Wednesday, July 31, 2019

By Reference to three poems in the ‘Tracks’ anthology Essay

In the poems ‘Not My Best Side’, ‘Reports’, and ‘You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly’, U.A Fanthorpe explores the theme of authority through the often satirical analysis of her observations and experiences within society. Fanthorpe uses her poetry as a way of expressing her feelings and opinions, and we can learn a great deal about her attitudes towards authority by reading and analysing the three poems chosen. Each poem shows a different aspect of the way authority affects people, and it becomes clear when reading the poems Fanthorpe’s belief in the ability of power and authority to corrupt people who possess it, and suppress people under it. In the first poem, â€Å"Not My Best Side’, Fanthorpe uses parody to look at the way people are stereotyped by authority according to their gender or status, and challenges their conventional representation within society. She succeeds in doing so by taking three separate characters (each represented by a different stanza), and giving them very different personalities and characteristics to what typical society would expect, and, indeed, what authority has forced upon them. Fanthorpe used Uccello’s painting of St George and the Dragon as a source of inspiration: â€Å"I thought it might be interesting to find voices for characters conventionally seen as good, bad or helpless.† Fanthorpe chose this painting because it portrays mythological characterisations very clearly, and Fanthorpe wished to challenge these typical ‘fairytale’ stereotypes. Fanthorpe has attempted to emphasise a point that authority does not allow enough individuality and simply expects people to conform to pre-conceived opinions of how someone should behave, based on their gender or the position society has placed them in. The poem begins with the conventionally ‘bad’ character, the Dragon, speaking. In this part of the poem Fanthorpe attempts to show the dragon as an articulate and understanding character, as opposed to the fierce and evil character that he is traditionally expected to be. The dragon appears to be upset about the way he is shown in Uccello’s painting, as he believes that he has been portrayed in such a way as to make him seem weak and easily conquered. â€Å"Why, I said to myself, should my conqueror Be so ostentatiously beardless?† The dragon feels that he has been made to look inferior to the very young-looking St George by Uccello, in order for the painting to portray the traditional idea that ‘good’ (St George) always triumphs over ‘evil’ (the dragon). However, in this poem, the dragon appears to be a considerate, caring character, and in no way ‘evil’. He seems to have accepted the fact that he has (unfairly) been stereotyped as ‘bad’, but is upset that in addition to being shown by Uccello as evil, he has also been shown to be defenceless. â€Å"I don’t mind dying Ritually, since I always rise again, But I would have liked a little more blood, To show they were taking me seriously.† The dragon is of the opinion that he has been unfairly represented in this painting, as his character has been stifled in all aspects of his character. He wasn’t even shown to have a dramatic death, and there was little to blood to signify the defeat of such a (supposedly) malicious character. Although upset, the dragon realises that he has no opinion in the way he is portrayed in the painting, or in fact the whole of society, and therefore concedes to the pressure that has been placed on him to be the conventionally bad character. â€Å"Poor chap, he has this obsession with Triangles, so he left off two of my Feet. I didn’t comment at the time, (What, after all, are two feet to a Monster?)† Despite the fact that Uccello left off two of his feet was because the art at the time of the painting was experimenting with drawing in 3D, and the dragon’s feet were left off by accident, Fanthorpe cleverly uses the mistake to make a very valid point that however the character (the dragon in this case) is in actuality, the characterisations that are placed on them by authority are still always prioritised when people are judging the person, causing their individuality to be lost. The next character Fanthorpe chooses to explore is that of the stereotypically ‘helpless’ character, the maiden. In Uccello’s painting, she is depicted as a pale-faced, frail, ‘damsel in distress’. However, in Fanthorpe’s poem, these perceptions are totally contradicted. The maiden appears to be a very independent, pro-active, calculating individual. The maiden begins her monologue by stating that she does not actually want to be rescued, breaking the stereotype immediately. At the time that Uccello painted this image, women were highly pressured within society to marry the person they were made to marry. However, in this poem, the maiden seems to prefer the dragon to St George. â€Å"It’s hard for a girl to be sure if She wants to be rescued. I mean I quite Took to the dragon.† The fact that the maiden would have the audacity to make a statement like this would be shocking, as women in medieval society were expected to conform to the instructions they were given. Fanthorpe also uses sexual innuendo as a way of showing that the maiden is not as innocent as she appears. â€Å"He made me feel he was all ready to Eat me. And any girl enjoys that.† By using this, Fanthorpe makes a statement that the apparently virgin maiden is not actually as innocent as Uccello makes her appear to be, and that women have as much right to sexual freedom and free thought as men do, and are not as naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve or helpless as authority would like to make them. The final part that Fanthorpe chooses to make in this stanza is that the maiden is very independent and focused on her future. Although the thought of being rescued by the young St George is not a desirable one, she still agrees to him rescuing her, as she knows that the long term prospects of going with St George outweighed the ones of staying with the dragon. â€Å"The dragon got himself beaten by the boy, And a girl’s got to think of her future.† By showing the pro-active attitude of the maiden, Fanthorpe accentuates the fact that women can be as manipulative and as independent as men, and that they are not simply ‘trophies’ for men, but intelligent, business minded people. Although she prefers the dragon, she concedes to being rescued by St George, not because she want to be with him, but because she feels it would enable her to achieve this she could not with the dragon. Despite conventionally bein portrayed as a brilliant individual, and the patron saint of England, in the final stanza of this poem, St George appears far from a saintly figure. Fanthorpe has chosen to make St George arrogant and inconsiderate. In doing this, Fanthorpe reveals her own critical voice, and emerges as a highly feminist character. St George appears, from the start of his monologue, as very puerile and boastful. â€Å"My horse is the latest model with Automatic transmission and built in Obsolescence.† St George makes a big deal of showing off his state of the art gadgets, showing how important he is. I feel Fanthorpe has included this because she wanted to emphasise the fact that men often adopt an egotistical attitude over women, and flaunt their superiority by the amount of materialistic possessions they have. As we continue to read the stanza, St George’s attitude changes from that of exhibition to one of arrogance and selfishness. He believes that his ‘inferiors’ should conform to the roles that they have been given to them in society. â€Å"Don’t you want to be killed and/or rescued In the most contempory way? Don’t You want to carry out the roles That sociology and myth have designed for you?† By including this, Fanthorpe has succeeded in proclaiming the fact that men are seen as the absolute authority when it comes to judging how a person should act or behave within society, and men have gradually inherited the attitude of superiority over women, which will take a long time to rectify. The poem ends with an emphatic statement of Fanthorpe’s perception of male attitudes towards women. St George’s real, self-centered personality is revealed when he ends his monologue with these words. â€Å"What, in any case, does it matter what You want? You’re in my way.† Fanthorpe’s opinion of men in societal authority is truly revealed in these final lines. St George is only interested in his image, and he gives no consideration for the other characters in the poem (the maiden and the dragon), and he simply wants to increase his reputation. This point can be related to wider society, where men will not listen to the opinions of women, and do not consider their ideas, as they are not seen as worthy of a voice. Quintessentially, ‘Not My Best Side’ is a poem that has been written in order to make the point that societal authority’s expectations do not allow individuality, as people are placed under so much pressure to comply to the particular parameters forced upon them, involuntarily, by factors out of anyone’s control, such as gender. Similarly to ‘Not My Best Side’, the poem ‘You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly’ explores the theme of authority. However, in this instance, U.A Fanthorpe chooses to ridicule the process of attending a job interview. She uses this setting to challenge the authority of the interview panel to make judgements about people’s lives based on prejudices or pre-conceived ideas. The title of the poem, ‘You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly’ immediately indicates that the applicant failed to get the job because the phrase is clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½d as a polite let down at the end of an interview. In my opinion, this phrase may also have been placed as the title of the poem because Fanthorpe is attempting to show the reader that the candidate was not going to be successful in getting the job, no matter how successful the interview went. The poem is an ongoing monologue, with new stanzas beginning after the response of the applicant. From the beginning of the poem, it become clear that the interview panel possess a range of prejudices towards the candidate. These appear to have already influenced the panel enough for them to decide that the applicant is not suitable for the job, and it seems as though the interview is being carried out simply as a formality, which must be endured by the applicant. It is evident that the candidate’s answers are seen as insignificant by the interviewing panel from the very beginning, as their response to the panel’s questions are not included. I believe Fanthorpe has done this to show that the candidate is voiceless when in an interview, and to display the pointlessness of interviews, when the outcome has been decided before the interview even takes place. The only way we have of knowing the answer to the interviewer’s questions are by making an educated guess from the response of the panel, which, in most cases, is a single, unenthusiastic phrase such as â€Å"Ah† or â€Å"indeed† It is clear that the interviewers have no interest in the person’s justifications for why they are suitable for the job; they simply make impertinent comments on the information displayed on their application form. â€Å"Let us consider your application form† This quote from the poem shows the disinterest in the actual person, and more interest on their class, gender, and other factors displayed on their application form. The panel spend little time discussing the candidate’s â€Å"impressive† qualifications, and almost immediately moves on to focus on the negative aspect of them, and their possible use within the job for which the applicant is applying. The candidate is asked to justify the use of their qualifications very early in the interview. â€Å"Would you care to defend their [the applicant’s qualifications] relevance?† This would succeed in belittling the applicant, particularly when the interviewer’s response to their well though out answer is a sceptical â€Å"indeed† After the polite, (if inhospitable) beginning to the job interview, the meeting soon descends into a personal battering of the applicant’s self esteem by the authoritative figure of the interviewer. The first matter the interviewing panel broaches is the age of the applicant. â€Å"Perhaps you feel able to make a comment about that, Too? We are conscious ourselves Of the need for a candidate with precisely The right degree of immaturity† These comments, although ‘sugar-coated’ by the authoritative figure, succeed in alienating the candidate, and forcing them into assent. We can tell that the interviewee has been pressured into agreeing with the panel from the interviewer’s response after the applicant’s unheard comments. â€Å"So glad we agree† This indicates that the interviewing panel has repressed the candidate so much that they have simply begun to agree with the rhetoric statements made by the interviewer. Fanthorpe has included this to show that in wider society, authority influences people to conform to its rules and ideas, and does not allow free though or speech. Also, Fanthorpe has arisen the point that authoritative figures abuse the power they have been given, and this leads to corrupting the individual in possession of the power. In the next stanza, the interviewer reveals another prejudice; that of the looks of the applicant. The panel is very rude during this stanza: â€Å"You do appreciate this work involves Contact with the actual public? Might they, Perhaps, find your appearance Disturbing?† This reveals the blunt, inconsiderate nature of the interviewing panel, and, in Fanthorpe’s opinion, the whole of society. The interviewing panel has succeeded in making the candidate feel small, simply because of the way they are, and I believe that Fanthorpe is trying to illustrate a point that sexism, racism, ageism and other prejudices succeed constantly in repressing often valuable members of society into conforming to authority’s ideals. In the next stanza, the interview panel seem to fire a barrage of questions at he applicant about their background, particularly their accent. Fanthorpe uses the clever technique of making one of the interviewers ‘accidentally’ use the wrong phrase, to deliver a highly offensive insult. â€Å"Were you educated? We mean, of course, Where were you educated?† This is a comical way of accentuating the prejudice the interview shows when choosing a suitable candidate to take the job. The accent an applicant has obviously influences the choice a lot, although in actuality, the accent of a person has no effect on their intelligence. The panel were evidently considering the reactions of people using their company, who may think that they employ people of a lower intellect, which would make the company look sub-standard. This shows the way that people within society automatically judge others on the way they speak, as the panel simply assumed the candidate had little education because of their accent. In the final stanza, the interview descends yet further into a sequence of offensive statements. The rhetoric questions have ceased, and the true nature of an interview, in Fanthorpe’s eyes, is revealed; a pointless meeting aimed purely at belittling the applicant, and enforcing authority’s stance on society. In this stanza, it becomes implicit that the candidate is female, as the interview panel focus strongly upon family background. â€Å"Married, children, We see. The usual dubious Desire to perpetuate what had better Not have happened at all.† The fact that the candidate was asked about her family would tend to indicate that the applicant is female, as the panel would then begin to worry about the children, and whether they would need looking after. This may be a problem for the company. The panel are also rude to the applicant in this part of the poem, as they insinuate that they cannot understand why the applicant would even consider having children, when, in fact, it would be better for the world if the candidate had never been born. The poem ends emphatically, with the satirical statement â€Å"And you were born-? Yes. Pity.† This is a witty use of word play by Fanthorpe. The interviewer is actually asking when the applicant was born, but in the absence of any dialogue, it seems as though the interviewer is saying that it is a pity that the candidate was born. With this final stanza, particularly the final line, I feel Fanthorpe is attempting to make a point that authoritative figures are of the opinion that anybody who does not fall within their ideals should not even exist. In conclusion, the poem ‘You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly’ is a poem aimed at bringing into relief the discrimination that has been ingrained into society. Fanthorpe is attempting to make a point that certain people, particularly women, are considered as useless, and are seen as undeserving of a voice within society by authoritative figures. She successfully proves that people of authority exploit the power they have over the masses, by belittling them, and repressing them to such an extent that they are forced to conform. Authority makes judgement on people not by the way they are individually, but base their judgements on factors that are not, in actual fact, of any relevance. In the poem ‘Reports’, Fanthorpe offers yet another aspect to the role of authority and the way authoritative figures exploit people within society. In this instance, the poem is a simulated conversation between an older, more experienced teacher, and a newer teacher, focusing on the ‘correct’ way to write a school report. Fanthorpe has deliberately written the report very cynically, in an attempt to portray authoritative figures as cold and impersonal. In the final stanza, the poem adopts a tone of irony, when Fanthorpe compares the reports we receive at school to the way we live our lives. Being a former teacher herself, Fanthorpe would have known the perils of report writing, and likewise would have known the attitudes that some teachers take towards who they see as their inferiors, the pupils. Fanthorpe’s reason for leaving the teaching profession was that â€Å"I saw that the power was having a negative effect on me.† This shows Fanthorpe’s negative opinions on the authority that teachers have, and the way some of them abuse it. The poem contains several short stanzas, using short, snappy phrases, which all make a separate point. In the first of these, there is a fundamental warning to teachers about the language they should use. The teacher writing the report is advised to use dull phrases so that the report does not generate any unwanted interest or complications from parents. â€Å"Don’t give them anything To take hold of. Even Pronouns are dangerous.† The teacher is being warned not to use pronouns because the teacher may mistake the gender of the pupil, therefore exposing the teacher’s lack of knowledge of individual pupils; essentially, the report could be given to any student. The next stanza focuses on the impersonal nature of the reports once again, when Fanthorpe implies that the good pupils are not necessarily known from the bad. â€Å"The good have no history†¦ Satisfactory should satisfy them.† This stanza is included, I feel, to illustrate the fact that the good students are often ignored while the teacher is attempting to control the more disobedient pupils. This would mean that the teacher would have very little knowledge of the pupil, and therefore would not know, in actual fact, whether the pupil was good or not. The teacher is advised, instead of using ‘good’, to use a more universal phrase; ‘satisfactory’. By using ‘safe’ phrases such as this, teachers guard themselves from provoking high expectations from parents and higher authorities. Stanza 3 makes another point about the way reports are depersonalised by the teachers. The teacher writing the report is advised to use terms that can relate to any pupil: â€Å"Fair and quite good, Multi-purpose terms, By meaning nothing, Apply to all.† This shows the way teachers make reports appear personal, but are actually simply using universal terms that could relate to a range of students. The reason the teacher has chosen to do this is to prevent any unwanted backlash from parents. In the first three stanzas, I feel that Fanthorpe is proclaiming that the authoritative figure does not see the people placed under their authority as individuals, but as a large group. This emphasises the fact that authority causes the identity and individuality of a person to be lost. The teachers in this poem are also aware of the need to make themselves look as though they are not to blame for the pupil’s problems at school. â€Å"Unmanageable oaf cuts both ways. Finds the subject difficult, Acquitting you, Converts oaf into idiot, usher to master.† Such phrases as ‘Unmanageable oaf’ reflect badly on the teacher, and suggests that the teacher may not be able to cope. To avoid this, the teachers use clever euphemisms to make it seem as though it is the pupil failing, and not the teacher. This illustrates the exploitation of the teacher’s authority over their pupils. The next stanza warns that people will try to read into the reports, so they must remain as simple as possible, to avoid any complications. â€Å"Set them no riddles, just Echo the common-room clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½: Must make more effort.† The teachers are acutely aware of the need to keep the reports similar, as this will avoid confusion. Using common phrases such as ‘Must make more effort’ means that the parent, head and child accept the report, and they will not feel compelled to question the report further. Although the poem is based around teacher’s relationships with pupils, in the final stanza, Fanthorpe uses school as a metaphor for life. â€Å"Remember your high calling: School is the world.† Fanthorpe uses irony to indicate that the way we live our lives is similar to our school reports. â€Å"Born at Sound beginning We move from satisfactory To fair, then Find The subject difficult, Learning at last we Could have done better.† In this final part of the stanza, I feel that Fanthorpe is attempting to make a statement that during life, you endeavour to be the best you can be, but ultimately realise that the decisions you have made may not have been the right ones. Moreover, she may be trying to make the point that one is pushed into inconspicuousness by authority, which causes one to feel disappointed, and insignificant. In the poem, we have no way of knowing whether Fanthorpe is referring to herself, or people in general, but the slightly bitter tone in the final three lines, and, indeed, the final stanza, is evident. â€Å"Stone only, final instructor, Modulates from the indicative With rest in peace.† By this, Fanthorpe means that the only time that we avoid the ‘report’ system of life is when we die, and our epitaph is inscribed onto our grave. To conclude, the poem ‘Reports’ is illustrating the way that teachers depersonalise pupils, in order to prevent problems for them. The pupils are seen as one whole state, and the fact that the education system does not allow individuality leads to a sense of disappointment later on in life. This shows that individuals are repressed by society, and do not feel able to follow their own paths, as they are constantly being grouped with others. Quintessentially, the poems ‘Not My Best Side’, ‘You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly’, and ‘Reports’ all emphasise that UA Fanthorpe believes that power corrupts, and that people of authority usually use it to their advantage, to belittle others or to make them feel sub-standard. It is also clear that Fanthorpe believes that authority within society leads to depersonalisation of a character, and the stifling of individuals into conformity.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Cash Flow Essay

