting cell cycle inhibition. (2) Mitogens trigger a signaling pathway leading to activation of cdk 4/6- cyclin D, cdk 2-cyclin E complexes which in turn phosphorylate RB sequentially rendering it inactive. (3) E2F mediated gene expression allows progression through S phase. (4) During transition to mitosis, the action of mitosis reactivates RB to hypophosphorylated form. The regulation of pRB is by phosphorylation. Hypophosphorylated pRb is in its active form whereas on phosphorylation it loses its activity. The protein contains 16 CDK recognition motifs (S/TP) for phosphorylation, six of which are located in the C-terminus (Rubin et al, 2005). Hypophosphorylated pRB binds target proteins and arrests cells in G1. This block is relieved by a crescendo of CDK-mediated phosphorylation that begins as cells in G1 approach R, and is abruptly reversed at the end of M phase. The major targets for hypophosphorylated pRB are E2F and co repressors such as Histone Deacetylases (HDACs). E2F belongs to a family of transcription factors who have evolutionarily conserved domains including the one for DNA binding and a dimerization domain. E2F is found as a heterodimer with another class of proteins- Differentiation Regulated Transcription Factors (DRTF-b). E2F-pRB co repressor complexes maintain the gene repression (Lees et al, 1993) that is required for progression through R, such as cyclin E. To pass this checkpoint, these repressor complexes are disrupted in two stages by the sequential action of cyclin D and cyclin E activated CDKs. As cells exit G0, cyclin D levels rise, causing activation of CDK4/6 and phosphorylation of multiple C-terminal sites on pRB (Gorges et al, 2008). The C-terminal region of pRB contains a series of (R/K)XL cyclin docking motifs. Ser 795 is the first site to be phosphorylated, and is critical for inactivating growth suppression by pRB. Following D-CDK4/6 phosphorylation, the increase in negative charge promotes an intramolecular interaction between the C-terminus and a series of positively charged lysine residues (the lysine patch) that surround the LXCXE binding groove in the B domain of the pocket. Associated LXCXE proteins, such as HDACs, are also dislodged. However, E2F which does not use LXCXE motif to interact with the pRB does not dislodge. Removing HDACs is thought to relieve active repression of certain target genes such as cyclin E. The genes which are required for DNA replication like gene for thymidine kinase, DNA polymerase and dihydrofolate synthase are also activated as a result of phosphorylation of RB1 and subsequent loss of interaction with E2F protein which now recruits other transcription factors. The cell thus enters the S phase. In the S phase of cell cycle, DNA gets replicated and synthesized. Histone synthesis also occurs during the S phase. Once DNA replication is complete, the cell enters another gap, G2 ÂÂ ­where the cell continues to grow till the cell enters the M phase or mitosis phase. Significant protein synthesis takes place during the G2 phase. Proteins like microtubules involved in mitosis stage are synthesized. At the end of the G2 is the G2/M checkpoint. Once it overcomes the second checkpoint, the cell enters actual cell division- mitosis. RB1 PROTEIN INTERACTIONS IN CELL: Cell cycle control at the G1 S checkpoint and growth suppression as well as differentiation into a particular subset of cell is considered the major function of RB1 protein. Transcription regulation is a control mechanism that is critical for fundamental processes such as cell growth and differentiation. Proteins involved in transcription regulation either bind to DNA sequences or act as co-activators or co-repressors. pRb is one such transcription regulator. In accordance with its role as a tumor suppressor, introduction of Rb into Rb-/- cells diminishes their capacity for malignant transformation which underlines the fact that pRb plays a critical role in DNA replication, cellular senescence, differentiation, and apoptosis, placing pRb at the center of cellular proliferation and tumorigenesis through its interaction with various proteins. At least three distinct protein binding activities have been identified and extensively studied: the large A/B pocket binds E2F (Benevolenskaya et al, 2005), the A/B pocket binds the LXCXE peptide motif, and the C pocket binds the nuclear c-Abl tyrosine kinase (Whitaker et al, 1998). Also, the protein also stabilizes the heterochromatin to maintain the overall chromatin structure. The C pocket is distinct from the A/B pocket domain as pRb can simultaneously bind to c-Abl as well as E2F (Whitaker et al, 1998). The A/B domains are sufficient for E2F subunit binding to Rb. However, the E2F-DP1 heterodimer requires the presence of C terminal. The retinoblastoma protein inhibits E2F mediated transcription via two distinct mechanisms- 1.) pRb binds to E2F transactivation membrane and inhibits E2Fs ability to promote transcriptional activation of E2F dependent genes. 