Cash Flow A statement of cash flows is required by generally accepted accounting principles to be included in a complete set of financial statement. www.wiley.com Companies are required to prepare a statement of cash flow because it contains information for lenders and investors (external users). When a company uses the statement of cash flow it contains their annual reports that help to make decisions about the companies. The basis for cash flow analysis is presented in the statement of cash flow. It contains the actual cash a company generated and it shows how the company is able to operate and perform in the future. There are three ways a company shows the way they consume and produce cash. The cash flow statement has three sections. The three ways are cash flows from operations, investing and financing. How the company gets its cash is the operations and financing. The investing section shows the way the company spends its cash. Ratios would be used in the decision making process. One of the examples of the ratios is the operating cash flow ratio. This measures how current liabilities are covered by the cash flow generated by a company operation. A ratio that falls below 1.00 shows the company is not generating enough cash to meet current commitments. When a company falls below 1.00, it will have to find ways to fund its operations or slow their rate of spending in its cash. If the company has an existing cash balance that can meet the needs, they would have to consider if the company will be able to continue to operate without additional funds, because the existing cash may not last. The cash current debt coverage ratio is another important ratio. This ratio measures the ability of a company to repay its current debts. Ratios less than 1.00 in the cash current debt coverage, means the company is not  generating cash to repay its current debt obligations. On a company balance sheet it is better to have a higher multiple calculated by this ratio. With the trend analysis, which is also called the horizontal analysis, typically over years, financial ratios are compared. Doing a year to year comparison will highlight trends, which will be useful in showing improvement in the organization financial performance or it will show deterioration. The most important information from analyzing statement cash flow is the relationship of two or more variables. This is the cash flow from operation activities to total cash flows. RUNNING HEAD: CASH FLOW The major difference between indirect and direct method is the information that it shows. The indirect method focuses on net income and cash flow of operations. It adds depreciation back and calculates changes in items in balance sheet. The most important line of the statement is the net cash from financing activities to show if a company continually needs to borrow or add other investors to survive. The direct method reports the classes of operating receipts of cash and payment. www.inc.com This would be money received and spent to calculate net cash. There is no depreciation included because it is not money received or spent.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Internal and External Factors of Labour Market Essay