2.) pRb actively represses expression of certain genes by recruiting HDACs and other chromatin remodeling factors (Gorges et al, 2008). The C terminal has also been shown to bind to MDM2. MDM2 interaction with the extreme C terminal region has therefore been shown to contribute towards regulation of apoptosis (Janicke et al., 1996; Sdek et al, 2004). MDM 2 has been known to stimulate E2F transactivation activity and promote S phase entry of cells, independent of p53 (Sdek et al., 2004). The retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein has been known to bind directly and inhibit a transcriptionally important amino terminal kinase domain of TATA- binding protein associated factor TAFII250 (Siegert et al., 2000). TAF II250 is the largest of approximately 10 TAF subunits of Pol II specific human TFIID. It directly binds to TBP and is believed to be a central scaffold for assembly of TAFs and TBP into a stable TFIID complex (Siegert et al., 2000). The retinoblastoma protein interacts even with transcription factors ATF2. ATF2 enhances the activity of TGF ÃŽÂ ² promoter. The retinoblastoma protein also enhances the stimulatory effects of ATF 2. The site on Rb required for its effect alone and in combination with ATFs has been mapped mainly to A/B products and the C pocket (Li and Wicks, 2001). It has been also reported that the amino terminal of BRCA 1 can efficiently bind to the ABC region (from amino acids 379-928) of the Rb protein. It has been shown that growth suppressor activity of BRCA1 takes place only in presence of a functional Rb protein (Aprelikova et al., 1999). pRb has been known to interact with proto-oncogene c-jun. One of the transcriptional modulator target sites of pRB is the AP-1 binding site within the c-jun and collagenase promoters. c-Jun also physical interacts with pRb where the C terminal site of leucine zipper interacts with pRb (Nishitani et al., 1998). pRb also represses the expression of c-Fos gene the gene product of which , Fos, is one component of the heterodimeric transcription factor, AP-1. Thus, pRb can be functionally linked to c-jun for transcriptional regulation. pRB when recruited to DNA via E2F is a potent transcriptional repressor due to its ability to recruit HDACs (Kennedy et al., 2001) and histone methylases. Again, one pRB binding protein, EID1 is a potent inhibitor of histone acetylases, p300 and CBP and blocks differentiation (Benevolenskaya et al.). HDACs interact directly with pRB by means of a LXCXE motif (Kennedy et al., 2001; Gorges et al., 2008). p53 controls phosphorylation of pRB in a cell indirectly. On DNA damage induces the transcription of its target gene p21WAF1/CIP1. The p21 protein thus formed binds to two different proteins. First, it inhibits the activity of CDKs in cell which in turn keeps pRB in active state. Thus, p53 helps in negative regulationof cell cycle. Second, the p21 protein interacts with the PCNA which then leads to inhibition of cell cycle (Hsieh et al, 1999). Androgen receptors show a unique interaction with pRb at the N terminal. Over expression of pRb leads to increased transcription activity of androgen receptor, AR. pRb also potentiates the activity of glucocorticoid recptors, GR. However, loss of pRb activity inhibits AR but not GR activity (Lu and Danielsen, 1998). MUTATIONS IN RB GENE: After RB1 gene was first cloned by Friend et al in 1986, mutations have been identified in the gene ranging from single base pair deletions, to small length insertions and deletions (Lohmann et al. 1996, Andrade et al. 2006). The mutations do not show any hotspots and they are widely distributed over the 27 exons of RB1 as well as the promoter region (Dalamon et al. 2003). The most common mutation found to result in predisposition to retinoblastoma is the point mutation from C>T. At times the mutation at this point changes the codon from CGA to TGA, from Arginine to stop codon. This premature truncation of protein leads to abrogated expression of pRb in cells. Hypermethylation of RB1 promoter has been also observed as a common epigenetic event in certain tumors (Gonzalez- Gomez et al., 2003). Retinoblastoma Gene Mutation database (RBGMdb) maintains a comprehensive list of all mutations in the RB1 gene. Till now, 932 mutations have been reported in the RBGMdb. Most of the mutations are nonsense mutations (42%). However, if recurrent nonsense mutations are not considered, the percentage comes down to 18%. RB1 mutations are scattered all along the genomic sequence. However, there are a few hotspots which show high recurrence. Most of the recurrences correspond to C>T changes in the sequence. Out of 351 nonsense mutations 271 (79%) are C>T transitions in eleven CGA (arginine) codons, in exon 8, 10, 11, 14, 17, 18, and 23. No mutations have been found in the three other CGA codons in exon 1 and 27. In four of the mutated CGA codons, R251and R255 in exon 8, R451 and R455 of exon 14, a high frequency of constitutive hypermethylation has been demonstrated. In addition to hot spots, frameshift and point mutations leading to translational changes or splice site mutations are scattered along the retinoblastoma coding region and non-coding adjacent splicing sites. With the exception of exons 5, 14, 15, 24, 25 and the non-mutated exons 26 and 27, frameshift mutations are randomly distributed through the RB1 coding sequence. Splicing mutations are also evenly distributed, but show preference for intronic sequences adjacent to exons 6, 12, 16, 17, 19 and 24. It is worth to mention that most missense substitutions (60 %) are located in cyclin box B, underlined by exons 19 to 21.