Internal and External Factors of Labour Market - Essay Example Labour market of Europe is suffering for aging workforce issues. Study suggests that there will be 4% hike in aging population within next eight years (Krenn and Oehlke, 2001). Companies are aware of the fact but they do not have much choice left due to following reasons: The world is going through one of the most turbulent financial period in the history of mankind. Companies are struggling due sluggish growth rate and low return on investment. They are not ready to invest money on recruiting new staff and designing training & development. Companies like P&G use â€Å"Build from within† strategy in order to give new job responsibility to existing employees without hiring external candidates. Many companies use â€Å"Build from within† strategy in order to reduce cost of developing untrained and fresh human resource pool. In 1993, Polachek and Siebert proposed Human Capital theory in order to address aging population issue (Polachek and Siebert, 1993, pp. 23-67). They h ave pointed out that life can be segregated into two phases. In the first phase young people develop human capital in terms of skill, knowledge and education while in the second phase they earn employment on the basis of developed human capital. The study suggests that substandard aging population has less human capital in comparison to talented young human resource. Human capital decreases due to aging. Labour market is heterogeneous because employers can never forecast accurately future productivity of particular employee.

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Real work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Real work - Essay Example The ‘simple insight’ that Rodrigues has during his experience of working as a manual laborer is that he would not learn in three months what his father had meant by ‘real work’. He realized that his keenness to experience the sensations from the regular motion of shoveling, even when he was doing it for several hours at a stretch, was because he knew that this experience was only a temporary one for him. Rodrigues’ sweating chest and painful shoulder did not lessen his enjoyment of the work; and he was unwilling to learn from an older colleague who wished to show him a different manner of shoveling, to avoid making his back work too much. He realized that because he was not bound to the job, the sensations of exertion and fatigue were something to be savored, according to him. On the other hand, people like his own father and uncle who had done similar work at his age out of sheer necessity, would have feared fatigue because of its different toll on t heir bodies and minds. undertake for the purpose of making a small living. According to Rodrigues’ mother and father, ‘real work’ involves working with one’s hands at manual jobs. Their only purpose for doing such work for little pay, was to make ends meet, and to find a foothold in the foreign soil of America where they hoped to make a living. Thus, his parents would think of the author’s enjoyment in experiencing of the sensations of manual labour as far from the truth about ‘real work’. Rodrigues’ mother and father may not consider as ‘real work’ white collar jobs related to desk work, and working in comfortable or plush environments. The contemporary mode of working at computer systems may seem to them merely as pleasant pastimes, not to be regarded as actual work. Rodrigues doubted his ability to understand real work because even if he worked in some kind of factory, like his father’s last job, it would be a different experience for him. His long years of education

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Critical Thinking Questions - Strategy and Competition Essay

Critical Thinking Questions - Strategy and Competition - Essay Example When an organization is in trouble the management can first think about retrenchment. Retrenchment is about making specific changes through cost and asset reduction to reverse declining profits. When an organization is specifically weak in a strong industry then the management can think about regrouping the strengths and evaluating the strategy at present to make specific changes. This process will highlight the areas that are weak and needs restructuring. Retrenchment helps in slowing down the decline in profits in the short run and in the long run when combined with other proactive strategies helps in the reversal of the profitability position. When the retrenchment strategy does not work, the management can try divestiture. Divestiture means selling off a weaker decision or a part of the organization. When it is distinct that a particular division is responsible for the overall loss of the organization the management can think about divestiture. When both the above said strategies do not work then the last option is the liquidation. Liquidation is recognition of defeat and is a very emotionally challenging strategy. When the damage can be controlled through alternative strategy, liquidation can be the last option. Change in relationships: The relationships within the organizations and with the external environment have changed because of disappearing levels of management. An organization depends on information technology, the internet, organizations are becoming flatter and leadership from top down has become obsolete. Disappearance of geographic distance: Resources are outsourced from companies across the world and formation of strategic partnerships has been enabled only because of internet connectivity. By outsourcing of services and procurement of the resources from the point of origin, cost is saved for the companies. Customer satisfaction: By

Friday, July 26, 2019

Now that we talked about the rise and fall of primary civilization Essay

Now that we talked about the rise and fall of primary civilization around the globe, discuss the factors or combinations of factors associated with the collapse of civilization - Essay Example Similarly, desertification which is a â€Å"serious environmental problem confronting the world† has always led to continued environmental degradation (Geist 4). The negative effects originating from desertification has been cited throughout the history to have contributed to the collapse of empires and civilization. This is owed to the fact that such conditions usually hamper communities practicing farming, agricultural production and also displaces the population thereby in the community. The other environmental factor that has caused collapse of civilization is deforestation. In most cases, deforestation occurs whenever there is cutting of trees for trees for timber, firewood and for manufacturing purposes which generally lower rainfall and cause soil infertility thereby making civilizations unstable to support itself and its people especially those that lived near the rivers. Political Factors: Historically, politics has played a significant role in the collapse of various world civilizations. For examples, through politics the barbarians managed to invert empires which in Frassetto’s view, was caused by â€Å"uncivilized people who began to pressure on† by causing war in the empire (33). Eventually, these people succeeded with their effort to invade and trespass the majestic frontiers thereby destroying the old civilization as a result of hatred. On the other hand, various political changes and reorganizations of political institutions that existed in different civilization cause a lot of stability thereby resulting to collapse of civilizations. Lack of well organized political institution to govern the society and maintain law and order meant disintegration of the societies that formed such civilizations. Social Factors: Historically, social unrest has been cited to have caused â€Å"collapse of rigid social orders† (Fagan 18). For instance, whenever

Human Rights at Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq Term Paper

Human Rights at Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq - Term Paper Example If we have a look at the developing countries like India and China from the region, the problem of human rights was really very severe some time back, but, with the influence of education and westernization of these huge economies, some of the problems have really been resolved. If we have a look at some other nations like Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, etc. the problem is still very acute in these countries. We will take some of the key points that are cardinal to the principle of human rights. The manufacturing sector in most of the countries in Asia has always been accused of inhumane practices in the field. People have blamed that the labors in these nations have to work more than 12 hours a day and seven days a week for wages not even good to earn two meals a day for them, leave alone their families. The government has been a total failure in implementing the minimum wages in most of the Asian countries. Because of the excess population, the supply of manpower in countries like India and China is much more than its demand and the low skilled workers, therefore, have to survive for their entire life in utmost penury and destitution. No wonder that South India reports the highest number of suicide cases in the entire world, as per the report by the British Journal 'Lancet' in 2004. The total number of suicide cases reported in 2002, just in India was a massive figure of 154,000. To add to this, Child labor, although is punishable in most of the countries in Asia, includin g India and China, but it is not hard to find them working in industries, hotels, resorts, and recreational centers. Such labors are available at a very cheap rate and work for extra hours. Child labor, while working, does not go for any education and all such uneducated children, in turn, produce a score of babies who also remain uneducated after starting to work at an early age. This number, therefore, keeps on growing exponentially and is, therefore, a grave problem for the government of these developing economies of China and India.     Ã‚  

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Organization theory and design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Organization theory and design - Essay Example In this aspect, any active organization has a specific structure that fits needs; the other role of organizational structure is facilitating efficiency through allocation of roles and responsibilities. The arrangement of different organizational activities also promotes efficiency as well as efficacy in production. The concept of organizational culture has been studied in various fields such as anthropology as well as sociology on a wide perspective. However, from these studies, no clear meaning of organizational culture has been provided; despite the lack of a clear meaning, several definitions have been provided such as: A set of commonly comprehended issues that an organization’s actions are undertaken, for instance; a form of language that applies to a specific organization. On the other hand, other social scientists have also described organizational culture as a benchmark formulated to perceive things, a system of skills commonly applied in an organization to promote evaluation of issues and processes. In addition, organizational culture plays a significant role by promoting reconceptualization of issues and process in different sectors: That is, to enhance the understanding of various stakeholders and the important role their organizations play within the society. It also enables stakeholders to a gain a deeper understanding of their goals, objectives as well as determining ways in which they relate to one another within and outside the organization. Organizational design, specifically organizational structure plays a key role in promoting the success of any organization. Poor organizational structure i.e. inappropriate methods of duties allocation, inappropriate methodologies applied to guide the flow of resources. Moreover, organization culture also plays a crucial role by promoting proper relationships among workers hence creating a harmonious working environment