Economic Profiles of Arab Countries

Economic Profiles of Arab Countries QATAR Qatar has been ranked as the world’s wealthiest country on a new list compiled by the prestigious US. Qatar has 2,051 million people, the majority of whom (about 90%) live in Doha, the capital. Qatar is the 146th most populated nation , age structure 0–14 years: 21.8% (male 92,896/female 87,201) 15–64 years: 76.8% (male 451,127/female 182,330) 65 years and over: 1.4% (male 6,545/female 4,690) (2008 est.) with a GDP of 181.7 Billion per capita of ~102,700USD. Sharing the same Arabic language presents an advantage for ANB to enter Qatar. The country’s population is growing by an average of 1.093% (2008 est.) Petroleum the cornerstone of Qatar s economy accounts for more than 70% of total government revenue, more than 60% of GDP, and roughly 85% of export earnings Oil has given Qatar a per capita GDP that ranks among the highest in the world. Qatar is now the richest country in the world caused by a rising global oil demand which helped current GDP per capita to expand 94% in the Nineties. Income distribution in the country is relatively balanced, with a majority (70%) in the middle class, The economy is expected to grow at a healthy rate of 5% for the coming years. Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup bid is the successful proposal from the government of Qatar to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Qatar will be the first Arab state to host the World Cup. Qatar promoted their hosting of the tournament as representing the Arab World, and has drawn support from across the member states of the Arab League. They also positioned their bid as an opportunity to bridge the gap between the Arab World and the West. Furthermore, people coming from different nations visited Qatar for this match and strengthened the image Qatar would depict of their interest in the World Cup 2022. Additionally, Qatar hosted the 2011 Asian Cup . With a fast-expanding population and substantial economic growth over the past decade, a reliable and extensive transportation network is becoming increasingly necessary within Qatar. So far the government, the primary transport developer, has done well in terms of keeping up with demand for new transportation options. In 2008 the Public Works Authority (Ashghal), one of the bodies that oversees infrastructure development, underwent a major reorganization in order to streamline and modernize the authority in preparation for major project expansions across all segments in the near future. Ashghal works in tandem with the Urban Planning and Development Authority (UPDA), the body that designed the transportation master plan, instituted in March 2006 and running to 2025. As driving is the primary mode of transport in Qatar, the road network is a major focus of the plan. Project highlights in this segment include the multibillion-dollar Doha Expressway and the Qatar Bahrain Causeway, which will connect Qatar to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia and is considered a milestone in regional interconnectivity. Mass-transit options, such as a Doha metro, light-rail system and more extensive bus networks, are also under development to ease road congestion. In addition, the railway system is being significantly expanded and could eventually form an integral part of a GCC-wide network linking all the Gulf states. once all projects are up and running Qatar will have one of the most advanced and modern transport infrastructures in the region, it will be an opportunity and a niche market for ANB BAHRAIN Bahrain has a very small population of ~1.3 Million, of which more than 50% are non-nationals, with a relatively high GDP ~27,000USD. The middle aged population (30-64yrs) including non-Bahrainis is around 48%. Bahrain has the first post-oil economy in the Persian Gulf because the Bahraini economy does not rely on oil. Since the late 20th century, Bahrain has heavily invested in the banking and tourism sectors. The countrys capital, Manama is home to many large financial structures. Bahrain has a high Human Development Index (ranked 48th in the world) and was recognized by the World Bank as a high income economy. Bahrain