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Inferential Statistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Inferential Statistics - Essay Example i-standard multi-drug regime which aims at reversing transcription by either preventing further viral DNA elongation, inhibiting protease, binding the viral DNA enzyme, using brad spectrum inhibitors all in attempt to keep the HIV virus from multiplying (UCSF, 2010). Primarily, low t-cell count is the sole determinant of the progression and infection rate of the HIV and AIDS patients, and the only option the patients have is taking the standard-multi drug regime which have adverse side effects. However, the new developed powerful drug will helps raise t-cell counts in AIDS patients and retard disease progression for those who have been in decline for years or months therefore offering the same level of efficiency derived by taking â€Å"cocktail† of powerful medications. The new drug is believed to be as efficient as the standard multi-drug regimen. With the average efficiency of the new drug  µ1 and  µ2 being the average efficiency of the latter, the hypothesis will be represented as follows: Considering that the new drug’s efficiency will be compared to the multi-drug regimen, an applicable definition of efficiency will be considered. In this respect, efficiency will be defined as the drug’s ability to produce certain effects on the patient without respect to the quantity administered (Pokrovskii & Kompaniets, 2008). The 60 AIDS infected persons will be selected through random assignment which will be targeted from the Annual AIDS campaign day where all countrywide affected and infected persons gather. At the campaign, the new drug benefits and possible side effects will be clearly elaborated and patients interested in both control and experimental group asked to volunteer. A group of 100 patients have to be tested for their t-cells blood counts. Among them, 20 of them must have been in decline for months or years. From the names, 30 patients will randomly be picked as the Control Group including 10 patients among the tested 20 who have been in decline for

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

American Auto Manufacturers Losses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

American Auto Manufacturers Losses - Essay Example In 1979, the US Big three used to sell 9 out of 10 vehicles in US, but in 2004, foreign firms have overtaken the US auto sector and now local firms sell only 50 percent vehicles in US. By 2005, 60 percent of the US market belonged to Toyota, Honda and Hyundai (Gordon, 2006).The US auto industry is in terminal decline, if this trend continues, the day is not far away when 100 percent of US auto sector will be taken by the foreign firms. There are many unanswered questions about the declining US auto industry. Analysts are wondering, why US auto industry is constantly on downward spiral from decades, but in the recent times, the decline has been proved catastrophic. There were many bad omens in US auto industry for the past two decades, which often gave a warning that further decline is coming. For example from 1995 to 2005, GM replaced its 14 percent volume per year; its average showroom age was 0.8 year old compared to industry 5.8 percent. On the contrary the Japanese replaced 20 percent of volume per year, their average showroom was 1.5 year old, which enabled them to gain 7.2 percent of the market. As a result GM (General Motors) market share declined from 42 percent in 1985 to 26 percent in 2005. The graph below shows domestic production patterns ( Clair,1996). Ford is also on decline and recently it suffered huge losses, resulting in closing down many 14 plants and cutting down 30 thousand jobs. Ford is also expected to take one billion dollar from pre-tax charges in 2006 to do cost sweeping of its plants (Gordon, 2006).. It is also expected to take charges of $250 million in 2006 for its hourly staff and write off the value of plants and equipment clearly proves that Ford is going down the road. Even though Ford mentioned that it is looking forward to work on trucks in US, in present circumstances, it is mere wishful thinking. Similarly Delphi, which was US biggest auto Parts Company, went bankrupt in 2005,

Monday, July 22, 2019

Australia Essay Example for Free

Australia Essay The downturn in the international financial crisis has compounded Australias tourism industry. Relevant departments recently predicted that Australia will be reduced by inbound tourists this year, more than 4% the past 20 years Australian tourism industry is facing the most severe blow. Australian Bureau of Statistics data released ,2007-2008 Australian tourism contribution to gross domestic product was 3.6%, while this proportion was 4.7% previously. Therefore, the tourism industry downturn will inevitably affect Australias economy as a whole. The largest source of tourism is the lack of trouble. Australian Tourism and Transport Forum executive director Ã¥ ¥ ¥Ã¥Ë† ©Ã§ » ´Ã¥ ¨â€¦Ã¦ ²Æ' thinking recently pointed out that the traditional source countries as Australia and the tourism industry of the United States, Britain, Japan and South Korea economy continues to decline, resulting in significantly reduced visitors to Australia, the situation in the future may continue to deteriorate. According to relevant departments of Australia forecasts, in addition to visitors from New Zealand will increase in times of adversity, the next six months, tourists from other countries will be the number of tourists fell by double-digit rates. Australias tourism industry suffered a downturn has begun to transfer to the related industries. According to statistics, about 48.3 million people in the Australian tourism practitioners, but this number is shrinking. So far, Australias hotels, motels, apartments and other services have been cut more than 3,000 jobs, 63% of the Australian main tourist services may be further layoffs. Solidarity of the aviation industry and tourism will naturally be immune. Australia and Australia Airlines 14 announced, as expected full-year profit will be significantly lower than previously expected, the company will cut as many as 1,750 jobs. Qantas also said the same day, has been postponed to buy 4 Airbus A380 and 12 other aircraft. Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said Qantas no choice, only to make large adjustments to ensure that the company weather the storm. He also said that if economic conditions continue to deteriorate, the company may be further layoffs. Some economists believe that Qantas job cuts and other measures related businesses will have a negative impact on the Australian economy. However, Australian Treasurer Huaiensiwang said the Australian governments economic stimulus plan is to gradually play a buffer role. Immediate challenge for the Australian Tourism Export Council head é © ¬Ã§â€° ¹Ã¦ ¬ £Ã¦   ¼Ã¨â€™â€š that the Australian tourism industry has experienced many times before the fight, but later achieved a rapid recovery. He said he believed a rainbow after the storm. Australias tourism resources are very rich, exotic natural beauty, the unique ecological environment, cultural diversity and contrast the developed economy is the basic condition for the rapid development of tourism. (A) of the inbound tourism 1968 Australia received only 24 million foreign tourists, 81 million U.S. dollars, tourism foreign exchange earnings. Into the 90s, the Australian economy each year for the tourism industry to bring the output value of more than 200 million Australian dollars, worth of 80 billion Australian dollars. Number of Foreign Tourists in 1996 reached 416.? 50000 visits, tourism, foreign exchange 87. 0.3 billion U.S. dollars, tourism foreign exchange earnings has more than wool, coal, iron ore and wheat, and other traditional export products, became the countrys fastest growing, most foreign exchange industry. According to the World Tourism Organization, Australia in 1998 a world where international tourism receipts, international tourists all over the continents of the world, Japan has become the largest source country of Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Britain and continental Europe, its traditional source markets. In recent years, tourists from China and Koreas rapid growth. Purpose of travel to the main tourist resort, followed by visiting friends and relatives and business travel. (B) Outbound Tourism Australias rapid economic development after World War II one of the countries? Per capita GDP in 1997 to $ 20,540 of the world high-income areas. 1990 Australian tourists going abroad for the first time broke the 200 million people in 1996 to 273.2 million overseas tourist arrivals. According to the World Tourism Organization, Australia study tour in 1991, the total expenditure reached 38. 800 million U.S. dollars, foreign travel destination ranks No. 1 in Asia, especially Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, the Philippines and mainland China and other areas, and this is Oceania, Europe and North America also followed suit. (C) of the domestic tourism Tourism has become Australias an important part of peoples lives, the domestic tourists in 1990 reached 58.446 million people, equivalent to the total population of more than 3 times, entertaining vacation spot. According to statistics, vacation and pleasure trips accounted for 42%, 29% visiting friends, meeting business accounted for 15%; the main way to travel with their drive to account for 3 / 4, the time spent traveling an average of 4.? 6 days. In the summer in Australia in January this year, every Christmas, New Year, but also a time when the school summer holidays, the Friends have brought people to his family or vacation, the formation of the annual peak travel. 7-8 two months in winter, is the low season In the economic crisis environment, still won the Australian Hotels recognized international tourists. According to the Global Online Travel Group the data presented, there are more this year than last year, Australias most popular hotel into the Global 1000 list of hotels. The third consecutive year, Expedia Insiders Select List will be in Adelaide Majestic Roof Garden Hotel named best hotel in Australia, and the 24th highest in the world.

A Streetcar Named Desire | Blanche And Stella Analysis

A Streetcar Named Desire | Blanche And Stella Analysis Tennessee Williams was America ´s most controversial playwright. He was marked by his troubled private life and was constantly struggling with his own self-doubts. Nevertheless he was the dramatist, who produced some of the most compelling works for the American theatre. In 1947 Tennessee Williams set new standards for American drama with his masterpiece A Streetcar Named Desire. The play opened on December 3, 1947, and was received with great acclaim. Neither the theatre audience at the premiere evening, nor the audiences at the other 844 performances, which the play gave on Broadway, were disappointed and made A Streetcar Named Desire Williams ´ second success on Broadway after his triumph with The Glass Menagerie.  [1]   Down to the present day A Streetcar Named Desire has not lost its enormous fame and fascination. A reason for the perpetual popularity of the play is probably the fact that Williams is the only American playwright, who is able to analyze women with such subtlety and compassion  [2]  . Hence, critics such as Felicia Hardison Londrà © denote Tennessee Williams ´ A Streetcar Named Desire also as a lyrical drama about the decline and fall of Blanche DuBois  [3]  . With this statement Londrà © emphasizes that both, the character as well as the inner development of Blanche Dubois, are the focus of attention in Williams ´ play. However, in my way of thinking, it is not only crucial to examine the Blanche ´s character in detail, but also to study the character of the play ´s second female protagonist Stella, Blanche ´s sister, more closely. Hence, the aim of this seminar paper is to compare and contrast the characters of the two sisters. At the beginning of the paper the author ´s biographical context and the bibliographical history of A Streetcar Named Desire are discussed. In order to lay the foundations for a detailed characterization of the two female protagonists, chapter two contains a brief summary of the play ´s plot, focussing on the internal developments of Blanche and Stella. Afterwards, a detailed analysis of Blanche ´s and Stella ´s character follows. Finally, the most important findings are briefly summed up in the conclusion. 2. Tennessee Williams and his masterpiece A Streetcar Named Desire In order to be able to fully grasp the meaning of Tennessee Williams celebrated play A Streetcar Named Desire, it is absolutely necessary to take the author ´s biographical context as well as the work ´s bibliographical history into account. Biographical context Like in several of his other plays, also the plot of A Streetcar Named Desire was strongly influenced by Williams ´ own biographical background. Tennessee Williams himself stated once that A Streetcar Named Desire was his favourite play since it said everything I had to say  [4]  . Williams never concealed that his works reflect his own history and even welcomed comparisons between his own life and the characters in A Streetcar Named Desire. In a controversial interview with Robert Jennings he explicitly compared himself with his character Blanche DuBois: I can completely identify with Blanche [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] we are both hysterics. Many critics, such as Nancy Tischler, Roger Asselineau, or Kenneth Holditch, asserted that there are several other links between Blanche and Williams. In a letter to his agent Audrey Wood he wrote the following sentence, which again stresses his strong identification with the dramatis personae of his play: I was and still am Blanche [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] [but] I have a Stanley in me, too.  [5]  Nevertheless, the connections between Blanche and Tennessee Williams are not always uncomplicated. In contrast to Tischler, Asselineau and Holditsch, other critics regard the relationship between Blanche and Stanley as a reflection of the contours of William ´s life. They claim that Blanche and Stanley represent divisions of Williams ´ own complex life and personality. Yet studies conducted by John Clum, Mark Lilly and David Savran arrive at another conclusion. All three see Blanche and Stanley as a projection of Tennessee Williams ´ homoerotic desires. Clum, for instance, says that the actions of his heterosexual female character Blanche hide a homosexual subtext.  [6]   Bibliographical history Similar to other of Williams ´ plays the plot of A Streetcar Named Desire evolved over several years.  [7]  Tennessee Williams drew, for instance, much of his inspiration from his life in the French Quarter of New Orleans. During his time in New Orleans he lived on Royal Street. Two streetcars where running down the street. One of the two streetcars was named Desire.  [8]  Accordingly the title of Williams ´ play is among other things an illusion to this particular streetcar. In the early 1940s he outlined the story line as well as his idea for a film version in a letter to his agent Audrey Wood. In this first draft of A Streetcar Named Desire, the play was a one-act drama.  [9]  The story line was mainly based upon a scene which he had written earlier. The plot was murky, but I seem to see a woman sitting in a chair, waiting in vain for something. Maybe love. Moon rays were streaming through the window and that suggested lunacy. I wrote the scene and titled it Blache ´s Chair in the Moon.  [10]   In the end, Tennessee Williams had written twelve different drafts for A Streetcar Named Desire. Each of his drafts had a different title, such as The Poker Night or The Moth, and was first set in Chicago, then in Atlanta and finally in New Orleans. Due to the influence of Elia Kazan, an influential Greek-American director, who staged the play and directed the film version of A Streetcar named Desire, Williams revised his work several times through and after its production, which had a considerable effect on the script of A Streetcar Named Desire. By changing the characters ´ nationality as well as their conception and motivation he transformed the play from a romance to a tragedy. While writing, Williams had to grapple two major problems: firstly, the relationship between Blanche and Stanley, and secondly, the varying degrees and onset of Blache ´s madness.  [11]   Furthermore, four early one-act plays, which were written around 1945, had an impact on A Streetcar named Desire. The first one of these plays is This Property is Condemned, a play focusing on a young girl ´s desires to be like her dead sister, who was a prostitute. The second play, entitled Portrait of a Madonna, chronicles the story of an old maid sent to an asylum after hallucinating. In contrast to the first two plays, The Lady of Larkspur Lotion focuses on a faded southern belle, who had become a prostitute. Moreover, parallels can also be found in Hello from Bertha, a play dealing with a dying prostitute begging her ex-lover to rescue her. In addition to the numerous different drafts of A Streetcar Named Desire, several different editions of the play have been printed up to the present day. For instance, there are substantial differences between the reading and the acting editions. Some differences can also be identified between the American and the English version. In the American version, for instance, the homosexuality of Blanche ´s husband was censored. Another difference is the structure of the play. In the British edition the play is divided into three acts, whereas the play consists of eleven successive scenes in other editions.  [12]   The roles of Blanche DuBois and Stella Kowalski in the plot of A Streetcar Named Desire In order to lay the foundations for the characterization of Blanche DuBois and Stella Kowalski, I would like to give a brief summary of the contents of Tennessee Williams ´ play. Since the aim of this paper is to compare and contrast the characters of the two female protagonists, special attention has hereby been paid to the internal development of Blanche and Stella. In scene one Blanche, a faded southern belle, arrives at the home of her younger sister Stella in a fairly run-down district of New Orleans. She is shocked about the circumstances in which Stella and her husband live and makes no secret of her disapproval. After a warm reunion of the two sisters, Blanche explains that she has taken time out from school, where she is teaching English, because of her upset mental state. Later she further admits that she has lost Belle Reve, their family estate in Mississippi. Although Belle Reve slipped through Blanche ´s fingers, she reproaches Stella for not returning to her home to help her with the troubles. When Stanley returns with his friends from the bowling alley, he accepts Blanche ´s presence; however, the atmosphere between Blanche and Stanley is tense from the beginning. While Blanche is bathing the next day, Stella tells Stanley about the loss of Belle Reve. He immediately suspects Blanche of having swindled them about the reasons for the loss of the family estate. As a result of Stanley ´s mistrust the relationship between Stanley and Blanche becomes more problematic. The situation even becomes worse when Stanley starts inquiring Blanche about the circumstances for the loss of Belle Reve and by it he discovers a bundle of old love letters, which reveal Blanche ´s marriage to a young man, who finally died. Also Stanley discloses a secret and tells Blanche about Stella ´s pregnancy. In the next scene Stanley and his friends are playing poker, when Blanche and Stella return from an evening out together. One of them, Mitch, is very politely to Blanche and pays her compliments. Also Blanche notices that he is superior to the others  [13]  . In contrast to Mitch, Stanley, who has had already one too many, is not delighted about the appearance of the two women. The situation gets out of hand and Stanley beats pregnant wife. Blanche protectively rushes Stella upstairs, but Stanley begs his wife to return to him. In the end Stella, who is somehow attracted by his animal behaviour, forgives her husband and spends the night with him. As scene four opens, it is the following morning and Stella and Blanche are having a private discussion about Stanley. Blanche can obviously not understand why Stella was insane enough to come back in here after what [had] happened  [14]  and tries to persuade her sister to leave him. She tells her of a millionaire, a former admirer of hers, who surely would give them money to start a new life. Yet Stella makes clear that she is not willing to leave her husband and embraces Stanley passionately in front of Blanche, when he sees him come in, to demonstrate her loyalty to him. However, both women do not know that Stanley overheard a good deal of what they said before. Over the course of the summer (scene five and six) it becomes clear that Blanche and Mitch have a deep affection for each other. Blanche event entrusts him with details about her brief marriage, which was overshadowed by her husband ´s homosexuality and his suicide after she had discovered him in bed with another man. Meanwhile, Stanley makes inquiries about Blanche ´s past and unmasks her distinguished behaviour as hypocrisy. He learns about her numerous one night stands and her affair with a seventeen-year-old boy, which led to her dismissal. Scene seven takes place at Blanche ´s Birthday. Stanley, who is craving to get rid of his sister-in-law, passes the gathered information on to Mitch, who does not longer wish to marry her since she is not clean enough to bring in the house with [his] mother  [15]  . Unlike Mitch, Stella is not impressed by her husband ´s story. At the beginning she is denying his reproaches but, as the list lengthens, she defends her sister by referring to her tragic marriage. The mood at Blanche ´s birthday dinner (scene eight) is tense and miserable, because Mitch does not show up. The situation reaches its climax when Stanley presents Blanche with a bus ticket back to Laurel. Blanche is insulted and rushes out. At this moment Stella feels her first labour pains and requests to be taken to hospital. Later the same evening (scene nine), Mitch drops by to confront Blanche with the rumours of her past. Finally, she admits her failures but immediately justifies her behaviour by explaining that her loneliness after her husband ´s death forced her to seek physical affection. After her confession Mitch, who is drunk, tries to rape her, but Blanche manages to kick him out of the apartment. In the subsequent scene Stanley returns fairly cheerful, but drunk, from hospital where Stella is still in labour. At home, he meets Blanche, who is drunk too. Her claim, that she has received a telegram from an oil magnate inviting her on a cruise, is her last attempt to escape into her world of illusions. First Stanley takes the situation with humour until she lies to him about what has happened between her and Mitch. Stanley becomes aggressive and rapes her. This act of violence results in Blanche ´s absolute nervous breakdown. Although Blanche informs Stella that her husband has committed a crime, she decides not to leave him since she couldn ´t believe her story and go on living with Stanley  [16]  . At Stanley ´s request Blanche is admitted to a mental hospital some weeks later (scene eleven). The fact that she believes until the end that she is going on holiday with an admirer (who is actually the doctor) again emphasizes her bad mental condition. Even though Stella is not completely convinced that it was the right decision to admit her sister to a mental home, she makes no attempt to prevent it.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