was designated a major non-Nato ally by the Georges W. Bush administration in 2001. Bahrain has the fastest growing economy in the Arab world, Bahrain also has the freest economy in the Middle East and is twelfth freest overall in the world . In 2008, Bahrain was named the worlds fastest growing financial center by the City of Londons Bahrains banking and financial services sector, particularly Islamic banking, have benefited from the regional boom driven by demand for oil. Petroleum production and processing account is Bahrains most exported product, accounting for 60% of export receipts, 70% of government revenues, and 11% of GDP . With its highly developed communication and transport facilities, Bahrain is home to a number of multinational firms and construction proceeds on several major industrial projects. OMAN The current GDP is $78.11 billion, expected real GDP growth of 4.5 per cent in 2013 and 4.0 per cent in 2014. Current GDP per capita has expanded continuously in the past 50 years. It grew 339% in the 1960s reaching a peak growth of 1,370% in the 1970s scaling back to modest 13% growth in the 1980s and rising again to 34% in the 1990s. Officially called the Sultanate of Oman . It has a strategically important position at the mouth of the Persian Gulf. From the 17th century, Oman had its own empire, Unlike its resource-rich neighbors, Oman has modest oil reserves, in 2010 the UNDP ranked Oman as the most improved nation in the world in terms of development during the preceding 40 years. Additionally, Oman is categorized as a high income economy and ranks as the 45th most peaceful country in the world. Omans Basic Statute of the State expresses in Article 11 that the national economy is based on justice and the principles of a free economy. Omani citizens enjoy good living standards, but the future is uncertain with Omans limited oil reserves. Other sources of income, agriculture and industry, are small in comparison and count for less than 1% of the countrys exports. Oman has a very diversified economy . Since Jan 2009 Oman has a free trade agreement with the United States , eliminating tariff barriers on all consumer and industrial products, also providing strong protections for foreign businesses investing in Oman. The total population is 2,773,479 and of those, 1,957,336 were Omanis. 43% of the population is under the age of 15. About 50% of the population lives in Muscat and the Batinah coastal plain northwest of the capital; about 200,000 live in the Dhofar (southern) region, and about 30,000 live in the remote Musandam Peninsula on the Strait of Hormuz. Omans economic growth plunged to 2.8 per cent in nominal terms in 2013. In April, the International Monetary Fund estimated in its World Economic Outlook that the non-OPEC crude exporters economy expanded 5.1 per cent in 2013 when adjusted for inflation, slightly outperforming a 5.0 per cent rise in 2012. Expected economy growth 4 to 5 per cent this year, underpinned by stable oil prices and the billions of dollars spent on major projects in the past two years. Last years slowdown in nominal growth was mainly due to a 1.4 per cent fall in the oil sector, which accounts for nearly 46 per cent of Omans $80 billion economy and had seen a 10.7 per cent jump in nominal terms in the previous year. KUWAIT Kuwait one of the richest Arab countries, and has a population of 2,695,316. includes 1,291,354 non-nationals. Population growth rate by 1.79% and this rate reflect a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of expatriates. Urban population 98.3% of total population . Age structure 0–14 years: 25.8% ,15–64 years: 72.2% , 65 years and over: 2% Kuwaiti citizens accounted for 40% of Kuwaits total population in 2011 the rest is foreigners. The government and people of Kuwait consider the high level of immigrants to be a problem. This led to the announcement in 2013 that Kuwait will reduce the number of expatriates by deporting 100,000 expats annually over the next 10 years. A recent proposal by a Kuwaiti lawmaker restricts all expats to only five years residence in Kuwait, all expats will be deported after living 5 years in Kuwait. Kuwait also banned expatriates from driving. Kuwaits economic freedom score is 62.3 making its economy the 76th freest in 2014 index, with a GDP 151$ billion with a 5.1% growth 39,889 per capita . the unemployment rate is 2.1% Kuwait holds the world’s sixth biggest proven reserves of oil and oil extraction accounts for 40% of GDP . The strategic location of Kuwait and geopolitical turbulence in the region helped foster economic prosperity in Kuwait. Kuwait became wealthy due to Basras instability. It was estimated that Kuwaits sea trade reached 16 million Bombay rupees by 1800, a substantial amount at that time. Economic prosperity during the late 18th century attracted many immigrants from Iran and Iraq to Kuwait. Kuwaits pre-oil population was ethnically diverse.