How Do We Define Afforestation And Deforestation Environmental Sciences Essay

How Do We Define Afforestation And Deforestation Environmental Sciences Essay The effects of an increasing population, growing pollution and the consequent decrease in forest area on the environment are well known. Afforestation is the answer to some extent, but needs to be carried out in a structured way with thorough knowledge of local environment, vegetation, soil type and socio-economic issues; not knowing or ignoring local conditions can prove extremely dangerous to the ecosystem. A sustainable and well-planned afforestation project helps improve soil conservation, catchment management and water quality. Such a project can also act as a wind barricade, as in the case of the The Great Green Wall Project in China. A very ambitious afforestation project that has spanned 70 years and 4,480km, it involves the building of a tree wall skirting the Gobi Desert. The tree wall is being built with the sole aim of fighting and acting as a barricade to ferocious sandstorms originating from the desert. Afforestation projects undertaken without a complete understanding of the surroundings can cause additional environmental damages. For instance , fast-growing trees commonly used in timber plantations consume huge amounts of water, hence depleting water resources around the area. There are also concerns about irreversible changes in the soil caused by exotic species. For example, pine trees are known to turn the soil acidic. The water from the soil eventually trickles down to local streams and water bodies, which, in turn, causes harm to both the water and land ecosystems. The concern mainly arises with large-scale monoculture tree plantations in Third World countries. Such plantations are usually set up for the purposes of abundant and cheap supply of raw materials to industrialised countries. A number of non-government organisations have joined hands to form a global network in order to share information and implement joint action against such plantations. In India, because of its large population, there has been growing demand for lands that are used in primary industries, such as arable land, grazing land and forestry land. And a considerable amount of cultivation and afforestation has taken place in response to such demand. This study deals with these three types of lands and analyzes the economic impact in India of cultivation and afforestation, using a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model. The model explicitly addresses substitution between traditional goods (fuelwood, cattle dung, and draft animals) and modern goods (fossil fuel, chemical fertilizer, and capital such as agro machinery). The results show that the two types of land use change (cultivation and afforestation) have many contrasting effects on various indices. Due to population pressures, in India demand has been increasing for lands that are used in primary industries. This includes arable land, grazing land and forestry land. In response to this situation, many cultivation and afforestation projects have been conducted. In the 1950s and 1960s, numerous cultivation initiatives were actively carried out and approx. 700,000 hectares per year were cultivated. However, because India has achieved food self-sufficiency and since scarce land remains to cultivate, in recent years very little cultivation has taken place. Instead , many irrigation projects have been conducted and the focal emphasis of the nations arable land policy has shifted from quantitative expansion to qualitative enhancement. China has deforested most of its historically wooded areas. China reached the point where timber yields declined far below historic levels, due to over-harvesting of trees beyond sustainable yield.[3] Although it has set official goals for reforestation, these goals were set for an 80 year time horizon and are not significantly met by 2008. China is trying to correct these problems by projects as the Green Wall of China, which aims to replant a great deal of forests and halt the expansion of the Gobi desert. A law promulgated in 1981 requires that every citizen over the age of 11 plant at least one tree per year. As a result, China currently has the highest afforestation rate of any country or region in the world, with 47,000 square kilometers of afforestation in 2008. However, the forest area per capita is still far lower than the international average. An ambitious proposal for China is the Aerially Delivered Re-forestation and Erosion Control System North Africa:- In North Africa, the sahara forest project coupled with the Seawater Greenhouse has been proposed. Some projects have also been launched in countries as Senegal to revert desertification. At present (2010) African leaders are discussing the combining of national countries in their continent to increase effectiveness. In addition, other projects as the Keita project in Niger have been launched in the past, and have been able to locally revert damage done by desertification. Europe:- Europe has deforested the majority of its historical forests. The European Union has paid farmers for afforestation since 1990, offering grants to turn farmland back into forest and payments for the management of forest. Between 1993 and 1997, EU afforestation policies made possible the re-forestation of over 5,000 square kilometres of land. A second program, running between 2000 and 2006, afforested in excess of 1000 square kilometres of land (precise statistics not yet available). A third such program began in 2007. In Poland, the National Program of Afforestation was introduced by the government after World War II, when total area of forests shrank to 20% of countrys territory. Consequently, forested areas of Poland grew year by year, and on December 31, 2006, forests covered 29% of the country (see: Polish forests). It is planned that by 2050, forests will cover 33% of Poland. According to FAO statistics, Spain had the fastest afforestation rate in Europe in the 1990-2005 period. In those years, a total of 44,360 square kilometers were afforested, and the total forest cover rose from 13,5 to 17,9 million hectares. In 1990, forests covered 26,6% of the Spanish territory. As of 2005, that figure had risen to 35,4%. Spain today has the third largest forest area in the European Union, after Sweden and Finland. Iran Iran is considered a low forest cover region of the world with present cover approximating seven percent of the land area. This is a value reduced by an estimated six million hectares of virgin forest, which includes oak, almond and pistacio. Due to soil substrates, it is difficult to achieve afforestation on a large scale compared to other temperate areas endowed with more fertile and less rocky and arid soil conditions. Consequently, most of the afforestation is conducted with non-native species, leading to habitat destruction for native flora and fauna, and resulting in an accelerated loss of biodiversity. DEFORESTATION:- DEFINITION: Deforestation is the clearance of forests by logging and/or burning (popularly known as slash and burn) Deforestation is the permanent destruction of indigenous forests and woodlands. The term does not include the removal of industrial forests such as plantations of gums or pines. Deforestation has resulted in the reduction of indigenous forests to four-fifths of their pre-agricultural area. Indigenous forests now cover 21% of the earths land surface Causes and Effects of Deforestation Trees are one of the most important aspects of the planet we live in. Trees are vitally important to the environment, animals, and of course for us humans. They are important for the climate of the Earth, they act as filters of carbon dioxide, they are habitats and shelters to millions of species, and they are also important for their aesthetic appeal. However , the trees on our planet are being depleted at a very fast rate. According to some estimates, more than 50 percent of the tree cover has disappeared due to human activity. ROOT OF CAUSES OF DEFORESTATION: http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSRNsylTo0bYxhYiESWK3QiGD_Ih95eEOFBXWj5vKVKBMnhfsAt=1usg=__vHcZj32oCodhQS3Qwvk3z40Ln4Q=Almost one-third of the earths land is covered with forest. They play an important role in sustaining life. They house over 60% of the worlds biodiversity and provide human beings with many products such as food, medicine, fuel, lumber, paper etc. There are two main causes of deforestation. The primary and most common reasons for deforestation are known as the direct causes. Logging, overpopulation , urbanization, dam construction etc are under direct causes. The other main cause of deforestation is known as natural causes since they are brought by the Mother Nature. n increase in population also means an increase in produce consumption. Thus, rainforests are destroyed and converted to cattle pasture to supply the burgeoning demand for meat. In Central America, almost half of the rainforests have been slashed and burned for cattle farming in order comply with foreign demands. Twenty-five per cent of the Amazons forests have also been destroyed for cattle ranches. Lack of government legislation for land reforms has also cleared the forest especially in developing countries like of the South East Asian nations. People in that region are among the poorest in the world and are desperate for a piece of land. Unequal distribution of resources has led these people to find their way to exploit the forests. Another reason that denudes the forest is exploitative economic development schemes and the powerlessness of government to safeguard its resources . Poor countries in their attempt to increase their revenues are in a way exploiting their resources like the forests. Timber is exported to reduce the national debt. Countries rich in mineral resources open their doors to multinational mining corporations that clear the forests as they go with their operations. The government especially those belonging in the Third World cannot curb commercial logging and implement a total log ban in exchange to higher foreign exchange rates . Development projects like dams, roads, and airports contracted by the government also cause deforestation. While most causes of deforestation occur due to human activities, there are uncontrolled causes of deforestation such as forest fires, volcanic eruption, and typhoon. Forest fires are started by lightning, and strong winds help to spread the flames. Drought in the forest has increased the amount of flammable bush and debris on the forest floor. Forest fires destroy immeasurable amount of valuable timber. They kill not only trees but also other living things. . Effects of Deforestation: There are a number of adverse effects of deforestation, such as: Erosion of Soil: When forest areas are cleared, it results in exposing the soil to the sun, making it very dry and eventually, infertile , due to volatile nutrients such as nitrogen being lost. In addition, when there is rainfall, it was hes away the rest of the nutrients, which flow with the rain water into waterways. Because of this, merely replanting trees may not help in solving the problems caused by deforestation, for by the time the trees mature, the soil will be totally devoid of essential nutrients. Ultimately, cultivation in this land will also become impossible, resulting in the land becoming useless. Large tracts of land will be rendered permanently impoverished due to soil erosion. http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/amazon_deforestation.jpg Disruption of the Water Cycle: Trees contribute in a large way in maintaining the water cycle. They draw up water via their roots, which is then released into the atmosphere. A large part of the water that circulates in the ecosystem of rainforests, for instance, remains inside the plants. When these trees are cut down it results in the climate getting drier in that area. Loss of Biodiversity: The unique biodiversity of various geographical areas is being los t on a scale that is quite unprecedented . Even though tropical rainforests make up just 6 percent of the surface area of the Earth, about 80-90 percent of the entire species of the exist here. Due to massive deforestation , about 50 to 100 species of animals are being lost each day. The outcome of which is the extinction of a functions of forests is to absorb and store great amounts of water quickly when there are heavy rains. When forests are cut down, this regulation of the flow of water is disrupted, which leads to alternating periods of flood and then drought in the affected area. Climate Change: It is well known that global warming is being caused largely due to emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. However, what is not known quite as well is that deforestation has a direction association with carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. Trees act as a major storage depot for carbon, since they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which is then used to produce carbohydrates, fats, and proteins that make up trees. When deforestation occurs, many of the trees are burnt or they are allowed to rot, which results in releasing the carbon that is stored in them as carbon dioxide. This, in turn, leads to greater concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRcfO6foNuW2NYYb26NeAm-vC2n-XhY3tcOlchwfyTERQKnwE8t=1usg=__Px7tkSf6dmHkFM1tJIGd3MLCdnc= POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES OF DEFORESTATION: The positive consequences of deforestation Depending on the needs of the social group concerned, deforestation has made it possible for communities to be built. Forests make way for residential houses, office buildings and factories. Governments are able to build roads to make trade and transport easier and therefore more convenient to residents. Deforestation can also mean the conversion of forest land to productive land for agricultural uses. This results in better and more abundant production of food and materials, virtually eradicating periods of want and lack. Economically, deforestation has contributed much in giving many communities the opportunity to make positive changes in their lives. The negative consequences of deforestation Unfortunately, the negative consequences of deforestation far outweigh its positive effects. Here are a few of them: 1. Exposing soil to heat and rain. When forests are cleared, soil cover, which consists mainly of vegetation, is removed as well. This exposes the bare soil to extreme conditions produced by the suns heat and rainwater. With these activities alternating, the soil quickly compacts. As rainwater flows, it will wash out the nutrients and other organic materials that make the soil rich and fertile. Add to that the frequent activities of tilling, cropping and grazing which gradually results to the degradation of the soils quality. These practices are specially a concern in areas where forest zones are drier. Agriculture practice on top of deforestation can result to the desertification of many areas. Desertification is also a direct result of the demand for the soil to produce more (as a consequence of the increase in human population), thereby decreasing to a significant degree the lands carrying capacity. 2. Flooding. Deforestation can result to watersheds that are no longer able to sustain and regulate water flows from rivers and streams. Trees are highly effective in absorbing water quantities, keeping the amount of water in watersheds to a manageable level. The forest also serves as a cover against erosion. Once they are gone, too much water can result to downstream flooding, many of which have caused disasters in many parts of the world. As fertile topsoil is eroded and flooded into the lower regions, many coastal fisheries and coral reefs suffer from the sedimentation brought by the flooding. This results to negative effects in the economic viability of many businesses and fatalities in wildlife population . 3. Non-suitability of areas for conversion. Most of the areas that have undergone deforestation are actually unsuitable for long-term agricultural use such as ranching and farming. Once deprived of their forest cover, the lands rapidly degrade in quality, losing their fertility and arability. The soil in many deforested areas is also unsuitable for supporting annual crops. Much of the grassy areas are also not as productive compared to more arable soils and are therefore not fit for long-term cattle grazing. 4. The displacement of indigenous communities and their traditional way of life. When governments decide to offer forests for deforestation mainly to open up areas for civilized communities, access to forest resources by indigenous peoples are ignored. In fact, indigenous peoples are hardly included in economic and political decisions that directly affect their lives. This encroachment ignores their rights as much as it takes away the resources that their ancestors have bestowed upon them. 5. The loss in the number of biodiversity. This is probably the most serious consequence of deforestation . Put simply, it means the destruction and extinction of many plant and animal species , many of whom remain unknown and whose benefits will be left undiscovered. Environmental problems:- http://ts3.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=249293773882id=08ef0795e99508a93ba519b21853fa1aurl=http%3a%2f%2fecogreentips.com%2fwp-content%2fimages%2fdeforestation.jpg Atmospheric:- Deforestation is ongoing and is shaping climate and geography. Deforestation is a contributor to global warming, and is often cited as one of the major causes of the enhanced greenhouse effect. Tropical deforestation is responsible for approximately 20% of world greenhouse gas emissions.According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change deforestation, mainly in tropical areas, could account for up to one-third of total anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. But recent calculations suggest that carbon dioxide emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (excluding peatland emissions) contribute about 12% of total anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions with a range from 6 to 17%. Trees and other plants remove carbon (in the form of carbon dioxide) from the atmosphere during the process of photosynthesis and release oxygen back into the atmosphere during normal respiration. Only when actively growing can a tree or forest remove carbon over an annual or longer timeframe. Both the decay and burning of wood releases much of this stored carbon back to the atmosphere. In order for forests to take up carbon, the wood must be harvested and turned into long-lived products and trees must be re-planted Deforestation may cause carbon stores held in soil to be released. Forests are stores of carbon and can be either sinks or sources depending upon environmental circumstances. Mature forests alternate between being net sinks and net sources of carbon dioxide (see carbon dioxide sink and carbon cycle). Reducing emissions from the tropical deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) in developing countries has emerged as new potential to complement ongoing climate policies. The idea consists in providing financial compensations for the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. Rainforests are widely believed by laymen to contribute a significant amount of worlds oxygen, although it is now accepted by scientists that rainforests contribute little net oxygen to the atmosphere and deforestation will have no effect on atmospheric oxygen levels.However, the incineration and burning of forest plants to clear land releases large amounts of CO2, which contributes to global warming. Forests are also able to extract carbon dioxide and pollutants from the air, thus contributing to biosphere stability. http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTGItPfLUiWZL07G_REq7tovGyqwEssPgik1RflDpEl6klE7WcS Hydrological:- The water cycle is also affected by deforestation. Trees extract groundwater through their roots and release it into the atmosphere. When part of a forest is removed, the trees no longer evaporate away this water, resulting in a much drier climate. Deforestation reduces the content of water in the soil and groundwater as well as atmospheric moisture.Deforestation reduces soil cohesion, so that erosion, flooding and landslides ensue.Forests enhance the recharge of aquifers in some locales, however, forests are a major source of aquifer depletion on most locales. Shrinking forest cover lessens the landscapes capacity to intercept, retain and transpire precipitation. Instead of trapping precipitation, which then percolates to groundwater systems, deforested areas become sources of surface water runoff, which moves much faster than subsurface flows. That quicker transport of surface water can translate into flash flooding and more localized floods than would occur with the forest cover. Deforestation also contributes to decreased evapotranspiration, which lessens atmospheric moisture which in some cases affects precipitation levels downwind from the deforested area, as water is not recycled to downwind forests, but is lost in runoff and returns directly to the oceans. According to one study, in deforested north and northwest China, the average annual precipitation decreased by one third between the 1950s and the 1980s.[citation needed] Trees, and plants in general, affect the water cycle significantly: their canopies intercept a proportion of precipitation, which is then evaporated back to the atmosphere (canopy interception); their litter, stems and trunks slow down surface runoff; their roots create macropores large conduits in the soil that increase infiltration of water; they contribute to terrestrial evaporation and reduce soil moisture via transpiration; their litter and other organic residue change soil properties that affect the capacity of soil to store water. their leaves control the humidity of the atmosphere by transpiring. 99% of the water absorbed by the roots moves up to the leaves and is transpired. As a result, the presence or absence of trees can change the quantity of water on the surface, in the soil or groundwater, or in the atmosphere. This in turn changes erosion rates and the availability of water for either ecosystem functions or human services. The forest may have little impact on flooding in the case of large rainfall events, which overwhelm the storage capacity of forest soil if the soils are at or close to saturation. Tropical rainforests produce about 30% of our planets fresh water. Soil:- Deforestation for the use of clay in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. The hill depicted is Morro da Covanca, in Jacarepaguà ¡ Undisturbed forests have a very low rate of soil loss, approximately 2 metric tons per square kilometer (6 short tons per square feet).[citation needed] Deforestation generally increases rates of soil erosion, by increasing the amount of runoff and reducing the protection of the soil from tree litter. This can be an advantage in excessively leached tropical rain forest soils. Forestry operations themselves also increase erosion through the development of roads and the use of mechanized equipment. Chinas Loess Plateau was cleared of forest millennia ago. Since then it has been eroding, creating dramatic incised valleys, and providing the sediment that gives the Yellow River its yellow color and that causes the flooding of the river in the lower reaches (hence the rivers nickname Chinas sorrow). Removal of trees does not always increase erosion rates. In certain regions of southwest US, shrubs and trees have been encroaching on grassland. The trees themselves enhance the loss of grass between tree canopies. The bare intercanopy areas become highly erodible. The US Forest Service, in Bandelier National Monument for example, is studying how to restore the former ecosystem, and reduce erosion, by removing the trees. Tree roots bind soil together, and if the soil is sufficiently shallow they act to keep the soil in place by also binding with underlying bedrock. Tree removal on steep slopes with shallow soil thus increases the risk of landslides, which can threaten people living nearby. However most deforestation only affects the trunks of trees, allowing for the roots to stay rooted, negating the landslide. Ecological:- Deforestation results in declines in biodiversity. The removal or destruction of areas of forest cover has resulted in a degraded environment with reduced biodiversity. Forests support biodiversity, providing habitat for wildlife; moreover, forests foster medicinal conservation. With forest biotopes being irreplaceable source of new drugs (such as taxol), deforestation can destroy genetic variations (such as crop resistance) irretrievably. Since the tropical rainforests are the most diverse ecosystems on Earth and about 80% of the worlds known biodiversity could be found in tropical rainforests, removal or destruction of significant areas of forest cover has resulted in a degraded environment with reduced biodiversity. It has been estimated that we are losing 137 plant, animal and insect species every single day due to rainforest deforestation, which equates to 50,000 species a year. Others state that tropical rainforest deforestation is contributing to the ongoing Holocene mass extinction.The known extinction rates from deforestation rates are very low, approximately 1 species per year from mammals and birds which extrapolates to approximately 23,000 species per year for all species. Predictions have been made that more than 40% of the animal and plant species in Southeast Asia could be wiped out in the 21st century. Such predictions were called into question by 1995 data that show that within regions of Southeast Asia much of the original forest has been converted to monospecific plantations, but that potentially endangered species are few and tree flora remains widespread and stable. Scientific understanding of the process of extinction is insufficient to accurately make predictions about the impact of deforestation on biodiversity.[56] Most predictions of forestry related biodiversity loss are based on species-area models, with an underlying assumption that as the forest declines species diversity will decline similarly.However, many such models have been proven to be wrong and loss of habitat does not necessarily lead to large scale loss of species.[57] Species-area models are known to overpredict the number of species known to be threatened in areas where actual deforestation is ongoing, and greatly overpredict the number of threatened species that are widespread. Economic impact:- Damage to forests and other aspects of nature could halve living standards for the worlds poor and reduce global GDP by about 7% by 2050, a major report concluded at the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) meeting in Bonn. Historically utilization of forest products, including timber and fuel wood, have played a key role in human societies, comparable to the roles of water and cultivable land. Today, developed countries continue to utilize timber for building houses, and wood pulp for paper. In developing countries almost three billion people rely on wood for heating and cooking. The forest products industry is a large part of the economy in both developed and developing countries. Short-term economic gains made by conversion of forest to agriculture, or over-exploitation of wood products, typically leads to loss of long-term income and long term biological productivity (hence reduction in natures services). West Africa, Madagascar, Southeast Asia and many other regions have experienced lower revenue because of declining timber harvests. Illegal logging causes billions of dollars of losses to national economies annually. The new procedures to get amounts of wood are causing more harm to the economy and overpowers the amount of money spent by people employed in logging. Control:- Reducing emissions Major international organizations, including the United Nations and the World Bank, have begun to develop programs aimed at curbing deforestation. The blanket term Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) describes these sorts of programs, which use direct monetary or other incentives to encourage developing countries to limit and/or roll back deforestation. Funding has been an issue, but at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties-15 (COP-15) in Copenhagen in December 2009, an accord was reached with a collective commitment by developed countries for new and additional resources, including forestry and investments through international institutions, that will approach USD 30 billion for the period 2010 2012. Significant work is underway on tools for use in monitoring developing country adherence to their agreed REDD targets. These tools, which rely on remote forest monitoring using satellite imagery and other data s ources, include the Center for Global Developments FORMA (Forest Monitoring for Action) initiative and the Group on Earth Observations Forest Carbon Tracking Portal. Methodological guidance for forest monitoring was also emphasized at COP-15 The environmental organization Avoided Deforestation Partners leads the campaign for development of REDD through funding from the U.S. government. http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQOM4uFrGLFAGFLzmyTTF34LtYfjU3R31OB7CxXwzCEWWxh_UV4 Farming New methods are being developed to farm more intensively, such as high-yield hybrid crops, greenhouse, autonomous building gardens, and hydroponics. These methods are often dependent on chemical inputs to maintain necessary yields. In cyclic agriculture, cattle are grazed on farm land that is resting and rejuvenating. Cyclic agriculture actually increases the fertility of the soil. Intensive farming can also decrease soil nutrients by consuming at an accelerated rate the trace minerals needed for crop growth.[citation needed] Forest management Efforts to stop or slow deforestation have been attempted for many centuries because it has long been known that deforestation can cause environmental damage sufficient in some cases to cause societies to collapse. In Tonga, paramount rulers developed policies designed to prevent conflicts between short-term gains from converting forest to farmland and long-term problems forest loss would cause, while during the seventeenth and 18th centuries in Tokugawa, Japan, the shoguns developed a highly sophisticated system of long-term planning to stop and even reverse deforestation of the preceding centuries through substituting timber by other products and more efficient use of land that had been farmed for many centuries. In 16th century Germany landowners also developed silviculture to deal with the problem of deforestation. However, these policies tend to be limited to environments with good rainfall, no dry season and