Hip-hop, Reggae, and Politics Essay -- Essays on Politics

Hip-hop, Reggae, and Politics Introduction Music is an art form and source of power. Many forms of music reflect culture and society, as well as, containing political content and social message. Music as social change has been highlighted throughout the 20th century. In the 1960s the United States saw political and socially oriented folk music discussing the Vietnam War and other social issues. In Jamaica during the 1970s and 1980s reggae developed out of the Ghetto’s of Trench town and expressed the social unrest of the poor and the need to over-through the oppressors. The 1980’s brought the newest development in social and political music, the emergence of hip-hop and rap. This urban musical art form that was developed in New York City has now taken over the mainstream, but originated as an empowering art form for urban youth and emerging working class. Musically hip-hop spawned the age of DJ’s. With strong influences from Reggae, hip-hop has developed into an empowering form for the expression of ideas, power, revolution and change. Power and empowerment have emerged from these musical styles that now have many commonalities. Hip-hop and Reggae are both forms of protest music. â€Å"Protest music is characterized by objections to injustices and oppressions inflicted on certain individual groups†¦. typically, the intent of protest musicians is to oppose the exploitation and oppression exercised by dominant elites and member of dominant groups†(Stapleton, 221). Hip-hop has developed as a new form of protest music void of the common acoustic guitar. The goal of protest music is to promote freedom through music. Bob Marley expresses his belief that music is a message and route to freedom in the song â€Å"Trench town.† ... ...ap† Miami New Times, February 10, 2000, Thursday. Salmon, Barrington â€Å" Bob Marley’s legacy lives forever† Miami Times, V. 73; N. 22 p. 5A, 2/18/1996 Shivers, Kaia â€Å"This is Reggae Music† Los Angeles Sentinel† V. 66; N. 32 p. B5 11/8/2000 Wilson, Basil â€Å"The politics & culture of Reggae music† The Caribbean-American Magazine v. 24 N. 1 p. 25, 2/28/2000 Discography: Honorary Citizen: Peter Tosh, Sony Music Entertainment:1997 Steffens, Roger. â€Å"In the Tracks of the Stepping Razor: The Peter Tosh Biography† pgs. 42-51 Reflection Eternal: Talib Kweli, Rawkus Records 2000 â€Å"This means you† Run DMC: Run DMC, Arista Records 1983 â€Å"Its Like That† Bob Marley: Confrontation, Polygram Records 1983 â€Å"Chant down Babylon,† and â€Å"Trenchtown† Bob Marley: Suvival, Ploygram Records 1979 â€Å"Babylon System†

Evaluation of The Psychoanalytic Approach Essay -- Papers Psychology F

Evaluation of The Psychoanalytic Approach Sigmund Freud the founder of psychoanalysis (1896-1939) worked on many ideas and cases that were to do with the mind and the body. Freud spent most of his life in Vienna where he expressed and distinguished the concepts of the unconscious, infantile sexuality and repression. Freud identified psychosexual stages, which are: - Oral stage – (approx 0-2 years) During the first year of life the libido is gratified through stimulation of the mucous membrane of the mouth (breast feeding, sucking behaviour). The child will enjoy sucking and biting. Freud suggested that if a child is weaned too early or too late they can have a fixation by using sucking sensations. Freud though did not give any indication when the correct time is to wean a child in order to overcome these fixations. He did though suggest that the fixations could be apparent in later life in the form of pen sucking or biting of the nail and smoking, as they are all types of oral stimulation/activities. Freud also said that too little stimulation in this early age could lead to the child in adult life having uncaring, self-centred attitude. And the other way with too much stimulation can lead to self controlled, gullible