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Essay --

Teddy Roosevelt had a very eventful life including many political positions. He was known as very enthusiastic and energetic boy. When he was a kid the doctors told him he had a weak heart and told him to get a desk job. His family was very wealth as a kid he traveled around the world and due to his illnesses he was taught by tutors and he went through a very intense physical training regimen including boxing and weightlifting. He had a very brief military life, but he received many awards including Congressional Medal of Honor. Roosevelt life is split into his early life, Political life, and assistant secretary of US navy. Theodore Roosevelt was born in New York City on October 27, 1858. Teddy as a young boy hated the nickname Teddy. His father Theodore Roosevelt Sr. of Dutch heritage and his mother Martha Bulloch was known as a southern belle. His family owned a glass import business. He spent most of his early life in his family’s home getting homeschooled due to his asthma and illness. This is where Teddy found his love for animal life, but by his teens his dad made him follow a physical routine that included weightlifting and boxing. He went to college at Harvard and by his second year his dad passed away and that caused him to work harder to achieve his goals. He was distraught because of his father’s death and wrote in his journal â€Å"the aim and purpose of my life had been taken away†. One of Roosevelt’s quote on hard work is â€Å"Far and away, the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing†. Roosevelt graduated Harvard with high honors magna cum laude in 1880 and then he enrolled at Columbia Law School and fell in love with Alice Hathaway Lee of Massachusetts. Instead of finishing Law schoo... ...nd ten days later they were out of combat and by august they were home and the war was over. Teddy later in life said this about the war â€Å"the only trouble was that there was not enough war to go around†. This war gave Roosevelt many opportunities because of his actions at the Battle of San Juan hill he led his men up a hill on a risky charge exposing himself to the enemy. He was nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor, and then he was elected governor of New York in 1898. Roosevelt died in his sleep on January 6, 1919 in Long Island home. He was buried in the Young’s Memorial Cemetery in New York. Roosevelt throughout his life wrote more than twenty five books on history, biology, geography, and philosophy. Roosevelt was the first ever president to get the Medal of Honor. Roosevelt help fight for the hundreds of million acres of national forests in the US.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Yi Dynasty :: essays research papers fc

서영준  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  aka Eddie Sanchez The Yi Dynasty   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Yi Dynasty, also called the Chosun Dynasty, is the last and longest-lived imperial dynasty of Korea. General 이성계 founded the Yi Dynasty when he overthrew the Koryo dynasty. It lasted until 1910 when Korea ceased to be an independent sovereign state after being annexed by Japan. During the Chosun Dynasty, Korea’s class system was very defined and social mobility was defined. Primarily, one could theoretically go up through Chosun’s education system, which was Confucian based. Commerce was controlled by the government, but as time went on, government loosened its grip over trading and commerce.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1392, General 이성계, or King 태조 as he was later known, became ruler of Korea. Confucian replaced Buddhism as the main ideological influence, and a rigidly structured, hierarchical social system evolved, dominating the kingdom for five centuries (Washam). These measures effectively undercut the societal influence of both Koryo’s Buddhist hierarchy and the old aristocracy. This cleared the way for the new elite class that would dominate Korea for the next 500 years   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Great landowners and a Confucianist scholar-gentry, known 양반, dominated agriculture, politics, and foreign policy. The 양반 was comprised of the literati, or educated, class. They monopolized civil and military posts in the new national bureaucracy. The primary way into the bureaucracy was to be successful in the civil service examinations. Since 양반 families were exempt from taxes and labor, they were able to fully devote their time to studying while those who were not born into 양반 families generally did not move up in the social structure due to the fact that they needed to work to survive and pay taxes. Thus, social mobility was difficult and extremely uncommon. However, theoretically and ideally, one could escape the lower classes through mastering the civil service examination.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Beneath them were the crafts people and artists who were highly esteemed because of their skills and talents. Astronomers and physicians were also included in this group. During the Yi Dynasty, Korean landscape painting becomes popular. Also, the Korean ceramics industry is renewed. Craftsmen begin producing white porcelain as well as 분청자기. Craftsmen manufactured many 분청 ceramic pieces for the government as well as for artistic purposes. Porcelain, on the other hand, was basically centralized. Porcelain was managed by the royal court. Perhaps, that is why the craftsmen were highly regarded (Lee).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Below the craftspeople in the official order were the common people who made up 75 percent of the population.