and unrealistic goals. These are both long lasting affects in later life if this stage is not correctly overcome. Anal stage – (approx 2-4 years) Pleasure is focused on the passing or excreaton of faces. On this stage Freud said that if parents were too pushy and strict with toilet training then the child may become anally retentive – resulting in excessive tiredness and cleanliness and very self contr... ...success, it has very much failed in the eyes of most of today's critics. Carl Jung (1875-1961) did not agree with Freud in the distinction between manifest and latent content as to Jung dreams had no deliberate disguised meaning but directly reflected the minds current state. A major difference therefore was that where Freud emphasised the dark and destructive nature of the unconscious Jung was influenced on the positive and constructive nature of these influences. Sigmund Freud has had a huge impact on psychoanalytic techniques and most of them are still used today i.e. dream analysis and the talking technique. Without Freud’s ideas and findings maybe the world of psychoanalysis would not be where it is today as many theorists have used Freud techniques’ as a base for their own modifications and contributions.

The Devastation of the Indies and Movie The Mission Essay -- Devastati

The Devastation of the Indies and Movie The Mission The Mission and Bartolome De Las Casas' book, The Devestation of the Indies Although The Mission and Bartolomà © De Las Casas' book, The Devastation of the Indies portray events that took place over two centuries apart, similar features and effects of colonization are apparent in each account. Slight differences in viewpoints are evident, such as The Mission's portrayal of the natives in a more humane fashion, but this goes along with the evolution of time and the current trend of being politically correct. In other words, people today have broader views on issues, are more unbiased in their reasoning, and are careful not to offend others. Whether efforts to conquer land happened in the sixteenth century or will happen in the future in say the twenty-second century, by definition of conquer alone, defeating, suppression, and a complete overpowering, has taken place and will continue to in the future. (Merriam-Webster's, 1997, p. 245). The Devastation of the Indies was written in the middle of the sixteenth century in response to De Las Casas' outrage about the horrific treatment of natives in the New World. De Las Casas first came to the New World on Colon's second voyage. At one time De Las Casas did own slaves himself, but his experiences over time in the New World, led him to new ways which included getting rid of his slaves. His mission became one of letting others, especially those in his European homeland, become aware of the cruel treatment of the natives by the European colonizers and he began a crusade for the abolition of Indian slavery and the general improvement of the natives' lives. (http://www.funkandwagnalls.com) De Las Casas' book is a first-hand acco... ..._reviews/1986/ 11/117159.html. October 2, 1999. iii. "Enlightenment, Age Of." http://www.versaware.kidsreference.lycos.com /encyclopedia /low/ articles/e/e007001089f.asp. October 3, 1999. iv. "History of Nicaragua." http://www.rnw.nl/racism/nicaragua/html/facts.html. October 3, 1999. v. "Las Casas, Bartolomà © De." http://www.funkandwagnalls.com/encyclopedia/low/ articles/ 1/1015000292f.html. October 2, 1999. vi. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary: tenth edition. Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 1997, p.245. vii. Mueller, Rose Anna M. "Teaching beyond the Quincentennial," Hispania 76 (3), September 1993. found at http://www.millersv.edu/~columbus/data/art/ MUELLER1. ART, October 2, 1999. viii. "Reviews: The Mission (1986)." http://www.amazon.com/exex/obidos/ts/vide†¦ 120X/ref= pm_dp_ln_v_1/002-4226867-6742623. October 2, 1999.